Dublin Theatre Festival

The Dublin Theatre Festival is Europe's oldest specialized theatre festival. It was founded by theatre impresario Brendan Smith in 1957 and has, with the exception of two years, produced a season of international and Irish theatre each autumn. It is one of a number of key post-World War II events established to foster tolerance and cultural understanding between nations. Over the past five decades, the festival has become a crucial part of Ireland’s cultural landscape.
It has played a dual role as a window to world theatre, having presented almost every great theatre artist of the late 20th century, and as a champion of Irish writing on the world stage
The Festival is unique in its ability to stage major international theatre of scale, and has hosted productions by the world's most highly regarded artists, while also premiering work by Ireland's leading playwrights.

National Gallery of Ireland

                   
The National Gallery houses some 15,000 paintings, sculptures, works on paper and objets d’art dating from the early thirteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century.
The collection boasts an impressive range of masterpieces by artists from the major European schools of art whilst also featuring the world's most comprehensive collection of Irish art.

New Year in Ireland

New Year is a big time for the natives of Ireland. Usually, New Year is considered to be a time in Ireland when people prefer to spend time with friends and family. People sit around a table on New Year’s Eve; have a special dinner for the evening, and count for the moment of the New Year to arrive. Everyone remember and pay homage to those who passed away in the Old year.

The tradition of first footing is followed in Ireland, as a part of which one expects a dark, tall, young, and a good looking man to arrive first on the threshold on the New Year’s Day. It is believed to be a symbol of good luck in the coming year. If who do that is a woman, a blonde, or a red haired female first arriving on the threshold is considered to be a sign of bad luck for the coming year. There is another tradition followed by young unmarried women of the house, who put a little bit of mistletoe under their pillow before they sleep on New Year’s Eve. This is done with a belief that they will be conferred with a true lover in the coming year.

Top Ten Sights of Ireland

Planning a trip to Ireland can be a daunting task - what should I not miss? Everyone has their own favorite sights and places. Yet there are a number of locations every visitor to Ireland should see. Taking them all in will also showcase the variety to be found on the comparatively small island. They are definitely part of the best of Ireland.

1. Brú na Boinne

Not a single sight, but a historic landscape on the banks of the Boyne, dotted with prehistoric monuments. The largest are Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. Newgrange and Knowth can only be visited by tour from the modern visitor centre. Be there early and plan for a half day (at least) to take in the whole experience.

2. The Burren

Wedged between the rough beauty of the Aran Islands and the bustling university city of Galway, the near featureless desolation of this limestone plateau has often been likened to a moonscape. Ancient monuments and bizarre rock formations abound. Some spectacular sights can be taken in by driving next to Galway Bay.

3. The Hill of Tara

The ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland, now little more than immense earthworks covered with grass. The excellent audiovisual show in the disused church will help in understanding the importance of this site.

4. Dublin City

Best explored on board of one of the numerous bus tours or on foot, Dublin is relatively small. It is however rich in history as well as full of sights and museums. Dublin can keep the tourist busy for a whole week! Avoid the city center on Saturdays when half the population of Ireland seems to go shopping here!

5. Glendalough

Here you will find one of the most important early Christian sights here. And its setting is simply beautiful, in a valley beside tranquil lakes. Lovers of history and/or architecture can indulge in two round towers, St Kevin's Kitchen (actually a church) and a cathedral (ruin). Lovers of nature can simply enjoy the walks along the lakes.

6. Lakes of Killarney and Ring of Kerry

If you want to experience spectacular coastal scenery, breathtaking mountain landscapes, ancient monuments and the tranquil old-world-charm of Killarney's lakes, castles and houses, this is the place to go. Bear in mind that thousands of tourists will have the same idea - the best time here can be had both sides of the summer months.

7. The Giant's Causeway

Northern Ireland's top sight and accessible by car and shuttlebus (if the fairly steep final mile seems too daunting). Strangely regular basalt columns point the way towards Scotland, seen on the horizon on good days. Travellers with some time on their hands are advised to take in the nearby Old Bushmills Distillery, connected by steam train.

8. Cliffs of Moher

An undulating landscape suddenly ends in a sheer drop of more than 650 feet, straight down to the Atlantic. One of the most spectacular coastal areas in Europe. The visitor center has been rebuilt on a grand scale - which explains the high price of a visit.

9. Sligo and Area

The town of Sligo itself is decidedly underwhelming, but the surroundings make more than up for it. Knocknarea has the (reputed) grave of Queen Maeve on top and spectacular sights to enjoy after a steep climb. Carrowmore is the largest stone age cemetery in Ireland. Drumcliff sports a (truncated) round tower, a medieval high cross and the grave of W.B.Yeats right next to the spectacular table mountain of Ben Bulben.

10. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

The tower house of Bunratty was built in 1467 by the O'Brien family and has been renovated with no expenses spared. A medieval banquet is offered in the evenings, complete with period entertainment. During the day the adjoining Bunratty Folk Park allows a glimpse into Ireland's past.

Irish cuisine

Irish food is known for the quality and freshness of its ingredients. Most cooking is done without herbs or spices, except for salt and pepper. Foods are usually served without sauce or gravy.
The staples of the Irish diet have traditionally been potatoes, grains (especially oats), and dairy products. Potatoes still appear at most Irish meals, with potato scones, similar to biscuits or muffins, a specialty in the north. The Irish have also been accomplished cheesemakers for centuries. Ireland makes about fifty types of homemade "farmhouse" cheeses, which are considered delicacies.
Soups of all types, seafood, and meats also play important roles in the Irish diet. Irish soups are thick, hearty, and filling, with potatoes, seafood, and various meats being common ingredients. Since their country is surrounded by water, the Irish enjoy many types of seafood, including salmon, scallops, lobster, mussels, and oysters. However, meat is eaten more frequently at Irish meals. The most common meats are beef, lamb, and pork. A typical Irish dinner consists of potatoes (cooked whole), cabbage, and meat.
Irish stew has been recognized as the national dish for at least two centuries. A poem from the early 1800s praised Irish stew for satisfying the hunger of anyone who ate it:
Then hurrah for an Irish Stew
That will stick to your belly like glue.
Bread is an important part of Irish culture. Fresh soda bread, a crusty brown bread made from whole-wheat flour and buttermilk, is a national dish of Ireland. Irish bakers don't stop with soda bread, however. They bake a wide variety of other hearty breads and cakes.
The most common everyday beverage in Ireland is tea. Popular alcoholic beverages include whiskey, beer, and ale. Coffee mixed with whiskey and whipped cream is known throughout the world as "Irish coffee."

Traditional Irish Stew

Ingredients

• 4 potatoes, thinly sliced
• 4 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 1 pound Canadian bacon, chopped
• 3 pounds lamb chops, 1-inch thick, trimmed, and cut into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2½ cups water
• 4 potatoes, halved
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Procedure

1. To make Irish stew, all the ingredients are assembled in layers in a large stew pot.
2. Begin with layers of sliced potatoes, onions, and carrots.
3. Top with a layer of Canadian bacon and lamb.
4. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
5. Repeat these steps until all the ingredients are used.
6. Add enough water to just cover the ingredients.
7. Arrange the halved potatoes on top of the stew, but not in contact with the water, so they can steam as the rest is cooking.
8. Simmer over a very low heat for about 2 hours.
9. Sprinkle liberally with the chopped parsley and serve in soup bowls.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Robert Boyle

Brilliant chemist who beat the superstitions of alchemy

Robert Boyle was born on January 25, 1627, at Lismore Castle in Ireland. He was the fourteenth child of Sir Richard Boyle, the wealthy Earl of Cork, and Lady Boyle. His parents ensured that he received the best education available in seventeenth century England. He attended Eton — the college founded by King Henry VI almost 200 years earlier — and also had private tutors. Sir Richard encouraged his son to continue his education in Europe. So they sent Robert off to school in Geneva.
Robert did well in Europe. He had access to writings not available to students in England, and his knowledge increased markedly. He loved learning languages, and soon mastered six. But his interests also leaned towards science.
The 16 year-old saw the world around him as a wonderful creation of God. His brilliant mind constantly strove to learn more about the Creator and the principles of His world. In Italy, Boyle had the privilege of meeting the astronomer Galileo — whose work led to a better understanding of the universe — shortly before Galileo died. Galileo was under house arrest at the time for having taught Copernican doctrine. Boyle cherished this meeting, and it sparked in him an even stronger desire to discover more about God's world.

Fighting alchemy

As his interest in science increased, Boyle faced heavy disappointments. He had enormous difficulty overcoming people's trust in alchemists. Alchemists were the medieval forerunners of today's chemists. But they spent most of their time trying to turn base metals such as lead into gold, or in trying to produce an “elixir of life” that would keep them endlessly youthful. Most alchemists wanted only to perform scientific “magic” to increase their wealth and prestige. They gave little time to anyone who tried to devalue the great importance of their selfish objectives.
Boyle realized that if science was going to progress, he would have to start raising its status himself. While only 18, he helped to found the Philosophical College in London (later to become the Royal Society of London). He specialized in chemistry, and believed in the need for objective observation in research.
He returned home to Ireland at the age of 25 and took up studying anatomy. Two years later he moved to Oxford, set up a laboratory, and headed a small scientific society there.

Ireland in Eurovision Song Contest

Irelan won the Eurovison Song Contest seven times:

-In 1970 with Dana- "All Kinds of Everything"
-In 1980 with Johnny Logan- "What's another year?"
-In 1987 with Johnny Logan (Again)- "Hold me now"
-In 1992 with Linda Martin- "Why me?"
-In 1993 with Niam Kavanagh- "In your eyes"
-In 1994 with Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan- "Roch 'n' Roll Kids"
-In 1996 with Eimear Quinn- "The Voice"

Irish Sports

Gaelic Football.

Among the most popular sports in Ireland are the traditional games, Gaelic football, hurling and camogie which are played almost exclusively in Ireland. The championshipgames of Hurling and Irish Gaelic football attract a wide audience throughout the summerculminating in the finals, the highlight of the Irish sporting year, which take place in CrokePark in Dublin.

Oscar Wilde

Who was Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian Era.

In his lifetime he wrote nine plays, one novel, and numerous poems, short stories, and essays.

Wilde was a proponent of the Aesthetic movement, which emphasized aesthetic values more than moral or social themes. This doctrine is most clearly summarized in the phrase 'art for art's sake'.

Besides literary accomplishments, he is also famous, or perhaps infamous, for his wit, flamboyance, and affairs with men. He was tried and imprisoned for his homosexual relationship (then considered a crime) with the son of an aristocrat.

Ireland in Torremolinos

In Torremolinos there are plenty of Irish bars to which we call "touristy bars" but they do not have to be only touristy but is also a way to know a new culture: food, clothes and decorate the room
one of these bar / pub is the "Dicey Reilly's" located at: Avda. de España, 17 and where we can find live Irish music  

Irish Christmas

In Ireland, people put a candle in the window on Christmas Eve because it was a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter. The candle also is used for other things. The traditional Christmas dinner consist of turkey or goose and ham with some vegetables and roast potatoes. For the dessert they eat pudding, cake, yule log (picture) and mince pies.

Music of Ireland

Irish Folk Music dates back thousands of years, but collections only date as far back as the 18th century.  It is believed that Irish folk music survived more strongly than that of other European countries because Ireland was not a battlefield during either world war and because the country’s economy is derived mostly from agriculture. The music was preserved for collectors such as: George Petrie, Edward Bunting, Francis O’Neill, and Canon James Goodman. An example of Irish Folk song is “Danny Boy” is considered by many to be an Irish anthem. Written in 1910, the song has many interpretations including from a woman to a man and from a father to his son going off to war. It has been covered by many artists including Connie Francis, Seamus Kennedy...

Now I'm going to talk about Irish Musical Istruments:



- Concertina: In the early 19th century, Charles Wheatstone invented the symphonium, a brass-reeded instrument that was a precursor of the harmonica. In 1844 he modified it so th
at the air that powered the instrument was provided by a bellows, and the concertina was born. The concertina is often use in Irish folk music.



- Harp: it is an ancient instrument that has always been connected to Celtic music (it's one symbol of Ireland), above all in the most aristocratic environment. Celtic harps are generally smaller and can be played over one's knees.











Ireland has too, famous singers and bands. For example:


- Enya: She born on 17th of May in 1961 in Gweedore, Donegal, she's an Irish singer. She sing songs of new age.


- U2: are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr.

Today is St. Patrick

Happy day of St. Patrick, if you know all about it click here!

Ireland in Hollywood

I going talking about three famous actors from Ireland. They're successful in Hollywood:


- Collin Farrell: He born on 31of May in 1976. He is an Irish actor, who has appeared in some films as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander, S.W.A.T...  In 2008 he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges. He was born in Dublin, the son of Rita, a housewife, and Eamon Farrell, a footballer who played for Shamrock Rovers F.C. and owned a company importing and exporting canned goods in Dublin City. He has two children.

- Pierce Brosnan: He born on16 of May in 1953. He's an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the television series Remington Steele (1982-87), after that he made a lot of movies as Mamma Mia (2008), Evelyn (2002)...

- Jonathan Rhys Meyers: He born on 27 of July in 1977. He is an Irish actor and model.
He is best known for his roles in the films Velvet Goldmine, Mission Impossible III, Bend It Like Beckham, Match Point and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis, but I think the character more important of him was as King Henry VII in the historical drama The Tudors, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor. He has been the face of several advertising campaigns for Hugo Boss fragrances.

International Women's Day

 First of all, we most know two questions about it:

- Why does esxist?

Because , on that date in 1848, the Prussian King, faced whit an armed uprising, had promised many reforms, including an unfulfilled one of votes for women.

- What do we celebrate?

The right to vote.

Now, I going to write a list some important dates and/or event.

- 1909: in acoordance with SPA the first national dugmen's day was celebrate on 28 February.

- 1913-1914: women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sister.

Well, that's all but I want to talking about an Ireland woman, Mary Robinson.

 

Mary Robinson:  born 21 May 1944 served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic,barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate (1969–1989). She defeated Fianna Fáil's Brian Lenihan and Fine Gael's Austin Currie in the 1990 presidential election becoming, as an Independent candidate nominated by the Labour Party, the Workers' Party and independent senators, the first elected president in the office's history not to have had the support of Fianna Fáil

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated  on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a secular celebration of Irish culture in general.
The day is generally characterised by the attendance of church services, wearing of green clothes and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcoholic berverages.
St. Patrick's Day is held in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world.
Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.


Then I'm going to leave links of this day:
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions/videos#green (Why Green?)

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions/videos#corned-beef-cabbage (Corned beef and cabbage)


(You can see more in the same web.)

By Dulce & Laura

Ireland's Food

Ireland's cuisine can be divided into two main categories - traditional, composed mostly of simple dishes, and modern dishes that without following the traditional rules can encontrarase in hotels, restaurants etc.. available for tourists.

typical dishes:

Other examples of typical Irish cuisine are the Irish stew, bacon and cabbage (boiled together). The Boxty is a traditional dish. In Dublin coddle is very popular, which is made with pork sausage cooked. Ireland is famous Irish breakfast, served mainly with pork fried potato and may include farls.
History:
Irish cuisine is to be understood along with the history of Ireland. Already in the modern is of the nineteenth century is well known general famine generated in part by the scarcity (Great Irish Famine between 1846 and 1851) and came to kill half a million people.

the flag of Ireland is:

the flag is green, white and orange

Introduction

Well, we gonna introduce you to Ireland for that here there's a video of Ireland: