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Ahern, Bertie

(Encyclopedia)Ahern, Bertie (Bartholomew Patrick Ahern) əhûrnˈ [key], 1951–, Irish politician, prime minister of the Republic of Ireland (1997–2008). Born into a working-class family, he studied accounting a...

Celtic languages

(Encyclopedia)Celtic languages, subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. At one time, during the Hellenistic period, Celtic speech extended all the way from Britain and the Iberian Peninsula in the west ...

Parnell, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Parnell, Thomas, 1679–1718, Irish poet, b. Dublin. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he was archdeacon of Clogher from 1706. He was a friend of Pope and Swift and a member of the Scriblerus Club....

O'Brien, Fitz-James

(Encyclopedia)O'Brien, Fitz-James, 1828?–1862, Irish-American author and journalist, b. Ireland. He settled in New York in 1852. He is remembered for two of his short stories, “The Diamond Lens” and “The Wo...

Trench, Richard Chenevix

(Encyclopedia)Trench, Richard Chenevix, 1807–86, Irish clergyman and author, b. Dublin. He was dean of Westminster, 1856–63, and Protestant archbishop of Dublin, 1863–84. His many theological writings were ec...

Heaney, Seamus

(Encyclopedia)Heaney, Seamus (Seamus Justin Heaney) shāˈməs, hēˈnē [key], 1939–2013, Irish poet, one of the finest contemporary English poets, b. Londonderry (now Derry), Northern Ireland, grad. Queen's Uni...

Poland China swine

(Encyclopedia)Poland China swine, oldest breed of swine to have originated in the United States and one of the most popular. A number of strains have contributed to the development of this breed, notably the Irish ...

Tuatha De Danann

(Encyclopedia)Tuatha De Danann to͞oˈəthə dā däˈnän [key], in Irish mythology, invaders of ancient Ireland before the Milesians. They were endowed with great supernatural powers, which enabled them to defeat...

hurling

(Encyclopedia)hurling, outdoor ball and stick game similar to field hockey (see hockey, field). The national pastime of Ireland, it was played for many centuries before the Gaelic Athletic Association standardized ...

Ormonde, Thomas Butler, 10th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Ormonde, Thomas Butler, 10th earl of, 1532–1614, Irish nobleman. Brought up at the English court, he was the first of his family to embrace Protestantism. He succeeded to the earldom of Ormonde in 1...