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Irish National Character

Few nations get the chance to celebrate themselves as visibly as Ireland does on St Patrick’s Day. Irish identity is both a real phenomenon and a social construct. Irish people tend to roll their eyes when presented with the stereotype of being a traditionally staunchly Catholic, conservative country - one which was more accustomed to emigration, rather than acting as a new home to people from further afield. Those perceptions might be outdated in a 21st century cultural melting pot, where a fifth of all residents were born overseas. While the branding message often differs from reality, its content constitutes a powerful tool for the state in reinforcing a particular notion of national identity.

People understand that Appellation Controllee [AC] systems give the ultimate traceability as well as the ultimate 21st century, endorsement of best agricultural and foodstuffs practice. It is illegal by virtue of the AC (EU backed) rules but contrast that with Waterford Crystal, ‘Irish Style’ Black Pudding, ‘stone’ or ‘wholemeal’ brown bread, soda bread or the concept of Irish Post Still Whiskey. Terms and products that are all vulnerable because of Ireland's lack of an AC system or an AC mind set.

Shakespeare provides a clear representation of the Irish character. The Irish Captain Macmorris soldier completes the international quartet [English, Welsh, Scotish and Irish] of Act III, scene 2 of Henry V in Shakespeare's familiar means of using a comic interlude to comment upon the serious scenes. Captain Macmorris, the Irishman, is seen no more, and the long argument presented in a heavy dialect is often severely cut or omitted from many productions since it does not move the plot forward. But it does provide a picture of the Irishman how loves a fight, who is a brave and capable soldier, who is fiery-temptere and quick to take office, pugnacious, fearless, tireless, and impatient when there is work to be done.

The fighting Irish covered the name of Ireland with glory and with blood during all the centuries whenever an appeal has been made to their responsive souls. It was said by some that mere fighting Irish would rather fight one another than not fight at all, distinguishing between the industrious Irish and the idle, fighting Irish. In New England, the Irish Catholic schoolmasters were not generally welcomed in the settlements; but the Puritans were willing enough to have these "fighting Irish" on their frontiers to keep away the Indians. However intolerant the New England Puritans were sometimes to the Irish in their immediate surroundings, they did tolerate in this instance and likely in many others, the "fighting Irish," as they were termed. The Irish were somewhat distrusted by the unwarlike Quaker, but that they were not too much hated. In America many felt the sting of signs posted by hiring employers that read: “No Irish Need Apply.” Characteristically, however, Irish-Americans proved to be more durable than the forces of bigotry and distrust.

The Constitutional description of Irish as “first official language” is seen as idealistic by many people in the state and as not reflecting reality. Even with the best translators, a fully Irish character can never be put on a text that is translated, that is, the imposition of English discourse conventions on non-English language, as discourse differences are deeply rooted in culture. The result is very often unnatural, forced and sometimes ungrammatical Irish, with unnecessary American-English neologisms (e.g. “teirnpléid” for “template” or the plural “supports”), as well as tired cliches, flooding the language.

The construction of the idea of the “Celts” as a “race” separate to the Anglo-Saxons happened mainly in the nineteenth century. To be authentically Irish was not only to be Catholic, but Gaelic - not only Gaelic, but Catholic too. Ireland's nationality and Ireland's religion have been so intimately blended together for ages, that the struggle for the one has in every instance been a struggle for the other. They have been and are one and indivisible. Take away the Irishman's faith in Ireland — destroy those fine sensibilities of the Irish heart that makes it cling with an affectionate longing to the " Isle of his memory," the home of his heart; — take away the holy ties of family that bind the Irish race together in more intimate home relations than any other people on earth — influence them by Englsh customs and social relations, and the fear is that they would also be influenced by English irreligion and English immorality.

St. Patrick found the Irish people as ready to receive the Gospel as a child was to receive its mother's milk. He perceived that this people accepted in so exceptional and singular a manner the Gospel. One of the most prominent features of the Irish national character, was the devotion that the Irish people had had from the beginning, and he hoped and prayed would have to the end of time, to Jesus Christ and the Blessed Eucharist. The first proof was the zeal which the Irish race at home and abroad, in every time, had shown in building churches and sanctuaries to Jesus Christ. There was no people in the Church of God who had shown such devotion to the Holy Mass. The French, Italian, and Spanish Catholics, looked upon the Sunday Mass as an easy matter; but the Irish Catholics at home, at least, would let neither storms nor misery keep them from Sunday's Mass.

The "oppression of centuries has," to quote Carlyle, "degraded and disordered the Irish national character " but not irredeemably. The years since the passing of the Emancipation Act had witnessed their poverty, their misery, their native parliament taken from them, their metropolis fail by the withdrawal of the nobility of the land. Their native industry was destroyed by the ruthless laws of William of Orange. Famine and desolation swept over the land; confusion aud foolish attempts at rebellion brought down the heavy hand upon their people. Perhaps in the history of the world there was no country or no people who had suffered more during the last fifty-two years than the people of Ireland; and yet the day that saw them allowed the free exercise of their religion saw them forgetful of their poverty, forgetful of their persecution, forgetful of their misery.

In his interesting work, "Irish History and Irish Character," published in 1861, Goldwin Smith related (at page 13) that "there seems no good reason for believing that the Irish Kelts are averse from labour, provided they be placed, as people of all races require to be placed, for at least two or three generations, in circumstances favourable to industry.... It has been well said of their [the Irish] past industrial character and history, 'We were reckless, ignorant, improvident, drunken, and idle. We were idle,, for we had nothing to do; we were reckless, for we had no hope; we were ignorant, for learning was denied us; we were improvident, for we had no future; we were drunken, for we sought to forget our misery.' No part of this defence, probably, is more true than that which connects the drunkenness of the Irish people with their misery. Drunkenness is, generally speaking, the vice of despair; and it springs from the despair of the English peasant as rankly as from that of his Irish fellow."

Matthew Arnold wrote in "On the study of Celtic literature and On translating Homer" that "Sentiment is .... the word which marks where the Celtic races really touch and are one; sentimental, if the Celtic nature is to be characterised by a single term, is the best term to take. An organisation quick to feel impressions, and feeling them very strongly; a lively personality therefore, keenly sensitive to joy and to sorrow; this is the main point. ... Sentimental, — always ready to react against the despotism of fact; that is the description a great friend of the Celt gives of him; and it is not a bad description of the sentimental temperament..."

Irish oaths are generally rich specimens of humorous knavery and cunning. Some of the most dreadful maledictions were to be heard among the confirmed mendicants of Ireland. The wit, the gall, and the poetry of these are uncommon. “May you melt off the earth like snow off the ditch !” is one of a high order and intense malignity; but it is not exclusively confined to mendicants, although they form that class among which it is most prevalent. Nearly related to this is, “May you melt like butter before a summer sun” These are, indeed, essentially poetical; they present the mind with appropriate imagery, and exhibit a comparison perfectly just and striking.

When a deep offence is offered to an Irishman, under such peculiar circumstances that he cannot immediately retaliate, he usually replies to his enemy — “You’ll sup sorrow for this!” — “You’ll curse the day it happened !” — “I'll make you rub your heels together!” All these figurative denunciations are used for the purpose of intimating the pain and agony he will compel his enemy to suffer.