Ireland: An Introduction to Ireland - Part 2
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The treaty signed, however, fell far short of what the Irish had sought since they became subject to English rule in the 12th century, and so Civil War followed in 1922-23. The Great Famine 1845-9 and the Easter 1916 rising are particularly poignant episodes in Irish Republican history where much suffering was encountered and hatred of the English and their hold on the country was at its most vehement. Even today, mere mention of these events in conversation is likely to provoke heckles and caustic comment. The Irish do not forget. And the Anglo-Irish struggle lives on in Northern Ireland.
It is well to remind people that Northern Ireland is a completely separate country and political entity to the Republic of Ireland. It was effectively created in 1921 when a decision was made to exclude from the Free State six of Ireland's 32 counties--those in the north east which had the most substantial Protestant populations and where opposition to independence was the strongest, largely out of fear of domination by the Catholic majority. The problem with this solution was that the great majority of people in the other 26 counties were unwilling to accept the partition of their country. The only way that the northern state could survive was by keeping the southern government at arm's length. The dilemma continues today after many years of violence and struggle. One wonders if it will ever be reparable.
Ireland is divided into four provinces: Connaught, Ulster, Leinster and Munster, within which there are the 26 counties. Irish people identify themselves more with their counties than with any other place, apart from Ireland itself. If you ask an Irishman where he comes from, he will always state first his county of birth. The questioner, if Irish, will usually hasten to assert whatever connection he has with the county himself, maybe going as far back as great grand parents. The county, therefore, quite frequently appears in Irish discourse at home and abroad.
In cultural terms, once the English state had become politically dominant, so the English language effectively ousted Irish Gaelic. Far from destroying Irish culture, it flowered in Anglo Irish writing with authors and playwrights such as Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Sean O'Casey and Brian Friel. There is also a strong culture to restore and retain the Irish language. All children learn Irish at school and in some parts of the country, known as the Gaeltecht, Irish is the predominant language. Certain employers, too, in, for example, teaching and nursing, will expect Irish language as a prerequisite, or give preference to those that speak it. Music, too, has always played a vital part in Irish life [and death--the Irish wake is another legendary event]. Many Irish ballads developed through the bardic tradition of story telling and over the years were used to recount notable events in Irish history accompanied by fiddles, bodhran [a drum], whistle and bagpipes. Modern day Irish music is also an important export for the country with groups such as the Chieftains, U2, Westlife, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, Clannad, Enya, The Cranberries and Sinead O'Connor having made their mark on the international scene.
Religion plays a hugely important part in the Irish psyche. The official religion of the country is Catholicism and indeed, the Catholic Church has had a hold on the governing of the country for many years. In the last decade this has loosened with the influx of other cultures and religions into the country and, sadly, bad publicity for the Church in connection with abuse in educational institutions and amongst the clergy in the parishes. There is currently a major investigation into the latter, which is hitting the headlines as this page is written.
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