The Irish person’s guide on how to say no  - and mean it

We’re famous for our céad míle fáilte, but when it comes to saying no, it doesn’t seem to be part of our vocabulary. Here’s how to get what you want without seeming rude or offending anyone

Suzanne Harrington: Irish people, in general, are terrible at direct speech. Picture: iStock

No, I’m afraid I can’t. No, I’m not able to. No, unfortunately, I’m not free. No, I’d rather not. No, to be honest, I don’t want to.

Look at those little sentences. Note the lack of “sorry”, or the padding out with convoluted excuses.