Ireland: A Changing Society Steeped In History
Submitted by Andy_B on Monday, 25 September 2023 Page Views: 116
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A Country Transformed
Since the 1980s, Ireland has become a country focused on the future. An economy based on agriculture and material production has changed and been updated to more tertiary services, focusing now on technology. This has not only affected how the country makes money but also how they spend it. For example, one industry that has taken off in the last 20 years is casinos and betting companies moving online. These sites now offer players the chance to sign up and play casino games and bingo online with a range of games like blackjack, poker, bingo, and slots. However, despite the development of the economy and society in the last few decades, Ireland still retains its rich history that offers visitors a glimpse into life in the centuries gone by.Prehistoric Sites
Ireland has numerous prehistoric sites on the island and by far the most famous is Newgrange. The site was constructed almost 5,200 years ago and is older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids. During the Winter Solstice, the passage tomb allows the perfectly aligned sun to pass through the roof box and illuminate the inside, making this day the most important on its calendar.Although it attracts the most visitors, Newgrange is pre-dated by Poulnabrone dolmen. This burial site is located on the west coast of the country in The Burren in County Clare. It's the largest dolmen tomb in the country and during recent excavations various artefacts from the time were found buried below it, providing an insight into life almost 6,000 years ago.
Monasteries
Ireland has a rich Christian history and this is evidenced by the numerous ancient monasteries dotted around the country. Glendalough is one of the most famous, located in County Wicklow. It’s here where Saint Kevin spent time sleeping and praying above the main lake. He is also thought to have spent seven years as a hermit, solely spending time in nature and with animals. Clonmacnoise in County Offaly gives visitors an interesting insight into daily monastery life and the constant danger of attack from outside and within, with the Vikings, Normans, and even Irish attacking for large periods of the seventh to tenth centuries.Ireland has always been famous for its landscape and historical sites and attracts tourists to its cities in search of the country's hospitality and nightlife. However, the history of the country remains culturally significant. Sites like Newgrange and Glendalough may feel like a million miles away from modern-day Ireland but in a country that still places such weight on its history, they still have an important role for citizens and visitors, and remain popular attractions for tourists.
