At SRL, our goals aren’t all about dancing, but rather to help your dancer become GREATER—i.e. instill our core values of Growth, Respect, Excellence, Appreciation, Transparency, Enthusiasm, and Resiliency. The world of Irish dance has a wealth of experiences, opportunities, and skills that help impart these ideals to our dancers, and we’re committed to fostering the development of values that will serve your dancer both in and out of the studio. In this new series, we’re looking forward to delving into what these core values really mean to us, and how Irish dance can be so much more than just the steps you learn in class! First up is the capital G: Growth. With our Tiny Jig program, the growth of our dancers can be taken very literally—taking dancers as young as 2 means we get the privilege of watching them grow up—as dancers, and as people. (Not only that, but we have several dancers that have been with us since the start, 8 whole years!) Dance is undeniably good for your dancer’s physical development--it promotes spatial awareness, flexibility, coordination, balance, etc., the list goes on and on—but at SRL, we try to look beyond the physical. It shouldn’t be a surprise that dance is also a boon for your dancer’s emotional growth as well. (After all, psychologists have found that “the better children were able to synchronize their movements with music, the more they smiled.” And as Time recently reported, happy kids are more likely to turn into successful adults.) Not only is there room for pure joy in every dance class, but studies show that dance helps build important social-emotional learning skills, including how to better express their own emotions, emotional regulation, and to understand other’s emotions. Beyond emotional growth, we also look toward helping our dancers grow as people into creative, focused, hard-working, intelligent, problem-solving, empathetic young adults. The microcosm of the studio, and then the secure world of performance and competition, can be seen as a crucible to hone extremely valuable life skills, rather than just a perfect jig! (Though we do that too!) An example of this growth? For our youngest dancers, this growth comes in small steps: learning to wait your turn, listen to instructions, be kind to your fellow classmates, practice and be prepared for class, and let loose and have fun in an environment outside the home! Then, as our dancers continue to develop and move up through the levels, they’re met with new challenges: goal setting, dealing with the rejection that can come with competition, working as a team, lifting up others rather than comparing yourself to them, how to be both a student and a teacher, and above all: hard work and the knowledge that they’ll only get out of anything what they put into it. Overall, capital-G Growth means more to us at SRL than measuring your success at each feis—it means maturing as a person, as a whole. While we always make sure to balance it with fun (dancing is, above all, incredibly fun, after all!), the way we approach Irish dance isn’t just about improving in one aspect of your life. It’s about how growth in one facet can mean growth in all others. This post is part of a series. 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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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. Volume XIX University College Cork We’re traveling to a new part of the country for this week’s uni spotlight: picturesque Cork! University College Cork (UCC) is perched on a limestone bluff above the River Lee, a beautiful spot chosen for its proximity to Saint Finbarr’s ancient monastery and school. Saint Finbarr is the patron saint of Cork, as his monastery essentially founded the city, and was the impetus for the school’s motto: Where Finbarr Taught Let Munster Learn. The school was originally established by Queen Victoria at the same time as universities in Belfast and Galway in 1845, but became a national university in 1908 with the enactment of the Irish Universities Act. Today, UCC is an award-winning university in every category with approximately 22,000 students (about 3,000 international, from 104 different countries!) They’ve even received an “Award for Outstanding International Student Satisfaction” with a score of 9.5, with their International Education Office at the forefront of adapting students to life in Ireland. Students can study almost anything they can dream of and receive a degree in 3-4 years, with the school roughly divided into four colleges: Arts, Celtic Studies, and Social Sciences, Business and Law, Medicine and Health, and Science, Engineering, and Food Science. UCC consistently ranks in the top 300 universities in the world and has a student rating of 4.4 stars (by survey site StudyPortals) for its high quality of both study and student life. It’s also been named Irish University of the year on five separate occasions by The Sunday Times. UCC is considered the leading research university in the country (and top 2% worldwide,) with the highest research income in the state (in 2016, for example, the university had €96 million in funding and a five-year allocation plan.) The university chooses what research to fund based on global need for innovation, considering impact over monetary gain, and its top research subjects include food, health, and perinatal medicine. Many top research labs are located at UCC, including the Environmental Research Institute (which studies climate change, sustainable living, and the circular economy) the APC Microbiome Institute (which looks into alimentary health and functional foods,) and the Tyndall National Institute (concentrating on microsystems, nanotechnology, and photonics.) But science isn’t the only place where UCC is innovating: the university houses 40 Gateway companies that were started as high-potential start-ups with UCC’s support. With a focus on entrepreneurship, UCC enjoys a graduate employment rate of over 90% with many courses of study including internship and work-study programs (often utilizing the on-campus companies!) Even their Humanities programs put innovation first with its groundbreaking Digital Arts and Humanities degree, which utilizes technologically advanced tools to explore the arts of humanities in new, pioneering ways. (Though, don’t worry, it’s set against Ireland’s rich history—for example, the university’s extensive archival holdings include the Ogham Stones, the earliest known artifact of a written Irish language.) Alongside the rigorous academics, attendees experience a balanced student life living on a quiet campus in the middle of a bustling, cosmopolitan city (this is another college, like most in Ireland, with a wealth of student-friendly accommodation throughout the city, versus on campus—though there is international student housing.) Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, after Dublin, housing everything from the famed Blarney Castle and Crawford Gallery to jazz festivals and culinary marvels. The campus also strikes a balance between the old and the new: while the Aula Maxima (the “Great Hall”) is original to the school’s 1847 construction, UCC was the first school to be awarded the international Green Flag for its environmental friendliness. This sense of history within positive change creates a close community at University College Cork—from long held superstitions (it’s rumored if you walk across the Aula Maxima’s quad before graduation you risk failing your exams) to over 100 student societies (including a beloved Irish language club,) 50 sports clubs, and innumerable charitable efforts throughout all the various colleges. UCC is undoubtably a place that both holds the past close while looking forward!
Next time, we’re off to yet another part of Ireland: Galway! Check back soon! This post is part of a series. Read our modern Ireland post, all about romantic movies related to 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. Volume XVIII It’s February, and you know what that means…love is in the air (or at least on your TV screen.) Since we’re not going out nearly as much as we used to these days, we thought we’d provide you with some Ireland-related romantic movies to snuggle up on the couch with this upcoming Valentine’s Day (that’s right, it’s only a week from today!) From the touching stories to the beautiful scenery, your date will thank you. 1. Leap Year (2010, PG) 6.5 IMDb 23% Rotten Tomatoes Rent on Amazon Prime Okay, so this definitely isn’t the highest rated movie on the list, but it may be the funniest (Irish romances tend to be a little serious, but this one’s technically an American rom-com.) Anna Brady (played by the ever-delightful Amy Adams) is a little uptight, but a romantic at heart, and is doing her best to make it to Dublin for a very special day. She’s planning on proposing to her boyfriend (played by Adam Scott) on February 29th, aka Leap Day, on which Irish tradition dictates that a woman can propose to a man and he must say yes. Unfortunately (or fortunately,) inclement weather lands Anna in the small, Irish town of Dingle with no way to Dublin but a surly, handsome innkeeper named Declan (played by Matthew Goode—who’s actually English, but never mind) who only agrees to take her to save his bar from foreclosure. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and neither has any rom-com in history—so the road to Dublin is paved with many a fun and funny mishap (and some absolutely gorgeous shots all over Ireland—the real reason to give it a watch!) This movie may not be perfect, but you can’t beat the setting and it doesn’t skimp on fun! 2. The Quiet Man (1952, G) 7.8 IMDb 91% Rotten Tomatoes Rent on Amazon Prime If you and your date are more into the classics, then you may want to check out John Wayne’s (yes, the cowboy) turn as an Irishman in this landmark piece of cinema (it’s even part of the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry, where films that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” are preserved.) The film follows Wayne as Sean “Trooper Thorn” Thornton as he retires from his Pittsburgh-based life as a boxer and returns to his hometown of Innisfree and his old family farm. He immediately falls for the red-headed girl next door, Mary Kate Danaher (played by the actually Irish Maureen O’Hara,) but Mary Kate’s brother Will is having none of it. It turns out Will is interested in purchasing the same family farm Sean is after buying…and has decided to prevent the union out of spite. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and won two: for Best Director and Best Cinematography (in color!) While it’s known best for a long and comic fist fight, tune in for the Oscar-winning shots of the Irish countryside! 3. Brooklyn (2015, PG-13) 7.5 IMDb 97% Rotten Tomatoes Rent on Amazon Prime This one, as you may be able to tell by its name, is largely set outside Ireland, but does have the distinction of being the top-rated movie on this list, based on a best-selling book! (By Irish author Colm Tóibín, with the screenplay by another best-selling author: Nick Hornby.) The film follows Enniscorthy-born Eilis Lacey (played by triumphantly by Saoirse Ronan—this role won her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress) as she leaves Ireland for New York to find employment…and finds love with a local, as well. Set in the 1950s, the film is an exploration of the Irish immigrant experience as much as it’s a love story, the interplay between a home country and a new identity, the life you’re born to and the life you chose for yourself. It was widely regarded as one of the best films released in 2015 (it was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, among so many other accolades we couldn’t possibly list them here,) and while it may largely be set in New York, it has some truly stunning Irish moments in it too! (Bonus points for also starring Irish actor Domhnall Glesson.) 4. P.S. I Love You (2007, PG-13) 7 IMDb 25% Rotten Tomatoes Rent on Amazon Prime Another American film, but more of a tearjerker (though with some levity throughout!), P.S. I Love You stars Hilary Swank as Holly, a young widow. When Holly’s husband Gerry (played, in flashbacks, by Gerard Butler) dies of cancer, Holly withdraws from her life—until her 30th birthday, when the letters Gerry wrote her before his death start arriving. The letters lead her to his homeland of Ireland where she begins a journey of grief that may, the viewer hopes, lead her to a new self and new love. With a star-studded supporting cast that includes Harry Connick Jr., Lisa Kudrow, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Kathy Bates, the film takes the typical rom-com and does something different with it. While Butler’s Irish accent isn’t the best (he has since apologized,) and most of the cast is American, the film still makes excellent use of its Irish setting. Between some interior Dublin shots (Whelan’s Bar, one of Dublin’s beloved live music venues, among them) and the exterior shots of Wicklow Mountains National Park, it will make you feel like you’re on vacation in Ireland yourself. 5. Wild Mountain Thyme (2020, PG-13)
5.7 IMDb 26% Rotten Tomatoes Watch on Hulu Our newest release on the list, starring the ineffable Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan (who’s actually Irish—Blunt is a Brit) with a supporting cast of Jon Hamm and Christopher Walken, this film tells the story of two strange and introverted neighbors, Rosemary and Anthony. The two have lived their entire lives on adjacent farms, and Rosemary has always been in love with Anthony—though he’s never shown any interest. But family and love are always more complicated than they seem, and sometimes communication is the hardest bit of all. Set among the stunning fields of County Westmeath, this film didn’t garner amazing reviews, but the incredible cast does bring a charm to a strange love story. Director John Patrick Shanley adapted his own (Tony-nominated) play, Outside Mullingar, for the big screen himself, expanding it from its original four-person cast. If you’re looking for something different—this one’s for you. Happy viewing! This post is part of a series. Read our last modern Ireland post, all about Maynooth University, 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. Okay, so, maybe stretching isn’t part of Irish dance’s technique per say, but it is a key component to every dancer’s success. It’s also the most often and easily skipped part of a dancer’s at-home practice—especially younger dancers, as younger muscles are more elastic (as we age, our muscles begin to shrink and lose mass.) However, that doesn’t mean stretching is less important for younger dancers! Stretching remains the primary way dancers can protect their bodies from the fatigue and strain that can build up over a lifetime (or even just their first few years!) of dance, and help prevent both minor and major injuries. But what are the benefits of a regular stretching practice? First off, the key word is regular. Researchers make clear distinctions in their findings--occasional stretching can actually decrease muscle strength if immediately followed with activity, while regular stretching enables muscles to work “most effectively.” But that’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. While the obvious benefit is an increase in flexibility (and what dancer doesn’t want that?), it’s also proven to improve performance in all physical activities as it increases joint mobility and, as we’ve mentioned, prevents injury. This is because stretching increases blood flow to your muscles as you temporarily lengthen your muscle fibers. Here’s the number one tip for stretching, one we could shout from the rooftops if we could: stretching is NOT a warmup! Your muscles should be warmed up (some low intensity cardio where you’re not overextending yourself is all it takes) before the stretching starts--stretching cold muscles can potentially cause strain, pulls, or tears. Stretching after dancing is just as important—this is when your muscles are at their warmest. This is a dancer’s best opportunity to really increase flexibility without causing undue strain, as this would be the most pliable your muscles are during a workout. Other tips? While genetically most dancers have one side they favor and are most flexible on, Irish dance strives for symmetry and your stretching should too! Make sure you’re repeating each side-specific stretch on both sides, while focusing on major muscle groups and your most used joints. This will also help with a dancer’s balance! While your dancer stretches, we’re looking for smooth movements with good posture that are held for 30-60 seconds. No bouncing allowed, as this can cause both injury and muscle tightness—and that smooth motion and hold should under no circumstances be painful. What you want to feel is tension, not pain! And don’t forget: make sure your dancer’s stretching routine is sports-specific. That means making sure the stretches they’re doing aren’t just the generic ones they might learn in P.E. class, but a stretching routine that benefits Irish dancers and the ways they move their bodies specifically. There are innumerable resources specific to Irish dance out there, but, of course, Miss Courtney and our SRL instructors are a wealth of knowledge of what stretch to do for specific issues, and the stretches our dancers learn in class will always be a good idea for at-home practice. Our most loved resources here at SRL include Target Training Dance (here’s an Irish dance-specific stretching YouTube playlist from them!), as well as Irish Dance and Culture Magazine (here’s a great article!) and Ready to Feis (and another!), but always feel free to share what you find in our parent and dancer Facebook group—it’s a community effort! Does your dancer get bored while stretching and tend to rush through it? Remember there’s more than one kind of stretching! While we’ve largely been discussing tips for static (i.e. holding a stretch) stretching in this post, dynamic stretching is recommended by many as one of the best options for before dancing (while static is best utilized after dancing, when the muscles are their warmest. Dynamic stretching is a series of controlled, activity-specific movements performed at a gradually increasing intensity to help prepare your muscles for the activity you’re about to do. Check out Celticore Pilates for a great workout that includes dynamic stretching, for example! The most important thing to remember? Keep it up! Making stretching a regular practice—whatever that practice looks like, as long as it’s done safely and with Irish dance in mind—is the primary factor in whether stretching will be beneficial to your dancer. It’s something that can be done every day, in a variety of places and situations, even if there isn’t time to practice their slip jig. Making it a part of your dancer’s everyday life and practice will only be a benefit! This post is part of a series. Read our last technique post, all about timing, 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. Volume XVII Maynooth University Though the last two universities we covered were based in Dublin (and there’s more to come,) and most universities in Ireland are based around already existing city centers, there is one exception…Maynooth University! Only 25 kilometers (just over 15 miles) from Dublin in North Kildare, Maynooth is located in Ireland’s only university town, and a historic one at that. Technically Ireland’s youngest university (until the establishment of Technological University Dublin in 2019,) Maynooth became independent from National University of Ireland in 1997 (though it still functions under its umbrella)…but its history is a little more complicated than that. The earliest iteration of Maynooth dates back to 1518 when it was called the College of St. Mary’s, though it didn’t last long under British rule. When The Royal College of St. Patrick was established in 1795 on the same land, it stuck (though it did become Royal University when the Church of Ireland was dissolved in 1886) until the National University of Ireland absorbed the school in 1910. It was re-founded and separated in 1997, with the focus on the Sciences, the Arts, and Celtic studies, with an outreach campus at St. Kieran’s College in Kilkenny. This makes it both one of Ireland’s oldest and newest higher educational institutions! Fast forward to today, and Maynooth is divided into two campuses: the south/old campus and the north/new campus, which marries Maynooth’s historical significance with its cutting-edge academic programming. Like most of Ireland’s universities, there’s very little not on offer for study at Maynooth, but the school is divided into three main sections: Celtic Studies and Philosophy, Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences. It’s ranked 49th in the world in universities under 50 years old, and as it’s adjacent to Ireland’s equivalent to California’s Silicon Valley, internships and employment in the high-grossing tech industry is a common path after graduation. In fact, employment rates for graduates of Maynooth are high across the board, no matter your course of study, with 93% of graduates reporting they left Maynooth and secured employment or pursued a higher course of study after graduation. Maynooth is known for their flexible curriculum that lets students help design their own education and tailor it to their purposes, pivoting away from the typical UK/Ireland model of all classes within a specific discipline and allowing students to pursue something more akin to a liberal arts education if they so choose. All classes focus on critical thinking and communication over rote memorization. Maynooth also has the distinction of being Ireland smallest (though fastest growing) university, with approximately 13,000 students. The student body is a diverse one, as it has Ireland’s highest proportions of mature students (16%) and access students (i.e. students who aren’t fully enrolled, generally part of the community auditing classes, at 22%). And it’s a happy student body, as well, with the international facet of the student body the happiest in all of Europe—they even won the StudyPortals International Student Satisfaction Award (beating out even all those Nordic countries that rate so high on the World Happiness Report every year.) Those surveyed cited Maynooth’s “charming and lively” campus, the small class sizes, the friendly faculty, and the close community feeling of the student body as the biggest pluses to attending Maynooth. Despite its small size, Maynooth doesn’t skimp on the extracurriculars. With over 100 clubs and societies on campus, student life is full and thriving, with scholarship offered academically and for sport. There’s also the host of traditions you’d expect from an institution with such deep roots. While there’s no big game per say, Maynooth and Dublin City University are rivals and have a yearly competition called “35s” where all the sports clubs compete against each other. Around Christmas, students can enjoy Christmas Carols in the chapel on the old campus and each October there’s the Hamilton Walk to commemorate mathematician William Rowan Hamilton. While there is accommodations on campus for students, its , Maynooth isn’t only a university town in name—the students are its main residents!
But we’re not done yet! There’s still more schools in Ireland to cover…join us next time for a journey to Cork! This post is part of a series. Read our last Modern Ireland post, full of movie recommendations for our SRL parents, 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. Riverdance Now that we’ve reached modern times in our origins series, it’s impossible not to mention Riverdance. If you were around in the 90s or early 2000s, chances are it’s how you heard about Irish dance in the first place. Riverdance was a global phenomenon that’s still considered one of the most successful dance performances of all time, grossing, by its 20-year reunion, over a billion dollars worldwide. And while the most traditional aspects of Irish dance live on, it would be impossible to deny the new life and interest that Riverdance helped breathe into the time-honored artistic sport that is Irish dance. It all began in 1981, when composer Bill Whelan was asked to write and produce an interval act for the Eurovision Song contest (which is now something like a pan-European X-Factor, but all music-based, and at the time was considered a very serious music competition.) This first piece was called “Timedance,” and featured Irish folk group Planxty playing baroque-inspired music with ballet dancers accompanying. When Bill Whelan was approached again (with 7 wins, Ireland has won the Eurovision contest more than any other country) in 1994, he decided to do something closer to Ireland’s roots. He created the most successful interval show in Eurovision history, “Riverdance”—a score filled with traditional Irish instruments like drum and fiddle, paired with “haunting vocals” and, of course, Irish dancers, all with a modern twist! People around the world (the performance was initially seen by 300 million people worldwide) were stunned and amazed by this seven-minute introduction to traditional Irish dance and music, which up to this point was only well known in Ireland and areas with high populations of Irish immigrants. The audio recording stayed at the top of the Irish singles chart for 18 consecutive weeks (it’s still the second best-selling single in Irish history, only following Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”) and a repeat presentation was held at the Royal Variety Performance (a yearly charity event held by the British royal family) that year. Husband-wife production team Moya Doherty and John McColgan saw the opportunity for this short performance to become a full-length theatrical event, and within six months Riverdance, the show, had its first performance in Dublin. Gathering together the music stylings of Bill Whelan and choral group Anúna with choreography largely by American-born Irish dance champions Michael Flatley (yes, the “Lord of the Dance”) and Jean Butler, Riverdance was not only an immediate, but a consistent hit. The opening night didn’t just sell out, but the first five weeks at the Point Theatre in Dublin, as well as a four-week run at London’s Apollo (and a second run, which was extended twice--over 120,000 tickets initially), as well as every date at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The original production of the show would run for 11 years, but additional tours stretched the longevity to 23 at 515 venues in 47 countries on six continents! But Riverdance wasn’t just your grandmother’s Irish dance—it combined new, sleeker costuming (no elaborate, heavy dresses with Celtic designs or high-bouncing curls) with influences from other dance traditions, expanding the insular world of Irish dance for the world stage. While it made use of Irish dance’s iconic forms and steps, it also used choreographed arm movements and emotional ebullience to complete the performance, instead of the traditional stiff upper body and relatively controlled expressions. Drawing from other cultural dance traditions, such as flamenco and tap, Riverdance placed Irish dance as part of world dance tradition rather than completely apart (and engaged the audience in new, theatrical ways not entirely reliant on technique, as is all-important in the world of competitive Irish dance, as well!) The producers likened Riverdance as a mirror to the cultural revolutions happening in Ireland and throughout the world. Ireland of the 1990s was embroiled in the Troubles and Riverdance became a symbolic representation of the way Irish society was changing.
Little known to the casual Riverdance-enthusiast, Flatley actually wasn’t in the show for long. While he and Jean Butler were the stars of and choreographed the original, Eurovision performance, Flatley left the theatrical show only a few months after it originally premiered. There appears to not be one reason he left, but many—Flatley’s desire for complete creative control, his refusal to sign a contract over profit-sharing, salary, and royalty disputes, or, according to Jean Butler: his own ego. (Click that link for Butler’s more detailed description of working with Flatley—it’s an interesting read!) Flatley’s lawsuit against the production wasn’t settled until 1999, but it didn’t stop Flatley from garnering international acclaim from his own spin-off shows, Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames among them. Flatley even holds the title of “Highest Paid Dancer” in history in the Guinness Book of World Records. While Riverdance might not be exactly the traditional Irish dance we teach at SRL, its influence lives on and had the positive affect of making Irish dance a household name worldwide. The show opened this once narrow cultural practice to those outside of Ireland, revived interest within its home country, and no one can deny—it’s quite a show! If you’re ever able to catch a performance don’t hesitate--the 25th anniversary show is even touring now! This post is part of a series. Read our last origins of Irish dance post, all about sean-nós, 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. Last time we did a technique review, we covered rhythm. So you may be asking yourself…isn’t timing the same thing? While the two are definitely related, not quite! While rhythm refers to a dancer’s synchronization with the music, timing refers to the pace at which a dancer performs individual movements. Or, to say it another way: rhythm is how the pattern of movements correlates to the music’s pattern, while timing is the relationship of one movement to another. You can think of it as pacing too…but it’s a brain-twister! The truth is, it’s hard to separate timing and rhythm, and issues with one will generally cause issues with the other. Going back to the “Happy Birthday” analogy from last time—someone with rhythm issues won’t be able to stay on beat with everyone singing, while someone with timing issues may extend one word too long and then maybe speed up singing another part of the song. In Irish dance, especially in the more advanced levels, individual movements have individual timings (think of a sliding movement in a hornpipe dance versus fast-flying feet in a slip jig) and while keeping to the beat (rhythm) is one struggle, timing those individual movements is another. Essentially, one move may be meant to take two beats of the music but the dancer does it in one or three. There’s two separate kinds of timing issues on a basic level: too fast or too slow. While too slow is probably easiest to see with the naked, non-dancer eye (as it skips over too many beats in between or during movements)—too fast is equally common and might manifest itself with a dancer finishing a phrase (i.e. a set of movements) and then needing to pause to begin the next phrase. Sometimes timing issues stem from nervousness or difficulties with a particular move or phrase, and sometimes it’s an inability to hear the music. Dealing with timing issues, like rhythm, needs to be looked at on an individual basis, but there are a few things you can help with at home! First off, if it’s an individual movement issue, YouTube is your best friend! Look for a video of the move done correctly, then slowed down and explained, and then put to music that your dancer will be able to watch over and over again outside of the classroom setting. Sites like Target Training Dance or Irish Dance Magazine’s YouTube are amazing resources—Irish dance may be a small world, but it’s a supportive one, and there’s a dearth of information out there! When trying to figure out how multiple movements fit together (like when you learn a new step), we always recommend that dancers record a video of it slowed down with no music as well as a video with the step danced to music. Back in the day, we used tape recorders of our teachers singing or lilting steps before cameras were built into every phone! It may also be the type of music that’s the issue—perhaps it’s specific instruments (some dancers can hear a fiddle, but not the downbeat from an accordion, for example) that cause confusion or a music with a particular beat (to review the differences in Irish dance music, check out this past post!) This problem has the same suggestions for home practice as rhythm issues (see that post from last week here)—see if your dancer is able to clap along to the beat of the music. If they’re not able to hear the music they won’t be able to feel the music while they dance, which will throw off the timing of their moves. Musicality is a learned skill for many dancers and the biggest key for improvement? Consistent practice, determination, and possibly a private lesson or two for good measure (as small as SRL classes are, sometimes a little one-on-one time is needed to better suit one dancer’s particular learning style or better determine where the disconnect is.) At home, they can try dancing to the beat of a metronome or simplified beats (stripping back the music to simply beat will make is easier to hear!) You can also try singing steps alongside the music or using your hands to keep time to the music on the floor to help your dancer visualize the beat—every kid learns differently! The important part is to not give up, and ask your dancer’s instructors for help as needed! This post is part of a series. Read our last technique review, all about rhythm, 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 XVI Last time we did movie recs, we covered some of the best children’s movies set in Ireland (check that out here!), but kids aren’t the only ones who can get the mid-winter blues. This time, we’re here with recommendations for our SRL parents (and some of our older dancers, at your discretion.) So tuck your littlest dancers in, make some hot cocoa, stop worrying about being possibly snowed in tomorrow morning, and dive into one of these beloved films that will whisk you away to Ireland and make you laugh, or cry…or both! 1. Once (2007, R) 97% Rotten Tomatoes 7.8 IMDb Rent on Amazon Prime Set in Dublin, Once follows an Irish vacuum repairman and hopeful musician (known only as “Guy”) and a Czech immigrant flower-seller (known only as “Girl”) in the journey of their burgeoning love and attempts to follow their shared dreams. This stripped-down musical (all about the music with none of the fanfare and dance numbers) begins when Girl reaches out to Guy to let him know that she’s also an aspiring singer-songwriter and a partnership is born. When that partnership deepens into something more, something beautiful happens—and we’re not just talking about the Oscar-winning original song “Falling Slowly.” But the movie is hardly a romantic comedy, as the course of true love never did run smooth, so get ready for something more soul aching and bittersweet than saccharine. Eventually adapted for the stage where it became a Broadway hit, Once is a simple story, but one that will charm the coldest heart this winter. 2. The Guard (2011, R) 94% Rotten Tomatoes 7.3 IMDb Rent on Amazon Prime The Guard is a kind of buddy cop/crime film, but just remember that Irish humor tends to skew a little dark. Beloved Irish actor Brendan Gleeson (we could spend a whole blog post listing his accolades, but let’s just mention that he was Professor Moody in Harry Potter) stars as Garda (that’s Irish for police) Officer Boyle who’s a little bit…much. Crass and eccentric Boyle is knee-deep in an investigation when he stumbles onto a much bigger crime ring, causing a straitlaced FBI agent (played by Don Cheadle) to get involved. Set in Connemara in western Ireland, the story follows the unorthodox pairing as they try to track down the criminals, with a healthy dose of both hilarity and tragedy in equal measure. The film was warmly received critically and at the box office (actually becoming the highest grossing independent Irish film to date,) with Gleeson even being nominated for a Golden Globe for his role. 3. Sing Street (2016, PG-13) 95% Rotten Tomatoes 7.9 IMDb Watch on Amazon Prime When you consider Ireland’s long history of musicality, it’s not surprising that there’s two musicals on this list. Sing Street is set in 1980s south inner-city Dublin and based on writer and director John Carney’s experiences as a teenager (he even attended Synge Street CBS, the school the plot revolves around.) The film follows Conor Lawlor as he’s transferred to this new school due to issues at home and starts a band with his new friends in order to impress his crush. As you’d expect from any teenage tale, this venture is tumultuous, but ultimately gives way to a story of found family, the power of love, the restorative nature of creativity, and dreams of escaping your small town. While the adult actors are an all-star cast, Carney chose to cast all unknowns for the younger roles to keep the narrative as relatable as possible. Full of slightly fantastical elements paired with realistic 80s nostalgia, Sing Street has a levity to it, even as it tackles difficult issues (with a song or two thrown in!) 4. Waking Ned Devine (1998, PG) 84% Rotten Tomatoes 7.4 IMDb Rent on Amazon Prime Touted as an “Irish Weekend at Bernie’s,” Waking Ned Devine is a film that finds humor even in the darkest topics. Set in the tiny village of Tullymore (population: 52) where everyone knows everyone’s business, senior friends Jackie and Michael are gob smacked when they find out someone in town has won the lottery! A ham-fisted investigation of sorts ensues that reveals that local recluse, Ned Devine, is not only the winner—but promptly died of the shock. But Ned has no family and he’d want to share his winnings with the whole village…right? What follows is a romp of high-spirited hijinks perpetrated by the entire, mostly elderly population in order to trick the claims inspector—fully of the silly and macabre in equal measure. A film full of heart and community as much as jokes, Waking Ned Devine was considered a delight by most reviewers, an updated comedy of manners with a bit of bawdiness for fun. (Oh, and it was also nominated for and won a ton of awards!) 5. The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006, Not Rated) 90% Rotten Tomatoes 7.5 IMDb Rent on Amazon Prime The highest grossing independently made Irish film in history before surpassed by The Guard and widely considered one of the most important Irish films of all time, The Wind That Shakes the Barley is the historical pick on this list. Set in County Cork during the Irish War for Independence (1919-1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922-1923,) the film follows brothers Damien (portrayed by Cillian Murphy of Peaky Blinders fame) and Teddy as they fight a guerrilla war against the British. This film tackles one of the most difficult times in Irish history through an interpersonal story that grounds it for the viewer, with nods to Ireland’s troubled history (the title comes from a Robert Dwyer Joyce song of the same name, set during the 1798 rebellion.) It may not be rated, but definitely expect some heavy topics and violence due to the subject matter, but not necessarily gratuitously so--it did win the coveted Palme D’Or at Cannes. Happy (or not so happy…) viewing! This post is part of a series. Read our last Modern Ireland 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. Volume XVI University College Dublin Not to be confused with our last uni spotlight, Trinity College Dublin, or London’s University College London (the UK has some serious overlap in uni nomenclature,) we’re here tonight to talk about another one of Dublin’s esteemed schools: University College Dublin (or UCD.) UCD is Ireland’s largest university at over 33,000 students and has been in existence (though the name has changed multiple times over the years) since 1854. Divided into six colleges and 37 schools within the larger umbrella of the university, there’s almost no subject your dancer wouldn’t be able to study at UCD. Despite its size, the focus at UCD always remains on the academics—this research-intensive university (with research endowments in the multi-millions) is regularly ranked in 1% of schools, ranking 185th worldwide. With five Nobel laureates amongst its current alumni and staff and the highest percentage of graduate study in Ireland taking place there, it’s known for cutting-edge research across all academic fields, as well as its thriving arts and literature programs. UCD’s archives rank as some of the most extensive in all of Europe with its National Folklore collection that concentrates on Irish history, oral tradition, and folklore (and which was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2017.) But it’s not just about the school itself at UCD, they help prepare their students for the real world, too. UCD ranks top in graduate employability, above all other Irish unis (as well as 78th in the world,) while a study in 2015 reported that UCD graduates contribute 1.5 billion to Ireland’s economy annually. It’s also considered Ireland’s top networking university, with over a quarter million current alumni out in the world, making an impact in wide-ranging areas from the arts and sciences to politics and industry. Known as Ireland’s “global university,” UCD has approximately 8,000 international students from over 138 countries. But it doesn’t stop its global reach at Ireland’s borders—UCD has global centers all over the world to help find and support their international students complete with high school outreach, partner institutions, and points of contact for parents (and students!) within home countries. UCD’s campus used to reside on St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of Dublin, but continued expansion and desires for more modern facilities for students and research purposes led to its exodus to Belfield—only 4 kilometers outside the city center. And it’s a good thing they did as UCD now has one of the largest urban campuses in Europe and some of the most updated and extensive student accommodations in Ireland. It also ranks as one of Ireland’s safest campuses, as beyond the relative safety of Dublin there’s 24-hour security. Student life is considered a happy one at UCD, with an activism-centered focus to match the school’s motto: Ad Astra; Cothrom na Féinne or “To the Stars; Justice and Equality.” Between their active Students’ Union and their multiple student newspapers (not to mention radio stations!), UCD students have gained worldwide attention multiple times over the years for their focus on social justice and human rights. But there’s fun to be had too—over 60 sports clubs (not to mention that the Leinster Rugby team’s headquarters reside on campus,) and an equal number of student societies. There’s a community feeling, despite the number of students, with touches like every new student being given a scarf with the school’s colors—St. Patrick’s blue, saffron, and navy—at their welcome ceremony that students also wear to their graduation.
With a uni this large, there’s almost too much to say! Tune back in next time for Ireland’s smallest undergraduate population: Maynooth University in County Kildare. This post is part of a series. Read our modern Ireland post, all about contemporary Irish poetry, 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. Read our first post about this topic here. It’s January, and we all know what that means: the winter doldrums are here. It’s hard getting back into the swing of things after the excitement of the holidays for adults, and it’s twice as hard for kids. Return to routine in the midst of a cold winter can feel daunting, but we’re here tonight to talk about the importance a parent’s influence has on a dancer’s development and why it’s more important this time of year than ever! First off, the first thing to remember is that every dancer has different goals, but that this is the time of year that can help determine how close they come to meeting those goals during this dance year. Every student that walks through the SRL doors has unlimited potential, but they don’t always want the same things. We’re starting to gear up for St. Patrick’s Day performance month here, followed by recital, and, for our more competitive dancers, Nationals and even Worlds—but a goal to make friends in class and participate in the parade is no less important than making it to the big stage. While this is the time of year it can be easy to let the lack of light get to us, it’s also the beginning of the second half of the all-too-short dance year, so here’s a few tips from Miss Courtney and some experts to help keep your dancer feeling encouraged, no matter how big or small their goals: Show interest! It’s a simple thing, but can get the most burned-out dancer motivated for the classes ahead. An article in Journal for the Education of the Gifted explored this subject over a two-year study in relation to dance specifically, and found that parents “being there, sharing, and knowing” about the dancer’s classes were the most important factors in dancer development—even above specific pedagogical practices. What’s true for their academic life is equally true for their athletic and artistic development--parent engagement is the best predictor of success. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of day-to-day life, shuttling your kids between school and all their extracurriculars and you still have to figure out dinner…we get it! It’s a perfect storm that’s all go go go and very little time to slow down and ask about an activity when they still have homework to get done. Our suggestion is that even if it’s five minutes a day, or on the drive home, make sure to ask them questions—about their friends in class, what they learned, to show you something…a little goes a long way. Next, encourage, but don’t force them to practice! While no one in the studio is going to tell you practice isn’t a positive, forcing kids into practice can create a mental block that erases the positive effects (especially the psychological ones) of their favorite activities. There’s definite debate about this in the parenting world (check out this New York Times article that bounces back and forth between both sides of the argument,) and we know that you know your kids best, but we’d encourage you to think outside the box in terms of what “practice” may mean. You don’t necessarily see them tippy-toeing their way around their classroom, or skipping on the playground—or all of the small moments dance has crept into their life. To quote Miss Courtney: “In my book, dancers who are self-directed and enjoying their practice time will be so much more successful in the long run than dancers who set a timer with a frown on their face because mom or dad is making them practice.” Then: embolden them to break out of their comfort zones! This one is especially for our nervous or shy dancers. We’re not saying, and will never say, to push them, but experts agree that acknowledging your boundaries and knowing when breaking them will lead to personal growth is a life skill key to continued success in all areas. Dance is the perfect arena to help your dancer learn and internalize this lesson. With so many performance opportunities coming up in the next few months, March is the perfect time of year at SRL to reframe performing as something fun rather than intimidating, a celebration of their dance achievements rather than something to be nervous about. It’s always a good time to help them see that new experiences can be positive ones! Lastly, make sure they feel prepared so they can feel confident! A dancer that comes to class in their school colors, hair neatly back, and on time, is going to have a better start than someone who runs in ten minutes late without their shoes. We’re all about letting your dancer take age-appropriate responsibility when it comes to getting ready, but creating a checklist you can go over together (whether it be for a performance, the recital, class, or a feis) is a great way to help them see their expectations so they can know when they’re meeting them. The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology agrees—going so far as to say that preparation in any field increases confidence across all other aspects of life! While we always want your dancer to succeed in studio, SRL also wants your dancer to succeed outside the studio, and we see these two facets and inextricably linked. But we’re only part of the equation! With a boost from the parental figures in their life—some interest, encouragement, and help preparing—we know every single one of our dancers can achieve whatever goals they set. This post is part of a series. Read our last 411 post, all about positive social media use, 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 XV Poetry Recommendations, Part 1 Poetry isn’t the most popular literary genre out there, sure, but there’s no denying that Ireland has produced some of the greatest poets of all time—perhaps the names Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, or James Joyce sound familiar from your freshman lit class? But Ireland didn’t stop producing incredible poets in the 19th century! We’re here tonight on the blog to recommend some of Ireland’s greatest modern poets for your reading pleasure. 1. As If By Magic: Selected Poems, Paula Meehan One of Ireland’s premiere living poets, Meehan grew up in Dublin to a working-class family before traveling extensively throughout Europe. This expansiveness is reflected in her poems, which she’s been writing since a student at Trinity College Dublin in the 1970s, revolving around Dublin and its suburbs, but also look outward into the wider world. She’s a poet not quite of contradictions, but of intersections, looking into where nature and man, urban and suburban, man and woman, meet rather than divide. With poems ranging from the ecological and feminist to historical and personal, all are brought forth with her trademark passion and cutting wit that gives way to the utmost compassion and a desire to heal. This collection of poems spans 1991-2016 and includes some of her most courageous pieces—read more praise of Meehan’s Selected Poems here. Her accolades include being shortlisted for “A Poem for Ireland” in 2015 and being named the Ireland Professor of Poetry by Irish President Higgins in 2013. 2. Selected Poems 1968-2014, Paul Muldoon In the poetry world, Paul Muldoon needs no introduction. With over thirty collections to his name and innumerable prizes (including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry,) he’s an Irish institution. Muldoon grew up in Northern Ireland where his parents worked as a farmer and a teacher, and published his first collection of poetry, Knowing My Place, at the ripe age of 19. Unlike many poets that came into prominence in the 60s and 70s, Muldoon is known for his use of traditional verse forms—though always with twist, innovating by creating a new space within the already existing structure of the poetic tradition. Muldoon’s work can be slippery, elusive, challenging the reader with his subtle humor and love of puns while exploring Irish history, literature, and politics. Though he currently resides in the U.S., Muldoon’s poems are quintessentially Irish at their core: examining the push and pull of identity—personal and communal—through the evocative magic of language. 3. The Unfixed Horizon: New Selected Poems, Medbh McGuckian Another truly prolific writer with over 20 collections to her name, Medbh (pronounced Maeve) McGuckian was born in Belfast to a family steeped in academics and the arts. She attended Queen’s University for both her BA and MA, eventually returning to the campus as the school’s first ever female writer-in-residence (though early in her career she had to enter a contest under a male pseudonym in order to be considered—she won!) McGuckian’s work concentrates on domestic, internal landscapes, diving into a feminine space with expansive emotional reflection—work that leans heavily toward universal within the personal. In her own words: “I think the waking state is familiar and the dream state uncanny. Poetry is like a bridge between them.” Her awards include an Ireland Arts Council Award, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, and the Forward Poetry Prize, among many others. 4. 100 Poems, Seamus Heaney A mentor to both Muldoon and McGuckian, Seamus Heaney may be Ireland’s most popular poet of the last 100 years, as well as one of the most revered poets of the last century worldwide. In fact, it’s extremely likely you read his poem, “Digging,” in high school or college (best known for its poetic depiction and veneration of manual labor.) While no longer with us, he was honored in 1995 with the Nobel Prize for Literature while teaching at Oxford, before moving on to teaching at Harvard until 2006. Heaney’s subject matter is what made him appeal to the masses and English teachers alike—most of his work delves into modern Northern Ireland’s landscape, making both the beauty of the land and the struggle of political upheaval feel intensely personal. Heaney is considered the voice of his country—both Northern Ireland and Ireland proper—to many to this day. Click this link to hear Heaney reading “Digging” shortly before his death in 2013. 5. New Collected Poems, Eavan Boland The insanity of 2020 took many things away from us, and one of those wonderful things was the poet Eavan Boland. Boland was born in Dublin, but spent much of her childhood in London, where her father served as the Irish Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She returned to Dublin in 1962 to attend Trinity College Dublin and it was there she published her first collection of poetry as a first year student. It was the beginning of a long and illustrious career for which she received many accolades, including being inducted into the Academy of Arts and Sciences while a professor at Stanford University and the Lannan Literary Award for Poetry. Her work concentrated on the female experience in Ireland with an undeniable feminist slant, combining the magic of the Irish landscape and folklore with the real lived experience and oppression of women. She is beloved by the Irish people (and the poetry world) for her unwavering commitment to exposing the troubled place of Irish women in a turbulent history and culture. Bonus: Careful Cartography, Devon Bohm Only an Irish poet if you’re counting her heritage and the fact she’s currently employed by SRL Irish Dance Academy, Bohm’s first book of poetry was published in November of 2021 by Cornerstone Press out of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as part of their Portage Poetry Series. We’ll let the press tell you more about the collection: “Careful Cartography, the striking debut collection from Devon Bohm, doubles as life writing and poetry. With her detailed geographic narrative, Bohm plots out her autobiography through both external and internal landscapes. Strong in style and voice, these impactful free verse poems create a map through wordscapes that equate to topographical locations, a search culminating in the most elusive and unmappable of locations: a home.” Careful Cartography is available for purchase on both Cornerstone Press’s website and Amazon, for your convenience! Happy Reading! This post is part of a series. Read our modern Ireland post, all about some of Ireland's premiere charities, 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. Volume XVII Part 2 Check out part 1 here! Last week, we brought you three Irish charities to donate to in lieu of a gift or two this year: Barretstown, a free camp for children with cancer and serious illnesses, Cuan Mhuire, a fully funded addiction rehabilitation program, and the Irish Wildlife Trust, a not-for-profit organization focused on environmental conservation. But we’re not done yet! We’re back at it with three more worthy causes (all based in Ireland) to fulfill your season of giving this year. (And if you’re still looking for gift suggestions for your dancer, never fear! Just check out the recommendations section of our blog—all the gift guides are there!) First off, let’s talk about The American Ireland Fund aka The Ireland Funds America. The American branch is based in Boston (with chapters all over the country,) and was originally called the American Irish Foundation when it was founded by none other than John F. Kennedy and Irish president Éamon de Valara in the 1960s. The Ireland Funds was originally a separate charity based solely in Ireland (founded in 1967) before the two merged in 1987 on Saint Patrick’s Day, complete with a function at the White House. But why merge? The goal of both organizations was and remains the same: a global, charitable network of “friends of Ireland” that promotes culture, arts, education, peace, and community across the Irish diaspora. The Fund has dispensed over $600 million to over 3,200 charities worldwide, but they remain focused on the goal of improving the world around them (and preserving Irish culture and helping those of Irish descent as they do.) With a “Give with Confidence” rating on Charity Navigator and an accountability rating of 100%, you know your money is going to a good cause! Next up, we have the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. Established in 1974, right in the midst of the Troubles and in response to them, Glencree is devoted to peacebuilding, dialogue, communication, and education. They believe in nonviolent solutions between disparate communities with the goal of reconciliation and are a non-governmental organization with no specific political leanings beyond peace between all parties and pacifism. Based in Northern Ireland with offices in County Wicklow just outside of Dublin, they offer safe, neutral spaces for people of all ages to address issues of sectarianism and discrimination, which are still an issue in Ireland to this day. But they don’t just address Irish issues—their Sustainable Peace Project brings together participants in the wilderness of South Africa where they learn and discuss socio-economic inequalities stemming from the legacy of Apartheid. And Glencree is devoted to not only worldwide education, community-building, and open conversations in the hopes of non-adversarial solutions, but the use of arts and culture to bring people together and all heritages can be equally celebrated! And lastly, we wanted to talk about the oldest surviving charitable organization in Ireland: The Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers’ Society (the first clue to its age is definitely in the name.) Founded in—get ready—1790!, this organization was created by a group of men working in largely blue collar jobs (rather than the stereotypical upper class philanthropists,) bent on making a charitable organization that served the poorest of their city, regardless of religious affiliation. This group of grocers, carpenters, stonecutters, etc. each originally donated two pence a week for the honor or nominating a person or family in need. Today, the organization has expanded its reach from the territory between two of Dublin’s canals to the whole of the city, and tends to focus on those who need one-off assistance versus the ability to qualify for ongoing state assistance—so they’ve been particularly busy during the pandemic! As a private charity, they’re able to pick who receives their donations on a case by case basis—from helping families pay their bills while their child is in the hospital to buying an elderly couple a bed when they couldn’t afford one when theirs broke. It’s essentially a neighborhood charity for Dublin that looks at the smaller cases versus the bigger picture! (And now anyone can submit an application—for themselves, or others!)
No matter where you choose to donate this year—near home or abroad—we wish all our SRL families the happiest holiday season! This post is part of a series. Read our last Modern Ireland post, with three additional charitable giving options, 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 While “rhythm” is obviously a key part of any dance discipline (or casual dancing, for that matter!), Irish dance’s demands on a dancer’s rhythm are more complex than average. As dancers move up through the levels and start adding more types of dances to their repertoire, they’re also adding new types of music with a variety of rhythms they’ll need to be able to identify and dance in time to. While we’ve covered the different types of music used in Irish dance in a previous post (check out our post here! or a few other resources: here or here!), we’re here tonight to help explain the concept of rhythm in Irish dance and how to troubleshoot any rhythm issues! Rhythm, broadly defined, is the ordered recurrent alternation between sound and silence (in music) and (in dance) the movements that coordinate with that alternation. You may have run across Miss Courtney’s explanation of rhythm in class before—she likes to compare it to “Happy Birthday.” We all know how to sing “Happy Birthday,” and all do it unison every time. That’s because we inherently know the rhythm of the words, even without backing music. Rhythm in Irish dance is a little more complicated as there’s both movements and music involved, but the principal holds: when you understand and can hear the rhythm of the music your movements are in tandem with those beats. Or, as our dancers would probably say: iykyk. It’s easy to think of rhythm as a hard shoe-specific issue, and it’s true that it’s more noticeable to the casual observer when a hard shoe strikes at the wrong moment than your ghillies. But it’s not true of the adjudicators or your teachers—they’ll notice, for sure! Rhythm is equally important in soft shoe as it is in hard shoe. Dancers with rhythm issues will still be able to perform their dances in full, and will possibly still end in the right moment, making them think their rhythm is intact. However, rhythm has more to do with the individual style and timing of each movement in conjunction with the music—i.e. a heel strike on a down beat versus in the middle of a musical phrase. If a dancer is struggling with rhythm, the first step is to determine if they can hear the rhythm of the music. An easy test of this is having them clap along with it—some people simply can’t naturally hear the rhythm of the music and can’t follow, say, the beat of a jig (fast fast slow or up up down.) This is a skill you'll see practiced in our earliest levels (Tiny Jig and Pre-Beginner especially) and while it may not look like dancing, it's a precursor to this very important aspect of Irish dance! If clapping isn’t working, trying having them count the beats out. That may not work either, and it can be difficult for some dancers to realize they can’t accurately hear the rhythm of the music. Musicality is often a learned skill, and can usually be improved with patience, diligence, and help! A private lesson (or a few) for dancers struggling with rhythm is always a good idea, particularly if they have a specific dance they’re struggling with. Private lessons for rhythm issues give instructors the time to break down the dance and even record it for further study for the dancer without taking away from class time. But there are exercises you can try at home as well (besides constant practice, which is always a good idea!) This suggestion comes from feis circuit musician and former Irish dancer, Sean O’Brien—his fix for improving your rhythm is to practice your dances alongside a metronome instead of the music, saying: “This is the simplest way to strip music back to its fundamental, unchanging beat. Sometimes people can be confused by the layers of instruments, and a metronome helps to distinguish the underlying tempo.” Rhythm is a difficult concept to explain in words, and there’s always an ongoing debate about whether or not it can actually be taught. Our verdict here at SRL? Miss Courtney herself struggled with rhythm early on in her dance career, but (clearly!) overcame it—so there’s probably no better place to work on it than here at SRL! This post is part of a series. Read our last technique review post, all about extension, 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 XVI Part 1 Last year, we posted pretty extensive gift guides for every kind of Irish dancer and Irish dancer gift we could think of: the littlest dancer, the competitive dancer, Irish dance décor, Irish dance apparel, a feis survival basket, Irish dance parental figures, and even stocking stuffers! All those suggestions are still up to peruse (just click on the category that strikes your fancy,) but we thought we’d go a different route this year. While material gifts are always going to be exciting, the events over the past almost two years (crazy!) have really brought to light what matters most: helping others as part of a global community. Inspired by all those hearts and thank yous all over for essential workers, we’re here to let you know about some of our favorite Irish charities to donate to in lieu of a present or two this holiday season. First up, we have Barretstown! This not-for-profit camp for children with cancer and other serious illnesses is located in County Kildare at the beautiful Barretstown Castle in Ballymore Eustace. It was founded in 1994 by Paul Newman (yes—that Paul Newman) and provides what they call “therapeutic recreation” for the campers aged 7-17 that helps enhance the children’s lives and rebuild self-confidence in the face of the struggles they’re facing. The camp is a member of the Serious Fun Group, a global children’s network dedicated the improving the quality of the lives of children who have been impacted by serious childhood illnesses. Their first camp was right here in Connecticut in 1988, but there are now 30 worldwide—including Barretstown in Ireland! The camp is completely free to campers, which means they need to raise €4.5 million a year to keep it running. Well, along with the 1,200 volunteers or “caras” (it means friend in Irish!) who donate their time to the campers! (And good news: as of this year, the Barretstown program is open to US-based children as well!) Next, we’d love to turn the spotlight on Cuan Mhuire. The name means “Mary’s Harbor” and it was founded in 1966 by a nun named Sr. Consilio and her order, the Sisters of Mercy, to help people struggling with alcohol, drug, and gambling addictions. Since that time, it’s charitably treated over 100,000 individuals in its locations throughout Ireland, with approximately 40% of patients experiencing homelessness at the time of their admission. Between the harmful stereotypes that still persist about Irish alcohol consumption to this day and the cultural norms that perpetuate addiction problems throughout Ireland, Cuan Mhuire is providing an invaluable public service and has been honored innumerable times over the years. This was the first purpose-built rehabilitation center in all of Ireland and focuses on uncovering underlying issues that led to addiction and treating the whole person, rather than the disease, through a variety of therapeutic techniques. With their primary philosophy being that all people are worthy and that there are no hopeless cases, we think it’s a worthy cause! Lastly, we’d love to take a moment to talk about the Irish Wildlife Trust! They’ve been around as both a lobbyist in Irish politics and a national conservation-based charitable organization since 1979. The IWT’s goal is multifold: to conserve wildlife and their habitats throughout Ireland, while also encouraging understanding and appreciation of the natural world and educating the populace on both the importance of this and how to pitch in. It would take a whole new blog post to list all the environmental impact groups they’re a part of—from Seas at Risk and the European Environmental Bureau to Bat Conservation Ireland and Badgerwatch Ireland—and they have branches all throughout the country (check out a list of their current campaigns here.) Between their work on national parks and the numerous studies and surveys they perform, IWT is on the front lines of environmental conservation that not only serves Ireland, but every tourist that visits to see the island’s natural splendor.
But these are only a few of Ireland’s many laudable charitable causes! Check in next week for a few more options, (or check out this (not comprehensive, but extensive) list--List of Charitable Organizations in Ireland—in the meantime.) This post is part of a series. Read our last Modern Ireland post, all about Trinity 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. Volume XV Trinity College Dublin We’re back with the university spotlight turned to another part of the country, from Limerick to…Dublin! Ireland’s largest city also happens to house its top-ranked university: Trinity College Dublin (it’s also, impressively, ranked 101st in the world—or 43rd according to another report!) Technically the second university founded in Ireland (The Medieval University of Dublin, established in 1320, only lasted 200 years or so,) it’s currently Ireland’s oldest surviving university! Founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592, it was intended to be Ireland’s version of Cambridge or Oxford and the connection remains today—its sister schools are still St. John’s College at Cambridge and Oriel’s College at Oxford. In fact, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Cambridge University, or Oxford University can be awarded a comparable degree at the other two without further examination. TCD’s libraries house 7 million volumes, including original manuscripts of historical significance like The Book of Kells (it’s been there since 1661 where it was placed for safekeeping from political upheaval.) It should be no surprise that the library is considered one of Europe’s most beautiful to this day, and remains the largest in Ireland. The school was only open to Protestant students until 1793, and admitted its first female student in 1904—though now its doors are open to any and all who apply. Well, that’s not strictly true—Trinity is a top school with strict academic standards to match. Admissions at TCD rely purely on a student’s academic merits, with no other considerations made. As we’ve discussed in previous posts about secondary education in Ireland, students are admitted to a specific course of study…and with 18,000 students enrolled in 23 schools and 400 courses in graduate, and post-graduate level study, there’s plenty of programs to apply to—all top of their field! However, the most competitive and well-regarded programs at Trinity are law, humanities, and literature. It’s no wonder that some of Ireland’s greatest literary minds have degrees from Trinity, including the likes of Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, William Congreve, Samuel Beckett (a Nobel Laureate to boot,) and Sally Rooney—just to name a few (and we didn’t even get to the politicians!) When TCD was founded and originally built it was located slightly outside the city, but as time passed and Dublin grew, it grew around the university. Now, Trinity is the heart of the city and students have all the perks of city life coupled with the perks of student life! Trinity’s campus is built in such a way to make students feel that they have a tranquil space in the midst of the bustling city around them—with most buildings facing inward toward beautifully manicured quads. While the campus is 47 acres, the huge number of societies (120+) and sports clubs (50+) brings the student body together, as well as the many Trinity traditions (and their good-natured rivalry and “colour wars” with University College Dublin!) Trinity continues to follow the Oxbridge example with (at least) two other traditions: their formal dining for scholars (top students with special privileges) in Commons (with prayers in Latin and full wait staff) and the elaborate event for all students, but especially those graduating, known as the Trinity Ball (click the link to learn more, but it’s Europe’s biggest private party with approximately 7,000 attendees!) Ranked 17th in the world for international students, Trinity has students and staff from over 120 countries (with 28% of students from outside of Ireland!) Worried about visas? TCD makes sure to give graduating undergraduates the option to remain in Ireland for 1-2 years of postgraduate studies or work experience within Ireland, which they help arrange. If this leads to full time employment, the US-Ireland Working Holiday agreement helps US students on their way to a more secure work permit! For a US-based student, Trinity is an excellent pathway to making Ireland, the UK, or Europe as more permeant home (sorry, parents! Just reporting the facts.)
A school with a 400-year history is pretty difficult to sum up in a blog post, but the long and short of Trinity College Dublin is this: if you want to study it, Trinity is a pretty wonderful place to do so. Definitely meant for the most academically ambitious students across the globe, TCD balances collegiate tradition with cutting edge scholarship, but doesn’t skimp on the regular college experiences. But we’ve only covered two of Ireland’s seven universities…keep an eye on the blog for more, coming soon! This post is part of a series. Read our last Modern Ireland post, full of middle grade book recommendations, 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. 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. Welcome back to technique review, where we cover the most essential principles of Irish dance that every dancer needs to practice, train, and condition for—from Beginner to Championship level! This week, we’re taking a look at extension, a term which specifically refers to the line of the leg while dancing. It may sound simple, but it’s anything but! Proper extension for Irish dance is a little more complicated than standing up straight—it refers to the leg being fully straight and the knees pulled up at all times. The term “knees pulled up” can be a little confusing for non-Irish dancers, but signifies the muscles literally pulling up as you rise on your toes and extend your knee fully (it’s the correction Irish dance teachers love to yell when you bend your knees!) Once you reach the higher levels of Irish dance, this also refers to the dancer using the space on the stage to their full advantage, reaching as far as they can to “fill” each movement. While fully straightening your leg seems like something we all do every day, it actually requires a particular type of flexibility—most notably, the hamstrings. If you’re getting notes back from the adjudicators (or your teachers) noting that you’re “sitting on your knees,” it means your back leg is bent while dancing and you’re most likely dropping your heel. Tight hamstrings are the most likely culprit—it probably feels like you’re fully extending, even when you’re not! This isn’t a problem limited to Beginner dancers, as it’s something that can follow you into the upper levels if not addressed. While all our upper level classes begin with exercises meant to increase flexibility, hamstring flexibility doesn’t have an overnight fix. Like everything in Irish dance, it takes patience, dedication, and constant practice—i.e. daily stretching over a long period of time. Remember to NEVER stretch cold—always warm up first for 5-10 minutes—and make sure to hold each stretch for 40-60 seconds, focusing on each stretch as you complete the action. Need some new hamstring stretches? We love Target Training Dance for great tricks and tips specifically tailored to Irish dancers! But hamstrings aren’t the only muscles that need to be addressed! A dancer’s glutes and quads are equally important, as these are the muscle groups you’re most actively engaging when you’re “pulling up” from your knees. The stronger your glutes and quads, the more focus you’ll be able to commit to this part of your form and the more natural a fully extended leg will become. But remember: leg strength and flexibility need to be balanced with core strength for this to work—Irish dance is a whole body workout. Click any of the links throughout this article to see a wide variety of exercises for everything from your hamstrings to your core! (That’s right, every single link here is another exercise (or set of exercises) to help with extension! And here’s one more for good measure.) But why is extension important? It’s not only that proper form requires a clean line from a dancer’s leg—there’s long term health and safety risks, as well. An estimated 80% of Irish dance injuries stem from overuse—which doesn’t mean your dancer is dancing too much, as much as it means they need further conditioning, a balance of strengthening and stretching in equal measure. It’s imperative for all Irish dancers to condition outside of their regular class time in order to avoid overuse injuries and be able to continue to improve. This article even found links between hamstring flexibility and the ability of a dancer to advance through the competitive levels. Whether you’re just starting out or have a room full of medals, remember: extension is key! (And so are the exercises to help improve it!) This post is part of a series. Read our last technique post, all about arching, 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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