Hyper-Ireland

Scuola Media Statale A. Bertola di Rimini

Classe III B

a.s. 2003-2004

The authors

• Ettore Zanin and Simone Gliori, Dublin • Cinzia Masi and Alissia Zammarchi, Population• Maria Elisabetta Sarti and Chiara Togni, The Economy of Ireland• Alice Scarpellini and Alessandro Tioli, The Troubles• Alessandro Magnani and Elisa Molloy, A historical outline• Alessandra Livi, Matteo Conti and Adele Ardigò, Gaelic Language• Manuel Ciucci and Danila Sorrentino, Guinness• Andrea Rinaldi and Jessica Poggiali, Geography• Chiara Magrini and Dennis Nicolini, Folk Legends• Alberto D’Amico and Greta Gregoroni, Religion• Martina Napolitano and Serena Bernardi, Government• Alessandro Del Bianco and Elisa Mazzocchi, Music in Ireland

This project has been carried out under the supervision of Mrs Alda Barchiesi and Mrs Monica Mainardi

The students of the class IIIB are the authors of this hypertext. Their names are listed below together with the title of the page they have created.

How to browse Hyper-Ireland

A hypertext on Ireland cannot but be based on the metaphor of the shamrock, thesymbol of the country. Each leaf of the shamrock stands for an aspect of Eire.

Culture- Music in Ireland

- Gaelic Language

- Folk legends

- Religion

Historical background- A historical outline

- The Troubles

- Goverment

authors

The land and the people- Geography

- Dublin

- Population

-The Economy of Ireland

- Guinness

Ireland. The Emerald IsleIreland is the second largest island of the British Isles and one of the least populated countries in Europe. It has a population of only four million inhabitants. It is known also as the Emerald Isle because of its beautiful

green countryside.Politically speaking, Ireland is divided into two countries: Northern Ireland or Ulster which is part of United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, aparliamentary democracy, called also Eire which is a Gaelic name. In Eire

there are indeed two official languages: English and Gaelic.The Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union and is presently supported by the other members in its economic development. Ireland is a country of green fields and this explains why its economy is basically agricultural. The most important Irish products are: beer, whiskey, wool,textiles, computers and chemicals. Dublin is the capital of Eire and its largest city. Dublin is a town of music. Famous bands like the U2, Cranberries and singers such as Sinead O’Connor have decided to make Dublin their base instead of moving to New York and London. Dublin is also a town with a rich literary heritage. Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and James Joyce are world famous

writers born in Dublin. In other words, Ireland is rich in great story-tellers. Story- telling has always been a part of the Irish way of life – stories of gods and people who lived in a land of adventure, romance and warfare.Northern Ireland or Ulster is part of the United Kingdom. The capital town is Belfast which is also the largest city of the country. Ulster is tragically famous because of the terrible fight between Catholics and Protestants which brokeout at the end of the Sixties after centuries of troubles and oppression. The history of Ireland is long and complicated and has grown interwoven with that of England since the XIIth century. The contrasts between the English government and the Catholic Irish continued as a non-stop sequence of rebellions and repression. One of the most tragic episodes of oppression occurred in 1969, which marked the beginning of a new period, The Troubles, which caused 25 years of violence.

GeographyIreland is an island situated in the

northwest of the continent of Europe.

The country consists of a large lowland region

surrounded by low mountains along the coasts.

The principal mountain ranges are the Wicklow Mountains in the east and the Boggeragh Mountains in the southwest.

The Irish coasts, with their beautiful cliffs, are among the most impressive in Europe.

The most important rivers are the Shannon and the Liffey.

The capital of Eire, a Gaelic name, is Dublin.

Through Dublin flows the river Liffey.

The river Liffey

DublinDublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. Dublin is situated at the mouth of the river Liffey. It is a small and compact town.

The most important sights are Dublin Castle,

Trinity College, the Guinness Brewery

and the General Post Office.

Dublin Castle was the official residenceof the English viceroys when Ireland was under British rule.

Trinity College is the Protestant University of Dublin.

The Guinness Brewery is the largest brewery

in the world.

Dublin Castle

Ireland has a population of about three and half million; only Dublin, Waterford, Cork and Galway have a population over 25000 citizens and it has an average density of 50 people per square kilometre.

The people living in towns are 60% of the whole population. Irish people are devout Catholics and they like talking, laughing and drinking at the pub, as their beautiful saying goes: “To the Irish a stranger is only a

friendthey haven’t met yet”.

Mary, a young Dubliner, thinks that Dublin is much more cosmopolitan than London, good jobs are also hard to come by and

salaries are not as high as in London. The cost of

living is as expensive as in London. The most

widespread crimes are pickpockets and of course drugs.

Population

People in the street

The Economy of Ireland

The GDP per head in Ireland is higher only than Spain, Portugal and Greece. The Irish economy is small and dependent on foreign trade.

Its major problem is unemployment. This is also because the country has one of the youngest populations in Europe, with more than 50% under 25.

Agriculture was the most important economic

sector in the ‘20s. The most important agricultural activity is cattle and sheep rearing. Industry is connected to agriculture and the brewing of beer and whiskey.

The government is trying to encourage foreign

companies and multinationals to move to Ireland.

Services is the sector of Irish economy which

has grown more rapidly in the last years.

Cows in fields

Guinness

Guinness is a famous Irish beer. The Guinness Brewery is based in Dublin

and it’s two hundred years old.

The key ingredients to make Guinness are: roasted barley, hops, yeast and water.

Guinness contains no fat, but it does contain

protein, sugar, carbohydrates and alcohol.

Guinness stout is not actually black but rather dark ruby because of the way the ingredients are prepared.

Guinness has been so important for Dubliners

because it has contributed much in terms of

employment, trade and communication.

The bottle of Guinness

A Guinness signboard

A historical outline

In 400 BC the Celts came to Ireland and in the 5th century AD St. Patrick, a monk of Welsh origin, converted the Celts to Christianity.

In 1541 Henry VIII declared himself King of Ireland and in the 17th century Ulster was settled by Scottish and English immigrants.

At the end of the 19th century a movement for a Home Rule began.

In 1916 the rebels proclaimed Ireland an independent republic.

In 1919 Sinn Fein declared Ireland a Republic and in 1921 Ireland was divided into Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State.

In 1949 the Irish Free State became a republic

Henry VIII

The Troubles are the terrible fights between Protestants and Catholics.

The Troubles began when there were civil rights marches against the discrimination suffered by the Catholics in housing, jobs and electoral representation. The Troubles lasted 25 years.

The IRA (Irish Republican Army) supported the Irish people. In the conflict over 3000 people were killed . U2 composed the song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” to remember this period.

In 1986 Eire and Britain signed an agreement which gave Eire a stronger voice in northern affairs.

In 1994 IRA announced ceasefire.

The Troubles

British troops arrest civilians

The National Flag of Eire is a tricolour of green, white and orange.

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. The Parliament consists of the President and two houses.

The members of the Government are not less than seven and not more than fifteen.

The President of Republic of Ireland is elected by direct vote from the people and he or she has certain powers which

make him or her essentially the guardian of the Constitution.

The Head of State is called “Uachtaráin na hEireann ”, a Gaelic name. Today the

President of Eire is Mary MacAleese.

Government

The House of Parliament

Mary Mac Aleese, the Head of State

Music in IrelandIreland can be considered the new capital of rock music; indeed famous bands like the U2 or the Hothouse Flowers and singers like Sinead O’Connor and Bob Geldof have decided to make Dublin their base.The U2 wrote the song “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” because on Sunday January 30th 1972 13 people were shot to death by British troops during a riot in Londonderry; the U2 wrote this song to remember that day.Some scenes of violence of the song “Sunday, bloody Sunday” are:“Broken bottles under children’s feet”;“Bodies strewn across a dead and street”;“And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn

apart”;“And today the millions cry “.We listened to this song and we chose two adjectives that best describe the music; it is rhythmic and desperate. The message of this song is that it is time the fighting stopped.

Sunday, Bloody SundayI can't believe the news today

I can't close my eyes and make it go away. How long, how long must we sing this song?

How long, how long? 'Cos tonight

We can be as one, tonight.

Broken bottles under children's feet Bodies strewn across the dead-end street.

But I won't heed the battle call It puts my back up, puts my back up against

the wall.

Sunday, bloody Sunday. (…)

U2 in concert

In Ireland the two official languages are Irish and English. Irish is a Celtic languageand is mainly spoken in the west while English is spoken everywhere. Years ago, all Irish people spoke Gaelic.

Here are some examples of Gaelic names: -Sean (such as the soccer player Sean Thornton);-Liam (such as the soccer player Liam

Miller).

Many Gaelic surnames begin:

-O’... (such as the soccer player Andy O’Brien);-Mac... (such as the president of the

Republic of Ireland Mary Mac Aleese).

Gaelic language

Signpost in English and Gaelic

Sean Thornton

Folk LegendsStory-telling is an important aspect of the Irish way of life. There are stories of gods and people who lived in a land of adventure, warfare and romance stories told by the fire side. The strong oral

tradition of the Irish people has made possible for

folk stories to survive.

One of the most famous Irish stories is the Legend of the Shamrock, a Gaelic word.In the past there was a Bishop called Patrick who taught the word of God throughout Ireland. One day his followers told him they didn’t believe in the doctrine

of the Holy Trinity. Saint Patrick reflected a moment and he picked up a Shamrock to demonstrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost)

The Shamrock

The Child of Dreamland

ReligionSaint Patrick introduced Christianity in the 5th century. He contributed to make Irish people accept the Catholic religion.

In 1169 the King Henry II of England proclaimed himself Lord of Ireland.

Three centuries later, Henry VIII replaced the Catholic Church with the Protestant Church. He closed monasteries and established English laws in Ireland. He also divided much of the Irish land among his Protestant barons.

Since that time, the Protestant settlers lived

in conditions of superiority and oppressed the poorer Catholic Irish people.

Saint Patrick