You’ve probably seen it in a hundred films without realizing it. Remember the scene in PS I Love You where they’re zipping around Wicklow? Yep, left side. Or when you watch The Banshees of Inisherin and see a donkey cart, it’s also keeping left.
The first time I drove in Ireland, I nearly opened the passenger door to get in. My husband just laughed and pointed to the steering wheel on the “wrong” side. It feels backwards for about ten minutes, then strangely becomes the most natural thing in the world.
A Little Story About Roundabouts
Here’s where it gets fun. Irish roundabouts go clockwise, which is the opposite of what Americans or Europeans might expect. Imagine you’re approaching a roundabout near Killarney, and you instinctively look left for traffic. Wrong! You look right.
My cousin once froze at a roundabout outside Galway like a deer in headlights. The driver behind her just smiled and waved. Irish drivers are incredibly patient, but they do expect you to yield to traffic coming from your right. It’s a dance, really.
