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(Raise your hand if you get confused.)

In the United States over 50 million people have Irish ancestry, while about 25 million have Scottish. (Image is from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Irish_ancestry_in_the_USA_2018.png) Sometimes the terms Irish, Celtic, Scots-Irish, and Gaelic are lumped together. Let’s get a few things straightened out, shall we?

BASIC GUIDE~

Scots-Irish: This is not when you have ancestors who came from Scotland and ancestors who came from Ireland. This becomes complicated, but we’re talking Irish history, so I suppose that’s to be expected. Here’s a BRIEF version—in the 1500s England, and much of Scotland, became Protestant, thanks to King Henry V111 and the Protestant Reformation’s influence. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth, wanted better control over her lands, Ireland being one of them. Northern Ireland was pretty much in England’s power, but full of Irish Catholics. Her brilliant idea was to displace the Catholic Irish and bring in the Protestant Scottish. After her death, King James carried out the plan. And King Charles after him. Due to political problems in Scotland, many found this to be a viable solution. Their children were born and raised in Ireland. And their children. They became Irish. The Scots-Irish. (Which is why there was a religious/political problem—but that’s a story for another post.) If you have ancestors who are Scots-Irish, this is your heritage. It will help you do research if you’re looking for family in Ireland. When these Scots-Irish went to America, many chose to use this term to identify themselves as Protestant Scotts from Ireland. It’s become a common term in the United States. This migration and settlement pattern contributed to the unique heritage of the Scots-Irish in the United States.

Irish: The Irish speak Irish, not Gaelic. The confusion comes from the Irish word for Irish—Gaeilge (pronounced Gwal-gah). If you refer to their language it is simply, Irish.

Gaelic is the term for the Scottish language.

It is also a term used to describe the people and culture of Ireland and Scotland. So, the Gaelic people of Ireland speak Irish, and the Gaelic people of Scotland speak Gaelic. (You can get around this by saying Irish Gaelic or Scottish Gaelic, if not in those countries. It is polite to know the difference if in Ireland or Scotland.) Summary: The Irish language is called Gaeilge. Many people refer to it as Irish, but the term Gaelic usually refers to the Scottish language or Celtic culture.

Are you still with me?

Celtic is a broad definition used to describe the people and culture of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, and parts of Brittany. The Celts were an ancient group of tribes from central Europe. They migrated to Britain about 1,000BC (Iron Age). Both the Greeks and Romans wrote about them. If you’re interested in more in-depth information, take a look at this site:  https://museum.wales/articles/1341/Who-were-the-Celts/

 (Image:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Linguistic_maps_of_Ireland)

The map shows where Irish is spoken in Ireland. Notice it is much less in Northern Ireland.

One more thing; the Irish language was almost wiped out. The English passed laws making it illegal for English living in Ireland to speak Irish, and for the native speaker to speak Irish if talking to an Englishman. Anyone who wanted to get ahead in life had to speak English. The Great Famine had roughly 1/3 of the population leaving Ireland, which added to the problem. Irish was banned in the courts of Northern Ireland and repressed throughout Ireland. Today, Ireland is reviving its language. It is a protected nation language. Signs are in Irish first, then English. It is taught in schools. You could give it a try using apps such as Duolingo, Mango, and lessons online, like this: https://www.bitesize.irish/gachla/irish-for-beginners/

When we were in Ireland (north west/Connacht area), many people spoke Irish. I tried my hand saying a few words. They laughed—then tried to help me. You try it: Go raibh maith agat (thank you)—pronounce it sorta like this: grr a ma a got. (But then, that’s where they started laughing…) I like Le do thoil (please). Low-da-hell (sorta like go to hell, so it’s easy to remember. Only don’t say that. Please.)

Warning: Irish is a really, really, difficult language. I think it was created by drunken angels dancing on the cliffs of Moher. (LOL)

I still love it.

I’ll come right out and say it – I don’t much like sports. I’ve never understood the culture; money spent and made, clothing, equipment, (especially) crazed fans, confusing rules; massive boredom. And I do have people in my life who love football, basketball, fishing, golf, hunting and soccer (which isn’t bad, as far as sports go). They’ve tried, truly, they have, to convince me of the benefits and enjoyment of sports. I will admit that viewing a game in person is infinitely better than watching on TV, or even worse, listening to it. But still, I’d rather read a book. Or stare off into space. Or clean the house.

That said, I found a sport that I find fascinating. While in pub in Dingle, Ireland, we watched a final match in the game of hurling. I was hooked.

What is hurling?

The game itself: Hurling is a fast paced game, the fastest paced game in the world. The field is 1 1/2 more in length than an American football field and almost twice the width. That makes for a lot of running! There are two teams of fifteen each. Six forward, six defenders, two mid-fielders, and a goal keeper. The stick is called a hurley and the ball a sliotar. Here are the playing rules as per the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) found at: gaa.ie,  “*Playing Rules *You may strike the ball on the ground, or in the air. You may catch the ball or pick up the ball with your hurley into your hand and carry it for not more than four steps in the hand. After those steps you may bounce the ball on the hurley and back to the hand, but you are forbidden to catch the ball more than twice. You can run balancing or bouncing the ball (the solo) on the hurley indefinitely. Players may contest for the ball by playing it with the hurley or by shoulder charging an opponent side-to-side. To score, you strike the ball over the crossbar with the hurley or under the crossbar and into the net for a goal, the latter being the equivalent of three points.” You can watch clips of games on the GAA site also.

The teams are all male; but don’t despair, there is a woman’s equivalent. It’s called the Camogie (pronounced Cam-gee). I haven’t yet seen one of their games.

Back to the pub: it was crowded with cheering patrons, a couple of TVs with the game on and plenty of drink and excellent food. At first I thought it was going to be boring and loud, but I was oh so wrong. At least on the boring part. I was mesmerized, as was my son-in-law, who is a huge soccer fan. We couldn’t get enough. Unfortunately, the game ended way too soon. And this from me!

Later, in Galway, we went to a sporting goods store, mostly to find county shirts. Since some of my ancestors come from Galway, we wanted to get a shirt from there. You can only buy shirts in the county for that county (at least that was our experience). We later got a shirt in Sligo also, another area my ancestors came from. (Picture from stock images.)

My son-in-law was all for buying a hurley set for his family. Alas, my daughter talked some sense into him (where would they play and with whom? Much less getting all of it back to the states.)

But it doesn’t end there. The history of hurling and the GAA is fascinating. Hurling is an ancient Celtic game, dating around 3000 years old. It is mentioned in Celtic mythology. Irishmen have been playing the game for a long time; until the English came to Ireland.

The English and the Irish viewed the world differently. Not only was the language different, but the entire culture, from laws to dress, were different. The English considered the Irish to be wild savages and it would benefit the Irish to be forced into the English way of thinking. Over the centuries, several laws and policies were set in place to remove the Irishness from the inhabitants. During the Celtic Revival (late 1800s), many Irish wanted a return to their culture. They brought back Irish language, dance, literature, and sports.

Michael Cusack, in 1884, meet with other like-minded men and together they created the GAA. On their website, even today, it states: “The Association also promotes Irish music, song and dance and the Irish language as an integral part of its objectives.” They bought land around Dublin and built Croke Park, still in use today.

Politics, never far from Irish anything, also played a part in the early days. British were required to have permits if they wanted to play and if one was in the British forces, one was prohibited from being on a team. In fact, from 1901-1971, any GAA member taking part in, or even watching, non-Gaelic sport, was ousted from the GAA.

During the war of Independence (early 1900s), trouble broke out. Some of the founding members were more radical than others, and the English, fearing trouble, sent spies to the GAA. (Very simplified telling here.) Those spies were found out and assassinated. In reprisal, the English went to Croke Park during a hurling match and opened fire, killing thirteen, plus two were killed by the stampede of the 5,000 spectators. If you’re interested in the full story, go here: http://www.theirishstory.com/2011/11/21/today-in-irish-history-bloody-sunday-november-21-1920/#.XIRg2FxKg2w

It became illegal to play hurling games as it was counted as a ‘gathering of rebels’.

The Free-State of Ireland won its independence from England in 1922. Northern Ireland is still part of Great Britain. Hurling was once more a sport of the Irish.

The GAA is an amateur Association, and always has been. “Players, even at the highest level, do not receive payment for playing and the volunteer ethos remains one of the most important aspects of the GAA.” (from gaa.ie)

It’s a world wide game now, with leagues all over. In the USA there are over 130 Hurling clubs. Here is where you can find out more information on them: http://usgaa.org

Let me know if you get to go to an actual game of hurling, or if you watch it on TV.

I’d love to know what you think.

When the Tuatha De Danann came to Ireland in ships from the far north, they brought with them magical treasures. Each treasure comes of a different city and each treasure was brought by the poet of that city.  I think the term ‘poet’ can be used pretty broadly; they were trained in all of the arts, including magic and druidry. These treasures, or hallows, are an integral part of Irish mythology. There are many stories, both ancient and modern, where these treasures are mentioned or referred to. They make a good tale, even today. Check out Valerie Biel’s books starting with Circle of Nine. They are a fantasy series incorporating Irish mythology and the four treasures. http://www.valeriebiel.com

And you’ve probably heard of The Druid Chronicles too. The series is laced with Irish references. https://kevinhearne.com/novels/

The first treasure (not in any specific order of importance) is the Cauldron of Dagda. (The picture is from Google and is by Lorriane Mulholland.) The cauldron was brought by the poet Semias from the island city of Muirias to Ireland. This cauldron had an endless supply of food, that not only filled the person eating, but also restored health and vigor. Dagda was regarded as a god of the Tuath, the father/chieftain. He was also considered a great druid, mixing wisdom with magic.

Second is the Sword of Nuada. (This picture comes from ancientpages.com) Interestingly, it was not brought to Ireland by Nuada, but used by him in battle. The sword was brought by the poet Uiscias from the city of Findias. Nuada was the first king of the Tuatha. Once the sword was drawn, no one could escape it’s lethal blow. Not only that, but an enemy was drawn to it, so running away wasn’t an option.

Next is the Stone of Destiny. In Irish it’s known as Lia Fail. It was brought by the poet Morfessa from the city of Falias. It would cry out when the rightful heir touched it. Reminds me of King Arthur legends with Excalibur. (I’m sure the Irish legend is first.) Cuchulain, a great hero in Irish mythology, apparently got pretty angry when the stone refused to cry out to the man he wanted to be king. He tried to split it with his sword. After that the stone wouldn’t declare the true ruler, until Brian Boru in 1002. Since then, it’s been silent. The stone remains among us mortals, in County Meath, on the hill Tara. I haven’t yet been there, but I am surprised at the size. It’s above ground height is just over 3′. From the pictures it looks taller. On the other hand, that’s quite a stone to bring all the way from…Morfessa. Like all Irish monuments, it’s open to the public. Many battles were fought at the foot hills of Tara.

Lastly, is the Spear of Lugh. (This image comes from Grannulu’ Grove, where there are blogs about Ireland you might enjoy.) It was brought by Esras from the city of Gorias. Lugh, like Nuada, is the barer of the weapon. He is considered a young warrior god of light for the Tuatha. No one could withstand the spear, making the wielder invincible. The Smithsonian channel did a show on sacred sites in Ireland. An interesting idea they presented is that of the legend of Lugh. He coincides with a comet. Up until that time, most Irish legends are concerned with the earth. But the comet brought attention to the sky. Lugh is shown as bright light, wielding a spear, shooting across the sky, like a comet.  Ancients would have been astounded by a comet, believing it something to do with the gods. It makes interesting scientific sense of lore. The show was fascinating, and if you’re a fan of ancient Ireland, you may want to take a look at it.

All of treasures are really ways to win a war and run a kingdom. An army needs food to sustain it and weapons to overcome the enemy as well as a ruler that you have total faith in.

The Stone of Lia Fail is the only remaining treasure. Remember how the Tuatha went to the otherworld? Well, they took their treasures with them. Was it to protect humans from too much power and magic, or to jealously guard them?

Have you been to County Meath and seen the Lia Fail? If so, I’d love to know your thoughts.

Who were The Tuatha De Dannan?

Now mind, this little snippet is taking in thousands of years of oral history and a myriad of legends and myths. Let me state now that I believe there was such a race of people, though probably not as they are often depicted. I’m going to tackle this subject as ancient history. OK, mixed with myths. (But then, I believe there was a King Arthur; just not the rewritten medieval version.)

The People of the goddess Dana (or Danu) arrived in Ireland from the north, in ships. They set fire to those ships so they could never return from whence they came. Myth has them arriving in a cloud. Perhaps the smoke of the burning ships mixed with the constant Irish mists gave rise to this idea. The reason they left their homeland is not known. One account I read stated that the Tuaths came from Greece. They were tall with dark hair and eyes and pale skin. Maybe the present day ‘dark Irish’ are descendants of the Tuath. (Since I fit that description, I’m all for it.)

The Fir Bolgs were earlier inhabitants and many wars broke out between them. The Tuath prevailed, sending the Fir Bolgs to the hills and underground. Many who study Irish history felt that the rise of leprechauns comes from the displaced Fir Bolgs, who stole and harried the Tuaths after the wars. Another constant enemy were the Formorians. Some scholars, however, believe the Fir Bolgs and Formorians may be the same people; others see them as a type–good vs evil.

The Tuaths ruled Ireland and brought culture, art, architecture,  druids, and magic. They were gifted in necromancy as well. They had four magical treasures; the Stone of Fal, Spear of Lug, Sword of Nuadu, and Cauldron of the Dagda. I’ll discuss this in a later post.

The final invasion (for the Tuatha De Dannan) came from the Milesians, a people from Portugal and Spain. According to Seumas McManus in his book, The Story of the Irish Race, the Milesians were a Celtic tribe scattered throughout Europe. A calling of the Clans went out and the clan gathered. It took years to build ships and for word to get to the scattered tribes. When they were ready, they set sail and landed in Ireland; their Land of Destiny.

Of course, they had to defeat the Tuatha De Dannan, which they eventually did. An agreement was made that each race would take half the land. The Milesians, apparently being a cunning people, divided Ireland in half; the Milesians would inhabit above ground while the Tuatha De Dannan would live in the Underworld–where they became the Fae/Fairies of Ireland.  Mr. McManus points out that most conquerors despise those they’ve defeated, but not so the Milesians. They turned the Tuatha De Dannan into gods and goddess and as characters in their mythology.

In modern times, the Tuatha De Dannan have been used to influence elves and fairies. They have also been mentioned in movies and games. I remember Willow using the name as part of a spell. Have you heard the term in books or movies?

Do you believe they were an actual race or total myth? Or maybe a mix of the two? Whatever you believe, they are an interesting people with a rich history and have left an indelible imprint on Ireland.