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The culture of the people living on the island of Ireland is far from monolithic. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Many notable cultural divides exist between the rural people and city dwellers, between the Catholic and Protestant people of Northern Ireland, between the Irish-speaking people inside and outside the Gaeltacht regions and the English-speaking majority population, and increasingly between new immigrants and the native population. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. ga '''Gaeltacht''' ( plural ga ''Gaeltachtaí'' is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Contents 1 Farming and rural tradition 1.1 Townlands, villages, parishes and counties 1.2 Land ownership and land hunger 2 Family life 3 Holidays and festivals 4 Cultural institutions, organisations and events 4.1 Institutions and organisations 4.2 Events 5 Religion 6 Literature and the arts 7 Food and drink 7.1 Food in early Ireland 7.2 The potato in Ireland 7.3 Food in Ireland today 7.4 Pub culture 8 Languages 9 Media 9.1 Print 9.2 Radio 9.3 Television 9.4 Film 10 Sport 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Farming and rural tradition

As archaeological evidence from sites such as the Céide Fields in County Mayo and Lough Gur in County Limerick demonstrates, farming in Ireland is an activity that goes back to the very beginnings of human settlement. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Céide Fields (Achaidh Chéide is an area situated on the north Mayo coast in the west of Ireland. Lough Gur, Loch Gair in Irish, is a Lake in County Limerick, Ireland near the town of Bruff. County Limerick ( Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a County in the Province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County In historic times, texts such as the Táin Bó Cúailinge show a society in which cattle represented a primary source of wealth and status. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Little of this had changed by the time of the Norman conquest of Ireland in the 12th century. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Giraldus Cambrensis portrayed a Gaelic society in which cattle farming and transhumance was the norm. Gerald of Wales (c 1146 &ndash c 1223 also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, Transhumance is a term with two accepted usages Older sources use transhumance for vertical seasonal Livestock movement typically to higher Three hundred years later, the society depicted in Edmund Spenser's A View of the Present State of Ireland had changed remarkably little. Edmund Spenser (c 1552 &ndash 13 January, 1599) was an important English Poet and Poet Laureate best known for The Even today, when a quarter of the population of the country lives in Greater Dublin, the cattle population is of the order of 6. 7 million.

Townlands, villages, parishes and counties

The Normans replaced traditional clan-based land management with the manorial system of land tenure and social organisation. This article is about the medieval system "Manors" redirects here Land tenure is the name given particularly in Common law systems to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual who is said to "hold" the land This led to the imposition of the village and parish over the native system of townlands. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Believed to be of Gaelic origin a townland is a term for a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland; the term was at one time also used in Scotland In general, a parish was a civil and religious unit with a manor, a village and a church at its centre. Each parish incorporated one or more existing townlands into its boundaries. With the full extension of English feudalism over the island, the Irish county structure came into existence. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae

These structures are still of vital importance in the daily life of Irish communities. Apart from the religious significance of the parish, most rural postal addresses consist of house and townsland names. The village and parish are key focal points around which sporting rivalries and other forms of local identity are built and most people feel a strong sense of loyalty to their native county, a loyalty which also often has its clearest expression on the sports field.

Land ownership and land hunger

With the Elizabethan English conquest, the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, and the organised plantations of English and Scottish settlers, the patterns of land ownership in Ireland were altered greatly. Romance and reality The Victorian era and the early twentieth century idealised the Elizabethan era The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649-53 refers to the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were established throughout the country by the confiscation of lands occupied by Gaelic clans and Hiberno-Norman dynasties England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The old order of transhumance and open range cattle breeding died out to be replaced by a structure of great landed estates, small tenant farmers with more or less precarious hold on their leases, and a mass of landless labourers. This situation continued up to the end of the 19th century, when the agitation of the Land League began to bring about land reform. The Irish Land League was an Irish political organization of the late 19th century which sought to help poor Tenant farmers Its primary aim was to abolish In this process of reform, the former tenants and labourers became land owners, with the great estates being broken up into small- and medium-sized farms and smallholdings. The process continued well into the 20th century with the work of the Irish Land Commission. The Irish Land Commission (or simply Land Commission) was created in 1881 as a rent fixing commission by the Land Law (Ireland Act 1881 also known as the second Irish This contrasted with Britain, where many of the big estates were left intact. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands One consequence of this is the widely recognised cultural phenomenon of "land hunger" amongst the new class of Irish farmer. In general, this means that farming families will do almost anything to retain land ownership within the family unit, with the greatest ambition possible being the acquisition of additional land. Another is that hillwalkers in Ireland today are more constrained than their counterparts in Britain, as it is more difficult to agree rights of way with so many small farmers involved on a given route, rather than with just one landowner. In Britain, the term hillwalking or fellwalking is normally used to describe the recreational practice of walking in hilly or Mountainous terrain generally

Family life

The Constitution of Ireland guarantees the rights of the family and the institution of marriage. Christ Church Cathedral ( The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity commonly known as Christ Church, Cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and Metropolitical Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force on 29 December 1937 after having been passed by a national plebiscite the previous July However, the reality is that social and economic change in recent years has brought about significant changes in family life in the Republic. According to figures published in September 2004, 31% of all births in the Republic of Ireland occur outside marriage. This compares with 5% in 1980. The average age of mothers having their first child was 30 and the fertility rate is an average of 1. 98 children.

In the Republic, divorce became legal on 27 February 1997. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The 2002 Census of Population showed that the number of divorced people in the state stood at 35,100, compared with 9,800 in 1996. The number of separated people, including divorces, increased from 87,800 in 1996 to 133,800 in 2002. Cohabiting couples made up 8. 4% of all family units in 2002 compared with 3. 9% in 1996.

Holidays and festivals

Main article: Irish calendar

Much of the Irish calendar still today reflects the old pagan customs, with later Christian traditions also having significant influence. The Irish calendar does not observe the typical astronomical seasons (beginning in the Northern Hemisphere on the Equinoxes and Solstices, or the meteorological seasons As in other countries, the date for observing Christmas was deliberately chosen to coincide with the winter solstice. The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun 's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the Christmas in Ireland has several local traditions, some in no way connected with Christianity. On 26 December (St. Stephen's Day), there is a custom of "Wrenboys"^[1] who call door to door with an arrangement of assorted material (which changes in different localities) to represent a dead wren "caught in the furze", as their rhyme goes. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. St Stephen's Day, or the Feast of St Stephen, is a Christian Saint's day celebrated on 26 December in the Western Church and Wrenboys (Lucht an dreoilín are Mummers who celebrate the Wren (also pronounced as the Wran) in various parts of Ireland on St The wrens are Passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. This custom has largely died out.

Brigid's Day (1 February, known as Imbolc or Candlemas) also does not have its origins in Christianity, being instead another religious observance superimposed at the beginning of spring. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures either at the beginning The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus, and falls on or around 2 February. The Brigid's cross made from rushes on this day represents a pre-Christian solar wheel. Brigid's cross, Brighid's cross, or Brigit's cross, or (in the Irish language) Cros Bríde, Crosóg Bríde or Bogha Bríde

Other pre-Christian festivals, whose names survive as Irish month names, are Bealtaine (May), Lúnasa (August) and Samhain (November). Beltane is the anglicized spelling of Bealtaine ( or Bealltainn ( the Gaelic names for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on Samhain (ˈsaʊn or /ˈsɑːwɪn/ Irish /ˈsˠaunʲ/ from the Old Irish samain) is the word for November in a few Gaelic languages The last is still widely observed as Halloween, followed by All Saints' Day, another Christian holiday associated with a traditional one. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often

Important church holidays include Easter, and various Marian observances. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. The national holiday in the Republic is Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March and is marked by parades and festivals in cities and towns. Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger

The Twelfth of July, which commemorates William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne and the beginning of the Protestant Ascendancy, is celebrated by many Protestants throughout Northern Ireland. The Twelfth is an annual Protestant celebration on 12 July, originating in Ireland. William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" The Battle of the Boyne (Cath na Bóinne was a turning point in the Williamite claim on the English throne The Protestant Ascendancy is a convenient phrase used when referring to the political economic and social domination of the former Kingdom of Ireland by a minority of great

Cultural institutions, organisations and events

Ireland is well supplied with museums and art galleries and offers, especially during the summer months, a wide range of cultural events. These range from arts festivals to farming events. The most popular of these are the annual Dublin Saint Patrick's Day Festival which attracts on average 500,000 people and the National Ploughing Championships with an attendance in the region of 400,000. The National Ploughing Championships are a competition held in Ireland by the National Ploughing Association every year There are also a number of Summer Schools on topics from traditional music to literature and the arts.

Institutions and organisations

Events

• Cork Jazz Festival
• Bray Jazz Festival
• Dublin Theatre Festival
• Fleadh Cheoil
• Harvest Time Blues

Religion

In the Republic, the last time a census asked people to specify their religion was 2002. The Ulster Museum is located in the Botanical Gardens in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has around 8000 square metres of public display space featuring Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. The Irish Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1963 by Hungarian-born conductor János Fürst. This is a list of Museums in the Republic of Ireland. List of museums Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Cobh Heritage Centre This is a partial list of learned societies, professional bodies and engineering societies operating in Ireland: Association of Physicsal The Cork Jazz Festival is an annual Music festival held in Cork City, Ireland in late October every year since 1978. Bray Jazz Festival is an international Jazz Music festival event that takes place in Bray, Ireland, on the May Bank holiday weekend The Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival is Europe 's oldest specialized theatre festival The Fleadh Cheoil (Festival of Music is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ Harvest Time Blues (also referred to as the Monaghan Rhythm and Blues Festival) is an annual Music festival held in Monaghan town, in the Republic The result was 88. 4% Roman Catholic, 2. 95% Church of Ireland (Anglican), 0. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs 53% Presbyterian, 0. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity 26% Methodist, less than 0. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations 05% Jewish, approximately 2. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ 3% other religious groupings (mainly Islam) and 3. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. 53% ticked the "no religion" box. About 2% failed to answer. In Northern Ireland in 2001, the population was 40. 3% Roman Catholic, 20. 7% Presbyterian, 15. 3% Church of Ireland (Anglican), 3. 5% Methodist, 6. 1% other Christian, 0. 3% other religion and philosophy, and 13. 9% religion not stated. Amongst the Republic's Roman Catholics, weekly church attendance dropped from 87% in 1981 to 60% in 1998, though this remained one of the highest attendance rates in Europe.

Topics

The Orange Order

Literature and the arts

Main articles: Irish literature, Irish poetry, Irish fiction, Irish theatre, Irish mythology, Modern literature in Irish, Music of Ireland, and Irish dance

For a comparatively small country, Ireland has made a disproportionate contribution to world literature in all its branches, in both the Irish and English languages. The works that are best known outside the country are in English. For example, in the 20th century, Ireland produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature; George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989 was an Irish Writer, Dramatist and poet Three of these were born in Dublin (Heaney being the exception, having lived in Dublin but being born in County Londonderry), making it the birthplace of more Nobel literary laureates than any other city in the world [1]. The Irish language has the third oldest literature in Europe (after Greek and Latin)[2], the most significant body of written literature (both ancient and recent) of any Celtic language, as well as a strong oral tradition of legends and poetry. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. Poetry in Irish represents the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe, with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century. Vernacular literature is Literature written in the Vernacular - the speech of the "common people"

The early history of Irish visual art is generally considered to begin with early carvings found at sites such as Newgrange and is traced through Bronze age artefacts, particularly ornamental gold objects, and the religious carvings and illuminated manuscripts of the medieval period. Newgrange (Dún Fhearghusa is one of the Passage tombs of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Meath, one of the most famous The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for An illuminated manuscript is a Manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration such as decorated Initials borders and During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a strong indigenous tradition of painting emerged, including such figures as John Butler Yeats, William Orpen, Jack Yeats and Louis le Brocquy. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on John Butler Yeats (Born in Lawrencetown, townland of Tullylish, County Down, 16 March 1839, died 3 February 1922 Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, KBE (27 November 1878 &ndash 29 September 1931 was an Irish portrait painter Jack Butler Yeats (29 August 1871 &ndash 28 March 1957 was an Irish Artist. Louis le Brocquy (born 10 November 1916 is an Irish painter Born in Dublin, Louis le Brocquy's work has received much international attention and many accolades in a career

The Irish tradition of folk music and dance is also widely known. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous In the middle years of the 20th century, as Irish society was attempting to modernise, traditional Irish music fell out of favour to some extent, especially in urban areas. The folk music of Ireland (also known as Irish traditional music, Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants is the generic term for music that has Young people at this time tended to look to Britain and, particularly, the United States as models of progress and jazz and rock and roll became extremely popular. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African During the 1960s, and inspired by the American folk music movement, there was a revival of interest in the Irish tradition. This revival was inspired by groups like The Dubliners, the Clancy Brothers and Sweeney's Men and individuals like Seán Ó Riada. The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962. Formation and history The Dubliners formed in 1962 The Clancy Brothers were an Irish Folk music singing group most popular in the 1960s who are often credited with popularizing Irish traditional music Sweeney's Men was an Irish traditional band They were a part of the late 1960s Irish Roots revival, along with groups like The Dubliners and the Seán Ó Riada ( August 1, 1931 - October 3, 1971) born John Reidy, was a composer and bandleader and perhaps the single most

Before long, groups and musicians like Horslips, Van Morrison and even Thin Lizzy were incorporating elements of traditional music into a rock idiom to form a unique new sound. Horslips were a 1970s Irish rock band that composed arranged and performed their music based on traditional Irish Jigs and reels. George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born 31 August 1945 is a Grammy Award -winning Northern Irish Singer, Thin Lizzy are an Irish Hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969 During the 1970s and 1980s, the distinction between traditional and rock musicians became blurred, with many individuals regularly crossing over between these styles of playing as a matter of course. This trend can be seen more recently in the work of bands like U2, The Cranberries and The Corrs. The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1990 The Corrs are a Celtic Folk rock group from Dundalk, County Louth Ireland.

Food and drink

Main article: Irish cuisine

Food in early Ireland

There are many references to food and drink in early Irish literature. Irish cuisine can be divided into two main categories &ndash traditional mainly simple dishes and more modern dishes as served in restaurants and hotels Guinness (ˈɡɪnɪs is a popular Dry stout that originated in Arthur Guinness ' brewery at St Soda bread is a type of Quick bread in which Baking soda has been substituted for yeast Honey seems to have been widely eaten and used in the making of mead. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the Mead (ˈmiːd is a fermented Alcoholic beverage made of Honey, Water, and Yeast. The old stories also contain many references to banquets, although these may well be greatly exaggerated and provide little insight into everyday diet. There are also many references to fulachtaí fia, which are archaeological sites commonly believed to have once been used for cooking venison. A Fulacht fiadh (fulacht fiadh or fulacht fian; plural fulachtaí fia or in older texts fulachta fiadh) is a type of archaeological site found in Ireland Venison is the Culinary name for Meat from the family Cervidae. The fulachtaí fia have holes or troughs in the ground which can be filled with water. Meat can then be cooked by placing hot stones in the trough until the water boils. Many fulachtaí fia sites have been identified across the island of Ireland, and some of them appear to have been in use up to the 17th century.

Excavations at the Viking settlement in the Wood Quay area of Dublin have produced a significant amount of information on the diet of the inhabitants of the town. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Wood Quay ( An Ché Adhmaid in Irish) is a riverside area of Dublin that was a site of Viking settlement The main animals eaten were cattle, sheep and pigs, with pigs being the most common. Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times This popularity extended down to modern times in Ireland. Poultry and wild geese as well as fish and shellfish were also common, as were a wide range of native berries and nuts, especially hazel. Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or Goose (plural geese) is the English name for a considerable number of Birds belonging to the family Anatidae. The hazels ( Corylus) are a genus of Deciduous Trees and large Shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere The seeds of knotgrass and goosefoot were widely present and may have been used to make a porridge. Polygonum is a Genus in the Buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names of polygonum species include knotweed, knotgrass "Goosefoot" redirects here The unrelated Smearwort ( Aristolochia rotunda) is sometimes called "Mercury Goosefoot" Porridge, or porage, is a simple dish made by boiling Oats (normally crushed oats occasionally Oatmeal) or another cereal in Water

The potato in Ireland

The potato would appear to have been introduced into Ireland in the second half of the 17th century, initially as a garden crop. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae It eventually came to be the main food field crop of the tenant and labouring classes. As a food source, the potato is extremely efficient in terms of energy yielded per unit area of land. The potato is also a good source of many vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C (especially when fresh). Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an Essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species a small number of other Mammalian

As a result, the typical 18th and 19th century Irish diet of potatoes and buttermilk was a contributing factor in the population explosion that occurred in Ireland at that time. However, the damp Irish climate favours the spread of potato blight and this frequently led to shortages and famine. Phytophthora infestans is an Oomycete that causes the serious Potato disease known as late blight or potato blight. The most notable instance being the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849) , which more or less undid all the growth in population of the previous century by a combination of starvation, disease and emigration.

Food in Ireland today

In the 20th century the usual modern selection of foods common to Western cultures has been adopted in Ireland. Both US fast-food culture and continental European dishes have influenced the country, along with other world dishes introduced in a similar fashion to the rest of the Western world. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Common meals include pizza, curry, Chinese food, and lately, some west African dishes have been making an appearance. Chinese cuisine ( Traditional Chinese: 中國菜 Simplified Chinese: 中国菜 originated from the various regions of China and has become widespread in The cuisine of Africa reflects indigenous traditions as well as influences from Arabs Europeans and Asians Supermarket shelves now contain ingredients for, among others, traditional, European, American (Mexican/Tex-Mex), Indian, Polish and Chinese dishes. Tex-Mex is a term used primarily in Texas and the Southwestern United States to describe a regional American cuisine that blends Food products

The proliferation of fast food has led to increasing public health problems including obesity, and one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly Obesity is a condition in which excess Body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected Heart disease is an Umbrella term for a variety for different diseases affecting the Heart. Traditional Irish food and diet is also somewhat to blame, with a large emphasis on meat. Government efforts to combat this had included television advertisements. In the north, the Ulster fry has been particularly cited as being a major source for a higher incidence of cardiac problems, quoted as being a "heart attack on a plate". The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic All the ingredients are fried, although more recently the trend is to grill as many of the ingredients as possible.

In tandem with these developments, the last quarter of the century saw the emergence of a new Irish cuisine based on traditional ingredients handled in new ways. This cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish, especially salmon and trout, oysters and other shellfish, traditional soda bread, the wide range of hand-made cheeses that are now being made across the country, and, of course, the potato. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Trout is the common name given to a number of Species of Freshwater Fish belonging to the Salmonidae family The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of Bivalve Mollusks most of which live in marine habitats or Brackish water. Soda bread is a type of Quick bread in which Baking soda has been substituted for yeast Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation. Traditional dishes, such as the Irish stew, Dublin coddle, the Irish breakfast and potato bread, have enjoyed a resurgence. Irish stew (in Irish Stobhach Gaelach) is a traditional Irish dish made from lamb, beef or Mutton, (mutton is used as Coddle is a dish traditionally associated with Dublin, Ireland. Potato bread, also known as fadge, slims, potato cake or potato farls, is a form of Bread in which Potato replaces Schools like the Ballymaloe Cookery School have emerged to cater for the associated increased interest in cooking with traditional ingredients.

Pub culture

Pub culture, as it is termed, pervades Irish society, across all cultural divides. The term refers to the Irish habit of frequenting public houses (pubs) or bars. Traditional pub culture is concerned with more than just drinking, even though Ireland has a recognized problem with over-consumption of alcohol, with the third-highest alcohol consumption in the world according to the OECD Health Data 2005 survey. ^[2] Per capita alcohol consumption increased by 41% in the period 1989 to 1999. Typically pubs are important meeting places, where people can gather and meet their neighbours and friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Pubs vary widely according to the clientele they serve, and the area they are in. Best known, and loved amongst tourists is the traditional pub, with its traditional Irish music (or "trad music"), tavern-like warmness, and memorabilia filling it. The folk music of Ireland (also known as Irish traditional music, Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants is the generic term for music that has Often such pubs will also serve food, particularly during the day. Many more modern pubs, not necessarily traditional, still emulate these pubs, only perhaps substituting traditional music for a DJ or non-traditional live music.

Many larger pubs in cities eschew such trappings entirely, opting for loud music, and focusing more on the consumption of drinks. Such venues are popular "pre-clubbing" locations. "Clubbing" has become a popular phenomenon amongst young people in Ireland. A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark Clubs usually vary in terms of the type of music played, and the target audience.

The immigrant population in many cases, has not adapted to the Irish pub and club culture, particularly in city areas, where drinking to excess is often the focus of pub and club-goers.

A significant recent change to pub culture in the Republic of Ireland has been the introduction of a smoking ban, in all workplaces, which includes pubs and restaurants. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Smoking bans are public policies including Criminal laws and Occupational safety and health Regulations which prohibit Tobacco smoking The ban was introduced on March 29, 2004. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A majority of the population support the ban, including a significant percentage of smokers. Nevertheless, the atmosphere in pubs has changed greatly as a result, and debate continues on whether it has boosted or lowered sales, although this is often blamed on the ever-increasing prices, or whether it is a "good thing" or a "bad thing". A similar ban, under the Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 came into effect in Northern Ireland on the 30th of April 2007. ^[3][4]

See also: Baileys Irish Cream, Black and Tan, Full breakfast, Irish Coffee, Irish whiskey, Saint Brendan's, and Stout beer

Languages

The two dominant languages in Ireland have long influenced each other, with the local English dialect adopting aspects of the Irish grammatical structure, and in turn, Irish drawing much vocabulary from the foreign tongue. Baileys Irish Cream (the registered Trademark omits the apostrophe) is an Irish whiskey and cream based Liqueur, Black and Tan is a drink made from a blend of Pale ale and a dark beer such as a Stout or porter. Irish coffee (Caife Gaelach is a Cocktail consisting of hot Coffee, Irish whiskey, and Sugar, stirred and usually topped with thick Irish whiskey (Fuisce or Uisce beatha) is a Whiskey made in Ireland. Saint Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur is a proprietary Cream liqueur named after Saint Brendan. Stout and porter are dark Beers made using roasted Malts or roast Barley. Today however, Irish is spoken little in daily routine outside Gaeltacht areas.

Several other languages are spoken on the island, including Ulster Scots, a variety of Scots spoken in Ulster, and Shelta, a mixture of Irish, Romany and English, spoken widely by Travellers. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Shelta (also known as Gammen, Sheldru, Pavee, Caintíotar or simply " The Cant " is a Language spoken by the Two sign languages have also been developed on the island.

Some other languages have entered Ireland with immigrants – for example, Polish is now the third most widely spoken language in Ireland after English and Irish, followed by Chinese. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland.

• Irish language
• Irish Sign Language
• Hiberno-English
• Northern Ireland Sign Language
• Ulster Scots language
• Shelta language

Media

Main article: Media in Ireland

Print

There are several daily newspapers in Ireland, including the Irish Independent, The Irish Examiner, The Irish Times, The Star, The Evening Herald, Daily Ireland, the Irish Sun, and the Irish language Lá Nua. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Irish Sign Language ( ISL, Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann is the Sign language of Ireland, used primarily in the Republic of Ireland Hiberno-English also known as Anglo-Irish and Irish English is English as spoken in Ireland, partly the result of the interaction of the English Northern Ireland Sign language (NISL is a Sign language used mainly by Deaf people in Northern Ireland. Shelta (also known as Gammen, Sheldru, Pavee, Caintíotar or simply " The Cant " is a Language spoken by the The media in Ireland include all the media and Communications outlets of any other developed nation Lá Nua (meaning 'New Day' is an Irish language Daily newspaper based in Belfast. The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest selling daily newspaper The Irish Examiner (Formerly Cork Examiner, The Examiner) is an Irish national daily Newspaper which primarily circulates in The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet news paper launched in the late 1850s. The Irish Daily Star (formerly known simply as The Star) is a Tabloid Newspaper published in Ireland by Independent Star Limited The Evening Herald is a Tabloid evening Newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. Daily Ireland was an Irish daily newspaper which existed from January 2005 to September 2006 to cover news stories from an Irish republican viewpoint Lá Nua (meaning 'New Day' is an Irish language Daily newspaper based in Belfast. The best selling of these is the Irish Independent, which is published in both tabloid and broadsheet form. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest Broadsheet is the largest of the various Newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages (typically 22 inches or more The Irish Times is Ireland's newspaper of record. A newspaper of record is a colloquialism that generally refers to a Newspaper that meets at least one of two criteria high standards of Journalism, the

The Sunday market is quite saturated with many British publications. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The leading Sunday newspaper in terms of circulation is The Sunday Independent. The Sunday Independent is a Broadsheet Sunday Newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland by Independent News and Media plc Other popular papers include The Sunday Times, The Sunday Tribune, The Sunday Business Post, Ireland on Sunday and the Sunday World. The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The Sunday Tribune is an Irish Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc The Sunday Business Post is an Irish national Sunday Newspaper published by Post Publications Limited. Ireland on Sunday was a Sunday Newspaper in the Republic of Ireland, published by Associated Newspapers Ireland Limited a subsidiary of the The Sunday World is an Irish Newspaper published by Sunday Newspapers Limited a division of Independent News and Media.

There are quite a large number of local weekly newspapers, with most counties and large towns having two or more newspapers. Curiously Dublin remains one of the few places in Ireland without a major local paper since the Dublin Evening Mail closed down in the 1960s. The Dublin Evening Mail (renamed the Evening Mail in 1928 was between 1823 and 1962 one of Dublin 's evening newspapers In 2004 the Dublin Daily was launched, but failed to attract enough readers to make it viable.

One major criticism of the Irish newspaper market is the strong position Independent News & Media has on the market. Independent News & Media plc ( INM) is a media organisation based in Dublin, Ireland with interests in 22 countries on 4 continentsworldwide It controls the Evening Herald, Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Sunday World and The Star as well as holding a large stake in the cable company Chorus, and indirectly controlling The Sunday Tribune. Chorus Communications is a Communications provider in Ireland, it offers Internet, Television and Telephone services The Independent titles are perceived by many Irish republicans as having a pro-British stance. Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic In parallel to this, the Independent titles are perceived by many opposition supporters as being pro Fianna Fáil. Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the

The Irish magazine market is one of the world's most competitive, with hundreds of international magazines available in Ireland, ranging from Time and The Economist to Hello! and Reader's Digest. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London Hello! is a weekly magazine specialising in celebrity news and gossip published in Britain. Reader's Digest is a monthly general-interest family Magazine co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace. This means that domestic titles find it very hard to retain readership. Among the best-selling Irish magazines are the RTÉ Guide, Ireland's Eye, Irish Tatler, VIP, Phoenix and In Dublin. The RTÉ Guide (Irish language Iris Radio Telefís Éireann) is a Television and Radio listings magazine in the Ireland published by RTÉ Commercial Ireland's Eye ( is a small uninhabited island off the coast of County Dublin, Ireland, situated directly north of Howth Harbour

See also: List of Irish newspapers

Radio

The first known radio transmission in Ireland was a call to arms made from the General Post Office in O'Connell Street during the Easter Rising. Below is a list of Newspapers published in the Republic of Ireland. The General Post Office (GPO (Ard-Oifig an Phoist in Dublin is the headquarters of the Irish postal service An Post, and Dublin's principal post The Easter Rising (Éirí Amach na Cásca was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916 The first official radio station on the island was 2BE Belfast, which began broadcasting in 1924. 2BE Belfast was the call sign of the first official radio station in Northern Ireland which started Broadcasting in 1924 This was followed in 1926 by 2RN Dublin and 6CK Cork in 1927. 2BE Belfast later became BBC Radio Ulster and 2RN Dublin became RTÉ. The first commercial radio station in the Republic, Century Radio, came on air in 1989. Century Radio, also marketed as Century 100 and later Century FM, was an early shortlived national commercial radio station in Ireland (the first was

During the 1990s and particularly the early 2000s, dozens of local radio stations have gained licences. This has resulted in a fragmentation of the radio broadcast market. This trend is most noticeable in Dublin where there are now 6 private licenced stations in operation.

Television

While some areas of Ireland received signal from Wales earlier, BBC Northern Ireland began broadcasting television programmes in 1959 and RTÉ Television opened in 1961. Teilifís na Gaeilge (TnaG), now called TG4, started its Irish language service in 1996 and commercial television arrived when TV3 began broadcasting in 1998. TG4 ( Spoken as TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ is a Television channel in Ireland, aimed TG4 ( Spoken as TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ is a Television channel in Ireland, aimed TV3 Ireland was the first independent Television channel in Ireland, entirely funded by revenue from advertising

British and satellite-carried international television channels have widespread audiences in Ireland. The BBC and ITV families of channels are available free to air across the island of Ireland and there is widespread availablity of the four main UK channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel Four) but only limited coverage from five. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Sky One, E4, and several hundred satellite channels are widely available. E4 is a digital television channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, launched as a pay-TV companion to Channel 4 on 18 January Parts of Ireland can access the UK digital TV system Freeview.

See also: List of Irish television channels

Film

The Irish Film industry has grown rapidly in recent years thanks largely to the promotion of the sector by Bord Scannán na hÉireann (The Irish Film Board)[3] and the introduction of generous tax breaks. Ireland's television channels are a subset of the Media in Ireland. The Irish film industry has grown somewhat in recent years thanks partly to the promotion of the sector by Bord Scannán na hÉireann (The Irish Film Board) and the introduction Some of the most successful Irish films included Intermission (2001), Man About Dog (2004), Michael Collins (1996), Angela's Ashes (1999) and The Commitments (1991). Intermission is a 2003 Motion picture directed by John Crowley which tells a story of a young couple and people surrounding them Man About Dog is a 2004 Comedy film starring Allen Leech, Ciaran Nolan and Tom Murphy. Michael Collins a 1996 Biopic about Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and Revolutionary who died in the Angela's Ashes is a 1999 film based on the memoir of the same title by Frank McCourt. The Commitments is a 1991 Film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Roddy Doyle, which tells the story of some unemployed

Ireland has also proved a popular location for shooting films with The Quiet Man (1952), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Braveheart (1995), and King Arthur (2004) all being shot in Ireland. The Quiet Man is a American film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 War film set during the invasion of Normandy during World War II. Braveheart is a 1995 historical action-drama movie produced and directed by Mel Gibson, who also starred in the title role King Arthur is a 2004 Film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Ireland

Sport in Ireland is popular and widespread. Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread Levels of participation and spectating are high but as in other western regions participation Throughout the country a wide variety of sports are played, the most popular being Gaelic football, hurling, rugby union, soccer and hockey. Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick By attendance figures, Gaelic football is by far the most popular sport in Ireland, and the Gaelic sports' main organising body, the Gaelic Athletic Association has a large membership and an especially strong role in rural communities. The Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA) ( Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael /'kʊmˠən̪ˠ 'l̪ˠuh

In Ireland many sports, such as rugby union, Gaelic football and hurling, are organised in an all-island basis, with a single team representing Ireland in international competitions. Other sports, such as soccer, have separate organising bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. At the Olympics, a person from Northern Ireland can choose to represent either the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team or the Ireland team. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

• Community Games
• Gaelic Athletic Association
• Irish Derby Stakes
• Irish Rugby Football Union
• NI football team
• RoI football team

See also

• List of Ireland-related topics
• Architecture of Ireland
• Culture of Northern Ireland
• Culture of Ulster
• Irish name

References

• Mitchell, Frank and Ryan, Michael. TheSiteorg is a website offering support and guidance to 16 - 25 year olds Reading the Irish landscape (1998). ISBN 1-86059-055-1
• National Museum of Ireland. Viking and Medieval Dublin: National Museum Excavations, 1962 - 1973 (1973).
• R. Comerford, Ireland Inventing the Nation. (Hodder Books, 2003).

External links

• BBC Northern Ireland Television & Radio Archive
• Central Statistics Office Ireland
• Irish Department of Foreign Affairs: Facts about Ireland
• Irish Broadcasting
• Population figures by religion

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