After visiting Dublin, Ireland for the first time in August and absolutely loving it, I thought it would be perfect to research. The main reason that I went there in the first place was because I love the Irish accent! Dublin is a really beautiful city and reminded me of a mixture between Amsterdam and Leeds. There were pubs between every other shop and the streets were alive with Irish culture.
There are two parts of Ireland, Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which has its own Parliament and current President Mary McAleese.
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. To its east is the larger island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea. Both islands are surrounded by over six-thousand smaller islands and islets with which they, together with the Channel Islands, are known collectively as the British Isles or simply Britain and Ireland. The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remainder and is located in the northeast of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.2 million people. Just under 4.5 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.
Relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain epitomise Ireland's geography with several navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of its mild but changeable oceanic climate, which avoids extremes in temperature. Thick woodlands covered the island until the 17th century. Today, it is the most deforested area in Europe. There are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland.
A Norman invasion in the Middle Ages gave way to a Gaelic resurgence in the 13th century. Over sixty years of intermittent warfare in the 1500s led to English dominance after 1603. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters, and was extended during the 18th century. In 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. A war of independence in the early 20th century led to the partition of the island, creating the Irish Free State, which became increasingly sovereign over the following decades. Northern Ireland remained a part of the United Kingdom and saw much civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s. This subsided following a political agreement in 1998. In 1973, both parts of Ireland joined the European Community.
Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, particularly in the fields of literature and, to a lesser degree, science and education. A strong indigenous culture exists, as expressed for example through Gaelic games, Irish music and the Irish language, alongside mainstream Western culture, such as contemporary music and drama, and a culture shared in common with Great Britain, as expressed through sports such as soccer, rugby and golf, and the English language.
---------------------
Everything Irish:
Famous faces:
- Thomas Andrews: Designed the Titanic
- Guinness family: Brewers of Irelands most famous stout
- Pierce Brosnan AKA 007: The James Bond from 1994-2005
- Collin Farrell: Hollywood actor
- Michael Gambon AKA Dumbledore: Played Professor Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter from 2004-11
- Brendon Gleeson: Harry Potter actor
- The late Richard Harris: First Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter
- Liam Neeson: Actor
- Dara O' Brianin: Comedian
- Jimmy Carr: Comedian
- Bono: Lead singer of U2
- Westlife: Boy Band
- Liam and Noel Gallagher: Members of Oasis
- Bob Geldof: Activist and singer of the Boomtown rats
- Ronan Keating: Singer/ songwriter
- Boyzone: Boy band
- Jedward: Annoying twits
- Loui Walsh: BABE
- The Pogues: Band
- Snow patrol: Band
- U2: Band
- Bryan Kaplan: Inventor of beer pong
- Graham Norton: TV personality
- Terry Wogan: TV and radio personality
------------------
A BRIEF HISTORY OF IRELAND:
3000BC The Megalithic tombs are constructed,(Newgrange).
700BC The Celts arrive from parts of Gaul and Britain.
350AD Christianity reaches Ireland.
432 St. Patrick arrives in Ireland and confronts King Laoghaire who allows him to spread the word of Christianity in Ireland.
700-800 Monastic culture is at its height.
795 Invasion by the Vikings.
1014 Brian Boru defeats the Vikings at Clontarf.
1169 Dermot MacMurrough, the exiled king of Leinster, seeks help from 'Strongbow'.
1172 King Henry II of England is declared Feudal Lord of Ireland by the Pope.
1366 Statues of Kilkenny belatedly forbid intermarriage of English and Irish. Gaelic culture unsuccessfully suppressed.
1534-40 Insurrection by Lord Offaly fails.
1541 Henry VIII proclaimed King of Ireland.
1558-03 Plantation of Ireland commences under the reign of Elizabeth I.
1595-03 Failed uprising of Hugh O'Neil.
1607 Flight of the Earls and leading Ulster families go into exile.
1641 King Charles I's policies cause insurrection in Ulster and Civil War in England.
1649 Cromwell invades Ireland.
1653 Cromwell's opponents stripped of land under the Act of Settlement.
1689-90 Deposed James II flees to Ireland and is defeated at the Battle of the Boyne.
1704 The Penal Laws enacted: Catholics are barred from voting, education and the military.
1775 American War of Independence instigates Irish unrest.
1782 Grattan's Parliament persuades English to declare Irish independence, but in name only.
1795 The Organge Order is founded.
1798 Uprising by Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen is crushed.
1801 Ireland becomes part of Britain under the Act of Union.
1829 Catholic Emancipation Act passed after Daniel O'Connell elected as MP.
1845-49 The Great Famine claims over 1 million lives through starvation and disease. Emigration over the next 10 years results in departure of a further 1 million people.
1879-82 The Land War is instigated by Parnell who encourages the boycott of repressive landlords. The 3 'F's are gained for the peasantry: Fixity of Tenure, Fair Rent, Freedom to sell their holding.
1914 The Implementation of Home Rule is postponed because of the outbreak of World War I.
1916 The Easter Rising is led by Pearse, Connolly and others. The 7 leaders are executed which shifts public opinion in favour of the rebels.
1920-21 Michael Collins masterminds the War of Independence between Britain and Ireland. The Irish Free State is created (excluding the 6 Northern Counties).
1922-23 Civil war breaks out between the Free State Army and the Irregulars (the IRA).
1926 Fianna Fail party formed and led by DeValera.
1932 DeValera elected Taoiseach of Ireland.
1939-45 Ireland remains neutral during WW2 despite the offer of a United Ireland having been made to DeVelera if Ireland enters the war on behalf of the Allies.
1948 Ireland declared a Republic by Costello. Northern Ireland is declared a separate entity.
1969 Rioting between Catholics and Protestants. Civil Rights marches. British troops called in to keep order.
1971 Provisional IRA begins campaign to oust British troops from Ireland.
1972 Republic of Ireland joins the European Community.
1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement signed.
1994 Peace Declaration and IRA ceasefire.
1998 'Good Friday' agreement reached promising the creation of a Northern Assembly.
History of Ireland - An article provided by The Information about Ireland Site.
---------------------
TITANIC AND IRELAND
The Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolff Shipyards in Belfast in Northern Ireland in 1912. It was 882 feet long and had a gross tonnage of 45,000 ton. It was the worlds biggest boat.
Owned by The White Star Line who intended employing the ship (as well as the Olympic - the sister boat) for transatlantic traffic between Europe and America. The White Star Line, owners of the Titanic, and also the builders, Harland and Wolff, never publicly stated that the Titanic was unsinkable.
Despite carrying a maximum capacity of over 3200 passengers and crew the ship was only equipped with 16 lifeboats and a handful of life rafts. In total only one third of all those aboard could have fitted into the life saving measures.
Passage cost anywhere between 870 and 2 pounds, with the majority of passengers third class) opting for the cheaper fare.
Splendour abounded on board the magnificent vessel with some of the rooms even having fireplaces that burned coal in the siting room, and gigantic beds in the bedroom. Huge 500 feet promenades demonstrated the sheer scale of the boat.
Captain at the maiden voyage was E.J. Smith who had sailed over two million miles for The White Star Line who had complete confidence in him. The Titanic was to have been his last voyage before retirement.
Some 63 males and 60 females boarded the giant ship at Cobh at the very South of Ireland. The people of Cobh erected a memorial to the Irish victims of the voyage. The memorial was unveiled in 1998 by Liam Birke, T.D., who was the nephew of one of the deceased passengers, Jeremiah Burke. The monument features the Rice family, all six of whom perished, along with 70 other passengers who boarded at the Cork port.
-----------------------
St Patricks Day Traditions
March 17th marks the day of St Patrick, celebrated by millions of people around the world. In Ireland, St Patrick’s Day was always held as an important religious day to celebrate the teachings of Christianity by St Patrick.
The wearing of the green on St Patrick’s Day
Many people wear something green on St Patrick ’s Day which is known in the U.S. and other countries as wearing of the green. Usually people would wear green to show their Irish heritage & culture on the day that everyone’s Irish but in Ireland the wearing of the green doesn’t really exist, well in terms of celebrating our culture. However, we do wear Shamrocks to symbolize the teaching of the holy trinity by St Patrick. A small bunch of Shamrocks would be pinned to the breast of our outer coats.
Holy day of obligation
Most Christians in Ireland will attend Church as they would every Sunday and treat it as a day of rest to spend with the family. Family members would attend Church wearing their shamrocks and afterwards head home for a large roast, similar to a typical Sunday roast. Some families would sit around and watch the St Patrick’s day parades take place in Dublin, New York, Chicago and other major cities.
The drinking of green beer
In Ireland you would be hard pushed to find a pub that served green beer and actual fact this is not a typical tradition of Ireland but is that of the U.S. & Canada. Some places in Ireland, such as Dublin, may have a few pubs that will serve green beer but for the most part it’s not something we generally do.
Did you know that pubs in Ireland had to remain shut for St Patrick’s Day? It wasn’t until the late 1970′s the Irish law permitted pubs to open their doors on March 17th.
A day of parades & festivals
Another American tradition for celebrating St Patrick’s day is the parades. First started in New York City in 1766 the parades have become a major attraction for millions around the world. Today hundreds of parades take places in many different countries with thousands in attendance.
Did you know that it wasn’t until 1995 when the Irish government decided to start holding a parade in Dublin, to help boost tourism?
It’s now known in Ireland as St Patrick’s festival which takes place over 5 days with events including art shows, plays, concerts, fun fairs and the main parade.
----------------------
Irish wedding traditions that you may not know
A typical Irish traditional wedding is a beautiful ceremony to see or take part in. From the stunning attire of both the bride and groom, traditionally the later would be dressed in a kilt made from the tartan of his clan. The bride would as is done to-day be dressed in a white dress to symbolize her purity.
Before Christianity found Ireland, couples who wished to show commitment to each other practised what was known as hand fasting. This ritual was most probably carried over from Pagan times and is the Celtic ceremony of unity. It was usual for couples to celebrate this ceremony around the harvest festival, Lughnasa, which occurs on 1st August. They could choose the length of the union either “‘till death do us part” or to be together in the afterlife or even while their love burned strong and true in which case if they still wished to remain married they would renew these vows the following year.
During the ritual the couple hold hands, right hand in right hand, and left hand in left with their wrists crossed. Ribbon or cord is then wrapped around the wrists in a figure eight to represent infinity. This is most probably where the saying “‘tying the knot” originated from.
Since the birth of Christianity weddings were held in the home of a Priest or in a Church. Two candles burn separately during the ceremony which are then used to light one taller candle known as the Unity candle this is to signify two becoming one.
Before the Bride makes it this far proceedings will start with the proposal: ‘Would you like to be buried with my people?’ ‘Would you like to hang your washing next to mine?’ Not very romantic but every Irish girl would know what was being asked. Friends and family when enquiring about the ‘big’ day would ask: ‘When are you giving us a day out?’ or ‘Should I buy a hat?’
Next comes the all important planning, usually the poor groom ducks and takes cover and leaves all this to the bride and her family as traditionally it is the bride’s father who foots the bill. Although now a lot of the expense is shared. Gone are the days when a marriage depended on the size of the bride’s dowry. Marriages were once based on what the bride could bring to the marriage either cattle or a farm or plot of land. It wasn’t always based on love. It was once known for family to marry family as it was law that only a male heir could inherit and this made sure that land and property stayed within the family name.
The Irish Brides Dress
With the Church booked and the date chosen. The bride’s attention turns to her dress and accessories. This has to chosen carefully as the color of her dress might determine how successful the marriage is:
Marry in white everything’s right
Marry in blue lover be true
Marry in pink spirit’s will sink
Marry in gray live far away
Marry in brown live out of town
Marry in green ashamed to be seen
Marry in yellow ashamed of your fellow
Marry in black wish you were back
Marry in red wish you were dead
Marry in tan he’ll be a loved man
Marry in pearl you’ll live in a whirl
This then is followed by the traditional things that she will need to have with her:
Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And an old Irish penny in her shoe.
The old Irish penny part seems to have disappeared in modern times, although no bride would dare walk down the aisle without the rest. The something blue tends to be a blue garter worn around the top of the leg, which the groom usually has to remove using only his teeth much to the amusement of friends and family.
Irish Wedding Veil or head-dress
That’s the next choice facing the bride. Traditionally Irish bride’s would have favored a garland of wild flowers typically Lavender to be worn in their hair. Whichever the bride’s choice she must never put her own veil or head-dress on as this is considered very unlucky.
The Weddings Rings
Traditionally the wedding band could be a Claddagh ring. This ring is of two hands holding a crowned heart. It is very important to wear a Claddagh ring properly if you are engaged or married the tips of the crown should be facing out whereas if you are not romantically involved the tips should face the wrist indicating that you are approachable. Claddagh rings were usually handed down through generations of mother’s to their daughter’s as it is improper to buy your own Claddagh ring although that is a tradition that is not really practiced any-more. The Claddagh rings were made of gold although now a day’s they have become more intricate with the heart being made of a precious gem such as Emerald to represent the Emerald Isle.
The big day arrives and the first thing a bride to be will do is look out the window not to see if she will get wet if it is raining but to make sure the sun is shinning as the sun blesses the union and brings good luck. While she is looking at the weather she will be listening hard for the sound of the cuckoo and looking to see if she can spot three magpies all a must to ensure that the marriage will be a happy one.
The ceremony over the bride and groom leave the Church traditionally to the sound of pipes. In days gone by a family member or a friend of the family who could play the bagpipes would play as the happy couple left the Church and also at the reception afterwards which would have once been held in the bride’s parent’s house. To-day, couple’s usually hold their reception in a hotel or hires a hall depending on what the budget will stretch to. However, the bride must travel a different way than she traveled to the church as this symbolizes the fresh start to her new life.
Blessings & toasts for an Irish Wedding
As the guests congratulate the happy couple the first person to offer their congratulations to the bride must be a man. It’s very unlucky for a woman to do this so traditionally a male member of the groom’s family will be the first to congratulate the bride and welcome her to the family.
The merriment begins. Everybody is given a drink from mead in days of old to Champagne or sparkling wine to-day to raise and toast the health of the bride and groom. There are many different toasts and sayings recited at weddings for example:
May there always be work for your hands to do
May your purse always hold a coin or two
May the sun always shine on your window pane
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain
May the hand of a friend always be near you
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you
Other examples include:
May he bless your home
With the peace
That surpasses understanding
May your troubles be less
And your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
Come in your door
Long live the Irish
Long live their cheer
Long live our friendship
Year after year
And not forgetting the traditional toast for any occasion: Slainte ! (pronounced SLAWN – cha)
Toasts and blessings speeches eventually over. The Irish are renowned talkers (must be because we all kissed the Blarney Stone at birth) and this part can usually last for quite a while, but eventually the dancing starts. Thankfully these days the bride can relax now but it used to be if she could ‘carry a tune’ (sing) she would be expected to provide the entertainment as well.
This is where the groom takes his bride to the centre of the room to show the world his wife and lead her in their first dance as a married couple. Even this has to be done carefully because the new bride cannot lift both her feet off the ground at the same time or else the faerie’s may carry her away.
Cutting the cake is a very important part of the day. The guest’s all gather round to watch and cheer as the first slice is cut. A traditional Irish cake would have at least two tiers the first would be a rich fruit cake and the smaller next tier would be soaked in good Irish whiskey and stored away to be used as a christening cake for the first-born. Every guest is given a slice of cake to eat or in some cases taken away by unmarried maidens to place under their pillow that night in the hope that they dream of their future husband.
Celebrations over the couple are ready to leave their guests (who will usually carry on celebrating into the ‘wee small hours’) to go on honeymoon. This word actually has nothing to do with going away but was actually honey wine (mead) that was given to the couple who would then drink it every night out of a special goblet to promote virility and also to protect the couple from the faeries who would have loved to have spirited the bride away.
Buying the perfect Irish Wedding Gift
Irish wedding gift’s that are traditionally given include items like salt and pepper shakers and tall toasting glasses (flutes) which are considered lucky gifts to receive or a porcelain bell which is given to remind the couple of the bells that rang when they married. Irish linen or a piece of Irish lace were and still are considered a wonderful gift to receive as they represent solid commitment.
To-day no bride starts her married life without at least one piece of either the highly collectable Belleek Pottery or stunning Waterford Crystal.
--------------
Pubs and Guinness:
Irish Blessings, a thing of the past
Ireland has dramatically changed over the years leaving behind some of the older traditions. One thing that is not as popular as it once was but is seen as a typical Irish traditions is our blessings. Many of the Irish blessings that are a thing of the past in Ireland are still kept alive by people from all over the world. Read more about Irish Blessings & sayings.
------------------
Irish death traditions & customs
Although death is a sad occasion a traditional wake is seldom solemn. Friends and family alike gather and share memories and funny stories about the deceased. Food and drink is always present and although the church tried to ban alcohol from wakes it was unsuccessful.
---------------------
Easter Sunday in Ireland
Many family house holds would prepare their homes for Easter Sunday by doing what would be better known as “spring cleaning” to prepare the house for blessing by the local priest which is a religious ceremony that dates back hundreds of years. To-day Halloween is celebrated all around the globe but the Halloween Holiday has its history firmly planted in Ireland. Halloween is also known as Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Hallowmas and Hallowtide. It is celebrated on 31st October but the holiday of Halloween is not just celebrated on the one day any more as the Christian holidays of All Saints Day, November 1st and All Souls Day, November 2nd are celebrated as well.
----------------------
Celebrating Christmas in Ireland
Most, if not all, Irish families decorate their homes with lights, tinsel and baubles. A Christmas tree is usually erected in the family home on the first day of the holy advent calendar. The tree will be beautifully decorated with an angel on top, presents will lay underneath as seen with many family homes around the world.
----------------------
