- [Voiceover] Ireland,
or as it's called in the Irish language, Eire,
is a small island nation located in the north Atlantic.
But much more importantly,
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it is a land that imparts an inexplicable sense
of wonder, history, and magic.
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Those who think of it and visit it.
Few other countries in the world
conjure up the type of imagery that Ireland does,
and because of that
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it now falls to us to bring life to that imagery
with ten things you didn't know about Ireland.
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There is perhaps no more important matter in Ireland
than that of the Irish language,
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called Gaelige in Irish.
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Continental Celtics were the ancestors
of the modern Irish,
brought their language with them.
Which over time and through change,
became known as Irish.
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And Irish remained the principle
and only language of Ireland throughout
most of the history of the nation.
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Irish is classified as a member of the Goidelic
branch of Celtic languages,
which includes Scots Gaelic,
and the largely extinct Manx language.
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Once spoken on the Isle of Man,
it is more distantly related to the Welsh language
and other members
of the Brittonic family of Celtic languages.
The Irish language continued to be the language
of both Irish nobility and peasantry
until the devastating invasions carried out by the English
beginning in the 12th century.
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For most of it's post invasion history,
English was only widely spoken in the area
referred to as The Pale.
Comprising Dublin and it's immediate environment.
But as English grew in prestige,
more and more Irish began to speak it
in lue of the Irish language.
The Irish potato famine, additionally,
was probably the most destructive thing
to ever happen to the Irish language,
because with the deaths of so many farmers
many of the principle speakers of the Irish language
died along with them.
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Today, Irish is an obligatory subject in school
for all Irish children,
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but only a tiny percentage actually speak it
as a mother tongue or even competently,
with the exception of the Gaeltacht,
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areas known for large numbers of Irish speakers.
This is the sad legacy of both
English colonization and the tragic events
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such as The Great Irish Potato Famine.
Still, Irish is the official language
of the Irish constitution, alongside English.
And the Irish will likely cling to their heritage,
at least symbolically, for many years to come.
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Irish food is a reflection of the people who produce it,
and Irish dishes tend to be both hardy
and easy on the pallet at the same time.
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Irish stew is probably the most famous dish
known to outsiders.
Traditionally consisting of meat, potatoes,
and other root vegetables, such as onions and carrots,
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in a pleasant broth.
Other dishes less known, but equally delicious
include Irish soda bread,
Boxty which is a type of potato pancake,
and coddle which has roots in Dublin.
Called coddle Because many different ingredients
are coddled together in a stew.
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Whatever your tastes might be,
Irish cuisine will be sure to satisfy you
and bring you back for a second helping.
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Unfortunately, one of the subjects not often spoken of
is that of the indentured servitude
of the Irish by the English.
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Particularly during the colonial period.
As, English domination of Ireland grew,
the opportunity to abuse the Irish
as a cheap labor source increased.
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Particularly in the new world.
The worst of this occurred during
and after the Irish Rebellion against the English in 1641,
and continued on into the 18th century,
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and many Irish were forced into indentured servitude
in North America.
Being released only after years of service
with little to no future prospects.
This is yet another reason why Ireland has suffered
so much demographically over the years,
and why it has never fully recovered.
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Interestingly enough, due to Ireland's membership in the EU,
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many people from eastern Europe have arrived in Ireland,
particularly from Poland, seeking employment.
The numbers are quite telling.
Since it has been calculated that there are
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roughly eight times the number of Polish speakers
than there are native Irish speakers in Ireland.
The Irish have had mixed feelings on the matter.
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As on the one hand, Polish tend to be hard working,
and generally contribute positively to society.
But on the other hand,
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Ireland is often a place where employment is scarce,
so competing with eastern European immigrants
is not something everyone likes.
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Whether you favor it or not,
it is a bit odd that Ireland in recent years
had turned into a place full of immigrants
after so many of the Irish themselves had left in the past
to seek a better life elsewhere.
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While many people consider Dublin
to be the quintessential Irish city,
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the city was in fact founded by viking invaders
in the tenth century,
and remained staunchly viking in character
until the Anglo-Norman invasion in the later middle ages.
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Later on, Dublin became the center piece
for Ireland's transformation from a primarily Irish nation
to that of a subject nation to the English.
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Since from that point in time, in the 12th century onward,
Dublin remained largely in foreign hands.
It is perhaps both ironic and yet not
that the city of Dublin,
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it was founded by foreigners and maintained by foreigners,
is now the capital city of Ireland.
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You probably don't know this,
but the modern holiday and custom of Halloween
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is Irish in origin, called Samhain.
It was a Gaelic festival that marked the end
of the harvest season and the beginning
of the dark winter nights.
Perhaps as a precursor to modern trick-or-treating,
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gifts of food and drink
were left as offerings to the spirits, called Aos si,
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because it was believed that only by appeasing
the spirits people could the Irish
make it through the cold and dark winter.
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As Christianity came to Ireland
the pagan customs of Samhain were merged
with those of All Saints Day,
eventually becoming the modern Halloween
we all know today.
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The Irish wolf hound stands at 32 inches at the withers,
as the tallest dog in the world.
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And this breed is both a symbol of pride
and tradition to the Irish.
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An incredibly ancient type of dog,
who's ancestors were probably brought to Ireland
possibly over nine thousand years ago.
This huge breed was traditionally used
to hunt wolves.
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In fact it was so successful at it's job
that wolves are now extinct in Ireland,
having disappeared sometime in the late 18th century
with the last one having been hunted down in 1786.
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With all that said, this gentle giant
is truly something the Irish can be proud of.
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There's no sport more popular
than Gaelic football in Ireland in terms of attendance.
And with good reason.
Because Gaelic football can right be said
to be the national sport of Ireland,
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and thus a reflection of the enduring Irish spirit.
It seems in many ways a cross between
rugby, soccer, and American football.
And yet remains truly unique.
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The all Ireland championship, which is held annually,
draws crowds of more than 80 thousand people.
It is a testament to the Irish culture and heritage.
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It is sadly a little known fact,
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but it's quite possible that the Irish contribution
to the preservation of knowledge from antiquity in the West
is greater than that of any other nation.
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While the continents languished in a sea
of metaphorical darkness,
Irish monks labored away in peace and quiet,
learning, copying, and preserving many of the texts,
and consequently, knowledge of the past.
One such location was Skellig Michael,
a tiny island of the coast of southwest Ireland,
that once housed a monastery,
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which in this isolated place,
continued the great tradition of learning in the West.
We might never be able to gauge the contribution
of the ancient Irish monastic orders
to Western civilization,
but it certainly does deserve more attention
than it has traditionally received.
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The most long standing repercussion
of The Great Irish Famine,
was a loss of population,
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resulting in the approximately one million deaths.
And this lead to even greater demographic loss
because those who survived often emigrated,
and left Ireland behind.
Often times to America, with others leaving for England,
and other places.
It might be hard to believe,
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but Ireland has never been able to make up
for the demographic losses sustained under The Great Famine.
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If you've ever been to Ireland,
there's a certain melodically that hangs in the air.
And this might well be a reflection of the tragedy
that was visited upon them so long ago.
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