 Amazing Women in Irish History, Part 4 Missed the first parts? Check them out: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3! Here we are, at part 4 of 4 of our series all about the incredible women in Irish history (and into modern day!) However, this is hardly the end of the list in real life. If you or your dancer are interested in learning more about the amazing, groundbreaking women Ireland has produced, check out one of these lists of books that all explore the topic. But for now, drumroll please, as we bring you our last 4 revolutionary women: Countess Constance Markievicz: Ireland’s First Female MP and Revolutionary 1868-1927 “But while Ireland is not free I remain a rebel, unconverted and unconvertible.” While technically born in England, Markievicz’s family has Irish ancestry and always owned land in County Sligo—and it was Ireland where she eventually made her home. Never comfortable in the society life she was born into, she escaped to Paris to become an artist and met her husband, the Polish Count. Together, they settled in Dublin where Markievicz founded (along with future Irish President, Douglas Hyde) the United Arts Club, the goal of which was to preserve Irish culture and lift up modern Irish writers and artists. Her aims soon turned political—by 1908 she was a known proponent for Women’s Rights and during the 1913 Lockout she sold her jewels to help feed protestors. All this revolutionary action led to her being at the forefront of the 1916 Rising—and a death sentence (she was granted mercy due to her gender, the notion of which she found ridiculous.) When released, she used her second chance at life to continue to support Irish Independence by becoming the first female MP in Ireland’s first government, and later serving as the Minister of Finance (making her one of the first women in the world to hold a cabinet position—and the only women in Ireland until 1979.) By the time of her death at the age of 59, she was penniless (despite having just won reelection,)—having given all her wealth to the poor of the country she fought for until her last breath. Sinéad Burke: Writer, Designer, and Disability Activist 1990-present “Disability is articulated as a struggle, an unnecessary burden that one must overcome to the soundtrack of a string crescendo. But disabled lives are multi-faceted—brimming with personality, pride, ambition, love, empathy, and wit.” With Sinéad Burke we’ve officially come to the youngest woman on this list, but her relatively young age hasn’t stopped her from making her mark. Born with achondroplasia (a genetic condition that affects bone growth) in Dublin, Burke started using her voice for good at just 16-years-old, when she created a blog that discussed exclusivity in the fashion industry. At 3 feet, 5 inches tall, Burke works tirelessly to open the conversation in the design community (in clothing and beyond) to better include people of all sizes and those with disabilities. Her work hasn’t gone unnoticed—Burke visited the White House at President Obama’s invitation, won the 2012 Alternative Miss Ireland, has given a TED talk, was the first person of her stature to attend the MET Gala in 2019, and has been featured in British Vogue—among numerous other honors. Additionally, Burke serves as an Ambassador for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Irish Girl Guides, as well as Council of State for the Irish President. Her first book, Break the Mould (a best-selling children’s book that teaches lessons about celebrating peoples’ differences,) was released in 2020, and her hit podcast (As Me with Sinéad) has been running since 2019 (with an impressive list of celebrity guests,) discussing each guest’s life to challenge biases. Dr. Dorothy Price: Physician and Vaccination Advocate 1890-1954 “[I]n the last few years the political and professional position of women in the world has changed.” Dr. Dorothy Price lived an extraordinary life—after being born in Dublin she lived through both World Wars, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, the 1916 Rising from the British side, and the formation of a new Irish state from the Irish side. And she was extraordinary as well—after beginning work in charitable social services and art, she pivoted to medicine at the age of 25 after reflecting on the death of her brother as a child from typhoid fever. Price then became instrumental wherever she went in the care for the sick through multiple waves of illness and the injured through multiple kinds of conflict. But Dr. Price’s most lasting mark came in the form of her vaccination advocacy. When she began her work at St. Ultan’s Hospital in Dublin in 1923, she was able to travel throughout Europe to research medical innovations to bring back to Ireland, including the tuberculin test to diagnose tuberculosis and the BCG vaccine to prevent it. Dr. Price threw herself into learning everything she could about tuberculosis and implementing these preventive measures throughout Ireland despite stiff political opposition—which saved at least tens of thousands of children from death (or at the very least, debilitating illness) and is now credited with ending the mid-20th century Irish tuberculosis epidemic, which had largely affected the young. Dr. Norah Patten: NASA Scientist and Future Astronaut
1987-present “I got a letter from a little girl recently and it meant so much to me. It included a picture of her in a rocket with me and the caption, 'Here's me and Norah going to space.' That's more than I could have ever asked for." Though one Irish man has technically been to space…it was on a private expedition that cost him upwards of $100,000, so we’re not counting it. In contrast, Dr. Norah Patten, a County Mayo born aeronautical engineer, STEM advocate, and NASA scientist, is currently on track to become the first Irish woman to go to space. Dr. Patten has been fascinated by space ever since she was a little girl and followed her dreams from the time she was 11-years-old: from school projects to begging to visit NASA multiple times, all the way to pursuing her degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Aerodynamics (concurrent with a work study job at Boeing.) Once she graduated with her PhD, Dr. Patten continued her work in the field that led to her being one of only 12 people in the world chosen for the Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere project, where she’s done all the preparatory work to become a full-fledged astronaut. Outside of training to literally leave earth, Dr. Patten is big on community outreach and science communication, including her first children’s book Shooting for the Stars (all about her journey, the science of space, and encouraging other young women to pursue their passions.) All rebels in their own way, these women of Ireland represent the resilient and revolutionary spirit we’re so proud to cultivate in our own SRL dancers. We hope Irish dance, much like these amazing Irish women, encourages our dancers to work hard, dream big, and never give up on themselves. From world champ or astronaut to politician or artist—SRL dancers can do anything they aspire to! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about other amazing women in Irish history, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.
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 Amazing Women in Irish History, Part 3 Check out part 1 here and part 2 here. We’re not done yet with our list of amazing women in Irish history! Despite the fact that this could easily be a thousand-part series, we’re here today with part 3 of 4 with yet more incredible Irish females who didn’t let gender stand in the way of their dreams. Ready to be inspired? Here we go… Agnes Mary Clerke: Historian and Astronomer 1842-1907 “The science of the nature of the heavenly bodies... is full of the audacities, the inconsistencies, the imperfections, the possibilities of youth... It promises everything; it has already performed much; it will doubtless perform much more.” Agnes Mary Clerke was a born astronomer—from her childhood in Skibbereen, Ireland where she spent hours with her father looking at the stars and planets through his small telescope. At a precocious 15-years-old she began to write her own history of astronomy, but unfortunately the time she lived in prevented her from attending college. However, her brother, a student at Dublin University, took it upon himself to become Clerke’s personal tutor and she became accomplished in many subjects. She then lived for 10 years in Italy, continuing her informal, but rigorous education in everything from languages and classics to math and, always, astronomy. Clerke spent her life writing numerous books and articles about astronomy (including adding to the 9th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica,) to the point where she’s often described as the first historian on the subject (not to mention her massive impact in the field of astrophysics.) The public loved her work for being both factually accurate and easy to read—so much so that she was the first member of the British Astronomical Association, an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society (as women couldn’t be full members at the time,) and even has a crater on the moon named after her! Mary Harriet “Mainie” Jellett: Modernist Painter 1897-1944 “The art of a nation is one of the ultimate facts by which its spiritual health is judged and appraised by posterity." A true pioneer of her time, Jellett is considered the woman who brought modern art to Ireland. Born in Dublin, Jellett began her instruction in art at the young age of 11. Her constant practice and considerable talent lead to her enrolling in the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin, before spending two years at the Westminster Technical School in England where she studied under the impressionist Walter Sickert. After winning a number of student awards and scholarships, she moved to Paris to continue her artistic education and discovered cubism through working with André Lhote and abstract art through working with Albert Gleizes. In 1923, at only 26-years-old, Jellett returned to Ireland to shock the art scene by exhibiting the first abstract piece of art in Ireland at a Society of Dublin Painters show—which Irish critics unanimously panned. It only took 4 years for the tides to change and Jellett to become a lauded artist, proven by her inclusion in the Irish section of the art exhibition at the 1928 Olympic Games. In the war-torn climate of 1920s-40s Ireland, Jellett’s newly imagined religious subjects gave expression to the anguish and conflict her culture was entrapped in. Katie Taylor: Boxer 1986-present “When you’re so consistent, people have to stand up and take notice. I don’t think people recognize or praise consistency enough.” One of the youngest (but not quite—check back next week!) women on our list, Taylor has always been an athlete, competing in football and camogie throughout secondary school and university. Her love for boxing began at the age of 12, when she began training with her two brothers under their father’s coaching in Bray, leading to Taylor fighting in the first sanctioned female boxing match in Ireland in 2001. At only 15, this was the first in a long career of consistent wins. And the wins truly are numerous since she went professional in 2016--too many to list here—leading to her current status: #1 in Ireland, #1 the world, the undisputed lightweight champion. In 2019 she even became one of only 8 boxers in history (of any gender) to hold all 4 major world titles in boxing simultaneously (WCA, IBF, WBO, and WBC.) She still currently holds all of these titles. But Taylor isn’t so influential just because she’s a winner whose brought a long male-dominated sport into the limelight—she’s an advocate for hard work, giving back to your community, and breaking through any barrier that might stop women from achieving their goals. And at 36, she’s not done: she hopes to compete in the Olympics one day. Lady Mary Heath: Athlete and Aviator
1896-1939 “Woman’s place is in the home, but failing that the airodrome.” Born Sophie Catherine Theresa Mary Pierce-Evans in County Limerick, Lady Heath’s early life was struck by tragedy that led to her being brought up by two maiden aunts who discouraged her unladylike interest in academics and sport. Despite that, she went on to attend the Royal College of Science for Ireland before moving to Kenya with her first husband and publishing a book of poetry. After Kenya the pair moved to London, where she became a founding member of the Women’s Amateur Athletics Association, a javelin, high jump, and pentathlon champion, a delegate for the International Olympic Committee, and a judge in the 1928 Olympics—the first Olympic Games to include women. And this was all before she took the skies! Lady Heath was the first woman to hold a commercial flying license in Britain, the first woman to parachute from a plane, the first woman to gain a mechanic’s qualification in the U.S., as well as setting numerous flying-related altitude records (among other history-making records!) When her fame was at its height, she was one of the best-known women in the world, often called “Britain’s Lady Lindy” (after the famous aviator Charles Lindberg.) Unfortunately, her career ended in 1929 when she was in a terrible accident during the National Air Races in Ohio—she survived, but retired from public life. And that’s not all—check back in nest week for 4 more amazing Irish women! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about other amazing women in Irish history, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Amazing Women in Irish History, Part 2 Catch up with Part 1 here! At SRL, we pride ourselves on helping shape our amazing dancers into incredible young women both in the studio and outside of it. Irish dance is a disciplined artistic sport that helps our dancers learn skills they’ll use their entire lives to succeed in whatever they put their mind to: goal setting, perseverance, and resiliency, to name a few. But it’s not just Irish dance that provides role models—Ireland itself is full of incredible women who broke barriers, went against the odds, and never gave up. Here’s a few more to inspire you: Teresa Deevy: Dramatist, Nationalist, and Women’s Rights Activist 1894-1963 “I don’t think we can start fresh. I don’t think anyone can. Wont we bring ourselves with us?” Often called “Ireland’s Chekhov,” Teresa Deevy spent her life not only adding to the cultural life of Ireland, but to social reform, as well. Deevy was raised in Waterford before going on attend University College Dublin—though she was forced to transfer to university in Cork at the age of 19 when the progression of Méniére’s Disease caused her to go deaf. While Deevy received treatment in Cork, there is still no known cure of the disease and the writer remained deaf for the rest of her life. She pivoted from her original goal of becoming a teacher to becoming a writer instead, all while being heavily involved in the Irish War of Independence, particularly in women’s groups. However, her most lasting contribution to the both the nationalist and feminist efforts came through her writing. Deevy’s plays (and eventually short stories and radio plays) were quietly subversive critiques of the limited options for women, even in supposedly modern society. She was highly critical of the way the Irish Catholic state repressed women, and continuously censored literary works—always making the political into the personal to help the audience connect. While her subversive views lead to her being largely unknown for a time after her death, interest had been revived and her genius has been celebrated in recent decades. Margaret O’Carroll: Queen and Patron of the Arts, Roads, and Bridges ?-1451 "[T]he best woman of the [Gaels] and the one who made the most causeways, churches, books, chalices and all articles useful for the service of a church…” Definitely the most historical figure on this list, Margaret O’Carroll lived so long ago that her birth date has been lost in time. What hasn’t been lost is what she devoted her life to: the betterment of Irish society on a number of fronts. Nicknamed “Mairgréag an Einigh” aka “Margaret the Hospitable” as our first records of her speak of the incredible banquets she hosted, including two in particular in 1433 with over 2,700 people in attendance—reportedly including orphans she was fostering. She also used her elaborate social events to lift up bardic artists, becoming a patron to many herself. Despite being an extremely wealthy queen (as she was the daughter of a queen and as she married the chief of the chief of the Offaly region of Ireland,) O’Carroll humbled herself to complete a traditional pilgrimage during which she commissioned a number of roads, bridges, and other public works projects to improve the lives of the people she passed. On top of all this, she was also a budding ambassador—she successfully negotiated (on her own accord, her husband knowing nothing of her plans,) the exchange of Irish prisoners from British forces in 1445. Kathleen “Kay” McNulty Mauchly Antonelli: Computer Programmer 1921-2006 “Irish immigrants could be just as good, if not better, than anybody.” Born in the midst of the Irish War for Independence, Kay McNulty was a rebel from the start—her father was arrested the night of her birth for his role in the IRA. When McNulty was 2 and her father was released from prison, her entire family immigrated to Pennsylvania. Despite only being able to speak, read, and understand Irish when she arrived, she immediately excelled in school, particularly math—leading a scholarship to attend Chestnut Hill College, where she graduated (with a degree in Math) in 1942. WWII was raging all over the globe, and McNulty immediately contributed her smarts to the war effort—initially in a role known only but the moniker “Computer” where she predicted ballistic trajectories. It wasn’t long before her incredible intelligence distinguished her and she was moved on to a new, top-secret project with five other females “Computers”: programming the ENIAC, aka one of the world’s first electronic computers. McNulty and her cohort, all women, are considered some of the world’s first computer programmers, though they didn’t received almost any recognition for their contributions until 1997 when they were inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame. McNulty continued to program most of her life, all while raising 7 children, though most of her work was under her first husband’s name. Mary Robinson: Ireland’s First Female President
1944-present “I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.” On December 3rd, 1990, Mary Robinson was inaugurated as the 7th president of Ireland, making her the first female president in the country. Before her turn to politics, Robinson received her law degree from Harvard and became a distinguished law professor, as well as a practicing human rights and constitutional lawyer. When elected, she expanded the role of the Irish president further than any of her predecessors, committed to reforming Ireland into a modern country. Robinson did more for the rights of women and other oppressed classes than any Irish president before or since, including decriminalizing homosexuality and contraception, legalizing divorce, and enabling female citizens to sit on juries—leading to her becoming (and remaining) the most popular president Ireland has ever had, with a 93% approval rating. After serving 7 years as president, Robinson stepped down to concentrate on human rights all over the world by serving as the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights. She is still alive today and continues to concentrate on good works--as of 2019 she is the Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice at Ireland premiere university: Trinity College Dublin. But we’re not done yet—there’s just too many incredible Irish women to cover! Check back next Monday for a few more role models to add to your list. This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about other amazing women in Irish history, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Amazing Woman in Irish History, Part 1 While SRL is certainly proud of our male dancers, we’re also all about empowering young women to be strong, confident, and successful leaders in a world that often encourages females to make themselves smaller. Irish dance is certainly full of role models, but Irish dance’s country of origin provides even more examples of women who broke barriers, rocked the system, and didn’t let anything stand in the way of their dreams. There’s too many to cover in one (or two, or three…) parts, but here’s a little sampling of amazing women in Irish history! Lilian Bland: Aviator 1878-1971 “I had proved wrong the many people who had said that no woman could build an aeroplane, and that gave me great satisfaction.” When we Americans think of pioneering female aviators, our first thought is Amelia Earhart—but Lilian Bland not only flew Ireland’s first powered biplane, but was the first woman anywhere to design, build, and fly a plane…all while Earhart was only 12 years old! A bit of a tomboy who loved to watch the birds in Carnmoney while growing up, Bland didn’t let the conventions of her time stop her from doing anything she was interested in. She became a sports journalist and press photographer before attending the first official aviation meeting in Blackpool and becoming obsessed with flying, taking detailed notes as she studied the designs and habits of the male aviators that dominated the scene. Through trial and error, she bravely tested her own inventions before landing on a successful design and flight, even selling her planes and gliders for a short time. Bland eventually traded her obsession with planes for one with motorcars, becoming Ford’s first agent in Northern Ireland! Maria Edgeworth: Novelist 1768-1849 “Those who are animated by hope can perform what would seem impossibilities to those who are under the depressing influence of fear.” Just as we quote Earhart in aviation, most would call Jane Austen one of the first female novelists—but Ireland’s own Maria Edgeworth published her first novel when Austen was still in diapers (though they did eventually become admirers of each others’ work.) She’s still considered today by many to be one of the primary figures in the evolution of the novel. Edgeworth lived all 81 years of her life with her family, never marrying but devoting her life to her loved ones and good works--including her prolific writing for both children and adults. Her mostly quiet life didn’t stop her from taking a firm stand in her work on economic, educational, and political subjects, or from forming friendships with some of the greatest literary minds of the time--Sir Walter Scott and David Ricardo included. While her work is marked by its clear style and humor, as well as rather straightforward morals, it doesn’t hide from topics that often got her in trouble with censors, such as Irish independence and British absenteeism. The end of her life coincided with the Great Famine, during which she used her privilege to serve her community. Veronica Guerin: Journalist 1959-1996 "I am letting the public know exactly how this society operates." Veronica Guerin was truly a modern woman and a jack/jill-of-all-trades: she was an accomplished athlete, playing for both the Irish national basketball and football teams, before starting her professional life as an accountant. She then pivoted into public relations and economic reporting, until settling on the career she’s best known for: investigative journalist. Guerin was known as a bulldog of a reporter, obsessed with getting the first-hand sources, often at a detriment to her personal safety. She used her accounting knowledge to follow the money and was highly respected among both her law enforcement and criminal contacts for her dogged commitment to the facts—though she also made plenty of enemies. There were multiple threats to and attempts on her life between 1994-95, and in 1996, at only 37-years-old, Guerin was taken out in a professional hit by a Dublin drug gang—making her one of 38 international journalists to die in the line of duty that year. Her death caused an uproar all over the country and led to numerous policy changes and even the formation of Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau. Her story was made into a film in 2003, staring Cate Blanchett. Dr. Kathleen Lynn: Medical Doctor, Politician, and Activist
1874-1955 “[E]very child [is] an individual and must know himself, or herself, loved.” Dr. Kathleen Lynn could make this list simply for the fact she graduated from the Catholic University Medical School to become a practicing physician in 1899, but her contributions to Ireland’s history only begin there. After practicing medicine in both the United States and Ireland for over 10 years, her distant relation, Constance Markievicz (more on her next week,) got Lynn involved in the fight for women’s suffrage, labor unions, and Irish independence, as well as both social and health care reform. Lynn had decided to become a doctor after growing up in the aftermath of the Famine, and it was this same experience that turned her into a revolutionary, using her medical skills to support the 1916 uprising. She was arrested for her efforts, but this didn’t stop her—after a brief deportation to England, Lynn was eventually elected the vice president of the Nationalist Sinn Féin party, and into the Dáil Éireann (though she never took her seat, as a form of protest.) While she eventually became fed up with the lack of change she saw in the political sphere, she refocused back to medicine and established Saint Ultan’s Children’s Hospital, a facility which concentrated on helping Dublin’s inner-city, impoverished mothers and children. But this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to incredible women in Irish history—check back next week for more! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about the lack of an Irish Independence day, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Irish Independence Day? We probably don’t need to say it, but: this is a very abbreviated history of incredibly complex topic! Check out this list of suggested books if you’re interested in learning more. Happy Fourth of July (aka American Independence Day) from all of us here at SRL! While we’re taught all about the American Revolution in school as US citizens, most of us probably don’t know much about the Irish counterpart. While technically there’s no equivalent day celebrated in Ireland, what we do have in common is the way we shucked off British rule to become our own nations (at least mostly.) We’re here today to catch you up to speed! First, some background. The British have been involving themselves in Ireland’s business for over 700 years, starting with the original Norman conquest in the 12th century—though Britain didn’t gain full rule of their neighbors until 1541 under Henry VIII. Henry’s famed departure from the Catholic church set up the Irish for religious rifts for years to come, as new Protestants flocked to Ireland to become landlords—displacing the already existing Catholic landholders. 17th century wars solidified Protestant rule in Ireland, much to the native population’s dismay, eventually leading to Ireland’s parliament being dissolved into 1801 when the United Kingdom was formed. But why did England cling so hard to this neighboring nation that clearly wanted them out? The British empire at its height (around 1913-1920) covered an astonishing 13.71 million square miles (almost a quarter of the world’s land) populated by 412 million people (23% of the world’s population at the time.) After centuries of conquest and expansion, the British empire (on which it was said “the sun never sets”) was the largest ever in human history to date—but it still begs the question: why? The simple answer is trade, power, and money (just like most things in human history.) Regarding Ireland specifically, a relatively small, agricultural society, it had more to do with the strategic advantage it offered to a country who relied so heavily on their reputation as a global naval power (and worries about foreign countries using it as a launch point for an enemy invasion.) That, and of course, the conscripted manpower available to them through the Irish populace so their expansion could continue and their power could grow. The Irish War of Independence came much later than you might imagine—lasting from 1919-1921—but those dates don’t account for the violence that proceeded or followed. The Irish population was decimated by the Great Famine (something the Irish at the time and modern scholars largely put on the shoulders of British rule) and the necessary immigration it caused. With Irish numbers decreasing from 8 million to under 5 million, the island suffered a generational economic setback as manpower decreased. Much like the American Revolution, the Irish were fed up with the British taking rather than giving to a nation they claimed was theirs, and the IRA (Irish Republican Army) was born. Those of us in 2022 will largely remember the IRA from its role in The Troubles in Northern Ireland from the 1960s-1990s—but that’s a story for another post (here’s some recommended books to read if you want to learn more!) In their original incarnation, the IRA was also called the “Irish Volunteers” as they were essentially a homegrown, voluntary group of Irish patriots who were against British rule. The 1916 Easter Rising—the week-long armed rebellion in Dublin—left over 500 dead and reinforced the popularity of the Sinn Fein separatist party, showing that Irish public opinion had swayed toward Irish independence. When the party won the General Election in 1918 and declared an Irish Republic (which landed half of parliament in jail,) things began to escalate between the Irish and their British overlords with the IRA at the helm. The first shots of the war were technically fired in 1918, the day the Sinn Fein party first met, but the majority of the violence didn’t begin until 1920. The IRA began using guerilla tactics combat the issue of having smaller numbers and less weaponry (much like the American Revolutionaries,) targeting the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), i.e. the British-run police force in Ireland. The campaign was fairly successful, leaving the IRA in control of much of the countryside by the end of the summer 1920. The British took steps to quell the insurgency by dispatching parliamentary troops made up of WWI veterans called “the Black and Tans”—but this only escalated things further. By the summer of 1921 more than 1,500 people had perished in the conflict, leading to a truce between the southern forces and the British on July 11, 1921. The conflict however, continued in the north and the more solidified agreement, the Anglo-Irish treaty, wasn’t signed until December 6th, 1921—establishing the Irish Free State, made up of 26 of Ireland’s 32 counties (aka the British, as they still do today, retained control of Northern Ireland.) So why not celebrate Irish independence on July 11th or December 6th? Well, because the violence didn’t stop when the treaty was signed. Between scrimmages with the British forces that remained throughout the country and the continued fighting in Northern Ireland, another 1,000 people or so died before the end of 1922. And, on top of that, the Irish Civil War (yet another topic to explore!) broke out in 1922. Essentially, from the Irish perspective, there isn’t really a reason to celebrate those particular days.
So, today, let’s eat our hot dogs and wave our flags—for though America isn’t perfect and certainly had its share of conflicts in the years following 1776 (and continues to do so,) we at least have an end date for the particular conflict that won us out independence. The Irish patriots of the 1910s and 20s have a lot in common with the American ones from 1760s and 70s, though our outcomes, largely due to distance, certainly ended differently. So let us wish a complicated happy 101st anniversary of independence to Ireland, too! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about Granuaile, the pirate queen, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Granuaile, The Pirate Queen Irish history has no lack of strong female role models. From Saint Brigid of Kildare to in the 5th century to women’s rights activist Teresa Deevy, who lived into the 1960s (not to mention all before, between, and after!), Irish women have been breaking through the societal confines of their gender as long as there’s been people on the island. At SRL, we’re all about girl power, so tonight we’re bringing you the story of a headstrong woman in a male-dominated “workplace”--Granuaile, Ireland’s Pirate Queen. Born Grace O’Malley in 1530 in County Mayo to the fierce, seafaring O’Malley clan, Granuaile grew up and was educated in Belclare Castle and on Clare Island. Her family rose to prominence in the 14th century, ruling the southern shore of Clew Bay and the majority of the Murrisk barony for over 300 years. From their early days, clan O’Malley took to piracy, boarding ships that were on their way to or from Galway while taxing all those who fished in their territory. They were a powerful and feared family all throughout Ireland, with their reputation making it all the way to British, French, and Spanish shores where their trading made them rich. Grace was willful and determined from a young age—legend tells that at only 11 years old she pleaded with her father to join him on the sea. He refused (saying her long, red hair would get tangled in the ship’s rigging) and set off, only to find Grace with all her hair shorn off next time he returned home. She had convinced him and from that day forth was known on all the ships she worked on and eventually commanded as “Gráinne ni Mhaille” aka “Bald Grace”—a name which morphed into the almost mythical title of Granuaile. At the age of 15, Granuaile married the son of equally influential O’Flaherty clan, Donal O’Flaherty, heir to yet another family known for their seafaring and piratical ways. The pair quickly had three children—Owen, Margaret, and Murrough— all while Granuaile continued to rise in her fleets’ esteem as a fearless leader. Donal died when Granuaile was only 23, making her head of both the O’Malley and O’Flaherty families (despite there being male heirs able to take over!) She would marry one more time—another political alliance with Richard Burke—who she famously “divorced” by calling to him through a window: “Richard Burke, I dismiss you” after one year of marriage. She kept control of much of his lands. Her life continued to prove to be legendary and boundary-breaking until her death in 1603 at Rockfleet Castle, one of her many properties (including the O’Malley Castle, Doona, and Kildavnet—her reach extending all throughout the Mayo region.) It’s said she slept with the mooring ropes of her ship strung through her bedroom window so she could board her own ship at a moment’s notice and had an elaborate colored smoke signal system to communicate between her strongholds. Her one son with Richard Burke, Toby Burke aka “Tiobóid na Long or "Toby of the Ships,” was born in 1567 and was so named because Granuaile notably gave birth at sea. Not only that, but within an hour of his birth the ship was attacked by Algerian pirates. Rather than continue to recover, Granuaile appeared on the deck, wrapped in a blanket, and lead her crew into battle. They won. Her most famous exploit, however, was her meeting with Elizabeth I. When the British captured brother and her two sons, Granuaile sailed up the Thames herself to petition the crown for their release. Granuaile and Elizabeth met at Greenwich Castle in September of 1593, a meeting during which Granuaile refused to bow as she was a Queen herself and recognized no other. The parlay was a success with the prisoners returned on the condition Granuaile and her fleets cease harrying British ships. Though Granuaile would eventually support the Irish insurgents who resisted British rule, she did end her piracy against the British and the two queens were said to have mutual respect for each other--they even died in the same year! As a pirate (and a woman who broke societal norms,) much of the Irish histories, which were typically written by monks, erased Granuaile from their annals. Today, most period accurate accounts we have of her life come from the British—but the Irish are attempting to rectify that. In 2021, the Mayo City Council, in conjunction with Ireland’s largest tourism board (Failte Ireland,) announced a plan to create a “Pirate Trail” honoring Granuaile and her place in Irish history. The plan is to post sign posts throughout the Mayo region, leading people through the history of the Grace O’Malley’s historic, intrepid lifetime. This comes on the heels of 100 years of Irish independence from the British, celebrating Granuaile as “one of the last Irish leaders to defend against English rule in Ireland.”
While a pirate may not technically be a role model for young women, someone like Grace O’Malley, who chases her dreams and breaks through the proverbial glass ceiling, certainly is. We might not condone the looting, plundering, and commandeering, we can condone someone who bucks society’s expectation of women. Strong, bold, and brave—just like our SRL dancers! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish History post, all about Irish inventors, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Read our last ten fun facts here! 1. The first documented immigrant that passed through Ellis Island hailed from Cork! The 17-year-old girl was named Annie Moore and she was traveling with her two younger brothers to reunite with the rest of their family in New York City on New Year’s Day 1892. 2. There’s a reason Ireland’s so green--County Dublin is home to over 130 named rivers and streams, not to mention innumerable unnamed tributaries! Some of the best names? Bloody Stream, Cemetery Drain, Cuckoo Stream, Kill o’ the Grange Stream, Little Dargle River, River Poddle, Robinhood Stream, Scribblestown Stream, and Sruh Croppa River are some of the most notable! 3. Limerick was briefly a Soviet City. During the War for Independence, the British government declared the area a Special Military Area—but the locals weren’t having it. The Limerick Trade and Labour Council went on strike in protest and declared the city “Irish Soviet.” They went so far as to print their own money and organize food supplies, despite the fact this only lasted for 12 days—April 15th-27th, 1919! 4. One of the most experienced early Antarctic explorers, Tom Crean, was from County Kerry. He was born in Annascaul and went on to join both the Discovery and Terra Nova expeditions (led by the even more famous Captain Robert Falcon Scott,) as well as Ernest Shackleton’s mission aboard the Endurance. He survived it all and went on to open a pub back in Ireland called The South Pole Inn. It’s still in operation today! 5. The first motorboat race in the world (and an international competition, to boot) was held in Cork in 1903! It’s was called the Harmsworth Cup (though it’s now more popularly referred to as the Harmsworth Trophy,) was held in the town of Cobh, and was held through 2011! 6. Little known fact: famed boxer Muhammed Ali has an Irish ancestor—with ties to County Clare in particular. Abe Grady, Ali’s great-grandfather, was born in Ennis before he immigrated to America in 1860. He later married an emancipated slave who became Ali’s great-grandmother. 7. Galway has the largest Gaeltacht (aka “Irish-speaking community” that typically holds fast to Irish traditions and culture) in Europe (and thus, in the world.) Unfortunately, a recent study showed that up to 70% of people in Gaeltacht areas don’t speak Irish (aka Gaeilge) daily (meaning only roughly 27,000 people use it every day,) though there are many movements that hope to preserve the language. 8. While the words “Ireland” and “surfing” don’t seem to have much in common, people have been surfing in Ireland since a man named Joe Roddy cobbled together Ireland’s first surfboard together from spare pieces of furniture in 1949. The sport is currently having a surge of popularity in Ireland—especially as one of the world’s biggest, surfable waves breaks regularly in Mullaghmore, County Donegal. 9. Valentina Island in County Cork is home to the world’s oldest known footprints! Discovered in 1993 by an undergraduate geology student, these tetrapod tracks are thought to be 385 million years old.
10. Dublin is a UNESCO “City of Literature.” This honor was bestowed as acknowledgement for having produced so many literary giants including, but not limited to: Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, and Bram Stoker, as well as Nobel laureates W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, and Seamus Heaney. (The other recognized cities are: Norwich in England, Iowa City in the USA, Edinburgh in Scotland, Melbourne in Australia, and Reykjavik in Iceland.) This post is part of a series. Read our last fun facts post here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Read our last ten fun facts here. 1. Newgrange, an exceptionally large and well-preserved grand passage tomb built by prehistoric farmers, is 5,200 years old (having been built around 3200 BC.) Located in County Meath, near the River Boyne, this monument is older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge! 2. While there’s a long-standing a negative stereotypes about Irish aggression (due in largely to The Troubles,) Ireland’s real legacy is that of peaceful protest. Daniel O’Connell, an Irish nationalist and revolutionary, didn’t want to repeat the violent upheavals France had suffered and instead advocated for nonviolent measures during his successful Catholic Emancipation movement in the first half of the 19th century (leading the way for Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others.) 3. Currently, 17% of people living in Ireland are of foreign birth. 46% of these new inhabitants arrived in just the last 5 years, putting Ireland far ahead of most OCED countries (with a 22% average.) This is a steep increase is likely due to Ireland joining the EU as 20 years ago that number was only 2%! 4. The President of Ireland plays a slightly different role than ours (beyond the fact that while he’s elected by the people, he serves a 7-year term!) While he has certain powers, the actual head of government is the Taoiseach (Ireland’s Prime Minister)—a person appointed by the president! 5. Speaking of presidents, 23 out of the 46 presidents the United States has had since its founding have at least some Irish ancestry. And that includes 6 of the last 7—Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, Obama, and Biden! (Though JFK’s the president we think of when we think Irish!) 6. On the flip side, Ireland has the highest net emigration level in Europe, with approximately 1 in 6 people over the age of 15 living abroad. That’s about 17.5% of the population! 7. The first potato planted in Ireland (which, despite them being an Irish staple now, didn’t happen until 1589) was planted in Cork by Sir Walter Raleigh (yes, that guy from Disney’s Pocahontas--though that was a pretty skewed version!) The potato isn’t native to Europe, but rather, Peru! 8. Dublin was founded by Vikings—not once, but twice. First, in 841 AD, and then again in 917 (Scandinavian settlers were briefly expelled in 902, but they came back.) It stuck the second time, becoming an extremely wealthy port city that’s remained the hub of Ireland’s political life ever since!
9. But modern Dublin is considered Europe’s answer to the U.S.’s Silicon Valley—in the last 20 years, the city has become the European base to some of the largest tech companies in the world. This largely has to do with the fact it’s considered a tax haven for large companies, leading Google, Etsy, and Facebook, among others, to land there. 10. There’s no direct translation of the words “yes” or “no” in Irish (aka Irish Gaelic or Gaeilge.) While this sounds impossible to English-speakers, it just means the Irish need to use a few extra words in order to reply with the negative or positive. (I.e. If you ask “Would you like…?” in Irish, you could respond: Ba mhaith liom i.e. “I would like…”) This post is part of a series. Read our last fun facts post here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Irish Inventions, Part 3 Check out part 1 and part 2 first! 1. The “bacon rasher” (aka English/Irish bacon versus the “streaky bacon” we colonists prefer,) was invented by Waterford butcher Henry Denny in 1820. This technique—cutting thin slices of pork loin and sandwiching them in between layers of salt to better cure it aka give it a longer shelf life—allowed for the long-distance distribution of meat, opening Ireland’s meat production to buyers beyond its shores. 2. Less delicious, but equally innovative, Castlebar-born Louis Brennan invented the guided torpedo in 1874. Though he started his career as a watchmaker, his patent for his invention was reportedly purchased by the British War Office for over £100,000 (more than 12 million pounds today.) 3. Born in Wexford, Ireland in 1822, Dr. Arthur Leared is now best known for inventing the binaural stethoscope—but only years later! The good doctor presented his work at the 1851 Great Exhibition and the next year an American named George Camman had created the first commercially sold stethoscope…but history has righted things, and we all know the truth now. 4. Did you know croquet, the mainstay of very English gardens, is actually, originally Irish? The game of croquet was invented as far back as the 1830s by the Archbishop of Tuam in County Galway. He even hosted tournaments—the popularity of which made sure the English had their hands on the game by the 1850s. 5. Known as “the father of emergency medicine, Professor Frank Pantridge is the inventor of the portable defibrillator. Born in County Down, the cardiologist’s medical training was interrupted by WWII, but he survived and went on to conceive of this device that’s now saved countless lives by 1965. 6. Speaking of life-saving medical marvels, we can’t forget the likes of Dr. James Barry, who performed the first successful cesarian section in 1826. Dr. Barry was born as Margaret Ann Bulkley in Cork in 1789, and kept the secret of her birth gender until her death in 1865, saving countless lives as a doctor (which she couldn’t have worked as if the truth was known) and obstetrician in her lifetime. 7. County Down-born Harry Ferguson is the man we have to thank for much of the food on our tables—he invented the modern tractor in 1936. His real break came when Henry Ford decided to back the project in 1939, allowing for a larger commercial production, but that relationship soured and the two were caught up in litigation for years. Still beats the plough! 8. Dubliner Walter Gordon is another military inventor—he’s who we have to thank for the tank! An engineer for the British forces during WWI, helped shock and overrun the German forces on the Somme in 1916, though the original design has been much improved in subsequent years. 9. Though Sir Charles Algernon Parsons was born in London, his heritage was Irish—he was the son of the Earl of Rosse, with a family seat at Birr Castle in County Offlay. Parsons’s father was known for interest in astronomy, but Parsons set his sights down to earth, where he invented the steam engine in 1884 and helped pioneer the use of electricity. 10. And lastly, we have Irish-American immigrant and laborer Humphrey O’Sullivan, who invented the rubber soled shoe. O’Sullivan worked at a print shop in Lowell, Massachusetts, and was suffering from fatigue from standing on hard floors all day—so he nailed a rubber floor mat to the bottom of his shoes. He started production in 1899 with only a $7k investment, selling the business in 1908 for approximately $4 million!
We hope all these incredible Irish inventors inspire you to go out and create, solve problems, and make the world a better place! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish History post, all about Irish Nobel Laureates, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Irish Nobel Laureates, Part 2 We’re back with the second half (and then some) of Ireland’s Nobel laureates (if you missed part 1, check it out here.) Seán MacBride: Peace, 1974 MacBride was born in 1904 in Paris, but his Irish heritage and his father’s death in the struggle for Irish liberation led to him joining the IRA by the age of 13. He parted ways with the IRA in the 1930s (though he continued to use his law degree to helped defend members,) and went on to receive his prize "for his efforts to secure and develop human rights throughout the world." MacBride served as an Irish politician in a variety of roles throughout his life, but was also a member of the United Nations, the International Peace Bureau, and founded Amnesty International, among other peace-keeping efforts. Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams: Peace, 1976 Together, Maguire and Williams founded the Northern Ireland Peace Movement (later renamed Community of Peace People,) and shared their award "for the courageous efforts in founding a movement to put an end to the violent conflict in Northern Ireland." The only women on this list, both were born in Belfast in the early 1940s, they spearheaded the women’s peace movement, drawing women of disparate communities together to protest the violence they were living in the midst of. Their efforts have been credited in reducing the death toll by half. Seamus Heaney: Literature, 1995 Heaney, the eldest of nine children raised in County Derry, was born in 1939 and is one of the major poets of the 20th century. The committee gave Heaney his award, after his lifetime work of over 20 volumes of poetry and criticism that explored both modern and mythic Ireland, "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past." Heaney collected innumerable accolades throughout his life and taught at both Harvard and Oxford--learn more about his work in our post about contemporary Irish poets. John Hume and David Trimble: Peace, 1998 Both from Northern Ireland, Hume and Trimble share their prize, awarded "for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland." Hume was a Londonderry-born politician who was not only the leader of the Social and Democratic Labour Party in Northern Ireland, but served as a minister in British Parliament, the European Parliament, and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Belfast-born Trimble was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and a member of British Parliament—and together the two men helped broker the Good Friday Agreement, a multiparty peace accord that helped stop the violence that plagued Northern Ireland. William C. Campbell: Physiology or Medicine, 2015
Our most recent Irish Nobel laureate, Ramelton-born Campbell, received his award for looking to solve problems further abroad than his home country, specifically “for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites.” Along with his colleagues (his award is shared,) Campbell looked for an easier cure for diseases that largest affect the most impoverished countries on earth (roundworm parasites can cause blindness, along with chronic and disfiguring swelling.) Campbell’s treatment consists of an oral pill that paralyses and destroys the worm, and he even helped persuade his institute, Merck, to donate large amounts of the medicine through the WHO. Though Ireland didn’t win any awards in the 2021 ceremony, keep an eye out for 2022—the Irish have a lot more to give the world! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about the phrase "the luck of the Irish," here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  The Goddess Ériu and the Etymology of Ireland Etymology, the study of the origin and development of words, is a tricky beast—some words we still use today predate written language and none so much as in a place like Ireland, with such a strong oral tradition. Tracking down the true source of words in the Irish language can be a bit of a wild goose chase, except on the off chance there’s a story behind it. March is indisputably the month of Ireland, especially at an Irish dance school, so today we’re diving into why Ireland’s called Ireland—a myth as old as any on the island, as it refers to the mother of the land itself. The name for Ireland in Irish is Éire, a word meaning “bountiful,” “plentiful,” and “abundant,” which is derived from the name Ériu (and its anglicized version—Erin)—a goddess in ancient, Irish mythology. First described in print in the 11th century text The Book of the Taking of Ireland (i.e. Lebor Gabála Érenn,) Éiru is known as a sovereignty goddess, representing the country and the land itself in the form of a woman. Together with her two sisters, the lesser known Banba and Fódla (aka a trinity, a symbol strongly connected with Irish culture,) this triumvirate of goddesses were known by a number of epithets: the fair women, a famous throng, the clear voice of achievement, and the bright women of spirited speech. But why is the island named after Ériu? Legend tells us that when the Milesians invaded Ireland, Éiru and her sisters, members and rulers of the race of the god-like Tuatha Dé Danann, stood against the colonizers, demanding they leave. When the tides began to turn against the Tuatha in the battle for their land, Éiru and her sisters each took the high ground on top of their favorite hilltops to concede to the invaders, on one condition: that the land be named after them so their names would be remembered. The Milesians—Gaels who traveled through Spain in order to reach their new home, ancestors of those we consider Irish today—agreed, but as Éiru was standing on top of the sacred peak of Uisneach, hers became the main name used (though Banba and Fódla remain poetic terms for Ireland.) Over time, Éiru has become a personification of Ireland, appearing in innumerable nationalist poems and songs into the modern era. Using the concept of Ireland as a woman, often weeping and emotive over the state of the country, has been used for years as a way to stoke the fire in the hearts of Irish patriots. One of the best known pieces of literature that uses this trope is William Dreannan’s 1884 poem “When Erin First Rose,” which is also considered the text that first called Ireland “the Emerald Isle”: When Erin first rose from the dark swelling flood,
God bless’d the green island and saw it was good; The em’rald of Europe, it sparkled and shone, In the ring of the world the most precious stone. Of course, we know it even better in slogan form, as in: Erin Go Bragh! The anglicization of Éire go Brách, meaning literally “Ireland till the end of all time,” this rallying cry stems from the Irish rebellion of 1798. (Though it’s still often used today as the motto of Irish athletics clubs, politics parties, and even war battalions with Irish members in other countries, as a song or poem title, and generally to expressed Irish national pride.) One more fun fact? If you remove the accent from the e (i.e. “eire” instead of “Éire,”) the name of the country transforms into Irish word for burden—a fact that, with Ireland’s complex political history, must get a chuckle out of the Irish. Erin Go Bragh and praise Éiru! This post is part of a series. Read our last folklore post, all about Irish winter superstitions, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.   Volume XXI Children’s Book Recs, Part 3 St. Patrick’s Day Edition! What better way to get your dancer excited about St. Patrick’s Day than a good book? We’ve gathered five books themed around March 17th and all the traditions that come with the holiday here for you! (And if you’d like a few more suggestions, check out our first two sets of Irish children’s book recommendations here and here!) 1. The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day, Natasha Wing Illustrated by Amy Wummer Wing’s imaginative tale is part of a series of “The Night Before…” books, all modeled after (and in the verse form of) the Christmas classic, but taking place just before alternative holidays. Full of humor and whimsy, the story follows siblings Tim and Maureen as they stay up the night before this Irish holiday setting traps to catch, you guessed it, a leprechaun! The story breaks from its source material by extending into the next day, when the kids awaken to the smell of green eggs cooking and the sound of Dad’s bagpipes (no, this isn’t a mistake, there’s Irish bagpipes too!) But what are they supposed to do when they realize their trap actually worked? Will they be able to get the leprechaun to lead them to his pot of gold, or will the little trickster outsmart them? If you want a preview of the story before buying, check out a read along here!  2. A Fine St. Patrick’s Day, Susan Wojciechowski Illustrated by Tom Curry With a moral that stays solid rather than straying into the saccharine, Wojciechowski brings readers the story of two rival villages: Tralee and Tralah, who compete each year in a St. Patrick’s Day decoration contest. Our heroine, feisty but kind six-year-old Fiona O’Reilly, lives in Tralee—the town who’s never quite won the golden shamrock for best decorations, but she knows this will be their year. But when a small stranger appears in Tralah needing help to rescue his cows, only to be turned away by the busy villagers, Fiona is the one who keeps her priorities in check. Rallying her own town to the man’s aid, even though it takes them away from their contest preparations, Fiona’s kindness (and the town’s) is rewarded with a little Irish magic! Richly illustrated with gorgeous, bold paintings of a bucolic green countryside, this tale is one of cooperation and compassion over personal gain. See a read along of the story here!  3. Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland, Tomie dePaola If you want to go with a slightly more historical route, check out renowned author-illustrator Tomie dePaola’s child-friendly account of the man the holiday is named for! A Connecticut native (Meriden-born!), dePaola is the product of an Irish-Italian upbringing and his bold and rounded, simple but effective, artistic style is immediately familiar to anyone who was a child from the 1970s-today. Best known for his Strega Nona books, among others, dePaola brings the folktales and customs of a variety of cultures to life, including his own Irish heritage (this book about St. Patrick is one of many!) The narrative covers both all we know to be true about St. Patrick—from his noble upbringing to his captivity in Ireland and subsequent visions that led him to his spiritual vocation—and all the rumored folklore (from driving out the snakes to his association with the shamrock.) As dePaola has won virtually every awards a children’s book author can, you know this one will be both entertaining and educational!  4. Tim O’Toole and the Wee Folk, Gerald McDermott Caldecott Medalist author-illustrator McDermott is, like dePaola, known for his impressively diverse work that travels the globe to teach children about different cultural mythologies. And among his man tales, we have one that focuses on the most popular of Irish myths: the leprechaun. Based on a tale common to many mythologies—a man who wins three magical gifts/wishes—McDermott brings this familiar tale to new life with his “well-honed, Irish lilt” and “lively, expressive” illustrations. This story of a poor Irishman and his wife (Tim and Kathleen) who stumble upon some kindly, but mischievous leprechauns (and the dastardly landlord Mr. McGoon!) is both a delight for kids and teaches an important lesson about following directions! Enjoy this read-along before buying!  5. The O’Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, Una Leavy
Illustrated by Susan Field Irish author and poet Leavy brings ten classic tales from her homeland’s lore to life in this richly illustrated collection. Irish fairy tales are sweeping epic stories of bravery, lost love, and the oldest magics, certain to enchant readers of all ages. From tricky leprechauns (certainly a theme in all St. Patrick’s Day books!) and Oisín’s descent into Tir na nÓg to the sad tale of the Children of Lir, Leavy’s training as a poet, as well as Irish oral tradition, shines through her beautifully told takes on the age-old fables. Complete with an Irish Gaelic pronunciation guide that will help you and your dancer read along, this book captures the true spirit of St. Patrick’s Day in its skillful and faithful adherence to Irish cultural tradition. Not to mention the beautiful illustrations—which Field has said were all inspired by ancient, Celtic artwork—that help you see these tales through new eyes. (And consider trying the audiobook simultaneously—narrator Aoife McMahon’s beautiful accent does wonders to make you feel like you’re really in old Ireland as you read!) We hope these get you and your dancer into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit--Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit! This post is part of a series. Read our modern Ireland post, all about NUI Galway, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Luck of the Irish With roughly 32 million people in the U.S. now claiming Irish descent (with at least one in every county,) it can be easy to overlook the difficult history of the Irish immigrant within the States. Many of the stereotypes of the Irish we still hold on to today, ones that rear their ugly heads most prominently every year in March, were born from a legacy of intolerance and purposeful cruelty. Claims of the Irish as heavy drinking (even though pubs were closed by law on Saint Patrick’s Day until the 1970s,) red-haired (only about 10% of Irish people are redheads,) hot-tempered (though there are finally calls to combat the offensive “Fighting Irish” Notre Dame mascot in recent years and Ireland is known for its lack of serious violent crime,) deeply religious (though the number of people in Ireland who don’t identify with any religion has risen over 70% in recent years and are the second largest “religious” group in the country,) and as liars (plainly defamatory and probably stemming from the Irish tradition of storytelling and oral history) may be more of a joking matter now, but were once the basis for very real and harmful discrimination. There’s one stereotype that seems like it couldn’t possibly be harmful, but like most origins, has a darker side: the luck of the Irish. These days we associate the phrase with rainbows, leprechauns, and pots of gold—though only one of those items is at all related. The fact of the matter is, the phrase “the luck of the Irish” was originally meant to be derogatory. Edward T. O’Donnell, an Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross College, has determined the phrase has a western American origin, linked to the silver and gold rushes in the second half of the 19th century. As many of the most successful miners in this period proved to be Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans, the term “the luck of the Irish” found its feet—but not in a congratulatory way. Rather, the phrase was meant to imply that its only by sheer, dumb luck that the Irish were succeeding, rather than through their intelligence or hard work. This stereotype, of the Irish as lazy or dumb (tell that to a country with the highest rate of third level education in the EU,) coupled with the many others, led to a decidedly negative experience for the Irish immigrant during this time period. In fact, life in 19th century America was certainly far from lucky for many Irish immigrants—many of whom never even made it across the Atlantic as they fled the Famine, leading to the term “coffin ships” for Irish vessels docking on the Eastern seaboard. If you made it to the U.S., you may have been greeted with “No Irish Need Apply” signs or signs in boarding house windows that said “No Dogs, No Irish” (these remained common in Britain into the 1950s.) And these examples are only the tip of proverbial iceberg—the full weight of the troubles the Irish suffered in America could, and does, fill many books. As the Irish were considered barbaric, savage heathens by the invading British as far back as our records go, that close-minded attitude continued to affect the U.S. populace long after we severed our ties from England.
This month we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day—and we’re not here to rain on that parade (fingers crossed it’s a beautiful day for the Hartford one!) However, as we don our green clothing and drink our green beers, it’s important to remember that our country hasn’t always celebrated all things Irish and pay respect to the more complicated history that lies behind us. While Irish luck has certainly turned in the past century as the Irish have spread across the globe, reminding ourselves of history is the best way to make sure we don’t repeat it. This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about Irish inventions, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Irish Inventions, Part 2 Catch up on part 1 here! 1. While Robert Fulton was technically born in Pennsylvania, it was in 1765, (before it was America,) so we’re counting this son of Kilkenny immigrants as Irish. He’s not only credited with perfecting the steamboat, but is the inventor of the submarine (in 1800, no less!) 2. Dr. William Brooke O'Shaughnessy was born in Limerick in 1809 and would go on become a visionary in both the worlds of telegraphy and medical science. Not only did he bring the use of the telegraph to India in the 1840s and vastly improved upon the system there, but years before that innovation, he also managed to establish a cure for cholera—the first use of intravenous (IV) therapy. 3. Born in Dungarvan in 1903 as the son of a Methodist Minister, Ernest Walton went on to become a Nobel Prize winning Physicist for his work with his English colleague, John Cockcroft--the two men were the first to artificially split an atom. The device that achieved this, the Cockcroft-Walton Accelerator, was the precursor to projects like the Large Hadron Collider. 4. Ironically, a man by the name of Aeneas Coffey was responsible for a revolutionary invention in service of another beverage—whiskey. Born in Dublin in 1780, Coffey is the inventor of the patent still, a closed-system whiskey still that helped standardize the distilling process and create a smoother beverage with a higher ABV. 5. John Tyndall, a Leighlinbridge-born scientist working in the mid-1800s, discovered in 1859 that that gases (like carbon dioxide and water vapor) can absorb heat, i.e. infrared radiation (i.e. he helped invent the science of climate change!) While he can’t fully claim the discovery of the greenhouse effect (an amateur, American scientist named Eunice Foote made the connection in 1856)—he did make his discovery simultaneously with no knowledge of Foote’s work and is credited with applying that knowledge to explaining why the sky is blue. 6. If you’ve ever taken a chemistry class, Lismore-born 17th-century scientist Robert Boyle will sound familiar. Considered the father of the modern chemistry, he’s best remembered these days for Boyle’s Law: the discover that the volume of a gas decreases with increasing pressure (and vice versa.) He also invented the first vacuum pump—a way to create a small-space vacuum chamber for scientific experimentation. 8. Born in Dublin in 1810, Robert Mallet essentially invented the science of earthquakes and is thus called “the father of the seismology” (he even coined the word—and the word “epicenter.”) His work (with his son as his partner) includes the first known photographs of earthquake devastation and the creation of isoseismal maps.
9. Ireland has been through it when it comes to political oppression, so it’s no surprise that the Irish are the inventor of the word and concept of “boycott.” When Charles Cunningham Boycott, an English agent in County Mayo, evicted 11 tenants in 1880, the locals set about on a campaign of isolation—shops in the area refused to serve him, and he became unable to leave his house due to the mob outside. 10. Dublin-born Lucien Bull was a pioneer of “chronophotography,” defined as high speed photograph that created “a set of photographs of a moving object, taken for the purpose of recording and exhibiting successive phases of motion.” Essentially, the precursor to modern cinematography and animation. He also, in a completely different field, invented an improved version of an electrocardiogram (EEG,) similar to what we still use today! But we're not done yet...there's a part 3 coming! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish History post, all about Irish Nobel Laureates, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Irish Nobel Laureates, Part 1 We’ve all heard of the Nobel Prize and know it’s an incredible honor, but what are they exactly? Simply put, they’re intended to be “the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world.” Conceived of (and continuously funded) by Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel in 1895, the awards have run every year since 1901 in five categories: Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. A sixth award, for Economics, was added in 1968 (funded by the Bank of Sweden.) Today we’re going to explore many of the Irish winners over the prize’s 120-year history (including those from Northern Ireland, of course! Less than half of people in Northern Ireland reportedly think of themselves as British, despite being a part of the UK, after all.) W.B. Yeats: Literature, 1923 Yeats was born in Dublin in 1865 and is considered one of the foremost figures in 20th century literature (and also served as a Senator for the Irish Free State.) He was a poet, a dramatist, and a prose writer who, despite being born into the ruling Protestant, Anglo-Irish minority, both clung to and celebrated his Irish roots throughout his lifetime body of work. The Nobel committee chose Yeats in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." George Bernard Shaw: Literature, 1925 Another Dublin born writer (1856,) Shaw was a comic dramatist, social propagandist, satirist, and literary critic. He was chosen to receive his award "for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty." Despite his often-controversial opinions, his more than sixty plays are infused with his dedication to political activism and change, and their influence continues to be felt 70 years after his death. Ernest T.S. Walton: Physics, 1951 Walton was given his award with his research partner, British Sir John Douglas Cockcroft, "for their pioneer work on the transmutation of atomic nuclei by artificially accelerated atomic particles." Born in Dungarvan in 1903, Walton’s work at Cambridge with Cockcroft led to the development of the Cockcroft-Walton generator, which split the atom artificially for the first time—and led to our ability to create particle accelerators. This device allowed scientific research in particle physics to move forward exponentially. Samuel Beckett: Literature, 1969
The third Dublin-born writer on this list (1906,) Beckett was given his award "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation." Beckett wrote in both French and English, and his most influential works were all produced in a highly productive period in the 1940s after his experiences as part of the French resistance during WWII. During his lifetime, he was a poet, translator, director, novelist, short story writer, and dramatist—all of his work was imbued with his intensely dark humor. But there’s still five more to go! Keep an eye on the blog for the next installment of Irish intellectual excellence! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about love stories in Irish history, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Real Life Irish Love Stories, Part 2 Valentine’s might be a few days gone, but we’re stretching the celebration of love into a week this year by coming back with a part 2 (check out part 1 here!) of love stories in Irish history. While Irish love stories may not always be happy ones, they are often the big, beautiful, epic love stories we associate with literature and poetry…except these ones are real. As another ill-fated lover in Irish history, Oscar Wilde, once said: “The truth is rarely pure and never simple, ” and, even more appropriately, “Hearts are made to be broken.” Charles Stewart Parnell and Kitty O’Shea A bit of a scandalous story, but one beloved in Irish history all the same, Parnell was known as the “uncrowned king of Ireland” before he met Kitty O’Shea. Parnell was a formidable Irish politician in the late 19th century who wielded almost unheard of power in his campaign against British rule, making him a hero to all of Ireland as he backed the bid for Irish independence (even the British were impressed!) But public favor turned against him when it was revealed he had risked his career for love of a married woman—Kitty O’Shea, wife of fellow politician, Captain O’Shea. Many people knew of the affair, including O’Shea (it was called “the worst kept secret in London,”) as the couple had been together for many years and even had multiple children together. The real scandal came when O’Shea filed for divorce (he had been waiting for an inheritance from one of Kitty’s relatives that never came,) something unheard of in highly Catholic Ireland. O’Shea spitefully made the divorce as public as possible, which caused Parnell to be forced to step down from his position as the leader of the Irish party lest he destroy Ireland’s chance at independence. Parnell and Kitty married in a register office when they were denied a church wedding, and lived the rest of their short lives in obscurity—but at least together. Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan Michael Collins was an Irish nationalist revolutionary who was imprisoned, but luckily not executed, for his part in the Easter Rising of 1916—after which he met Kitty Kiernan, the daughter of wealthy landowners in Longford in 1917. After a bit of a competition for her affection between Collins and his friend, Harry Boland, Kiernan chose Collins and they embarked on a love affair that would last the rest of Collins’s life. Shortly after their first meeting, the couple was engaged to be married, but as Collins became a major player in the Irish resistance to British rule, him and Kiernan often found themselves separated. As Collins became a brilliant tactician and made devastating blows against English forces, he wrote to Kiernan every day of his love for her--over 300 letters. His hard work led to the Anglo-Irish treaty, but even as he signed it, Collins knew many would disagree with how many concessions he had made—and he was right. The signing of the treaty was the beginning of the Irish Civil War, which led to Collins’s eventual death at the hands of an anti-treaty faction. While Kiernan was inconsolable for a time, she did eventually marry—though she kept a portrait of Collins hung in her home for the rest of her life, and even named her second son Michael Collins Cronin, as proof of her enduring love. Patrick Kavanaugh and Dr. Hilda Moriarty
As many Irish love stories begin, this one too begins with a poet: this time, with impoverished poet Patrick Kavanaugh and his love for a young medical student named Hilda Moriarty. When Kavanaugh moved to Dublin from Monaghan he first lived in a boarding house on Baggot Street, near Raglan Road, where he first spotted a beautiful, dark-haired young woman he immediately fell for. The paired dated for a short time before Moriarty moved on at her parent’s behest (and because of her own disinterest,) largely owing to the fact that there was 18 years between them—Hilda was 22 when they met, and Kavanaugh 40. But while Moriarty finished her medical degree and went on to marry Donagh O’Malley (a political leader under multiple Irish governments, eventually the Minister for Education,) Kavanaugh never stopped loving Moriarty and even immortalized his love in verse. Kavanaugh’s poem “Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away” (Miriam being his pseudonym for Hilda to save her any embarrassment) eventually became the beloved Irish song “Raglan Road,” known best for its opening: “On Raglan Road on an autumn day I saw her first and knew / That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue.” Kavanaugh became a lauded name in Irish poetry over his lifetime and when the documentary Gentle Tiger was made about him after his death in 1987, Hilda Moriarty was interviewed about her influence on his work and opened up about their continued friendship that had led to some of his greatest work. Next week we’ll be back with something more uplifting, but we’ll leave you with one more Oscar Wilde quote to lift your spirits: “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” Aka, we know when to sign off. Happy Valentine’s Day! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, with three more love stories from Irish history, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Real Life Irish Love Stories, Part 1 We’ve covered it before: Irish love stories tend to be tragic ones, and it’s thought that this tradition (old as it—going back before the written word into mythic times) has been a major influence on dramatic love stories throughout the ages. But for every myth, theatric, and literary romance, Irish history has a real-life love story that matches up to the imagination. From the tragic to the beautiful (with most somewhere in between,) we’ve gathered a few of Ireland’s most epic, historical romances this Valentine’s Day! William Butler Yeats and Maud Gonne W.B. Yeats is one of Ireland’s most famous and lauded poets, and the inspiration behind much of his work was the striking actress and Irish republican activist Maud Gonne. Gonne was significantly younger than Yeats when they met in 1889, and not particularly interested in his pursuit of her. Yeats proposed not once, not twice, but at least four separate times by the early 1890s—and she turned him down each time, though they remained friends. His love for her resulted in some of his most iconic lines, such as the last lines of “He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven”: “I have spread my dreams under your feet; / Tread softly for you tread on my dreams.” When Yeats tried to insist he couldn’t be happy without Gonne, she is said to have replied in 1914 (25 years after their first meeting!): “Oh yes you are, because you make beautiful poetry out of what you call your unhappiness and you are happy in that. Marriage would be such a dull affair. Poets should never marry. The world should thank me for not marrying you.” Yeats proposed once more in 1917, after Gonne’s husband was executed for his part in the 1916 Easter Rising, but she remained steadfast in her refusal. James Joyce and Nora Barnacle Fiction writer James Joyce had more luck in love than Yeats—his muse was his partner and eventual wife, Nora Barnacle. After a tumultuous childhood for Barnacle (including two boyfriends dying before the age of 20) and being disowned by her family for her relationship with a Protestant, the pair met on June 10th, 1904 at Finn’s Hotel in Dublin. Their first date occurred later that week on the 16th, and they proved inseparable from that day forward until Joyce’s death in 1941. The couple had their share of difficulties—constant relocations across Europe, financial struggles, creative struggles, two children and their daughter’s subsequent mental illness and institutionalization, as well as their naturally opposing personalities and differing interests—but they made it through. Their love was so famous that it was quite a surprise when they were discovered legally marrying in 1931, 27 years after they first met—everyone had assumed they were already wed! Joyce even commemorated their love by setting his magnum opus, Ulysses, on June 16th, 1904—the day of their first date—and reportedly modeling the main heroine, Molly Bloom, after Barnacle. Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford
Joseph Plunkett is a poet (his collection The Circle and Sword was published when he was only 24,) but one better known for his revolutionary activities and his tragic love story with artist Grace Gifford. Plunkett’s whole affluent Dublin family was supportive of the Irish Nationalist movement, so when poor health kept Plunkett from taking an active role he turned to his education to support the fight instead. This led Plunkett to co-found and edit the revolutionary magazine The Irish Review, where he met his twin flame in caricaturist and cartoonist, Grace Gifford. The couple was meant to marry on April 23rd, 1916, the day before the Easter Rising (which Plunkett was heavily involved in planning)—but the chaos of that time led them to postpone. Unfortunately, Plunkett was captured and sentenced to death for his role in events, though the British allowed Plunkett and Gifford to marry just hours before his death (with guards pointing bayonets at them as their witnesses.) Gifford continued the fight, eventually being interred in the same jail (Kilmainham Gaol) as Plunkett, where she painted images on the walls of her cell that are still there today (she was eventually released as the tides turned.) She never remarried, and when she died in 1955 the President of Ireland attended her funeral—and awarded her full military honors. But we’re not done with these romantic stories yet—as sad as they sometimes can be. Come back Thursday for three more stories that celebrate love in Irish history! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about University College Dublin, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Irish Inventions, Part 1 While the Irish have long been known as masters in the world of arts and letters (for example, Dublin holds the claim of being the only city in the world that’s birthed four Nobel Literary Laureates, but more on that another time,) what’s often overlooked are all the incredible inventions the Irish are responsible for. Below is a roundup of some of Ireland’s claims to fame—everything from your favorite snacks and cool devices to the most practical tools and medical and scientific innovations. It’s pretty inspiring, and shows that the Irish have far more than just luck! 1. This one’s perfect for a cold January day: Irish Botanist Hans Sloane invented hot chocolate/chocolate milk! Sloane spent time in Jamaica in the 1700s where the locals gave him cocoa to drink—but he couldn’t stomach it until he tried it mixed with milk. He brought it back to Britain and Ireland, where it was mainly sold as a medicinal compound for many years (which makes sense when you learn Sloane was also the physician for three different British monarchs!) 2. This one will only be exciting to any philatelists out there (aka stamp collectors!) Henry Archer was the son of an Irish landowner and educated at Trinity College Dublin before he invented the first postage stamp perforating machine in 1848. (There was a bit of competition between him and his contemporary, Archer Roulette, but Archer’s proved to work better and was sold to the Irish Postmaster General for £4,000—which would be approximately £500,000 or $686,000 today!) 3. The next invention pairs science and religion together: the induction coil was invented by Louth-born Reverend Nicholas Callan in 1837. Not sure what that is? Neither were we, but it’s pretty important for most of our everyday activities. An induction coil (i.e. a “spark coil”) allows for the generation of intermittent high voltages from a direct current—essentially, how electricity is converted into use! (He even tested it out on the Archbishop of Dublin—don’t worry, he was just knocked unconscious!) 4. Born in 1854 right here in Connecticut to Irish immigrant parents, Samuel O’Reilly invented the tattoo gun! Body modification has been a part of many cultures (including Ireland’s) since before written history, but O’Reilly most likely learned the art of tattooing while in the Navy. He patented his invention (a spin on Edison’s failed electric pen,) in 1891 and the rest is history! 5. In one of the most important medical advancements of the 20th century, Cork-native Dr. Vincent Barry led a team in the late 60s and early 70s that developed Clofazimine at Trinity College (aka the cure for leprosy.) This innovation has saved the lives of over 15 million people since its adoption by the Indian government in 1981 (and subsequent adoption around the world.) Today, leprosy remains extremely rare and is completely treatable. 6. Another Irishman who managed to save many lives is James Martin, the engineer responsible for the invention of the ejector seat (which led to increased safety in aviation, particularly in wartime.) Martin was born in County Down and formed the engineering firm Martin-Baker with Captain Valentine Baker—the test pilot for the ejector seat. Though experimentation led to Baker’s untimely death, the model he was testing is still the one in use today! 7. Apparently, before 1954, potato chips didn’t even come salted (there was a salt packet included you had to sprinkle on yourself!) But thanks to Irishman Joseph “Spud” Murphy, we not only have salted chips, but flavored ones, as well! Murphy founded the still-beloved potato chip (apologies, crisp) company Tayto and came out with the first flavored crisp in history: cheese and onion, which remains one of the most popular flavors in Ireland today! 8. The (well, original) reason you can talk to your Irish relatives across the pond? Belfast-born Lord William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, who solved the issues facing transatlantic telegraph cables and helped connect the old world to the new in 1866 (after five attempts!) Bonus points: he’s still considered one of the most influential physicists and theoretical mathematicians in history. 9. Another medical marvel that came out of Ireland was the hypodermic syringe, invented in 1844 by Dr. Francis Rynd while he worked at Dublin’s Meath hospital. It’s first use was an attempt to relieve a patient who suffered from nerve pain in her face—when drinking a morphine solution was of no help, Rynd made the first subcutaneous injection, essentially also creating localized anesthetic in the process! 10. Lastly, guess who we have to thank for all the beautiful photos we take on our phones day in, day out? An Irishman, of course! John Joly invented his “Joly Color Screen,” which made color photography possible for the first time, in 1894. Joly was a physicist and inventor whose contributions also include the early development of radiotherapy to treat cancer, as well as massive contributions to the fields of geology and engineering. Talk about
But we’re not done yet. Keep an eye on the blog for another set of Irish inventors—there’s plenty more to celebrate! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish history post, all about Irish new year traditions, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Fun Facts About Ireland: Volume IX Read our last ten fun facts here. 1. The seventh lion used in the famed MGM opening title sequence was born in the Dublin Zoo, located in the city’s beautiful Phoenix Park. His reign as a movie star began in 1957, and he’s the one we still see today! While they called every single one of the lions used “Leo,” this Dubliner was the only lion where it was actually his name! 2. Ireland is one of the only countries in the world whose population has been decreasing over the last two centuries. Before the Great Famine in the 1800s, the population was estimated to be 8 million people. Just afterward—6.5 million. And today? Only 5 million! 3. In the 19th century, County Cork was the world’s biggest exporter of butter (there was even a large market deemed the “Cork Butter Exchange”.) The butter made its way to not only the UK and France, but all the way to India and Australia! (If you ever visit Cork, you can even explore the Cork Butter Museum!) 4. Ireland loves an unusual holiday. Take the “Puck Fair” in Killorglin, a small village located in the Kerry Mountains. Every year, locals wrangle a goat from the surrounding wilderness and crown the animal king for three days with much fanfare. After, the goat is safely re-released into the wild. 5. Speaking of Australia, there’s a privately owned island near Dublin that’s home to a population of wallabies. It’s not some quirk of natural selection, but a not-so-surprising culprit: man. The owners of Lambay Island imported a family of wallabies in the 50s, and they’ve been there ever since! 6. Dublin houses the oldest continuously operating maternity hospital in the world--Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. Opening in 1745, it’s been around for 275 years! 7. You can see the Northern Lights from Ireland! While we usually associate the beautiful natural display with Iceland or Norway, the most northerly point in Ireland (Malin Head in Inishowen) is also a great place to watch. Just make sure to find a day with clear skies and no bright moonlight for the best show! 8. Ireland, on the stage of world politics, is neutral (something we generally associate with Switzerland.) This started during WWII, where Ireland officially stayed out of things (though there are many a story of them helping the Allied forces, including supplying the weather report that allowed for the D-Day landing, and they were bombed multiple times, though it’s thought that was accidental. The UK is an island too, after all.) Ireland technically isn’t even a part of NATO! 9. Despite being neutral, Ireland’s always been a politically progressive place. Take Leo Varadkar, who served not only as the country’s youngest prime minister starting in 2017, but also as the first of Indian heritage (as well as being the first openly gay party leader.) Talk about a lot of firsts! 10. Ireland holds some of the most unexpected (and funniest) Guinness World Records, including: world’s largest tea towel, most cups of tea made in an hour by a team of 12, the highest combined age, and the most cookies baked in an hour (yum!)
This post is part of a series. Read our last ten fun facts here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  New Year’s Traditions Happy New Year! Despite the many continuing challenges of this modern pandemic era, we’ve had an incredible year here at SRL and are so grateful for you—the community that helps make SRL the supportive and amazing place it is for all our dancers to learn and grow. We have so much to celebrate and are ready to go into to 2022 with optimistic hearts and spirits, so we thought we’d bring you some Irish traditions to help you ring in the New Year too! In Ireland, one of the most consistent New Year’s traditions is one we usually associate with spring rather than mid-winter: a thorough house cleaning! Starting the year with a clean house is thought of as starting the year with a clean slate. There’s even a tradition of sweeping the dust right out the door (to sweep the last year out,) and then sweeping inward (to gather good luck for the new year in!) In some areas, it’s also thought of as essential to make sure every dish in the house is as clean as possible—if you were methodical enough, Cú Chulainn (a great hero from the Ulster cycle of Irish mythology) would leave everyone treats. This coincides with a more regional tradition (remember: any Irish tradition is usually a regional one!): giving small, but thoughtful gifts to those you love to celebrate the new year. Though it’s fallen out of favor as modernity has led to more environmentally-friendly forms of heating, it also used to be traditional to make sure one’s house was fully stocked with coal as the new year began—though that’s most likely a practical tradition, as the coldest part of winter (even in fairly mild Ireland) is still ahead. There’s always a lot of focus in Irish tradition on prosperity—which makes sense for a country that’s suffered many periods of deprivation—which is how we get one of Ireland’s quirkiest New Year’s traditions: bread banging. A country-wide superstition leads people to bang on the walls of their house with any leftover (and likely hardened) Christmas bread to chase out the bad luck, welcome in the good, and ensure enough bread in the following year. But that’s not the only ear-ringing tradition--you must also bang on pots and pans at midnight with wooden spoons. You might remember this tradition from during the height of the pandemic in 2020—people all over the UK and Ireland were doing this for essential workers each evening, as it’s said to be a protective act for both your family and your community. Depending on what part of Ireland you live in, you’ll likely be having a big meal on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day—both are considered holidays throughout the country. New Year’s Day was even considered a feast day in the Catholic church until 1960! One consistent tradition surrounding this holiday meal is making sure to open all the windows and doors (or at least unlatch them, if it’s chilly!) to welcome family and ancestors—living and dead. In many regions, a place will even be laid on the table for any loved ones you’ve lost in the last year (or simply still miss, even years later!) to honor them and assure them that, even in death, they’ll always have a place at your table. And don’t forget your living relatives! It’s traditional for the women of the house to visit relatives you don’t often see on New Year’s Day to ensure you stay in good standing with your family for the next year. Depending on what part of Ireland you live in, you’ll likely be having a big meal on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day—both are considered holidays throughout the country. New Year’s Day was even considered a feast day in the Catholic church until 1960! One consistent tradition surrounding this holiday meal is making sure to open all the windows and doors (or at least unlatch them, if it’s chilly!) to welcome family and ancestors—living and dead. In many regions, a place will even be laid on the table for any loved ones you’ve lost in the last year (or simply still miss, even years later!) to honor them and assure them that, even in death, they’ll always have a place at your table. And don’t forget your living relatives! It’s traditional for the women of the house to visit relatives you don’t often see on New Year’s Day to ensure you stay in good standing with your family for the next year.
While we covered some wintery superstitions last week, it’s probably not surprising that there’s a host of old wives’ tales specifically related to New Year’s (we no longer have to wonder where the phrase “the luck of the Irish came from”—they’ve always been careful to make their own luck!) First off: the doors. You must enter your house through the front door and leave through the back around the stroke of midnight for good luck (it’s also a good way to wish your neighbors a Happy New Year!) But be careful—make sure a handsome man is the first in the door, and not a red-hair woman. The former will bring good luck, and the former bad. No handsome men in the house? Make sure to place that leftover Yuletide mistletoe (sometimes holly or ivy, all Yuletide decorations you’re likely to have on hand and symbols of protection_ under your pillow before you go to sleep to ensure you dream of the man you’ll marry in the next 12 months! Take note of the wind as you run in one door and out the other (with all the purses and wallets in your house in hand to ward off money troubles next year)—a westerly wind ensures good luck for Ireland, while an easterly wind means, annoyingly to the Irish, good luck for the UK. No clue which direction would mean good luck here in the U.S., but, no matter which way the wind blows we here at SRL hope you have the happiest holiday season and the brightest new year! Looking forward to dancing with you again in 2022! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish History post, all about the history of Judaism in Ireland, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Winter Superstitions Last year, we covered a whole host of Irish, Yuletide traditions. Check them out here, here, and here. Ireland’s history is a long one, stretching back centuries before written history. With that history comes many things: deeply rooted, rich cultural traditions, a sense of national pride, and, of course, a whole host of superstitions! We’re here tonight with some of Ireland’s wintery old wives’ tales—just in case there’s any truth to them (who doesn’t want to start the new year off on the right foot?) Enjoy! Did you get a watch as a holiday gift this year? Hopefully it wasn’t from your significant other—word in Ireland is that a watch from a partner means time is running out and you’ll be breaking up soon. (Just set the clock back, it’ll be fine!) Similarly, a gift of pearls means tears, while anything sharp (knives, scissors, even earrings) can mean a punctured friendship! Don’t worry, you can get around any of this by taping a penny to the gift and having the recipient hand it back to you—that way they’re technically purchasing the present! You know all those charming New England farmhouses with a single candle in each window? This long-standing tradition stems from the Irish and legend has it that if your candle goes out before Christmas it bodes ill luck in the new year. (Luckily most of those candles are electric these days!) Did you drop any silverware at your holiday table? A visitor may be in your near future! A knife indicates a male visitor, a fork a female, and a spoon a child (though, regionally, it may mean a child is coming into the family—not just for a visit!) There’s plenty more meal lore around the holidays: refusing a mince pie during the holiday season will bring you bad luck the next day, eating breakfast by candlelight on Christmas morning and then three sips of salted water at dinner that night will instill good luck and good health, and you must abstain from meat two days after Christmas or have bad luck in the coming year. Have an itchy nose? You may have the flu (did you get your flu shot?), or a fight may be in your future! (Or, alternatively, as many superstitions are regional: you’ll soon be kissed by a fool.) Having mistletoe in the house is said to protect one from thunder and lightning! You better keep some on hand—it’s also said that a clap of thunder midwinter foretells the death of the most important person in a 20 mile radius of the storm. Though, if it rains at their funeral it means they’re at peace. During this season of giving, make sure to donate at least one pair of shoes—the Irish say if you don’t, you’ll be going barefoot in the next life. (And if you get new shoes for Christmas, make sure not to wear them that day…that’s bad luck!) It’s said that bees awaken from their winter hibernation on Christmas Eve to sing a song in celebration—but only the truly holy can hear them! Supposedly, snow on Christmas indicates a green Easter in the coming year (alternatively, a green Christmas means a white Easter) and high winds that day indicates good luck blowing in.
Finding a holly bush full of its iconic red berries was considered good luck! (Holly has been an Irish staple for Yule decorations for over 2,000 years and is also seen as a symbolic form of protection.) And this is just the tip of the iceberg—who knows how the Irish keep all these beliefs straight? In any case, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and new year…even if you put up Christmas decorations before the 8th of December or leave a fallen pin on the floor. But, I mean…maybe just pick it up. To be sure. This post is part of a series. Read our last folklore post, all about the myth of the mysterious barnacle goose, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  The Barnacle Goose While the average person in modern day Connecticut probably only thinks of geese as a messy and loud nuisance, geese have long been featured in the mythology of many cultures. And that makes sense—fossils of geese that resemble our modern species can be dated back 10-12 million years, while their outsized ancestors date back as much as 50 million years. Ancient Egyptians believed that geese were a representation of the soul, born from the primordial egg of the sun, and thus a messenger between heaven and earth. In Hindu mythology, a pair of divine geese lay a golden egg that the god of creation, Brahma, is born from (he’s even often depicted as riding a goose.) In both the ancient Roman and Nordic traditions, people were sometimes buried with a goose as a status symbol, as they represented holy goddesses. With over 30 species spread across every continent, it’s hard to find a culture that doesn’t in some way venerate the goose. But Ireland’s mythology surrounding geese is just a little bit different. For as long as written record stands, every September thousands upon thousands of barnacle geese (or in Irish: Gé ghiúrainn) flock (pun intended) to the northern and western coasts of Ireland. The geese roost amongst remote sea-cliffs and islands all winter until the following April, when they depart again. These days, this makes perfect sense to us, right? They’re migrating! We now know that the barnacle goose spends its summer months in Greenland where they mate, nest, and raise their goslings before returning to Ireland for a much milder winter. But the ancient Irish, faced with this phenomenon and with no good explanation handy, came up with their own legends about these (at the time) mysterious creatures. Can you guess? There’s almost no way your modern mind will come to the same conclusion as Giraldus Cambrensis from the 12th century, a traveling archdeacon and historian. He claimed to have seen the origin of the enigmatic barnacle geese first hand: “first they appear…on fir-logs…Then they hang by their beaks from what seems like sea-weed clinging to the log, while their bodies…are enclosed in shells. And so in the course of time, having put on a stout covering of feathers, they either slip into the water, or take themselves in flight to the freedom of the air.” And Giraldus (his friends called him Gerald of Wales) wasn’t the only one to claim to have seen this transfiguration occur--reports from an 1882 hunting manual and a 1940 book of ornithology both recall first hand accounts. While this seems ridiculous to us now, take a look at the “goose barnacles” pictured to the right (as opposed to the “barnacle goose” that supposedly grows from them) and perhaps it’s just proof that the Irish of yore were extremely creative and observant (though we do think the above reports may have fudged just a little.) There are innumerable depictions of “barnacle goose trees” throughout historical texts, but why were the Irish paying so much attention to geese in the first place? Because they wanted to eat them during Lent! Catholic Ireland held fast to the tradition that no meat should be consumed during the 40 days of Lent (excluding seafood.) As the barnacle goose was thought to be born from a spontaneously generated barnacle “fruit” (as it clung to logs,) it was thought by many (even some of the clergy) to be exempt from Lenten regulations. That’s right vegan friends, some in Ireland were so desperate for protein during the end of the winter that they decided that the barnacle goose wasn’t technically flesh (whether it was fish or fruit was up for further debate.) This myth was perpetuated well into the 20th century! We now know all about migration and the truth of the barnacle goose, but that hasn’t stopped them from being an important part of Ireland’s fauna. In ancient times, barnacle geese weren’t only a source of meat/fish/fruit (?) during the long winter, but also an accurate predictor of the severity of that winter’s coming weather. The same is true today: scientists study barnacle geese—how many goslings there are, how early or late they migrate—to help see the effects of climate change! So while they might not be quite as magical and mythical as the Irish once believed, they’re still a pretty amazing part of winter in Ireland!
This post is part of a series. Take a look at our last Irish Mythology post, three spooky Samhain tales, here. Also: check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Yuletide Edition! Read our last ten fun facts here. 1. Before the island was anglicized and adapted to having a sweet Christmas pudding (meaning cake) on December 25th, the traditional Irish Christmas cake was a “seed cake.” It’s exactly what it sounds like—a not particularly sweet cake filled with seeds and spices we’d generally consider savory, like carraway and poppy. 2. If you head into the Irish countryside around Yuletide, you’re likely to see a few whitewashed buildings. Traditionally, families would clean and whitewash every building on their property come December. This wasn’t only in order to clean up for visiting relatives, but symbolic of purification before the Christmas celebrations. (This one is a tradition in many cultures in Central Europe, too!) 3. December 8th is considered the beginning of the holiday season in Ireland. While in America, we’ve started putting up Christmas decorations the day after Halloween (that’s capitalism for you,) Ireland’s Christian roots start the Yule season on the feast day of Immaculate Conception. In times past, this was the day the hordes would flock to Dublin to do their Christmas shopping—and now it’s the day the decorations go up! (Schools are generally closed that day, too!) 4. While people all over the world are dreaming of a white Christmas, you’re not too likely to get one in Ireland! It barely ever snows anywhere on the island. and though we tend to think of Ireland as cold and wet, it is an island—meaning its temperate climate stops it from getting too hot or too cold. The average temperatures range from 48 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit in December! (It’s already colder here!) 5. One of Ireland’s most…surprising Yuletide traditions actually occurs the day after. Known as Saint Stephen’s Day in Ireland, it’s like a rowdier second Christmas celebration that’s celebrated with horse races and Wren Boys—men dressed in over-the-top homemade costumes who sing and play music through the streets as they “hunt the wren” (i.e. carry around the effigy of a wren in a holly bush on the top of a pole.) This tradition stems from an old Irish tale where a wren, known for its loud song, betrayed a group of loyal Irish to the British. 6. January 6th is known as the end of the Christmas season in a lot of places, but Ireland has their own special twist on “Little Christmas.” The Irish call the day Nollaig na mBan or “Women’s Christmas.” Traditionally, most women were hard at work through the holidays, and the 6th was the day they were supposed to take a rest while their husbands took down all the holiday decorations (it’s considered bad luck to do it before or after!! We hope things are more equal now, but it still sounds like a nice break to us! 7. While it’s fallen out of favor in lieu of milk and cookies, it used to be popular to leave out a Guinness and a mince pie for Santa! (After all, Guinness is a very sustaining beverage.) 8. It’s believed that the Christmas carol with the longest history originated in Ireland. The Irish (and others) have been singing “The Wexford Carol” since the 12th century, leading it to be named the longest sung carol in the world. It’s based around the nativity and is also known as “Enniscorthy Carol” as it originated in, you guessed it, Enniscorthy in County Wexford. Want to hear it? Click here! 9. The Mourne Mountains in County Down is Santa’s (or as the Irish often say, Santy’s) official Irish residence! These mountains are very secluded, perfect for Santa to take a rest and help out his elves with the rest of the toys before Christmas is here, along with Rudolph and the rest of his reindeer. Want a tour? Check out this video.
10. Ireland has a lot of Yuletide traditions, but perhaps none so frosty as the Christmas Day Swim at Forty Foot in South Dublin! Christmas morning, hundreds gather to leap from Forty Foot Rock into the Irish Sea in nothing but their bathing suits (which is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit usually—the real problem is getting out,) often using the opportunity to raise money for charity. This post is part of a series. Read our last batch of fun facts here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  Judaism in Ireland Happy first night of Hanukkah, one and all! Ireland is a country known for its religious turmoil, but specifically between Protestant and Catholic factions. These headlines are so overwhelming that it’s easy to forget that Ireland has residents who don’t proscribe to either of these religions, but the fact remains that Judaism has been practiced in Ireland for centuries. While the Jewish population of Ireland current day is definitely a small one (estimated at about 2,500 people present day,) they still exist and have their own rich (and equally tumultuous) history on the Emerald Isle. In honor of Hanukkah, we’re here tonight to tell it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The story of the Jewish people in Ireland is the story of the Jewish people everywhere: a difficult one. The first known Jewish relations with Ireland began in 1079 when five merchants attempted to immigrate and were denied entry into the country because of their religious affiliations. By the 12th and 13th centuries, a few practicing Jews had made it in, but when the English expelled all Jewish citizens in 1290, British rule extended to Ireland and the same fate befell the Irish Jews. But, in the 15th century a new Jewish community was established, largely refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, and for the next 300 years Jews seeking a safe haven were able to find one in Ireland. Most Jewish people in Ireland lived around the Dublin area (largely still true today,) leading to the establishment of congregations there and in Cork in the 18th century. However, with a rise in conversion due to denial of citizenship to Jewish people, numbers began to dwindle. 1822 saw a new rise in the Jewish population as more immigrants arrived from Germany, England, and Poland. This eventually led to an estimated 4,000 Jewish people residing in Ireland in 1901. Jewish communities were established in Londonderry, Waterford, Belfast, and Limerick, though Father John Creagh of Limerick took umbrage to this. This one man’s sermons were so incendiary against the “threat” of the Jewish people that most Jewish people in Limerick were forced to flee the country. Despite being relegated to second class citizens by Irish law and regard, Jewish communities in Ireland were generally supportive of Irish nationalist cause in the early 20th century. Many housed rebels during the 1916 Easter Rising, with several prominent Jewish citizens joining the Irish Republican Army. This led to the 1937 constitution of Ireland recognizing Judaism as a minority faith, assuring the Jewish people in Ireland freedom from discrimination hereafter. While the ravages of WWI lead to Ireland denying all refugees during WWII, including Jewish ones, the Jewish population in Ireland remained safe during WWII—one of the only European countries to hold this honor. And, of course, some brave citizens skirted the rules…including the Jewish community in Northern Ireland saving hundreds of Jewish children from Vienna and the Taoiseach of Ireland allowing over 100 Czech orphans to relocate to Ireland. As a result of this bending of the rules, the Jewish population of Ireland hit an all-time high in the 1940s at approximately 5,500-8,000. Modern day Ireland, perhaps because of their history of oppression and rebellion, has become a relatively progressive country—a far cry from their past. Irish papers love to cover Hanukkah and educate the Irish populace about Jewish traditions. Interestingly, despite the small numbers of the Irish-Jewish community, menorahs are immensely popular in Ireland (a trend that began in the 1990s) as Yuletide decorations, with this article claiming you can see them by the hundreds in windows come December. Waterford Crystal, a famed glass making company out of—you guessed it—Waterford, even makes an exorbitantly priced glass menorah. There are events all over Ireland, concentrated mostly in Cork and Dublin, that invite people of all faiths to experience the magic of Hanukkah. While many of these experiences--like Cork’s public celebration of the last day of the 8-day festival—have moved online in recent times, they’ve just allowed more people to participate.
Because isn’t that what Hanukkah is all about? Togetherness, hope, freedom of religion, freedom from oppression—something the Irish, after their centuries of foreign and religious oppression, know all too well about. So, happy first day of Hanukkah to all—and remember, as children’s book author Norma Simon said: “The spirit of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is shared by all people who love freedom.” Want to know a little more about Hanukkah in Ireland? Check out this great article! This post is part of a series. Read our last Irish History post, all about the Irish connection to American Thanksgiving, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram.  A Very Irish Thanksgiving Okay, we don’t think we have to tell anyone this, but…they don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving in Ireland. (Though, it’s not just celebrated in America--as many as 17 countries have taken up the holiday!) Since the connection between Ireland and America is so strong, (and Ireland is home to tens of thousands of Americans, to say nothing of the 17% of Irish citizens that hold dual citizenship) you’ll probably still be able to find Thanksgiving dinner, but, overall, the Irish just don’t have the occasion on their calendars. However, they may be at least partially responsible for the celebration! We know what you were taught in elementary school: the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 when the Pilgrims, fresh off the Mayflower and starving in their new home, befriended the Native American Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag shared their knowledge of the land to help the colonists survive, and, in a gesture of friendship and gratitude for a successful first harvest, the Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to share in a feast. But what if we told you that wasn’t necessarily the whole story? Just a few years ago, it was reported by The Boston Post—which had the largest circulation in the country in the 20s and 30s—that they had discovered a different iteration of Thanksgiving in their archives. According to the paper, and backed up by Irish-American historian Michael J. O’Brien, among others, that while a three day festival did occur with the Wampanoag, the real first Thanksgiving may have been celebrated 10 years later with the arrival of an Irish ship called The Lyon. Or, at the very least, the Irish saved the holiday from extinction! In February of 1631, in the midst of another lean winter that had further decimated the Pilgrim’s numbers (along with increased hostilities with the Native American tribes,) The Lyon docked at Nantasket (in modern day Hull, MA.) This ship had been sent, laden with provisions, by a Dublin merchant whose daughter was married to one of the colonists. Grateful for this saving grace, the Pilgrims dubbed the day after the ship arrived, February 21st, “A Day of Thanksgiving.” The date of Thanksgiving has been moved around throughout the years, so many scholars now believe that the 1631 celebration, rather than the 1621 celebration, is the true origin of the holiday. But why isn’t this story in our history books? It’s possible the anti-Irish prejudice in America that lasted well into the 20th century is to blame. When the story came out in the 1930s in The Boston Post, the writer failed to mention that the ship was Irish or even name the ship—despite being called out by numerous Irish organizations for the slight.
Trying to pinpoint the “first” of anything can be pretty subjective--some people think the first Thanksgiving really occurred in Virginia or even Texas—especially when the events happened centuries ago. In any case, while the Pilgrims were most definitely from England, it may be due in part to the Irish that these settlers were able to continue on through the generations to become Americans and establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. So, whenever the first Thanksgiving truly occurred, we definitely have to thank the Irish for the fact we’re celebrating today! This post is part of a series. Read our last history post, all about the Irish origins of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating, here. Check out the blog every Monday and Thursday for more posts about Irish history, dance culture, community news, and spotlights on our dancers, staff, and families—among other fun projects! And don’t forget to dance along with us on both Facebook and Instagram. |
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