ABOUT IRELAND

St. Patrick's Day: The day of the patron saint of Ireland, the country's national holiday where everything is going green. It is celebrated on March 17. 

 

Summer day: is a Celtic fire festival. It is celebrated on 23 or 24 June coinciding with the day of San Juan. 

 

The Galway Arts Festival: It's a dance, and visual arts. Held in the heart of Galway City. It is carried out in July. 

 

Bloomsday: It is an annual event held in honor of Leopold Bloom, who is elprincipal character of the work of James Joyce, "Ulysses". It is celebrated on 16 June. 

 

Samhain is a celebration of Celtic origin on the night of October 31 to November 1, the end of the harvest season is celebrated, and was regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Its origin is Gaelic and means end of summer. 

 

Belfast Festival at Queen's: It's the biggest International Festival of Ireland. It is a mix of music, talk, comedy, exhibitions and film. Between October and November.

Highlighted in Irish art painters like Francis Bacon, William Sadler and Jim Fitzpatrick 

 

 

William Sadler (1782-1839): Irish painter, was landscaped. One of his most famous works is "The Battle of Waterloo". 

 

Jim Fitzpatrick (1952): Irish painter famous for his works of folk art. Perhaps his most famous work is the portrait of Che Guevara. 

 

Francis Bacon (1909-1992): Irish expressionist painter. His works include: "George Dyer in a Mirror", "Head surrounded beef" or "Reclining Nude" Among the most important museums are: 

 

Irish Museum of Modern Art. 

 

Hugh Lane. 

Daniel O'Connell (1776-1847) Known as The Liberator was the most important in Ireland in the early nineteenth century politician, radically rejected the use of violence for political ends.

 

James Connolly (1868-1916): It was an Irish labor leader and important figure for the European socialist thought, formed the Irish Citizen Army, which used violence to defend labor rights and the Irish cause. 

 

Eamon de Valera (1882-1975): dominant political figure during the twentieth century, from origenespañol, was repeatedly both prime minister and president. 

 

Michael Collins (1890-1922): A key figure in Irish politics of the early twentieth century, was assassinated in 1922. 

 

John Aloysius Costello (1891-1976): Irish lawyer and politician, was Prime Minister of Ireland and during his tenure, Ireland became a Republic and was separated from the Commonwealth in 1949. 

 

Douglas Hyde: President of the Republic of Ireland from 1938 to 1945. 

 

Arthur Griffith: Irish nationalist leader and founder of the movement known today as Sinn Féin.

Faithful followers of traditional music, they also highlight important contemporary singers like Sinead O'Connor and U2. 

 

James Galway (1939): Musician orchestra and solo flute. He is known as the man with the golden flute. He belonged to the Berlin Philharmonic and is the principal flutist of the London Mozart Players. He has also participated in the recording of the soundtrack of the movie "The Lord of the Rings." 

 

Van Morrison (1945): Singer, songwriter and musician from Northern Ireland, is considered one of the most influential singers and musicians in contemporary music. He has won several Grammy Awards Hall of Fame for Astral Weeks, Moondance or Glory, among others. 

 

Rory Gallagher (1948-1995): Irish blues and rock musician. At 17 he founded the Irish band "Taste". He is considered one of the best guitarists in rock history. 

 

Brian Kennedy (1966): Popular singer. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens in 2006, with the song Every song is a cry for love composed by it. 

 

The Cranberries (1989): Globally known, have sold over 40 million albums.

Ireland has one of the main pieces of literary art Celtic Christianity and Irish-Saxon, the "Book of Kells", this remarkable book contains the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin, made of parchment (skin treated calf), and was written and decorated with an excellent technique, by Irish monks around 800 it is undoubtedly one of the finest examples of medieval religious art. 

As important representatives of Irish literature and thought are: 

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745): Author of the universal work "Gulliver's Travels", satirist great influence on later writers. 

 

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900): Playwright, poet and short story writer. Among his most notable works are the works of "The Picture of Dorian Grey" and "The Importance of Being Earnest."

 

Bram Stoker (1847-1912): Globally known for his novel "Dracula". 

 

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950): writer of novels, essays, articles and theater. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 Among his works; "Pygmalion", later to become a musical which won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 1938, "The Devil's Disciple" or "Profession Mrs. Warren." 

 

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939): Poet, dramatist and senator. Wrapped in an aura of mysticism, was one of the most representative figures of the Irish literary revival and founded the Abbey Theatre. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. 

 

James Joyce (1882-1941): One of the most important writers of the twentieth century, some of his best known works are "Portrait of the Artist", "Ulysses", "Dubliners" and "Exiles". 

 

Liam O'Flaherty (1896-1984): Novelist and short story writer, an important exponent of Irish culture of the twentieth century. Well known for his work "The Informer", filmed by his cousin director John Ford. 

 

Kate O'Brien (1897-1974) was an Irish writer of novels and plays. 

 

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989): Playwright, poet and novelist, his most famous work is "Waiting for Godot". He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. 

 

Seamus Heaney (1939): Writer and academic. He was Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. His works include "Death of a Naturalist", "Door to darkness" or flashlight hawthorn. Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.