Ireland's Culture
Mercedes Hoyos
Language
Irish Gaelic was the only language spoken in Ireland until the 17th century, but the dominance of English and the effects of the 19th-century potato famine led to a sharp decline in the population. Today, it is spoken as the first language by a small minority of the country. The main concentrations of these are scattered along the West coast, and those areas are called Gaeltacht.
Flag
Ireland's flag is composed of three equal-sized rectangles of orange, white, and green colors. The green color represents the native people of Ireland (most of whom are Roman Catholic), the orange color represents the British supporters of William of Orange who settled in Northern Ireland during the 17th century (most of whom are Protestant), and the white in the middle represents peace between these two groups of people.
Religion and Race
Most people in Ireland are either Roman Catholic or Protestant depending on how much they've been influenced by the Native and English culture/lifestyle. Since the country also doesn't have a large amount of diversity, people are also Caucasian (as is all of Europe).
Customs and Traditions
In Ireland, there are multiple celebrations and festivities throughout the year. Three of the grandest are the St. Patrick's Festival, Christmas, and Bloomsday.
St. Patrick's Festival
This grand festivity is named after Ireland's greatest saint, and it commemorates the country's rich culture and heritage. It does this through parades, dancing, music, food, and plenty of pints of beer.
Christmas
Christmas in Ireland is a grand celebration, lasting from December 24th to January 6th. Throughout the season, one may find singing choirs and street musicians on the sidewalks, patrons filling local pubs, and so on. Churches are also crowded with the high Catholic population.
Bloomsday
The Irish Bloomsday celebration honors James Joyce, one of Ireland's most famous literary masters. It takes place on June 16, the date that one of his novels is released.
Irish Music and Dance
Traditional Irish music is a full body experience: the upbeat tempos compel you to dance a jig, clap your hands, and join in.
San Francisco, St Patricks Day parade clips 3/17/2012 Irish Jig performance
Sports
Gaelic football is the most played sport in Ireland. Soccer, hurling, golf, aerobics, cycling, swimming, and billiards are also popular sporting activities in the nation.
Art
Irish Art highly revolves around nature, landscapes, and vivid colors. These themes have been prevalent for hundreds of year and continue to inspire modern day artists, such as Sean Scully, today.