Tag: Ireland

News from Ireland2 Comments

Irish Among The Happiest People In Europe

Michael Green

A study by the European Union has revealed that Irish people are a pretty happy bunch. With a score of 7.4 out of 10 in the ‘experience of life ranking’ Ireland trails only behind Denmark (the perennial winner) with 8.4, Sweden and Finland with a score of 8, Luxembourg (7.8), Malta (7.7) and the Netherlands (7.7). Surprisingly, given the recent economic devastation, the report found that Ireland was the third richest country in the EU, behind Luxembourg and Austria in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power. This study mirrors other recent reports including the UNICEF … Continue reading Irish Among The Happiest People In Europe

Articles, History3 Comments

Origin of the ‘Black Irish’

Michael Green

There are a number of theories about the origin of the term ‘Black Irish’. Almost all were intended as a form of insult or as a means of differentiating one particular group from another. The theories regarding the origin of the phrase ‘Black Irish’ include: 1. Descendants of Viking and Norman invaders who eventually settled in Ireland may have been referred to as ‘Black Irish’. This is more likely because of the dark intentions of the invaders rather than their physical appearance. 2. One of the consequences of the disastrous ‘Spanish Armada’ in the year 1588 was that groups of … Continue reading Origin of the ‘Black Irish’

Stories2 Comments

Terror 1974 – a story by Michael Collins

Michael Green

There was laughter in the car. The vehicle sped up the main road from Dublin to Belfast. And there was laughter in the car. They were on a mission. Pat and Mick. Yes, Pat and Mick, even though it sounds like the start of a thousand crude music-hall jokes. They had an appointment in Belfast. Pat was the literary dreamer from the far West of Ireland. Mick was third-generation English-born Irish, catapulted back from the land of his birth to the land of his worthless grandfather. Unlike many using the road, Pat and Mick were well educated, the one young … Continue reading Terror 1974 – a story by Michael Collins

News from Ireland14 Comments

Remembrance day poppys – a quandary for the Irish and Ireland

Michael Green

The tradition of wearing an artificial red poppy to commemorate soldiers who have died in wartime has existed since 1920 and was inspired by the famous poem ‘In Flanders Field’. The poppy has become an increasingly political symbol in recent years and is especially prominent in the UK where just about every media outlet, political party and sporting occasion promotes its use. So widespread has the use of the poppy become that to not wear one is subtly viewed as somehow being unpatriotic or unwilling to acknowledge the sacrifice of soldiers. Channel 4 television presenter Jon Snow famously labelled the … Continue reading Remembrance day poppys – a quandary for the Irish and Ireland