Study of Irish Culture

Cultural studies are always my favorite things to blog about, and it's even more special when it's a study of one's heritage. I have written several posts now about various European cultures, however have yet to write about my own heritage. On my mom's side I have Colombian and Venezuelan heritage while on my dad's side I have Swedish and Irish heritage. I eventually intend to write about all four of these cultures that are a part of me, but as usual I like to be inspired by something before I write about it. And at this precise moment in the chilly rainy grim days of March, I am drawn to the culture of Ireland.

One of the first thoughts that come to mind when I think of Ireland is my grandma. My dad's mom was the epitome of an Irish old lady; friendly, gentle in spirit, hard-working, proud Catholic, and a good taste for drinking (she even had red hair). I remember her house had numerous Irish decorations and an Irish knitted blanket that I always enjoyed. She had a copy of the popular Riverdance show, starring Michael Flatley, which we watched many times at her house. In her final years before she passed she bought me a Celtic Christmas CD which I still cherish to this day. 

Apart from my grandmother being my most significant Irish influence, I have experienced Irish culture on a regular basis throughout my life. For starters Irish culture is embedded in American society, much thanks to the holiday of St. Patrick's Day. This normally includes of a day wearing green, sites of dancing leprechauns, and drunken shenanigans for the adults. Along with this holiday there are several popular American sports team that embody Irish elements specifically the Boston Celtics and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. You could almost make the case that Irish-American culture has spun into it's own sub-category apart from the mother country, often referred to as an Irish diaspora.

For this culture study I want to move away from the cliche Irish stereotypes of drunkenness and leprechauns. While I'm sure these stereotypes have validity I think it's best to start with the source, that is the motherland of Ireland. It is essentially an island in the Northern Atlantic Ocean, with beautiful coast lines and rolling green pastures, yet it has always been under the influence of the mighty British empire. The land of Ireland is split into two regions, north and south. Northern Ireland is a territory of the United Kingdom. While the southern part of the island is it's own sovereign nation the Republic of Ireland. In this post I'll probably associate more to the Republic of Ireland, however would like this to be considered a study of both regions as one land known as Ireland.

Irish Folklore and Mythology

Celtic Mythology was the ancient religion of the Celtic tribes during the Iron Age that embodied the lands of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and parts of Britain. Similar to Norse, Greek, or Roman mythology this was a time before the spread of Christianity where Europe believed in false tales and deities. However much of modern day literature and folklore can be derived from ancient tales of mythology. The stories of Irish mythology made up a majority of Celtic mythology and no doubt influenced Ireland's rich history in folklore and literature.

In Irish Mythology humanity was governed by a tribe of gods known as the Tuatha De Danann who dwell in a region known as the Otherworld. They journey to-and-from earth thru portals, referred to as a passage tombs (Stonehedge could be considered an example of an ancient religious portal). The chief of the Irish gods is Dagda, a religious druid, he is the father figure associated with strength, magic, and wisdom. The enemies of the Tuatha de Danann are the Fomorians who bring about all the evils to earth. Similar to Greek mythology each god of the Tuatha de Danann is associated with some form of virtue and later become fairies of Irish folklore.

With the emergence of Christianity during the middle ages, mythology quickly became a farce however the ancient stories were still celebrated. From the characters of Irish mythology came new tales of fairy lore. Fairies were descendants of the Irish gods who lived in deep forests and often had magical powers. One of the most iconic characters of fairy lore was the leprechaun, described as a little bearded man dressed in green. Various Irish folk tales depicted the leprechaun as a mischievous or jolly character who made shoes and had a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If a human were ever to capture a leprechaun they were granted three wishes by this magical creature. 

Irish Literature

Perhaps it's the green landscape of cliffs, hills, and pastures overlooking the Irish Sea that has made Ireland a source of great literature. It is also no doubt the rich history of Celtic-Irish Mythological and folk tales that have supplied modern day Irish literature. Some of the most notable Irish authors in history include Johnathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, and CS Lewis to name a few.  

The modern era of Irish literature began with the sagas and poetry of Jonathan Swift, most notably his satire and one of my favorites, Gulliver's Travels which was released in 1726. Swift is often considered one of the most significant modern English writers of satire. He inspired numerous famous Irish poets, playwrites, and novelists after him such as Oscar Wilde, known for his Importance of Being Earnest released in 1895. In 1897 Irish author Bram Stoker introduced the horrific Romanian character of Dracula in his famous Gothic novel. 

In 1922 James Joyce released what is often regarded as the most significant novel of the 20th century, Ulysses. The novel is considered a parallel to Homer's Odyssey and in an-depth philosophical journey of one man's consciousness. James Joyce also had various other popular novels and can be considered at the fore front along with Swift. During his time there was also George Bernard Shaw best regarded the Irish dramatist. Perhaps one of my personal favorite Irish authors is CS Lewis who wrote the famous fantasy series, Chronicles of Narnia in the 1950s. 

Irish Music and Dance

Ireland is best renown today for their traditional folk music which often consists of violins, flutes, harps, and bagpipes. This music has elements of classical, medieval, and renaissance style court music and incorporates the spirit of the land. I've always enjoyed Irish folk music and find it be very uplifting and ideal with a cold beverage. Just like with any culture however there are many different genres of music, and Ireland is also known for it's new age fusion, rock, and punk music. I especially enjoy the new age singing of Enya and the classic rock music of Van Morrison and the band U2. I also enjoyed the punk rock music of The Cranberries growing up in the 1990s.

Along with it's music Ireland also has a rich and proud tradition of dance. The style they are most identified with is that of step-dancing, sometimes referred to as the "riverdance". This style incorporates jumps, footwork, and tap dancing with a stiff upper body. This heritage of Irish dance- stepping goes back to the 1700s with the emergence of the fiddle and Irish Folk Music. However the heritage became pop-culture thanks to the theatrical show of Riverdance which premiered in 1995 touring on stage and also released a film. It is one of the most successful dance shows in history and still operates today. 

Irish Sport

While most of Europe would have soccer/football as their favorite sport, Ireland actually has two sports that are slightly more popular than the game of soccer. The sports of Gaelic Football and Hurling both originated in Ireland and for that reason are the nation's pastime. Neither Northern Ireland nor the Rep of Ireland have yet to win any major team international tournaments (such as the World Cup).

• The game of Gaelic Football is a combination of soccer and rugby where a player cannot hold the ball for more than 4 steps, and must either dribble it, kick it, or pass it elsewhere. The object is to score thru a post for 1 point, or on a goal for 3 points. The game is very popular in Ireland and constitutes 34% of sports attendance.
• The game of Hurling has a similar playing field as Gaelic Football yet instead the players use sticks to pass, dribble, balance, and shoot the ball. The game is a combination of lacrosse, field hockey, and rugby and is believed to be over 4000 years old. The sport constitutes 23% of Irish sports attendance.
• The game of soccer constitutes 16% of the nation's attendance, and many Irish soccer fans often pay more attention to the English leagues over their own Irish Association Football leagues which is much smaller in scale. The Rep of Ireland made it as far as the quarterfinals in the 1990 World Cup, and has made it to the round of 16 twice. Northern Ireland made the quarter-finals once in 1958 yet had not qualified again since 1986. 
• The game of Rugby constitutes 8% of the nation's attendance. Although they have yet to win a Rugby World Cup they are currently ranked #2 in the world. 
• Other sports such as golf, horse-racing, cricket, and boxing are also popular in Ireland. Perhaps one of the most popular mixed martial arts/boxers in the world is Connor McGregor who is from Dublin, Ireland. 

Irish Cuisine

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Irish food and drink are 3 things; Beer, whiskey, and potatoes. Over the years the Irish have developed a stereotype as a people of heavy drinkers perhaps due to their fierce yet playful personas. Guinness stout beer and Jameson whiskey have become Irish staples enjoyed on a global market. However Ireland is also known for their stews, sausage, bacon, and cabbage. Here is a list of some of the traditional Irish foods and drinks;

• Whiskey: Single pot still, mixed of malted and unmalted barley. Distilleries began producing as early as the 1600s under the reign of King James I. The Old Bushmills Distillery became the first official licensed whiskey producer, however Jameson Irish Whiskey, introduced by a Scottish businessman, based out of Dublin in 1780 has become the most successful of Irish whiskies. 
• Beer: Irish Beer comes in various forms and they are more frequently associated with stouts, ales, and lagers. Perhaps one of the most iconic of Irish beers is that of Guinness, a dry stout beer that was first introduced in Dublin in 1759. Other popular Irish beer brands include the Red Irish Ale Smithwicks (founded in 1710) and Harp Lager (founded in 1960).
• Irish Cream and Coffee: Irish Cream is a form of cream liquor that basically mixes dairy cream with Irish Whiskey. One of the most famous of these brands is Baileys (introduced in 1974). Irish Coffee is another popular mixed drink consisting of hot coffee, cream, and Irish whiskey
• Bread: The most common of Irish breads is the flatbread made of oats. Various examples of Irish bread are the Soda Bread, Potato Bread, and the Barmbrack. The Barmbrack consists of raisins and grapes and is traditionally enjoyed on Halloween. 
• Stews: Ireland is famous for their Irish Stews which normally consist of lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley. The vegetables and meat can sometimes vary, with goat or mutton serving as an alternate for the lamb. 
• Meat Dishes: Perhaps one of the more traditional Irish dinners is that of Bacon and Cabbage, There are also various mixtures of potatoes, bacon, and sausage such as the popular dish of coddle. Colcannon is a traditional dish of mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage. 
• Seafood: Considering that Ireland is surrounded by water with a heavy Catholic population you would think that Seafood would be their food of choice, however that is not the case. Seafood in Ireland is well below the average consumed by the rest of Europe. Salmon and cod are the two most popular types of seafood eaten in Ireland. 
• Desserts: Popular Irish desserts consist of custard, shortbread, porter cakes, and bread pudding.