Ireland

Don´t call Irish people British. They aren´t. They are Irish.

In 1921 the southern part of Ireland became an independent country. Most people in the south are Roman Catholic. The northern part of Ireland, where the people are mainly protestant, remained part of the UK.

 

Facts about Ireland

The 19^th century potato famine was an event that caused a lot of misery: many Irish were forced to emigrate especially to the USA and many others died of starvation.

Blarney Castle is where people kiss the Blarney stone and become brilliant at talking.

The Skellig Islands are where monks lived many centuries ago.

The Giant´s Causeway is a volcanic rock formation in Northern Ireland. It is made up of hundreds of huge hexagonal pillars of stone.

Trinity College is where you can see an old illustrated bible, the Book of Kells.

Guinness, the famous stout (dark beer) is made in Dublin.

The Irish harp is an instrument that is used in Celtic music.

Famous Irish Writers:

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) wrote The importance of being Earnest a witty and humorous play that has been revived many times and was also adapted to the cinema. Read some of his quotes.

James Joyce (1882-1941) was a Dubliner who wrote the famous novel Ulysses.

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969. He is known for his tragicomic approach on human nature and for the theatre of the absurd as in Waiting for Godot.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. His day is on 17th March.

Read about St. Patrick´s Day.

References:

Keddle, J.S.and Martha Hobbs. Customs & Lifestyle in the UK & Ireland. Scholastic, 2007