Irish History For Dummies
Chapter One
No Man Is an Ireland
In This Chapter
* Listing what makes up Ireland
* Figuring out the big issues
* Identifying Ireland's place in the world
Most of us know bits and pieces of Irish history. When we drink green
beer or go parading on 17 March for example, most of us know the
celebration is about St Patrick, and has something to do with snakes and
the shamrock. But how much do we know about the ways in which this day
became so important to Ireland and the Irish around the world? And what
about the troubles in Northern Ireland? We know that troubles involve
Catholics and Protestants, and that the IRA (Irish Republican Army) has
been in the middle of it all, but how did the troubles actually come about?
And there's some fourteen centuries of history between the arrival of St
Patrick and the troubles!
Then there's the people. Most of us can name a few famous Irish people - Brian
Boru, for example, or Michael Collins - but Irish history goes beyon ... read full excerpt from Irish History for Dummies ebook
