STUDENTS
Coronel María Florencia
Rego María Paula
Scarpettini Florencia
YEAR
6th year St’ Michael’s College
SUBJECT
Trabajo y Ciudadanía Ingles
TEACHER
Paola Pennise

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The island of Ireland is the second largest island in Europe and has a population of approximately 5, 6 million people. The island id divided into two countries: the Republic of Ireland (which is also called Éire) and Northern Ireland. The capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin, and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The Irish generally refer to the two countries as “the North” and “the South”. This present division was created in 1921 when the 26 countries of the South became independent from Britain, and the six countries of the North stayed under British rule. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because of its beautiful green countryside.
Ireland is in the far west of Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the island of Great Britain. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, west, and northwest, and by the Irish Sea on the east.
The Irish trace their ethnic origins to the various groups who inhabited and ruled their land over the course of history. These include the Celts, Norsemen, French Normans, and English.
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Every country in the world has some form of tradition that is passed through generations. However, most of those traditions which are significant of each place we have never bother exploring.
From our point of view, raising cultural awareness is an important step to start learning about the differences between us and other countries. The
Irish culture is one of the cultures that interest us the most, as they enjoy completely different traditions to ours which are really valuable to know about.
The culture of Ireland includes customs and traditions, language, music, art, literature, folklore, cuisine and sports associated with Ireland and the
Irish people. For most of its recorded history, Ireland’s culture has been primarily Gaelic. It has also been influenced by Anglo-Norman, English and
Scottish culture. The Anglo-Normans invaded Ireland in the 12th century, while the 16th/17th century conquest and colonization of Ireland saw the emergence of the Anglo-Irish and Scots-Irish (or Ulster Scots).
Today, there are notable cultural differences between those of Catholic and Protestant (especially Ulster Protestant) background, and between travelers and the settled population.
Due to large-scale emigration from Ireland, Irish culture has a global reach and festivals such as Saint Patrick's Day, Halloween and The Twelfth of
July are celebrated all over the world. The Irish culture has to some degree been inherited and modified by the Irish diaspora, which in turn has influenced the home country.
Though there are many unique aspects of the Irish culture, it shares substantial traits with those of Britain, other English-speaking countries, other predominantly Catholic European countries, and the other Celtic nations.
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The people of Ireland generally don't shy away from the thought of throwing a good party, which makes this picturesque country a topnotch destination for those looking to get festive. Celebrations are an important part of Irish culture, and religious events, historical figures and national heritage are just a few of the things deemed fit to enthusiastically commemorate in Ireland. Whether you're looking for a beer-soaked feast or some serious contemplation, Ireland's biggest celebrations are sure to put you in a festive mood.
We have chosen some of the most important celebrations in the
Republic of Ireland, which includes St. Patrick’s Festival, Irish
Christmas, Bloomsday and Irish Easter. However, no matter what time of year, you will likely find some sort of celebration or event going on in Ireland, from music festivals to street fairs.
ST. PATRICK’S FESTIVAL
The biggest of all celebrations in Ireland, St. Patrick's Festival, named after Ireland's patron saint, celebrates the country's rich culture and heritage with parades, dancing, music, food and plenty of pints of beer.
What started as a one-day holiday on March 17 th is now a multiday celebration enjoyed by more than a million locals each year. Although
Dublin's celebration is arguably one of the country's biggest, you're guaranteed to find holiday revelers all across Ireland, from small villages to major metropolitan cities.
Originally an official feast day of the Roman Catholic Church, St.
Patrick’s Day has gradually evolved into a full-fledged, worldwide celebration of the Irish culture.
This most familiar of the Irish holidays also involves “the wearing of the green” (especially shamrocks) in proud celebration of the Irish culture. But Ireland also honors this holiday’s religious origins, and many Irish attend church services on St. Patrick's Day.
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IRISH CHRISTMAS
Christmas in Ireland is an important celebration, lasting from about
December 24 th to January 6 th , though many count December 8 th as the official start of the season. Throughout the celebratory season, you will find singing choirs and street musicians on the sidewalks and patrons filling local pubs to enjoy this important Irish holiday. Ireland's large
Catholic population attends churches across the country for midnight on Christmas Eve.
The day after Christmas is traditionally celebrated in Ireland as St.
Stephen’s Day. This celebration is a national holiday honoring the saint who is said to be the first Christian martyr, which is celebrated with traditional ceremonies, feasts and trips to pubs across Ireland.
BLOOMSDAY
The Irish Bloomsday celebration honors James Joyce, one of Ireland's most famous literary masters. This event is held each year on June 16 th , the day in which Joyce's classic novel "Ulysses" takes place. First celebrated in Ireland in 1954, Bloomsday is now a worldwide event celebrated by Joyceans across the globe. Dublin's James Joyce Centre hosts a number of events in the days leading up to Bloomsday, including reenactments, performances, readings and breakfasts based on cuisine featured in the novel. Some Bloomsday enthusiasts even don Edwardian costumes and make pilgrimages to Dublin locations mentioned in the book.
IRISH EASTER
Ireland not only celebrates Easter like us but they also celebrate the
Monday that immediately follows Easter.
Easter Monday is one of the variable-day Irish holidays, based on the date of Easter itself.
In predominantly Roman Catholic countries (including the Irish
Republic), the day after Easter is traditionally celebrated by eating
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colorful Easter eggs, participating in egg-rolling contests, and drenching people with holy water blessed at Easter Mass.
In Ireland, however, the significance of Easter Monday goes far beyond its religious connotations: it also coincides with the anniversary of
Ireland’s 1916 “Easter Rising.” During Easter Week that year, Irish freedom-fighters mounted a significant rebellion against British rule.
Their intention was to establish an independent Republic of Ireland, but the rebellion was suppressed after a week of fighting.
The uprising did, however, eventually lead to Ireland’s independence just five years later. In some ways, Easter Monday in Ireland is a day of national pride similar to Independence Day in our own country.
Italy has pasta, Spain has paella, America has burgers and France has escargot… So what about Ireland?
Irish food is known for the quality and freshness of its ingredients.
Most cooking is done without herbs or spices, except for salt and pepper. Foods are usually served without sauce or gravy.
The Irish have also been accomplished cheese makers for centuries.
Ireland makes about fifty types of homemade "farmhouse" cheeses, which are considered delicacies.
Soups of all types, seafood, and meats also play important roles in the
Irish diet. Irish soups are thick, hearty, and filling, with potatoes, seafood, and various meats being common ingredients. Since their country is surrounded by water, the Irish enjoy many types of seafood, including salmon, scallops, lobster, mussels, and oysters. However, meat is eaten more frequently at Irish meals. The most common meats are beef, lamb, and pork. A typical Irish dinner consists of potatoes
(cooked whole), cabbage, and meat.
It’s impossible to talk about Irish food without mentioning the potato.
They are eaten boiled, mashed, fried, chipped and baked, mixed with cabbage or scallions to make colcannon or champ, made into potato cakes and used to top pies and thicken soups or stews. It’s not
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uncommon to find potatoes cooked two ways on the same dinner plate.
The snack that Irish people miss most when they are overseas is Tayto, an Irish brand of potato crisps (or potato chips).
Irish stew has been recognized as the national dish for at least two centuries. Bread is also an important part of Irish culture. Fresh soda bread, a crusty brown bread made from whole-wheat flour and buttermilk, is also a national dish of Ireland. Irish bakers don't stop with soda bread, however. They bake a wide variety of other hearty breads and cakes. For instance, home-made Irish sweet scones are one of the best choices to share in the afternoon tea.
The most common everyday beverage in Ireland is tea. Popular alcoholic beverages include whiskey, beer, and ale (Irish whiskey, lime wedges and ginger beer). Coffee mixed with whiskey and whipped cream is known throughout the world as "Irish coffee."
There is an old motto that says “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper” meaning it is wise to start the day with a large cooked breakfast. Such a motto could very much be applied to the traditional full Irish Breakfast.
A large cooked breakfast of meat (bacon, sausages and black and white puddings), eggs, vegetables and potato all fried in creamery butter, it is served with a generous helping of homemade Irish soda or brown bread for soakage and washed down with a strong cup of breakfast tea such as Barry or Lyons tea (depending where you are) and a glass of orange juice.
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http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Ireland.html
http://www.livinginireland.ie/en/culture_society/culture_society/ http://www.yourirish.com/traditions/ http://www.yourirish.com/celebrating-st-patricks-day http://www.yourirish.com/traditions-of-an-irish-funeral http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Ireland.html
http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/food-anddrink/articles/traditional-irish-food http://www.discoveringireland.com/the-full-irish-breakfast/ http://britishfood.about.com/od/cakesandbaking/r/irishscones.htm
http://www.irish-expressions.com/irish-holidays.html
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Ireland.html
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Irish.html
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