Irish Culture
MY DISCOVERY OF IRELAND
WHAT MAKES IRISH CULTURE POPULAR WORLDWIDE?
'I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,' cried she.
'Come out of charity,
Come dance with me in Ireland.'
William Butler Yeats
My first encounter with Ireland and its culture was rather trivial. I saw some Irish dancing and was fascinated by its rigor, energy, and emotional charge. I am not a dancer myself but Irish dances that I saw on TV made me want to get on my feet and start tap-dancing.
Unfortunately, at our English classes at school we mostly study the history and traditions of Great Britain. We have not had any special lessons devoted to Ireland yet. I was surprised to learn that the Emerald Isle is a unique country with its own special culture, traditions and even its own peculiar and mysteriously sounding Gaelic language. The first things I learnt about Irish culture made me want to explore more about this enchanting land of poets, musicians, dancers, saints, and scholars.
Not only did I learn about Irish jigs and reels, but I also found out about great Irish poets, writers and playwrights, traditional music and songs, world famous musicians of Irish origin, St Patrick’s parades and parties. I have discovered to my own surprise that here in Russia I have been surrounded by Irish culture without even realizing that it is Irish. I have learnt a new word “craic” which has no equivalent in the English language. “Craic” is a mixture of fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation. I suppose that this word alone can explain the nature of the Irish national character and be the answer to the question why Irish culture is so popular around the world.
I suppose that the international popularity of Irish culture is closely connected with the history of the country and the national identity of its people. Firstly, the Irish have traditionally been “one of the biggest wandering peoples of the world.” Due to mass emigration many countries got familiar with
WHAT MAKES IRISH CULTURE POPULAR WORLDWIDE?
'I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,' cried she.
'Come out of charity,
Come dance with me in Ireland.'
William Butler Yeats
My first encounter with Ireland and its culture was rather trivial. I saw some Irish dancing and was fascinated by its rigor, energy, and emotional charge. I am not a dancer myself but Irish dances that I saw on TV made me want to get on my feet and start tap-dancing.
Unfortunately, at our English classes at school we mostly study the history and traditions of Great Britain. We have not had any special lessons devoted to Ireland yet. I was surprised to learn that the Emerald Isle is a unique country with its own special culture, traditions and even its own peculiar and mysteriously sounding Gaelic language. The first things I learnt about Irish culture made me want to explore more about this enchanting land of poets, musicians, dancers, saints, and scholars.
Not only did I learn about Irish jigs and reels, but I also found out about great Irish poets, writers and playwrights, traditional music and songs, world famous musicians of Irish origin, St Patrick’s parades and parties. I have discovered to my own surprise that here in Russia I have been surrounded by Irish culture without even realizing that it is Irish. I have learnt a new word “craic” which has no equivalent in the English language. “Craic” is a mixture of fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation. I suppose that this word alone can explain the nature of the Irish national character and be the answer to the question why Irish culture is so popular around the world.
I suppose that the international popularity of Irish culture is closely connected with the history of the country and the national identity of its people. Firstly, the Irish have traditionally been “one of the biggest wandering peoples of the world.” Due to mass emigration many countries got familiar with
Bibliography: Being Irish/ Ed. by P. Logue. Dublin, 2000. Jackson A. Ireland 1798-1998. Blackwell Publishers, 1999. Kiberd D. Inventing Ireland. L., 1995. Re-Imagining Ireland/ Ed. by A. H. Wyndham. University of Virginia Press, 2006. The Irish in Us/ Ed. by D. Negra. Duke University Press, 2006.