--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even when they have nothing, the Irish…" description: "\"Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy.\" — Fiona Shaw" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg" --- # Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of… ![“Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy.” quote by Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg) > “Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy.” [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even without material wealth, the Irish display a distinctive, resilient happiness. **In simple terms:** Irish joy persists despite scarcity. Key Takeaway Recognize joy beyond possessions. Themes culture happiness resilience Mood reflective observational Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - travel - cultural observation - personal reflection Key Concepts social identity emotional expression Questions to Reflect On - What sources of joy sustain you? - How does culture shape emotional expression? A Different Perspective Happiness can be fleeting and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emit Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emit-kind-1113550/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-joy/) [Irish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irish/) [Irish Emit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irish-emit-1113549/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-happiness-739417/) ## Related quotes > [“Exciting happiness is joy, celebration, travelling, being in bed with a woman you desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-lelord/exciting-happiness-is-joy-celebration-travelling-being-in-bed-with-a/) [François Lelord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-lelord/) > [“The best kind of happiness is a habit you're passionate about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-best-kind-of-happiness-is-a-habit-you-re-passionate-about/) [Shannon L. 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I'm not kidding you. It hasn't really brought me any kind of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buble/the-money-never-mattered-i-m-not-kidding-you-it-hasn-t-really-brought/) [Michael Buble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buble/) > [One kind of happiness is to know exactly at what point to be miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/one-kind-of-happiness-is-to-know-exactly-at-what-point-to-be-miserable/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There is that kind of happiness. There is the love and marriage and family kind of happiness, which is exceedingly boring to describe but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-is-that-kind-of-happiness-there-is-the-love-and-marriage-and/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More by Fiona Shaw > [I just think that things should be allowed to run their course, and not turned into a Disney ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/i-just-think-that-things-should-be-allowed-to-run-their-course-and/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [Theater is dangerously open to repetition. It's exciting when you hit on a new way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/theater-is-dangerously-open-to-repetition-it-s-exciting-when-you-hit/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [Like a lot of Irish households we read a lot of Irish history. It was almost Soviet, raising the next generation with a mythic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/like-a-lot-of-irish-households-we-read-a-lot-of-irish-history-it-was/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [The Americans are very clear, and obsessed with nouns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/the-americans-are-very-clear-and-obsessed-with-nouns/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [I certainly had no intention of playing a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/i-certainly-had-no-intention-of-playing-a-man/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [I enjoy making films, but my heart is in the stage. Every night you have to be on. There's no second take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/i-enjoy-making-films-but-my-heart-is-in-the-stage-every-night-you/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [To be honest I live among the English and have always found them to be very honest in their business dealings. They are noble,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/to-be-honest-i-live-among-the-english-and-have-always-found-them-to/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [Once you've done one style, you leave it for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/once-you-ve-done-one-style-you-leave-it-for-a-while/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [Every generation is obsessed with the decade before they were born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/every-generation-is-obsessed-with-the-decade-before-they-were-born/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [I loathe bad theater and most theatre is very bad because it's repetitious, unexciting and, dangerously, it is sometimes praised for those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/i-loathe-bad-theater-and-most-theatre-is-very-bad-because-it-s/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [Honestly, I get more recognized for 'Three Men and a Little Lady' than 'Harry Potter'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/honestly-i-get-more-recognized-for-three-men-and-a-little-lady-than/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [Theater dates very quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/theater-dates-very-quickly/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [One moment cannot be the most important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/one-moment-cannot-be-the-most-important/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [A lot of Irish people perform. They perform in drawing rooms. They sing songs and they play piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/a-lot-of-irish-people-perform-they-perform-in-drawing-rooms-they-sing/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [There's something about the Irish that is remarkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/there-s-something-about-the-irish-that-is-remarkable/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) [Explore all 43 Fiona Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. 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He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fiona Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-emit-a-kind-of-happiness-a-joy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-emit-a-kind-of-happiness-a-joy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/fiona-shaw-15460_happiness_even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-em_1697205.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Even when they have nothing, the Irish emit a kind of happiness, a joy.” — Fiona Shaw", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Fiona Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Even when they have nothing, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-emit-a-kind-of-happiness-a-joy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/even-when-they-have-nothing-the-irish-emit-a-kind-of-happiness-a-joy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```