Irish Culture

Ireland is a country, quite similar to America, when it comes to the family structure since both had much influence from British colonialism. Irish culture highly values strong family ties, with extended families living in close proximity being common in the past. They also have a similar nuclear family archetype of the main family unit consisting of two parents and their children. These families often are built on close relationships and a large support network for every individual. Ireland also has many diasporic histories as a large number of Irish had left Ireland during the potato famine in 1845. A diaspora is “a massive migration, often caused by war, famine, enslavement, or persecution, that results in the dispersal of a unified group” (Nakayama), and many Irish Americans can trace their ancestry to this period. The usual sense of community and strong family values tends to mean that most people in Ireland are quite welcoming to others that have Irish ancestry whose families may have left during this time.

Dating and marriage are other forms of relationships that are similar to much of the western world. “During high school, teenagers will begin to socialize in group activities with peers from school or those living in the same neighborhood” (Scroope) and many people begin dating around this age. The deep Catholic values in country also tend to mean most people have Catholic weddings, where others who choose not to often will only have a civil wedding. The influence of the catholic church has diminished in recent times however, and has meant that a large majority of the population are getting married at a later age and feel less pressure to marry young.