A month and a half before we put on our sombreros, sing about a drunk cockroach, and eat too many tacos in the cultural celebration acknowledging our southern neighbors on Cinco de Mayo, we will first don a little green and hope for a little luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Most you have probably heard the legend of St. Patrick driving snakes out of Ireland. But, what do you really know about the man? Did you know St. Patrick:
- Was of British Celt ancestry?
- Came to Ireland as its Bishop around 432?
- Is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland?
- Used the shamrock (three-leafed clover) to teach about the Trinity?
- Argued with High King Laoghaire on behalf of Christianity?
- Was on “speaking terms with both God and an angel?”
- Wrote the prayer “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate.”
Image what else you don’t know about Ireland and the Irish. How about Vikings in Ireland? Who was Kevin of Glendalough, the tree hugger, or other Irish saints? How was Dublin founded? What about Gaelic? Irish communities around the world? There is a rich history and heritage from which millions the world over have descended. Many know they come from an Irish heritage, and most probably know more of the myths than they do the truths of the Emerald Isle. 101 Things You Didn’t Know about Irish History: The People, Places, Culture, and Traditions of the Emerald Isle was written to help those of Irish descent better know the homeland of their ancestors, as well as any other reader with a broad interest in history.
Authors Ryan Hackney and Amy Hackney Blackwell created this reference to educate the reader on:
- the lives of the ancient Celts before the British invasions
- famous Irish including Michael Collins, Charles Parnell and Bono!
- the potato famine and emigration (were there really gangs of New York?)
- Irish music and dance, and much more…
The guide even provides an Irish language prime and pronunciation guide. The book is compact in size to make reading easy; yet, full of the historical information useful to have at hand when researching Irish ancestry. Plus, the book is simply fun to read. I have always found interesting historical evidence for where myth is derived from truth. There are four sections and two appendices as outlined below in the Contents.
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Contents
Introduction
Part One: Prehistory and Mythology of Ancient Ireland
- The Earliest Inhabitants
- Mesolithic Age and the First Farmers
- Legends and Archaeology
- The Bronze Age
- Iron Come to Ireland
- Who Were The Celts and Kings
- Gaelic and Indo-European Languages
- Celtic Ireland
- Wild and Crazy
- The Seat of Ancient Kings
- Brehon Laws
- The Celtic Class System
- The Learned: Druids
- Celtic Art and Poetry
- Celtic to the End: The Never Conquered Nation
- The Celtic Pantheon
- The Otherworld
- Celtic Festivals
- Creation Myths
- The Battle of Magh Tuirdh and the Invasions of Milesians
- The Tain
- Heroic Deeds of Cuchulain
- Conchobar and Deirdre
- Finn MacCool
- Christianity Arrives
Part Two: The Arrival of Christianity (and the British Too!)
- Who Was St. Patrick?
- St. Brigid the Generous
- St. Columcille, Felonious Monk
- St. Columbanus, Missionary to Europe
- Wild and Crazy Irish Saints
- Irish Blend: Christian Traditions
- Monasteries in Ireland
- Schools and Universities
- The Pre-Xerox Age: A Life of Copying
- The Book of Kells
- The Rise and Fall of Irish Dynasties
- Anglo-Saxons in Britain
- Bring On the Vikings
- Dublin is Founded
- Life with Vikings
- What Would Brian Boru Do?
- An Ireland Unified
- The Normans Are Here!
- The Irish Strike Back
- I’m Henry VIII, I Am: Tudor Colonization
- The Protestant Reformation
- Elizabeth I’s Reign
- The 1641 Rebellion and Oliver Cromwell
- The Williamite War
- Protestants Take Hold
- Catholic Life
- The Second City of the British Empire
- Protestant Irish Nationalism
- Wolfe Tone’s REbellion
- Hasta La Vista, Baby: Daniel O’Connel, the Liberator
- Catholic Emancipation
Part Three: Preserving Irish Culture and History
- Before the Reformation
- Ireland’s Counter-Reformation
- Religious Tensions in the North
- Modern Catholicism
- Scandals in the Church
- Traditional Irish Life
- Irish Language
- Irish Music
- Before There Was Riverdance…
- Death and the Supernatural
- Irish Sports
- Rich Folklore and Heritage
- Potatoes, for Better or Worse
- Life During the Famine
- Help! Responses to the Famine
- Results of the Famine
Part Four: Emigration to Modern Life
- Why the Irish Left–and Where They Went
- The Hardships of Emigration
- The Immigrant Experience in the United States
- Irish Communities in Other Lands
- The Rebirth of Nationalism
- The Home Rule Party
- A Celtic Revival
- An Ireland Divided
- World War I and the Easter Rebellion
- War of Independence
- Irish Civil War
- Irish Free State
- De Valera and the Fianna Fail Path
- World War II
- A New Republic
- Trouble in the North
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday
- The Peace Process
- The Good Firday Agreement
- Ireland’s Celtic Tiger
- Ireland and the European Union
- Modern Irish Politics
- The Liberalization of Ireland
- Women’s Rights
- Family Life
- Irish Food: Potatoes, Beef, and More Potatoes–and a Cuppa!
- For the Love of Irish Beer and Whiskey
- Irish Contributions to Literature and Art
- Tracing Your Roots
Appendix A: A Primer of the Irish Language
Appendix B: Irish Proverbs and Blessings
Index