My Dublin Experience

Oktoberfest 2010

2010-10-07T16:25:00.001-07:00

And one more announcement to make: go to the Erdinger Oktoberfest 2010 in George's Dock in the IFSC before it's too late! I went last Friday, and it was definitely worth it. It's on from September 30th till October 10th, so last chance this weekend...

You'll find some German music, some German food (over 30 food stalls!), and lots of Germans present! And you can even buy yourself a Dirndl (typical dress) or Lederhosen (typical leather pants for guys). More info, just visit: http://www.oktoberfest-dublin.com/

Astronomy Ireland: Hunt for alien life and Supernova discovery!

2010-10-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
after a very long break in blogging, I would like to tell everyone about a lecture I can recommend going to. Astronomy Ireland is regularly organizing lectures about astronomy topics, and the next one will be about 'Astrobiology - the hunt for alien life' on Monday, 11th of October at 8 pm.

The speaker is Dr. Lewis Dartnell (lewisdartnell.com). He is "based at University College London, studying how life, and signs of its existence, might survive the intense cosmic radiation on the surface of Mars. Alongside his research he writes regular science articles in newspapers and magazines, and has published a popular science book introducing astrobiology, “Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide”. For more information and pre-booking of a ticket to Monday's lecture, click here.

Please note as well that after the public lecture in Trinity College Dublin there will be a special speech by David Grennan - member and former Vice Chairman of Astronomy Ireland - who found the first supernova ever discovered from Irish soil a few days ago. Read more in this article.

Have a good evening!

Caroline

Brú na Bóinne

2009-11-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is probably going to be of interest to you, if you're looking for day trip opportunities from Dublin. Newgrange, Tara Hill, River Boyne and surroundings are just ideal for this purpose.

We just rented a car for the day, and drove up to the Hill of Tara, making our way to Newgrange, from there to the Battle of the Boyne site (although actually couldn't find that one), from there to the Monasterboice Monastery site, Slane Abbey and the Castle Trim.

Especially the Newgrange site, which is only a small part of the whole of Bru na Boinne, was very impressive!

Brú na Bóinne (Irish for Palace of the Boyne) is a World Heritage Site in County Meath, Ireland and is the largest and one of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe. It is a complex of Neolithic chamber tombs, standing stones, henges and other prehistoric enclosures, some dating from as early as 35th century BC -32nd century BC. The site predates the Egyptian pyramids and was built with sophistication and a knowledge of science and astronomy, which is most evident in thepassage grave of Newgrange. The site is often referred to as the "Bend of the Boyne" and this is often (incorrectly) taken to be a translation of Brú na Bóinne (Palace of the Boyne).The site covers 780ha and contains around 40 passage graves, as well as other prehistoric sites and later features. The majority of the monuments are concentrated on the north side of the river. The most well-known sites within Brú na Bóinne are the impressive passage graves of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth all famous for their significant collections of megalithic art. Each stands on a ridge within the river bend and two of the tombs, Knowth and Newgrange appear to contain stones re-used from an earlier monument at the site. There is no in situ evidence for earlier activity at the site, save for the spotfinds of flint tools left by Mesolithic hunters.However, the is evidence that this site was visited repeatedly during the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Medieval periods, as evidenced by the multiple Beaker, Roman, and Medieval artefacts that were found during O'Kelly's excavations from 1962-1975.
- partly quoted from Wikipedia -

Dublindy

2009-09-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Today, I'd like to tell you about something I've started in August: Swing Dancing. There's quite an active swing dancing community here in Dublin, and they're swingin' each Monday and Wednesday. I wouldn't have thought it was that much fun!!

To give you a little impression, just watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/1073031.. This was taken at this year's Spiegeltent performance, where I even got to perform with the so-called 'Bugsy's Babes'! And I'm not the best dancer ever, just did it for the fun... ;)

The whole event was hosted in the framework of the Dublin Fringe Festival, and here's the official page: http://www.fringefest.com/.

Take care, and pass by the Q-Bar or 4Dame Lane for some swing!

Irish Seal Sanctuary

2009-08-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

today I want to write about a foundation that we really should support, and that is unique in its kind in Ireland: the Irish Seal Sanctuary. I've been there with other volunteers this summer, and they're really doing a great work there. Check out their homepage here: http://www.irishsealsanctuary.ie/.

Apparently, people quite often find seal pups on Irish beaches. If you happen to find one which seems abandoned or sick, just call the Irish Seal Sanctuary and they'll send someone over to pick up the seal. Then, the seal is being cared for until fit enough to release on the same beach it was found. I was amazed that they actually travel to the other end of Ireland to pick up a seal. This site provides some more information about what to do if you find a seal pup: http://www.irishsealsanctuary.ie/iss_via/html/pup.htm.

And here is a really nice tale from the site of the Irish Seal Sanctuary:

"In the Folklore of Ireland and other maritime countries, there is a profusion of stories concerning seals. Possibly due to the fact that they come ashore and that their head, when seen at a distance above water, bears a resemblance to a human head, it was said that they were human beings under a spell.

The Conneelys and the Seals

Many years ago, there was one family of Conneelys living in Errismore very close to the sea. They had one son, a fine young man. On May Day each year, three seals used to come ashore on a very big flat rock that was high above the tide. There was a cave, five or six yards deep, at the back of the rock, under a cliff.

When the seals came up on the rock, each off them used to take off the hood that was tied about its neck and throw it into the cave behind them. As soon as they took off the hoods, they became the three finest women that the sun had ever shone upon, and they would go out swimming, each with a golden head of hair. The third woman was the most beautiful of all. When they grew tired after swimming for two or three hours, they would come back on to the rock again. Each of them would then take her own hood and tie it about her neck. She would become a seal immediately. After spending about half an hour on the rock, the three seals would dive into the sea together and disappear from sight.

Young Conneely used to watch them every May Day. He liked the youngest woman best of all. He was working in in the field one day at the end of Spring when he met an old man who he never saw before. He spoke to the old man, each of them telling his own story. Conneely told him about the three seals that used to come to the rock every May Day.

'There's one of them a lot nicer and more beautiful than the other two,' said he.
'I'd say that you have a liking for her,' said the man.
'Indeed, I have,' said Conneely. 'I'm in love with her, but I've no chance of ever getting her.'
'I have an idea who they are,' said the man. 'I have heard talk about them. What would you give to the person who would tell you the way you might get the one you want?'
'Oh, I'm only a poor man,' said Conneely. 'All I could give you as a reward is my seven thousand blessings.'
'That's a good reward,' said the man. 'I'll tell you what you must do. When next May Day comes, hide yourself in the cave early in the morning, and when they throw their hoods into it, you must put the young seals hood inside your shirt. Keep the other two hoods in your hands. The three women will be screaming and wailing, each of them asking for her own hood, and saying that their father will kill them if they aren't home by a certain hour. They are the three daughters of the King of the Sea. You mustn't give the youngest woman her hood, at any price, no matter what screaming and complaining she does. Give the hoods to the other two. Then walk towards your house, and the youngest one will follow you. You must hide the hood in a place she'll never see it. If she does, you'll have finished with her.'
'You may be sure that I'll never give her the hood,' said Conneely. 'I love her too much for that!'

The old man then stood up and left, and Conneely never laid eyes on him again. May Day came, and at dawn, Conneely hid himself in the cave. Soon the three seals came up to the rock. Each of them took off the hood, and threw it into the cave, and they were the finest women to have ever raised their faces to the sky. The youngest was the most beautiful of all. When the three women jumped in to swim, Conneely picked up her hood and shoved it inside his shirt. He kept the other two in his hands. He waited until they came back to the rock. When they saw him with the hoods in his hands, they asked him for them, but he refused. They started to wail at the top of their voices, saying that their father would kill them if they weren't home early in the evening. He threw her hood to the eldest, and the second eldest. The two seals jumped into the sea together and swam off.

The youngest seal was left behind, and her cries could be heard for miles. He told her that he wouldn't give her the hood and he asked her to go home with him. She had no wish to, but she had no option but to follow him to his house. She spent the night there, and they got married the next day. He hid the hood in the roof of the house, between the thatch and the sods. They lived happily together, and five sons were born to them. There wasn't a better worker to be found. But each day, when he was out at sea, fishing, she would weep her fill.

One fine summer's day, the husband was out at sea, fishing, and his wife was working in the fields. When she looked back at the house, it was on fire. There were two or three other houses nearby and she shouted to them for help. Two or three men came and started throwing water on the burning thatch, while she stood watching them. Suddenly, a large clump of thatch fell down near her and in it was the hood. She grabbed it, tied it about her neck and she was immediately turned into a seal. She ran down to the sea and was gone.

Her five sons followed her to the shore but failed to find her. They returned home, crying for their mother. When Conneely returned home in the evening, the house was half burned, his wife had gone and the children were waiting for him. He sat down with them, and he too cried his fill until morning. As soon as the children got up in the morning, they went down to where they had seen their mother goes into the sea, hoping to see her. And they did. She came in close to the shore where they were and spoke to them. And there wasn't a day that came during the next five years that they didn't go down to the sea, and she came every day and talked to them. When the five years were up, she told them that they would never see her again.

There were very few Conneelys in Errismore at that time. But you couldn'd count all of them that descended from the five sons of the seal-woman. That's why they say that the Conneelys are related to the seals."

Man from Aran

2009-07-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen the Man from Aran anywhere? I think he's selling some typical goods from the Aran Islands, and as we've never been there before, I set out with a friend to explore these islands off Galway. We took a ferry there and then arrived in the sunshine on Inishmore (Irish: Árainn Mhór) (i.e. "Great Aran"), the biggest of the Aran Islands.

"The island is famous for its strong Irish culture, loyalty to the Irish language, and a wealth of Pre-Christian and Christian ancient sites including Dún Aengus, described as "the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe" by George Petrie.

Inis Mór is a major tourist destination, with Bed & Breakfast accommodation scattered across the island. Private minibuses, horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the main methods of getting about for the numerous tourists who visit the island in the summer months, the majority of which are the Irish themselves. There is small museum illustrating the history of Dún Aenghusa and its possible functions. Nearby are a Neolithic tomb and a small heritage park at Dún Eochla, featuring examples of a traditional thatched cottage and an illegal poteen distillery." (from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inishmore)

I am telling you, this trip was one of the most original ones I did so far - and by this I mean it was so relaxing, so interesting and insightful to spend a weekend on an island where people still know Irish, and there's a different pace of life. The scenery is just absolutely amazing, and I just think everyone should have been there at least once in his/her life.

Our Samuel Beckett Bridge

2009-06-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

I took some time off but now am back 'n' bloggin... In the meantime, there's been so many things happening, and there's so much new information I can give you on Dublin, I don't even know where to begin. I'll just start with my favorite bridge in Dublin.

It has been built in Rotterdam, and then floated over from there, arriving in the Dublin port on the 12th of May. Here's two great shots of the arrival of the bridge: http://www.irishtimes.com/todayspaper/2009/0512/index.html and http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-dogg/3529970041/in/pool-photomatix.

And here you can see how the Samuel Beckett Bridge will actually connect the northside and the southside of the city over the Liffey in the Docklands area:

According to the Dublin City Council, "The bridge will have four traffic lanes, with cycle tracks and footpaths on either side. It will also be capable of opening through an angle of 90 degrees allowing ships to pass through. This will be achieved through a rotational mechanism housed in the base of the pylon."

Although it's currently still under construction, it is expected to be completed by the end of 2009... but as we know most projects of this scale take a bit longer, so I guess we'll be able to use our new bridge in mid-2010. Yay!!

Hugh Leonard and Dublin's Beverly Hills

2009-02-15T02:29:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, the 12th of February, the award-winning playwright, Hugh Leonard, has passed away in his hometown Dalkey (see http://www.rte.ie/arts/2009/0212/leonardh.html). Although he was born in Dublin, he was put up for adoption and in the following raised in the town Dalkey, south of Dun Laoghaire. Dalkey, in Irish Deilginis, means 'Thorn Island', because there is a little island just in front of the mainland.

Dalkey is today a well-known seaside suburb, especially for its neighboring Killiney Hill, where lots of celebrities own property. It has the reputation of being Dublin's Beverly Hills, since well-known people like Bono (U2), The Edge, Enya, Chris de Burgh, Van Morrison etc. live in the town - at least partially. Furthermore, it is home to the Irish novelist Maeve Binchy.

We decided to go for a walk in Dalkey and check out the celebrities houses. Starting from Dalkey DART Station, we walked up Killiney Hill, and returned along the coastal road. We even spotted seals on the coast underneath!!! After a 2 hour walk, we decided to watch the Rugby match in the Queen's pub. And surprisingly, the town center is just sooo cute. There are butchers, pubs, book shops, a church, and just really nice places. This is just ideal for a lazy Saturday!

Sligo Impressions...

2009-02-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

In the attempt of getting to know Ireland better, we decided to head north-west to see one of the lesser known counties of Ireland - Sligo or Sligeach, as they call it in Irish. The direct translation would be 'shelly place', apparently because there is lots of shellfish found in the river and its estuary.

Sligo is in the province of Connacht, and has around 18,000 inhabitants. It really gave us the feeling of a little town, but a pretty little town it is! See here for a map of Sligo and surroundings.

On Saturday morning, our first action was to hire a car. My first time to drive on the left side of the road - what a feeling! But I managed, and we drove off into a beautiful sunny but ice-cold day in the county Sligo. First thing we did, we headed to Lough Gill and had stunning views over the Isle of Innisfree. This is the area the poet - and later Nobel price winner - William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) included in his poetry. He grew up in northern Sligo, was inspired by the couty's landscapes and is even buried in the North, in Drumcliffe.

Next, we we went to Markree castle, which is still owned by the Cooper Family and is today a small family-run hotel. We had a nice lunch there, and were impressed by the fantastic dining room!

What I can definitely recommend is visiting the megalithic cemetery of Carrowmore, which is part of a huge area of remains from the Stone Age. And finally, to watch a beautiful sunset, I would make the effort and climb the Knocknarea Mountain, overlooking Sligo and the bay. This is where Queen Maeve's tomb is located.

According to wikipedia, 'Medb or Maeve was the warrior Queen of Connacht in Celtic mythology. The story of part of her reign is recorded in the ‘Táin Bó Cúailnge’ (The cattle raid of Cooley) - abbreviated ‘The Táin’ - the earliest written version of which is recorded in Lebor na hUidre (the Book of the Dun Cow), a late 11th Century manuscript. The Táin saga itself is thought to be much older, perhaps referring to a time several hundred years B.C. Because of the weapons and animals in the story, some commentators regard Queen Maeve as an Iron Age figure, but no-one knows if she really existed or not. Maeve is reputedly entombed in the Knocknarea cairn in an erect position, in full battle regalia, facing northward toward her Ulster enemies. Although passage tombs are dated to the Neolithic era, there is evidence of the re-usage of such tombs (including burials) in the Bronze and Iron Ages, which may provide some comfort to those who believe Queen Maeve is still inside Miosgán Medbh.'

As you can see, Sligo county is full of myths and stunning scenery....definitely worth a visit!

Free classical concerts Sunday @ Noon

2009-01-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I have discovered a great opportunity to actually do something meaningful on Sunday without having to sacrifice your Sunday morning sleep: The classical Sunday Concerts at the Hugh Lane Gallery! Admission is free, they last one hour, and they are just awesome! More information concerning upcoming concerts on: http://www.hughlane.ie/sunday_concerts.php?cat=about.

Enjoy! Caroline

This is the official description as stated on the website:

Sunday Concerts start at Noon - Admission is Free

The Sundays at Noon Concert Series at the Hugh Lane Gallery began in 1976 with a programme featuring the complete Bach sonatas for violin and is now one of Dublin's longest running and most popular series, regularly attracting full houses for the noon-time concerts. With around thirty concerts a year all musical tastes are catered for, from world premieres to early-music, with attention being focused on particular anniversaries and new music.

The Hugh Lane Gallery commissions new works for performance and concerts are also organised as accompanying events to the various exhibitions at the gallery. Joint ventures with various embassies and cultural institutions assists us with the inclusion of performers from abroad. Composers of new works are often in attendance to introduce their pieces and are available to discuss them after the performance.

The concerts last approximately one hour and all age groups are welcome. Admission is free.

- quoted from http://www.hughlane.ie/sunday_concerts.php?cat=about -

Gaelic Football (GAA)

2009-01-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone!

As a great event at the 31st of January I suggest to go to the first match of GAA this year! It's the 125 Anniversary of the GAA and the match Dublin v Tyrone in the Croke Park Stadium.

Gaelic football (Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid), commonly referred to as "football", is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. It is, together with hurling, one of the two most popular spectator sports in Ireland today.

Gaelic football is played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end. The primary object is to score by kicking or striking the ball with the hand and getting it through the goals. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins.

Players advance the ball up the field with a combination of carrying, soloing (dropping and then toe-kicking the ball upward into the hands), kicking, and hand-passing to their team-mates.

Football is one of four Gaelic games run by the Gaelic Athletic Association, the largest sporting organisation in Ireland. It has strict rules on player amateurism and the pinnacle of the sport is the inter-county All-Ireland Football Final. The game is believed to have descended from ancient Irish football known as caid which dates back to medieval times, although the modern rules were not set down until 1886.

Rules

Playing field

A Gaelic football pitch is similar in some respects to a rugby pitch but considerably larger. The grass pitch is rectangular, stretching 130–145 metres long and 80–90 metres wide. There are H-shaped goalposts at each end with a net on the bottom section. The same pitch is used for hurling; the GAA, which organizes both sports, decided this to facilitate dual usage. Lines are marked at distances of 13 m, 20m and 45 m from each end-line. Shorter pitches and smaller goals are used under-12s.

Duration

All football matches last for 60 minutes, divided into two halves of thirty minutes, with the exception of senior inter-county games which last for 70 minutes (two halves of 35 minutes). Draws are decided by replays or by playing 20 minutes of extra time (two halves of 10 minutes). The under 12s have a half of 20 minutes or 25 minutes in some cases. Half time lasts for about 20 minutes.

Teams

Teams consist of fifteen players (a goalkeeper, two corner backs, a full back, two half backs,a centre back, two mid fielders, two half forwards, a centre forward, two corner forwards and a full forward) plus up to fifteen substitutes, of which five may be used. Each player is numbered 1–15, starting with the goalkeeper, who must wear a different coloured jersey to the other team.

Ball

The game is played with a round leather football, similar to a soccer ball, but heavier, and with horizontal stitching rather than the hexagon pentagon panels often used on soccer balls, and similar in appearance to a standard volleyball. It may be kicked or hand passed. A hand pass is not a punch but rather a strike of the ball with the side of the closed fist, using the knuckle of the thumb.

The following are considered technical fouls ("fouling the ball"):

Picking the ball directly off the ground (It must be scooped up into the hands by the foot). However, in ladies' Gaelic football, the ball may be picked up directly.
Throwing the ball (It may be "hand-passed" by striking with the fist or open hand)
Going four steps without releasing, bouncing or soloing the ball. (Soloing involves kicking the ball into one's own hands)
Bouncing the ball twice in a row (It may be soloed continuously)
Hand passing the ball over an opponent's head, then running around him to catch it
Hand passing a goal (the ball may be punched into the goal from up in the air, however)
Square ball, an often controversial rule: If, at the moment the ball enters the small rectangle, there is already an attacking player inside the small rectangle, then a free out is awarded.
Changing hands: Throwing the ball from your right-hand to left or vice-versa.

Scoring

If the ball goes over the crossbar, a point is scored and a white flag is raised by an umpire. If the ball goes below the crossbar, a goal, worth three points, is scored, and a green flag is raised by an umpire. The goal is guarded by a goalkeeper. Scores are recorded in the format {goal total}-{point total}.

Tackling

The level of tackling allowed is more robust than in association football (soccer), but less than rugby. The tackling rule has been criticised for being too vague.

Shoulder-charging and slapping the ball out of an opponent's hand is permitted, but the following are all fouls:

Using both hands to tackle
Pushing an opponent
Striking an opponent
Pulling an opponent's jersey
Blocking a shot with the foot
Sliding tackles
Tripping
Touching the goalkeeper when he is inside the small rectangle
Wrestling the ball from an opponent's hands

Restarting play

a match begins with the referee throwing the ball up between the four mid fielders.
After an attacker has put the ball wide of the goals, the goalkeeper may take a kick out from the ground at the edge of the small square. All players must be beyond the 20 m line.
After an attacker has scored, the goalkeeper may take a kick out from the ground from the 20 m line. All players must be beyond the 20 m line and outside the semicircle.
After a defender has put the ball wide of the goals, an attacker may take a "45" from the ground on the 45 m line level with where the ball went wide.
After a player has put the ball over the sideline, the other team may take a sideline kick at the point where the ball left the pitch. It may be kicked from the ground or the hands.
After a player has committed a foul, the other team may take a free kick at the point where the foul was committed. It may be kicked from the ground or the hands.
After a defender has committed a foul inside the large rectangle, the other team may take a penalty kick from the ground from the center of the 13 m line. Only the goalkeeper may guard the goals.
If many players are struggling for the ball and it is not clear who was fouled first, the referee may choose to throw the ball up between two opposing players.

Officials

A football match is overseen by eight officials:

The referee
Two linesmen
Sideline official/Standby linesman (inter-county games only)
Four umpires (two at each end)

The referee is responsible for starting and stopping play, recording the score, awarding frees and booking and sending off players.

Linesmen are responsible for indicating the direction of line balls to the referee.

The fourth official is responsible for overseeing substitutions, and also indicating the amount of stoppage time (signaled to him by the referee) and the players substituted using an electronic board.

The umpires are responsible for judging the scoring. They indicate to the referee whether a shot was: wide (spread both arms), a 45 m kick (raise one arm), a point (wave white flag), square ball (cross arms) or a goal (wave green flag).

Contrary to popular belief within the association, all officials are not obliged to indicate "any misdemeanours" to the referee, but are in fact only permitted to inform the referee of violent conduct they have witnessed which has occurred without the referees knowledge. A linesman/umpire is not permitted to inform the referee of technical fouls such as a "double bounce" or an illegal pick up of the ball. Such decisions can only be made at the discretion of the referee.

History

Gaelic football is one of the world's oldest games. It is one of the most played games in Ireland and is also commonly played in other countries. One of the first records of football in Ireland comes from 1308, when John McCrocan, a spectator at a football game at Newcastle, County Dublin was charged with accidentally stabbing a player named William Bernard.

The Statute of Galway of 1527 allowed the playing of "foot balle" and archery but banned "'hokie' [sic] — the hurling of a little ball with sticks or staves" as well as other sports.

By the 17th century, the situation had changed considerably. The games had grown in popularity and were widely played. This was due to the patronage of the gentry. Now instead of opposing the games it was the gentry and the ruling class who were serving as patrons of the games. Games were organized between landlords with each team comprising 20 or more tenants. Wagers were commonplace with purses of up to 100 guineas an old unit of currency (Prior, 1997).

The earliest record of a recognized precursor to the modern game date from a match in County Meath in 1670, in which catching and kicking the ball was permitted.

However even "foot-ball" was banned by the severe Sunday Observance Act of 1695, which imposed a fine of one shilling (a substantial amount at the time) for those caught playing sports. It proved difficult, if not impossible, for the authorities to enforce the Act and the earliest recorded inter-county match in Ireland was one between Louth and Meath, at Slane, in 1712.

A six-a-side version was played in Dublin in the early 18th century, and 100 years later there were accounts of games played between County sides (Prior, 1997).

By the early 19th century, various football games, referred to collectively as caid, were popular in Kerry, especially the Dingle Peninsula. Father W. Ferris described two forms of caid: the "field game" in which the object was to put the ball through arch-like goals, formed from the boughs of two trees, and; the epic "cross-country game" which lasted the whole of a Sunday (after mass) and was won by taking the ball across a parish boundary. "Wrestling", "holding" opposing players, and carrying the ball were all allowed.

During the 1860s and 1870s, Rugby and Association football started to become popular in Ireland. Trinity College, Dublin was an early stronghold of Rugby, and the rules of the English Football Association were codified in 1863 and distributed widely. By this time, according to Gaelic football historian Jack Mahon, even in the Irish countryside, caid had begun to give way to a "rough-and-tumble game" which even allowed tripping.

Limerick was the stronghold of the native game around this time, and the Commercials Club, founded by employees of Cannock’s Drappery Store, was one of the first to impose a set of rules which was adapted by other clubs in the city. Of all the Irish pastimes the GAA set out to preserve and promote, it is fair to say that Gaelic football was in the worst shape at the time of the association’s foundation (GAA Museum, 2001).

Irish forms of football were not formally arranged into an organised playing code by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) until 1887. The GAA sought to promote traditional Irish sports, such as hurling and to reject "foreign" (particularly English) imports. The first Gaelic football rules, showing the influence of hurling and a desire to differentiate from association football — for example in their lack of an offside rule — were drawn up by Maurice Davin and published in the United Ireland magazine on February 7, 1887. The rules of the aforementioned Commercials Club became the basis for these official (Gaelic Football) rules who, unsurprisingly, won the inaugural All-Ireland Senior Football Final (representing County Limerick)

On Bloody Sunday in 1920, during the Anglo-Irish War, a football match at Croke Park was attacked by British forces. 14 people were killed and 65 were injured.

Ladies' Gaelic football has become increasingly popular with women since the 1970s.

The relationship between Gaelic football and Australian rules football and the question of whether they have shared origins is a matter of historical controversy. Games are held between an Irish representative team and an Australian team, under compromise rules known as Internationel rules football.

The current Director General of the GAA is Padraic Duffy of Monaghan.

- quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_football -

Irish Christmas Traditions

2008-12-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I'd like to use the last day before Christmas for an information about Irish Christmas traditions. Merry Xmas to everyone!

Ireland, like most countries, has a number of Christmas traditions that are all of its own. Many of these customs have their root in the time when the Gaelic culture and religion of the country were being supressed and it is perhaps because of that they have survived into modern times.

THE CANDLE IN THE WINDOW

The placing of a lighted candle in the window of a house on Christmas eve is still practised today. It has a number of purposes but primarily it was an symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter.

The candle also indicated a safe place for priests to perform mass as, during Penal Times this was not allowed.

A further element of the tradition is that the candle should be lit by the youngest member of the household and only be extinguished by a girl bearing the name 'Mary'.

THE LADEN TABLE

After evening meal on Christmas eve the kitchen table was again set and on it were placed a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door to the house was left unlatched so that Mary and Joseph, or any wandering traveller, could avail of the welcome.

THE WREN BOY PROCESSION

During Penal Times there was once a plot in a vilage against the local soldiers. They were surrounded and were about to be ambushed when a group of wrens pecked on their drums and awakened the soldiers. The plot failed and the wren became known as 'The Devil's bird'.

On St. Stephens day a procession takes place where a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to house and families dress up in old clothes and with blackened faces. In olden times an actual wren would be killed and placed on top of the pole.

This custom has to a large degree disappeared but the tradition of visiting from house to house on St. Stephens Day has survived and is very much part of Christmas.

DECORATIONS:

The placing of a ring of Holly on doors originated in Ireland as Holly was one of the main plants that flourished at Christmas time and which gave the poor ample means with which to decorate their dwellings.

All decorations are traditionally taken down on Little Christmas (January 6th.) and it is considered to be bad luck to take them down beforehand.

TRADITIONAL GAELIC SALUTATION

The Gaelic greeting for 'Merry Christmas' is:
'Nollaig Shona Duit'
......which is pronounced as 'null-ig hun-a dit'.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

(C) Copyright http://www.ireland-information.com

Paulaner German Film Festival

2008-11-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

just a quick note on the upcoming Paulaner German Film Festival:

Start Date: 28 November 2007
End Date: 07 December 2007
Venue: Irish Film Institute

The Irish Film Institute hosts a number of foreign film festivals throughout the year to promote film culture in Ireland: The Paulaner German Film Festival is one of the permanent fixtures in Ireland’s cinema calendar, and reflects the healthy diversity of current German cinema. With recent films such as The Lives of Others and The Counterfeiters both at the forefront of arthouse success, this year’s festival brings a new crop of productions from a country whose film industry is in a very strong global position.

For more information, please see here:
http://www.irishfilm.ie/cinema/season2_07.asp?SID=141

Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk

2008-11-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

Stunning sea cliffs, abundant wildlife and a fantastic walk - What more could you ask for!

If you are looking for a bracing and invigorating walk while taking in some clean sea air, look no further than the cliff walk from Bray to Greystones. Begin your journey on Bray Promenade and enjoy the seaside town atmosphere before you move on to the stunning cliff walk where you'll find a huge variety of wildlife and breathtaking scenery.

The coastal walk is 8km in length (5 miles) of cliff-top paths, which snake their way south from the end of Bray esplanade. Next to this is the challenging Bray Head climb, which will take you about an hour to the summit and back. This walk offers spectacular views of the Wicklow Mountains and, if you're lucky, all the way to Wales on a clear day.

These dramatic walks are accessible by a regular DART and bus service from Dublin city centre into the large town of Bray or the charming and bustling town of Greystones.

-quoted from http://www.visitwicklow.ie/attractions/bray_cliff_walk.htm-

The Light House Cinema

2008-11-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

after having moved to Smithfield a week ago, I'd like to give a recommendation: I've discovered a great cinema right on Smithfield Market: the Light House Cinema!!! Great alternative and foreign-language movies to practice your French, Italian or Spanish...

Check out this link: http://www.lighthousecinema.ie/index.php

For more on the interesting past of the Light House Cinema, read below.

History of the Light House Cinema
The story of Light House Cinema begins in 1988 when Dublin department store Arnotts bought the Curzon Cinema in Middle Abbey Street. Arnotts had long term plans for modernisation and expansion but in the short term, whilst building up its property portfolio, it needed a caretaker for the vacant cinema.

On a shoestring budget, Light House Cinema was created and for eight exciting years we operated two screens in Middle Abbey Street showing films which might never have otherwise been seen in Dublin. Light House became one of the city’s most vibrant and valuable cultural institutions. We broke the rules. We broke down barriers. We defied the commercial marketeers. It was art house with an audience.

Light House’s secret was its ability to deliver a special night out in friendly surroundings. We managed to somehow bridge the gap between culture and acceptability without compromising the integrity of our eclectic programme. While the mainstream screens in the city concentrated on the high profile Hollywood products, Light House championed, as Ciaran Carty put it in The Sunday Tribune, films that were “that bit different, that bit special”, and at the same time found audiences for new, exciting, sometimes unknown directors.

Some of our own proudest moments — the success of Cathal Black’s Korea and Ken Loach’s Land and Freedom, among them — aren’t referred to, but we are proud of Michael Dwyer's succinct summing up of the distinctive character of the original Light House in a piece he wrote for The Irish Times in September 1996, as we were preparing to close.

Since it opened its doors on the site of the former Curzon cinema on Middle Abbey Street, the Light House has carved a rich and distinctive niche for itself and has provided an invaluable contribution to the artistic life of the city. The tone of the programming was set with the very first presentations on November 11th, 1988, when one screen showed the work of a veteran French film-maker — Eric Rohmer's 4 Adventures Of Reinette & Mirabelle — while the other presented the work of a precocious rising talent from Spain — Pedro Almodóvar's The Law Of Desire.

Just as the Light House was the first lrish cinema to put an Almodóvar movie on release, so, too, did it introduce Irish audiences to the work of such diverse talents as Terence Davies, Ang Lee, Vincent Ward, Patrice Leconte, Jane Campion, Zhang Yimou, Denys Arcand, Julio Medem and Jeunet & Caro. One of the cinema's most notable commercial successes was Thaddeus O'Sullivan's first feature film, December Bride.

Reflecting the programming policy established on its opening night, the Light House presented side by side with these emerging talents the work of more established but nonetheless imaginative film-makers as Peter Greenaway, Spike Lee, Bertrand Tavernier, John Sayles, Jacques Rivette, Derek Jarman and the great Krzysztof Kieslowski whose magnificent Three Colours trilogy was one of the unforgettable highlights of the cinema's later years. And the Light House paid tribute to cinema's history with such welcome re-releases as L'Atalante and Smiles Of A Summer Night.

This unique level of ambitious and adventurous programming has been to the forefront of a risk-taking and commendably thoughtful cinema operation, the lack of which the city can ill afford. I am sure that I speak for very many people when I express great regret for the passing of the Light House and great enthusiasm - and great impatience - for its reincarnation.
A new Light House - an old beacon

Although the closure of the original Light House wasn’t a voluntary one, in truth, the old cinema had served its purpose. It was a particular venue that Dublin needed at a particular time. But it was never going to have long-term sustainability.

The last movies we screened in Middle Abbey Street on Saturday, September 27, 1996, were Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, whichended with Johnny Depp, as William Blake, making a protracted journey into the spirit world, and Ebrahim Forouzesh’s Iranian fable, The Jar, which provided an alternative ending. The Jar is set in a little school where a large urn holding the pupils’ vital drinking water cracks and must be replaced. The schoolteacher threatens to quit, knowing it will take a long time for the government to send a new one. Getting the jar fixed does turn out to be complicated, but, with the support of the community, the beleaguered schoolteacher finally gets the job done.

It has taken Light House Cinema almost twelve year to get our job done. It has been a protracted journey. The challenge was to re-invent what An Taisce described as “a cultural beacon in the north inner-city”; to ensure that the beacon would shine once again — this time in a permanent, custom built 21st century building. The challenge has finally been met with the opening of Light House Smithfield on May 9, 2008.

We got the job done with the support of a lot of people. We were fortunate that David Collins, Managing Director of Samson Films and David Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, accepted our invitation to join the Light House board as non-executive directors, bringing vital additional experience and skills to pushing forward when things might have fallen by the wayside. Without them, we would not have been able to bring the project to fruition.

The Cultural Cinema Consortium, a strategic partnership of The Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, endorsed the project with a capital grant of €750,000 and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism provided the vital additional grant of €1 million, which Light House brought to the negotiation table at which developers Fusano Properties agreed to provide the rest of the investment required to complete the project.

Dublin City Council planners required the creation of a cultural magnet and focal point for Smithfield to accord with the flagship project concept underpinning Fusano’s large-scale urban regeneration project at Smithfield Market, on the west side of Dublin’s largest public plaza.

In December 2006, award-winning architectural practice, DTA Architects, headed up by Derek Tynan, was commissioned to design Light House Cinema as Smithfield’s cultural hub. The brief entailed designing a signature art house cinema with four screens and ancillary spaces, all built to the highest technical standards to ensure the levels of comfort and quality that audiences — and film makers — deserve.

The architectural challenge entailed the creation of an entrance lobby, with box-office and café/bar facilities at ground floor level and the insertion of four cinemas along with social space and meeting facilities into the underground spaces below.

DTA Architects responded with a beautiful, 21st Century vision that makes imaginative use of contrasting materials and voids. “The development involves the insertion of four cinema volumes into the underground voids,” explains project architect Colin Mackay. “The organisation and distribution of screens will allow patrons to walk over, under and around the forms, affording an alternative and dramatic cinema experience. All four destinations will be a counterpoint to the exterior and distinctly different to each other in size, scale, finish and detail, offering a range of experience from the intimate 68 seat screen to a spacious 277 seat screen."

Finally, we have built it. A new chapter in the history of Light House Cinema begins. We hope you will come up sometime and see us.

Neil Connolly, Maretta Dillon, May 2008

- quoted from http://www.lighthousecinema.ie/about/history.html -

Free concert of the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland

2008-11-05T01:07:00.000-08:00

The Goethe Zentrum will host a free concert evening of the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland (http://www.cmc.ie).

Four Irish composers will present their work:

Ed Bennett – Gothic
Jennifer Walshe – Faster, Faster, Pussy Cat, Kill, Kill, Kill
Frank Lyons – TEASE
Simon Mawhinney – Batu

When? Wednesday , 5th november 2008, 18:30 o’clock
Where? Goethe-Institut, 37 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

About Ed Benett:
Ed Bennett is a composer working in the fields of notated, electronic and improvised music.
'Musical accidents, stark contrasts and the freshness of improvisation interest me. Striving for perfection leads me to boredom. I like to be surprised by music, staying on the outside of things and occasionally dipping in and taking what I need to try to create something new.'

Frank Lyons:
'I am preoccupied with the task of forging an incredibly diverse set of influences into a musical language that is identifiably my own. Jazz, rock, pop, avant-garde, minimalism: elements from all of these inform my style. I also want my music to convey a sense of fun, a quality that is too often lost in the oh-so-serious world of contemporary music.'

Jennifer Welsh:
'The sounds I am interested in include those that we hear all the time but are normally considered flawed or redundant: twigs snapping in a burning fire, paper tearing, breathing, instrumental sounds that aren’t considered ‘beautiful’ in standard terms. I think these sounds have their own beauty in the way that pebbles on a beach or graffiti can have.'

Hallowe'en in Ireland

2008-11-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Halloween is very popular in Ireland (as it is one of the Celtic nations where the holiday originated) and is known in Irish as Oíche Shamhna (pronounced ee-hah how-nah), literally "Samhain Night." Pre-Christian Celts had an autumn festival, Samhain (pronounced /ˈsˠaunʲ/from the Old Irish samain), "End of Summer," a pastoral and agricultural "fire festival" or feast, when the dead revisited the mortal world and large communal bonfires would hence be lit to ward off evil spirits.

History

Pope Gregory IV standardized the date of All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day, on November 1 in the name of the entire Western Church in 837. As the Church day began at sunset, the holiday coincided exactly with Samhain. It is claimed that the choice of date was consistent with the common practice of leaving pagan festivals and buildings intact (e.g., the Pantheon) while overlaying a Christian meaning; however, no reliable documentation indicates such a motivation in this case. While the Celts might have been content to move All Saints' Day from their own previous date of April 20, the rest of the world celebrating it on May 13, it is speculated without evidence that they were unwilling to give up their pre-existing autumn festival of the dead and continued to celebrate Samhain.

However, there is little primary documentation of how Halloween was celebrated in preindustrial Ireland. Historian Nicholas Rogers has written,

It is not always easy to track the development of Halloween in Ireland and Scotland from the mid-seventeenth century, largely because one has to trace ritual practices from [modern] folkloric evidence that do not necessarily reflect how the holiday might have changed; these rituals may not be "authentic" or "timeless" examples of preindustrial times.

Traditions

On Halloween night in present-day Ireland, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld (e.g., ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, and goblins), light bonfires, and enjoy spectacular fireworks displays—in particular, the city of Derry is home to the largest organized Halloween celebration on the island, in the form of a street carnival and fireworks display. It is also common for fireworks to be set off for the entire month preceding Halloween as well as a few days after. Halloween was perceived as the night during which the division between the world of the living and the otherworld was blurred so that spirits of the dead and inhabitants from the underworld were able to walk free on the earth. It was believed necessary to dress as a spirit or otherworldly creature when venturing outdoors to blend in, and this is where dressing in such a manner for Halloween comes from. This gradually evolved into trick-or-treating, because children would knock on their neighbours' doors in order to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets for the Halloween festival. Salt was once sprinkled in the hair of the children to protect against evil spirits.

The houses are frequently adorned with pumpkins or turnips carved into scary faces; lights or candles are sometimes placed inside the carvings to provide an eerie effect. The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barmbrack, which is a fruit bread. Barmbrack is the centre of this Irish custom. The Halloween Brack traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread and was used as a sort of fortune-telling game. In the barmbrack were a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin (originally a silver sixpence), and a ring. Each item, when received in the slice, was supposed to carry a meaning to the person concerned: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the stick, "to beat one's wife with," would have an unhappy marriage or continually be in disputes; the cloth or rag, would have bad luck or be poor; the coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich; and the ring, would be married within the year. Commercially produced barmbracks for the Halloween market still include a toy ring.

Games are often played, such as bobbing for apples, in which apples, peanuts, and other nuts and fruit and some small coins are placed in a basin of water. The apples and nuts float, but the coins, which sink, are harder to catch. Everyone takes turns catching as many items possible using only their mouths. In some households, the coins are embedded in the fruit for the children to "earn" as they catch each apple. Another common game involves the hands-free eating of an apple hung on a string attached to the ceiling. Games of divination are also played at Halloween, but are becoming less popular.

At lunchtime (the midday meal, sometimes called "dinner" in Ireland), a traditional Halloween meal, Colcannon, is eaten, often with coins wrapped in greaseproof paper mixed in. In recent decades, the practice of midday dinners in the home has declined, and with it this traditional Halloween ritual. Irish children typically have a weeklong midterm break from school that coincides with Halloween, which falls on the 31st of October.

- quoted from wikipedia.org-

Wicked Wicklow Mountains

2008-10-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

At only one hour distance from Dublin, there is a whole new world to discover with hills and lakes and woodland. In total over 20,000 hectares make up the Wicklow Mountains National Park and apparently, the highest peak in the mountain range is the Lugnaquilla with 924 m. I went there on Sunday with some fellow adventurers and we just loved it! One good option is to go by bus (glendaloughbus.ie) to Roundwood and walk from there around the Vartry Reservoir.

I have to admit, I felt a bit like in an Irish fairy tale when I discovered a rainbow span over the lake. According to the Irish myths, little green creatures called 'Leprechauns' would show you eventually the way to the end of the rainbow where they have hidden their gold, deep down in the ground. One thing you gotta remember though is to never lose sight of the leprechaun on the way to the gold, since it will try everything to distract you and run away while you're not looking!

Oh yeah, I should mention one dangerous aspect of the Wicklow Mountains - its rivers. Especially for people a bit clumsy as I am watch out for these really slippery stones when crossing a river! I didn't and I spent a few hours afterwards in wet clothes - and I mean completely wet!! - because I had fallen into the river and it was deeper than expected (water reaching up to the shoulders). What an experience! I just feel like the country is welcoming me...

DEAF

2008-10-26T03:13:00.000-07:00

A bit late, but I still want to recommend THE major event this weekend - the 2008 Dublin Electronic Arts Festival! Check out this link http://deafireland.com/.
Last chance today to listen to funky sounds and participate in workshops!

Here's a small overview over what the DEAF stands for:

DEAF 2002 - present:

Now entering it’s seventh year, the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival is independently-run by veteran Irish music label D1 Recordings (http://www.d1.ie) and is every year further cementing its reputation as one of the most forward-thinking events of its kind in our cultural calendar. DEAF’s artistic remit has widened considerably since its inception, moving beyond the confines of its roots in club culture, realising Ireland as a creative centre for the digital arts. Nonetheless, the festival has succeeded in remaining true to its core ethos: to focus on the experimental, and to promote a genuine inclusiveness in its approach to showcasing the electronic arts to new audiences in Ireland.

Since its inception in 2002, DEAF has established close links with many of the most exalted names in the electronic arts: from artists such as Coil, Plaid, Ulrich Schnauss, Static, Tarwater, Taylor Deupree, Frank Breitschneider, Roger Doyle, 4 Hero, Rahzel, Undergound Resistance, Crash Ensemble, Photek, Ewan Pearson, Richard Chartier, Pamelia Kurstin and Lisle Ellis.

For 2007, the theme of the festival was Asian - offering audiences not just the opportunity to sample the work of Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Thai artists amongst others, but also the chance to witness Irish artists deliberately engaging with other musical and artistic traditions in an explorative and open-ended creative process. In choosing such a theme at this point in our development (which to say the least, runs contrary to local expectations) it was our hope to open up an imaginative space for both local artists and audiences to contemplate anew their own ideas of what is meant by the descriptive term ‘electronic art’.

We were delighted to have received such a positive response from the artists invited to participate: a collaborative improvisational performance took place between Miya Masaoka and local musician Daniel Jacobson, while Wu Fei & Takeshi Nisimoto brought us stunning performances in St Audoen’s Church, while Pamelia Kurstin stepped into the role of tutor for the return of the highly popular ‘DEAF Junior’, a series of interactive classes aimed at introducing 10-14 year-olds to the processes of making and recording their own electronic music. Other highlights for 07 included a special presentation by the veteran cinematographer, the Australian-born Christopher Doyle, describing his experiences as a pivotal figure in the Hong Kong film industry for more than twenty years, plus Trevor Knight presented a live collaboration between Gyohei Zaitsu (Japan): Butoh dancer, Itaru Oki (Japan):trumpet and accessories by Knight himself: keyboard /electronics called ‘Featherhead’.

DEAF is committed not just to the annual programming of a series of flagship events to represent them, but also to the establishment of a broader framework within which selected artists, producers and musicians are given an opportunity to present their work to Irish audiences alongside artists of international renown. DEAF also seeks to promote discussion on the subject of the electronic arts, to provide the public with opportunities to get hands-on experience of new technologies employed in the digital arts, and to present the electronic arts in new and exciting environments.

-quoted from http://deafireland.com-

OPEN HOUSE Dublin

2008-10-23T02:25:00.000-07:00

This event was definitely worth going! One of my greatest weekends in Dublin so far, and definitely one of the most informative ones...

Over the weekend, I managed to participate in five guided tours. And what would be a better way of starting the weekend than a pint of Guiness at the Guiness Storehouse?

Afterwards, running to the Trinity College for the next tour was kind of fun and added a sporty element to the day. At Trinity, I'd recommend to just take in the spirit and imagine who walked or strode or staggered over the campus... so many important persons...

Next was Temple Bar and a typical Georgian townhouse. Facilities like bathroom and such looked quite modern though ;)

And finally, last but not least, we got to enter famous Leinster House and hear about the Dáil Éireann and the Seanad. And of course many other Irish titles and names. Who would have thought that Taoiseach is pronounced ['tee-shiq]??
I asked so many questions that I got invited to see the parliament debate on Wed, 22nd of October, and lucky that was cause just at that day heated discussions over the medical card and university fees led to a mass demonstration of 15,000 elderly and students in front of Leinster House. Nothing compared to the kindergarden inside though ;) - TDs were just shouting at each other and totally lost it.

- Here a picture of the empty Dáil (a former theater)-

And what about Sunday... well, I only managed to go to one tour, and learn about the docklands and new architecturally interesting buildings to come... the U2 tower with a giant recording studio on the top floor, the O2 building that'll host rock concerts, and of course the theater on gallery quay, designed by the star architect Daniel Libeskind... Dublin will be even prettier and versatile in the years to come...

Event coming up...

2008-10-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting event coming up this weekend in Dublin:

Open House Dublin encourages the public to visit a number of architecturally interesting buildings around the capital.
See http://www.architecturefoundation.ie/openhouse2008

For more information on Open House Dublin, visit http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1013/6news_av.html?2435452,null,230 (requires RealPlayer).

Visit to Dun Laoghaire

2008-10-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

Nice spots in Dublin city!

2008-10-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Ireland

2008-10-07T03:49:00.001-07:00

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. Politically, the state Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland in cases of ambiguity) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, covering the remainder in the north-east. The population of the island is slightly over 6 million (2007), with 4.4 million in the Republic of Ireland (1.7 million in Greater Dublin) and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland (800,000 in Greater Belfast). This is a significant increase from a modern historical low in the 1960s, but still much lower than the peak population of over 8 million in the early 19th century, prior to the Great Famine. The name Ireland derives from the name Ériu (in modern Irish, Éire) with the addition of the Germanic word land. Most other western European names for Ireland derive from the same source, such as French Irlande, Spanish, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese Irlanda, German Irland, Dutch Ierland, and RussianИрландия.
- quoted from Wikipedia -