Ireland
Culture of Ireland
For a comparatively small country, Ireland has made a disproportionate contribution to world literature in all its branches, in both the Irish and English languages.
The island's most widely-known literary works are undoubtedly in English. Particularly famous examples of such works are those of James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Ireland's four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature; William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney.
Religion in the Republic of Ireland
The predominant religion in Ireland is Christianity, with the largest church being the Roman Catholic Church. Ireland's constitution states that the state may not endorse any particular religion and guarantees freedom of religion.
Irish Christmas Traditions
Nollaig Shona Dhuit is Merry Christmas in Irish Gaelic, which is still taught in schools in Eire, the Irish Republic. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. Christmas in Ireland is a traditional holiday in both parts of the island, and very much a family and religious celebration!