Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland Source: izquotes
For this last blog post of our last unit (and before we begin final project presentations next week), students will synthesize their study this semester and reflect on a significant aspect of individual, group or other learning during this semester that had deep impact on their understanding of Ireland and Irishness. It’s been a great class, and as always, I have learned an enormous amount from these bright, curious and engaged students. It’s been a pleasure!
So many aspects of this course have personally resonated with me, that it is extremely difficult for me to focus on just a few. I think the unit that resonates with me the most is the peace unit. As a person I am very harmonious and look for peace in my life and my surroundings. Learning about the way that the Protestants and Catholics treated each other in the past and even the present was actually really jarring for me. It was like learning that the country tried to create equality for all but failed in most aspects. Throughout this unit I compared the Irish Civil Rights Movement with the African-American Civil Rights Movement in America. To me, the African-American civil rights movement was a mass success and quickly created equal rights and mostly equal treatment for the African-American population. The Irish Catholic civil rights movement in Northern Ireland completely and utterly failed. It wasn’t the fault of the people participating in this movement, but rather it was more the British government’s fault. Since the Irish had a history of paramilitary groups, the resurgence of these groups was prevalent during this time, putting everyone on edge. I don’t think that the British government, the Republican Catholic population or the Unionist Protestant population is solely to blame. Everyone had a hand in the way that the civil rights movement was dealt with, but the British government and the paramilitary groups made the progression towards equality much more difficult for the entire nation, but especially Northern Ireland.
I also think the history of the English invasion of Ireland has so much to do with every part of Irish peace, culture, politics and music. On my own time I was able to delve a lot more into the history of the English invasion of Ireland and how it impacted Ireland in every way. This resonated with me because my love of history was able to connect me to the different units in our Irish class in a way that was totally unexpected. I was able to really delve into and see why the peace process has been such a nasty mess. The English have tried to control a group of people that have their own national identity for far too long. I think that because of the brutal and long history that the Irish have had with the English has caused the interactions between the two groups to increase in violence over time. Since the War of Independence and the Civil War were fairly recent in Ireland’s past, they may not have been at the point where they could resolve the physical and mental separation between the Protestants and Catholics peacefully. It’s good to know that peace is actually being sought out now and that the two groups are slowly starting to resolve their differences. I hope that maybe one day the British will be able to completely relinquish their hold on all of Ireland, but I’m not sure if that day will come.
Northern Ireland Peace Process
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21333.pdf
15 Years After the Cease Fire in Northern Ireland
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2013/0410/15-years-after-Good-Friday-Agreement-an-imperfect-peace-in-Northern-Ireland
Civil Rights Movement Gone Bad
http://www.netplaces.com/irish-history/the-troubles/a-civil-rights-movement-gone-bad.htm
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Amelia
5/2/2014 09:58:20 am
Ireland is a country full of many wonderful people and a wonderful culture. They have a great sense of who they are and I found many similarities between cultures. Drinking is a big think in Ireland and it is something huge in my culture, there can’t be a party without alcohol. We also have a great sense of pride in our culture, and part of our culture is being catholic but we are not practicing catholic. The Catholic scandals are not only affecting those in Ireland but Catholics all over the world.
The divide between Catholics and Protestants is very interesting, especially because of the deep segregation. I know the troubles was not the two religions against each other but it was in a way. The aftermath of the troubles is what I was shocked to learn because I thought Ireland was just one country. The troubles were very violent but there were many people who didn’t move. There might be segregation in Ireland but they all have the sense of pride in where they come from they have a sense of pride in themselves and in their country. They have a great sense of identity and in my opinion is the greatest thing about them.
Irish Drinking Culture
http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/5841/1/2396-2528.pdf
Understanding the Irish Conflict
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/irish/page-1
History of the Irish Conflict
http://www.teamwebsites.org/boylans/ireland/conflict.html
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Jordan W
5/2/2014 12:49:06 pm
This class has, undoubtedly, been one of the most intellectually vibrant and culturally honest courses of my undergraduate career. From learning about Irish politics to Irish music, from Irish food to the Blasket Islands, from the Irish peace process to key events in Ireland’s history, this course has honed my cultural and societal understanding and has forever changed my approach to education. Rooted in the hard and social sciences and with an emphasis on haste, I rarely get time to enjoy the material in my major and science courses; these courses usually focus on learning facts and regurgitating them on an exam. This course, however, was nothing like that! And, in retrospect, I actually think I’ve learned more (applicable) knowledge in this course than in my other courses this semester. Not only that, but a great majority of the topics of this course resonated deeply with me.
I really enjoyed our group and class discussions. I enjoyed getting to know other people in this class; their experiences, revelations, and thoughts transformed my understanding of the material. I am extremely grateful for all the chances I had to truly experience the material. From Dr. Coe’s concert to the movies, my learning expanded beyond the traditional classroom walls. While writing this final blog post, I was reminded of one of my earlier posts. In the music unit of this course, we watched a video entitled, “The Story of U2-part 1/5.” In the video, Bono notes, “Music has become so glossy, so drip dry . . . there’s no real spirits to it anymore. And I think in rock and roll that spirit is very empty; it’s a very empty form.” Undoubtedly, Bono is logically and creatively critiquing our society’s choice of music. But I think he is critiquing more than music here. He is critiquing our society as a whole—education, religion, economics, etc. In terms of our education system, our modern education system may have become “drip dry” and lost some of its flavor, originality, and ingenuity. There is a specific pedagogy that Bono is pointing out here and I think he’s calling on us to experience our education, not just learn “drip dry” facts that is empty in form. That’s why I’m grateful for this course. We didn’t just learn the material; we experienced it.
U2 Live on the Tonight Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfqg9DvuTPU
Ireland: Official Vacation Website
http://www.ireland.com/en-us
Irish Education System
http://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/
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Jessica L
5/2/2014 03:52:53 pm
This is an awesome post, Jordan! I definitely agree with your thoughts on how being able to experience the material can actually help you learn more. With this approach, this semester I was able to make connections to things beyond Irish culture alone. I also really like the connection that you draw to the blandness of the modern education system; I think that this is important to consider when it comes to bringing up thoughtful and well-rounded students in the world today.
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Jessica L
5/2/2014 03:44:22 pm
One aspect of this class that has particularly resonated with me is the concept of social divisions and their impact on finding healing from a difficult past. While this directly relates to our peace, politics, and popular culture units in particular, it can certainly connect to any cultural context—not just that of Ireland. As we have learned, Ireland is a country of dualities, both historical and modern. For centuries following colonization by Britain, life was a struggle between Irish and British national identities, and notably between Catholicism and Protestantism. To me, what is interesting is that this conflict arose not necessarily out of theological differences, but rather out of the Irish people’s resentment over having their land taken by British settlers (who just happened to be of two different religions). What is notable about Irish history is that this deep-seated conflict has spanned centuries and has manifested in many different ways—including the Troubles following the Catholic civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. This Catholic-Protestant duality has likewise manifested itself in the partition of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the emergence of the IRA (and other paramilitary groups) as well as groups like the Orange Order, and the segregation of many schools today. Immigration and globalization in modern Ireland has led to other, new dualities, including conflicts between rural and urban life, religious and secular practices, and traditional and modern ways of life.
These divisions have had an impact on how Ireland views its violent past and how it works to find healing from it. Many Catholics and Protestants today continue to despise each other, even if they do not fully understand the reasoning for doing so. This presents a significant obstacle to the peace process, as in many situations, neither of the sides is willing to concede its position. With Ireland in particular, memories are far-reaching—it is not easy to just let go of the past and to move forward with the future. We have observed this with the aftermath of Bloody Sunday and how even today, investigations continue, and how the Irish government is confronted with the problem of finding a way to move forward without showing disrespect to the victims and their families. Another example of this is the impact of the Magdalene Laundries and industrial schools, and how years after they suffered abuse by the Catholic Church, many former child victims are now seeking justice and political reform. This is even true of the split between the modern Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties, which are divided because of one root issue—the signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty—even though they share many ideological similarities. Ireland’s past is one of violence and division; deep-seated resentment and multiple viewpoints must be taken into consideration in the process of finding healing as a nation. This has at times proven difficult but certainly not impossible, as we have seen with the peace process and other areas of social reform in Ireland today.
Many Northern Ireland Troubles inquests still outstanding:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/13/delay-northern-ireland-troubles-inquests-outstanding
Northern Ireland's dark past threatens future stability:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/world/europe/nothern-ireland-amnesty-deals-taggart/
The forgotten women of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/9844412/The-forgotten-women-of-Irelands-Magdalene-Laundries.html
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Kirstie Gorthy
5/2/2014 08:10:29 pm
Interesting post! I am amazed at how long it takes the people of Ireland to forgive and forget. Maybe this sprouts from their passionate and hard personalities. When reading about the Magdalene Laundries, I was so shocked at how long it took the state to apologize. Usually we see this happening rather quickly. I think this is rooted in their overwhelming sense of pride.
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Cynthia J.
5/2/2014 06:00:16 pm
This class about Irish history and culture was very exciting for me because I love learning about new cultures and people groups. What really interested me was the lack of information about Irish history in popular culture even through it’s one of the most dynamic stories ever told. I think the main reason that the Irish story is not spoken about that much is primarily because Ireland has been pretty late in joining International politics. This was primarily because their growth as a country was stunted due to violent oppression and lackluster leadership. For a civilized nation it is difficult for us to believe that an internationally recognized terrorist group could become a powerful political party.Furthermore, Ireland has been very slow to come to terms with human rights violations. All these factors coupled together have made Ireland a difficult country to talk about. How can the world expect to embrace a country that is part of Europe and the civilized world but that still grapples with the difficulty to come to terms with child rights? How is it even possible that in this modern day and time Ireland still has a marginalized minority that struggles to get basic needs such as education met?
At the same time however the history of Ireland matches the development of many others but it just seemed to happen at a later point in history. There is nothing really that different about the progression of Irish history. If one were to look at other key countries and colonies that had been under British rule they all came under out this oppression fighting and kicking. In America we had the Revolutionary War. What we often forget its that the violence in our nation did not end there. George Washington had to actively put out major rebellions throughout the thirteen states as a part of forming America. These groups are analogous to the terrorist groups that rose up due to the conflict between England and Ireland. Furthermore America still struggles with marginalizing minority groups, even though it may not be to the same extent. Therefore, yes it is easy to put Ireland on the back burner but let us not forget that we all have progressed in a similar manner
Bill Clinton Speaking in Northern Ireland
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-26435516
Ireland and the UN
http://web.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=81115
The comparison between the United States and the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement
http://www.npr.org/blogs/newsandviews/2008/03/n_ireland_and_the_us_shared_ci.html
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Kirstie Gorthy
5/2/2014 08:05:02 pm
Going into this class, as with most things, I was unsure of what I’d get out of it personally rather than educationally. Not only did I learn about what it means to be Irish, this class helped me understand pieces of myself and what makes me Kirstie. This class overall helped me figure myself out as well as understand where my identity sprouts from. This is an essential piece of life and I feel as though many teenagers lack this understanding. I know I am not fully aware of who I am, but the fact that I know a little gives me an upper leg into knowing what makes me happy and why I do the things I do. Taking this class also opened me up to a whole different perspective. Perspective taking is an extremely important psychological concept, leading to cognitive inclination. Learning and understanding why the Irish marched on Bloody Sunday and fought for or against the Anglo-Irish Treaty is most definitely interesting, but it also opens our minds up as students, leading us to be less judgmental and more sympathetic in life in general. Despite the fact that I am not religious nor have similar political beliefs, I am able to understand why there was conflict between Northern Ireland and The Republic. This helps me to understand other conflicts all over the world for similar reasons. I think that what we learned in this class does not have to stick routinely to having a better understanding of the Irish way of life, but that it can help open our minds up internationally and personally. What we learned does not have to stay within the premises of Ireland; we can apply what we learned about Irish identity to what it means to have an American identity, etc.
One important segment of this class that contributed to a better understanding of myself was the music unit. Music can be so powerful, whether from the lyrics or the sounds, by allowing us to express ourselves and developing/influencing our sense of identity. We learned this semester about different types of Irish music and its importance in Irish tradition. In America, music is not as essential or prominent. In my life, music plays a huge role in other ways apart from entertainment. Music helps me unravel and relax, especially after stressful days at school and work. I loved listening to this culture’s music since their methods of transmission are a lot different than what I’m used to. I also learned that quality of music is subjective in that no one can tell you what is good or bad. I found several new artists to add in my collection of music, and I also learned about the personal lives of a few musicians that I have been keen about for years. I find it very important to understand a musician’s background in order to appreciate where the motivation to produce a certain song came from. For example, the song “Zombie” by The Cranberries is a protest song about The Troubles which specifically mentioned the year 1916 which was also when Easter Rising took place. Also, in my last blog post about the Magdalene Laundries, I found that Sinead O’Connor was also imprisoned in a laundry for 18 months. This helps me understand what O’Connor and The Cranberries went through as well as the history of their ancestors. This formulates into what we understand as their specific identity. We are now more able to understand the meaning behind their music and it can resonate personally within us as we listen.
Biography of The Cranberries: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-cranberries-mn0000784814/biography
Importance of developing a sense of identity: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/staff-workshop-teacher-handout-helping-children-develop-sense-identity
Meaning of “Zombie” by The Cranberries: http://cherierose.deviantart.com/art/Zombie-by-the-Cranberries-Song-Analysis-Essay-315821356
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Derrick G
5/3/2014 08:38:16 am
I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Being around Judy, her passion was very evident about this subject which I feel lent to the atmosphere of learning. I really enjoyed being able to write blogs and such that allowed you to express how the material really resonated with you personally. Similar to sentiments expressed by my classmates, I think I learned a lot more then I had initially thought I would, both about myself and Ireland. One thing that has really stuck with me across the length of this semester is the fighting Irish Spirit. We learned of all of their dualities and hardships that they must endure. They are culturally Catholic but not practicing. They are proud of their heritage but American. They have suffered many travesties such as Potato famine, British Rule, Easter Rising, economic collapse, and battled brother against brother and yet the Irish survive. An example of how this effected my personally is in my idea of identity. I have always said I am proud to be an American. I have not always had a definitive reason why when asked, but I have realized a concrete textbook reason isn’t necessary. The Irish love the land. Carol Cronin loves the sea. There is just this place where you feel home and where you belong. I have begun to understand more on this idea of place and identity. The easiest way to explain it is when you throw on your team jersey and join a crowd at a game and cheer for your team. Who you are in a way doesn’t matter, jobs and such no longer matter. You are all family supporting one common goal. It just feels… right. I can only imagine what it must be like to be Irish, to have such a troubled historical past, and yet somehow you know you should be proud.
I can honestly say I notice Irish things a lot more than I ever had. Just the other day at work I saw a gentleman with an Irish Flag on his phone case. I asked him about it and he was happy to share some stories. This made me laugh because ever since I learned about the Irish gift of gab as it were, I have met a lot of Irish people and they all tell how they love to recount stories. I have discovered a lot of music I thought was American was actually Irish. I can honestly say to that one connection I made was in U2 and in Martin Kearney. Martin said he was American and yet flew the Irish flag. Bono is so wonderfully Irish and yet I still have it seared into my mind the time after 9/11 when he ripped open his jacket to reveal an American flag. To end, I wanted to commemorate Martin Kearney one last time. I was touched that he was such a great family man and loving husband. But above all his decision to donate parts of his body for research to potentially help his people was really noble. Little things like these are some of the things that stuck out to me and honestly helped me to understand the nuances of being Irish. I gained an immense respect for Irish people and their culture.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ei.html
The world fact book on Ireland.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/irish_wolfhound/index.cfm
A brief introduction and a place to see photos of the Irish wolfhound which was the first thing I experienced about Ireland. They are an amazing breed.
http://www.reuters.com/places/ireland
Some current Irish headlines. The most recent at the time of this posting was about the detention of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams for questioning about the murders in 1972.
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Riannon Atwater
5/3/2014 02:52:03 pm
Throughout this semester, I have really been taken with the idea of Irishness. Everything that we have looked at has a duality and I am starting to come to the conclusion that Irishness is a duality. As I grew up here, I heard Colorado referred to as a melting pot. This term seems to fit aptly with Ireland. Irish identity is a combination of many different cultures; a lot of their food culture comes from England. Each time that Ireland was “settled” brought new culture to the land. Most of the time that new culture was incorporated into the previous one; no one culture ever truly abandoned. Even today, it is this duality and hodgepodge of cultures that causes conflict in Ireland.
Even in Ireland, the question of Irishness cannot be easily answered. As I was doing my research for this blog post, I discovered that Hibernia College in Dublin is offering a free online class exploring Irish identity. The online class is actually set up fairly similarly to ours although our class is guided more by self-exploration. One of the problems with deciding on what Irishness is, is that there really isn’t one thing that defines Ireland. Dualities are pervasive throughout Irish culture and there is also the problem of old vs. new. When the word Ireland is heard, a lot of people automatically picture the old Ireland, nature filled and underdeveloped yet still magical. Other people would conjure up images of conflict and war from the Troubles. Yet still others imagine the developed cities of Dublin and the extensive pub culture. All three of these images and more are appropriate when picturing Ireland. They all explain one facet of Irishness; yet, they cannot be easily melded into one idea of Irishness. This complication has made it a joy to study Ireland. I love the fact that the people and culture are so different and diverse.
Here are some further resources:
This is a journal article about the free class on Irishness. http://www.thejournal.ie/exploring-irish-identity-hibernia-college-865710-Apr2013/
This is an article discussing Irishness in the US. http://estudiosirlandeses.org/reviews/the-irish-in-us-irishness-performativity-and-popular-culture/
This is a great article questioning if Irishness is even relevant today since we live in an age of internet where nationalities aren’t as popular. http://universitytimes.ie/?p=23532
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Tegan
5/4/2014 02:44:53 am
This course has been by far one of the most enriching, both academically and culturally, and over all has my cultural, social, and individual awareness. I thoroughly appreciated every aspect of the course, from the widespread tactics of presentation of the material and varied integration of the material, to the focused, and highly encouraged personal immersion with Irishness. Academia is always interesting and challenging, but I always revel the chance to intertwine personal growth and pursuits with education, and this class not only allowed for that but actually was centered on it. I learned so much this semester about myself and how I think, about other students and what resonates with them, and of course about Irish culture and what is "Irish."
Parts and pieces of every unit resonated with me, especially the music section, which was no surprise. What struck me the most this semester however was probably the idea of Irish identity and Irish dualities. Those two concepts went hand and hand with one another. As we progressed, it was clear that Irish culture was permeated with dualities, and the image of "Irish" was clashed and scattered and became rather ambiguous from something that might have been so solid. I loved that though. There are very few notions and experiences in the world that are solid. The contradictions we found in Irish identity were not only reflections of people and populations, but of life in general, and while that subject is vague and philosophical, it is significant. I always find myself thinking those kinds of thoughts, about dualities and identity, and I'm sure many others my age do as well, and others of different ages because identity grows and changes with time. I loved discussing these dualities though. So often education seems to illuminate concepts in one light or another, and it was nice to look at different shades. It reminded me of how often things seem black and white, yet they are neither and both, and that is human and both tragic and wonderful. Throughout this semester and certainly long after it is over, I will think of dualities in the nature of being and I think it will help me conceptualize and appreciate people and events around me. It has certainly helped me understand the Irish, and made me curious to explore more.
An Irish identity website
http://www.irishidentity.com/
The Journal, a news site with numerous columns on Irishness
http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-identity/news/
A paper on sense of self in contemporary Ireland
http://www.ucd.ie/ibis/publications/discussionpapers/localbelongingidentitiesandsenseofplaceincontemporaryireland/P&D_Disscussion_Paper_4.pdf
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Kate O
5/4/2014 04:13:15 am
Pop Culture Blog #4
This semester has been rich with historic and cultural content of the Irish nation. Perhaps the most significant theme that has been deeply interwoven throughout every unit is that of Irish identity. What does it mean to be Irish? What is Irishness? In what ways has history and culture impacted Irish identity? How does this sense of identity and belong impact life? It has truly been fascinating to spend a semester examining and exploring these questions. At the beginning of the semester, I expected for answers to be fairly clear and easy defined. That certainly was not the case. Tackling the question of Irish identity is intensely complex and multidimensional, a deep and demanding study. Occupation, revolutions, famines, politics, geography, climate, religion, and history have all contributed to this sense of Irish idenitity. Each of these influences and their intersections, juxtapositions, and dualities all find unique expression and elaboration through music, art, popular culture, and contemporary lifestyles.
This complex notion of Irishness is expressed well through the works of Irish poets such as Seamus Heaney, and William Butler Yeats. Heaney poetry holds tremendous impact as it addresses the struggle between maintaining Irish identity and being support for British rule. The violence and oppression suffered under British rule is evident in Heaney’s poems, and allows insight into the way in which British occupation and rule has influence Irish identity. Yeats incorporated the use of Irish folklore and myths with romanic settings and themes to express his nationalist ties and perspective on Irish identity. His poems give structure and life to his love and criticism of Ireland and its people. The literary works of these two poets serve as valuable insight for answers concerning Irishness. In their poems, the difficult history and cultural strength and beauty of Ireland are pervasive. A true sense of what it is to be Irish, to be a part of that land and people is portrayed. While it seems as though I have only scratched the surface of the notion of Irish identity, it has been a rewarding experience.
Whoa, check it out, poetry and literature. I like what you've got here about Irishness because I think identity really does show in writing. For example, some of my favorite authors and poets reveal more about themselves in the themes of their work than they ever could while talking to someone. This Irishness permeates everything, it seems, and I think that's pretty rad.
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Adam G
5/4/2014 05:39:14 am
Many things have struck me about this course, but one of the subjects which I found to be really important was the historical basis in the political conflicts in Ireland, and how these historical roots still play a part in modern politics. Prior to this course, my knowledge of the political conflict in Ireland was that there was conflict between the Irish and the British, and the Irish were largely the good guys and the British were largely the bad guys. In reality, the truth is much more complicated: the Irish themselves proved to be inherently divided. Some supported British rule, others despised it, with little room in between. Religion played a major part, arguably more than some Irish people would like to believe. In the Troubles, the IRA was fighting itself, with many splinter factions developing, and often Republican would kill Republican over relatively small differences. The same was true for the Unionists, and to boil down the conflict to Irish vs. British, to good vs. evil, ignores many of the complications of the actual conflicts. Both Irish people and British people committed atrocities over historical differences. To put it lightly, it became clear that the situation in Ireland was a quagmire: sides were blurred and innocent people were caught in the crossfire.
It has become evident that these complicated conflicts still play a part in modern Irish politics. For those who have been keeping an eye on the news, you may know that Gerry Adams, leader of the Sinn Fein party in Northern Ireland, was arrested recently due to his possible link with a murder committed in the name of the IRA. Though he has been released, at least for now, this event has stirred unrest and protests in Belfast, and the news has been reported by news agencies in completely different countries. Even though the event is largely confined to Northern Irish politics, it is getting international attention. The Sinn Fein party is one of the most powerful political parties in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and they maintain, even in their educational manuals, a hardline, strictly Republican viewpoint which claims that the only way to achieve peace in the country is to completely split from Britain. Different groups in Ireland, often descended from the historical factions if Ireland’s past, have different views of how the country should move forward. Many of their views on how to shape Ireland’s future are shaped on the historical views of the factions they’re connected to, and even though these conflicts are supposedly in the past, they dictate how Irish politics move forward. Ireland’s history is complex and bloody, and I think that Ireland’s politics moving forward will have to deal with this history, as it’s clear that the views of the past still exist today.
For Further Study:
The Washington Post: For IRA Critics, No Peace in Belfast
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/14/AR2005091402448.html
Northern Ireland Police Release Gerry Adams Without Charge After Arrest
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303417104579541300298818092
Sinn Fein: Freedom- A Sinn Fein Education Publication
http://www.sinnfein.org/documents/freedom.html
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Amanda T.
5/4/2014 07:35:30 am
This past semester has been truly enjoyable and I’m definitely satisfied with my decision to take the class. I have learned much more than I expected to the point where I could be hanging out with my friends or family and I’d pull out a “did you know” fact because something comes up that reminds me of Ireland. Judy’s passion for Ireland and everything Irish has motivated and inspired me to do my own cybersleuthing and explore the culture on my own, which I think is one of the best ways to learn about a new topic. There are so many different aspects of this class that resonated with me but I would have to say the strong sense of identity among the Irish has had a deep impact on my understanding of Ireland and Irishness. Identity and what it means to be Irish has weaved itself throughout all five overarching themes of music, peace, politics, Blasket Islands, and popular culture as a major influential factor.
From the music unit, I remember discussing U2 and how they were quoted in one of their videos saying, “Our songs are in celebration of being yourself and being strong in yourself.” Having a strong sense of identity is rooted in Irish culture and it is especially shown through the lyrics of Irish rock as well as the sean nos style of music. Moving on to the peace unit and learning about the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, I’ve analyzed that much of the conflict has to do with how people identifies themselves. Children learn from their parents to hate the other side even when they have no reason to. My favorite part about the peace unit was learning about how people are starting to put down their pride and attempt to live peacefully by taking down the peace walls and creating integration schools. These are small steps but steps nonetheless towards a unified Ireland. In the politics unit, I was surprised by the number of different political parties there were! I soon learned that many of the smaller political parties stemmed from one major party. Even though some political parties may be similar, one minute difference is important to how one is identified in the political system. The Blasket Islands was an interesting unit and I was slightly disappointed at how little information there is on the internet about the Islanders. Their sense of identity has been kept alive through Judy’s documentaries, music performed at her faculty concert, and self-written memoirs. Finally, popular culture encompasses Irish identity through their unique use of potatoes in their food to their traditional wedding customs. For example, Irish travelers have outrageous wedding gowns and they probably won’t ever change because that’s just who they are. Learning about Ireland and Irish culture has definitely made me take a deeper look at my own Vietnamese roots and it has made me reevaluate what it means to be Vietnamese in the 21st century.
Additional Research:
The Irish Diaspora – What does it mean to be Irish and who can lay claim to Irish identity?
http://blogs.haverford.edu/celticfringe/2014/03/04/the-irish-diaspora-what-does-it-mean-to-be-irish/
Interesting answers from various people on what it means to be Irish
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091208113653AAHPrH3
What does it mean to be an Irish American today?
http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-irish-american-today-1354811-Mar2014/
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Jazmin
5/4/2014 08:56:45 am
One thing that has resonated with me this semester is learning how much of Irish culture has been brought to America. At first I thought everything Irish would seem very different from what I know. Although Ireland and America are very different, I was surprised to learn some of the similarities. This may be because of the decently large Irish population or the numerous Americans that have Irish roots or simply a product of globalization. To start off I never knew that many artists I listen to such as U2, Enya, Sinead O’Conner, The Cranberries, or Van Morrison are Irish! The music unit was a big surprise for me; then again I am not very musically inclined. It was surprising to see how similar the Irish war of Independence was to the Civil Rights movement in the US, as well as the guerrilla war tactics used during Bloody Sunday. From cybersluething in the popular culture unit I found many of the same celebrities or popular name brands.
Another aspect of our studies that really stood out was learning about the Blasket Islands and the Irish love for land. How could you live in such a beautiful place and not love it? The videos we watched from Judy’s trips to Ireland brought the realness and beauty of the islands and the people to life. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the stories of the Blasket Islanders and their migration to Springfield Massachusetts. The interviews we watch of Carol Croin and Maria Simonds-Gooding gave me an idea of how peaceful life is on Dun Chaoin. I am super excited to visit their studios!
Overall this class has been a wonderful experience and insight into a culture that I knew very little about before!
Irish magazine on interests in North America
http://irishamerica.com/
A look at Irish immigration
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug03/omara-alwala/irishkennedys.html
Throughout this semester, through all the material that we have covered in what seems like every aspect of the Irish culture, and at the same time just the tip of the iceberg, what has resonated with me the most has been the influence of religious tradition within the nation. It is, in part, due to this religious hold on the country that has lead to its divide. The nation that has mostly identified as being a Roman Catholic nation, begun receiving a large number of protestant visitors from the UK. The divide between these two parties lead to crisis. Tensions continued to rise and eventually, in order to limit bloodshed, the nation was divided into two individual countries: one largely catholic nationalists, and the other protestant unionists.
The hold of religion on the country does not simply stop with the divide that occurred in the early 1900's, though it does continue to effect the neighborhoods in the nation. Those who choose their stance segregate themselves from the opposing Irishmen, leading to communities that are largely broken up by the general religion and the nationalist stance. For any two parties to come together from opposing sides would lead to arguments among the families and possibly remove one of the members getting married from the official family. The schools themselves also receive this segregation, and also different pressures from the church. Those of the heavily catholic side are put into boys and girls separate schools, where they are abused. This abuse is both physical, with frequent beatings, and sexual, including molestation and even rape. Some of the children rarely receive an education and are put into a sort servitude, receiving no compensation and forced to work fields. So, though there are numerous aspects of the Irish culture that were covered over the course of this semester, the one that stuck with me the most, that shocked me the most, is the effect of a simple religion has on an entire nation.
Further Readings:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/belief/seeking-answers-the-catholic-churchs-problems-ireland
Ireland may change the future of the church
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/12/07/pope-and-irish-catholic-church-to-hold-summit-on-child-abuse-by-clergy/
Pope addressing abuse in Churches
http://www.countmeout.ie/
A website dedicated to helping those leave the Catholic Church
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Jonah Shuman
5/4/2014 11:28:05 am
Sports are easily a huge part of a culture, so I was shocked to see sports were not on the agenda. Even though we did not go over sports in our studies, I have always been interested in the football side of things in… Pretty much every country except ours. American football is not fun for me, I played soccer growing up, and I gravitate toward cultures that favor my favorite sports. I looked into football in Ireland, which is popular enough to have multiple competitive divisions. The soccer professional association is called the League of Ireland, founded in 1921, and the teams are called clubs which are split into two tiers. All clubs in the League play in the League of Ireland Cup after the regular season, and sometimes clubs from lower pools are invited. Ireland also sports a national team which competes to get into the World Cup, but have not faced much luck.
The important thing about the League is that it brings people together. Competition produces rivalries, but in the end the Irish people come together to support their own. This, like many things in our studies, presents a duality of fierce rivalry and united people. It speaks to the notion of Irishness that we keep finding in every topic, which suggests that this personality trait is so ingrained in the Irish people that it seems like they can do nothing that takes them from their history or their future. Hopefully, this can mend the issues Ireland faces now and what may happen down the road; the Irish spirit will continue to develop and come to the forefront when it needs to.
Here’s some links to follow up what feels like a pretty cheesy post (I’m so sorry):
Official site:
http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/
Rankings:
http://eurorivals.net/top-football-clubs/republic-of-ireland
FANS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-tkaIHavvM
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K. Brown
5/4/2014 02:38:07 pm
I am amazed at how much more familiar Ireland feels to me just since we've all had a chance to really focus on it this semester in class. I think the most helpful thing for me really was seeing all of the photographs of the landscape, towns, and cities. Although the atmosphere of a country is never fully encapsulated by photography- it is something that has to be breathed in and experienced to be truly understood- I think that photography is the best way to get a feeling for what a place is like. So that was the thing that most intrigued me.
I think it will be funny and also delightful to go to Ireland after having taken this class. I have never before done such in depth research on a country before and usually when I go to a new one, I've hardly researched it at all. This class has inspired me to put more thought into finding out about the music, people, politics, and culture of different countries before I go to them, since I intend to travel. I am excited to go to Ireland some day.
To ease you through this finals season, I've included some links to Irish Photography related websites. Cheers!
Irish Fine Art Photography
http://www.gilesnorman.com/store/
Everyone’s focusing on what we learned in this class, and I can draw connections with each response, but I wanted to address HOW we learned things in this class as well.
When we went through the music section, it helped that instead of just talking about music, we listened to it. I was exposed to some incredible artists and bands I never knew were “Irish.” In addition, Dr. Coe’s Blasket Island also really brought the scene to life. So for me, having that visual and auditory aspect while learning about something it that is meant to be heard helped a lot. I especially liked learning about how modern bands like Bono incorporated very traditional aspects of Irishness in to their music (like focusing on the message of the song).
When learning about the Peace movement and Bloody Sunday in Ireland, a historical topic became real, really fast. Watching video and sharing stories we really found slowly helped me to understand that Bloody Sunday was a big deal, and was a truly tragic event that affected many. I also enjoyed the fact that I learned where Bloody Sunday fit into the “big picture” of the long history of the Troubles. So for this topic, the movies were really emotional and helped bring the subject to life.
For popular culture, the group conversations helped the most. Maybe that’s because of the vastness of the subject matter, but “divide and conquer” seemed to work really well. I think my favorite thing to learn about was the Irish Traveler culture, simply because I didn’t know anything beforehand.
In all honestly, there was SO much throughout this entire class that really stuck with me, and these are just a few things. It was an awesome experience, and the atmosphere of the class was unlike anything I have ever experienced.
U2 live performance (little movement and focus is on the message of the song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=D6-OlRwdAMY#t=792
Understanding The Civil Rights Movement
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/northern_ireland/understanding/events/civil_rights.stm
Traveler Culture and Acceptance
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/08/world/tullamore-journal-travelers-tale-irish-nomads-make-little-headway.html?pagewanted=2
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Peter C
5/4/2014 04:07:04 pm
For this last blog post, I'm going to take a little bit of a different approach. I'm not going to do the usual cyber sleuthing and link providing. Instead I'm going to put on this music list (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3xeTpgLP5o) and do what I'm always doing, that is trying to understand people.
To me the entire point of the course was to understand this "irishness" what makes the Irish, well Irish. As much as we all explore, events, political figures, history, and cultural aspects, these are all just glimpses into Ireland, there not the real thing. It’s not something you can fully grasp by just doing research. It’s something that only can be truly understood when experienced, when exposed to this culture, and to these people. Not to say that learning about Ireland is pointless, it’s the exact opposite. These glimpses into Ireland provide context and a form of recognition for this rich culture. So what is it that I have learned about Irishness?
From the Cliffs of Moher, to the Blasket islands and the rolling green hills in between Ireland is a land of immense beauty. The civilization that arose in these lands clearly reflects this beauty within itself. We can hear it in sean nos singing. Hear the wind come over the cliffs in the uilleann pipes. Or feel the energy of a community gathering, in the Irish jig and reel. These people worked the land, respected it, and in turn it provided for them. This we can taste it in there simple traditional food. This simple and delicious food is filling, not just for the body but for the soul as well. We learned of their very troubled history, full of strife, war, conflict, famine, emigration, and so much more. Yet despite all these external forces pushing and pulling, the Irish Identity remained. For centuries their culture was constantly under pressure to be destroyed. To be Irish was to be persecuted, and lesser. No wonder they are such a proud people, for it’s in their blood to stick to their culture, to stick to being Irish. I have gained such an immense respect for these people, for this culture. Like others have said, this class has been just the tip of the iceberg on all that is Ireland but it’s a start. This class has given me the tools to understand, and in a way empathies with these people. Without that, the coming trip to Ireland would not be the same. It has been an immense pleasure and joy to take this class and I and I can’t wait to immerse myself in this culture.
This post is a little wonky, and kind of all over the place (exhausted working on 4th cup of coffee). Half way through it I wanted to delete it all and start over again, but I decided to finish it out. It is what it is though, and so to close the last blog post all I can say is, “Tog go bragh bog e” (Take it nice and easy)
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I am a music professor with a passion for Irish land- and seascapes, music and literature, Blasket Island people and culture, and the sea.