"...and the biggy, their historical dislike of the English. Ha ha. 
"Ahaha...a case of my enemy's enemy is my friend.
I knew you guys and the French were frequently allied in wars against the Poms over the centuries, but I don't think that the Irish were very handy in those hostilities. I mean, even at its peak, the Irish Empire didn't exactly extent much further south of county Cork, Ireland's southern-most province, so the country wasn't exactly a dripping roast in terms of resources that could be mobilised for war.
As for "earthiness, warmth and wit, love of song, focus on family", the social lubricant holding all that in place being, of course, copious lashings of alcohol!
And then the fighting starts....
(By contrast, the Spanish... wine turns them into lovers, I'm led to believe)
.
