Folks who hail from the Emerald Isle are a famously amorous bunch ("Kiss me, I'm Irish" T-shirts, kissing the Blarney Stone, the Colin Farrell sex tape...). So, in honour of St Patrick's Day on March 17, we've translated a few old Irish adages into modern terms and asked experts to explain why they're still worth taking to heart. Say what you will about leprechauns and Riverdance - when it comes to keeping relationships strong, the Irish have it sorted.

THE IRISH SAY Love is blind to blemishes and faults
We say You shouldn't focus on his shortcomings just because you can see them
Experts say Make a list of your partner's finer points. "Not to sound like the Irish Oprah, but there's a lot to be said for gratitude," says psychologist Bill O'Hanlon, co-author of Love is a Verb. "Every day for a week, write down three things you appreciate about your partner. Being thankful will become a habit." The next time you want to nag about the way he folds the sheets or washes your whites with colours, you'll suddenly remember that he takes out the rubbish and puts up with your mother.

THE IRISH SAY It's better to be sorry and stay than to be sorry and go away
We say Never walk away from a fight
Experts say To keep arguments from escalating, "make a pact with your partner that either of you can say 'Take Two!'" says psychologist Dr Diana Kirschner, author of Love in 90 Days. "Kindly restart the interaction from the beginning. For example, you may have said, 'You never help me with the kids at night!' But after one of you calls a Take Two, you might say, 'Honey, it would mean so much to me if you gave the kids a bath'." The hard part: not mentioning the sludge you slung in round one.

THE IRISH SAY You'll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind
We say If something's bothering you, talk about it
Experts say Instead of stewing, be open - especially if you feel anger, resentment or concern about relationship imbalances. Just don't spew, stream-of-consciousness style. "Clearly define your feelings first," says Dr Lissa Coffey, a sociologist and relationships expert. "Write down your thoughts and three possible solutions to each problem." And take turns talking for 10 minutes each, suggests Dr Kirschner. That way you'll both have a chance to unload without interruption. "One partner agrees simply to listen like a good therapist, while the other talks freely about whatever's on his or her mind," she says.

THE IRISH SAY It's for her own good that the cat purrs
We say Telling your boyfriend that you like something will encourage him to do it more
Experts say Liberally compliment him when he acts thoughtful (eg, he picks up your dry cleaning or goes down on you for 20 minutes). "Men want to please their partners, but they often don't know how," says Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress. "If you gush about how happy it made you when he did something specific, he'll do it again and again."