AnnaMayI.

Arasani IRELANDCOUNTRY
BAEng3
 IRISHLANGUAGE
Irishalsoreferredto
asGaelicorIrishGaelic,is
aGoideliclanguage(Gaelic)of
theIndoEuropeanlanguage
familyoriginatinginIrelandand
historicallyspokenbytheIrish
people.Irishisspokenasafirst
languagebyasmallminorityofIrish
people,andasasecondlanguageby
alargergroupofnonnative
speakers.Irishenjoysconstitutional
statusasthenationalandfirst
officiallanguageoftheRepublicof
Ireland,andisanofficially
recognisedminoritylanguagein
NorthernIreland.
 Itisalsoamongtheofficiallanguagesofthe
EuropeanUnion.ThepublicbodyForasna
Gaeilgeisresponsibleforthepromotionofthe
languagethroughouttheislandofIreland.Irish
wasthepredominantlanguageoftheIrishpeople
formostoftheirrecordedhistory,andthey
broughtitwiththemtootherregions,
notablyScotlandandtheIsleofMan,
whereMiddleIrishgaverisetoScottish
GaelicandManxrespectively.Ithastheoldest
vernacularliteratureinWesternEurope
 ThereareanumberoflanguagesusedinIreland.
Sincethelatenineteenthcentury,Englishhas
beenthepredominantfirstlanguage,displacing
Irish.Alargeminorityclaimssomeabilitytouse
Irish,anditisthefirstlanguageforasmall
percentageofthepopulation.
IntheRepublicofIreland,undertheConstitution
ofIreland,bothlanguageshaveofficialstatus,
withIrishbeingthenationalandfirstofficial
language.NorthernIrelandhasnoofficial
language,butEnglishisthedefactoofficial
languageoftheUnitedKingdomandIrishand
UlsterScotsarerecognizedregionallanguages.
IRISHSOCIETYANDCULTURE
TheCatholicChurch
MostpeopleinthecountryareRomanCatholic.Until
theearly1990sthechurchhadaverystrongvoicein
societyaswellaspolitics.Theirrolehoweverhas
diminished.Thereisnowsomethingofagenerational
dividewithpeopleover50stillbeingquiteobservant
andconservativeintheirviews.Religionstillvery
muchhasasayinsocietysviewoffamily,marriage,
andabortion.
TheFamily

Theextendedfamilyisstillverymuchthedominant
socialstructurealthoughurbanisationishavingan
impact.Evenwhenfamilymembersdomovetothe
citiesyouwilloftenfindtheirtiestohomearestill
verystrong.
 PopularcultureinIrelandisvery
similartomanyotherWestern
countries.However,oneaspectof
popularcultureinIrelandthat
makesitsomewhatdifferentto
otherculturesispubculture.
Thetermpubreferstoapublic
houseorbar.Whilethereisa
recognisedissueofover
consumptionofalcoholinIreland,
pubcultureisaboutmorethan
justdrinking.Typicallypubsare
importantmeetingplaces,where
peoplecangatherandmeettheir
neighboursandfriendsina
relaxedatmosphere.The
characterofpubsvarieswidely
accordingtothecustomersthey
serve,andtheareatheyarein.
Since2004itisillegaltosmoke
inanenclosedplaceofworkin
Ireland,includingpubs.
 Greetingpeople
Irishpeoplehavethereputationofbeingveryfriendly.
Generallypeoplewillshakehandswhentheymeetforthe
firsttime.Friendswillhugorjustsayhello.Sometimes
peoplewillkissonthecheekiftheyknoweachotherwell.
Peoplegenerallymakeeyecontactbecauseitisasignof
trustandthatyouareinterestedinwhattheyaresaying.
Timekeeping

Sometimesitmayseemasiftimekeepingisnotvery
importantinIreland.Generallywhensomeonearranges
tomeetyouat8pmthiswillusuallymean8.15pmor
later.Irishpeople,ingeneral,areveryrelaxedabout
time.
Manners

Peoplewillgenerallysaypleaseandthankyou,for
example,whengettingoffabusmostpeoplewillthank
thebusdriver.
Peoplealsousuallyqueueinlineandwaittheirturn,for
example,inashop.
 St.Patrick'sFestival
Thebiggestofallcelebrationsin
Ireland,St.Patrick'sFestival
(stpatricksfestival.ie),namedafter
Ireland'spatronsaint,celebratesthe
country'srichcultureandheritage
withparades,dancing,music,foodand
plentyofpintsofbeer.Whatstartedas
aonedayholidayonMarch17isnow
amultidaycelebrationenjoyedby
morethanamillionlocalseachyear.
AlthoughDublin'scelebrationis
arguablyoneofthecountry'sbiggest,
you'reguaranteedtofindholiday
revelersallacrossIreland,fromsmall
villagestomajormetropolitancities.
 Christmas
ChristmasinIrelandisagrand
celebration,lastingfromabout
Dec.24toJan.6,thoughmany
countDec.8astheofficialstartof
theseason.Throughoutthe
celebratoryseason,you'llfind
singingchoirsandstreet
musiciansonthesidewalksand
patronsfillinglocalpubstoenjoy
thisimportantIrishholiday.
Ireland'slargeCatholic
populationcrowdschurches
acrossthecountryformidnight
massonChristmasEve,aswellas
forChristmasDaymass.Dec.26
marksSt.Stephen'sDay,a
nationalholidayhonoringthe
Christianmartyr,whichis
celebratedwithtraditional
ceremonies,feastsandtripsto
pubsacrossIreland.
 Bloomsday
TheIrishBloomsdaycelebration
(jamesjoyce.ie)honorsJamesJoyce,oneof
Ireland'smostfamousliterarymasters.
ThiseventisheldeachyearonJune16,
thedayinwhichJoyce'sclassicnovel
"Ulysses"takesplace.Firstcelebratedin
Irelandin1954,Bloomsdayisnowa
worldwideeventcelebratedbyJoyceans
acrosstheglobe.Dublin'sJamesJoyce
Centrehostsanumberofeventsinthe
daysleadinguptoBloomsday,including
reenactments,performances,readings
andbreakfastsbasedoncuisinefeatured
inthenovel.SomeBloomsday
enthusiastsevendonEdwardian
costumesandmakepilgrimagestoDublin
locationsmentionedinthebook.
TOURISTSSPOTSOFIRELAND

VBGHBGFHHH

CLIFFOFMOHER BLARNEYCASTLE
Guinnessstorehouse TrinityCollege,Dublin
TheRingofKerry TheGiantCauseway

FOODSOFIRISH

Irishfoodisknownforthequality
andfreshnessofitsingredients.
Mostcookingisdonewithoutherbs
orspices,exceptforsaltandpepper.
Foodsareusuallyservedwithout
sauceorgravy.

ThestaplesoftheIrishdiethave
traditionallybeenpotatoes,grains
(especiallyoats),anddairyproducts.
PotatoesstillappearatmostIrish
meals,withpotatoscones,similarto
biscuitsormuffins,aspecialtyinthe
north.TheIrishhavealsobeen
accomplishedcheesemakersfor
centuries.Irelandmakesaboutfifty
typesofhomemade"farmhouse"
cheeses,whichareconsidered
delicacies.