Irish Culture

While Ireland is an island and only has a relatively small population, they still have a very rich culture – both past and present. For anyone who is interested in learning more about this country, there is no way in which this rich culture can ever go overlooked.

Literature

Irish poetry represents the oldest form of European poetry. It dates back to the 6th century and includes numerous well-known poets such as Jonathan Swift. More recently, Ireland has had 4 Nobel Prize winners for Literature: George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Two other great 20th century writers who come from Ireland are James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.

Art

Ireland's early history of art begins with the early carvings that were found at sites such as Newgrange. From there it is traced through the ornamental gold objects of the Bronze age and the religious carvings and illuminated manuscripts of the medieval period. Now, in the 19th and 20th centuries, there is a strong indigenous tradition of painting. Some of the best known painters of this period include John Butler Yeats, William Orpen, Jack Yeats and Louis le Brocquy.

Music

Ireland is widely known for their folk music and dance. While Ireland did undergo a period of modernization during which folk music became less popular, during the 1960s the American folk music movement inspired a revival of interest in this music. This revival was led by such groups as The Dubliners, The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, Sweeney's Men and by such individuals as Seán Ó Riada and Christy Moore.

Today there are many groups and musicians who are incorporating elements of traditional music into a rock idiom to form a unique new sound. This actually began in the 1970s and continued throughout the 1980s. Many groups are still playing this type of music today. This includes such groups as U2, Enya, Sinéad O'Connor, The Cranberries and B*witched. There is also a growing genre of Irish music that is fused with heavy heavy metal. This music is called Celtic Metal (also known as Celtic Battle Metal or Folk Metal). Some bands that perform this genre include Geasa, Primordial, Waylander and Cruachan.

As you can see, many Irish musicians and bands are attempting to return to their roots. There are some contemporary music groups that stick closer to this "traditional" sound. They include Altan, Teada, Dervish, Lúnasa and Solas.

Architecture

Irish architecture followed the international trend towards modern, sleek and often radical building styles throughout the 20th century. Herein style, space, light and energy efficiency are maximized. The most radical building was built in 1953. The Bus Éireann's main Dublin terminal building, which is better known as Busáras was built. Its architect, Michael Scott, is 1 of the most important architects of the twentieth century in Ireland. However, over the last few years there was a return to European architectural tradition. Herein there are plans for 4 new skyscrapers that would be taller than any of the country's other buildings