This month celebrate the beautiful culture of the Irish. I will post Samsung series, facts and history about the country of my husband's childhood and my children's heritage.
Here are some things that's I have already posted on my personal Facebook page.
CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
Did you know...
Corned beef and cabbage is synonymous with St. Patrick's Day and the Irish. Although it originAted in Ireland by the British , it is not actually a dish the Irish ate.
I was surprised to learn that cows were a sacred animal and the only time they were eaten was when they were old. Instead, they ate pork. The rashers (or bacon) are a beautiful cut of pork belly that is really hard to find in the US.
Apparently in the 19th century the British were well known for their insatiable appetite for beef. Ireland basically became their cattle playground. They created the first Irish salted beef using salt crystals the size of corn kernels amd wa la! We have corned beef.
Despite Iteland being a destination specifically for the corned beef, due to the oppressive laws the British imposed on the country, and more specifically, the Catholic inhabitants, they just couldn't afford it until after the famine when they lived in areas that were flooded with cattle lowering the price.
Being in the US and finally being able to afford beef and not having access to the pork they were used to, they began eating corned beef and cabbage.
It is now mostly known as am American-Irish dish. It has in fact, changed over the last 200 years but the concept is the same.
My husband was in this country for 5 years before even bothering to try it lol. It is NOT my favorite dish, but now that I know what the original cut of beef it came from, we just might have to attempt to make it!
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/is-corned-beef-really-irish-2839144/
Irish Genocide/Famine
Did you know...
In 1845 Ireland suffered from An Górta Mór or The Great Hunger. Most know it as the potato famine that brought so many Irish to American shores.
The potato crops were heavily relied on as a staple food source because the Irish were not allowed to hunt and fish under British laws. If someone was Catholic (90% of the Republic is Catholic) they were not allowed to own land. The land was held by a small amount of protestant Irish and Englishmen. Between these two it kept the Irish in poverty and unable to get ahead.
After a series of failures the crop fell hard to a disease that reportedly came from the Americas. During this time 1 MILLION people died, mostly due to starvation. Another 1 million left the country. Often those who left would be on what was known as "coffin ships" because at least 1/3 died by the time they arrived at their destination.
Most people do not go beyond this to know that there was in fact plenty of food in Ireland. The exportation of this food to England actually increased during the famine. The Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel managed to repeal the Corn Laws (laws that made corn and bread so expensive no one could actually afford them) but he was defeated at reelection because of it. The new government put Sir Charles Trevelyan in charge of the relief effort. Instead of helping, he actually LIMITED help very vocally believing that “the judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson”.
It is now widely believed that the British leaders with prejudices against the Irish took full advantage of the potato famine and conducted a genocide of the people they had tried to break and dominate for so long.
Ireland's population has never fully recovered from this event.
https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/parliamentandireland/overview/the-great-famine/
http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/History_Links/IrishFamineGenocide.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine
IRISH LANGUAGE
Did you know...
That Ireland has two OFFICIAL languages? One is English and the other is Gaelic, but if you know anyone who speaks it, it is referred to as just Irish. Yes, they will correct you. "Is that Gaelic? Oh you mean Irish?..."
As of 2017 39% of the country CAN speak Irish, but only a small percentage use it as their primary language and on a daily basis.
It is mostly spoken in Counties Galway (49%), Clare (45.9%), Cork (44.9%), and Mayo (43.9). Many of these places are located within what is called the Gaeltacht. This means that it is a government recognized part of Ireland that primarily speaks Irish.
If you want to experience a bit of it go to Ireland and do the "Gaeltacht Experience". Or you could go to your local Irish bar, especially during big events. The Galway Bay Irish Pub tends to draw those who can speak it. Wanna see if you can hear a bit? Check out the concert on Thursday. Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones are coming and they out the Irish from all over ;)
So the next time someone mentions Ireland's language try not to gape with your mouth open and say "Huh? I just thought it was English with an accent." Know that it is a real and lovely language and getting stronger all the time.
(Sign can be purchased at Carroll's Irish Gifts)
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