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Mammy, mam, mum: what Irish people call their mothers revealed ahead of Mother's Day
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Mammy, mam, mum: what Irish people call their mothers revealed ahead of Mother's Day

THE MAJORITY of people in Ireland call their mother 'Mam', new research ahead of Mother's Day shows.

31% of adults call their mother 'Mam', 23% prefer Mum', 12% say 'Mom' and a further 12% use 'Mammy'. Interestingly, 4% of respondents said they call their mothers by their first names.

Where you live also plays a part in which term you use. In Ulster, 'Mum' is the top choice with 53% using it, while in the Munster, Connacht and Leinster 'Mam' is used most with 38%, 31% and 28% respectively.

In Dublin, 27% of respondents use 'Mam', followed by 'Mom' (26%) and 'Ma' (14%).

The research conducted by iReach on behalf of Woman's Way and Beko also found that ahead of Mother’s Day, which takes place this Sunday 27 March, 2 in 5 (40%) of all adults are planning on seeing their mother in person to celebrate the occasion this year. Only 17% of respondents have said they will send a card to mark the date while 11% have openly admitted there’s a chance, they might forget the day.

The researchers also asked about taboos between Irish adults and their mothers. They found three in five Irish adults are uncomfortable discussing sex with their mothers. Some 30% find it awkward talking about their relationships, and 18% find it hard to talk about finance. Just one in ten people said they were uncomfortable discussing health with their mothers.

The research was conducted by iReach Insights on behalf of Beko. The findings are nationally representative of adults across gender, age, region, and socioeconomic demographics. This survey took place between 10th and 16th March 2022 and delivered 1,200 responses.

It comes as Beko and Woman's Way are looking for their Mum of the Year, about which more information can be found on www.womansway.ie