Before you don some green for St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, George Mason University professors have some tidbits to share.
St. Patrick’s Day is an American thing, not an Irish thing: St. Patrick's Day is not a huge deal in Ireland—at least not as big as it is in the United States. The day is a recognition of being Irish in America, said John Farina, a professor of religion at George Mason.
Irish Catholics were suppressed by the British in Ireland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, leading many to leave the country, thus forming Irish enclaves elsewhere.
The British were coming: In the mid-1800s the British began shipping Anglos to the Emerald Isle as a way to suppress local culture and religion. Some Irish took it as a cue to head to the United States, Farina said.
This Thursday isn't a big deal to Ireland, but next Thursday is: March 24—exactly one week after St. Patrick's Day—is the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, an armed insurrection against the British that failed.
"Ironically, the rebellion’s long-term goal of turning the Irish people against British rule was achieved when authorities ordered the mass arrest of thousands of Irish citizens, most of whom had nothing to do with the Rising," said Charles Kevin Matthews, a history professor at Mason and an expert on modern Europe. As few as 1,500 men and women took part in the insurrection, but it left Dublin devastated.
The Irish invented guerrilla warfare: After World War I, veterans of the Easter Rising developed a new strategy—modern, urban guerrilla warfare—that would be later emulated around the world, Matthews said.
Ireland is back at a political crossroads: "They are without a permanent government following national elections on Feb. 26 that have left the country deeply divided," Matthews said. As a result, Ireland’s politics are in turmoil, he said.
John Farina is a professor of religion at George Mason University: He can be reached at 703-993-2054 or jfarina@gmu.edu.
Charles Kevin Matthews is a history professor at George Mason University and an expert on modern Europe, specifically the United Kingdom and Ireland. He can be reached at 703-993-1250 or cmatthe2@gmu.edu.
For more information contact Jamie Rogers at 703-993-5118 jroger20@gmu.edu or Michele McDonald mmcdon15@gmu.edu at 703-993-8781.
About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility.