1. 7 things you should
know about Ireland....
1. People
2. History
3. Language
4. Dance
5. Music
6. Drink
7. St. Patrick’s Day

2. People
Friendly, Warm
Chatty, Speak in riddles, joke a lot, self-deprecating
White, mostly Catholic-raised
MYTH: NOT all red-heds, not as influenced by
Catholic Church anymore

3. History
PEACE
Battle with Britain (our Neighbour!!) - a 700 year
battle which began when they were invited by an Irish
Leader to Ireland
U2 - ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, Patriotic Ballads
NEUTRAL, an active peacekeeping force with UN

4. Language(s)
Mostly speak English. Irish spoken in pockets and
known by many natives.
President Obama spoke Irish in 2011 saying
“B’Fheider linn” - ????
Even the Queen of England spoke Irish on her very
first visit to Ireland 2011

5. Dance
“Riverdance”, “Lord of the Dance”
Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes
Set Dancing - fun social - husband

6. Music
‘Trad’
Ballads - Soldier, Love Songs, Emigration, Missing home
Contemporary: Enya, The Script, U2,Van Morrison, Thin
Lizzy, Sinead O Connor and even the ‘Lady in Red’ guy

7. Drink.....
Not all Irish people drink - No. 16 per capita (behind
Moldova, Uganda, Czech, Russia, Portugal) French 17,
UK 18
“My Goodness, My Guinness” - now a UK
Conglomerate - profits go to London, England
The ‘Craic’ - bars are lively, Lounges like Cafes - also a
place for polite, quiet conversation

8. St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick was not Irish - He was Welsh.
Irish Leaders always leave Ireland to visit the White
House and U.S. President
National Holiday
We don’t wear green, pinch each other or build
Leprechaun traps at school.
Unlikely to eat corn beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s
Day