Ireland is famous for its lush greenery, but its culture extends far beyond this picturesque appearance. Ireland stands alone as being the only nation with an emblem representing music — the harp.
Sidhe are believed to have inhabited Ireland and may even be responsible for giving it its name: Eire.
Origin
Irish culture has an ancient legacy. Their language dates back to prehistory, with an impressive body of written and historical literature as well as a vibrant oral tradition rich in stories, legends and poetry.
Folklore holds that kissing the Blarney Stone in County Cork will bestow upon you the gift of perfect speech. Another iconic Irish landmark, Cliffs of Moher is said to house mermaids which can often be heard singing during calm days below these cliffs.
St Patrick is revered as the patron saint of Ireland. Arriving there in 432 AD, he worked to Christianise those worshipping pagan gods – according to tradition he first lived as a slave in Wales before being sent off for further theological training in Rome.
Ireland was divided into numerous clan-based kingdoms that often battled one another. Archaeological evidence points towards ancient druids engaging in human sacrifice – especially to their god Crom Cruach.
The Vikings brought stability and order to Ireland by introducing towns and cities, as well as introducing the four-leaf clover which became its national symbol. Ireland also flourished as a land of scholars renowned for their knowledge in law, poetry, history, genealogy and hereditary learned clans with famous chroniclers such as Cathal Mac Manus.
Language
Irish (also referred to as Gaelic) is one of the oldest vernacular languages in Europe and an integral part of Irish culture and history for over 2,000 years. Today, only a minority use Gaelic as their first language despite it still playing an essential part in shaping Irish identity and culture.
After Ireland joined the United Kingdom during the 19th century, Irish usage declined as English became the predominant language in schools and government spheres. Since then however, Irish has experienced a dramatic comeback, becoming both official languages of both Republic of Ireland and European Union, as well as a primary language in rural Gaeltacht areas of Ireland. Furthermore it features heavily on street signs throughout Ireland.
Irish is part of the Celtic language family, sharing similarities with Scottish Gaelic as well as Welsh and Breton. Like its cousins Welsh and Breton, Irish boasts its own set of distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other languages; such as its system of broad and slender vowels with each pair being paired with consonants; for instance broad vowels are pronunced with back of tongue pulled forward toward soft palate while narrow vowels require pushing tongue upward toward hard palate for pronunciation.
Culture
Irish culture is an intricate mix of influences from its many immigrants over centuries of British colonisation. Gaelic language, Celtic traditions, Norman invasions and Viking invasions all left their imprint, yet in spite of these diverse factors Ireland remains distinct as an identity with strong roots that embrace nature, family and community life.
Ireland is home to a rich cultural tradition spanning dance and music with traditional folk tunes and jigs dominating. Additionally, this country is known for its literary legacy including tragic-romantic Arthurian legends such as Tristan and Isolde as well as tragic romantic tales such as Tristan and Isolde being depicted. National symbols include harp and shamrock which serve as icons representing Irish values.
Irish culture is well known for its egalitarian social attitudes, which emphasize the value of friendship and hard work over wealth or status. This has fostered a sense of Irishness amongst the various communities comprising its diaspora.
Nowadays, Irish communities can be found all around the globe, with most living in North America (the U.S.), Canada, Australia and Argentina. These communities identify with Irish culture in various degrees through religion, music, food and Saint Patrick’s Day parades; yet they continue to maintain close ties to their home countries, often making trips back when possible.
Religion
Irish were pre-Christian peoples, worshiping an array of gods which included both ancestor spirits and nature deities. St Patrick is widely credited with introducing Christianity to Ireland, then known as Eireann. The name Eireann comes from Tuatha de Dannan’s quasi-mythical fairy kingdom called Sidhe, where goddesses Banba, Fodla and Eriu met Celts who arrived from different lands – they are thought to have given these figures religious ideas as well as giving the new land names!
Christian religion gradually replaced Celtic spiritual practices and often integrated elements from both traditions into its beliefs, such as Mary as Earth Mother goddess or St Brigid and various seasonal festivals.
Irish society experienced profound religious and political upheaval after Christianity first arrived on its shores, with many religious and political conflicts emerging due to the Irish Catholic Church dominating much of state life for decades. This Church implemented conservative social policies like banning divorce, abortion and pornography while controlling hospitals and schools within Ireland’s boundaries.
Up until recently, nearly four-fifths of Ireland’s population identified as Roman Catholic and regularly attended Mass. Recently however, Ireland has experienced rapid economic development along with an alarming decrease in regular churchgoers following allegations of child abuse within its ranks. Yet despite this shift, Church remains an integral part of society in Ireland.
Food
Irish cuisine has long been revered, and over time has come to include dishes introduced from other tribes or cultures.
Before the potato was introduced in the 16th century, grains such as oats and wheat were staple foods, cooked into porridge or made into bread using household equipment such as a bread oven lainn or on a griddle lann using household equipment like kneading trough lasat, kneading slab lecc and griddle turner lann. Dairy products – milk, butter and curds – formed part of daily menus along with cheese varieties such as Tath and Tanach cheeses eaten alongside soft sweet curd cheeses known as frumentys containing fermented cracked wheat combined with heated milk known as frumentys.
Meat was a staple in Irish diets, often coming from wild game animals such as venison, pheasant and deer. Fowl like pigeon and duck also featured heavily. There were certain totem species such as horse or crane which could not be consumed due to taboo statuses attached.
Today’s Irish are extremely proud of their culinary legacy and many modern Irish dishes incorporate ingredients sourced locally. This pride can be seen by the abundance of artisan food producers such as bakers, butchers and dairy farmers. There are also several fine restaurants serving traditional and contemporary Irish cuisine; to be considered polite it is traditionally considered polite to finish everything on one’s plate.
Music
Irish music has a rich history dating back to medieval times. Folk dance tunes are usually performed using instruments such as the tin whistle and uilleann pipes – which sound similar to bagpipes but are played using elbow blowing instead. Additionally, the bodhran is another highly prevalent drum used in Irish traditional music that often pairs well with flute or fiddle accompaniment.
Irish folk music today is far more diverse than its 1960s counterpart, when American and British rock ruled the charts. When faced with new influences such as U2 or Van Morrison drawing upon Celtic roots for inspiration, Irish artists adapt them seamlessly into their own style and incorporate them seamlessly.
Traditional Irish music is now widely practiced throughout the world by those with Irish heritage as well as those without such connections, in contrast to its regional or familial-based practice up until mid-20th century.
Irish classical music scene is small yet lively, boasting composers like Frank Corcoran, Eric Sweeney and John Buckley as important figures. Composers in Ireland were initially faced with an anti-British climate as they struggled to create their own identity as composers struggled against British control of radio and television broadcasting and orchestral expansion; eventually radio, TV broadcasting, orchestra expansion, as well as Paddy Moloney founding The Chieftains band were instrumental in turning things around and giving composers freedom of expression through creating their own sound worlds.