The irish identity

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Nonetheless, the use of religion to cover up political actions isn't an ancient and barbaric method. One might think so because of the compaign of O'Connell, who basically became the Irish champion of the Catholic Church in the early 19th century, or because of the actions of the British governement during the Great Famine, but this is fondamentally false. Indeed during the « Troubles », which is the politically correct term to describe the civil war which took place in Ireland during the 20th century, terrorist groups align themselves with the Catholic Church for the IRA (Irish Republian Army) and the Anglican Chruch for the UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters). The most striking example is in the city of Belfast : there are well-defined protestant and catholic neighborhoods. The walls of some houses are covered by frescos for the inhabitants to claim their afiliations to one group or another. The entire 20th century has been punctuated by terrorist attacks in Ireland, the « Troubles » only ending in 1998. With this in mind, it becomes obvious that for many, catholicism got mixed up with nationalism ; catholicism has always been and -I believe it is safe so say that- will always be a significant part of the Irish Identity.

Many Irish emigrated in order to escape starvation during the Great Famine and their main destination was America : they went to the USA or Canada by thousands. There was then a large Irish community in America and their life there left its mark upon the Irish Identity. Being discriminated against, Irish people were at a loss and therefore turned towards the roots of their culture : the celtic culture.

In the 19th century, America was perceived as a promise land, hence the numerous waves of european immigration. However, no Irish lived the American dream during the trip nor the arrival. They boarded in what was to be known as the « coffin ships ». Indeed, many died during the journey as the conditions were clearly inhuman. The ships were packed as there were far too many people for their capacity. For weeks, they did not see the light of day and the living conditions were notoriously poor. Diseases were spreading and many died of cholera or typhus. Once allowed to land, after sometimes days spent in quarantine, life did not improve for the Irish migrants. They faced fierce racism whether they went to Scotland, the USA or Canada. In fact, close to one million migrants poured in American cities and were despised for their alien religious beliefs and unfamiliar accents by the American Protestant majority. Thus the immigrants had trouble finding even thankless jobs. It was not rare to see signs reading « No Irish need apply » on the front windows of many shops. To thwart this racist opposition, the Irish population started to gather, especially in America. Their voting block became known as the green machine and they popularised the St Patrick's holiday. In fact, the St Patrick's day was not so popular back in Ireland during the 19th century.

The 19th century knew a Renaissance of the Celtic culture, it was an attempt by Irish writers and folklorists of the period to establish a sense of identity for the Irish people at a time when both politically and socially the country was at a loss. Irish sought into their past, into the pro-english invasion time, in order to rebuild their identity. They took at face value what they read in ancient texts and by doing so, they magnified and idealized the notion of a peaceful and prosperous time during the Celtic period. Much of what we think of as being popular Irish culture was actually developped in the 19th century. For example, Irish dance that we now know considered as a major part of the Irish culture was invented in the 19th century, when set dancing was first introduced. Ireland is also well-known for its litterature as the Irish language has the third oldest literature in Europe, after Greek and Latin. Irish poetry, which is the oldest in Europe, enabled to spread the Celtic mythology which inspired many authors. The world created by John RR Tolkien for instance clearly has gaelic and celtic influences. We must remember that both Bram Stocker and Oscar Wilde were Irish writters during the second half of the 19th century. Thus, the way the Irish people dealt with its complicated social and political situation was the cornerstone of the Irish culture.

In conclusion, we could answer to “How did History shape the Irish identity” by saying : England shaped the Irish identity. The English hegemony over the other nations of the United Kingdom, and especially in Ireland, led to many rebellions, the establishment of catholicism and the development of a new culture in order to find a tangible identity. What's interesting about the Irish population in that to find herself, she drew in her past, in a culture she has been forbidden to practice. Surely there would be only one Ireland today if it hadn't been for the English colonization.

(1901 words)

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