Many Americans are of Irish decent, but don’t really know much about the Irish culture. American media can feed us Irish stereotypes such as Leprechauns and drinking, but there is so much more to being Irish. Ireland is a country with deep roots and an ancient culture. There are hardships like the Great Famine and 1916 Rising, and there are beautiful accomplishments from writers like Lady Gregory, Yeats, and Joyce. There is a tradition held in language and the GAA. The culture is so much more than Americans realize. So, here are some things you may not have known about the Irish, and hopefully it will make you love it as much as I do.

Folklore

While a lot of people associate Irish heritage with happy little Leprechauns that have a pot of gold at the end of their rainbow. What people don’t realize is that stereotype is pretty inaccurate. There is an entire Fairy world that the Irish people use to believe in many years ago, and you can often see the fairy culture still respected at times today.

There are several different types of fairies that are usually invisible to the naked eye. These fairies live in fairy trees and fair bushes. Farmers who would clear their fields of all other shrubbery would leave these special trees and bushes, as to not upset the fairies. If the fairies became upset they would cause bad things to happen to that person. There is actually a highway in Ireland in County Clare that has a dip in the road instead of going perfectly straight. This reason is to respect the fairy tree that is currently there. As they were doing construction on the road bad things started happening the closer they came to the tree, because they had the intension of removing it. The workers refused construction and this lead to a decision to go around the tree instead of removing it.

Leprechauns are actually the bad fairies. They aren’t as beautiful as the normal fairies, and they have the reasonability of making the shoes for the other fairies. While they are mischievous, all the fairies have no problem with messing with the humans of our realm.

Writers

Ireland also has a fantastic history of writers. During the Irish literary revival Yeats and Lady Gregory came together to redefine Irish literature. One of their major goals was to eliminate the Irish stereotype that Irish characters had at the time in all types of literature. This stereotype was usually classified as a drunk wife-beating Irish man that was often difficult to understand, due to his accent. Many writers, even including Shakespeare, have been guilty of portraying Irish characters in this inaccurate and insulting way.

Some of the major Irish writers and their famous works include:

-Bram Stoker: "Dracula"

-James Joyce: "Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"

-Oscar Wilde: "The Picture of Dorian Gray, Importance of Being Earnest"

-Lady Gregory: "Spreading the News"

-W.B. Yeats: “Easter 1916”

-Jonathan Swift: "Gulliver’s Travels"

-C.S. Lewis: "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"

Music

Music is once of the most ancient forms of art in Ireland. Even in the poorest of areas that did not have money for interments still made music through whistling, clapping, and stomping. Three instruments come directly out of Ireland and these include the Celtic Harp, the Bodhran drum, and the Uilleann pipes.

The Celtic Harp is Ireland’s national symbol. In Trinity College Library you can find this harp that is said to have belonged to Brian Boru a famous Celtic leader.

The Bodhran drum is a round wooden frame with an animal’s skin stretched over it. As the player strikes the drum his or her hand moves along the back of the skin to change the sound it makes.

The Uilleann Pipes are the Irish version of Bagpipes but it is not a war instrument. The Uilleann Pipes are played sitting down and use the elbow and the player’s leg to control the sound.

Irish songs often tell clever stories and are used for dance. Some of the oldest Irish music can be traced back over 2,000 years.

Dancing

Irish dancing is a much better known tradition in America, so I'll make this section shorter. Often girls and boys will be competing in dance competitions from a very young age. Some of the pieces the dancers preform like a four hand reel or a traditional set dance, such as St. Patrick’s day, are the same all throughout the world. Due to massive Irish immigration, Irish dancers can be found all over the world. The best dancers will compete in the World Championships.

GAA Games

Sports are also a huge part of the Irish culture. Ireland is broken up into different Counties. These Counties each have their own sports teams. The sports that are played in the GAA include Hurling/Camogie, Gaelic Football, Handball, and Rounders. When you meet an Irish person who plays for County that’s a pretty big deal. It means they are one of the best players in their County. This tribal pride inspires a sense of unity, as people are proud to cheer on their home County to the finals. Wherever you are born dictates the County that you play for, even if you have moved away.

Irish Language

A lot of Americans call the Irish language Gaelic, but it is more correct to call the language Irish. So, you would say, “That person is speaking Irish.” While the majority of the people in Ireland speak English, Irish is the first official language of the country. More commonly, Irish is spoken more from day to day in the West of Ireland. Communities that are completely Irish speaking are called the Gaeltacht. Everyone in Ireland is required to learn some Irish during their schooling even if they choose not to become fluent.

People

The Irish have a special charm about them, from the way they speak to the way they interact. They have a distinctive and beautiful culture that has been kept alive all around the world by people of Irish decent. The Irish are tough and proud. They have an eloquent way of speaking, also known as the Gift of the Gab, and they are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. I am proud of my Irish heritage because of the rich history that can be traced back by my roots, but also because I was able to experience a new side of Ireland by living in Dublin for a bit.