105-477: The London Senior Hurling Championship is a Gaelic Athletic Association cup competition between the top hurling clubs in London , England. Six clubs start in the group stage. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed five group games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in
210-604: A District Inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary , P. J. Ryan of Tipperary, John Wyse Power and John McKay. Maurice Davin was elected president, Cusack, Wyse-Power and McKay were elected Secretaries and it was agreed that Archbishop Croke , Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt would be asked to become Patrons. In 1922 it turned over the job of promoting athletics to the National Athletic and Cycling Association . The GAA organises
315-552: A drinking session where the person drank six or more standard units (which equates to three or more pints of beer). This meets the Health Service Executive 's definition of binge drinking. Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread. A wide variety of sports are played throughout the island, with the most popular being Gaelic football , hurling , soccer , rugby union , and golf . Four sports account for over 80% of event attendance: Gaelic football
420-538: A group of Irishmen gathered in the Hayes' Hotel billiard room to formulate a plan and establish an organisation to foster and preserve Ireland's unique games and athletic pastimes. Arising out of the meeting, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded. The architects and founding members were Michael Cusack of County Clare , Maurice Davin , Joseph K. Bracken , Thomas St George McCarthy ,
525-717: A large stake in the cable company Chorus , and indirectly controlling The Sunday Tribune . The Independent titles are perceived by many Irish republicans as having a pro-British stance. In parallel to this, the Independent titles are perceived by many opposition supporters as being pro Fianna Fáil . The Irish magazine market is one of the world's most competitive, with hundreds of international magazines available in Ireland, ranging from Time and The Economist to Hello! and Reader's Digest . This means that domestic titles find it very hard to retain readership. Among
630-459: A new agro-alimentary system of intensive grain-based agriculture and led to large areas of land being turned over to grain production. The potato was introduced into Ireland in the second half of the 16th century, as a result of the Columbian exchange , initially as a garden crop; it eventually came to serve as the main food field crop of the tenant and labouring classes, which formed a majority of
735-522: A number of GAA supporters were killed and clubhouses damaged. As the profile of Gaelic football has been raised in Ulster so too has there been an increase in the number of sectarian attacks on Gaelic clubs in Northern Ireland. Some of the protectionist rules are as follows: Rule 42 (Rule 5.1 in the 2009 rulebook) prohibits the use of GAA property for games with interests in conflict with
840-401: A number of competitions at divisional, county, inter-county , provincial, inter-provincial and national (All-Ireland) levels. A number of competitions follow a progressive format in which, for example, the winners of a club county football competition progress to a competition involving the top clubs from each county in the province, with the champions from each province progressing through
945-459: A number of initiatives aimed at making the association and Gaelic games more accessible to northern Protestants. In November 2008, the council launched a Community Development Unit , which is responsible for "Diversity and Community Outreach initiatives". The Cúchulainn Initiative is a cross-community program aimed at establishing teams consisting of Catholic and Protestant schoolchildren with no prior playing experience. Cross-community teams such as
1050-405: A popular phenomenon amongst young people in Ireland during the celtic tiger years. Clubs usually vary in terms of the type of music played, and the target audience. Belfast has a unique underground club scene taking place in settings such as churches, zoos, and crematoriums. The underground scene is mainly orchestrated by DJ Christopher McCafferty . A significant recent change to pub culture in
1155-576: A reconstructed version is celebrated by some across the globe. Ireland is a place where religion and religious practice have long been held in high esteem. The majority of people on the island are Roman Catholics ; however, there are significant Protestant and Orthodox minorities. Protestants are mostly concentrated in Northern Ireland , where they long made up a plurality of the population. The three main Protestant denominations on
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#17327871226431260-490: A relaxed atmosphere; similar to the café cultures of other countries. Many modern pubs, not necessarily traditional, still emulate traditional pubs, only perhaps substituting traditional music for a DJ or non-traditional live music. Many larger pubs in cities eschew such trappings entirely, opting for loud music, and focusing more on the consumption of drinks, which is not a focus of traditional Irish culture. Such venues are popular "pre-clubbing" locations. " Clubbing " has become
1365-449: A rock idiom to form a unique new sound. During the 1970s and 1980s, the distinction between traditional and rock and pop musicians became blurred, with many individuals regularly crossing over between these styles of playing as a matter of course. This trend can be seen more recently in the work of bands like U2 , Snow Patrol , The Cranberries , The Undertones and The Corrs , and individual artists such as Enya . Irish and English are
1470-527: A rule in 2007 that prohibited collective training for inter-county players for a period of two months every winter. This has proven to be controversial in that it is difficult to enforce; in the drive to stay competitive, managers have found ways to avoid it, such as organising informal 'athletic clubs' and other activities that they can use to work on the physical fitness of players without overtly appearing to be training specifically at Gaelic games. Culture of Ireland The culture of Ireland includes
1575-623: A series of national finals. The association has had a long history of promoting Irish culture. Through a division of the association known as Scór (Irish for "score"), the association promotes Irish cultural activities, running competitions in music, singing, dancing and storytelling. Rule 4 of the GAA's official guide states: The Association shall actively support the Irish language , traditional Irish dancing , music , song, and other aspects of Irish culture . It shall foster an awareness and love of
1680-476: A similar fashion to the Western world. In addition to Irish food, meals eaten in Ireland may include pizza, curry and Chinese food, with some west African dishes making an appearance lately. Supermarket shelves now contain ingredients for, among others, traditional, Polish, Mexican, Indian and Chinese dishes. The proliferation of fast food has led to increasing public health problems including obesity , and one of
1785-630: A single team representing the island of Ireland in international competitions. A few sports, such as soccer, have separate organising bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Traditionally, those in the North who identify as Irish, predominantly Catholics and nationalists, support the Republic of Ireland team. At the Olympics, a person from Northern Ireland can choose to represent either
1890-474: A status for Celtic women in ancient times somewhat different from many other cultures of the period. According to the tales, the leprechaun is a mischievous fairy type creature in emerald green clothing who when not playing tricks spend all their time busily making shoes; he is said to have a pot of gold hidden at the end of the rainbow and if ever captured by a human has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for release. There are also tales of
1995-731: A strong sense of loyalty to their native county, a loyalty which also often has its clearest expression on the sports field. With the Tudor Elizabethan English conquest in the 16th-17th centuries, the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , and the organized plantations of English Tudor, and later Scottish, colonists, the Scottish confined to what's now mostly Northern Ireland, the patterns of land ownership in Ireland were altered greatly. The old order of transhumance and open range cattle breeding died out to be replaced by
2100-540: A structure of great landed estates, small tenant farmers with more or less precarious hold on their leases, and a mass of landless labourers. This situation continued up to the end of the 19th century, when the agitation of the Land League began to bring about land reform. In this process of reform, the former tenants and labourers became land owners, with the great estates being broken up into small- and medium-sized farms and smallholdings. The process continued well into
2205-505: A variety of social traditions. Pubs vary widely according to the clientele they serve, and the area they are in. Best known, and loved amongst tourists is the traditional pub, with its traditional Irish music (or "trad music") often performed live, tavern-like warmness, memorabilia and traditional Irish ornamentation. Often such pubs will also serve Irish food, particularly during the day. Typically pubs are important meeting places, where people can gather and meet their neighbours and friends in
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#17327871226432310-704: Is a de facto official language, with Ulster English being common. In 2022, the Irish language received official language status in Northern Ireland as a result of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act , with Ulster Scots receiving minority language status. In addition, these languages have recognition under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, with 8.1% claiming some ability in Ulster Scots and 10.7% in Irish. In addition,
2415-472: Is also widely known, and both were redefined in the 1950s. In the middle years of the 20th century, as Irish society was attempting to modernise, traditional Irish music fell out of favour to some extent, especially in urban areas. Young people at this time tended to look to Britain and, particularly, the United States as models of progress and jazz and rock and roll became extremely popular. During
2520-451: Is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling , camogie , Gaelic football , Gaelic handball , and rounders . The association also promotes Irish music and dance , as well as the Irish language and it also promotes environmental stewardship through its Green Clubs initiative. As of 2014,
2625-545: Is notable for the numerous parades organised by the Orange Order which take place throughout Northern Ireland. These parades are colourful affairs with Orange Banners and sashes on display and include music in the form of traditional songs such as " The Sash " and " Derry's Walls " performed by a mixture of pipe, flute, accordion, and brass marching bands. The Twelfth remains controversial as many in Northern Ireland's large and majority- nationalist Catholic community see
2730-634: Is often blamed on the ever-increasing prices, or whether it is a "good thing" or a "bad thing". A similar ban, under the Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, came into effect in Northern Ireland on 30 April 2007. National and international organisations have labelled Ireland as having a problem with over-consumption of alcohol. In the late 1980s alcohol consumption accounted for nearly 25% of all hospital admissions. While this figure has been decreasing steadily, as of 2007, approximately 13% of overall hospital admissions were alcohol related. In 2003, Ireland had
2835-525: Is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance and community involvement, and represents 34% of total sports attendances at events in the Republic of Ireland and abroad, followed by hurling at 23%, soccer at 16% and rugby at 8%. and the All-Ireland Football Final is the most watched event in Ireland's sporting calendar. Swimming, golf, aerobics, soccer, cycling, Gaelic football, and billiards, pool and snooker, are
2940-467: Is the most popular sport involving national teams. The success of the Ireland team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup saw 500,000 fans in Dublin to welcome the team home. The team's song " Put 'Em Under Pressure " topped the Irish charts for 13 weeks. In Ireland most sports, including rugby union, Gaelic football, hurling and handball, cycling and golf, are organised on an all-island basis, with, where relevant,
3045-675: Is the only one of the three main Northern Irish dailies that has a Sunday publication which is called the Sunday Life. Apart from this all the main UK wide Sunday papers such as The Sun on Sunday are widely available as are some Irish papers such as the Sunday world. There are quite a large number of local weekly newspapers both North and South, with most counties and large towns having two or more newspapers. Curiously Dublin remains one of
3150-479: Is traced through Bronze Age artefacts, particularly ornamental gold objects, and the Celtic brooches and illuminated manuscripts of the "Insular" Early Medieval period. During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a strong indigenous tradition of painting emerged, including such figures as John Butler Yeats , William Orpen , Jack Yeats and Louis le Brocquy . The Irish tradition of folk music and dance
3255-628: The Irish Sun , and the Irish language Lá Nua . The best selling of these is the Irish Independent, which is published in both tabloid and broadsheet form. The Irish Times is Ireland's newspaper of record . The Sunday market is quite saturated with many British publications. The leading Sunday newspaper in terms of circulation is The Sunday Independent . Other popular papers include The Sunday Times , The Sunday Tribune , The Sunday Business Post , Ireland on Sunday and
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3360-660: The Sunday World . In Northern Ireland the three main daily newspapers are The News Letter , which is Unionist in outlook, The Irish News , mainly Nationalist in outlook and the Belfast Telegraph . Also widely available are the Northern Irish versions of the main UK wide daily newspapers and some Scottish dailies such as the Daily Record . In terms of Sunday papers the Belfast Telegraph
3465-723: The Australian Football League . The venue alternates between Ireland and Australia. In December 2006, the International series between Australia and Ireland was called off due to excessive violence in the matches, but resumed in October 2008 when Ireland won a two test series in Australia. The Irish welcomed the All Australian team at the headquarters of the GAA (Croke Park) on 21 November 2015. It
3570-507: The Church of Ireland . The council has also undertaken a series of meetings with political parties and community groups who would have traditionally have had no involvement in the association. In January 2011, the then President of Ireland, Mary McAleese , announced the launch of an island-wide project called the "GAA Social Initiative". This aims to address the problem of isolation in rural areas where older people have limited engagement with
3675-676: The Fianna , from the Fenian cycle , and Cuchulain from the Ulster Cycle , along with some of the High Kings. Legend has it that Fionn mac Cumhaill built the Giant's Causeway as a line of stepping-stones to Scotland, not to get his feet wet while seeking to fight an ugly Scottish giant. He also is said to have once scooped up part of Ireland to fling it at a rival, but it missed and landed in
3780-717: The Great Britain team or the Ireland team. Also as Northern Ireland is a Home Nation of the United Kingdom it also sends a Northern Ireland Team to the Commonwealth Games every four years. In the Republic of Ireland there are several daily newspapers, including the Irish Independent , The Irish Examiner , The Irish Times , The Star , The Evening Herald , Daily Ireland ,
3885-781: The Irish Sea – the clump becoming the Isle of Man , a pebble Rockall , and the void left behind filling as Lough Neagh . The Irish king Brian Boru who ended the domination of the so-called High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill , is part of the historical cycle. The Irish princess Iseult is the adulterous lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romance and tragedy Tristan and Iseult . The many legends of ancient Ireland were captured by many collators, including Lady Gregory in two volumes with forewords by W. B. Yeats . These stories depict
3990-481: The Irish breakfast and potato bread , have enjoyed a resurgence. Schools like the Ballymaloe Cookery School have emerged to cater for the associated increased interest in cooking with traditional ingredients. Pub culture term refers to the habit amongst Irish people of frequenting public houses (pubs). It extends beyond mere alcohol consumption (upon which it is not dependent), encompassing
4095-900: The National Handball Centre , which replaced the old Croke Park Handball Centre built in the 1970s. The centre is due to be the home of GAA Handball and to play host to All-Ireland Gaelic Handball finals. The next three biggest grounds are all in Munster : Semple Stadium in Thurles , County Tipperary , with a capacity of 53,000, the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick , which holds 50,000, and Páirc Uí Chaoimh , County Cork , which can accommodate 45,000. Other grounds with capacities above 25,000 include: Research by former Fermanagh county footballer Niall Cunningham led to
4200-632: The Nobel Prize for Literature ; William Butler Yeats , George Bernard Shaw , Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney . Three of the four Nobel prize winners were born in Dublin (Heaney being the exception, having lived in Dublin but being born in County Londonderry ), making it the birthplace of more Nobel literary laureates than any other city in the world. The Irish language has the third oldest literature in Europe (after Greek and Latin ),
4305-477: The Republic of Ireland in terms of attendance. Gaelic football is also the second most popular participation sport in Northern Ireland . The women's version of these games, ladies' Gaelic football and camogie , are organised by the independent but closely linked Ladies' Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association of Ireland , respectively. GAA Handball , is the governing body for
London Senior Hurling Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-750: The Roman Catholic Church , and religion plays a significant role in the lives of many Irish people. Today, there are often notable cultural differences between those of Catholic , Protestant and Orthodox background. References to God can be found in spoken Irish, notably exemplified by the Irish equivalent of “Hello” — “Dia dhuit” ( literally : "God be with you"). Irish culture has Celtic , Danish , Norwegian , Swedish , French and Spanish influences. It also has British influences, primarily due to over eight centuries of British rule in Ireland , which suppressed numerous aspects of Irish culture. The Vikings first invaded Ireland in
4515-613: The Ulster Football Finals were played in Croke Park, as the anticipated attendance was likely to far exceed the capacity of the traditional venue of St Tiernach's Park , Clones . Croke Park is the association's flagship venue and is known colloquially as Croker or Headquarters , since the venue doubles as the association's base. With a capacity of 82,300, it ranks among the top five stadiums in Europe by capacity, having undergone extensive renovations for most of
4620-459: The art , music , dance , folklore , traditional clothing , language , literature , cuisine and sport associated with Ireland and the Irish people . For most of its recorded history, the country’s culture has been primarily Gaelic (see Gaelic Ireland ). Strong family values , wit and an appreciation for tradition are commonly associated with Irish culture. Irish culture has been greatly influenced by Christianity , most notably by
4725-407: The dialect and accent of the people of Northern Ireland is noticeably different from that of the majority in the Republic of Ireland, being influenced by Ulster Scots and Northern Ireland's proximity to Scotland. Several other languages are spoken on the island, including Shelta , a mixture of Irish, Romani and English, spoken widely by Travellers . Two sign languages have also been developed on
4830-542: The otherworld became thin, and the dead would revisit the mortal world. In Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include; Guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door requesting food or coins – which became practice by the late 19th century, turnips hollowed-out and carved with faces to make lanterns, holding parties where games such as apple bobbing are played. Other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires , and having firework displays. Mass transatlantic Irish and Scottish immigration in
4935-475: The pooka and banshees , among others. Halloween is a traditional and much celebrated holiday in Ireland on the night of 31 October. Supposedly the first evidence of the word halloween is found in a 16th-century Scottish document as a shortening for All-Hallows-Eve , and according to some historians it has its roots in the gaelic festival Samhain , where the Gaels believed the border between this world and
5040-638: The 1960s, and inspired by the American folk music movement, there was a revival of interest in the Irish tradition. This revival was inspired by groups like The Dubliners , the Clancy Brothers and Sweeney's Men and individuals like Seán Ó Riada . The annual Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the largest festival of Irish music in Ireland. Groups and musicians like Horslips , Van Morrison and even Thin Lizzy incorporated elements of traditional music into
5145-471: The 1990s and early 21st century. Every September, Croke Park hosts the All-Ireland inter-county Hurling and Football Finals as the conclusion to the summer championships. Croke Park holds the All-Ireland club football and hurling finals. Croke Park is named after Archbishop Thomas Croke , who was elected as a patron of the GAA during the formation of the GAA in 1884. The Croke Park campus is also home to
5250-585: The 19th century popularised Halloween in North America. For a comparatively small place, the island of Ireland has made a disproportionately large contribution to world literature in all its branches, in both the Irish and English languages. The island's most widely known literary works are undoubtedly in English. Particularly famous examples of such works are those of James Joyce , Bram Stoker , Jonathan Swift , Oscar Wilde and Ireland's four winners of
5355-497: The 20th century with the work of the Irish Land Commission . This contrasted with Britain, where many of the big estates were left intact. One consequence of this is the widely recognised cultural phenomenon of "land hunger" amongst the new class of Irish farmer. In general, this means that farming families will do almost anything to retain land ownership within the family unit, with the greatest ambition possible being
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#17327871226435460-505: The 8th century, from Denmark , Norway and Sweden in modern-day Scandinavia . They had a significant influence on Ireland’s material culture at the time. The Normans invaded Ireland in the 12th century, bringing British and French influences. Additionally, Irish Travellers have had some influence on the broader cultural tapestry of Ireland, introducing nomadic traditions and other cultural practices. In recent decades, Ireland has also to some degree been influenced by migration from
5565-763: The Belfast Cuchulainn under-16 hurling team have been established and gone on to compete at the Continental Youth Championship in the USA. Similar hurling and Gaelic football teams have since emerged in Armagh, Fermanagh, Limavady. David Hassan , from the University of Ulster, has written about the cross community work of the association and other sporting bodies in Ulster. The 'Game of three-halves' cross-community coaching initiative
5670-612: The Christian denominations there are centres for Buddhists , Hindus , Baháʼís , Pagans and for people of the Islamic and Jewish faiths. In the 2021 Census, of those in the Republic of Ireland that stated their religious identity, 81.6% identified as Christian ; 68.8% as Roman Catholic, 4.2% as Protestant, 2.1% as Orthodox, 0.7% as other Christians, while 1.6% identified as Muslim , 0.7% as Hindu , 14.8% as having no religion and 7.1% not stating their religious identity. Amongst
5775-523: The GAA is applied to the use of grounds. Clubs play at their own grounds for the early rounds of the club championship , while the latter rounds from quarter-finals to finals are usually held at a county ground, i.e. the ground where inter-county games take place or where the county board is based. The provincial championship finals are usually played at the same venue every year. However, there have been exceptions, such as in Ulster , where in 2004 and 2005
5880-486: The Irish crop which consisted largely of a single variety, the Lumper . During the famine, approximately one million people died and a million more emigrated elsewhere. In the 21st century, the modern selection of foods common to Western cultures has also to some extent been adopted in Ireland. Both US fast food culture and continental European dishes have influenced the country, along with other world dishes introduced in
5985-474: The Republic of Ireland has been the introduction of a smoking ban , in all workplaces, which includes pubs and restaurants. Ireland was the first country in the world to implement such a ban which was introduced on 29 March 2004. A majority of the population support the ban, including a significant percentage of smokers. Nevertheless, the atmosphere in pubs has changed greatly as a result, and debate continues on whether it has boosted or lowered sales, although this
6090-436: The Republic's Roman Catholics, weekly church attendance has declined sharply over the past few decades, from 87% in 1981, to 60% in 1998, to 30% in 2021. Still, this remains one of the higher attendance rates in Europe. The decline is said to be linked to reports of Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Ireland . Highly respected in Ireland historically were the stories of heroes such as Fionn mac Cumhaill and his followers,
6195-683: The World Handball Championships are organised by the World Handball Council. A European Tour has been set up with players from across Europe participating. 4-Wall Handball is played primarily in Ireland, the US and Canada while the 1-Wall code is played (in addition to the three mentioned) in Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Spain and the UK. To address concerns about player burnout , the association adopted
6300-519: The acquisition of additional land. Another is that hillwalkers in Ireland today are more constrained than their counterparts in Britain, as it is more difficult to agree rights of way with so many small farmers involved on a given route, rather than with just one landowner. Irish Travellers ( Shelta : Mincéirí ) are known for their historically nomadic lifestyle; residing in ornamented barrel top wagons, they would traverse predominantly rural areas of
6405-409: The beginning of spring. St. Brigid’s Day is the only official public holiday named after a woman in Ireland. The Brigid's cross made from rushes represents a pre-Christian solar wheel. Other pre-Christian festivals, whose names survive as Irish month names, are Bealtaine (May), Lúnasa (August) and Samhain (November). The last is still widely observed as Halloween which is celebrated all over
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#17327871226436510-741: The best-selling Irish magazines are the RTÉ Guide , Ireland's Eye , Irish Tatler , VIP , Phoenix and In Dublin . The first known radio transmission in Ireland was a call to arms made from the General Post Office in O'Connell Street during the Easter Rising . The first official radio station on the island was 2BE Belfast , which began broadcasting in 1924. This was followed in 1926 by 2RN Dublin and 6CK Cork in 1927. 2BE Belfast later became BBC Radio Ulster and 2RN Dublin became RTÉ . The first commercial radio station in
6615-416: The century saw the emergence of a new Irish cuisine based on traditional ingredients handled in new ways. This cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish, especially salmon and trout , oysters and other shellfish, traditional soda bread , the wide range of hand-made cheeses that are now being made across the country, and, of course, the potato. Traditional dishes, such as the Irish stew , Dublin coddle ,
6720-469: The community. The initiative was later expanded by teaming up with the Irish Farmers Association to integrate that organisation's volunteers into the initiative. Members of the Irish diaspora have set-up clubs in a number of regions and countries outside of Ireland, and there are GAA clubs in the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, continental Europe and elsewhere. The GAA World Games were first played in Abu Dhabi in 2015. The next edition
6825-452: The concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock , a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God'. In Northern Ireland The Twelfth of July, or Orangemen's Day, commemorates William III 's victory at the Battle of the Boyne . A public holiday , it is celebrated by Irish Protestants, in particular Ulster Protestants , the vast majority of whom live in Northern Ireland. It
6930-431: The countryside. Christmas in Ireland has several local traditions. On 26 December ( St. Stephen's Day ), there is a custom of " Wrenboys " who call door to door with an arrangement of assorted material (which changes in different localities) to represent a dead wren "caught in the furze", as their rhyme goes. The national holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is Saint Patrick's Day , that falls on
7035-401: The date 17 March and is marked by parades and festivals in cities and towns across the island of Ireland, and by the Irish diaspora around the world. The festival is in remembrance of Saint Patrick , the most significant of Ireland's three patron saints. Pious legend credits Patrick with the banishing of the snakes from the island, and the legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about
7140-477: The few places in Ireland without a major local paper since the Dublin Evening Mail closed down in the 1960s. In 2004 the Dublin Daily was launched, but failed to attract enough readers to make it viable. One major criticism of the Republic of Ireland newspaper market is the strong position Independent News & Media has on the market. It controls the Evening Herald , Irish Independent , Sunday Independent , Sunday World and The Star as well as holding
7245-447: The first settlers of the island of Ireland after the last Ice Age were a new wave of cavemen and the Mesolithic period . In historic times, texts such as the Táin Bó Cúailinge show a society in which cows represented a primary source of wealth and status. Little of this had changed by the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Giraldus Cambrensis portrayed a Gaelic society in which cattle farming and transhumance
7350-427: The former Eastern Bloc . Due to large-scale emigration from Ireland, Irish culture has a wide reach in the world, and festivals such as Saint Patrick's Day ( Irish : Lá Fhéile Pádraig ) and Halloween (which finds its roots in the Gaelic festival Samhain ) are celebrated across much of the globe. Irish culture has to some extent been inherited and modified by the Irish diaspora , which in turn has influenced
7455-483: The gradual extension of English feudalism over the island, the Irish county structure came into existence and was completed in 1610. These structures are still of vital importance in the daily life of Irish communities. Apart from the religious significance of the parish, most rural postal addresses consist of house and townland names. The village and parish are key focal points around which sporting rivalries and other forms of local identity are built and most people feel
7560-1407: The group stage are relegated to the London Intermediate Hurling Championship . At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Connacht Intermediate Club Hurling Championship , the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship . 1890s: Robert Emmetts (1898, 99) 1900s: Robert Emmetts (1901, 02, 05, 06) 1910s: Geraldines (1912, 13, 14, 15) 1920s: Fintan Lalors (1922, 23, 27, 28) 1930s: Tara (1933, 34, 37) 1940s: Brian Borus (1941, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48) 1950s: Cuchullians (1951, 52, 54) and Brothers Pearse (1957, 58, 59) 1960s: Brian Borus (1960, 62, 63, 64, 66, 69) 1970s: St Gabriel’s (1973, 74, 76, 77, 78) 1980s: Desmond’s (1983, 85, 88, 89) 1990s: St Gabriel’s (1990, 95, 96, 97, 99) 2000s: Fr. Murphy's (2000, 01, 03, 05) and Robert Emmetts (2004, 06, 07, 08) 2010s: Kilburn Gaels (2010, 14, 17), St Gabriel (2012, 13, 18) and Robert Emmetts (2015, 16, 19) 2020s: Brothers Pearse (2020, 23) and St Gabriel (2022, 24) Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA ; Irish : Cumann Lúthchleas Gael [ˈkʊmˠən̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠuːˌçlʲasˠ ˈɡeːlˠ] ; CLG )
7665-412: The group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top four teams qualify for the knockout stage Semi-finals: The top four teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final. Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions. The sixth-placed team from
7770-460: The highest rates of heart disease in the world. In Ireland, the Full Irish has been particularly cited as being a major source for a higher incidence of cardiac problems, quoted as being a "heart attack on a plate" . All the ingredients are fried , although more recently the trend is to grill as many of the ingredients as possible. In tandem with these developments, the last quarter of
7875-505: The holiday, celebrating a victory over Catholics that ensured the continued establishment of a Protestant Ascendancy , as triumphalist, supremacist, and an assertion of British and Ulster Protestant dominance. The 1st of February, known as St. Brigid's Day (after St. Brigid, one of the patron saints of Ireland) or Imbolc , also does not have its origins in Christianity, being instead another religious observance superimposed at
7980-705: The home country. Moreover, the culture of Ireland is to some degree influenced by its native folklore and legends, such as those detailed in Lebor Gabála Érenn . As archaeological evidence from sites such as the Céide Fields in County Mayo and Lough Gur in County Limerick demonstrates, the farm in Ireland is an activity that goes back to the Neolithic , about 6,000 years ago. Before this,
8085-435: The interests of the GAA referred to by some as "garrison games" or foreign sports . Current rules state that GAA property may only be used for the purpose or in connection with the playing of games controlled by the association. Sports not considered 'in conflict' with the GAA have been permitted . On 16 April 2005 the GAA's congress voted to temporarily relax Rule 42 and allow international soccer and rugby to be played in
8190-852: The island are the Anglican Church of Ireland , the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland . These are also joined by numerous other smaller denominations including Baptists , several American gospel groups and the Salvation Army . Orthodox Christianity also has a notable presence in Ireland, where it has been the fastest growing religion since 1991, largely due to immigration from Eastern Europe. Other minority denominations of Christianity include Jehovah's Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) . In addition to
8295-437: The island, Northern Irish Sign Language and Irish Sign Language ; they have quite different bases. Some other languages have entered Ireland with immigrants – for example, Polish is now the second most widely spoken language in Ireland after English, Irish being the third most commonly spoken language. There are many references to food and drink in early Irish literature. Honey seems to have been widely eaten and used in
8400-512: The island. Their propensity for rural living was influenced by a variety of factors including cultural traditions, a desire for privacy and autonomy, work opportunities and their fondness of the natural world. Travellers would often find work in rural areas, predominantly in farming, horse trading and tinsmithing. While many Mincéirí in contemporary Ireland are now settled, including in urban areas, they often maintain rural traditions such as horseback riding, and attend traditional fairs and festivals in
8505-514: The language in the 2011 census. Article 8 of the Constitution of Ireland states that Irish is the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland. English in turn is recognised as the State's second official language . Hiberno-English , the dialect of English spoken in most of the Republic of Ireland, has been greatly influenced by Irish. In Northern Ireland , English
8610-407: The mainly Catholic nationalist community, and many in the Protestant unionist population consider themselves excluded by a perceived political ethos. According to one sports historian, the GAA "is arguably the most striking example of politics shaping sport in modern history". A perception within Northern Ireland unionist circles that the GAA is a nationalist organisation is reinforced by
8715-454: The making of mead . The old stories also contain many references to banquets, although these may well be greatly exaggerated and provide little insight into everyday diet. There are also many references to fulacht fia , which are archaeological sites commonly believed to have once been used for cooking venison . The fulacht fia have holes or troughs in the ground which can be filled with water. Meat can then be cooked by placing hot stones in
8820-425: The management of Croke Park has been allowed to earn revenue by renting the facility out to competing sports organisations, but local GAA units which own smaller facilities cannot. It is also said that it is questionable as to whether or not such rental deals would be damaging to the GAA's interests. The GAA has had some notable rules in the past which have since been abolished. Rule 21 , instituted in 1897 when it
8925-417: The most common. This popularity extended down to modern times in Ireland. Poultry and wild geese as well as fish and shellfish were also common, as were a wide range of native berries and nuts, especially hazel . The seeds of knotgrass and goosefoot were widely present and may have been used to make a porridge . The Tudor conquest of Ireland led to significant changes in the Irish diet, as it introduced
9030-414: The most significant body of written literature (both ancient and recent) of any Celtic language , as well as a strong oral tradition of legends and poetry. Poetry in Irish represents the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe, with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century. The early history of Irish visual art is generally considered to begin with early carvings found at sites such as Newgrange and
9135-406: The most widely spoken languages in Ireland. English is the most widely spoken language on the island overall, and Irish is spoken as a first language only by a small minority, primarily, though not exclusively, in the government-defined Gaeltacht regions in the Republic. A larger minority have Irish as a second language, with 40.6% of people in the Republic of Ireland claiming some ability to speak
9240-459: The naming of some GAA grounds, clubs, competitions and trophies after prominent nationalists or republicans. Other critics point to protectionist rules such as Rule 42 which prohibits competing, chiefly British, sports (referred to by some as "garrison games" or foreign sports ) from GAA grounds. As a result, the GAA became a target for loyalist paramilitaries during the Troubles when
9345-490: The national ideals in the people of Ireland, and assist in promoting a community spirit through its clubs. The group was formally founded in 1969 and is promoted through various Association clubs throughout Ireland (as well as some clubs outside Ireland). The association has many stadiums scattered throughout Ireland and beyond. Every county and nearly all clubs have grounds, with varying capacities and utilities, where they play their home games. The hierarchical structure of
9450-422: The organisation had over 500,000 members worldwide, and declared total revenues of €96.1 million in 2022. The Competitions Control Committee (CCC) of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) governing bodies organise the fixture list of Gaelic games within a GAA county or provincial councils . Gaelic football and hurling are the most popular activities promoted by the organisation, and the most popular sports in
9555-469: The population. Ireland also grew large quantities of corned beef , though the vast majority of it was exported. The over-reliance on potatoes as a staple crop in Irish cuisine meant that the people of Ireland were vulnerable to poor potato harvests. The Irish Famine of 1740 was the result of extreme cold weather, but the Great Famine of 1845–1849 was caused by potato blight which spread throughout
9660-451: The publication in 2016 by his website, gaapitchlocator.net, of a map of 1,748 GAA grounds in Ireland, ranging from 24 grounds in his own county to 171 in Cork. The association has, since its inception, been closely associated with Irish nationalism , and this has continued to the present, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland, where the sports are played predominantly by members of
9765-463: The rules of either Gaelic football or hurling. However, the first international match between France and Italy was played in 2014. Compromise rules have been reached with two "related sports". Hurlers play an annual fixture against a national shinty team from Scotland . International Rules Football matches have taken place between an Irish national team drawn from the ranks of Gaelic footballers, against an Australian national team drawn from
9870-480: The second-highest per capita alcohol consumption in the world, just below Luxembourg at 13.5 litres (per person 15 or more years old), according to the OECD Health Data 2009 survey. According to the latest OECD figures, alcohol consumption in Ireland has dropped from 11.5 litres per adult in 2012 to 10.6 litres per adult in 2013. However, research showed that in 2013, 75% of alcohol was consumed as part of
9975-487: The sport of handball , while the other Gaelic sport, rounders, is managed by the GAA Rounders National Council ( Irish : Comhairle Cluiche Corr na hÉireann ). Since its foundation in 1884, the association has grown to become a major influence in Irish sporting and cultural life , with considerable reach into communities throughout Ireland and among the Irish diaspora . On 1 November 1884,
10080-401: The sporting activities with the highest levels of playing participation. Other sports with material playing populations, including at school level, include tennis , hockey , pitch and putt , rugby, basketball, boxing, cricket and squash . Significant numbers attend horse racing meetings, and Ireland breeds and trains many racehorses; greyhound racing also has dedicated racecourses. Soccer
10185-648: The stadium while Lansdowne Road Football Ground was closed for redevelopment. The first soccer and rugby union games permitted in Croke Park took place in early 2007, the first such fixture being Ireland's home match in the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship against France . In addition to the opening of Croke Park to competing sports, local GAA units have sought to rent their facilities out to other sports organisations for financial reasons in violation of Rule 42. The continued existence of Rule 42 has proven to be controversial since
10290-521: The trough until the water boils. Many fulach fia sites have been identified across the island of Ireland, and some of them appear to have been in use up to the 17th century. Excavations at the Viking settlement in the Wood Quay area of Dublin have produced a significant amount of information on the diet of the inhabitants of the town. The main animals eaten were cattle, sheep and pigs, with pigs being
10395-598: The world, including in the United States followed by All Saints' Day , another Christian holiday associated with a traditional one. Important church holidays include Easter, and various Marian observances. Christianity was brought to Ireland during or prior to the 5th century and its early history among the Irish is in particular associated with Saint Patrick , who is generally considered Ireland's leading patron saint . The Celtic festival of Samhain , not to be confused with Halloween , originated in Ireland and
10500-489: Was established in predominantly Protestant east Belfast in 2006. Organised through Knock Presbyterian Church, this scheme brings Association coaches to work alongside their soccer and rugby counterparts to involve primary school children at summer coaching camps. The Ulster Council is also establishing cross-community football and hurling teams in schools and is developing links with the Ulster-Scots Agency and
10605-522: Was expelled for attending a soccer international. Rule 27 was abolished in 1971. The association points out the role of members of minority religions in the membership throughout its history. For example, the Protestant Jack Boothman was president of the organisation from 1993 to 1997, while Sam Maguire was a Church of Ireland member. Nonetheless, to address concerns of unionists, the association's Ulster Council has embarked on
10710-504: Was played in Dublin in 2016 with subsequent editions to be played in Ireland every three years. The 2019 games were awarded to Waterford , but the next edition in Derry was deferred to 2023 due to the Covid pandemic. While some units of the association outside Ireland participate in Irish competitions, the association itself does not organise regular international games played according to
10815-487: Was single one-off test match, which led the Irish to reclaim the Cormac McAnallen Cup by a score of 56–52. The international dimension of Gaelic handball includes a World Championship tournament, alongside a European Tour and US Semi-Professional Tour. The 4-Wall and 1-Wall codes of the game are played around the world [with slightly different rules depending on which country one is playing in] and
10920-629: Was suspected that Royal Irish Constabulary spies were trying to infiltrate the organization, prohibited members of the British forces from membership of the GAA. The rule was abolished after an overwhelming majority voted for its removal at a special congress convened in November 2001. Rule 27 , sometimes referred to as The Ban , dated from 1901 and banned GAA members from taking part in or watching non Gaelic games. During that time people such as Douglas Hyde , GAA patron and then President of Ireland,
11025-445: Was the norm. The Normans replaced traditional clan land management (under Brehon Law) with the manorial system of land tenure and social organisation. This led to the imposition of the village, parish and county over the native system of townlands . In general, a parish was a civil and religious unit with a manor, a village and a church at its centre. Each parish incorporated one or more existing townlands into its boundaries. With
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