In spite of the little size of Ireland, it did not mean that this beautiful country had not a rich literary tradition. The Irish Literature is not the same as anywhere else in the world. Written expressions and writers has a great importance not only in Ireland, but around the world too.Writers actively participate in political and historical events. It is not strange to see them in advertising signal or another common activities. This respect of their works is related for a great history of literary expressions from ancient times. Two reasons are relevant to show why the literature is important in Ireland: the language conflicts by invaders and the difference with the conqueror which produced identity struggles.
Origin and early Irish Literature
Irish literature has its origins in the Middle Ages XVII century and is considered as the Gold Age of Irish Literature. The oldest Irish-Gaelic script is found in the manuscript of Wurzburg, and dating from around 700.
The fundamental age of literature began at V and VII centuries in which the literary oral tradition morphed into written. The Filidh and Bardh were the wisdom, history and tradition guardians, ancestors of the current writer and were just kinds of druids. Druids were those kept the royal power of Ancient Ireland, and were more important than Kings and Chieftains. The bards were people that had to be educated by 20 years in which they learn by heart the stories, tales, epics and genealogies of his people, they were the voice and memory of the people and in the same time they composed their own verses.
With the arrival of Christianity in Ireland the tradition was not lost. Only modified and adapted to the new times.
A bard in a feast
In the V century St. Patrick begins his campaign of evangelization of Ireland as he commanded priest to found monasteries but with little Christian formation. More than one of these priests may have came from the druidic social group which surely would have a easier acceptance by the people. Here Irish Literature suffered a turn. These poorly educated Christian monks knew very well the stories of his country, isolated from the rest of Europe created a tailor made Christianity that changed so conspicuously, bequeathing important things like private confession of sins . This Irish Christianity less rigid and independent of continental Europe, is what causes all this early literature come to us.
Then the Irish monks became familiar with the Latin they forced the alphabet and made a Gaelic hybrid, by this way these old stories were transmitted with some additions from Christian tradition. Is worth nothing that the Irish Celts did not ignore the writing but the OGHAMIC alphabet was sacred of ritual nature and reserved for the priestly class.
The Irish Gael goes through four historical periods;
-Oghamic Scrips between 300 and 500 AD.
-Archaic Irish between 600 and 900.
-Middle Irish from 900 to 1200.
-Modern Irish from 1200 to our days.
The English rule that made many changes to the Irish Literature and to the island began in 1200 approximately, until now in the case of northern Ireland (the six counties of Ulster that remain in the hands of the crown after the division of the island in 1921). Irish writers living in Ireland or elsewhere always wrote about the island, they had a peaceful relationship with their country, some of the scripts were written from self-imposed exile in many cases. The permanent self reference of Irish literature has to do with the need to maintain the identity of the conquered and oppressed people for centuries.
This early literature conditions by a certain extent all subsequent Irish Literature.
Modern Irish Literature
Despite of the decline of the Irish culture by the British invasion in the Ireland history, there was considerable concern to keep the ancient traditions and customs. This brought as a consequence an increase in the use of Gaelic language, the official language Ireland. This was the most important event of the modern Irish literature: the “Gaelic Revival”, produced in the end of the nineteenth century. A group of writers fight to avoid the disappearence of the Irish which it resulted the creation of the Irish Literary Revival, supported by authors like William Butler Yeats (who won the first Irish Nobel Prize) who rescued all text with Lady Gregory, Samuel Ferguson, Standish Hayes, Douglas Hyde (who created the Gaelic League), Thomas McDonagh, Aubrey de Vere and others. They are in charge of the translation in old Gaelic and English of tales, stories, epic poems and legends, and they bring it with a new boost. Gaelic and English language share this same geographical place where any of these languages dominate to other.
There exists other important writers with different styles in Ireland. Even, there are authors who don’t live in their country, but they have never left their origin and maintain writing for Ireland. Some of the most important writers were considered British in the time when Ireland were part of the British Empire. Some important writers well known in the world are:
Bram Stoker (1847-1912), Irish novelist and writer known by his novel “Dracula” (1897) which is an icon of horror stories and nuances of vampirism.
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), one of the most important playwright. He was a celebrity to those years by his wit. He was an important writer and poet, too.
Samuel Bekett (1906-1989) was an Irish playwriter, novelist, criticer and poet. He was important by being a representative of the literary experimentalism of the twentieth century. Known for his book: “En attendant Godot”.
Seamus Heany (1939) is a writer and Irish academic. He was very affected by the conflich between Catholics and Protestants because he is catholic. His work shows a great rhythm flexibility and put full energy in his words. He was one of the person who revived the Gaelic language and preserved the Irish culture against the domination of the English language:
“Be advised my passport’s green.
No glass of ours was ever raised
to toast the Queen.”
Any Irish writer has to live with the Gaelic and English language. All names are expressed in these oficial languages, but the increase of the Irish culture and language can be apreciated in different dairy situations like school, work, etc. In spite of his historical domination, Gaelic language is used in TV channels, news, magazines and are mainly use by writers. However, this mixture of language and dialects in the island (Scottish English, Anglo Irish, Hiberno-English) keep to enrich the literature in the country and it follows surprising to people in the world.
Sources
– Arnold, B. (1977). A Concise History of Irish Art. W. W. Norton & Co Inc; Revised edition.
– Gutierrez, B. Heany: “La pasion es lo que salva una lengua”. La voz de las Asturias. Revised on 02/10/12 http://archivo.lavozdeasturias.es/html/199310.html
– Viviana O´Connell -revised on 02/10/2012, Literature of Ireland. Literature and history. Also found in the webpage http://www.almargen.com.ar/sitio/seccion/literatura/litirland/
– Fahy Club, student association, written by Alberto Blanco; poet and editor Publisher – La jornada semanal – 14/December/2002) revised on 01/10/1012. Irish literature. also found in http://members.tripod.com/fahyclub_exalumnos.ar/literatura_irlandesa.htm
Irish Culture 
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