Sending Gift Baskets to Ireland

Should I Send a Gift on St. Patrick’s Day? And Other Gift Giving Customs in Ireland

There are a lot of myths about Irish culture and St. Patrick’s Day, so don’t be the person sending a stereotypical gift when you’re trying to celebrate the Luck of the Irish. The fact is, the American version of St. Patrick’s Day is quite different from what you’ll find in Ireland. What you need to know is that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, credited with converting the native Irish to Christianity, and with a number of miracles. The Irish celebration of the holiday is more focused on its religious roots.

In Ireland, there’s no dyeing the water or the beer green! Rivers in Ireland are naturally a vibrant shade of sea green that is a far cry from the toxic-looking dye spread in America, and any Irish person worth their salt will tell you that dye has no place in beer. There’s no corned beef either — that’s an American tradition. But there are a number of parades on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, people have the day off to relax (and most of them do just that), and it is a custom to pin a shamrock on your lapel — although it’s more common for that shamrock to simply be a pin, rather than the real thing. Most importantly, St. Patrick’s Day is really not a traditional gift-giving holiday, so unless you’re invited to someone’s home, gifts and small tokens of appreciation are not expected.

Instead, the most common gifting occasions in Ireland are actually:

• Christmas
• Birthdays
• Weddings
• Births & Baby Showers
   

When you’re sending gifts for these occasions, remember these traditions from Irish culture, to make sure you don’t end up sending an embarrassing faux pas: Giving a bouquet of lilies is never a good idea. They are used almost solely at funerals and during religious ceremonies. Red and white flowers or packaging can also mean blood and tears. Instead, for flowers try a colorful bouquet with lots of green plants and vibrant colors, and for packaging add pops of other festive hues.

How to write the Address for Delivery to Ireland?

A delivery address in Ireland is a bit different than in the USA. You’ll want to make sure to fill out the following fields. If you’re shipping the gift from within the EU, adding “IE” as a prefix to the town is required.

An example of an Irish Address would follow this order:

• Recipient or Company Name
• House Name (If applicable)
• Street Number and Street Name
• Prefix (If mailing from inside the EU), City or County, Country (If mailing from outside of the EU)

or:
Mary Martin
The Luck House
33 Shamrock Street
IE Dublin 5