The following research will examine key issues and components of Irish culture through a review of their history, drawn from research articles and empirically driven studies. In seeking diversity, the research will open with a cultural examination of the political origins of the folk-song society within the Irish dimension, moving forward in a cross-cultural investigation of the perceived authenticity of Irish pubs, and ending with a review of the ongoing troubles that have led to conflict within the Irish state. In offering a diverse view of the culture, moving them beyond the often singular assignment of The Bloody Sunday Riots, the Irish Republican Army, and the continuing war between the Protestants and the Catholics, what emerges is a culture rich in tradition and history.

Analysis

The Irish culture is credited with producing some of the finest folk-songs the world has ever known, pervading other cultures in their designs and delivery, offering a universal contribution. As noted by Knevett (2015), the Folk-Song Society (FSS), originating out of Ireland in 1904 highlights a competition of sorts with the English Folk Dance Society (EFDS), in what was seen at that time as a friendly competition, with

“the primary work of the FSS…was to collect and conserve the remains of traditional song and dance [which] has been, as far as we can see, accomplished — and accomplished with a measure of success that entitles us to a modest and, we hope, legitimate pride” (p. 593).

What is argued is that the folk singing which tells the stories of Ireland was in point of fact an opportunity to protect and deliver the essence of the culture to future generations, promoting cross-generational transformation.

This transformation, which was seen as successful in motivating the population emerged in other European countries and communities, with the ability of the music to merge with the feelings of the people and relay their cultural identities. For example, the folk songs of the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France of the early 20th century were connected, but allowed for a different story and message, reflective of the particular culture. The success of the Irish being able to intertwine their feelings, motivations, and experiences into the folk music, supported the cross-cultural transitions (Knevett, 2015).

As contemporary folk songs and their supporting organizations continued to grow and emerge during the 20th century, the political nature of the times became embedded in the music. In a study conducted by David Harker in 1972, reviewing the Folk Song Collections of Sussex and Surrey, between 1843–1914, what emerges are the trace connections between local activities and wider social and cultural forces.

As these songs have transmitted continuously through the generations at local gathering and primarily the pubs, which serve at community town halls and an opportunity to exchange information, historians and researchers promote that the folk music played nightly at a both conscious and unconscious level promoted Irish social customs and norms. As Irish heroes and villains have been galvanized into the music, a sense of Irish national identity was born and has continued to flourish, drawing the past to the present (Knevett, 2015).

As folk the folk song movement gained traction, in the early 1900’s, its placement in an historical perspective in capturing the cultural and economic tensions of the Irish public cannot be overstated, with the songs feeding what was then seen by the British as a rebellious movement, later emerging into becoming the Irish Republican Army (IRA). What is argued to some extent is the influence power, and cultural component of the folk songs that promoted action by the Irish who then saw the British as foreign invaders.

With the folk songs reflecting a sign of the times, which is argued as a contemporary point, one need only hear the sound, tone, and inflections of the music to get a sense of the Irish at a fixed point in time of their developmental history. As the folk songs have been calls to action, they have been calls to peace, operating as a cultural mediator and having the ability through music to appeal and reach every segment of the population (Knevett, 2015).

In a cross-cultural study conducted by Muñoz, (2006), a comparison of perceptions of the idea of Irish pubs, believed to have emanated from Ireland were conducted on participants from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. In a large online study, its purpose was to understand the importance of authenticity between tangible and intangible elements which constitutes authenticity, and a consumers’ ability to delineate the ‘real’ from simulacra. From an historical perspective, with Ireland creating the perfect community town meeting halls, in the creation of the pub, what is argued is that it replication in other formats such as the great beer halls in Germany are replicates of the original Irish pub (Munoz, 2006).

With the Irish creating these pubs which offered travelers and the local community to engage one another on the latest issues, often political, but also rural and more immediate, the importance of these establishments and their ability to transfer information did not go unnoticed among other European nations. However, the study did suggest that replicas of Irish pubs in cross cultural countries, such as England and Australia did not work, instead, the idea of the Irish pub could be used as a foundation, and then later developed to societal specific and community needs.

As a result, while the study offered that an individual can only get the true Irish pub experience in Ireland, the same can be said for the true European German Beer Hall experience or the English pub experience, with the experience and dynamic fitted to the specific cultural locale. As this study suggests the idea of the Irish pub being an ideological gift to other European and Western countries, its roots and foundational premises can be attributed and traced back to the Irish (Munoz, 2006).

While the Irish have made significant contributions to folk singing, one of their most notorious contributions to civilization both in Europe and abroad comes in the form of great poets and poetry. The works of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and William Yeats are notorious, their evolutions are traced back to foundational authors and poets who tracked the spiraling of Irish politics, having a full understanding of how the written word, primarily through poetry could move a population to take action. As Holmes (2008) research conducted on poetry and its effects on cultural politics, what emerges are a series of transitional changes and movements within the Irish poet world, moved by conflict between the Irish indigenous population and the British, seen as invaders.

In chronicling the desire for freedom through these early Irish poets, leading to ad advancements in this art form, the outcome supported the development of European poetry. As the Irish poetry called attention to their injustices, their contribution to this art form is noted, with other European countries following their lead and using poetry as an opportunity for cultural, governmental, and societal reformation (Holmes, 2008).

What is noted as remarkable is the ability for 17th century poetry to inspire inward thought, where in the Tale, a collection of poetry noted that

“such as for the brain in its natural position and state of serenity disposeth its owner to pass his life in the common forms . . . the more he shapes his understanding by the pattern of human learning, the less he is inclined to form parties after his own particular notions” (Holmes, 2008, p. 431).

In what is initially viewed as a benign connection to human learning, what in-truth are a challenge and an attack on the Catholic Church which was still very powerful and prominent both in Ireland and across Europe during the 18th century.

In what is promoted as independent thought by Irish poets, avoiding credit, less they be hanged, what the poets and the verse offer to the world is alternative thought and inter-reflection, where this underground of poets operating in Western Europe that offered a diverse and alternative opinion to the power, might, and absolutism of the Church. With Ireland and its poets and writers being some of the most outspoken against the Catholic religious power, they took the lead in this very dangerous attack on what was then a pillar of society, promoting other writers throughout Europe to do the same (Holmes, 2008).

In presenting a beginning to which are commonly referred to as “the troubles” noting the ongoing battle which continues even today between the Irish and the British, an understanding of this disagreement is discussed through contemporary artwork. In Walsh’s (2013) review of Irish art and live culture, what is offered is a connection between the past and the present “exploring live art in the Irish region in relation to the progression of the Northern Irish Peace Process” (p. 333). As the importance of art work is acknowledged in telling the story of “the troubles” what Walsh (2013) promotes is

“the development of progressive temporalities in ‘post-conflict’ live art….suggest that ‘post-conflict’ live art enables productive interrogations of cultural histories and national identities in the Irish region” (343).

As the country remains in conflict, the desire for understanding by the population in the evolution of its troubles can be conveyed through art, and where this review

“explores the ‘contractual’ refusal to perform the desire for closure, enabled through the performance of repetition and a durational masochism within ‘post-conflict’ live art” (344)

the message of resistance has remained durable and clear. As art and the Irish consciousness remain connected, what is suggested is the artist’s ability to focus ongoing attention to these problems, with the ideology of never giving up or in. With European governments and sovereignty continually being challenged by its population, the tenuous connections are offered, drawing back to the past and contemporary art work that supports change.

As the writings of Joyce promoted the IRA and the leadership of Patrick Pearse who led the Easter Rising against the British government, what emerges is the first open rebellion by a fractured country, split into Protestant and Catholic. With the Catholic’s feeling persecuted and the Protestants being aligned with the British, the country was split into two, with the belief by the IRA in drawing on the foundational understandings of past rebellions and overthrows of government which were successful throughout Europe required non-submission.

As the Easter Rising by the Catholic population began, it was being led by a new innovative leader, one that appreciated and understood the power of propaganda which would move people to take action. As Pearse’s propaganda to the people offered insights into

“the contexts of cultural revival and the emergent anti-colonial movements that would later radically shape Irish history in the early decades of the 20th century” (McNulty, 2010, p. 479)

the problematic links are established between an empire, a sovereign power, and the law which binds the people together.

As Pearse’s writings moved the people to take action, moving beyond discourse, and ultimately leading to the creation of Northern Ireland, the outcome could be construed as positive. In addition, considering the effects of propaganda which constituted and supported change, it could be argued that the ideology of propaganda, expanding throughout Europe and being drawn to the attention of Germany’s Joseph Goebbels. In taking cues from the success of the Irish pre and post Easter Rising, where in-fact the Irish lost that day, but later won the propaganda war, resulting in an independent state, the Irish success was acknowledged but on a much grander scale (McNulty, 2010).

As history moved forward with the Good Friday Agreement being signed in 1988, “the troubles which marked The Easter Uprising, Bloody Sunday (1972), and following the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 (AIA), what was argued at the heart of these treaties was what it meant to be Irish. In a theoretical article covering Irish nationalist discourses on nation and territory before and after the GFA, what is considered is the deterritorialisation and reterritorialisation of the Irish nations and states. The Irish, with its rich cultural identity and history did not want to be folded into the British Empire, instead, continually resisting and achieving the state of Northern Ireland, yet, for some, this concession of part of the island is not enough.

Despite half the population being Protestant and culturally and theologically tied to Britain, and having the popular vote promoting the ongoing connection to England, the Catholics have been unwilling to formally adopt long standing peace treaties and accords which protect the Protestants from IRA reprisals. As arguments over land and religion remain the contested issues, which are prevalent conditions and problems all over Europe with governments and perceived rebels unable or unwilling to adopt accords, the bloodshed is expected to continue (Cauvet, 2011).

As the writers, folk singers, and poets have meticulously crafted what it means to be Irish, just as what it would mean to be Spanish or Austrian, with Austria and Germany engaging in horrendous land grabs in WW2 and the mass slaughter and murder of millions to achieve their goals, what remains outstanding is just how far the IRA and the Catholics are willing to go. With a previous terror campaign in the 1970’s directed at the British population, the bombs did move the Brits back to the negotiating table, but only so far as to ensure the rights of the north, and an unwillingness to leave the island altogether. As a result, half the population believes the others are collaborators and not truly Irish, creating a cultural disparity for which many have died (Cauvet, 2011).

One of the more disturbing elements that have emerged from “the troubles” was the hunger strikes conducted by IRA prisoners captured by the British. As the Irish sought to obtain support through the social media, captured Irish prisoners, some who had committed mass murder in the bombing and terror campaigns began to starve themselves, with some dying in prison as a result of their refusal to eat food which would be seen as acknowledging the power of the British state. In what was expected, and to some degree achieved was the articulation of the motives of those who saw themselves as true Irishman, devoted to the cause, and by becoming martyrs, and drawing attention to themselves, their lives were given additional meaning (Stover, 2014).

Despite the fact that the Irish were not credited for the creation of passive resistance, it is clear that what they learned from Gandhi was put to well use, where over the past decades and leading up through the contemporary periods, on occasion, systematic hunger strikes has managed to gather support for European based causes, using the format of the IRA. In what is a direct challenge to the power of the government, in these instances, Britain, it was hoped that negotiations on old issues would resume, where the outcry from the world would be so great, promoted by the social media that the Irish ideologies and determinations would prevail (Stover, 2014).

Conclusion

The richness of the Irish culture which has undoubtedly been shared and utilized by its European neighbors offers a distinctive past, driven by poetic verse, what is means to be Irish, and challenging some to take the law and ideologies of civilized society into their own hands in promoting what they perceive as social change. Regardless, the outcomes of poets, the writers, and folk artists are undeniably positive, offering advancements in society.

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