Luck of the Irish

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A is for Arranmore or Aran Island Árainn Mhór, Árainn Uí Dhomhnaill, meaning the 'Aran of the O'Donnells' to distinguish it from the Aran Islands off Galway Bay or the Scottish Isle of Arran , largest inhabited island of the County Donegal and with 7 square miles of land is 2nd of all inhabited Irish islands. It has a permanent population of around 650, summer pop of 1000. Settled in pre-Celtic times, an old fort and several middens-ancient landfills survive as reminders. And 62% of the population is native Irish speakers and the land did not have clean, piped water until mid-1970’s and it only had 47 business telephone lines until 1986 when an automatic switchboard update all for residential service. Fishing was the island’s main source of economy until industry dried up in the 1980’s and now tourism is its chief economic source, although Gaeltacht-intensive Irish speaking-summer schools and newly created call centers and teacher training for Irish teachers have been developed and are helping increase the local economy. The summer influx of young people has given popularity to soccer of the traditional Gaelic games and tourists frequently over- look the fact they are in a traditionally Gaelic speaking culture.
Every summer an annual soccer competition is held on the island. The Arranmore Challenge attracts from all of Ireland and Great Britain on the June bank holiday. The landmark lighthouse commissioned in 1859, replacing the 1798 lighthouse, has guided fishing boats and ships and saving people, still stands in operation on Arranmore.
Arranmore Lighthouse
B is for Behron Law--early Irish law, with its origins commencing, relying on decisions of Behrons or judges in an oral tradition in medieval Ireland which may have been an of...

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...to declining use, which continued even after it was reintroduced into schools in 1922 in an tempt to restore it the daily culture. Modern Irish language, very similar to Scottish Gaelic, despite its decline in use has never ceased to exert a strong influence on Irish consciousness. Although its use as a vernacular has decreased and is concentrated in several small Gaeltacht (i.e., Irish-speaking) areas, Irish is more widely read, spoken, and understood today than it had been during most of the 20th century. English is universally spoken and compulsory Irish in schools has come under some criticism from the business sector, which would prefer to see students develop more diverse language skills. While modern society might question the utility of the language, however, it remains an important element of the Irish identity.
Signs in Irish in Dungloe, County Donegal.

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