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Irish History and Culture - Background Information for Visitors to Ireland

By Bernd Biege, About.com Guides to Ireland Travel

Every visitor to Ireland should have some background information on the history and culture of the island. This will not only help to make sense of it all, it will also lead to a much deeper appreciation and more enjoyment of the visit. Many sights and attraction simply have to be seen in their historical context.

  1. An Overview of Irish History
  2. Irish Saints - How Christianity Influenced Ireland
  3. 1690 - The Battle of the Boyne
  4. 1916 - A New Dawn for Irish Independence

An Overview of Irish History

Mural in Ulster Museum, Cletic Warriors on the March

432, Saint Patrick, 1169, Strongbow, 1690, King Billy, 1798, Wolfe Tone, 1916, Roger Casement - the history of Ireland is littered with dates and names, heroes and villains, successes and grandiose failures. To get a quick grasp of this history and some background information is easy ... just follow the links!

Irish Saints - How Christianity Influenced Ireland

Saint Brendan, Window in Armacgh Cathedral (CoI)

Ireland has long been known as the island of saints and scholars - and it has even been suggested that it was the Irish that saved civilization when Rome crumbled. And while most of the Irish saints were never canonized and are barely remembered, some even today manage to stick out.

1690 - The Battle of the Boyne

The Boyne Battlefield - A Swathe of Farmland

On July 1st, 1690, two armies consisting of Danish, French, Dutch, Huguenot, German, English and even Irish troops met on the banks of the River Boyne near Drogheda. Both were led by men insisting that they alone were the rightful King of England.

1916 - A New Dawn for Irish Independence

General Post Office, Dublin

The Easter Rising of 1916 was one of the defining moments in the struggle for Irish independence - indeed it may be regarded as the turning point for the fortunes of Irish republicanism. And this despite the fact that the rebellion was a total failure.

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