Yes Virginia, we have books in this country. Irish people learn to read and go to schools. Like this one...
Look, Ireland is not The Quiet Man. It's not all thatched roof cottages, fields of sheep and priests making sly bets on the horses. That's Hollywood. This will probably burst someone's bubble but we do have electricity and running water here. I'm not being tongue-in-cheek about this. My fiancée' was actually asked this question by a tourist in Connemara.
"Do they have running water and electricity?"
Yes. Yes they do.
So whatever preconceived notions you have about Ireland, please get them out of your silly head right now. Everyone likes a good Disney movie but folks, Darby O'Gill and the Little People was a lie: The only leprechauns in Ireland are at The Leprechaun Museum, and the reason why they have pots of gold is because thousands of tourists are gullible enough to pay €12 admission.Yes. Yes they do.
The Honest Truth: If you really want to know what Ireland is like, think of a town you have been to in the Midwest during late fall and you'll probably be about right in your approximation: Ireland is like that.
It's kind-of-just-like America: Irish people drive to work in Toyotas and Nissans. They get gas at Texaco and they buy donuts at the local convenience store. Over here, they're called Centra instead of 7-11 but they sell the same cans of Pringles and Budweiser.
(Spoiler Alert: Budweiser is brewed in Ireland by Diagio, the people who make Guinness, and the Guinness you drink in America is actually brewed in Canada by Labatt. I know... the truth hurts sometimes).