All About Ireland

focuses on the culture and history of a country known for its beautiful green landscapes. Irish
culture is full of colourful legends, beautiful music and strong feelings of patriotism.

All About Ireland

also looks at the country’s geography and economy. In Chapters 1 and 2, we learn about the
early history of Ireland and why there was a long history of violence between the English and
the Irish. In the 1600s, the English King James I sent English Protestants to take land away from
Irish Catholic farmers. The Irish farmers remained poor and depended on the potato crop for
almost all of their food supply. Disaster struck in 1845 and 1846 with the Irish Potato Famine.
The British government did not do enough to help the Irish and more than one million people
died from starvation. Consequently the movement for Irish autonomy began to grow. The Sinn
Fein party was established in the early 1900s, which produced the Irish Republican Army (IRA),
known for its violent fight against the British. After years of fighting, a treaty was signed in
1921 that separated the Irish Free State (Republic of Ireland) from Northern Ireland, the six
counties that remained part of Britain. Chapter 3 describes the geography of Ireland,
mentioning how the high levels of rainfall and cool temperatures help keep Ireland green.
There are many places to visit including the Burren, a huge limestone area with a large variety
of plants and Aillwee Cave, in the middle of the Burren, which has many stalagmites and
stalactites. This chapter also tells us the colourful legend of how the fantastic Giant’s Causeway
was formed by two giants.Chapter 4 describes four interesting places to see in Ireland. First is
Newgrange, an ancient temple near the east coast of Ireland that is older than the Pyramids in
Egypt. Newgrange is famous because it is perfectly aligned, so the sunlight shines down a
passage through a hole in the ceiling to a chamber, on the shortest day of the year. Next, we
read about the Book of Kells, a lovely medieval manuscript, which is on display today at Trinity
College Library in Dublin. We then move to Blarney Castle with its famous “Blarney Stone”.
Many people come to kiss the stone because, according to legend, they will become more
eloquent if they do. Finally, we look at a replica of the

Jeanie Johnston

on the River Liffey, a ship that made voyages from Ireland to North America, carrying the
emigrants away from Ireland during the years of the potato famine.In Chapter 5, we are
introduced to Irish customs, traditions and holidays. First we read about the history of Irish
dancing and learn why the early dancing masters learned to keep their arms close to their
body. Then, Irish wedding customs, influenced by the early Celtic people, are presented and
finally, we find out how the Irish celebrate St Patrick’s Day and Halloween. Chapter 6 is about
Irish myths and legends, most of which come from early Irish history. Leprechauns, banshees
and changelings are introduced and we learn about some other fascinating legends.Chapter 7
mentions Ireland’s four Nobel Prize winners in literature, more than by any other country with
a population as small as Ireland’s. This chapter includes short biographies of three other
famous Irish writers: James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and C.S. Lewis.In Chapter 8, Irish successes in
dance, architecture and the Eurovision Song Contest (which Ireland has won seven times) are
discussed and information about five contemporary Irish celebrities is presented.In Chapter 9,
we read about some sports unique to Ireland like Gaelic football and hurling. We also find out
about other popular sports like horse racing. Then, in Chapter 10, we discover some typical
Irish food and drinks.In Chapter 11, we learn about “The Troubles” in Ireland from 1968-1998,
the three decades of violent conflict between the Protestant majority and the Catholic
minority in Northern Ireland. As a result of discrimination, the Catholic minority wanted to
unite with the Republic of Ireland. Protests and marches gradually became more violent. As
the danger grew, the British government sent soldiers to keep the peace. The Irish Republican
Army joined the battle, and their campaign of violence was answered by the Protestant Ulster
Volunteer Force. More than 3,600 people died and 50,000 were injured during the 30-year
period. Finally, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended the violence.

TO THE TEACHER

Chapter 12 tells us about Ireland today, including a description of the flag, the official
languages of Ireland and the lively tourist scene. The impressive period of economic growth
from 1995 to 2000 is described, followed by the difficulties Ireland faces today after the major
economic recession which began in 2008.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

King James I of England and Ireland (1566-1625)

was a religious Protestant and wanted to convert the Irish to Protestantism. However, he was
afraid of Catholic conspiracies against him, so he used this fear to justify introducing
restrictions against Catholics and suppressing their religion.

Great Britain

consists of three different countries: England, Wales and Scotland. Most of the island of
Ireland (that which is not the UK’s Northern Ireland) is an independent country called the

Republic of Ireland

The

United Kingdom

consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The official name of the country is “The United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.

•
Seats in Parliament

refer to the number of members in Parliament. For example, today there are 650 members in
the British Parliament, so that means that there are 650 seats (places).

Jacob’s pillow

appears in the Book of Genesis as the stone used as a pillow by the Israelite patriarch Jacob.
He had a vision in his sleep and he consecrated the stone to God.

St Columba (521-597)

was an Irish monk and missionary. He helped spread Christianity in Scotland. Some people
believe the Blarney Stone is the deathbed pillow of St Columba on the island of Iona (west of
Scotland). Later, the stone was taken to Ireland.

The

Irish Republican Army (IRA)

is an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. The IRA fought a guerrilla campaign
against British rule in Ireland in the 1919-1921 Irish War of Independence and resumed a
violent campaign later, especially in Northern Ireland from 1968 to 1998.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

is an Irish author, clergyman and satirist. Most of his writings were published under false
names. He is best remembered for his book

Gulliver’s Travels

, published in 1728.

Riverdance

and

Lord of the Dance

 are theatrical shows consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, known for its rapid leg
movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. They were created and
choreographed by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley and are performed around the world.

The

Union Jack

is the national flag of the United Kingdom. The flag combines elements of three older national
flags: the red cross of St George for England and Wales, the white diagonal cross of St Andrew
for Scotland, and the red diagonal cross of St Patrick to represent Ireland. One of the uses for
the word “jack” was to describe a naval flag before 1600.

Ask the questions and elicit the answers from the whole class. Some possible answers are
provided in italics. If you prefer, students can work in pairs or small groups.

SUGGESTIONS FOR LEAD-IN ACTIVITIES

1. What do you know about Ireland?

(It’s a small country. It’s an island. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. There has been
violent conflict between Ireland and Britain for many years. Ireland is associated with the
colour green. The Irish are famous for their folk music and Irish folk dancing. There are myths
about leprechauns.)

2. What famous Irish people do you know?

(Bono, Oscar Wilde, Pierce Brosnan)

3. What makes a country especially attractive to tourists?

(pretty scenery, good food, friendly people, interesting places to visit)

4. Why do you think certain food becomes popular in particular areas?

(Because it is easily available and people become used to it.)

5. What reasons can you think of to explain why people move away from their country of
birth?

(to look for better opportunities in another country; to escape war, poverty or other social
problems)

6. Do you know of any myths or legends that are famous in your area? (

accept all logical answers)

How do you think these stories came to be told?

(to explain things in history or nature that people are not able to understand; people like
stories about interesting places or events that they can tell to their children and grandchildren)

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

1. Look at the map of Ireland on page 6 and the paragraph on page 8 which starts “Sssh! Don’t
say that too loudly”. Explain the differences between the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Ireland.

(They are different countries. The Republic of Ireland has got about 4.5 million people. It has
got its own language, Irish Gaelic. Northern Ireland is part of the UK. It has got around 1.8
million people.)

2. Read the first six lines on page 11. What was life like for the Irish farm workers?

(They were very poor. They lived in one-room houses and grew potatoes. The potatoes were
the only food they ate.)

3. Read the last paragraph on page 17 and look at the picture below. Give some reasons why
the Cliffs of Moher are popular with tourists.

(The cliffs stand high above the Atlantic Ocean. There are about 30,000 birds there,
representing about 20 different species.)

4. Look at the picture at the bottom of page 21. Read the last four lines of the last paragraph
on the same page. What do the sculptures in the picture represent?

(They represent the Irish people leaving Ireland because of Famine.)

5. Read the first paragraph on page 32. What is special about the Nobel Prize for Literature and
the country of Ireland?

(No other country with such a small population has got four Nobel Prize winners for literature.)

6. Read the second paragraph on page 53. What is the problem in Ireland today?

(750,000 people live just below the poverty line. A quarter of the population haven’t got
enough money to afford home heating, meat or a warm coat.)

BEFORE READING

MAKE YOUR STUDENTS THINK

Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the
book. 1. What do you think was the most important event in Irish history? Why? 2. Imagine
your parents tell you that you are leaving your home and starting a new life in another
country. How do you react? 3. What can we learn from the violence in Northern Ireland and
the eventual peace agreement? 4. Which of the famous people in the book would you like to
meet? Give reasons for your answer. 5. In your opinion, what makes Ireland an interesting
place to visit? 6. Choose three places you would like to visit in Ireland and explain your
decision.

DRAMA ACTIVITIES AND PROJECT SUGGESTIONS

You may want to present some of these activities in the student’s own language. 1. Make a
poster to advertise a holiday to Ireland for history lovers, sports fans or nature lovers. Include
some pictures. Write a short description in English under each one. 2. Work with a partner.
Write a conversation between a British landowner and an Irish farmer during the Potato
Famine of 1846 about the problems the farmer experiences and the landowner’s reaction.
Then act it out. 3. Make a fact file for Ireland. Include facts about the population, government
and places of interest. 4. Work with a partner. Act out the story of the giants Finn McCool and
Benandonner. 5. Write a recipe for Boxty. Then imagine you are a chef on a television show
and demonstrate how you prepare Boxty. 6. Imagine you are in Ireland for “Bloomsday”. Write
a page in your diary describing the activities you have seen. 7. Work with a partner. Invent a
conversation between Anna and Ben choosing a place in Ireland to visit. Act it out. 8. Imagine
you are an Irish tour guide and you are meeting a new group of tourists tomorrow. Write an
email to introduce yourself and present your itinerary to the group. 9. Prepare a quiz about
Ireland based on the information in the reader. Then test your classmates’ knowledge of
Ireland. 10. Search on the Internet for stories about banshees, leprechauns, changelings or
other Irish legends. Write a paragraph about one of the stories and read it to the class.

AFTER READING: EXTRA CHALLENGES

FINAL TEST

Complete the sentences with a suitable word or phrase.

1. abolished the Irish Parliament and began to govern Ireland in 1801. 2. People left Ireland in
the 1840s because there was . 3. Ireland is very green because there is . 4. According to the
famous legend, leprechauns have got . 5. The Good Friday Agreement ended in Northern
Ireland.

5 points (1 point each)

Complete the chart with the people below. Then complete the answers.

James Hoban Michael Flatley Aoife the giant Finn McCool James Joyce King James I

Who?What the people didWhat was the result?

1. … became angry one day and threw a piece of earth into the Irish Sea. 2. … was jealous of
Lir’s children.3. … sent Protestant farmers from England to take land from Irish Catholic
farmers.4. … studied architecture in Dublin and then went to live in Philadelphia in the USA.5.
… wrote

Ulysses

, a story about a man named Leopold Bloom, an Irish Jew living in Dublin.6. … danced

Riverdance

during the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.

12 points (2 points each)

Answer the questions about the reader.

1. Why was Ben lucky to meet Anna on a plane? 2. What colour is associated with Ireland?
What is another name for Ireland? 3. The legend about St Patrick expelling snakes from Ireland
is a metaphor. What do people believe St Patrick really tried to do? 4. What are the most
popular sports in Ireland today? 5. Why do you think so many Irish recipes have got potatoes
in them? 6. What three languages are commonly spoken in Ireland today?

18 points (3 points each)

Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 30 words long.

1. Choose two geographical features that make Ireland special and describe them. 2. Describe
the Irish customs you think are the most interesting. 3. Describe what happened in Belfast
after “The Troubles” started in the late 1960s.

15 points

La biblioteca digital más grande del mundo

¡Pruebe Scribd GRATIS por 30 días para acceder a más de 125 millones de títulos sin anuncios
ni interrupciones!

Comience la prueba gratis

Cancele en cualquier momento.

ANSWERS TO FINAL TEST

1.

The English Government

3.

a lot of rain

5.

violence

2.

a famine

4.

a pot of gold

Who?What the people didWhat was the result?

1.

the giant Finn McCool

became angry one day and threw a piece of earth into the Irish Sea.

This created the Isle of Man.

2.

Aoife

was jealous of Lir’s children.

She turned them into swans.

3.

King James I

sent Protestant farmers from England to take land from Irish Catholic farmers.

The Irish farmers paid rent to the English landowners.

4.
James Hoban

studied architecture in Dublin and then went to live in Philadelphia in the USA.

He won a competition and designed the official residence for the president of the United
States.

5.

James Joyce

wrote

Ulysses

, a story about a man named Leopold Bloom, an Irish Jew living in Dublin.

It became Joyce’s most famous novel.

6.

Michael Flatley

danced

Riverdance

during the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.

He expanded it into a two hour show and millions of people saw it.

1.

Because she explained the history of Ireland to him.

2.

Green; the Emerald Isle

3.

Snakes often represent evil. St Patrick tried to expel evil from Ireland.

4.

Gaelic football and hurling

5.

Because potato was the main crop for the poor people in Ireland.

6.
English, Polish and Gaelic

Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers. Points for inclusion: 1.

The Burren is a huge area of rocks. Water collects in the cracks and Mediterranean, Arctic-
Alpine and forest plants grow there including orchids. The Giant’s Causeway has got 40,000
columns of basalt leading to the sea. They are the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years
ago.

2.

The wedding customs are very interesting. The bride and groom hold hands and the priest ties
a ribbon around their wrists. They also light a candle together to show how two become
one. On Halloween, people dress up and decorate their houses with images of ghosts, witches
and vampires. Sometimes they put up a Halloween tree. It is like a Christmas tree, but it is
black and has got images of spiders and ghosts on it. Also, the custom of “trick or treat”
started in Ireland. On St Patrick’s Day, people in Ireland go to church and then go home to
have a meal with their family. There are also parades and people often wear green clothes
with a shamrock on them.

3.

Belfast, like other towns in Northern Ireland, became deserted after dark. There were heavy
gates around the city centre and they closed at 6 pm until the next morning. People tried to
carry on their lives, but many people left Northern Ireland and went to live in mainland Britain
or the Republic of Ireland.

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

(page 7)

1.

flag

4.

built

2.

fought

5.
afraid

3.

Powerful

b, c, d, f

CHAPTERS 1-2 ACTIVITIES

(pages 14-15)

1.

bored

3.

guidebook

2.

priest

4.

handsome

1.
an

army

4.

encourage

2.

disease

5.

followers

3.

demolish

6.

debts

1.

2.

3.

4.

The turning point was during the Potato Famine when the British government didn’t help the
starving Irish people.

1.
The Celts captured people from Britain and brought them to work in Ireland.

2.

He returned to Ireland and converted pagan people to Christianity.

3.

That St Patrick sent all the snakes in Ireland into the sea.

4.

A fungus infected the potatoes. They became soft and began to decompose and people had
nothing to eat.

5.

The treaty divided Ireland in two parts. Six counties in the north remained under British
control. The rest of Ireland became the Irish Free State (later, the Republic of Ireland)

CHAPTERS 3-4 ACTIVITIES

(pages 22-23)

1.

challenged

4.

cut down

2.

cross

5.

light

3.

held

6.

Pick up

2
2 and 4 are logical. 1.

Wear a warm jacket.

3.

The grass is green.

5.

It’s very cold.

ANSWERS TO ACTIVITIES IN THE READER

34

1.

He picked up a piece of earth and threw it into the Irish Sea.

2.

A volcanic eruption, 60 million years ago caused them

. 3.

Experts don’t know how the people in ancient times without any modern apparatus design it
with such precision.

4.

It’s a medieval manuscript containing the four Gospels

. 5.

He cared about his passengers and limited the number of people he took on his ship. He made
16 journeys to North America and not one passenger died.

CHAPTERS 5-6 ACTIVITIES

(pages 30-31)

1.

candle

2.

sword
3.

ghost

4.

tears

5.

meal

6.

bell

Cliffs of MoherBlarney CastleNewgrangeAillwee CaveThe Burren

See birdsSee a variety of plant lifeSee an illuminated chamber Kiss a stoneSee stalactites and
stalagmites

33333

12345

sntocaatbgealmalhinahswordkblashlreistmealrtearsl

All About Ireland

Answers to Activities in the Reader continued

1.

2.

3.

4.

c
5.

6.

34

1.

Some people go to church and return home to eat a meal with their families. There are many
parades. People wear green clothes, sometimes with a shamrock on them. In Dublin, there is
an annual festival.

2.

It has got two hands holding a heart with a crown. The hands represent friendship, the heart
represents love, and the crown represents fidelity.

3.

The leprechaun must give the human his pot of gold or three wishes in exchange for the
leprechaun’s release.

4.

When St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, the children heard the sound of a bell and
changed to humans.

5.

The legend of changelings, because fairies might take a healthy human baby and leave a
deformed fairy baby in its place. These babies are called changelings, they look like human
babies but they are evil.

6.

First, he played the Music of Tears on his harp and everyone in the castle started to cry. Then,
he played the Music of Laughter and the people laughed. Finally, he played the Music of Sleep
and the people dropped their swords and fell asleep. The Dagda took his harp and quietly left
the castle.

CHAPTERS 7-8 ACTIVITIES

(pages 38-39)

1.
busy

5.

corner

2.

editor

6.

Contest

3.

worldwide

7.

develop

4.

entertaining

8.

provide

ABC

1. Irish dancing decorate black trees to show their love of Irish culture.2. Many people around
the world cries and screams with gold coins in a pot.3. At Halloween, some Irish people is
famous around the world with witches and spiders.4. A leprechaun called his harp when a
person is going to die.5. A banshee celebrate St Patrick’s Day because of shows like

Lord of the Dance

.6. The Dagda is a male fairy and it flew into his hands.

3516 24243516

2
34

ab

oa

lf

ion

ab

letgwthaetr j oi

ed dd

1.

James Joyce

2.

Oscar Wilde

3.
C.S. Lewis

4.

Michael Flatley

5.

Bono

6.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

1.

People dress in costumes from the period of the novel

Ulysses

. There are many cultural activities, including readings from the book.

2.

He died the same day as the assassination of J.F. Kennedy.

3.

His parents wanted to make sure he knew about his Irish heritage, so they sent him to Irish
dance lessons.

4.

He designed the White House in Washington.

5.

He played in the James Bond series.

6.

The Queen knighted him.

CHAPTERS 9-10 ACTIVITIES

(pages 46-47)

1.

kick
2.

race

3.

baked

4.

beer

5.

cloth

6.

sticks

7.

team

8.

shake

9.

expecting

10.

neighbours

10

ANSWERS TO CROSS-CURRICULAR FOCUS

11

LORD LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN

(page 65)

1
b

Another word for ‘vengeance’ is

revenge

1234567

1 2 3 4 5 6 7a n o v s v g tb r e w e n p e

1.

2.

3.

4.
b

5.

6.

1.

They didn’t want Irish sport to be under the control of the English Sports Association.

2.

Because in the first race, the riders could see the church steeple and knew which way to go.

3.

at Halloween.

4.

Joe Sheridan

5.

It comes from a Gaelic phrase meaning “water of life”.

6.

Queen Elizabeth I.

CHAPTERS 11-12 ACTIVITIES

(pages 54-55)

1.

advert

6.

amazing

2.

dairy
7.

imprisoned

3.

payments

8.

increased

4.

bright

9.

growth

5.

shot

10.

wealthy

so

l
t

ir

am

zi

ng

gro w

a
d

i n

c r e

Answers to Activities in the Reader continued

1.

2.

3.

4.
c

Yes, there has been a resolution because the fighting has stopped. / No, because there are
still differences between Catholics and Protestants.

1.

The name for the three decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland.

2.

There are new restaurants and nightclubs. Tourists come for holidays and there aren’t any
soldiers on the streets. There is no more violence between the Catholics and Protestants. This
shows that Northern Ireland is a pleasant and safe place to visit.

3.

Green: the Gaelic tradition of Ireland and its native people Orange: the followers of the
Protestant King William III of Orange White: hope for peace between the people

4.

as the world’s friendliest country

5.

pharmaceutical, medical and dairy products

GERRY CONLON, ONE OF THE GUILDFORD FOUR

(page 63)

TF

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In 2013, Conlon started a human rights organisation called

watch

Justice Ireland.