Why one mammy is on a mission to keep the ‘Irish Hello’ alive

Irish are statistically the loneliest people in Europe, so to combat that, Nuala Woulfe is determined to preserve the very Irish tradition of greeting strangers when out for a walk

We should preserve the 'Irish hello' at all costs (Pic: Getty Images/Maskot)

Nuala Woulfe

Ireland’s Green Party lodged a motion in the Senate last week on May 1 pleading with the Government to tackle loneliness. Shockingly, the Irish are the loneliest in Europe with 20pc of people saying in a 2023 EU report that they feel lonely, all, or some of the time.

In addition to calling for a dedicated Minister for Loneliness, the Greens want an Expert Action Group established and a report published in six months on how we can pull out of this public crisis with special consideration being given to loneliness in young people, the effects on their mental health since Covid, and the need to improve social connection across all age groups.