Irish accents top the list of things British people love most about Ireland

Fr Ted School of Politics: The deftly evasive philosophy which was painstakingly drummed into the pickled brain of Father Jack

Diageo has been criticised for part-funding what is an independent and voluntary campaign

Fr Ted School of Politics: The deftly evasive philosophy which was painstakingly drummed into the pickled brain of Father Jack

Diageo has been criticised for part-funding what is an independent and voluntary campaign

Bob Geldof

Irish accents are the things most loved about Ireland by people in the UK

Ruth Cawley

March 09 2015 01:34 PM

An Irish accent is the thing most admired about Ireland by the British new research has revealed.

A survey which took into account the opinions of more than 2000 people in the UK found that the way we speak is one of their favourite things about Ireland.

Somewhat stereotypically Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream rate second and third on the list respectively and is followed by Irish stew and Steak and Guinness pie.

Popular comedy Father Ted landed sixth on the list in the research conducted by Bookies William Hill.

Spokesman Jon Ivan-Duke said: “There is much to celebrate when it comes to Irish culture and the things it offers.

“Whether it’s world-class music acts, the iconic pint of Guinness or real sporting passion, it’s a small country with a lot to shout about and much of it is embraced in Britain. It comes as no great surprise that Guinness came out so high on the list,” he said.

This week, more than 200,000 pints of Guinness are expected to be consumed at Cheltenham the pinnacle of the racing year.

“Last year over 236,472 pints of Guinness were consumed at the festival and with so many Irish favourites this year we expect that number to be beaten,” said Ivan-Duke.

It’s not just Ireland’s booze and stews that are attractive to the British as actors Pierce Brosnan, Colin Farrell and James Nesbitt also made the top ten on the list.

Other actors, including Michael Gambon and Chris O’Dowd were also polled in the top 50.

Irish band The Pogues, responsible for one of the most iconic Christmas songs, came tenth on the list.

Unsurprisingly, leprechauns and our green landscapes were also quite popular.

Sports stars, including them Rory McIlroy, Roy Keane, Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy were also included in the list which also found that Irish jockeys were favoured by 60pc of people for the forthcoming victories at Cheltenham.

The Top 50 Greatest Irish Things