June 21st, 2021.
Culture
ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES#10:
IRELAND
by Natalia Del Bianco
The Ireland is an island localized in Western Europe, and is the third biggest island in Europe. It is divided into two countries, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland has two official languages, Gaeilge and English, and since the end of the 19th century, English has been the most spoken language.
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Ireland has a humid and mild weather, always with high rain probability and low temperatures. In the winter, the lowest temperatures are usually 4 or 5°C.
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The Ireland's flag has a rectangular shape, three vertical bands with the same size, each one with a color and a particular meaning. The left band is green and represents the Gaelic tradition of Ireland and the republicanism; the middle band is white and represents the desire for peace; the right band is orange and represents the followers of William III of Orange - who was the king of England and Ireland at the end of the 17th century.
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The Irish are very worried about preserving national culture, the country is rich in historical traditions and has a unique identity. Saint Patrick's Day, the patron saint of Ireland, is a very important date for them, and is when the Irish go out into the streets dressed with the colors green, white and orange. The celebrations last for about a week, with several performances by local artists, accompanied by traditional Irish beer.
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If you are in Ireland, you need to visit the country's capital. Dublin. It is the country's largest city in terms of territory and population, known for being a young city. The Irish love to go to pubs because there are several options of pubs, with live music and the famous Irish beers. For those who appreciate Guinness beer, you should visit The Guinness Storehouse. The capital offers other tourist attractions, like parks and museums; among them, we suggest visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral and Dublin Castle.
Another city you should visit is Galway - it has beautiful beaches and natural landscapes, but is better known for being a university city: several renowned universities are in Galway. A place in the city that is worth a visit is the Galway Museum.
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About Ireland, we also have two suggestions in one: the book P.S. I Love You, by Irish writer Cecelia Ahern, that tells the story of Holly, a young widow who loses her husband and, devastated by his death, she finds out a package of letters that he wrote, guiding her into her new life without him. There is a movie about this book, so enjoy watching it after you finish reading the novel!
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Music is very important to Irish people, too. The official symbol of Ireland is a harp. Our suggestions for today are a band and a singer who was in a band.
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First, U2 – One of the most famous bands in Ireland of all times, they were very successful in the 80's but they still do it today. The group was formed in the 1970s, when the members were still teenagers in the city of Dublin.
Then, Niall Horan – when he was only 16, Niall Horan participated in the seventh season of The X Factor, where he formed a band with four others boys, and this group became one of the most famous boy bands of the recent years, One Direction. After the band breaking up, in 2016, Niall Horan ended up following a solo career and his first album reached the top 20 in several countries, in addition to having starred in the first place in Ireland and The United States.
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