10 Things the Irish Do Better than Americans

10 Things the Irish Do Better than Americans

Here are 10 things the Irish do better than Americans.

The US far exceeds Ireland in both land mass and population, but there are many ways in which the European nation comes out ahead. Here are 10 things the Irish do better than Americans.

Number 10. Live longer. Both males and females in Ireland have an anticipated life span that’s about two years greater than that of their American counterparts. The expectancy there is 78.7 for men and 83.2 for women. In the US those numbers are estimated at 76.4 and 81.2, respectively.

Number 9.Conducting business. When it comes to setting up shop Ireland is, according to Forbes, a far more favorable place to do so. They ranked it 4th while the US came in at 18th. Among the metrics assessed were taxes, property rights, and personal freedom.

Number 8. Guinness. Though many who’ve enjoyed a pint on both shores will tell you it’s better there, there’s actually somewhat scientific proof that it truly is. Four researchersmade it their mission to taste the beer in multiple countries, and based on their extensive scoring system, found the brew is definitely at its best when crafted and poured in Ireland.

Number 7. Castles. Ireland definitely has the upper hand for a number of reasons, one of which is having been around when castle-building was a popular thing. Many of those standing today were constructed between the 11th and 15th centuries, including the world famous Blarney, home of the stone that when kissed bestows ‘the gift of the gab’.

Number 6. NationalDebt. On both a total sum and a per capita basis, Ireland has less of it.Broken down, the nation’s roughly 230 billion dollar total comes out to just over 50 thousand dollars per person. America’s 18 trillion dollar sum breaks down to around 56 thousand per head.

Number 5. Using fewer plastic bags. People in Ireland for the most part stopped using them back in 2002. That’s the year a per-bag tax was implemented. Meanwhile, it’s estimated that Americans blow through as many as 100 billion of them a year.

Number 4. College tuition. Those living in Ireland can pursue a higher education pretty much for free. There’s no tuition charged, but there is an administrative fee that comes out to roughly 25 hundred dollars per year. Further, that generous offer is extended to all European Union residents who meet certain qualifications.

Number 3. Weight control. Honestly, neither country does a bang-up job at it, as they’re both among the nations the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has declared as the 10 most obese. Ireland, however hovers closer to the bottom of that list while the US is firmly planted at number 1.

Number 2. Balance work and life. Ireland’s workforce spends about 250 fewer hours per year on the job than Americans. Also, an above average number of people there report being satisfied with their lives. The number of individuals in the US expressing similar feelings falls below the international norm.

Number 1. Not commit homicide. According to the Better Life Index compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the murder rate in Ireland is 0.8 homicides per 100 thousand inhabitants. In the US about 5 people per 100 thousand fall victim to the crime.

What do you think Ireland does best?