A true stalwart of the average family, the Irish Mammy is world renowned for her unique take on the world, but there’s one trait that sets the very best ones apart.
According to a new poll, 22% of Irish people agree that ‘needless fussing’ is the habit most Irish Mammies share.
According to research by One4All, the stereotype is showing no signs of decline as eight in 10 Mums in Ireland say they are proud to class themselves as a typical ‘Irish Mammy’.
A total of 1,385 adults agree that while there’s no one quite like your own Mum, there are plenty with the same name; when asked what name they used to refer to their mother, one in four responded with ‘Mum’, followed by ‘Mam’ (21%) and ‘Mammy’ (18%).
The terminology chosen varies geographically, with Munster mothers most likely to be called ‘Mam’, while Leinster, Connacht and Ulster’s mothers are most commonly called ‘Mum’.
Although most Mums have many affectionate names for their kids, the poll showed that ‘love’ (11%), ‘baby’ (10.2%) and ‘pet’ (9.8%) are the top three terms of endearment mums give to their children in Ireland.
Boys are also 20% more likely to be a ‘Mammy’s Boy’ than girls are to be a ‘Mammy’s Girl’.
The formidable Irish Mammy is a familiar character in Ireland and unsurprisingly the majority (55%) of those polled said that their mum is the stricter of their parents.
The famous ‘Do you think I’m made of money?’ line was voted the public’s favourite Irish Mammyism (13%) followed by ‘What did your last maid die of?’ (11%) and ‘It’s far from that you were reared’ and ‘Did you turn off the immersion!’ (10% each).
