h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Question : When you say extended family do you mean first cousins only? Anyway Bienvenue a H2G2 (my French is entirely rusted up as it only sees daylight occassionally so I will try Irish... Failte romhat go dtí H2G2) In case that doesn't give it away I know exactly what being mistaken for another nationality feels like so I will be very nice to you! I am only a baby researcher yet but it is already becoming quite addictive, so enjoy yourself out there and beware the water........

Well, in a proper French Canadian family such as mine, this means, in order of importance, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, their children (2nd cousins) and anybody who's married into the family. To top it off, my family also included people who've been informally adopted into the clan and are no required to attend all family functions.

Thanks for the greetings, however, my Irish is far worse then your french.

In that case I well beat your hundred! Good Catholic Irish breeding has left me with an extended family that numbers a couple of hundred, I was just wondering if you were English about it! As for second cousins, this is a debate that I have frequently had with my granny, I cannot honestly say anymore who are my second cousins because she includes things like first cousin once removed (which equates to your second cousin and makes it very confusing becuase where does the first cousin end and the second cousin begin? hmmm? I'm 'fused).

If you have any Irish at all I would be well surprised! It is not exactly an international language! I simply said welcome to H2G2 (jic)

I knew that Real Irish families were similar to French Canadian families, but not that they were bigger. Irish families in Canada tend to be rather small (no more then 2 or 3 kids) and extended families are largely ignored (this is very typical of North America...well as far as I can tell). My grandfather would include all possible blood relatives when speaking the "Family" but we younger folk never really extend the family further then the immediate (and usually living in the same town) members.

Were exactly are you in Ireland?