Guilt is widely accepted as a stereotypical Catholic trait, with the guiltiest of all Catholics being the Irish.
Let's explore this concept of Irish Catholic guilt and its impact on the infamous Irish psyche.

By discussing Irish character traits, I hope I don't reinforce cultural stereotypes nor create an overly simple picture of the Irish. This is merely a light-hearted look at some attributes bestowed upon us by the rest of the world.
I've included my favorite Catholic guilt quotations in the graphics throughout this post. I hope you enjoy them.
Table of Contents

What is Irish Catholic Guilt?
So what is this guilt we speak of? It's an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of the stomach caused by an overly functioning conscience.
The guilty suffer from intense internal reactions of regret, triggered by external events barely noticeable to others.
To understand these feelings, they have to be experienced. I often wonder if there are people who never, ever feel even the slightest twinge of guilt.
Do you have to be raised Catholic,
with a fear of hell fire and brimstone,
to appreciate this internal battle of the mind?
Is the severity of a guilt attack
related to cultural, genetic or moral inheritance?
Let's face it, everyone experiences guilt at some point or another. Every person who has reached an age of reason is conscious of shame and remorse. The question is, do we Irish, practice self-condemnation and reproach to a higher degree than others?
The answer eludes me. I have only seen and experienced the world through the lenses of my own Irish upbringing, my Catholicism, and the Catholic school education I received.
Whenever I pass a Catholic church, I bless myself. If I don’t, I feel guilty. Catholic guilt kicks in whenever we do something that could be a little wrong or sinful according to the strict code of acceptable Catholic behavior. Having been baptized Catholic, and received the Sacraments of Communion and Confirmation, I'm a fully fledged Catholic, guilt and all.
As a practicing Catholic I examine my conscience before confession and receiving the eucharist, carefully reflecting on any wrongful actions that might illicit a little guilt.

Guilt Inspired Volunteerism
As an Irish person I feel pangs of guilt from time to time, sometimes over the most trivial things.
I have a tendency to volunteer, to stretch myself to the limit, born out of a serious sense of guilt.
When an appeal comes out for help at a school event for example, I'm usually overcome by guilty feelings that if I don't help, nobody else might step up to the proverbial plate.

Why Do The Irish Feel Such A Strong Sense Of Guilt?
If we Irish are the most guilty of all nationalities then what might be the cause? However, I have heard that there is also a phenomenon known as Jewish guilt.
Potential origins are wide and varied. Some claim years of religious persecution, imperialism, and extreme poverty created a national Irish Catholic inferiority complex.
Our ideas about sin may also trigger these guilty feelings. When we do something wrong we instinctively feel bad, and do everything in our power to make it better. No matter how hard we try to be good, we know we will fail because that is simply part of human nature.
" "All that praying you made us do," complained Maggie. "And making us go to Mass. And starving us on Good Friday ... And making us feel ashamed of our bodies and guilty about absolutely everything. No, Ma, you were the pits." Nuala glowed with pride, truly she had been the best of Catholic mothers."
- From "Late Opening at The Last Chance Saloon" by Marian Keyes
Our Irish mothers transferred a deep sense of guilt, and many are proud of their handiwork.
But is it truly guilt? Or perhaps this cultural inheritance is actually our conscience, our sense of humanity and the need to do good in the world?
Is Guilt Good or Bad?
Guilt is often portrayed as a flaw, a deep weakness of the Irish psyche. But I see guilt differently. I think it gets a bad rap.
I actually like guilt. Believe it or not, guilt can be good, giving us a great sense of responsibility for what goes wrong. We all fail occasionally. That's simply a manifestation of our humanity.
When we fail or forget something, a twinge of regret sweeps over our Irish Catholic psyche. It’s what keeps us honest. So in my book, there’s nothing wrong with a little guilt.
But take note, I did say a 'little' guilt. Obsessively compulsive, over-the-top, never-letting-it-go kind of guilt is far from healthy.
Excessive guilt can be a stumbling block for some. I personally think we should accept those guilty feelings, forgive ourselves, then move on. Never deny responsibility for a failure or project blame outwardly. Just accept life's challenges, forgive and make the necessary changes.

Without a smattering of guilt, we might all go around feeling unaccountable, at ease with our place in the world, believing we’re worth it, that the world owes us something.
Those twinges of guilt, whether they are inherent to our nature because we are human, or because we are Irish, keep us grounded.
They encourage us to try to improve, and let others feel confident that we will always give our best, because if we don't,..... well you know .... we'll be overcome by our Irish Catholic guilt.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.

Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
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Irish Soups And Stews
- Irish Guinness Beef Stew - Crockpot Recipe
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- Potato And Leek Soup
- Rutabaga And Carrot Soup
Debra McCarthy
After a Long discussion with a Jewish friend, he was shocked to realize we Catholics suffer more guilt than they do. Even our parish priest was commenting just yesterday at Mass that the Sisters of St Joseph who taught in his school (as well as mine) made them feel like sinners over every petty infraction, not giving to the pagan baby fund every week, disobeying, poor penmanship that they all affected his chances for eternal life with Jesus. In the meantime he was beating up his brother on a regular basis, but he figured Jesus knew his brother was a creep. His point was we will never be Christ-like (we need to remember Christ is God's son) but we can try to be the best people we can be.
Irish American Mom
Debra - Thanks so much for sharing your parish priest's story. I like how he figured Jesus would understand his relationship with his brother. I too was educated by nuns. They perfected the art of using a "guilt trip" to motivate us to perform.
Best wishes and thanks so much for stopping by my website.
Mairead
Debra McCarthy
On our first trip to Ireland, I told my family about your story - your son thinking you knew everyone because of the one finger wave. They laughed at me until we entered County Cork & everyone who passed us by car, or on foot gave us the "wave." Soon they were giving the wave before the locals.
Irish American Mom
That finger wave really is popular in County Cork. Glad to hear you all joined in.
All the best,
Mairead
Michael Orme
Jewish people are the original masters of guilt but the Irish are the reigning champions!
Plus we got the shame thing going beyond any other culture as far as I know and god bless any that even attempt to challenge us on this end.
Irish American Mom
Hi Michael - We Irish are masters of shame and guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my Irish ramblings.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Paul McCarty
I have loads of that Irish Catholic guilt. I seems to have a never-ending supply.
Irish American Mom
Hi Paul - I think we're born with it. Thanks for stopping by to check out my ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Brian@irelandfavorites
What use to pass as a virtue now is portrayed as a fault. There is nothing wrong with believing in God, and in fact most people believe in a creator, but what use to be a steadfast faith in my parents era has turned to continual mocking by the different media outlets. So I believe in order to fit in with the mockers, people of faith say we do the right thing out of guilt. The Catholics especially are bombarded with bad press which makes them particularly wanting to side step the criticism. So the next time you feel guilty for doing the right thing perhaps we should feel pleased that we treated our neighbor as ourselves, that we told the truth, resisted temptation, and try to be good citizens. Have a Happy St. Paddys Mairead, cheers, brian.
Irish American Mom
Brian - I agree. We do the right thing because of our faith, and if a little 'guilt' helps us to more giving and thoughtful, then I say it is a good thing. I never understand why we are supposed to be ashamed of this "Irish Catholic guilt".
Best wishes to you and yours for a very happy St. Patrick's Day.
Mairead
T.M. Johnson
Mairead, though my ancestry on my father's side of the family tree is Irish Catholic (my wee Irish Grandmother called the priest "The Man from Tipperary"), I was raised Methodist and then non-denominational Christian. At this prospect of my life, I have slipped away from all of that. However, your statement guilt is: "...a manifestation of our humanity" resonated with me. As an "Irish American Mom" no doubt you instruct your children in such a way they develop a strong moral sense, a rightness and a wrongness where human interaction is concerned. Christian doctrine would have it as: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."Conscience is what begets neighborliness...and being a good human being means being a good neighbor, looking out for others when one can, doing good deeds, being polite and courteous, "helping the poor and needy folk that clusters all about...," The Irish Catholics do NOT have a monopoly on guilt. Every human being gifted by their parents with a good moral compass knows guilt if they stray off course. Those of us who have known guilt, feel guilt, are the lucky ones. Thanks for this thought-provoking post. TMJ
Irish American Mom
I agree T.M. Anyone with a good moral compass has definitely felt those guilty twinges when they stray a little. Glad you enjoyed my take on this whole guilt thing.
Take care and have a lovely St. Patrick's Day.
Mairead
TG
If you are told as a little child (think 3 years old) that the devil is constantly there waiting to knock your Guardian angel off your shoulder and get you to do the wrong thing, and you are told that even for the most minor thing, Jesus feels the nails piercing his hands and feet, and the thorns digging into his head, it can be very easy to be consumed with a terrible guilt along with anxiety and fear of doing anything. Imagine a little child constantly worrying about a devil that is seeking you out, fearing this daily, instead of happily playing. I think you can have a good moral compass without crippling the spitit of a child in the way I was from this sort of talk over and over again. Then you spend your whole life in fear and worry about being good enough, aznd being defensive if you feel you haven't done 'enough'. Running yourself into the ground physically and emotionally, accepting whatever is dished out and trying to fix wrong things in relaitonships by being 'better' yourself, rather than having an open honest discussion. I can do without that guilt, and it took me 56 years to begin to see the shadows this type of guilt has cast on my life. I do not think children should be subjected to that as Catholic upbringing, and would never push that onto my own children. You can give them a good moral compass without that.
Irish American Mom
Well said TG. Thanks so much for adding to this little discussion with your story.
All the best, and thanks so much for checking out my ramblings.
Mairéad
David Wynne
I think that whether or not the Irish feel guilt more deeply than anyone else, the stereotype certainly exists. There is no doubt we have a gift for feeling guilty. As Brian points out above, the mostly positive societal behavior this sense of guilt brings should be seen as a virtue.
However, I guess the changing attitude is similar to the Scandinavians complex with Jantelagen, the unwritten law which should encourage humbleness, but is increasingly seen as a negative thing. Although we have our version that here in Ireland too, begrudgery!
Irish American Mom
Gift of the gab and the guilt - two Irish traits. Thanks so much for stopping by and adding to our discussion.
All the best,
Mairead
Cheryl Barker
Mairead, my Irish roots go back quite awhile and I'm not Catholic, but I do have that whole overactive conscience and guilt thing working on me 🙂 Love your perspective on it all as you end your post. Blessings to you!
Irish American Mom
Cheryl - It seems like the Irish definitely don't have a monopoly on guilt. The more I hear from readers the more I realize how guilt is truly intrinsic to our overactive consciences.
Best wishes, and happy St. Patrick's Day.
Mairead
Alli Hogan
Hi Mairead,
I read your entry here. I do agree with you that feeling guilty sometimes is alright and that obsessing about it isn't alright. Living with a guilty conscience lifestyle in the Christian faith isn't how we should live. James 4:6 (also Proverbs 3:34) says this, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." I've learned that humility means being comfortable with who you are in Jesus Christ (see Philippians 2:3).
Jesus loves you very much! When you accept Him into your life, you "put to death the old self" and put on "the new self" (Colossians 3:9-10, Galations 2:20) as you put your total trust (faith) in Jesus. It is not by works that you have been saved, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10).
I also learned that the word FAITH can be an acronym to stand for how we should live in Christ.
Fruitfulness (bearing witness of Christ Jesus)
Attitude (have an attitude of gratitude and that of Christ Jesus - loving all)
Integrity (doing what you say your going to do because that is what God does)
Trust (have complete trust in God, The Father because He knows what's best for us)
Humility (be satisfied in who we are in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.)
God Bless you, Mairead!
Irish American Mom
Blessings to you too, Alli. Thanks so much for adding to our discussion on guilt.
All the best,
Mairead
Christie Gregor
Guilt is defined as a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes —accurately or not—that he or she has compromised his or her own. I guess, the deciding factor whether our guilt is in its right perspective is always to refer back to what is morally good and upright in terms of our relationship with God and with fellow human beings. I would personally believe if the guilt would bring deeper inner transformation to be upright in all our dealings with God and with our fellow humans then we can be assured that it is not just mere a guilt trip but it is what a good conscience would always dictate to us whenever there is an occasion requiring us to act responsibly and accordingly decide between right and wrong.... to what is morally upright and good or not.
Say It With God’s Word
Irish American Mom
Dear Christie - thanks for sharing your wonderful insights on Catholic guilt, and thanks so much for stopping by.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
margie
My mother who came from pure Polish background. My father Irish English background. My mother always said Irish took life the way it came. Did not worry about to many things which would include guilt. They always thought to do what they thought was right. The ir ish put everything in the Hands of God and lived that way
Irish American Mom
Margie - Thanks so much for your input. I agree with you and your mother - the Irish do tend to put everything in the Hands of God, and do take life as it comes. But in my experience, we do suffer from a little bit of guilt along the way, which in fact can be a good thing, since we live our lives, hoping that we have taken the best path, while living as God wishes us to live.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by,
Mairéad
Ray Brown
We Irish definitely have quilt, having Irish moms and going to Catholic schools. Almost all my teachers in elementary school were nuns. I had a priest and nun on my mother's side of the family. I remember when we were all waiting in line for the confession, in our school, we boys would love to talk until we got hell from the nun. To this day, once in church, I don't feel comfortable if my wife wants to say something during the mass. (She was raised Catholic, but did not go to Catholic schools like I did.) As a kid, I wanted to be a cop, a fireman , and so much more. When I told my mom I wanted to be a priest, at about 9 years old, she was so proud. I couldn't tell her for about 2 years that I changed my mind. (Too much guilt, since she was so happy!) Catholic schools are great, but it can cause quilt!!!
Ray Brown
Oh, by the way, the nuns told us that when we heard an ambulance, we had to say a prayer for the person in the ambulance. About 10 years ago, at our high school reunion, a man that went to the same Catholic elementary that I went to, said he still says a prayer for every ambulance he hears. I could not believe it, because to this day I still do this, and would feel very quilty if I tried to stop. Thank God, I live in a more rural area now, where I can see cows on a hill, outside my house, and so I don't see many ambulances!
Irish American Mom
Ray - Your Mom must have been so proud of you when you shared your news of your potential vocation. I laughed at how you could not share news of your change of heart for two years out of good old Irish Catholic guilt.
Like you, I was taught to say a prayer whenever I heard an ambulance siren, and I still do it to this very day. I've even started teaching my kids to say a little prayer upon hearing the distinctive sound of an emergency vehicle. When I moved to New York many years ago I worked at a hospital on 1st Avenue (bed pan alley). I was constantly hearing sirens so I spent my days saying little prayers.
Take care,
Mairéad
Dillinger-SS-Ibiza
Not Irish Catholic guilty here (I'm got more of a Deep South anti-Vatican II cult-like rural isolation Catholic guilt, though I have so thoroughly cut through and dissolved it that I wouldn't even refer to myself as "lapsed", although I did once accept the doctrine and was educated in the Catholic reality tunnel more thoroughly than most) . Guilt is a perversion of the natural sense of shame and I believe it amplifies the sense of personal responsibility in exactly the wrong direction, creating a sense of encroaching doom in otherwise enjoyable ( or even "I'll probably be fine") situations, leading to frustration and agony, the result of which is often the opposite of responsibility. I love Irish people, have worked and hung out with folks who still breath that world and culture (not just in Boston or NYC either), and that quote about guilt as a reality check really made sense when thinking of the attitude they take towards the pain of their existence.
Of course the real perversion to me is the idea that we musn't get too happy all the time. I'm no hippie, I definitely don't think being relaxed ALL the time is a healthy idea, but maintaining poise and clarity of mind in the midst of extreme misfortune and suffering is always possible when I am infuriatingly "alright" with my own personality and physical limitations in reality (not really the same as "happiness" but definitely a precondition for it). But y'all are great, Dylan Moran's comedic wit and the latest MBV album probably wouldn't be here without the centuries of windowless cellar levels of obsessive paranoia and crushing self abjection.
Ray Brown
Dear Mairead,
Well I laughed about this guilt for awhile since I went to Catholic Schools from first grade through high school and then I got my Master's Degree in a Catholic university. Guilt? Where do I start? I think I can write a book on this, having been educated by nuns from grade 1 to 12. I got my guilt from the nuns not the Christian brothers who might give you a smack. (No, I was not one to get a smack, but I saw it done. Don't get me wrong, I got a great education. )
My dear brother was sent packing from Catholic elementary as he was rebellious with authority and he found he was 3 years ahead of his public school peers. (I don't think that is true anymore, being so far ahead, with NCLB, but it was before).
The Jews don't have anything on us! We were told to pray for an ambulance passing and for the people in it. I still do this and I just retired as a public school teacher. When our school class had to go to line up for confession, we boys liked to talk in the line. Boy! The nuns got so mad! To this day if my wife talks in church I will not talk with my Catholic School education. (She is a devout Catholic, more than me, but she did not go to Catholic schools to get the fear of God installed in her.)
The positive thing about guilt: You will never see me or my wife in a mug shot. The negative thing about it all: I wish I had less guilt. Still, God Bless my Catholic upbringing! I won't be robbing any bank. PS. They rob us.
Irish American Mom
Ray - I love reading your family stories, and how you relate to my Irish American blog post themes. This one on Irish Catholic guilt definitely could be the subject for a complete book, or maybe even a series of books. I laughed at how you will not talk in church to this very day. I too whisper "hush" to my husband when he starts a conversation at Mass. He was taught by priests, not nuns, so he doesn't feel as guilty a I do about things like talking in church.
I have many more ideas for blog posts on our Irish psyche. I just need to find the time to write.
Thanks for all your comments,
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
Hi Dillinger - Thanks for adding to our conversation on Irish Catholic guilt. It is so interesting to read everyone's perspective. As Americans I believe we must forget about the crazy idea we should not be too happy. The pursuit of happiness is guaranteed in the Constitution itself. I know we are not guaranteed we will achieve happiness, but we are entitled to search for that happiness.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Ray Brown
I just sent something but it didn't go through and I see you have my old comments so I will be brief. The good things about going to Catholic schools would be: 1. I received a great education and for all the guilt, I will never be in a mug shot robbing a bank. (They sometimes rob us.) The bad thing: 1. We have more guilt than the Jews, I think, and I would like to have the guilt rubbed off someday. No matter what, we all received a great education!
Irish American Mom
Hi Ray - I just figured out why your previous comment did not go through straight away. I have set up my approval system so that comments from those whose comments have been approved previously, appear immediately. When you input your e-mail into the system the very first time you left a comment, it was slightly different to the e-mail you entered this time, so the comment was held for moderation (the numbers were missing in your e-mail).
I use this moderation system because I get some incredible comments that just could not be published. The online world never ceases to amaze me. You need a tough skin as a blogger. I get called every name under the sun by anonymous commenters. It's unbelieveable, Ray. I therefore approve all first comments, and simply press the delete key when I don't approve of any comments. This moderation system saves my readers from some awful thoughts.
Thanks so much for summing up your previous comment, which I approved, and responded to separately.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ray Brown
Dear Mairead,
I sure know what you mean about being called every name in the book when you blog. I blog a lot now and I think the tamest negative term I have been called is " a little girl". It is incredible how many bad words one can be called in boxing, politics, and football blogs. I first started blogging on your sight and later I started on football and the Pacquiao/ Mayweather fight. I was shocked when I read some comments. At first I said I would give blogging up accept for your wonderful blogs. Having been educated by nuns I just was cloistered by the mean comments one can get. Now I have gotten a lot tougher too. I was shocked to hear you have to weed out bad comments too. You are such a nice person and I thought they would not be vile with a woman. I was wrong. Therefore, another good thing about Catholic schools is that the nuns teach manners. Also, being raised with Irish Catholic parents, we learn to have manners. Good night my dear friend.
Frances Sullivan
I am 67 years old and was brought up as an Irish catholic in Scotland. I have had a very difficult life and through all the awful things that have happened to me I think my worst has been being brought up as a catholic.
Irish American Mom
Dear Frances - I'm sorry to hear your life has been full of struggles and challenges. I hope the coming years will be kinder to you.
With every good wish,
Mairéad
Meagan Wells
My family hasn't practiced any organized religion in generations but I feel that the Irish Guilt has been still ingrained in all of us because of the way we were raised. Even without the fire and brimstone and the Mass on Sundays we were still raised with values that make us feel accountable for our actions, ashamed of our sins and a guilty conscience that causes us to go out of our way to make up for our shortcomings. I have a friend who was raised Irish Catholic in Long Island and although now she only goes to Mass on Christmas and about one other time per year (100% because of her guilt) we both have a lot of the same values.
I believe the Irish Guilt has become a cultural phenomenon.
Irish American Mom
Hi Meagan - Thanks so much for your input. It's so interesting to learn that despite not having any direct Catholic influence in your family that infamous Irish guilt was still part of your childhood experience. I think there are many people like your friend who go to Mass at Christmas and Easter driven by a sense of guilt. I always laugh at how our Church is packed at Christmas and Easter and people are bobbing up and down at all the wrong times, since they have no idea when the congregation stands, sits or kneels during the mass. It's amazing how they feel compelled to attend for the two biggest religious celebrations of the year. I think you're completely right attributing this to a sense of guilt. Thanks again for adding to our discussion.
All the best,
Mairéad