How Does Irish Culture Affect Ireland

Ireland is a country seemingly loved the world over. This is particularly prevalent in the US. Notably, a day such as St Patrick's Day, when everyone flocks to the street to take part in flamboyant parades claiming strong Irish links, highlighting America's general feeling towards the Irish. This unique sense of celebrating a relationship to Irish heritage has undoubtedly had a profound effect on American films. In the UK however, this ubiquitous feeling isn't as prevalent. UK has had deeper involvements with Ireland. Ones that have tied the two countries together, politically, geographically and militaristically for hundreds of generations and to this day, are still present in many underlining ways. The UK's sense of Ireland is much darker
These type of characters are shown repeatedly throughout Hollywood in films such as the 'Quiet Man.' These ideologies of Irish Culture originated with the British, were the Irish were viewed as mischievous, dark and behind times. These feelings were carried across when a lot of British immigrated to America. Another trait that the Irish were unfairly branded with is their rebellious spirit. Having faced The Anglo-Irish and Irish Civil wars, The Famine, the segregation of Ireland's borders and the loss of a large chunk of it's younger population to emigration. Not to mention it's continued struggle against Britain's oppression. It's no wonder a lot of Irish came across as a hardy and fierce bunch of people. I think Hollywood ignored this and capitalised on a humorous side of them, that was some how created and not by means of general
Upon arriving in America they were easily identifiable through their accent looks and language. However, the Irish were unique in that they loved America and saw it as 'The land of opportunity', a phrase not coined by them, but by writer James Truslow Adams,(3) and they still had great attachment to Ireland and a strong abhorrence towards the British. Soon though, the increasing flow of immigrants was minimised by legislation. (4) Much of what Hollywood shot in the 1920s would contain newly arrived immigrants and how they settled integrated into the community. The 1927 film 'Ham and Herring' explores the interactions between the O'Connors an Irish family and the Goldbergs a Jewish family. It focus on the relationship between the young Irish daughter, Lizzie and the young Jewish boy, Izzy. It's an inter-ethnic comedy, but beneath it's surface there is a real sense of assimilation. Where two groups can put aside their differences for the good of