Condé Nast Traveller has named Ireland the friendliest country in Europe in its 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, with a rather impressive score of 98.39 out of a 100. And this isn’t a one-off burst of Irish charm either: After coming second for the previous two years, Ireland has finally nabbed the top spot. As someone who is half Irish, I’d say it’s about time, too. And I’m naturally taking this entirely impartial survey result as iron-clad scientific proof, and it may pop up in conversation whenever anyone makes an unfortunate remark about the Irish weather. But underneath the fun of the accolade is something worth thinking about. Condé Nast Traveller points particularly to Ireland’s culture of conversation, community, and hospitality, not to mention the famous “craic,” and these are things you don’t need an Irish passport to practice. So, in honor of Ireland’s latest title, here are seven ways we could all inject a little Read More…

The Irish art of being friendly (and how to steal it)