Connecting with Irish Roots through Language

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, right? Whether we realize it or not, there are many words still used in American English that have an Irish origin – words like “galore”, “whiskey”, and “blarney”. Here’s an interesting BBC News clip about American students connecting with their Irish roots through language: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17394912.

Many of Interstudy‘s programs in Ireland offer a more in depth look into the culture and history of Ireland. Through courses in Irish history, dance, music, art or language, you’ll find a connection to your Irish roots (even if you’re just Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!).

Contact Interstudy at studyabroad@interstudy.org for more information on courses like these:

Beannacht Do Anois

*The title translates as ‘goodbye for now’ in Irish.
As the time of my departure draws near I have come to realize that living in Ireland is different from what I thought. A very naive part of me thought that American and Irish culture were fairly similar, however I have learned that there are many differences between both the Irish and American traditions. One day I can specifically recall was St. Patrick’s Day, which was easily one of my most favorite days in Ireland. In America one would find everyone wearing green clothes, shamrock headbands, and shirts that say “kiss me I’m Irish”. There are parades with young girls Irish dancing, men playing bagpipes, and then perhaps a drink or two between festivities. However in Ireland the tradition is a bit different. Some people wear green, but not many. The parade was a bit strange and did not seem to have anything to do with St. Patrick’s Day; it seemed more like a celebration of many other cultures. And since St. Patrick’s Day is a bank holiday and students have the day off it is a great excuse to go out on the town and have a good time. Now, even though I was not dressed in all green, and I didn’t enjoy the parade I still had the best St. Patrick’s Day of my lifetime. It seemed as if everyone just wanted to have a good day with their friends and family which made for an amazing atmosphere in town. There was plenty of traditional music to be heard, friends to be with, and even a few Irish ciders here and there as well. Although this year’s St Patrick’s Day was much different from any other that I had experienced before, it is definitely one I will never forget!

What’s the Craic?

With St. Patrick’s festivities in full swing, there’s bound to be some craic around Ireland today. What is craic, you ask? No, it’s not a drug.

The term “craic” is derived from an old English word meaning fun, merriment, loud conversation and high spirited entertainment. All things that the Irish do best!

White St. Patrick’s Day?

After the last two Christmases, the Irish are in no rush to start wishing for a white one ever again. It’s not so much that the snow was particularly severe, it’s simply that Ireland is not at all used to it (The Irish government purchased its first snow-plough only eighteen months ago).

Ireland‘s dominant weather system comes from the Gulf of Mexico which ensures that the winters never get that cold – snow is so rare that up to recently the kids use to get a day off school to play in the snow if there was even just an inch or maybe two. The climate is usually mild and it is not at all uncommon (verified by one of our Horticulture students last year) to have palm trees across the South Coast.