The Irish seem to talk more than other people, and to take more joy from it. There are times when they have arguments simply for the sake of talking, and they don't always mind being overheard, because they love an audience. Two Irishmen in a pub may be silent. Add a stranger at the other end of the room, and they'll start talking, putting on a subtle performance.
This trait is at the heart of the comedy in "The Snapper," which is a very funny movie about the people packed into small houses on a small street in a tight little neighborhood in Ireland.