Make your friends green with envy with your newfound knowledge of the Emerald Isle.
Country Life
From exploring the National Museum of Ireland’s Romance and Reality exhibit, I learned about the tension that exists between the idealized portrayal of the Irish countryside in art and the harsh conditions that actually characterized everyday life in rural Ireland. Especially given the economic and political unrest caused by Ireland’s long history of subjugation to British rule, I found it interesting that “many artists portrayed the people of the countryside and the islands as heroic, innocent, and timeless, making their way of life seem pure and appealing.” This highly romantic portrayal led me to wonder who exactly the artists in question were, and how familiar they were with their subject matter.
Geography and Climate
With lakes, large bog areas, and low ridges adorning the lowland, deep wide-mouthed bays separating the mountains on the western and southwestern coasts, and green grasslands abounding, the diverse landscape of Ireland is widely acknowledged to be beautiful, conceivably contributing to the romanticized portrayal of life in the Irish countryside commonly encountered throughout history.
As patterns of emigration from western districts to cities further supplement Ireland’s urban population, the countryside might increasingly be perceived as a distant, idyllic, and charmingly simple place, rather than being defined by the (fewer and fewer) people who actually live there.
The unique features of Irish plant and animal life, brought about due to climactic conditions and the timing of Ireland’s physical separation from Britain, could also reinforce this idealized conception of rural living, seen as they are to embody the singularity of Irish culture.
Food and Drink
“What the Irish Ate Before Potatoes”: This article made me realize how simplified our view of culture often is. When it comes to music, literature, food, etc., we like to be able to associate a place with a single cultural artifact or phenomenon, hence potatoes having become “practically synonymous” with Ireland.
“Ireland on a Plate”: I feel like this article brings up concerns that also prove relevant in broader endeavors to define a nation or region’s cultural identity, such as the possibility of diverse and somewhat contradictory cultures coexisting, as well as the ways in which culture can (and does) evolve over time.
To experience traditional Irish cuisine for yourself, check out these yummy recipes!
Special thanks to Kristen Hickey for teaching What’s the Craic?: The Cultural Landscapes of Ireland (COLL 129) this semester!