WE IRISH ARE a great bunch, there’s no doubt about that.

We know how to have fun, to make hay while the sun shines and to find the laugh in things, no matter how tough they become.

Most of the time, that is.  Occasionally, our penchant for melodrama rears its ugly head.

For example, after weeks of sunshine, a bit of rain is forecast for this week and suddenly all anyone wants to talk about is the ‘end of the heatwave’.

Never mind that the temperatures are still higher than we would hope for during a normal Irish Summer.  No no, it’s OVER.  The good times are OVER FOREVER.

It’s not just the weather though. Here are nine other things that Irish people love being melodramatic about.

Politicians

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Obviously we’ve had a bad run of it in this regard, but by the way lots of people talk about them you’d swear each of our elected representatives eat their young.

They can’t all be that bad, can they?  Can they?

Eurovision

Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Oh yes, we’re all very nonchalant in the run-up to the event.  We joke about not standing a chance, how rubbish our song is, how we’re probably not even going to watch it…but when the time comes, we lose the run of ourselves entirely.

Ranting and raving after the event about political voting and fairness, accompanied by shouts that we shouldn’t even bother entering anymore would lead you to believe that we care very much indeed.

Ryanair

Photocall Ireland

We know the deal.  They’re strict on luggage.  And yet, when we get stung for having overpacked our bag we lose it altogether.

They are criminals!  Thieves!  How dare they?!?

RTE

Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

We love to give out about our national broadcaster.

They don’t do anything good, the license fee is a waste of money!  There’s never anything on tv!

The Late Late Show

RTE/Photocall Ireland

Following on from RTE, its flagship show causes lots of disproportionate unrest.

We take the content selection very personally.  You’d swear it was a televisual representation of who we are as individuals.

The Royal Family

Anwar Hussein/Anwar Hussein/EMPICS Entertainment

Really, they have very little to do with us, but boy are we enraged when we’re forced to hear about them.

Ourselves

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For example, when given a compliment, we can’t simply say thank you.

Instead we must deliver an onslaught of negativity about ourselves.

I look nice?  WHAT?  I look like I’ve spent nine months in a cave battling gout and dystentery!

Roy Keane

Stephen Pond/EMPICS Sport

We just can’t be rational about the man who put Saipan firmly on the map for Irish sports fans.

He’s either an angel or a devil – there’s no middle ground.

Seasonal items in the shops

Danny Lawson/PA Archive/Press Association Images

We are very upset by the early appearance of seasonal items in the shops, be they Christmas items or Easter eggs.

What are they doing there?  It’s October for God’s sake!

Enraged!

What other things do you think we’re melodramatic about as a people?

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