Jennifer Horgan: I just can't toe the line when Irish people ask me to remove my shoes in their house

I find being asked to remove my shoes when I'm a guest in someone's house rude and infantilising. It’s one of my pet peeves

I perfectly understand an adult asking a horde of children to remove their muddy boots before climbing a carpeted stair. Small children are gloriously feral. They can’t be expected to notice when they’ve trawled through mud and scum and dog poo. Picture: Denis Minihane

When she asks me to remove my shoes, I know two things: I like my host less than I did before, and I probably won’t be coming again.

She says it nicely to be fair, calling from the kitchen.