Irish Culture

Ireland is a country with a long history of suppression, division, and eventual freedom. The country had been under British rule between 1801-1922 when the Republic of Ireland had earned it independence, apart from six northern counties that chose to remain a part of the United Kingdom and became North Ireland. This divide can still be seen in present day as “Ireland’s two states north and south are members of NATO and the European Union respectively” (Kearns, et al) showing how even their modern-day allies vary. The reason for this was that these counties were predominantly protestant whereas the rest of the island is mainly catholic. Ireland has had a complex history due to this struggle with British rule, which can be traced much farther back to invasions all the way back in 10^th century.

The overwhelming presence of British rule has influenced many other aspects of Irish culture, such as religion, language, and their relationships to themselves and others. However, the Republic of Ireland had begun to revive their own culture with the Celtic Revival in the late 19^th century, before they even became independent. With the foundation of the Gaelic League in 1893 to try and bring back the Irish language and promote its use in daily life. There was also the Gaelic Athletic Association that was started in 1884 to promote indigenous Gaelic games such as hurling, camogie, Gaelic football and many more. There were also a several other efforts and foundations that were started that influenced the drive for the independence of Ireland that are still around today.