What can anyone tell me about the current culture and situation in Ireland as a whole?

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Permalink Reply by Alexandre Boulet on December 8, 2007 at 11:52pm

Well hum.. im a canadian and i am me too interested in Ireland..

What i can tell you maybe you already know... but hum.. it a republic... and it a rich country now. It splendid and very natural.

The animal that best represent ireland is the horse !
And they love design.

There a magazine call Ireland of the welcomes ( check website) you can learn a lot of thing about ireland and Irish people

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Permalink Reply by Gregory on December 9, 2007 at 5:17pm

Ireland in general...wow thats a mouthful. Ireland saved civilization from total collapse in the Dark Ages. Even after being under the British boot for 300 years, Ireland has become the leader again. When it came to "go forth and multiply" just look in any library in the world. Irish books, plays, music, medical knowledge, legal system, human rights...
There is no General when it comes to describing Ireland.
The animal that best represents Ireland... good argument for the Salmon of Knowledge. How about the eagle. It travels all over the world and is held in "high regard" Pun intended.
Agree with the design...very imaginative peoples.
From my personal experience, the country is populated with the most hospitable folks I have ever met, even more so that many parts of of my home Canada. Except for the parts of Canada populated with Celtic peoples of course!!!

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Permalink Reply by Alexandre Boulet on December 9, 2007 at 6:23pm

We cannot forget that the people of Ireland is a very intelectual one. With one of the hardest language to learn, and the tradition of paying hard to learn musical instrument like the violin, Irish folk like it hard !!

The national sport of Ireland is the rugby... ouch !! You gotta be tough and not fragile to play that sport ! if we can disregard the fact that Irish man like to brawl... ( well they have a lot of experience in that field) we can say that it a really defensive and resistant nation. But they have also a huge history of litterature, music etc. One name William Butler Yeats who has win the nobel prize of litterature... So my vision of Ireland is a good combination of thoughness and inteligence mix with a lot of imagination and creativity !!! ( im sure they are as red as tomato as they read that right now lol!!!)

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Permalink Reply by C. Ford on December 9, 2007 at 11:32pm

Gregory, I remember reading that it took 700 years if one includes the conquests shortly after the Norman invasions (whom the Irish assimilated and who later severed ties with England due to their preference of Irish to English tee hee). Is this correct? I would agree with the Salmon of Knowledge idea, both for the knowledge saved by the Irish and for their seagoing history. I can tell that you have read How the Irish Saved Civilization. I would also recommend Story of the Irish Race by Seamus MacManus.

Alex, I think you should remember that the Irish are defensive by necessity. Remember that at one time British citizens were allowed to kill Irish civilians with little cause and get away with it. Thus the Irish developed their own ways of defending themselves. The shillelagh is one example of this. It started out as a walking stick, but when the Irish lost their swords, spears, etc., they learned to fight with it just as well. It is actually quite devastating as a weapon in the hands of a well-trained user. I have one and am working on the techniques.

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Permalink Reply by Alexandre Boulet on December 10, 2007 at 12:14am

Wow that really cool. It like the bow of the japanese :) the long stick held with two hand. Wow a lot of new document and history on Ireland and is people to read and learn it amazing ty

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Permalink Reply by Gregory on December 10, 2007 at 1:55am

actually the shillelagh would be more like a cane than the Japanese staff. Like a war club/tomahawk with a handle long enough to use as a cane. If you happen to rent the movie "Gangs of New York" you can see one used quite well.

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Permalink Reply by Gregory on December 10, 2007 at 1:50am

Well actually if you go back to the defeat of the Tuath, then you could say that Ireland has constantly been developing over thousands of years. The fact that the stories are still alive after all this time, says it all.
I will take a look for that book, thanks

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Permalink Reply by Alexandre Boulet on December 10, 2007 at 1:58am

What i love about Irish litterature is the fact that they use they own country as the place where the action is goiing oon. It not in a abstrait world it really where they live and is often related to there history...

One book i recommend is the secret rose from the most famous of writer of the world, probably, William Butler Yeats. The secret rose ( la rose secrete in french) are little story but together.

I'm reading that right now and it amazing because i can see some of the aspect of my personality on that book . Some aspect of my personality that goes deep within me

i hope you guy understand because it something hard to express those kind of feeling when you are a french guys... ( Quebecers)

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Permalink Reply by Alexandre Boulet on December 10, 2007 at 1:59am

I will try to see that movie to see that kind of weapon... for sure

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Permalink Reply by C. Ford on December 11, 2007 at 12:20am

Okay, in the movie Gangs of New York, the shillelagh seen is a full club moreso than the cudgel that weapons-grade shillelaghs are classified as. It's also longer than the usual 3 feet. The smaller ones lack the characteristic knob. See the picture below. This shillelagh (mine) is straight from Ireland. Made from blackthorn wood, they're the toughest natural walking sticks available. A bit pricey, but dependable.

Gregory, you are correct in saying that the Irish have been developing for thousands of years. However, if you trace the British-Irish conflict, it starts in roughly the late 1100's, which would put the conflict as having lasted roughly 700 years, rather than the 300, since the Irish gained their independence in 1921. Is this intel correct?

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Permalink Reply by Alexandre Boulet on December 11, 2007 at 12:26am

Wow 700 years of conflict that must be the biggest conflict worldwide !!! the 100 years war between FRance and England is nuthing compare to that ( time wise )

ty for the picture

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Permalink Reply by Bill McGowan on December 13, 2007 at 3:02am

Not ALL the Irish gained independence in 1921.
The North is still a part of the UK and although things have calmed down recently- there will never be a true peace in Ireland until the nation is united as one again-(IMHO of course.)

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