Irish-American Culture and Society

                  Throughout the course of time, Ireland has suffered manylosses. Ireland has been conquered, invaded, repressed, and tormented over manycenturies. Because of Ireland"s isolation and separation from the rest of the world,Irish history is very rich. Although Ireland had to live apart from the world,the people prevailed as a community that was, and still is very influential tothe rest of the world. Ireland has a very interesting social culture. Thepeople and the community of Ireland are very unique. It is important to studythe history, the ways of life, and the culture of Ireland because of theinfluence that Ireland has had on the United States.

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             History.

                   "Ireland is a country in north-western Europe that occupiesthe greater part of an island lying to the west of Great Britain" (BritannicaOnline).  Because oceans surroundIreland, the geographic isolation has helped to develop a rich heritage ofculture and tradition that was linked initially to a separate language. "Thesmallness of the country makes for homogeneity and helps explain the nation"sdistinctive character" (Britannica Online). The history of Ireland is one ofrepression and invasion. Even though Ireland has been invaded, conquered, andcolonized, there is hardly an ethnic distinction. "Neolithic.

             people spread throughIreland around 3400BC, replacing an earlier Mesolithic race of hunters, andintroducing agriculture" (Microsoft Expedia.com). "In Ireland, Celticinfluence, beginning about 400 BC forged cultural unity: a common language, anda rich oral tradition of poetry and song: laws that reflected customs andvalues of the entire island population; and a distinctive artistic style usedin stone carvings, sculpture, and metalwork that continued to influence artiststhrough the Middle Ages" (Delaney, 1989).

                  "St. Patrick arrived in Ireland about 432, founding churchesand converting many of the Irish people to the Catholic religion" (MicrosoftExpedia.

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