What can anyone tell me about the current culture and situation in Ireland as a whole?

[C. Ford]

Dia duit! What can anyone tell me about Ireland in general?

[Vadakin]

The problem is, the Protestant faith was pushed onto the Irish by the English. Masses were banned, churches burned...for years the Irish were forced to practice their religion in secret or risk being thrown in prison or worse. The Catholic Church isn't innocent, but neither is the Protestant faith and it's part of the reason why Northern Ireland had been the centre of violence for so long, beginning with the Ulster Plantations, then continuing with Protestant domination and oppression of the Catholic minorities in the region, something that continued up until just a few years ago.

[Maria]

Ok seriously I want to hit that idiot down there over the head. The national sport of Ireland is HURLING, followed by the number 2 national sport which is GAELIC FOOTBALL. Rugby is A national sport of England...but not THE national sport...that'd be cricket my uneducated friend. Rugby IS however the national sport of New Zealand.

As for the other silly remark down there...we were under British occupation from 1167 ish onwards...so do the math. Gained independence in 1922.it's 750 years ish. JESUS!!!!! Anyway, enough venting.

Now, as for the discussion topic. To answer your question about the current culture...It's pretty much the same as England...which means that modern Ireland is Americanised. I'm an Irish woman born and bred. I've been eating hot dogs and pizza since I was a kid. I watched Different Strokes and Saved by the Bell when I was a kid. HOWEVER...there's still alot of the old mingled with the new. It's a whole lot of modern meets old fashion in Ireland. We're not allowed to build skyscrapers according to the Government because of tourism...people go to Ireland in order to find leprechauns and lovely little thatched cottages...(which havent existed since the early 1900's by the way...however the village of Adare in County Limerick has sustained a whole street of Wonderful thatch cottages so that you can get your photo taken beside them).

As for the situation...I dont know what you mean. We're a Republic. We had a war of Independence, we had a civil war. We gained our freedom. Now we're...free...hmm...Hahaha. Sorry I'm in a sarcastic mood. If you want to know about the IRA you should look it up on wikipedia.com, but as I really really hope you know, all the military trouble is in NORTHERN IRELAND...which is considered to be another country separate to the south. It's still 'owned' by England, but they have their own Government just like Scotland. Hopefully some day they'll be their own country, 'cause in my opinion that's the only way to settle matters. So, if you're worried about your safety, dont be. Travel to the Republic, which's where everything you want to visit is anyway. And if you want to go to the North, that's cool too 'cause since the Good Friday Agreement (also in wikipedia) there's been no shit in the North.

Just read that stuff on the shileleagh. Here's what I know. They are 'leprechauns' walking sticks (ps, leprechauns are not real people LOL). As for wooden weapons, I do believe that alot of the whole shilelaghs as weapons stuff comes from the marketers that try to sell the things to tourists. The only wooden weapon that we DO know about was the hurley, which was later developed into a hockey - like game (hurling is the fastest field game on earth according to the guinness book of world records). Our weapons way back when were inferior to those of the Normans, who of course possessed the dreaded longbow. They were also inferior to those weapons of the Vikings...but luckily for the Irish, after only 70 raids on monasteries in the 700's, they decided that they wanted to live here and marry into the culture, so there was no invasion. Therefore their weapons got assimilated by the Irish...but since neither the Irish nor the Vikings had any armour that could withstand the longbow, we fell into British rule in 1167...Goddamn you Dermot MacMurrough. It was all over a woman you know. Damned Derobhilla O'Rourke.. (Dermot kidnapped her and kept her for a year, then sent her back to her husband pregnant). It all started with that really. That of course happened in 1152.

As for the Salmon of Knowledge etc...those stories came after the Tuath. And as for the National animal of Ireland...it isnt the horse...since the horse is not indigenous to the Island. However, the red deer or rabbit do turn up on quite a few of our old coins...(the Punt currency, since we now use the blasted Euro). Also, the harp is our national emblem NOT the shamrock. I cannot stress this enough!!! Hahahaha!

[Maria]

Vadakin, only for I'm actually writing a book about that particular time, I wouldn't have known about it. He gave his written permission 20 years before the invasion, in the form of the Laudabilter. It was Pope Adrian IV I believe. And you're right about the united Ireland thing. They say the first time that Ireland became united towards a common goal since Brian Boru, was the 1798 rebellion...which we all know was short lived!!!

[Alexandre Boulet]

Thnak Maria for this clearing up... that Vadakin is pretty freaky I mean to he wear thes clothe everyday? he must be in school or he must have big trouble finding a job lol...