Irish Culture History

Embrace all things Irish with these 200 interesting, important, and fun Irish words and phrases—as well as what each teaches us about the history and culture of Ireland. Céad míle fáilte! Dia duit. You don’t need to be fluent to appreciate the beauty of the Irish language. Maybe you’re...

Did you know that a poet named William Drennan was the first to name Ireland the “Emerald Island”? He was referring to the green hills of Ireland’s countryside in his poem “When Erin first rose”. The countryside is what defines Ireland probably the best since, for a long time, it played a major role in the economy and culture of the nation.

Culture and Anarchy is a series of periodical essays by Matthew Arnold, first published in Cornhill Magazine 1867-68 and collected as a book in 1869. Arnold's famous piece of writing on culture established his High Victorian cultural agenda which remained dominant in debate from the 1860s until the 1950s. According to his view advanced in the book, ‘Culture [...] is a study of perfection’.

What does it mean to carry a culture in song? From mythic bards and medieval harpers to rebellious ballads, bodhrán beats, and Beyoncé-backed fiddles, A History of Irish Music: Bardds to Bono tells the story of Irish music like never before. This sweeping, lyrical history explores how music shaped—and was shaped by—the Irish people across centuries of joy, sorrow, migration, resistance, and reinvention. Travel from candlelit sessions in County Clare to sold-out stadiums, from sean-nós singers to TikTok trad stars. Learn how the humble fiddle survived famine, how Riverdance took the ...

From the ancient tales of the Tuatha Dé Danann, to the iconic events of the Easter Rising, this book takes you on a journey through the ages. Learn about the major events in Ireland's history, including the Viking invasions, the Tudor conquests, and the Great Famine. You'll gain a deep understanding of the events that have shaped this unique and vibrant country.

Have you ever wondered what lies in the history of Ireland's past? What they believed and the epic legends they created. In this guide, I introduce you to the four cycles of gods from Ireland's past and the mischief they got up to. I look at the legendary Cuchulainn, Morrigan, Dagda, and many more.

Ireland – North and South – has sustained significant change in the last 100 years, accelerating at the end of the 20th century with the legalization of contraception, divorce, gay marriage, the end of the ‘Troubles’, and freedom to choose abortion and reproductive autonomy. This collection of specially commissioned essays tells the stories of cloth, clothing, textiles and materials that have been actually or symbolically stained by blood or other bodily fluids in Ireland’s last 100 years.

Ireland is a small island — rugged, rain-soaked, and far from the centers of empire —yet its influence has stretched across continents, cultures, and centuries. From the poetry of Yeats to the code of Boole, from the ballads sung in rebellion to the submarines launched in revolution, the Irish have left fingerprints on the modern world that are as enduring as they are unexpected. This book is a tribute to the impact—real, verifiable, often remarkable - in which Irishmen and women altered the course ofhistory, influenced thought, reshaped societies, and touched lives well beyond the ...

The classic novel by "Irish master" (New Yorker) and Booker Prize–winner John Banville brings to life the dramatic and surprising world of sixteenth-century astronomer Nicolas Copernicus and the theory that would shatter the medieval view of the universe. Sixteenth-century Europe is teeming...

Are you *truly* Irish? While some may debate it, the real sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle know three things like the back of their hand: the legendary tale of **Saint Patrick**, the proud truth of **how the Irish saved civilization**, and every vibrant detail about **Ireland** itself! Now, in *The Ultimate St Patrick’s Day “Are You Really Irish?” Trivia Book* by Foley Smith, you can put your Irish credentials to the test with 300 challenging, fun-filled questions that separate the shamrock enthusiasts from the genuine Gaels! From the windswept hills where Saint Patrick preached...

Discover the Magic, Myths, and Marvels of Ireland—One Fascinating Fact at a Time! From ancient druids to modern rock stars, haunted castles to Guinness pints, 200 Fun Facts About Ireland is your all-in-one guide to the charm, wit, and wonder of the Emerald Isle. Whether you’re a curious reader, a proud member of the Irish diaspora, or simply looking for the perfect gift for a Celtic-loving friend, this book delivers a delightful mix of history, culture, and quirky surprises. Inside, you’ll find: Legendary landmarks and ancient mysteries Famous Irish figures from past and present ...

From the host of MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight, “a rich and revealing memoir” (The New York Times) about her travels around the globe to solve the mystery of her ancestry, confronting the question at the heart of the American experience of immigration, race, and identity: Who are my...

DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE NOMINEE An uncompromising, darkly humorous look at life in the criminal underworld of the Irish border from a major new Irish literary voice. Dundalk—The Town, to locals—took Aoife in when she left home at eighteen. Now she’s gone from a small-time slinger of...

A deeply stirring memoir of fathers, sons, and the oldest bar in New York City. Since it opened in 1854, McSorley's Old Ale House has been a New York institution. This is the landmark watering hole where Abraham Lincoln campaigned and Boss Tweed kicked back with the Tammany Hall machine. Where a...

A dazzling novel about a community where an upcoming film production brings their past into sharp focus—and nobody’s version is the same. In Derry, the locals are already in a twist about the arrival of Hollywood actress Monica Logue to research her role for a show about the Troubles—and...

Through the eyes of 12-year-old Lorraine, this haunting novel from the award-winning author of Hidden and Hush gives insight and understanding into a little-known part of history - the Irish potato famine.

Stories of growing up in an Irish village told with a "blend of history, tradition and humour". Siobhán Lincoln records the social history of Ardmore village, tales of school days, dances, fishing, work, language and tradition. This book will be of interest to anyone who wants a picture of life in rural Ireland from the late 19th century to the dawning of the Millennium. From the forword by Fergal Keane: "The past slips away from us quietly. We are too consumed with the drama of the present to notice the departure of old ways and traditions. In an age of economic growth without parallel in...

Twenty essays on Irish women, historical and contemporary, who have defied cultural norms around femininity and achieved great things. The subjects include Irish women from Queen Medb to Eileen Gray, from Constance Markievicz to Sonia O’Sullivan, covering stateswomen, artists, writers, activists and rebels of all kinds. Written by multi-award-winning author and first Laureate na nÓg (Irish Children’s Laureate) Siobhán Parkinson. Perfect for use in schools as well as for leisure listening, this collection celebrates the role of women in Ireland’s changing society.

The University of Limerick (UL), the first university to be established since the foundation of the Irish state, came about through determined local campaigns. This sumptuously illustrated volume celebrates UL’s fiftieth anniversary, presenting fifty contributions from or about people associated with the university. A wide diversity of writings ranges from scholarly essays to students’ tweets, through poems, presentations and personal memoirs. Voices include those of Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Donal Ryan, Denise Chaila, President Michael D Higgins, Donnah Sibanda Vuma, Paul O’Connell,...

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Dublin, The Tan Yards by Robert E. Kearns weaves a haunting narrative of tradition, tension, and retribution. In a forgotten tract of land known as the Tan Yards, (a relic of a former village's extinct tanning trade), local youths gather each October to build a Halloween bonfire; a ritual that binds their community in primal celebration. Amidst the flickering flames and fleeting alliances, the story unveils the dark legacy of the Prizeman family, whose brutish presence looms large over the neighborhood. When Victor Prizeman, a volatile and feared outsider, ...