Ireland - Eire

Celtic cross

2011-03-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Celtic cross is one of the best known Irish symbols and although it is tightly associated with Christianity today, the Celtic cross pre-dates Christianity.
The history of this symbol is not clear.There are many interpretations and legends about its original meaning.
In pagan times, this cross was a symbol of fertility and life.Some suggest that the Celtic cross is derived from the Chi Rho symbol popularized by the Christian Roman emperor Constantine.
No one is certain about where the distinctive circle of the Celtic cross came from or what it means. Among some ancient peoples, a circle was used to represent the moon, and a circle with a cross symbolized the sun.

The Cross did not become a common symbol of Christianity until the 4th century, signifying the unity of heaven and earth.

There is a popular legend in Ireland that the Celtic Catholic cross was introduced by Saint Patrick and others responsible for Ireland's conversion to Christianity using symbols familiar to the Irish in order to make transition easier.
Whatever the real history is, there is no doubt of its mystery and extraordinary beauty.

Book of Kells

2008-10-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

The Book of Kells was written around the year 800 AD. It contains a richly decorated copy of the four gospels in a latin text based on the Vulgate edition. It was transcribed by Celtic monks.
In all, there are 340 folios.

The script is embellished by the elaboration of key words and phrases and by an endlessly inventive range of decorated initials and interlinear drawings. Originally a single volume, it was rebound in four volumes in 1953 for conservation reasons.
It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of Insular illumination. It is also widely regarded as Ireland's finest national treasure.
The decoration combines traditional Christian iconography with the ornate swirling motifs typical of Insular art.
The manuscript takes its name from the abbey in Kells that was its home for centuries. Today it is on permanent display at the library of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The library usually displays two of the current four volumes at a time, one showing a major illustration and the other showing typical text pages.

Some Ancient Sites

2008-10-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Newgrange It is located in the heart of the Boyne Valley.

The Megalithic Passage Tomb at Newgrange was built about 3200 BC.The mound covers an area of over one acre and is surrounded by 97 kerbstones.On the Winter Solstice, the light of the rising sun enters the roofbox and penetrates the passage, shining onto the floor of the inner chamber. The sunbeam illuminates the chamber of Newgrange for just 17 minutes. Newgrange has some stunning examples of megalithic art.

Knowth It was built around 3300BC. The carved stones contain a quarter of Western European neolithic art.The eastern passage of the Great Mound at Knowth measures 40 metres, making it the longest megalithic passage in Western Europe. At the end of the passage is a cruciform chamber with a corbelled roof similar in style to Newgrange.

Dowth

It is about the same age as Newgrange and Knowth. The passages tombs are much less spectacular than Newgrange or Knowth with shorter passages and lower roofs.

The Hill of Tarawas the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland. In ancient Irish religion and mythology was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld. Saint Patrick is said to have come to Tara to confront the ancient religion of the pagans at its most powerful site.
The megalithic tomb called the Mound of the Hostages is the oldest monument on the Hill of Tara dating back to between 2500 B.C. and 3000 B.C.
At present, there is a big controversy because the Irish Government is planning to build a motorway (M3)through the Gabhra Valley between the Hill of Tara and the Hill of Skryne, County Meath, just 1000 metres from the top of the Hill. Many people argue it endangers part of the nation's cultural heritage.

Bloody Sunday (1972)

2008-09-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Bloody Sunday, Domhnach na Folaij, in Irish, is the term used to describe an incident in Derry, Northern Ireland, on the 30th January 1972 in which 26 civil rights protesters were shot by members of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment during a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in the Bogside area of the city. Thirteen people died immediately, while the death of another person 4½ months later has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. Many witnesses including bystanders and journalists testify that all those shot were unarmed. Five of those wounded were shot in the back. The official army position, backed by the British Home Secretary the next day in the House of Commons, was that the paratroopers had reacted to the threat of gunmen and nail bombs from suspected IRA members. However, all eyewitnesses , including marchers, local residents, and British and Irish journalists present, maintain that soldiers fired into an unarmed crowd, or were aiming at fleeing people and those tending the wounded, whereas the soldiers themselves were not fired upon. No British soldier was wounded by gunfire or reported any injuries, nor were any bullets or nail bombs recovered to back up their claims. In the events that followed, irate crowds burned down the British embassy in Dublin. Anglo-Irish relations hit one of their lowest ebbs, with Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Patrick Hillery, going specially to the United Nations in New York to demand UN involvement in the Northern Ireland "Troubles". That 'Bloody Sunday' marked a major negative turning point in the fortunes of Northern Ireland. Harold Wilson, then the Leader of the Opposition in the Commons, reiterated his belief that a united Ireland was the only possible solution to Northern Ireland's Troubles. William Craig, then Stormont Home Affairs Minister, suggested that the west bank of Derry should be ceded to the Republic of Ireland. Mural by Bogside Artists depicting Father Daly waving a white handkerchief while trying to escort the mortally wounded Jackie Duddy to safety.

Easter Rising 1916

2008-05-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

The 1916 Easter Rising occurred between Easter Monday, 24 April, and Saturday 29 April, when about 1, 800 members of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army occupied various prominent buildings in central Dublin. Their headquarters was established at the General Post Office in O'Connell St., where Patrick Pearse read out a proclamation establishing the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic. Besides Pearse, the signatories were Thomas Clarke, Seán MacDiarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, Éamonn Ceannt, James Connolly, and Joseph Plunkett—all members of the Military Council of the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood)
Other Volunteers seized such buildings as the Jacob's Factory, Boland's Mills and The College of Surgeons.
The leaders of The Rising and their followers held out for a week, vastly outnumbered by the British Forces. On Saturday the 29th of April, Patrick Pearse gave the orders for an unconditional surrender.
The leaders of the 1916 Rising were all put on trial. Fifteen were shot in Kilmainham Jail, Dublin between the 3rd and 12th of May. These executions caused a sea-change of attitudes and created much public sympathy towards the ideals of the 1916 leaders.

Irish Potato Famine

2008-05-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ireland is in your hands, in your power. If you do not save her, she cannot save herself. I solemnly call upon you to recollect that I predict with the sincerest conviction that a quarter of her population will perish unless you come to her relief.
Daniel O'Connell to the British House of Commons, 1847.

Beginning in 1845 and lasting for six years, the potato famine killed over a million men, women and children in Ireland and caused another million to flee the country. The Famine began in September 1845 as leaves on potato plants suddenly turned black and curled, then rotted, seemingly the result of a fog that had wafted across the fields of Ireland. The cause was actually an airborne fungus (phytophthora infestans)

Ireland's potato crop failures in the past had always been regional and short-lived with modest loss of life. Between 1800 and 1845, sixteen food shortages had occurred in various parts of Ireland. However, during the Famine the crop failure became national for the first time, affecting the entire country at once.

The French sociologist, Gustave de Beaumont, visited Ireland in 1835 and wrote: "I have seen the Indian in his forests, and the Negro in his chains, and thought, as I contemplated their pitiable condition, that I saw the very extreme of human wretchedness; but I did not then know the condition of unfortunate Ireland...In all countries, more or less, paupers may be discovered; but an entire nation of paupers is what was never seen until it was shown in Ireland."

"Famine fever"--cholera, dysentery, scurvy, typhus, and infestations of lice--soon spread through the Irish countryside. Observers reported seeing children crying with pain and looking "like skeletons, their features sharpened with hunger and their limbs wasted, so that there was little left but bones." Masses of bodies were buried without coffins, a few inches below the soil.

Over the next ten years, more than 750,000 Irish died and another 2 million left their homeland for Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. Within five years, the Irish population was reduced by a quarter.

The Irish potato famine was not simply a natural disaster. It was a product of social causes.

During the Famine, British government officials and administrators rigidly adhered to the popular theory of the day, known as laissez-faire (meaning let it be), which advocated a hands-off policy in the belief that all problems would eventually be solved on their own through 'natural means.'

In adhering to laissez-faire, the British government also did not interfere with the English-controlled export business in Irish-grown grains. Throughout the Famine years, large quantities of native-grown wheat, barley, oats and oatmeal sailed out of places such as Limerick and Waterford for England, even though local Irish were dying of starvation. Irish farmers, desperate for cash, routinely sold the grain to the British in order to pay the rent on their farms and thus avoid eviction.

The Irish watched with increasing anger as boatloads of home-grown oats and grain departed on schedule from their shores for shipment to England. Food riots erupted in ports such as Youghal near Cork where peasants tried unsuccessfully to confiscate a boatload of oats. At Dungarvan in County Waterford, British troops were pelted with stones and fired 26 shots into the crowd, killing two peasants and wounding several others. British naval escorts were then provided for the riverboats as they passed before the starving eyes of peasants watching on shore.

As the Famine worsened, the British continually sent in more troops. "Would to God the Government would send us food instead of soldiers," a starving inhabitant of County Mayo lamented.

The Irish Potato Famine left as its legacy deep and lasting feelings of bitterness and distrust toward the British

Celtic Art and Designs

2008-05-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Celts kept no written records but had an oral tradition, so all important events that needed remembering, as well as themes which revolved around their heroes, celtic gods and celtic goddesses and beliefs, were learned celtic artwork largely by continuous repetition as chants or were woven into prose form.

Celtic art is a huge culture as it has it's own history. Celtic art is actually a collection of many celtic designs, pictures etc.
Celtic art work is ancient and by medieval Celtic peoples who spread over Europe in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. They produced sophisticated metalwork, stone and wood carving, and illuminated manuscripts, decorating these objects with a variety of geometrical, knotted, and spiral designs, stylized animals and human figures.

There are some celtic designs to be found in traditional Celtic art which are most famous :
Celtic Knot :

Celtic knots were carved into the rocks by an unknown race of megalith builders thousands of years before the Celtic culture arrived. Celtic knotwork is found in many celtic designs and pictures, jewellery, clip arts.
This style of design and decoration was in fact brought to Britain in the 6th century AD by Saxon Christian monks and was used exclusively to illuminate the hand-written Christian Gospels. The Saxon people used some of the art for personal decoration.

Celtic cross :

Celtic Spiral : The spiral is the natural form of growth, and in every culture past and present has become a symbol of eternal life. The whorls represent the continuous creation and dissolution of the world; the passages between the spirals symbolize the divisions between life, death and rebirth.
the best examples are found on stone monuments such as Newgrange, in Ireland http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm

Celtic animal clipart: Animals and birds were sacred to the Celts. Zoomorphic ornaments show that nothing is as it first appears; plants turn into tails, and, interweaving, develop a head, legs or feet.

Celtic design collection and key patterns : The key patterns like the celtic spirals in straight lines, celtic borders and lines, celtic buttons, celtic backgroungs are connected and used repetadly to have a complex designs and symbols.

Typical Irish Dance

2008-05-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Irish dances can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dancing is danced by formations of couples, often in squares of four couples. Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across the Irish dance community.
Irish performance dancing is traditionally referred to as stepdance. Irish stepdance, popularized in 1994 by the world-famous show "Riverdance," is notable for its rapid leg movements, body and arms being kept largely stationary. The solo stepdance is generally characterized by a controlled but not rigid upper body, straight arms, and quick, precise movements of the feet.
The tradition of step dancing in Ireland grew from an indigenous form of percussive dance that developed alongside traditional Irish music. The current incarnation of this tradition is known as sean-nós dancing (damhsa ar an sean-nós or rince sa sean-nós). The strongest tradition of sean-nós dancing persists in the Connemara Gaeltacht in the West of Ireland, although sean-nós dancers can be found throughout Ireland.

Music

2007-07-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Irish music has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many other traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music In spite of emigration, Irish music has kept many of its traditional aspects; indeed, it has itself influenced many forms of music, such as country and roots music in the USA.It has occasionally been modernised and fused with other genres.

Irish traditional music was mainly for dancing at celebrations for weddings, saint's days ..

Irish dance and the music of Ireland are inextricably linked over centuries. An assortment of instruments has provided the music for dancing throughout the centuries. Formerly the bagpipe was the most popular instrument, but today it is more common to find dancers being accompanied by an accordion, a fiddle or a piano.
In 1601 pipers were outlawed by the English authorities and their instruments were destroyed. During the eighteenth century, harpers wandered the roads of Ireland, playing only when they were certain their music would not alert the English authorities.

There are many famous Irish musicians and groups in the traditional, classical, New Age and rock genres. As it would be impossible to name all of them, we'll mention only a few as an example:

The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962 , making them one of the oldest bands that are still performing music presently.

The Dublin City Ramblers is a ballad group which began life in the mid 60's

The Chieftains are a musical group founded in 1963, known for performing and popularizing Irish traditional music

Clannad are a musical group, all members of the same family, which occupies a unique place in the modern musical world.

Enya left Clannad in 1982 and started her solo career.

The Corrs are a Celtic folk-rock and pop rock group. The members of the band are four siblings - three sisters and one brother. The band rose to prominence in the late 1990s.

The Cramberries are an Irish alternative rock band that rose to mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Since 2003 the members have all pursued solo careers.

U2 are a rock band from Dublin, became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s.

Mythology

2007-07-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Irish history is rich with myths and legends. The adventures of the famous warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill are still known to many Irish people. These include how he gained his wisdom as a boy by tasting the 'salmon of knowledge', how he triumphed over giants and magicians, and how he had the truths of life explained to him in a strange allegorical house. The champion Lugh, originally a god of the Continental Celts, is also remembered - especially how he slew his tyrant grandfather who had a horrific eye which destroyed all on which it gazed.
The adventures of the super warrior Cú Chulainn are spoken of and tales are also told of more characters, such as the High-King Cormac Mac Airt and Conall Gulban.

Ireland is famous for its fairy lore , which also contains vestiges of prechristian tradition. The Irish fairies can be connected with early Celtic beliefs of how the dead live on as a dazzling community in their burial chambers. TThey may also be connected to the early pantheon of Celtic deities.

La historia de Irlanda es rica en mitos y leyendas . Las aventuras del famoso guerrero Fionn Mac Cumhaill aún son conocidas por muchos irlandeses. Estas incluyen como ganó su sabiduría cuando era niño probando "el salmón del conocimiento", como triunfó sobre gigantes y magos y como aprendió las verdades de la vida explicadas en una extraña casa alegórica. El campeón Lugh, originalmente un dios de los Celtas Continentales, es recordado también, especialmente como mató a su tirano abuelo, que tenía un horrendo ojo, que destruía todo lo que miraba.

Se cuentan las aventuras del super guerrero Cú Chulainn y cuentos de más personajes como el Gran-Rey Cormac Mac Airt y Conall Culban.

Irlanda es famosa por su tradición de hadas, que contienen también vestigios de la tradición pre-cristiana. Los cuentos de hadas se pueden conectar con las creencias de los primeros Celtas de como los muertos continúan viviendo como una comunidad resplandeciente en sus cámaras mortuorias. También se pueden relacionar con el primer panteón de las deidades celtas.

Famous Irish Writers

2007-07-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ireland’s tradition of being a nation of scholars goes back over a thousand years to when monks began transcribing the Bible into great works of art. Ireland was one of the first nations to practice vernacular writing.
Dublin’s most visible impact on world literature began in the 18th Century in the form of Anglo-Irish. Trinity College, Dublin, has produced many writers. Here you may see the Book of Durrow and Book of Kells which are transcriptions of the Bible.
Ireland’s first great writer recognized internationally was Jonathan Swift , author of "Gullivers Travels" .
Oliver Goldsmith , author of "The Vicar of Wakefield", who dominated theatre in England at the time, was also from Dublin.
Bram Stoker, born in 1847 in Clontarf is undoubtedly Ireland’s most famous horror writer. He wrote several short stories, novels and essays but his name is linked with "Dracula" .
Many of Ireland’s eminent writers were born in the 19th Century. Oscar Wilde : "An Ideal Husband", "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray" have enshrined him as Ireland’s greatest satirist. His home for many years may be seen still in Merrion Square .
George Bernard Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 for his contribution to literature and an Oscar (1938) for "Pygmalion". He was a strong advocate for socialism and women's rights.
WB Yeats , winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. He became an Irish Nationalist who dreamt of Irish Independence. One of his most quoted poems is "Easter 1916".
James Joyce born in Dublin, noted for his experimental use of language in such works as "Ulysses".
Samuel Beckett's particular minimalist style of writing has left its permanent mark on world literature. Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.
Flann O'Brien was another of Dublin’s literary geniuses to emerge in the mid 20th Century.
The Dublin literary tradition continues and more recently Irish writers of importance and popularity have lived here such as Seanus Heaney, 1995 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1995, who lives in Sandymount.
Michael Longley, a famous Irish poet from Belfast who taught in Dublin and now lives in County Mayo, Eavan Boland, the famous feminist poet and Maeve Binchy, the popular novelist who lives in Dalkey, Co. Dublin.
La tradición de que Irlanda es una nación de eruditos se remonta a miles de años , cuando los monjes comenzaron a transcribir la Biblia en grandes obras de arte. Irlanda fue una de las primeras naciones en usar la escritura vernácula.
El impacto más visible de Dublín en la literatura universal empezó en el siglo XVIII en Anglo-Irlandés. El Trinity College, Dublín, ha producido muchos escritores. En el Trinity College se puede ver el Libro de Durrow y el Libro de Kells, que son transcripciones de la Biblia.
El primer gran escritor irlandés reconocido internacionalmente fue Jonathan Swift autor de "Los viajes de Gulliver".
Oliver Goldsmith autor de "El vicario de Wakefield", que dominó el teatro de Ingalterra en la época, era también de Dublín.
Bram Stoker , nacido en en 1847, en Clontarf, es sin duda el escritor de terror más famoso de Irlanda. Escribió varias historias cortas, novelas y ensayos, pero su nombre está unido a "Drácula".
Muchos de los eminentes escritores irlandeses nacieron en el siglo XIX :
- Oscar Wilde: "Un marido ideal", "La importancia de llamarse Ernesto" y "El retrato de "Dorian Gray" lo han consagrado como el satírico más importante de Irlanda . La que fue su casa durante muchos años, puede aún verse en Merrion Square, Dublin.
- A George Bernard Shaw se le concedió el Premio Nobel de literatura en 1925 por su contribución a la literatura y un Oscar por "Pygmalion". Fue un gran defensor del socialismo y de los derechos de la mujer.
- W.B. Yeats ganador del premio Nobel de literatura en 1923. Se convirtió en un nacionalista irlandés que soñaba con la independencia. Uno de sus poemas más citados es " Easter 1916"
- James Joyce , nacido en Dublín, notable por su uso experimental del lenguaje en obras como el "Ulysses".
- El particular estilo minimalista de escribir de Samuel Beckett ha dejado su marca permanente en la literatura mundial. A Beckett se le concedió el premio Nobel de literatura en 1969.
Flann O'Brien fue otro de los genios literarios de Dublín que surge en la mitad del siglo XX.
La tradición literaria de Dublín continúa y más recientemente escritores irlandese de importancia y popularidad han vivido aquí, como Seanus Heaney, ganador del premio Nobel de literatura en 1995, que vive en Sandymount.
Michael Longley , famoso poeta irlandés de Belfast, que enseño en Dublín y ahora vive en el condado de Mayo. Eavan Bolan , la famosa poeta feminista y Maeve Binchy , novelista popular que vive en Dalkey, Co Dublín.

Irish emblem

2007-07-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

The harp which once graced the flag of the Republic, still appears on official government documents as well as the Presidential flag, and it is displayed on Irish coins. For centuries, the harp has been a beloved emblem of Ireland. How did the harp become an emblem synonymous with the Emerald Isle? According to tradition, an early king of Ireland whose name was David, took the harp of the Psalmist as his emblem
El arpa que una vez adornó la bandera de la República, aún aparece en documentos oficiales del gobierno así como en la bandera presidencial, y se ve en las monedas irlandesas. Durante siglos, el arpa ha sido un emblema querido de Irlanda. ¿ Cómo se convirtió el arpa en un emblema sinónimo de la Isla Esmeralda? Según la tradición, un rey primitivo de Irlanda cuyo nombre era David, tomó el arpa del Salmista como su insignia.

Clover - Shamrock

2007-07-07T16:36:00.001-07:00

Shamrock three-leaf clover
It is an unofficial symbol of Ireland. The diminutive version of the Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamaróg", which was anglicised as "shamrock", representing a close approximation of the original Gaelic pronunciation. It is a common way to represent St. Patrick's Day, a holiday celebrated on March 17. Shamrocks are said to bring good luck.

Es un símbolo no oficial de Irlanda. El diminutivo de la palabra irlandesa "clover" (seamir) es "seamaróg", anglicanizado como "shamrock", representando una aproximación ajustada a la pronunciación gaélica original. Es una forma común de representar el Dia de San Patricio, una fiesta celebrada el 17 de marzo. Se dice que los tréboles traen buena suerte.

Saint Patrick, Patron of Ireland

2007-07-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Saint Patrick's name at birth was Maewyn Succat He was born somewhere near the end of the fourth century and took on the name Patrick after he became a priest, much later in his life. At the age of sixteen Maewyn Succat was kidnapped from his native land of Britain, by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Maewyn worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six long years of slavery he escaped to the northern coast of Gaul.
In Gaul, Maewyn became Patrick (a more christian name) and studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for twelve years. He came to believe that it was his calling to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. St. Palladius was appointed to go to Ireland first but transferred to Scotland two years later opening up the door for Patrick. Patrick was about sixty years old when he arrived in Ireland and it is said that he had a winning personality that helped him win converts. He used the shamrock to help explain the concept of the Trinity : Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. He then retired to County Down and died on March 17 in 461 AD. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

El nombre de San Patricio al nacer era Maewyn Succat. Nació en algún lugar al final del siglo IV y tomó el nombre de Patricio después de ser sacerdote, mucho más tarde en su vida. A los 16 años Maewyn Succat fue raptado de su tierra nativa de Bretaña por una banda de piratas y vendido como esclavo en Irlanda. Maewyn trabajó como pastor y se convirtió a la religión como consuelo. Después de seis largos años de esclavitud se escapó a la costa norte de la Galia. Allí se convirtió en Patricio (un nombre más cristiano) y estudió en el monasterio bajo San Germain , obispo de Auxerre durante 12 años. Creyó que era su llamada para convertir a los paganos de Irlanda al Cristianismo. San Palladius fue nombrado para ir a Irlanda, pero trasladado a Escocia dos años más tarde, dejó la puerta abierta a Patricio. Patricio tenía 60 años cuando llegó a Irlanda y se dice que tenía una personalidad atractiva, que le ayudaba a ganar conversos. Utilizaba el trébol para ayudar a explicar el concepto de Trinidad: Padre, Hijo, Espíritu Santo. La misión de Patricio en Irlanda duró 30 años. Después se retiró a County Down y murió el 17 de marzo del 461 (después de Cristo). Este día se ha conmemorado como el Día de San Patricio desde entonces.

Mary McAleese

2007-07-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

The President of Ireland was born on June 27, 1951 in Northern Ireland. She grew up Catholic in an area that was mostly Protestant. She saw lots of battles right in her own neighborhood.
Mary was appointed Professor of Law at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland 1975. She married Martin McAleese, a dentist in 1976. They have three children, Emma, and twins Saramai and Justin.
In 1979 she left Trinity College to be a journalist but in 1987 she was appointed Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies and she came back to law.
On November 11, 1997, Mary McAleese became the eighth President of Ireland.

La Presidenta de Irlanda nació el 27 de Junio de 1951 en Irlanda del Norte. Se educó como católica en un área que era de mayoria protestante. Vió muchas batallas en su propio barrio . Mary fue nombrada catedrática de Derecho en el Trinity College de Dublín en 1975. Se casó con Martin ,un dentista en 1976. Tienen tres hijos, Emma y los gemelos Saramai y Justin.

En 1979 dejó el Trinity College para ser periodista pero en 1987 fue nombrada Directora del Instituto de Estudios Legales Profesionales y volvió a dedicarse al Derecho. El 11 de noviembre de 1997, Mary McAleese se convirtió en la octava Presidente de Irlanda.

Republic of Ireland Government

2007-07-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. The National Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of the President , the current one is Mary McAleese and two Houses: Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate), whose powers and functions derive from the Constitution of Ireland enacted by the People on 1 July 1937 . Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Constitution of Ireland, is the basic law of Ireland. No law can be passed which does not agree with it. The Constitution can be changed only by a referendum in which every citizen of Ireland, over the age of 18, is entitled to vote. The present Constitution replaced Constitution of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) which came into existence in 1922).

Irlanda es una democracia parlamentaria. El Parlamento Nacional ( Oireachats) está compuesto por el/la Presidente/a, la actual es Mary McAleese y las dos Cámaras: Dáil ëireann (la Cámara de Representantes) y Seanad Éireann (el Senado) , cuyos poderes y funciones derivan de la Constitución de Irlanda aprobada por el Pueblo el 1 de Julio de 1937. Bunreacht na hÉireann, la Constitución de Irlanda, es la ley básica de Irlanda. Ninguna ley se puede aprobar si no está de acuerdo con ella. La Constitución puede cambiarse solo con un referendum en el cual cada ciudadano de Irlanda, mayor de 18 años, puede votar. La Constitución actual reemplazó a la Constitución del Estado Libre Irlandés (Saorstát Éireann) que nació en 1922.

Republic of Ireland Geography

2007-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Ireland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea It occupies the entire island except for the six counties that make up Northern Ireland. Ireland resembles a basin—a central plain rimmed with mountains, except in the Dublin region. The mountains are low, with the highest peak, Carrantuohill in County Kerry, rising to 3,415 ft (1,041 m). The principal river is the Shannon, which begins in the north-central area, flows south and southwest for about 240 mi (386 km), and empties into the Atlantic.

Irlanda está situada en el Oceano Atlántico y separada de Gran Bretaña por el Mar Irlandés. Ocupa la isla entera excepto los seis condados que forman Irlanda del Norte. Irlanda `parece un cuenco - una llanura central bordeada de montañas, excepto en la región de Dublín. Las montañas son bajas con el pico más alto, Carrantuohill en el condado de Kerry, de 3,415 pies (1,042 m). El rio principal es el Shannon, que empieza en el area norte-central, pasa por el sur y el sudoeste por 240mi (386 Km) y desemboca en el Atlántico.

Republic of Ireland History

2007-07-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

In the Stone and Bronze Ages, Ireland was inhabited by Picts in the north and a people called the Erainn in the south. About the 4th century B.C., tall, red-haired Celts arrived from Gaul or Galicia. A Gaelic civilization was established. By the beginning of the Christian Era, Ireland was divided into five kingdoms—Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Meath, and Munster. Saint Patrick introduced Christianity in 432, and the country developed into a center of Gaelic and Latin learning. Irish monasteries, the equivalent of universities, attracted intellectuals as well as the pious and sent out missionaries to many parts of Europe and, some believe, to North America.
Norse depredations along the coasts, starting in 795, ended in 1014 with Norse defeat at the Battle of Clontarf by forces under Brian Boru. In the 12th century, the pope gave all of Ireland to the English Crown as a papal fief. In 1171, Henry II of England was acknowledged “Lord of Ireland,” although English control over the whole island was not reasonably absolute until the 17th century. In the Battle of the Boyne (1690), the Catholic King James II and his French supporters were defeated by the Protestant King William III (of Orange). An era of Protestant political and economic supremacy began.
By the Act of Union (1801), Great Britain and Ireland became the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.” Ther was a steady decline in the Irish economy in the next decades. The population had reached 8.25 million when the great potato famine of 1846–1848 took many lives and drove more than 2 million people to immigrate to North America.
In the meantime, anti-British agitation continued along with demands for Irish home rule. The advent of World War I delayed the institution of home rule and resulted in the Easter Rebellion in Dublin (April 24–29, 1916), in which Irish nationalists unsuccessfully attempted to throw off British rule. Guerrilla warfare against British forces followed proclamation of a republic by the rebels in 1919. The Irish Free State was established as a dominion on Dec. 6, 1922, with six northern counties remaining as part of the United Kingdom. A civil war ensued between those supporting the Anglo-Irish Treaty that established the Irish Free State and those repudiating it because it led to the partitioning of the island. The Irish Republican Army (IRA), led by Eamon de Valera, fought against the partition but lost. De Valera joined the government in 1927 and became prime minister in 1932. In 1937 a new constitution changed the nation's name to Éire. Ireland remained neutral in World War II.
In 1948, De Valera was defeated by John A. Costello, who demanded final independence from Britain. The Republic of Ireland was proclaimed on April 18, 1949, and withdrew from the Commonwealth. From the 1960s onward two antagonistic currents dominated Irish politics. One sought to bind the wounds of the rebellion and civil war. The other was the effort of the outlawed Irish Republican Army and more moderate groups to bring Northern Ireland into the republic. The “troubles”—the violence and terrorist acts between Republicans and Unionists in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland—would plague the island for the remainder of the century and beyond.
Under the First Programme for Economic Expansion (1958–1963), economic protection was dismantled and foreign investment encouraged. This prosperity brought profound social and cultural changes to what had been one of the poorest and least technologically advanced countries in Europe. Ireland joined the European Economic Community (now the EU) in 1973. In the 1990 presidential election, Mary Robinson was elected the republic's first woman president. The election of a candidate with socialist and feminist sympathies was regarded as a watershed in Irish political life, reflecting the changes taking place in Irish society. Irish voters approved the Maastricht Treaty, which paved the way for the establishment of the EU, by a large majority in a referendum held in 1992. In 1993, the Irish and British governments signed a joint peace initiative (the Downing Street Declaration), which affirmed Northern Ireland's right to self-determination. A referendum on allowing divorce under certain conditions—hitherto constitutionally forbidden—was narrowly passed in Nov. 1995.
In 1998 hope for a solution to the troubles in Northern Ireland seemed palpable. A landmark settlement, the Good Friday Agreement of April 10, 1998, called for Protestants to share political power with the minority Catholics and gave the Republic of Ireland a voice in the affairs of Northern Ireland. The resounding commitment to the settlement was demonstrated in a dual referendum on May 22: the North approved the accord by a vote of 71% to 29%, and in the Irish Republic 94% favored it. After numerous stops and starts, the new government in Northern Ireland was formed on Dec. 2, 2000, but it has been suspended four times since then (and has remained suspended since Oct. 2002) primarily because of Sinn Fein's reluctance to disarm its military wing, the IRA. In 2005, however, the IRA renounced armed struggle, and peace again seemed possible.

En las Edades de Piedra y Bronce, Irlanda estaba habitada por Picts en el norte y un pueblo llamado Erainn en el sur. Alrededor del siglo IV antes de Cristo, Celtas altos y pelirrojos llegaron de Galicia. Se estableció una civilización Gaélica. Al principio de la Era Cristiana, Irlanda se dividió en 5 reinos (Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Meath y Munster). San Patricio introdujo el Cristianismo en el 432 y el país se convirtió en un centro de aprendizaje de Gaélico y Latin. Los monasterios irlandeses, equivalentes a las universidades, atrajeron a muchos intelectuales así como a personas piadosas y enviaron misioneros a muchas partes de Europa y algunos creen que a Norte América . Los expolios de los Nórdicos por las costas empezaron en el 795 y terminaron en 1914 con la derrota de los Nórdicos en la Batalla de Clontarf por las fuerzas de Brian Boru.
En el siglo XII, el Papa dió toda Irlanda a la Corona inglesa como un feudo papal. En 1171 Enrique II de Inglaterra fue reconocido "Señor de Irlanda", aunque el control inglés de toda la isla no fue razonablemente absoluto hasta el siglo XVII. En la batalla del Boyne ( 1690) el rey católico James II y sus partidarios franceses fueron derrotados por el rey protestante William III (de Orange). Una era de supremacia política y económica protestante comenzó.
Con el Acta de Unión (1801) Gran Bretaña e Irlanda se convirtieron en "El Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda". Hubo un continuo descenso en la economia irlandesa en las siguientes decadas. La población había alcanzado los 8.25 millones cuando el "gran hambre de la patata",1846-1848, se cobró muchas vidas y llevó a mas de 2 millones de personas a emigrar a Norte América. Mientras tanto la agitación antibritánica continuaba junto con demandas de un gobierno irlandés. La llegada de la Primera Guerra Mundial demoró la institución de un gobierno local y tuvo como resultado la Rebelión de Pascua en Dublín(Abril 24-29, 1916) en la cual los nacionalistas irlandeses intentaron sin exito deshacerse del gobierno británico. A la guerra de la Guerrilla contra las fuerzas británicas siguió la proclamación de una república por los rebeldes en 1919. El Estado Libre de irlanda se estableció como un dominio el 6 de diciembre de 1922, permaneciendo como parte del Reino Unido 6 condados del Norte. Siguió una guerra civil entre los que apoyaban el tratado Anglo-Irlandés que establecía el Estado Libre de Irlanda y los que lo rechazaban porque daba lugar a la partición de la isla. El Ejército Republicano Irlandés (IRA) liderado por Eamon de Valera luchó contra la partición pero perdió.

Republic of Ireland Flag

2007-06-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

The National flag of the Republic of Ireland is a vertical tricolour of green , white, and orange. The green is representative of the older Gaelic tradition while the orange represents the supporters of William of Orange. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England

The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the two cultures.

La bandera nacional de la República de Irlanda es vertical tricolor: verde, blanca y naranja. El verde es representativo de la antigua tradición Gaélica mientras que el naranja representa a los seguidores de Guillermo de Orange.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_III_de_Inglaterra

La blanca, en el centro, significa una tregua duradera entre las dos culturas.

Eire Provinces

2007-06-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Republic of Ireland (Eire) is subdivided into 4 provinces:

Munster, Leinster, Meath, Connacht and part of the Ulster.

La República de Irlanda está subdividida en 4 provincias: Munster, Leinster, Connacht y parte del Ulster.

Eire 26 counties

2007-06-28T15:15:00.001-07:00

The 26 counties of Ireland constitute the Irish Republic, Eire.

Los 26 condados de Irlanda constituyen la República Irlandesa, Eire

Maps of Ireland

2007-06-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

The island of Ireland has two distinct jurisdictions:
Ireland, a sovereign state, covers five sixths of the island. Its capital is Dublin.
Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain , covers the remaining sixth. Its capital is Belfast.

La isla de Irlanda tiene dos jurisdicciones diferenciadas:

Irlanda, un estado soberano, cubre cinco sextos de la isla. Su capita es Dublín.

Irlanda del Norte, parte del Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña , cubre el sexto restante. Su capital es Belfast.

Irish blessing

2007-06-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.May the wind always be at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face,and rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Welcome

2007-06-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this blog about Ireland.

Hope you like it.