Transcript Document

Adapted from a PowerPoint by
Sally Horowitz, Library Media Specialist
Northside Elementary, Midway, KY
(Photos from http://www.worldatlas.com)
Ireland is west of the United Kingdom (England,
Scotland, Wales). Northern Ireland is part of
the United Kingdom. Ireland is across the
Atlantic Ocean from the U.S.
It rains a lot in
Ireland, making
everything very
green. Often it is
called “Emerald
Isle”.
Photo by David Holmes: http://www.charm.net
The flag of Ireland is green, white and
orange. The green represents Catholics,
the orange is for Protestants, and the white
symbolizes the hope for peace between the
two groups.
The National Holiday is March 17, St.
Patrick’s Day, named after the Patron
Saint of Ireland.
(Photo from:http://www.irishhungermartyrs.org/)
Most people in Ireland speak
English, but a few still speak
Gaelic. You might hear
someone say “Erin go bragh”
on St. Patrick’s Day, which is
Gaelic for “Ireland forever.”
(Photo from: http://www.publicmuseum.oshkosh.net/Exhibits/Communities/communities.html)
(Photos from: http://www.eurocoins.co.uk/ireland.html)
The harp is a symbol of Ireland. It can be seen
on the presidential flag and on the back of the
Irish Euro coin. A Euro is worth about $1.32.
The shamrock is another
symbol of Ireland. It is
always worn on St. Patrick’s
Day.
Castles and ruins are found all over
Ireland.
(Photo from: http://www.geographia.com/northern-ireland/ukiant01.htm)
The Giant’s Causeway is a mass of
stone columns that extend from a cliff
in Northern Ireland and disappear
under the sea towards Scotland. They
were formed by a volcanic eruption 60
million years ago. However, the
ancients believed it to be the work of a
giant named Fin M’Coul.
What do we call stories like
this that are very old and
have been passed down by
word of mouth?
Folktales
In a few minutes we’re going
to read the folktale Fin M’Coul
by Tomie DePaola.
The Celts, warriors from
western Europe, controlled
Ireland for 1000 years. Today
the term “celtic” is often used to
refer to anything traditionally
Irish, such as celtic music and
celtic dance. Dance, music,
holidays, and traditions are all
part of a people’s culture.
There are many ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s
Day. What do you do to celebrate this special
day?
Please illustrate your favorite part of celebrating
St. Patrick’s Day.
Celtic music uses
traditional instruments
such as the fiddle, tin
whistle, and bodhran
(Irish drum).
(Animated photo from: http://www.drumdojo.com/world/ireland/bodhranintro.htm)
Why do we celebrate St.
Patrick’s Day in America?
•Many Americans have Irish ancestors,
meaning their parents, grandparents or greatgrandparents came from Ireland.
•It’s fun to celebrate holidays from around
the world. Even if you’re not Irish, you can
enjoy celebrating the holiday by wearing
green, which is also a sign of spring.
Enjoying Ireland
I hope you enjoyed learning about Ireland and
Irish culture. Here are some of the websites I
used to make this Powerpoint:
http://www.shamrock.org/flash.html
http://www.worldatlas.com
http://www.charm.net
http://www.irish-sayings.com/
http://www.irishhungermartyrs.org
http://www.publicmuseum.oshkosh.net/Exhibits/Communities/communities.html
http://www.eurocoins.co.uk/ireland.html
http://www.geographia.com/northern-ireland/ukiant01.htm
http://www.pacificnet.net/~fastoso/causway.html
http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/
http://www.drumdojo.com/world/ireland/bodhranintro.htm
http://www.naebunny.net/dance%20movies.html
Here are some books we used to find our
information for our classroom studies:
• Fiesta! Ireland Portraits of the Country and
its Festivals and Traditions
• Postcards from Ireland by Helen Arnold
• Discovering Cultures- Ireland by Patrick J.
Murphy
• Ireland the culture by Erinn Banting