A National Independence day to celebrate Ireland and it's culture

WoollyRedHat

O.k so I know we have a St. Patricks Day, and even an Arthur's day to celebrate a drink... but it got me thinking... should we as an country not have something that properly celebrates our history and where we have come?

Would it not be good for both spirits and general tourism that Ireland should have a sort of Independence day to properly commemorate our past... it could be a chance for us to truly appreciate the Island we have and have significance, what do people think?

IcedOut

Another Paddys day?

Now thats a bit too much drink

WoollyRedHat

IcedOut wrote: »

Another Paddys day?

Now thats a bit too much drink

See that's my point... that's all it is seen by people, both here and abroad... it's not really a relevant holiday to us as Irish, and doesn't mean much.

Wetai

IcedOut wrote: »

Another Paddys day?

Now thats a bit too much drink

Paddy's day is just a day for people around the world to get drunk, who THINK they're Irish (or want to be "Irish for a day"). You can usually notice these people because they call it Patty's day and not St. Patrick's/Paddy's day.

OutlawPete

I already celebrate it.

Every April 24th I hop aboard that Liffey Cruise thing, whip out my bazooka and lob cans of Guinness draft at the GPO.

InkSlinger67

Everyday is a National Independence day to celebrate Ireland and it's culture!

WoollyRedHat

Well your an outlaw so that's o.k

InkSlinger67 wrote: »

Everyday is a National Independence day to celebrate Ireland and it's culture!

Just like for 364 days of the year, it's your unbirthday.

But seriously, I think if we did it right it could be something to be proud of and generate money. We don't have a proper national holiday and considering our past you'd think we would

Wattle

Would it just not turn into a big drunken 'celebration' like the other two days?

Maybe you should be pitching this idea to Diageo?

Dyr

We should be claiming halloween as ours, tartin the place up for it and flogging it like a mutherfooker to the tourists

WoollyRedHat

Bambi wrote: »

We should be claiming halloween as ours, tartin the place up for it and flogging it like a mutherfooker to the tourists

Yeah, you really wouldn't know it was Irish, we don't really promote it at all

Wattle wrote: »

Would it just not turn into a big drunken 'celebration' like the other two days?

Maybe you should be pitching this idea to Diageo?

Not neccesarily, loads of countries have days of independence and loads of things are held so that it does not turn into a drinking fest... sure people would still drink but it wouldn't be as bad as "Paddy's day" with it's attached stigma.

I also think it would make more sense to celebrate it sometime in the Summer, between May and July... we should have a day that celebrates our history and have an actual national holiday that represents something

Dionysus

its

Wattle

Bambi wrote: »

We should be claiming halloween as ours, tartin the place up for it and flogging it like a mutherfooker to the tourists

With junkies playing the living dead? It just might work.

orourkeda

Arthurs Day

mikemac

Labour party were saying they'd give us two more holidays if they got into power
They have forgotten but I haven't.
Another broken promise from that shower

St.Bridgets Day at start of February was to be one of them

paddyandy

That word 'culture' is bandied about these days and it hides a woeful amount of deviousness of one kind or another.I wish somebody would publish a list of specious terms that do not any longer have their original meaning and which have been hijacked from elsewhere and reinstated as complicit in theft or mischief.Is there a Website for this???????????????

votecounts

No, we lost our independence the day the IMF were invited in by Fianna Failure, but we've forgotten this judging by the presidential polls.

Sergeant

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

O.k so I know we have a St. Patricks Day, and even an Arthur's day to

The Marketing department within Guinness have Arthur's day. More fool for anyone to "celebrate" it.

WoollyRedHat

Sergeant wrote: »

The Marketing department within Guinness have Arthur's day. More fool for anyone to "celebrate" it.

As I much as I loathe that fact, Dublin on Arthur's day had a buzz to it, and the music being played in town was a nice thing... but the premise is shocking.

geetar

Dionysus wrote: »

its

it's

laoch na mona

1916 commemoration?or soloheadbeg commemoration?
soloheadbeg was the start of the war of independece

mikemac

23 April, Battle of Clontarf

A king from Tipp showing the Dubs how it's done :cool:

SafeSurfer

Ireland could exploit Halloween for tourism purposes. It is after all an Irish/Celtic invention. We have a great tradition of ghosts/fairies and the paranormal and it takes place in the shoulder tourist season.

Just think of a marketing campaign along the lines of "come to Ireland for Halloween if you dare".

btard

Why would we want to celebrate living in this ****hole ?

fran oconnor

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Well your an outlaw so that's o.k



Just like for 364 days of the year, it's your unbirthday.

But seriously, I think if we did it right it could be something to be proud of and generate money. We don't have a proper national holiday and considering our past you'd think we would

I have to agree, i have said it for years myself, why don't we have our own independence day. I think it would be a great idea..

fran oconnor

btard wrote: »

Why would we want to celebrate living in this ****hole ?

Get the hell out if its such a "sh!thole".

laoch na mona

mikemac wrote: »

23 April, Battle of Clontarf

A king from Tipp showing the Dubs how it's done :cool:

c'mon tipp we get sh*t done

btard

fran oconnor wrote: »

Get the hell out if its such a "sh!thole".

I will be as soon as my redundancy package comes through. Anybody with any sense is long gone. All that's left are the crooks and idiots. Which one are you?

previous user

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

O.k so I know we have a St. Patricks Day, and even an Arthur's day to celebrate a drink... but it got me thinking... should we as an Island not have something that properly celebrates our history and where we have come?

Would it not be good for both spirits and general tourism that Ireland should have a sort of Independence day to properly commemorate our past... it could be a chance for us to truly appreciate the Island we have and have significance, what do people think?

If we are doing a festival that properly celebrates our history and where we have come I think we should include non nationals in this celebration, like the festival of world cultures in Dun laoghaire thats done great things I think to create our modern unified multiculutural society.

mikemac

btard wrote: »

Anybody with any sense is long gone. All that's left are the crooks and idiots.

You're including your parents and all your family in that?

btard

mikemac wrote: »

You're including your parents and all your family in that?

I am indeed.

WoollyRedHat

fran oconnor wrote: »

I have to agree, i have said it for years myself, why don't we have our own independence day. I think it would be a great idea..

It could technically be held on December 6th as that is when we stopped being part of Britain, although declared officially the Republic of Ireland on 18 April 1949. The end of the War of Independence was 11th of July which led to us breaking away from Britain as of 26 counties.

A national holiday gives us the opportunity to embrace our traditions and celebrate , as well as commemorate like countries such as France and U.S and India do. It could also be an opportunity to bring in visitors and generate revenue

previous user wrote: »

If we are doing a festival that properly celebrates our history and where we have come I think we should include non nationals in this celebration, like the festival of world cultures in Dun laoghaire thats done great things I think to create our modern unified multiculutural society.

Yes defintely this is something that is important, seeing as many people who are non nationals have contributed to our country. The festival of World Cultures was great, shame it didn't happen this year, something like that around the country and loads of different events would be a good way to commeorate the day

DEFTLEFTHAND

Can't see the point really. There's enough different festivals run nationwide during the year that celebrate our culture.

WoollyRedHat

But a national holiday is an opportuniy for money to be brought into the country and something we can faciltate for everyone.

Mike 1972

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

should we as an Island not have something that properly celebrates our history and where we have come?

Would it not be good for both spirits and general tourism that Ireland should have a sort of Independence day

Independence from what

paddyandy

Also Freedom from what .....for What???? I get very annoyed with pub Patriotism it's so Shallow.

WoollyRedHat

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Independence from what

Independence and freedom from the institutions of Britain which people had a long battle over and ultimately to be deciders in our matters rather than be a dominion and another conquest of Britain... granted without 6 counties but something which people openly welcomed...

It was an actual event in history, not just some concept... it's about identity and the ability to express that identity

EDIT: Apologies for orginal phrasing, have fixed it.

paddyandy

Could Clerical Child Abuse have happened under british rule?

gigino

paddyandy wrote: »

Could Clerical Child Abuse have happened under british rule?

I do not think it would have been as bad. Ireland was a horrible repressive place, especially for minorities, for much of the middle of the 20th century etc. Many people emigrated to Britain + commonwealth countries like Australia + New Zealand. The refugees were not coming the other way anyway. We got many billions from the EC over the past 40 years + yet we are still in an awful mess / the IMF is here. Methinks we should follow Gay Byrnes suggestion and hand the country back to the Queen with a note of apology, instead of looking for another day to have a piss-up on.;).

As Kris K. sings ; Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose...

Mike 1972

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Independence and freedom from the institutions of Britain .

Oh so you man the country not the "island" (as per edit)

pconn062

No thanks, I already despise Paddys day enough as it is, don't need another day.

Mardy Bum

There are numerous days that celebrate our culture. They don't attract much attention however due to the fact they are not commercially driven a la Arthurs day and don't revolve around getting hammered so they only attract the more intellectually minded people.

gigino

btard wrote: »

Why would we want to celebrate living in this ****hole ?

We could do a marketing campaign to show the tourists all our nice buildings, canals, railways, architectural masterpieces, harbours, lighthouses, etc built since independence ....oh s**t, we cannot even do that, we did not build any since then.

We could show them a few hundred ghost estates, and what a mess we made of Sackville street / O'Connell st. The plain and ugly spike in the sky symbolises the drug addicts nearby, and the fast food shops and sex shop adds to the tone of the street. The last independence day was full of drunk people there so I think one such day a year, march 17th, is enough.

Gerard.C

We're not independent anymore though...

paddyandy

We were never Independent our Patriotism is about money and banter and banner waving and booze..........SHALLOW .

pajunior

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

It could technically be held on December 6th as that is when we stopped being part of Britain, although declared officially the Republic of Ireland on 18 April 1949. The end of the War of Independence was 11th of July which led to us breaking away from Britain as of 26 counties.

I can't see any problem with the Republic having a national celebration on this date :rolleyes:

paddyandy

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Independence and freedom from the institutions of Britain which people had a long battle over and ultimately to be deciders in our matters rather than be a dominion and another conquest of Britain... granted without 6 counties but something which people openly welcomed...

It was an actual event in history, not just some concept... it's about identity and the ability to express that identity

EDIT: Apologies for orginal phrasing, have fixed it.

We have a very long battle with our OWN institutions.We Do decide and look at us.

positron

I think we should have a Independence / Constitution day - on 29th of December to commemorate Irish Constitution coming into force on 29 December 1937.

PS: This would also be a very good reason for keeping the holidays going from 25th to day 2nd Jan!

positron

... and a Republic Day on 18 April, of course!