The Belfast Education and Library Board was established in 1973 as the local authority responsible for education, youth and library services within the city. There are 184 primary, secondary and grammar schools in the city. The Ulster Museum is also located in Belfast.
Derry or Londonderry (Irish: Doire or Doire Cholmchille, meaning "Oak wood of Columba") often called the Maiden City, (a reference to its walls remaining unbreached during the Siege of Derry in 1689) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth largest city on the island of Ireland. The old walled city of Londonderry lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, with the location of old Derry on the east bank; the present city now covers both banks and the river is spanned by two bridges.
The population of the city proper was 83,652 in the 2001 Census. Derry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in State care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular.
The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618 by The Honourable The Irish Society as defences for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. The Walls, which are approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) in circumference and which vary in height and width between 12 and 35 feet (4 to 12 metres), are completely intact and form a walkway around the inner city. It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges including one in 1689 which lasted 105 days, hence the city's nickname, The Maiden City.
The city was rebuilt in the 18th century with many of its fine Georgian style houses still surviving. The city's first bridge across the River Foyle was built in 1790. During the 18th and 19th centuries the port became an important embarkation point for Irish emigrants setting out for North America. Some of these founded the colonies of Derry and Londonderry in the state of New Hampshire.
In recent years the city, and surrounding countryside, has become well-known for its artistic legacy producing such talents as the Nobel Prizewinning poet Seamus Heaney, the poet Seamus Deane, the dramatist Brian Friel, the writer and music critic Nik Cohn, the artist Willie Doherty, the socio-political commentator and activist Eamonn McCann as well as bands such as The Undertones. The large political gable-wall murals of Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner, the Foyle Film Festival, the Derry Walls, St Eugene's and St Columb's Cathedrals and the annual Halloween street carnival are popular tourist attractions.
TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS
Food
Northern Ireland’s rich and unique bakery tradition is a delight for most visitors. In contrast to the rest of the British Isles, where bakeries have all but disappeared, most market towns and villages in Northern Ireland still have bustling businesses, often in their second or third generation.
Soda bread, potato farls and drop scones, wheaten and batch breads, and a selection of savouries, cakes and biscuits are the cornerstones for traditional bakeries. While each will also develop variations of fruit studded cakes, scones and sticky sweet ‘wee buns’ or ‘tray bakes’.
Music
For at least two centuries, and arguably much longer, Ireland has exerted an important influence on the development of the traditional, popular and art musics of other regions, and in particular those of Britain and the United States. During the past decade or so, the traditional musics of the so-called Celtic regions have become a focus of international interest. The phenomenal success of shows such as Riverdance (which appeared in 1995, spawned from a 1994 Eurovision Song Contest interval act) brought Irish music and dance to a global audience and played a part in the further commoditization of Irish culture, including traditional music. However, there has been, until now, relatively little serious musicological study of the traditional music of Northern Ireland.
The History of St. Patrick
Saint Patrick was born in northern Roman Britain around 387. The son of a wealthy tax collector, Patrick's life was privileged in a comfortable Roman household. When he was 16, Patrick was captured and brought to Ireland as a slave. There he tended sheep and pigs on Slemish Mountain for six years. During these harsh days of slavery, Patrick prayed often and found a deep Christian faith. His later writings in the Confession and Letter to Coroticus describe his humility and an enduring faith even in the face of isolation and scorn.
After six years, he escaped and sailed on a boat back to his family in Britain. Freedom reinforced his Christian faith and called by God, Patrick went to France where he studied for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest and within a few years, a bishop.
Patrick chose to return to Ireland. He landed at the River Slaney. His first convert was Dichu, who gave Patrick a barn where the first church was built at Saul, County Down. Patrick travelled throughout Ireland. Patrick was a fearless and provocative missionary. The king's son Conall converted to Christianity, became a devoted follower of Patrick and protected him as he journeyed around Ireland.
Saint Patrick died in 493. His remains are believed to be buried in the grounds of Down Cathedral, Downpatrick.
The Giant's Causeway’s Legend
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.
Legend has it that the Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Fionn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over him so he could pretend that he was actually their baby son. In a variation, Fionn fled after seeing Benandonner's great bulk, and asked his wife to disguise him as the baby. In both versions, when Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn.
Irish Fairies
The Irish peasants left to fend for themselves in a world dominated by a corrupted church, oppressive landlords and an absence of local government and medicine turned to their own imaginations to understand and order the world around them- to make their peasant culture work. Stories like Nera and the Dead Man helped children to remember rules for staying healthy and safe and to maintain sanitation. Images from the ancient tales combined with observations -the wind in the winter forest- the Banshee- helped them to explain natural occurrences.
The Sociable Fairies
1. The Sheoques: Lived in sacred thorn bushes. Thief fairy music lead humans astray. Sometimes they switched a child with a fairy child to create a changeling which they caused to die in one year.
2. The Merrows: Seen as little hornless cows but really they have fishes tails and wear a red cap (cohuleen driuth). The men have green teeth, green hair, pig's eyes and red noses- women are beautiful and prefer human mates.
The Solitary Fairies
1. The Leprechaun: The one shoemaker seen mending shoes. Catch him and get crocks of gold. A thrifty professional. Take your eyes off of him and he vanishes. Red Coat seven buttons in each row and he spins sometimes on the point of an upright hat.
2. The Cluricaun: Robbing wine cellars and riding sheep and shepherds-dogs, the live long night-found panting and mud covered in the morning.
3. The Gonconer(Ganconagh)- Love talker, Idler, appears making love to shepherdesses and milkmaids -smokes a pipe.
4. The Fear Darrig- Red man, Joker, gives evil dreams
5. The Pooka- A horse, ass, etc... takes rider on a wild ride and shakes him off in the grey of morning especially drunkards- a drunkards sleep is his kingdom. When it rains with sun shining that means he will be out that night. When berries are killed by frost it is the Pooka's spit which is upon them and they should not be eaten.
6. The Dullahan- Headless or carrying his head. Black coach, a bower with headless horses it goes to your door and if you open it a basin of blood is thrown at you- death omen.
7. Leanhaun Shee- Fairy mistresses, seeks love of men- if they refuse she is their slave- If they consent they are hers- her lovers waste away- you must find one to go in your place.
8. The Fear Gorta- Man of hunger- brings good luck to those who give him food.
9. Banshee- Fairy woman- morning- wails over dead and calls for them.
10. The Fear Sidhe: Male Fairy (there are also fairies for parts and aspects of the home, for water(sherie) light Soullh and a host of lake fairies, dragons and ghosts.)
SOURCES
1. http://www.geographia.com/northern-Ireland/default.htm
2. http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/history/
3. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108101.html?pageno=1
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland
5. http://www.nipra.co.uk/irish_legends_9.html
NORTHERN IRELAND