Задания для аудиторной работы и СРС

GREAT BRITAIN, ENGLAND

Exercises
1. Answer the following questions:
A. 1. What symbols does the English flag contain? How is it different from the Union
Flag?
The Flag of England is the St George's Cross.
Union flag is made up up of the individual Flags of three of the Kingdom's
countries all united under one Sovereign - the countries of 'England, of 'Scotland' and
of 'Northern Ireland (St. George's Cross, St. Andrew's Cross and St. Patrick's Cross)

2. What is the origin of the "three Lions of Anjou" and where is the symbol used?
King Henry I (1100-1135) was known as the 'Lion of Justice', and kept a small zoo
which included lions. He either used two lions on his shield (as Duke of Normandy, a
state whose flag has two lions) to start with, or used one from his nickname then added
the other upon his second marriage to Adeliza of Louvain (1121), whose symbol was
also a lion. The two-lion shield was thus a personal one for the king, not the country as
a whole. Henry's grandson later came to the throne as Henry II (1154-1189), and
married the doughty Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose symbol was yet another lion. By the
year 1195 their son, Richard I, had combined his parents' arms (having shoved his
father off the throne) to form three lions.
`The original banner of King Richard the Lionheart, still used as a national
symbol of England.

3. What alternative names for England and the English do you know? What do they mean?
Sassenachs A name still used by many Scots to denote the English
Albion A Roman name for Great Britain,
Geordies A colloquial name for, strictly, a native of Tyneside in northeast England
Limeys The American colloquial name for the British

4. What are the national anthem and the unofficial national anthems of England?
England has no official National anthem of its own; generally the United Kingdom
anthem, "God Save the Queen", is used.
Many people, like the England Rugby team, prefer a more patrionic song for England
such as Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem.

5. What are the principal geographic characteristics of England and what is its climate?

England is in north-west Europe and is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is an island country
and also part of the United Kingdom (UK) . England is the largest country in Great Britain and the
UK.
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The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime. This means that it is mild
with temperatures not much lower than 0ºC in winter and not much higher than 32ºC in
summer. It also means that it is damp and is subject to frequent changes.

6. What is the population of England and what were the principal waves of migration to
the island of Great Britain?

49,561,800 (2002)

The principal waves of migration have been in c. 600 BC (Celts), the Roman period (garrison soldiers
from throughout the Empire), 350-550 (Angles, Saxons, Jutes), 800-900 (Vikings, Danes), 1066
(Normans), 1650-1750 (European refugees and Huguenots), 1880-1940 (Jews), 1950-1985
(Caribbeans, Africans, South Asians), 1985-present (East Europeans, Kurds, refugees).

The general prosperity of England has also made it a destination for economic migrants particularly
from Ireland and Scotland. This diverse ethnic mix continues to create a diverse and dynamic language
that is widely used internationally.

7. What were the traditional counties of England and where does the word come from?
The ancient counties of England are historic subdivisions of England established for administration
by the Normans. These divisions had emerged from a range of units of old, pre-unification England,
whether they were Kingdoms, such as Essex and Sussex; Duchies, such as Yorkshire, Cornwall and
Lancashire or simply tracts of land given to some noble, as is the case with Berkshire.

8. What is the English capital's population and what is called Greater London?
The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London, including
Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs (including the City of Westminster). It
covers 607 square miles and had a 2006 mid-year estimated population of 7,512,400

9. What are the major landmarks of London and what river does it stand on?
The south of England is mostly low-lying land, with hills and agricultural land and the north of
England is mostly covered in moorland and mountains. River the Thames
England is a land of ancient cities, royal palaces, massive cathedrals, and legendary sites. Mighty
castles, stately homes, glorious gardens, and tiny picturesque villages enhance the natural beauty of
the countryside

10. What monuments of pre-Roman England can you name?

Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain. It is a circle of stones. Stonehenge is
situated on Salisbury Plain in the county of Wiltshire.

11. What imprint did the Roman Empire leave on England and what physical evidence
of its occupation can still be found?
Looking out on the green and cultivated land, where it is not disfigured by the inevitable cities and
towns and villages of later civilizations -- those dark Satanic mills so loathed by William Blake -- he
can see what seem to be anomalies on the hillsides -- strange bumps and mounds; remains of terraced
or plowed fields; irregular slopes that bespeak ancient hill forts; strangely carved designs in the
chalk; jagged teeth of upstanding megaliths; stone circles of immense breadth and height and ancient,
mysterious wells and springs

12. What were the most ancient tribes on English territory and who were the invaders
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after the Romans
The Celts were farmers and lived in small village groups in the centre of their arable fields. They were
also warlike people. The Celts fought against the people of Britain and other Celtic tribes.
The Romans were the first to invade us and came to Britain nearly 2000 years ago. Britain was part of
the Roman Empire for almost 400 years!
When they had gone there was no strong army to defend Britain, and tribes called the Angle, Saxon,
and Jute (the Anglo-Saxons) invaded.
The Viking Age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago in the 8th Century AD and lasted for 300
years.

13. What important event marking a new era happened in the 11th century?
Medieval Britain (Normans). The invading Normans defeat the Saxons
14. When did the shift from the feudal system to democracy in England begin?
The first stepping stone to the emergence of democracy was the destruction of feudalism and the
stabilization of monarchical authority. The old hierarchic social order did not dissolve completely, but
it became more elastic and adjusted itself to the new conditions. The stabilization of monarchical
authority and the growth of nation-state lessened the importance of feudalism. Till the 15th century,
England was a cluster of counties divided among various feudal lords with a monarch dependent on
them for military and financial support. The growth of the nation-state diminished the importance of
feudal lords. Agreements were made with the feudal barons to serve for pay, with a stipulated retinue
of mercenary soldiers.

15. What was the role of castles in English history and what are some of the most
famous of them?
The old Medieval Castle were a symbol of wealth and power and were often the centre of historic
battles and Medieval sieges! These great old castles were built for Medieval warfare and defence.
The Tower of London is the most famous Medieval English castle. Hever Castle, Windsor Castle,
Warwick Castle, Leeds CASTLE

16. Who are the most famous monarchs of the Tudor dynasty and what are they
famous for?
The Tudors were Welsh. They brought peace to England after 150 years of virtually continuous
warfare, encouraged new religious ideas, overseas exploration and colonisation.
 King Henry VII 1485 - 1509
 King Henry VIII 1509 - 1547
 King Edward VI 1547 - 1553
 Jane Grey 1554
 Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary) 1553 - 1558
 Queen Elizabeth I 1558 - 1603
17. What were the reasons for the Civil War of 1642 in England?
The English Civil War has many causes but the personality of Charles I must be counted as one of the
major reasons. Few people could have predicted that the civil war, that started in 1642, would have
ended with the public execution of  Charles. Clash between the Parliamentarians and the King.
Essentially the (educated) people wanted more of a say in the running of the country

B. 16. What colonies did the British Empire have and for how long?
The Ireland became the first home colony
The British eventually established thirteen colonies in America:

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 Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island New York Connecticut New Jersey Pennsylvania
Delaware Maryland Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Georgia

Canada, Ost India, islands of West India, Egypt

17. What languages and dialects are spoken in England?

English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic

18. Does England have a central government of its own?

The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying
according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided
by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved
parliament or regional assemblies.

19. What are the most famous English schools and when were they founded?

The two most famous schools in England Eton and Harrow were founded in 1440 by
King Henry 6th and 1571 respectively. Winchester is England’s oldest public school,
was founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham.

20. How is English law different from that of Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The legal system of England & Wales is different from that of Scotland or Northern Ireland. Each has
its own court system and body of laws. English law is derived from English common law with a heavy
influence of medieval Germanic sources. Scottish common law is derived from Roman law roots but
has, over the past few centuries, developed many affinities with the English common law. The
traditional barrister/solicitor distinction is present throughout the United Kingdom although in
Scotland, a "barrister" is called an "advocate".

21. What is law enforcement and what is the formal name for Scotland Yard?

Scotland Yard is often used as a metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK.
Commonly known as the "Met", the force is responsible for law enforcement within Greater London,
excluding the square mile of the City of London, which is covered by the City of London Police. The
London Underground and national rail network are the responsibility of the British Transport Police.

22. What is the official Church of England and how did it come into being?

The official religion of England is Christianity, as practised by the Church of England (Anglican). By
the Fifth Article of the Union with Ireland 1800, the Church of England and Church of Ireland were
united into "one Protestant Episcopal Church, to be called, The United Church of England and
Ireland". Although this union was declared "an essential and fundamental Part of the Union",
nevertheless the Irish Church Act 1869 separated the Irish part of the Church again and disestablished
it, the Act coming into effect on 1 January 1871.

23. What are the most famous British TV channels and newspapers?

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 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Independent Television (ITV) Channel 4 Channel
Five British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)

The Independent and The Times The Sun and The Mirror, and the middle-market papers, The Daily
Express and The Daily Mail. Financial Times The Daily Telegraph

24. What are the most popular kinds of sports and competitions in England?

Lewis Carroll Mark Twain Rudyard Kipling Thomas Hardy Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle William Maugham William Shakespeare George Elliot

26. What are the major English Bank Holidays and what festivals are they
associated with?

New Year's Day

1 January

Good Friday
The Friday before Easter Sunday

Easter Monday
The day after Easter Sunday

May Day or Early May Bank Holiday

First Monday in May

Spring Bank Holiday

Last Monday in May

Summer Bank Holiday

Last Monday in August

St Andrew's Day
30 November

Christmas Day
25 December

Boxing Day, St. Stephen's Day

26 December

27. What can you say about the English cuisine before the Gastronomic Revolution
of the 1960s?

Whalemeat rissoles, synthetic custard, dried egg, mock cream – Second World War rationing wreaked
havoc on the already shaky reputation of British food. Who needed a chef when the Ministry of Food
was recommending such practices as slicing a cold joint thinly, covering it with hot gravy and serving
it as roast meat? When it came to eating in restaurants, the diner knew his place. All a manager
needed to say was, “Don’t you know there’s a war on?” to silence any complaints. Even after the war,
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eating out was a lottery, because rationing continued until 1954, and the bad food and bad habits
carried on for much longer.

When the journalist and social historian Raymond Postgate started his Campaign against Cruelty to
Food, he galvanised an army of like-minded people to report on places where the food was decent,
leading to the publication of The Good Food Guide in 1951. To give some idea of what Postgate’s
army was up against, one meal, recorded by a horrified Guide reporter at the time, included: ‘a
“minestrone” of sliced vegetables in coloured water; scampi, tough and tasteless; roast lamb, cut thin,
overcooked to brownness in a weak beef extract gravy; and an aniline-coloured gateau with fake
cream.’

Fifties: austerity Britain

In those early editions of The Good Food Guide, nearly every restaurant was actually a pub or an inn.
If you counted the number of proper dining destinations outside London you were lucky to hit 30.
Criteria for inclusion extended to ‘any place where food could be eaten without nausea, where the
helpings were not derisively tiny, and the staff not directly rude’.

Postgate’s aim in setting up the Guide was to establish the same standards of freshness and quality of
food that existed in France. But by the end of the 1950s he had to admit there were, at the most, 20
restaurants in Britain where the cooking deserved the two adjectives ‘individual’ and ‘artistic’.
George Perry-Smith’s Hole in the Wall in Bath was probably the single most influential restaurant of
the post-war years. His menus, inspired by food writer Elizabeth David, were extraordinary for the
time, offering an eclectic range of dishes from the Mediterranean and beyond – bouillabaisse with
rouille, tarragon chicken, goulash and coulibiac

28. What do traditional English breakfast and Sunday dinner consist of?

Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon,
sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days,
however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange
juice and a cup of coffee.

The traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, apart from on Sundays. A recent survey found that
most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta dishes are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.

Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very
popular.

Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast

29. What other dishes and drinks are now popular in England?

British food has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and
generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable. The most common and typical
foods eaten in Britain include the sandwich, fish and chips, pies like the cornish pasty,
trifle and roasts dinners.

Coffee, tea, wine

30. What English icons can you name? Describe them. Do you know of any other
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icons not mentioned in the textbook?

Pudding, The Scouts, Robin Hood, Queuing, Big Ben, Cricket, A Cup of Tea, The
Pub, Oxbridge, The Thames, The Black Cab, Tower of London

The Tube Map Magna Carta

31. Who are the famous historic and legendary figures of England?

Elizabeth I Henry VIII Henry VII Venerable Bede William of Normandy Richard
the Lionheart Lord Nelson Egbert of Wessex King Arthur Winston Churchil

2. Supply the word or phrase from the vocabulary list which correctly
completes the sentence:
Shires - графства,
Home Counties - "ближние графства" (ближайшие к Лондону: Кент, Саррей и
Эссекс; иногда сюда включаются Мидлсекс, Хартфордшир,
Бакингемшир, Беркшир и реже Сассекс),
the Buckingham Palace,
Picts - пикты (группа кельтских племён [Celts 1)], населявших Шотландию.
В середине 9 были завоёваны скоттами ,
Boudicca – королева в Британии,
Royal Greenwich Observatory,
Angles, Saxons and Jutes,
the Danelaw,-датское право
the Iceni - an ancient British tribe that rebelled against the Romans in 61 AD under
Queen Boudicca
the Tower of London
the Golden Age,
Stonehenge - Стоунхендж (один из самых больших и известных в мире
кромлехов [cromlech 2)]; сооружён в 1900-1600 до ;
расположен близ Солсбери [Salisbury ], графство Уилтшир)
Civil War,
the Commonwealth of Nations - (Британское) Содружество (наций) (объединяет
Великобританию и её бывшие доминионы и
колонии, ныне независимые государства)
the common law,
the BBC,
Tithings - десятина
Hadrian wall,
the Protestant Church of England,
hundreds - "сотня", округ (единица административно-территориального
деления графства) первоначально - территория, на проживало
сто семей
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 1. The traditional counties come from the the Commonwealth of Nations that were
formed after the various Kingdom, such as Mercia. Wessex, Kent, etc. 2. A county was
made up of hundreds, which themselves were made up of Shires . 3. Home Counties is
a semi-archaic name for the English Counties bordering London. 4. The meridian at
which the longitude is 0 degrees passes through Royal Greenwich Observatory. 5. The
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen. 6. The massive stone circles
to the north of Salisbury in the South of England called Stonehenge date from 3100
BC. 7. In the 1st century AD the Romans had a wall built from east to west known now
as Hadrian wall to protect themselves from the inhabitants of Scotland at that time
called Picts . 8. The most notable uprising of Celtic population against the Romans was
that of the Iceni led by Boudicca. 9. The Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes,
progressively settles England after the Romans pushing local tribes to the north. 10. The
Vikings plundered and later settled England eventually ruling Tithings from the late 9th
century. 11. The Tower of London has always been the royal palace, fortress and prison
in the English capital. 12. Henry VIII created the Protestant Church of England to be
able to divorce and marry again as he wished. 13. Elizabeth's reign is often referred to
as the Golden Age of English culture. 14. The attempts of Charles I to get more power
than it was acceptable to people led to the major Civil War of 1642. 15. The British
Empire was replaced by the association of former colonies called Shires. 16. English law
is known generally as the common law. 17. The BBC is one of the world's most
powerful broadcasting corporations.

3. Decide whether the statements are true or false:

1. Traditional English cuisine is very bland. F
No, fusion-cooking range of Indian-style dishes are using certain sets of spices and
sauces, invented in England
2. The Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower of London are still called les rosbif. F
No, Beefeaters
3. Yorkshire pudding is a famous English desert. T
4. Traditional oat porridge was typically English T
5. The most popular take-away food always used to be from the ubiquitous Fish and
Chip Shop. T
6. The only widespread wines in the past used to be champagne, sherry and port. T
English becoming a main consumer of sweet fortified wines like sherry, port wine,
and Madeira wine from Spain and Portugal.
7. The English always drink their tea with milk. T
8. Thatched cottages in England are the most inexpensive housing. T
it is much more expensive to thatch a roof than to cover it with slate or tiles.
9. A hackney carriage is a taxicab that is allowed to travel the streets looking for
passengers to pick up. T
10. King Arthur is a historic figure of the 5th century England. T
He was a legendary British leader of the late fifth and early sixth centuries
11. Arthur's knights engaged in fabulous quests, famously including one for the
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Holy Grail. T
12. Winston Churchill reached the height of his fame as the heroic prime minister of
Great Britain during World War II. T
13. English winters usually have much snow. F
The season is generally cool, wet and windy. The only areas with significant
snowfall are the Scottish highlands and the Pennines
14. England is the most populous and the most ethnically diverse nation in the United
Kingdom. T
15. The Home Counties were originally Kent, Surrey, Middlesex, and Essex. T
16. There are four airports in London, and Gatwick is one of them. T
17. Westminster Abbey is crammed full of the tombs of personalities from world
history over the past thousand years. T
18. In England a hundred was a division of a shire for administrative, military
and judicial purposes under common law. T

4. Write the letter of the best answer according to the information in the text:
a) Christianity arrived in Britain before the Church of Rome was created.
b) Christianity was brought to England by the Church of Rome. +
c) Christianity was brought to England by the Norman invasion.

a) Soccer refers to the rival form of football developed within certain nations.
b) Football refers to the rival form of soccer developed within certain nations.
c) Football and soccer are the same in England. +

a) Cricket originated in Australia.

b) Cricket originated in the USA.
c) Cricket originated in England. +

a) JRR Tolkein is famous for his Harry Potter books.

b) JRR Tolkein is famous for the "The Lord of the Rings". +
c) JRR Tolkein is famous for his books about King Arthur.

a) May Day has its roots in ancient pagan rituals reinforced by the Roman Day of
Flora.
b) May Day was created by the international Socialist congress of 1889. +
c) May Day was introduced by Margaret Thatcher during her reign as Prime Minister.

a)Fireworks Night celebrates an attempt of English Roman Catholics to blow

up Parliament and King James I. +
b) Fireworks Night celebrates the Queen's birthday.
c) Fireworks Night is held on New Year's Eve.

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 a) Boxing Day is the second day of Christmas. +
b) Boxing Day is All-England Boxing tournament.
c) Boxing Day is the day after Christmas when all empty boxes are thrown away.

a) Christmas crackers are a festive dish eaten with cheese.

b) Christmas crackers is a popular party game after Christmas dinner.
c) Christmas crackers are paper rolls containing a small explosive and a gift. +

5. Identify the events in English history related to the following names:

Richard the Lionheart - the Third Crusade, prompted by Saladin's capture of

Jerusalem in 1187
Lord Nelson – the great British admiral, The Battle of Trafalgar (at which he lost his
life) - 21 October 1805
the Roman Emperor Claudius - He was the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian
dynasty, who added Britain to the Roman Empire (43 AD Claudius undertook the
conquest of Britain)
Boudicca- was queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England and led a major uprising
against occupying Roman forces. Boudicca's warriors successfully defeated the Roman
Ninth Legion and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, then at Colchester
Egbert of Wessex – called "the first king of all England.", Helped to make Wessex such
a powerful kingdom that England was eventually unified around it.
William of Normandy – He defeated and killed the last Anglo-Saxon king of England
at the Battle of Hastings.In 1066, he was crowned king in Westminster Abbey.
Simon de Montfort – In May 1264, Simon de Montfort won a resounding victory at
Lewes and set up a new government
Henry VII – Henry ended the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses,
founded the Tudor dynasty and modernised England's government and legal system.
Henry VIII – known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the
Roman Catholic Church. Henry also oversaw the legal union of England and Wales
with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542.
Elizabeth I – Tudor queen of England and Ireland, nicknamed 'Gloriana' and the 'Virgin
Queen'. The ill-fated Spanish Armada was launched by Philip II of Spain the following
year, bringing to a climax the threat posed to English independence from Spain since
Elizabeth's accession.
Oliver Cromvell – was an English military and political leader best known in England
for his involvement in turning England into a republican Commonwealth and for his
later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. Events that occurred
during his reign and his politics are a cause of long lasting animosity between Ireland
and the United Kingdom.
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King Oswiu of Northumbria – was a King of Bernicia. At the Battle of the Winwæd
Oswiu unexpectedly defeated and killed Penda. He established himself as King of
Mercia
Geoffrey Chaucer - Chaucer was the first great poet writing in English, whose best-
known work is 'The Canterbury Tales'. Chaucer was captured by the French during the
Brittany expedition of 1359, but was ransomed by the king

Guy Fawkes - In November 1605, the infamous Gunpowder Plot took place in which
some Catholics plotted to blow up the English Parliament and King James l, on the day
set for the king to open Parliament. The men were angry because the king had treated
them badly and they didn't like it. The story is remembered each 5th November when
'Guys' are burned in a celebration known as "Bonfire Night".

Venerable Bede - St Bede is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon
scholars. He wrote around 40 books mainly dealing with theology and history. it is to
this man that we owe, from his historical accounts, our dating of years from the birth of
Christ.
King Arthur – search of the Holy Graal, the knights of the Round Table, the battle of
Badon, in which Arthur carried the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ for three days and
three nights on his shoulders and the Britons were the victors.  The battle of Camlann,
in which Arthur and Medraut fell: and there was plague in Britain and Ireland.
Winston Churchil – was a politician and wartime prime minister who led Britain to
victory in World War Two. Britain retreats from France and Britain bombs Berlin.

6. Match the events in the first column to the dates in the second column:

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The Romans led by Julius Caesar landed in Great Britain 55-54 BC

The uprising of Celts against the Romans led by Boudicca 61-62 AD

The Battle of Hastings 1066

The Union Flag was adopted - 1606-1800 (England), 1707-1800 (Scotland)

Margaret Thatcher was forced by the public to resign 1990

Separation of the English Christian Church from Rome l-2nd centuryAD

The end of the Wars of the Roses 1485

The Viking raid on the monastery at Lindisfarne 793

The first English Parliament 1066
The beginning of the Industrial Revolution 1839-1902

The restoration of monarchy 1660

Winston Churchill was made war leader 1914
The Victorian Era 1837 - 1901
The beginning of undivided Saxon rule in England 5 th century AD

The foundation of Oxford University 1096

The Roman Occupation began AD 43

The Elizabethan era 1558–1603
Christianity arrived in Britain 597

The English Civil War 1642

The rule of Henry VIII 1491-1547

7. Match the following words and word combinations to their correct meaning:

Alba The name for England given by Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy
Bobbies A name for London policemen
Riding An old name for the traditional subdivision smaller than a county
The Picts The oldest inhabitants of Scotland and England
Public schools Private schools not run by the state
The Danelaw A territory ruled by the Vikings from the late 9th century
"Tube" The London Underground
Shires The name of old administrative units controlled by a sheriff
Redbricks The main theatre district Universities built in Victorian times from
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"Bangers" British sausagers
"Luddites" The saboteurs of the English Industrial Revolution
Don Professor at Oxford
Bank holiday -v. National holiday, a day-off
Greater London The English capital with surrounding areas
Beefeaters The Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower of London
Law Lords The judicial members of the House of Lords
Domesday Book A survey of English population, their property and lands for taxation
purposes
Simnel cakes Rich fruit cakes eaten on Mothering Sunday
The "West End" The main theatre district
The Normans Viking and Slav settlers in France who conquered England in the
11th century
Cockney
Square mile The financial centre of London
The famous London dialect

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14
 8.Tell the tale of Lady Godiva and the life story of Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni
tribes.

Godiva (Old English: Godgifu, "god gift"), often referred to as Lady Godiva (fl. 1040–1080), was an
Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry, in
England, in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants.
The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man
named Tom had watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.

According to the popular story, Lady Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering
grievously under her husband's oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed again and again to her
husband, who obstinately refused to remit the tolls. At last, weary of her entreaties, he said he would
grant her request if she would strip naked and ride through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him
at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should stay indoors and shut their windows,
she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. Only one person in the town, a tailor ever
afterwards known as Peeping Tom, disobeyed her proclamation in one of the most famous instances of
voyeurism. In the story, Tom bores a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva pass, and is struck
blind. In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes.

The oldest form of the legend has Godiva passing through Coventry market from one end to the other
while the people were assembled, attended only by two knights. This version is given in Flores
Historiarum by Roger of Wendover (died 1236), a somewhat gullible collector of anecdotes, who quoted
from an earlier writer. The later story, with its episode of "Peeping Tom," appeared first among 17th
century chroniclers.

At the time, it was customary for penitents to make a public procession in only their shift, a sleeveless
white garment similar to a slip today and one which was certainly considered "underwear." Thus, some
scholars speculate, Godiva may have actually travelled through town as a penitent, in her shift. Godiva's
story may have passed into folk history to be recorded in a romanticised version. Another theory has it
that Lady Godiva's "nakedness" may refer to her riding through the streets stripped of her jewellery, the
trademark of her upper class rank. However, both these attempts to reconcile known facts with legend are
weak; there is no known use of the word "naked" in the era of the earliest accounts to mean anything
other than "without any clothing whatsoever."

Moreover, there is no trace of any version of the story in sources contemporary with Godiva, a story that
would certainly have been recorded even in its most tame interpretations. Additionally, with the founding
of Coventry circa 1043, there was little opportunity for the city to have developed to an extent that would
have supported such a noble gesture. Lastly, the only recorded tolls were on horses. Thus, it remains
doubtful whether there is any historical basis for the famous ride.

Like the story of Peeping Tom, the claim that Godiva's long hair effectively hid her nakedness from sight
is generally believed to have been a later addition . Certain other thematic elements are familiar in myth
and fable: the resistant Lord (cf. Esther and Ahasuerus), the exacted promise, the stringent condition and
the test of chastity. Even if Peeping Tom is a late addition, his being struck blind demonstrates the closely
knit themes of the violated mystery and the punished intruder.

The life story of Boudicca

The Celts were a race of tribal warriors whose history and influence can be traced back to 1200 BC, to a
period called the Bronze Age. They established themselves and their diverse culture all over Europe and
into England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. They had no real central government, each tribe bound only
by its customs and religion, which included earthbound deities, demons and sun gods. It wasn’t
15
uncommon for tribes to go to war against each other. Each tribe was ruled by a King and his Queen and
written Roman history states that women often rode into battle alongside the men. It was Herodotus,
Greek writer and historian, who named the warrior race the “Keltoi”, a name that was later shortened to
the Celts.

The Celts and the Romans were at odds for centuries, ever since a great Celtic army sacked Rome in 390.
This animosity followed the tribes even after they left the European continent and invaded and established
themselves in Britain. When Julius Caesar conquered the island in 55 BC, Britain was turned into an
official Roman province, all its subjects falling under Roman Law. For the next century relations between
most Celtic tribes and their Roman conquerors remained peaceful.

Roman colonisation escalated in 43 AD and settlements and garrisons were established all over the
countryside, including London, or “Londinium” as it was known then. At the time of this latest invasion a
rich and powerful Celtic tribe called the Iceni lived in territories that are today the counties of Norfolk
and Suffolk. King Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni, agreed to become a Roman ally but only if he was
allowed to retain his territories. Following Prasutagus’s lead, several other Celtic tribes agreed to this
same arrangement.

Prasutagus died suddenly, leaving behind his grieving queen, Boudicca, and their two daughters, Comorra
and Tasca. He had also left a written will, stating that half his kingdom and wealth would go to Rome, the
other half to his daughters as their rightful inheritance. Roman officials ignored the King’s will, however,
and demanded Queen Boudicca hand over all her wealth and territories. When she refused, proclaiming
her treatment as unfitting of a Roman ally, soldiers were ordered to arrest and flog her and then brutalise
and rape her daughters.

Once she was released and her daughters returned to her side, Boudicca was not content to sit back and
allow the atrocities committed against her family to go unanswered. She rallied the support of a
neighbouring tribe, the Trinovantes, and also a few other Celtic tribes from the north, who had thus far
refused to bow to Roman rule. Within a short time Queen Boudicca had amassed an army of over
100,000. Her first target was Comulodunum, a garrison of retired Roman soldiers and their families.
Boudicca and her forces spared no one and she ordered the city and its temples put to the torch. A Roman
infantry of 5000 was sent to deal with the upstart Queen but they were also annihilated to the last man.
Boudicca’s bloody rebellion moved on, her next targets Londinium and Verulamium and surrounding
Roman settlements, which were all systematically sacked and burned.

While Boudicca continued exacting her revenge against the Romans, the current Governor, Suetonius,
galvanised an army of 10,000 legionaires and marched them to an area where he was fairly certain his
highly trained soldiers would have a tactical advantage over the Queen’s rebels. With a dense forest at
their backs his forces would meet the enemy from only one direction.

Meanwhile, Boudicca and her warriors, certain they would once again prevail over such a small Roman
force not only quickly but completely, brought their families along to witness this latest conquest. The
battle raged all day, Boudicca sending wave after wave of her Britons against Suetonius’s much more
disciplined legionaires. The Romans successfully repelled the rebels, eventually surrounding the Queen’s
remaining forces amidst their own trapped and terrified families. The Romans began their own systematic
slaughter of warriors, women, children and the elderly, carnage from which few escaped. Boudicca and
her two daughters did manage to get away, but rather than be taken back to Rome and paraded before the
Emperor as political prisoners, they chose to commit suicide. So ended the short-lived Boudiccan
rebellion.

Today Boudicca, warrior Queen of the Iceni tribe, is regarded as a patriotic Briton and heroine, a woman
and a leader who stood her ground against foreign invasion. A life-sized bronze statue of Boudicca and
her daughters was erected at Westminster bridge, across from the British House of Parliament during the
16
reign of Queen Victoria. Several literary works have also been written based on her life and her
accomplishments. One of the most popular is the poem, “Boadicea”, penned by Sir Alfred Lord
Tennyson.

9. Prepare presentations on a) King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table and
b) Robin Hood and his Merry Men using additional sources.

King Arthur was a king who ruled England. He brought peace to the land because no enemy could defeat
him and many backed away from his deadly sword. Arthur owned a special sword that was given to him
and that could kill anyone. The scabbard, or the sword’s case, could instantly heal any disease. This
sword was called Excalibur. When King Arthur was ruling England, he grew restless and the legend goes
that he soon conquered France. He then formed Camelot and the Round Table. Camelot was Arthur’s
royal castle and the place where the Round Table was located.

     King Arthur and the knights were semi-fictional characters that protected England for over a century.
The debate over whether they really existed is still a hot topic with historians. Most agree that he did rule
England around 500 A.D. Since he lived before the middle ages, he was not the medieval knight that
many think he was. Most believe that he did rule England for a short while but not in the style of
greatness that the stories make him out to be. Some historians believe that he did live in Camelot with his
Round Table. No matter what the real facts are, it is true that King Arthur probably did exist.

     Many people wonder if the Round Table was a round table, a group of men, or just a figure of speech.
It was actually a real table created to seat over 150 knights in King Arthur’s castle, Camelot. It was made
of very valuable wood and by its size would have been worth A LOT of money. It was created by Merlin
as a wedding present when Arthur married Guinevere. There are rumors that said that Merlin enchanted
the table to make it invincible when Arthur was alive. This is of course only a rumor. The round table
was a majestic and powerful table.

Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known
for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor,"[1] assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his
"Merry Men."[2] Traditionally Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes.[3] The
origin of the legend is claimed by some to have stemmed from actual outlaws, or from ballads or tales of
outlaws.[4]

Robin Hood became a popular folk figure starting in medieval times continuing through modern
literature, films, and television. In the earliest sources Robin Hood is a commoner, but he was often later
portrayed as an aristocrat wrongfully dispossessed of his lands and made into an outlaw by an
unscrupulous sheriff.

In popular culture Robin Hood and his band of merry men are usually portrayed as living in Sherwood
Forest, in Nottinghamshire, where much of the action in the early ballads takes place.[5] So does the very
first recorded Robin Hood rhyme, four lines from the early 15th century, beginning: "Robyn hode in
scherewode stod."[6] However, the overall picture from the surviving early ballads and other early
references[6] suggest that Robin Hood may have been based in the Barnsdale area of what is now South
Yorkshire (which borders Nottinghamshire).

Other traditions point to a variety of locations as Robin's "true" home both inside Yorkshire and
elsewhere, with the abundance of places named for Robin causing further confusion.[7][8] A tradition
dating back at least to the end of the 16th century gives his birthplace as Loxley, Sheffield in South
Yorkshire, while the site of Robin Hood's Well in Yorkshire has been associated with Robin Hood since
at least 1422.[9] His grave has been claimed to be at Kirklees Priory near Mirfield in West Yorkshire, as

17
implied by the 18th-century version of Robin Hood's Death, and there is a headstone there of dubious
authenticity.[10]

The first clear reference to "rhymes of Robin Hood" is from the late 14th-century poem Piers Plowman,
but the earliest surviving copies of the narrative ballads which tell his story have been dated to the 15th
century or the first decade of the 16th century. In these early accounts Robin Hood's partisanship of the
lower classes, his Marianism and associated special regard for women, his outstanding skill as an archer,
his anti-clericalism, and his particular animosity towards the Sheriff of Nottingham are already clear.[11]
Little John, Much the Miller's Son and Will Scarlet (as Will "Scarlok" or "Scathelocke") all appear,
although not yet Maid Marian or Friar Tuck. It is not certain what should be made of these latter two
absences as it is known that Friar Tuck, for one, has been part of the legend since at least the later 15th
century.[12]

In popular culture Robin Hood is typically seen as a contemporary and supporter of the late 12th-century
king Richard the Lionheart, Robin being driven to outlawry during the misrule of Richard's evil brother
John while Richard was away at the Third Crusade. This view first gained currency in the 16th century,
but it has very little scholarly support.[13] It is certainly not supported by the earliest ballads. The early
compilation A Gest of Robyn Hode names the king as "Edward," and while it does show Robin Hood as
accepting the King's pardon he later repudiates it and returns to the greenwood.

10. Write a short summary of English history from Roman times to the present
and present it in the class.

The history of England began with the arrival of humans thousands of years ago. What is now
England, within the United Kingdom, was inhabited by Neanderthals 230,000 years ago. However,
continuous human habitation dates to around 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last glacial period. The
region has numerous remains from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age, such as Stonehenge and
Avebury. In the Iron Age, England, like all of Britain south of the Firth of Forth, was inhabited by the
Celtic people known as the Britons, but also by some Belgae tribes (e.g. the Atrebates, the Catuvellauni
and the Trinovantes).

In AD 43 the Roman conquest of Britain began; the Romans maintained control of their province of
Britannia through to the 5th century. The Roman departure opened the door for the Anglo-Saxon
invasion, which is often regarded as the origin of England and the English people. The Anglo-Saxons, a
collection of various Germanic peoples, established several kingdoms that became the primary powers in
what is now England and parts of southern Scotland. They introduced the Old English language, which
displaced the previous British language.

The Anglo-Saxons warred with British successor states in Wales, Cornwall, and the Hen Ogledd
(Old North; the Brythonic-speaking parts of northern England and southern Scotland), as well as with
each other. Raids by the Vikings were frequent after about AD 800, and the Norsemen took control of
large parts of what is now England. During this period several rulers attempted to unite the various
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, an effort that led to the emergence of the Kingdom of England by the 10th
century.

In 1066, the Normans invaded and conquered England. There was much civil war and battles with
other nations throughout the Middle Ages. The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state until the reign

18
of Richard I who made it a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire in 1194.

In 1212 during the reign of his brother John Lackland the Kingdom instead became a tribute-paying
vassal of the Holy See until the 14th century when the Kingdom rejected the overlordship of the Holy
See and re-established its sovereignty.

During the Renaissance, England was ruled by the Tudors. England had conquered Wales in the
12th century and was then united with Scotland in the early 18th century to form the Kingdom of Great
Britain.

Following the Industrial Revolution, Great Britain ruled a worldwide Empire, the largest in the
world. Following a process of decolonization in the 20th century the vast majority of the empire became
independent; however, its cultural impact is widespread and deep in many other countries.

19
 Wales

Exercises
2. Supply the word or phrase from the vocabulary list which correctly completes
the sentence:
Snowdonia, Caradoc, Llewelyn the Last, Plaid Cymru, the University of Wales, Pan-
cake Day, leeks, privateer, Cymru, Isca, Owen Glendower, The Royal National
Eisteddfod, St. David, the Welsh Dragon

1. Cymru is the Welsh name for "Wales". 2. The highest mountain in Wales is
located in Snowdonia National Park. 3. Under the leadership of Caradoc Britons defied
the Romans after the Claudian invasion. 4. Isca is the name of the legendary Roman
fortress on the Welsh territory and the best preserved amphitheatre in Britain. 5. St.
David is the only Welsh saint to be canonized in the Western Church. 6. In the end of the
13th century the English King Edward defeated Llewelyn the Last, Wale's last independent
prince. 7. Owen Glendower is the anglicized version of a great Welsh fighter for
independence on the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. 8. The most famous nationalist
party in Wales is called Plaid Cymru. 9. In 1996 the University of Wales was reorganised
into a federal university to absorb a larger number of colleges. 10. The Royal National
Eisteddfod is the most prominent cultural annual event in Wales. 11. Pancake Day is the
last day of hearty eating before Lent. 12. Many, if not most, national Welsh dishes contain
leeks. 13. One of the most famous privateer in the Caribbean was Henry Morgan.
14. Many legends are associated wit the Welsh Dragon.
4. Write the letter of the best answer according to the information in the text:
a) Snowdon in the old Welsh means "the highest peak". +
b) Snowdon in the old Welsh means "the grave/tomb".
c) Snowdon in the old Welsh means "the deepest lake".
a) The capital city of Wales is Newport.
b) The capital city of Wales is Swansea.
c) The capital city of Wales is Cardiff. +
a) The Silures were the major tribe of south-east Wales. +
b) The Silures were the famous prehistoric megaliths.
c) The Silures were invaders of Wales in the Middle Ages.
a)A Dyke is a kind of agricultural instrument in Middle Ages.
b)A Dyke is a great earth wall, such as the one constructed by a Saxon king to mark off
a large part of Powys conquered from the Welsh. +
c)A Dyke is a burial mound.
a) "Presbyter" originally meant a priest. +
b) "Presbyter" originally meant a bishop.
20
 c) "Presbyter" originally meant a characteristic Welsh chapel.
a) Llywelyn the Great was the father of Llywelyn the Last.
b) Llywelyn the Great was the grandfather of Llywelyn the Last. +
c) Llywelyn the Great was no relation to Llywelyn the Last.
a) Owain Glyndwr headed the uprising for Welsh independence from England. +
b) Owain Glyndwr betrayed his people to the English.
c) Owain Glyndwr was a legendary Welsh hero under the Romans.
a) "Cymru am byth" means "Wales will win the Eurovision Song Contest".
b) "Cymru am byth" means "Wales for ever". +
c) "Cymru am byth" means "Wales is always right"

a) A Privateer is a licensed or "official" pirate. +

b) A Privateer is a private entrepreneur.
c) A Privateer is a land owner.

6. Match the events in the first column to the dates in the second column:

Wales lost its independence 1282

The title Prince of Wales was given to Llywelyn the Last 1258
The Welsh Dynasty, the House of Tudor, held the English throne 1485-1603
The Treaty of Aberconwy 1277
The Red Dragon Flag was granted official status 1959
Owain Glyndwr defeated an English force at Pumlumon 1401
St. David died 589 A.D.
The Act of Union 1536
The Wales and Berwick Act 1746
The National Assembly for Wales was established 1998
Plaid Cymru was founded 1925
The Welsh broadcasting channel started its operation 1982
Wales hosted the Rugby World Cup 1999
The university of Wales was chartered 1893

8. Tell the tale behind the flag named "the Red Dragon" and the prophecy related
to it.

The origin of the adoption of the dragon symbol is now lost in history and myth. A plausible theory is that
the Romans brought the emblem to what is now Wales during their occupation of Britain, but it could be
even older. The green and white stripes of the flag were additions by the House of Tudor, the Welsh
dynasty that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603.
The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolize Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written around
21
820 AD, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of Arthur and other ancient Celtic
leaders. Many legends are associated with the Welsh dragon. The most famous is the prophecy of
Myrddin(or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon. According to the prophecy,
the white dragon would at first dominate but eventually the red dragon would win. This is an allegory of
the historical struggle between the Welsh and the English.

SCOTLAND

Exercises
1. Answer the following questions to the text:
1. Is Scotland an independent country and nation? – It is a country, former independent
kingdom and one of the 3 nations comprising Great Britain. 2. What is the ancient and
modern Gaelic name for Scotland? – Alba. 3. What differentiates the Scottish flag from the
English flag? – The national flag of Scotland features a white saltire on a blue field. 4.
Where is Scotland located and what are the specifics of its landscape? – Scotland comprises
the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is bordered on the south by England. The
country consists of a mainland area plus several island groups. 5. Compare the climate of
Scotland to that of England and other continental countries of the same latitude. – Scotland
has a temperate oceanic climate, milder than might be expected from its latitude. 6. Where
does the majority of the Scottish population live? – They live in the Central Belt, which
contains Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling. 7. What were the early settlements in Scotland?
– The were in the Inner Hebrides islands, dating back some 9000 years. 8. What are the
earliest known tribes in Scotland as described by the Romans? – Picts (painted people)
living south of the rivers Clyde and Forth. 9. What was the purpose of building Hadrian's
Wall? – Hadrian's Wall was built by Romans to prevent invasion of barbaric tribes from
the North. 10. When does the name "Alba" first appear? After what historic event? – It was
the name given to the kingdoms Picts and Scots (Pictavia and Dalriada), unified by Kenneth
Mac Alpin. 11. What was the major change in the development of the country starting from
the 1000s? – Scotland lost its mainly Celtic character. It took on a mixture of Celtic and
English characteristics. 12. How did William Wallace and Robert the Bruce affect Scottish
history? Why are they still revered today? – In 1297, the angry Scots rebelled against
Edward’s authority. The leader of one revolt, William Wallace, decisively defeated the
English in Stirling. In 1306, Robert the Bruce, seized the throne. He began his bid to free
the Scottish kingdom from English control. 13. How did the relations between Scotland and
England develop in the 14th to 16th centuries? – With the fall of Berwick in 1318, all Scotland
was free. But England unknowledged Scotland’s independence. 14. What was the story of how
Scotland turned Protestant? – Scottish nobles adopted the role of religious reformers. Their
actions led to a civil war. The Scottish Parliament outlawed the Mass, denied the authority
of the pope, and made Scotland into a Protestant country. 15. What were the consequences
of the failure of Mary, Queen of Scots to become ruler of England? – When Mary returned
to Scotland from France, she was received with tolerance. She sought to give Elizabeth no
further offence. 16. What happened to Scotland under the rule of Oliver Cromwell and later

22
with the Act of Union of 1707? – Scotland virtually became an English province. The
English and Scottish kingdoms and parliaments were combined as the United Kingdom
and the Parliament of great Britain. 17. What was the major change that happened to
Scotland under the Blair Labour government of the UK? – It held referendums on the
issue of devolution: the creation of national assemblies in each of the 3 countries of the
UK except England. 18. What are the official and de facto languages in Scotland? – There
are 2 official languages, Scots and Scots Gaelic, in addition to the de facto language,
English. 19. What cunency is used in Scotland? – Different symbols are used from English
coins and on banknotes, which are issued by 3 banks. These notes do not feature the Queen of
England, but Scottish personalities. 20. What differentiates the history and current state of
education in Scotland from those in other countries? – Scotland became the first country
since Sparta in classical Greece to implement a system of general free State education. 21.
What are the peculiar features of Scots Law found nowhere else? – The Scots Legal system
is unique in having 3 possible verdicts for a criminal trial: «guilty», «not guilty» and «not
proven». 22. What churches and religions are there in Scotland? – The Church of Scotland
(or The Kirk) is the national church. It differs from the Church of England in that it has a
Presbyterian form of church governance, not state control. 23. What are the most popular
kinds of sport in Scotland? – Shinty, golf, highland games, football, rugby. 24. Describe the
Highland Games and their traditional competitions? – The competitions are best known for
traditional competitive athletic heavy events, highland dancing and pipe bands. The major
heavy events are the hammer throw, shot putt and tug-of war, together with the unique
caber toss. 25. What are the outstanding literary figures of Scotland? – Robert Burns, Sir
Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Rankin. 26. What are
the popular festivals in Scotland? – the Edinburgh festival, the Edinburgh festival Fringe.
27. What are the specifically Scottish holidays and traditions related to them? –
Hogmanay (New Year – it is traditional after midnight to sing Robert Burns’ «For Auld
Lang Syne», tradition of the first-footing, the smocking stick) and Ne’erday (Christmas
Day). A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (25
of January). Recitation of the poem Address to a Haggis by Robert Burns is an important
part of the supper. Today Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. 28. What are the icons
associated with Scotland by everybody else in the world? – Loch Ness, Irn Bru
(caffeinated soft drink), a tartan (a specific woven pattern that in modern times signifies a
particular Scottish clan), single malt Scotch whisky.

2. Supply the word or phrase from the vocabulary list which correctly completes
the sentence:
patron, Lowlands, Scottish Gaelic, an English province, Lallans, Gaelic, the Pound
Sterling, free State education, uncodified, "not guilty ", the Church of Scotland, the United
Kingdom, bagpipes, Hogmanay, the Highlands, Great Britain, the Highland games, the
Central Belt, the Stone of Scone, saltire, Uplands

1. Saint Andrew is a Christian martyr and Scotland's ...patron . 2. The national flag
of Scotland features a white ... saltire of Saint Andrew. 3. Three main geographical and
23
geological areas make up the mainland: from north to south, the generally
mountainous ...Highlands, the Central ... Lawlands and the hilly Southern ....Uplands. 4.
The majority of the Scottish population lives in ... the Central Belt. 5. In the 4th century
A.D. people from Ireland began to settle in the Argyll area of Scotland. They spoke a
language that later developed into ... Scottish Gaelic. 6. Edward I of England occupied
Scotland in the end of the 13th century and removed ... the Stone of Scone. 7. Under Oliver
Cromwell, who ruled England in the 1650s, the Scotland virtually became ... an English
province. 8. By the Act of Union the English and Scottish kingdoms were combined as ...
the United Kingdom and the Parliament of ... Great Britain. 9. There are two official
languages in Scotland, Scots, also known as ... Lallans, and Scots ... Gaelic. 10. Both
England and Scotland use ... the Pound Sterling as the unit of currency. 11. Scotland
became the first country since Sparta to implement a system of general.... free State
education. 12. The Scots law is . . . . uncodified 13. The Scots legal system is unique in
having three possible verdicts for a criminal trial: "guilty", "not guilty", and .... "not
guilty"
14 the Church of Scotland .. is the national church. 15. .. the Highland games.. are
traditional competitions originating in the Highland areas of Scotland. 16. bagpipes... are
a class of musical instruments. 17. Hogmanay... is the Scots word for the celebration of
the New Year.

3. Decide whether the statements are true or false:

1. Scotland occupies the southern third of the island of Great Britain. F
2. The Orkneys, the Shetlands and the Hebrides are islands belonging to Scotland. T
3. Glasgow is the capital of Scotland. F
4. Picts are the oldest tribe known to have lived on the territory of Scotland. T
5. Hadrian's Wall was built by Romans to prevent invasion of barbaric tribes from the
North. T
6. Under Anglo-Norman barons Scotland became a feudal state in the 13th century. T
7. William Wallace is a famous Scottish hero who led Scots against English troops
under Edward I and defeated then at Stirling. T
8. Mary, Queen of Scots was famous for her long and successful rule. F
9. The Scottish Parliament never ceased to operate in Scotland. F
10. English is one of the official languages in Scotland. F
11. Scottish Gaelic is a widespread language spoken by many in Scotland. T
12. The Scotland Act 1998 re-established a Parliament with a wide range of powers.
T
13. Scotland was one of the first countries to introduce compulsory secondary
education. F
14. The "not proven" verdict in Scotland is taken by juries to mean "we know he did it
but there isn't enough proof. T
15. The Scottish Church was established as the result of reformation initiated in 1560
by John Knox. T

4. Write the letter of the best answer according to the information in the text:

24
 a) Hogmanay is the Scots celebration of the New Year. +
b) Hogmanay is the name of a Scottish national festival.
c) Hogmanay is a Scottish national dish.

a) First footing is a tradition of crossing the threshold of a friend and singing Christ-
mas carols.
b) First footing is a tradition of crossing the threshold of a friend and giving a piece
of coal for luck. +
c) First footing is a tradition of crossing the threshold of a friend and giving Easter
eggs.

a) A Burns Supper is a festive supper where candles are burnt.

b) A Burns Supper is a traditional torchlight procession.
c) A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns. +

a) Loch Ness is a large, deep freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands. +

b) Loch Ness is a fabled monster, the best-known mystery in cryptozoology.
c) Loch Ness is a kind of biscuit eaten at Hogmanay.

a) Irn Bru sells more than Coca-Cola in Scotland. +

b) Irn Bru sells more than Coca-Cola in Russia.
c) Irn Bru sells more than Coca-Cola in Kyiv.

a) A plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder or a blanket. +

b) A plaid is a type of a typically Scottish cloth pattern.
c) A plaid is the major constituent of Haggis.

a) William McGonagall is famous for being the best Scottish poet. +

b) William McGonagall is famous for being the worst Scottish poet.
c) William McGonagall is a famous historic figure.

a) The Rampant Lion is a heraldic device of the king of beasts rearing up with three
paws stretched out. +
b) The Rampant Lion is a wild animal unique to Scotland.
c) Rampant Lion is a common pattern of Scottish tartan.

5. Identify the events in Scottish history related to the following names:

25
 Kenneth Mac Alpin – unified the kingdoms Picts and Scots (Pictavia and Dalriada),
King Hungus – led the Picts and the Scots in battle against the Angles under
Athelstan,
William I "The Lion" – adopted a heraldic device showing a Rampant Lion, the king
of beasts, bearing up with three paws stretched out,
St. Ninian – is said to have been a missionary bishop in Scotland in the 400’s,
St. Columba – sailed to Iona from Ireland in 563 and converted the Picts,
Macbeth – the Pictish candidate for the throne, whose family had been suppressed by
Malcolm II, defeated Duncan in battle in 1040,
Malcolm III Canmore – one of Scotlands’ greatest early kings, founded a dynasty
whose members were particularly open to influences from England,
David I – was the first to offer land to Anglo-Norman barons in return for various
services,
Edward I of England – occupied Scotland, removed the Stone of Scone,
William Wallace – defeated the English in Stirling,
Robert the Bruce – took advantage of the great resentment the English occupation
caused among the Scottish people,
James IV – signet a definitive peace treaty with Henry VII of England and married
Princess Margatet Tudor,
John Knox – received increased backing, Scottish Reformation,
Mary, Queen of Scots – had offended Queen Elizabeth I by contesting her right to
succeed to the English throne,
Elizabeth I – had Mary prisoner and had her executed,
James I of England – restored the bishops,
Oliver Cromwell – made Scotland virtually an English province,
Bonnie Prince Charlie – collapsed at Culloden,
Tony Blair - held referendums on the issue of devolution: the creation of national
assemblies in each of the 3 countries of the UK except England

26
6. Match the events in the first column to the dates in the second column: 15.Pi
cts
1.The battle of Picts and Scots against Angles under Athelstan 5. 700 B.C. 14.
2.Unification of Scottish and Pictish Kingdom later knownas 10. 300'sA.D. Old
Albavillage of Skara Brae
3.A 1. 832 A.D. Scotti
4.Anglo-Saxon invaded Scotland 4. 400'sA.D sh
5.Picts living in Northern Scotland 3. 3100 B.C. name
6.Romans arrived in Scotland 7. 400'sA.D. for
7.Christianity spread throughout Scotland 2. 843 A.D. Chris
8.Robert the Bruce seized the throne 6. 78 A.D. tmas
9.The Hadrian Wall was built 11. 1297 day
10.Scots arrived from Ireland to settle in Scotland 12. 1314
11.Rebellion under William Wallace 9. 100 A.D.
12.The battle of Bannockburn 13. 1326
13.The first full Scottish parliament 8. 1306
14.The Act of Union 15. 1997
15.Devolution was approved under Blair Government 17. 1947
16.Scotland Act 19. 1999
17.The Edinburgh International Festival was established 14. 1707
18.Education Act 16. 1998
19.The Scottish Parliament reopened 18. 1872
20.Edinburgh was named the world's first City of Literature 21. 1560
21.Reformation initiated by John Knox 20. 2004

7. Match the following words and word combinations to their correct

meaning:

1.Broch 10. The Stone upon which the Scottish kings had

traditionally been inaugurated

2.The Kirk 11. The highest Britain's mountain
3.Alba 5. An outdoor game played on grass with sticks
4.Plaid 8. A popular caffeinated soft drink in Scotland
5.Shinty 7. A specific woven pattern signifying a particular Scottish
clan
6.Caber toss 3. Ancient and modern Celtic name
7.Tartan 15. Painted people
8.Irn Bru 1. Fortifications from Iron Age
9.Scotch 2. The Church of Scotland
10.The stone of Scone 12. Traditional Scottish male dance from about the 1700s
11.Ben Nevis 4. A tartan cloth slung over the shoulder or a blanket
12.The Highland Fling 6. A traditional Scottish athletic event
13.Haggis 9. Traditional Scotch whisky
14.Ne'erday 13. A popular Scottish dish
27
 8. Tell the history behind the two Scottish flags.

The saltire is Scotland's national flag. The lion rampant is the flag of the royal family in
Scotland.

When St. Andrew, one of the Apostles, was being crucified by the Romans in A.D. 60, it is said that he
believed himself unworthy to be crucified on a cross like that of Christ, and so he met his end on a ‘saltire’, or
X-shaped cross (St. Andrew’s cross) which became his symbol.

Two separate legends help to explain the association between St. Andrew and Scotland. One story tells how in
A.D. 345 St. Regulus was instructed by an angel to take some relics (bones) of St. Andrew to a far-off land. He
eventually arrived in Fife on the northeast coast of Scotland, where he founded the settlement of St. Andrews.
Yet another version recalls how in the 7th century, St. Wilfrid brought the saint's relics home with him following
a pilgrimage to Rome. The Pictish king, Angus MacFergus, subsequently had them installed at his new
monastery of St. Regulus at Kilrymont, later renamed St. Andrews.

And still yet another legend links the adoption of St. Andrew’s cross as Scotland’s national flag. This recalls
how, in 832, on the eve of a battle between a combined Picts and Scots army and an invading army of Angles
led by King Aethelstan of East Anglia, St. Andrew appeared to the Pictish king, Óengus II (Angus) and assured
him of victory. The following morning a formation of clouds gathered against the backdrop of a clear blue sky,
depicting a white saltire that was visible to both sides. The omen inspired the Picts and Scots to win a famous
victory over the Angles of King Aethelstan and so the white cross on the blue background was adopted as the
national flag of Scotland.

Following Robert Bruce's victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Declaration of Arbroath officially
named Saint Andrew as the patron saint of Scotland. The saltire appears to have become the official national
flag in 1385 when the Parliament of Scotland agreed that Scottish soldiers should wear the white cross as a
distinguishing mark. In such times flags and banners were important to identify opposing forces in heat of
battle.

Whilst its exact origin may have been lost in myth and legend, the flag of Scotland is generally regarded as one
of the oldest national flags still in modern use.

Not content with one flag however, Scotland also has a second unofficial national flag. This one generally
appears by the thousands wherever and whenever the national sporting teams are competing and is
commonly known as the Lion Rampant. The flag is actually the Royal Standard of the King or Queen of Scots
and it remains the personal banner of the monarch; as such its use is, strictly speaking, restricted.

It is thought that it was King Richard I of England "the Lion-Heart" late in the 12th century who first introduced a
heraldic device showing a rampant lion, the king of beasts, rearing up with three of its clawed paws out-
stretched as if in battle. This Lion Rampant was eventually adopted as the Scottish royal coat of arms and
incorporated into the Great Seal of Scotland.

9. Prepare a presentation on the history and dialects of Scottish.

Scottish and Scots used was originally used for the dwellers of Ireland. Scots was also used for the
Gaelic language of the original Scots. This language was later known as Ersche.

 In the eighth century Scottish and Scots included the inhabitants of Northern Britain, who were of
Irish descent and lived along the west coast of Alban, beyond the Firth of Clyde  (south-west of
Glasgow).

28
 In the Anglo-Saxon period five different languages were spoken in Scotland. Three Celtic languages,
Norse and the same language that was spoken in Northern England, as far south as the Humber.
Linguistically, a large part of the Scottish Lowlands belonged to Northumbria. The borders between
Scotland and England were continually shifting and the Scottish population was a mix of Scots, Picts
(inhabitants of the east side as far south as the Firth of Forth, just north of Edinburgh), Strathclyde
Britons, Norsemen (Norwegians) and Anglo-Saxons. At this time Scotland, as we know it today, was
divided into five parts. There was one part that belonged to England (with English speakers), a
Norwegian colony (Norse speaking) and three Celtic kingdoms (each with their own language).

 In the middle of the ninth century a Scottish ruler managed to succeed to the Pictish throne, however,
he managed to keep the title 'King of Scots'. After some time the term 'Scots' included all inhabitants
north of Forth.

 From the tenth century the Scottish monarchs extended their power to the territory south of Forth.
This was because the Anglo-Saxons 'invited' them in, since they had problems to keep the people i
Northumberland under control.

 In 1122 King David reunit the kingdom north of the Forth with the kingdom south of the Firth of
Forth. When he died in 1153 Scotland had acchieved the stature of a nation. During the 12th century,
however, Scotland remained on and off the vassal of England, and fought for independece. Because
of this the linguistic situation became more complex in the following two centuries . The part south of
the Firth of Forth was considered to be part of England and therefore the language spoken there was
the same as in Northern England, called Lingua Anglica or Inglis.

 Not until the 16th century were distinctions made between the English spoken south of the Firth of
Forth and north of Cheviot Hills, from the Inglis spoken in England. The former was from this time
on, called Scottish.

EARLY SCOTS: 14th up to 15th century. During this period it was the literary dialect of Scotland
and of England, north of the river Humber.

MIDDLE SCOTS: 15th to late 16th century, limited to Scotland.

MODERN SCOTS:17th century till present day. No longer in general literature, only in the spoken
language and in popular poetry.

10. Present in class the life story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and its influence on
the Scottish history.

It was during the time of the Reformation. Great Britain was Protestant, France was Catholic, and
Scotland was torn between the two of them. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots was born into a time full of
religious turmoil. Early in her life she was a pawn in the battle between Protestantism and
Catholicism. As time past she struggled for her independence and self-determination. Nearing the end
of her life she was once again at the mercy of relatives and ultimately put to death by one of them.
She is one of Scotland's most intriguing and controversial women in history.

29
Mary Stuart, queen of Scots was born on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. Her
mother was Mary of Guise, a member of the powerful French family Guise. Her father was James V
of Scotland, the son Margaret Tudor and the nephew of England's King Henry VIII. James V died
shortly after hearing his wife had given birth to a bony daughter, rather than a son that could continue
the dynasty. This made Mary the Queen of Scotland at the age of six days old.

Mary was sent to France when she was only six years old to marry Francis II, the Dauphin, in return
for Frances's aid in helping the Scottish rid themselves of the English. Mary stayed in France for the
next twelve years. During this time she developed into a very beautiful and sexy woman who loved to
dance, ride horses, and gossip. She was tall and had thick re hair. Mary was happy in the French court
where she was King Henry II and his mistress's favorite. This however made her an enemy of
Catherine de'Medici, the King's wife.

Francis II loved Mary so much he allowed her to rule him as well as France after he became King in
1558. However, Mary was not destined to rule France. In 1560, Francis II died and Mary was sent
back to Scotland by her mother-in-law, Catherine de'Medici.

Mary returned to Scotland to find it under the influence of the Protestant, John Knox. Though she was
the Queen of Scotland, her position as the dominant figure there was not as obvious being that she
was Catholic. In Scotland Mary met, fell in love with, and married Henry, Lord Darnley. She
described him as "the lustiest and best-proportioned lang man" that she had ever met. They married in
1564 and soon afterwards Henry proved that his beauty was the limit of his positive characteristics.
He was arrogant, politically incompetent, and fond of frequenting the taverns. Mary excluded him
from all court life and their relationship was one of only marriage.

Mary soon began to grow fond of the companionship of her secretary, close friend, and Italian
musician David Rizzio. Lord Darnley became jealous of him and had him assassinated right before
Mary's eyes. Shortly after this horrific act in 1566, Mary gave birth to a son, James VI of Scotland,
later the I of England. Mary would never forgive Lord Darnley for having Rizzio assassinated.

In 1567, Mary after a failed attempt to reconcile with Lord Darnley became attracted to one of her
firm supporters, the Earl of Bothwell. The Earl of Bothwell, with the help of others, carried out a plan
that caused an explosion at the Kirk of Field, south of Edinburgh's Royal Mile that killed Lord
Darnley. He was discovered as the assassin, but with the help of his political connections was
acquitted soon after. Mary's actual participation in the planning of the assassination is controversial. It
is not known to what degree she was involved or if she even was involved. Soon after the acquittal of
the accusations, the Earl of Bothwell and Mary got married. Scotland was shocked and outraged.
Mary and the Earl were besieged in Borthwick Castle while on honeymoon. The marriage between
Mary and the Earl of Bothwell is also controversial. There are some scholars that believe that Mary
was forced into the marriage and repeatedly raped, not a willing and wanting member of the marriage.

Both Mary and the Earl of Bothwell escaped Borthwick Castle safely and raised an army of
supporters. They fought a battle against the opposition at Carberry Hill. Mary was defeated and
forced to abdicate on her imprisonment in Loch Leven Castle. Mary escaped prison one year later
with help from her Catholic supporters. She was defeated again by the Protestant forces, this time at
Langside near Glasgow. She tried to flee to France, but was blown ashore in England. There she tried
to gain the protection of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

Mary was imprisoned until she could clear herself of the accusations of Lord Darnley's murder. She
remained in prison for some time. After trying to escape she was put under close guard and constant
watch. During her years in prison, Mary continually planned her liberation. In early 1587, Catholic
supporters of Mary attempted to assassinate Elizabeth I so Mary could take her rightful seat at the

30
throne and institute Catholicism was again. Mary's association with the plot was the last straw,
Elizabeth I signed Mary's warrant for execution. Mary had been in prison for nineteen years before
she was executed on the morning of 8 February 1587. She was beheaded at Fotheringay and later
buried at Westminster Abbey by her son, James VI of Scotland and the I of England.

Whether Mary Stuart was the champion of women's rights in the 16th Century as her admirers claim,
or the conspiring and murderous woman that her critics claim, she was one of the most interesting
women of her time. Her life possessed all the qualities of a tragic hero. She was beautiful and had the
world in the palm of her hand, yet it was not meant to be. She would fall from her glorious status due
to circumstances that may or may not have been out of her control.

11. Write a short summary of the Scottish history and present it in the class.

The history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit what is
now Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age. Of the Stone Age, Bronze
Age, and Iron Age civilization that existed in the territory, many artifacts remain, but few written
records were left behind.

The recorded history of Scotland begins with the arrival of the Roman Empire in Britain, when the
Romans occupied what is now broadly England, Wales and the Scottish Lowlands, administering it as
a Roman province called Britannia. To the north was territory not governed by the Romans —
Caledonia, by name. Its people were the Picts. From a classical historical viewpoint Scotland seemed
a peripheral country, slow to gain advances filtering out from the Mediterranean fount of civilisation,
but as knowledge of the past increases it has become apparent that some developments were earlier
and more advanced than previously thought, and that the seaways were very important to Scottish
history.

Because of the geographical orientation of Scotland and its strong reliance on trade routes by sea, the
kingdom held close links in the south and east with the Baltic countries, and through Ireland with
France and the continent of Europe. Following the Acts of Union which united Scotland with England
into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the subsequent Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial
Revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of
Europe. Its industrial decline following the Second World War was particularly acute, but in recent
decades the country has enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance, fuelled in part by
a resurgent financial services sector, the proceeds of North Sea oil and gas, and latterly a devolved
parliament.

31
 Northern Ireland

Exercises
1. Answer the following questions to the text:

The Republic of Ireland

A. 1. How many Irelands are there? Are they part of the same country? 2. No.
2. Does the island of Ireland belong to the British Isles? No
3. What are the colours of the Republic of Ireland flag? The national flag of Ireland is a
vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white, and orange.
4. How does it happen that the Brian Boru's harp is depicted on both the national emblem
of the Republic of Ireland and the Guinness brewery? The harp used as the political symbol of
Ireland is a mirror-image of the original, to avoid legal infringement.
5. What is the Irish name for Ireland? Eire
6. How many traditional provinces were there in Ireland? 4
7. What is meant by Ulster? Where does the name come from? Ulster is one of the four
provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. It is composed of nine counties.
The first part of the name Ulster derives from the Irish Ulaidh, meaning "Fifth of the Ulaid".
In ancient times, the island was divided into five regions, with the Ulaid tribes inhabiting this
northernmost region.
The Irish word for someone/something from Ulster is Ultach. The Latin word for
someone/something from Ulster is Ultonian, which derives from the Latin name for the province,
Ultonia.
8. What is the capital of the Republic of Ireland? Dublin
9. What is the population of the capital? Of the whole country? Dublin –506,211, Ireland
– 6,197,100 (2008)
10. What period do the first prehistoric settlers in Ireland belong to? Mesolithic (8000–
4000 BC).
11. What ancient kings of Ireland do you know? Elizabeth, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I.

12. When did Vikings appear in Ireland and how do they influence the country's flow of
history? In the 8th century, Viking raids interrupted the golden age of Christian Irish culture starting
32
the beginning of two hundred years of intermittent warfare, with waves of Viking raiders plundering
monasteries and towns throughout Ireland.
13. When did English occupation of Ireland begin? In the 12th century
14. What are the statues of Kilkenny known for? A parliament was held at the place of
Kilkenny by the son of King Edward III of England in 1366 where these statutes were passed,
forbidding the Norman invaders from marrying local people.
15. What was Elizabeth I policy in Ireland? What was the response of Romans Catholics
to it? Her policy there was to grant land to her courtiers and prevent the rebels from giving Spain a
base from which to attack England. Between 1594 and 1603, Elizabeth faced her most severe test in
Ireland during the Nine Years War, a revolt that took place at the height of hostilities with Spain, who
backed the rebel leader, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone.
B.
16. What role did Oliver Cromwell play in Irish history? Oliver Cromwell was an English
military and political leader best known in England for his overthrow of the monarchy and
temporarily turning England into a republican Commonwealth and for his rule as Lord Protector of
England, Scotland and Ireland. In Ireland his record is harshly criticized.
17. What historic event the 18 years of Irish independence were closely related to?
18. What was the purpose of the society of Irishmen? To achieve Roman Catholic
emancipation and (with Protestant cooperation) parliamentary reform. British attempts to suppress the
society caused its reorganization as an underground movement dedicated to securing complete Irish
independence.
19. What were the reasons of the Great Famine and Irish immigration? The Great Famine
was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration between 1845 and 1852. The proximate cause
of famine was a potato disease commonly known as potato blight.
20. What did the Fenian Brotherhood strive to achieve? To establish an Irish republic, if
necessary by force.
21. What do you know about the Easter Rising? The Easter Rising was an insurrection
staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the
aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic.
22. When and how did Ireland eventually get its independence? 1949
23. What languages are spoken in the Republic of Ireland now? Irish and English
24. What is the structure of the Parliament of Eira? There are 226 members and two
Houses of the Parliament (Irish: Tithe an Oireachtais):
 Dáil Éireann (Lower house)
 Seanad Éireann (Upper house).
25. Who is the Republic of Ireland current president? Mary Patricia McAleese

27. What are the main sources of law in the Republic of Ireland?
The sources of Irish Law reflect Irish history and the various parliaments whose law affected the
country down through the ages. Notable omissions from the list include laws passed by the first and
second Dáil, and the Brehon Laws (traditional Celtic laws, the practice of which was only finally
wiped out during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland). These latter laws are void of legal
significance and are of historical interest only.

28. What is the dominating religion in the Republic of Ireland now?

The predominant religion in Ireland is Christianity, with the largest church being the Roman
Catholic Church.

29. What are the traditional sports in Ireland?

Sports in Ireland are extremely popular, both in terms of playing them and watching them. The most
popular sports in Ireland are listed below, with a little information about each.  Gaelic Football –
33
By attendance records alone, this is Ireland’s most popular sport. It may look similar to football, but
using the hands to carry the ball, pass to teammates, and get the ball into the goal is not forbidden.
 Hurling – Hurling is native to Ireland, and is incredibly popular. It is somewhat similar to field
hockey, although the ball is usually played in the air rather than on the ground.
 Football (Soccer) – Even though most of the world calls this sport “football,” it is sometimes
called “soccer” in Ireland to avoid confusion with Gaelic football. It is one of the most accessible
sports, easily played by children the world over and at the most professional levels.
 Rugby Union – Known simply as “rugby” in most of the rest of the world, it is called “rugby
union” in Ireland because it was traditionally played predominantly by Unionists. Today both
Unionists and Nationalists play the game, however.
 Hockey – Often called simply “hockey,” it is similar to ice hockey only it is played outdoors on a
pitch.
 Camogie – This is the women’s version of hurling, with a few small rule changes from the men’s
version.
 Gaelic Handball – This is similar to racquetball, except the ball is struck with a gloved hand
instead of a racquet. Interest in this sport has waned in recent years.
 Road Bowling – While this game has an incredibly long history (dating back to the 17th century)
and a set of rules, it can seem like a sport that is being played illegally. It involves the players
throwing a ball along a pre-set road course (usually using roads which are in active use by cars during
the game), and the one who gets to the appointed finish line with the least throws wins.

C. 30. Who are the most famous authors in the English language literature?
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Emily Bronte (1818 - 1848), Charles
Dickens (1812 - 1870), J.K. Rowling (1965 - ), Geoffrey Chaucer

31. What are the traditional Irish instruments, music and dance called?

traditional Irish instruments – harp, Fiddle, Tin Whistle & Flute, Bodhrán & Bones,
Concertina, the guitar, stand-up bass, the banjo, and the Irish bouzouki

Irish traditional music includes many kinds of songs, including drinking songs, ballads and
laments, sung unaccompanied or with accompaniment by a variety of instruments. Traditional dance
music includes reels (4/4), hornpipes and jigs (the common double jig is in 6/8 time).[4] The polka
arrived at the start of the nineteenth century, spread by itinerant dancing masters and mercenary
soldiers, returning from Europe.[5] Set dancing may have arrived in the eighteenth century.[6] Later
imported dance-signatures include the mazurka and the highlands (a sort of Irished version of the
Scottish strathspey).[7] In the nineteenth century folk instruments would have included the flute the
fiddle and the uilleann pipes.

32. What are the most famous Irish dramatists of the past and of nowadays?

William Congreve, Oliver Goldsmith, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Dion Boucicault, George
Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, John Millington Synge, Sean O'Casey,
Samuel Beckett, Brendan Behan, Denis Johnston, Brian Friel, Frank McGuinness, Thomas Kilroy,
Tom Murphy, Hugh Leonard, and John B. Keane.

33. What are the traditional Irish holidays and where do they come from?
 New Year's Day (January 1), if falling on a weekday, or if not, the next day.
 St Patrick's Day (March 17), if falling on a weekday, or if not, the next day.
34
 Good Friday - the Friday before Easter.
 Easter Monday - the day after Easter.
 May Holiday - the first Monday in May.
 June Holiday - the first Monday in June.
 Summer Holiday - the first Monday in August.
 October Holiday - the last Monday in October.
 Christmas Day, if falling on a weekday or, if not, the next Tuesday.

 St Stephen's Day (December 26), if falling on a weekday or, if not, the next day.

34. What ancient gods and spirits of Ireland do you know?

Banbha | one of the trio of goddesses who lent their name to Ireland
Boann | goddess of water and fertility; bore Oenghus to the Daghda
Brigit (Brighid) | goddess of fertility, healing, and poetry
Cian | the father of Lugh
Cliodna | goddess of beauty and the Otherworld
Creidhne | god of metalworking; one of the trio of craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan
Daghda | god of the earth; leader of the Tuatha De Danaan
Danu | goddess who is a version of the Great Mother; mother of the Tuatha De Danaan
Dian Cecht | god of crafts and healing
Donn | god of the dead; the "dark one"
Eriu | another of the three goddesses after which Ireland was named
Fodla | third of the trinity of goddesses of Ireland
Goibhniu | god of the smith; one of three craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan
Luchta | god of wrights; one of the triad of craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan
Lugh | god whose name means "shining one"

36. What Irish people have got international acclaim and for what?

Pierce Brosnan: Pierce Brosnan better known as James Bond is an Irish American actor. He is
known for his very dynamic portrayal of the character in the Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The
World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. This drool worthy actor became an American citizen in
the year 2004. Pierce Brosnan was also a popular figure due to successful television series Remington
Steele. He has a range of characters portrayed by him to his credit. This stunning actor is now also a
film producer and an environmentalist as well!

Paul David Hewson (Bono):Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono of the U2 group was
born in Dublin in Ireland. The Irish band U2 has many smash hits to their credit. Bono is also the
creative head behind the lyrics of the songs. Bono is also known for his controversial lyrics as well.
This talented artist also has numerous awards to his credit. He has also tried his hand at acting. Bono
is also engaged in extensive humanitarian work.

Ronan Keating:Ronan Keating tasted success when he was a member of the popular boyband
group, Boyzone. This famous Irish personality is known for his singing skills and is also a smash hit
with most teenyboppers. Tracks sung by Ronan Keating have hit the number one spot on most charts
and this itself proves the popularity of this talented writer. The band Boyzone, worked together for 7
years after which members went their separate ways. News of their reunion in the years that followed
was rife. Ronan Keating moved ahead with his singing career and has several awards under his belt.

Oscar Wilde:This famous Irish personality was one of the most successful writers ever. Oscar
Wilde’s - The Picture of Dorian Gray, was amongst his most renowned works. Oscar Wilde was

35
more recognized for his role towards aesthetic as well as decadent movements. He often brought
criticism from other writers and found himself shrouded in controversy. Despite everything, the
works of Oscar Wilde speak volumes about his talent as a writer.

Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton:Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton was an Irish physicist and is also
the only famous Irish person to have won a Nobel Award for his work in the science department.
John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton were the recipients of the 1951 Nobel Prize. This was mainly for
their path breaking work on the transmutation of the atomic nuclei. This duo was also awarded the
Hughes Medal of the Royal society of London. This was in the year 1938. He also received many
honorary degrees that were awarded from North American and British Isles institutions.

James Hoban:Famous Irish people cannot be complete without the mention of James Hoban.
This talented Irish architect is renowned the world over for designing the White House. He was born
in Desart, which is near Callan in Ireland. It was in the year 1792, when Hoban won a contest that
gave him the opportunity to design the mansion, which was known later as the White House.

Tony O’Reilly:This famous Irish personality is born in Dublin and is particularly famous as one
of the richest men in Ireland. He was conferred the honor of being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in
the year 2001. This was particularly for his services towards Northern Ireland. He was also the
former CEO of the H.J. Heinz Company and is also well known for his leadership skills. He was
associated with the Independent News and Media Group as well. Tony O’Reilly has both Irish as
well as British nationalities.

37. What is the Irish pub culture is known internationally for?

So warm and so welcoming is the Irish pub that it can be seen as distillation of the Irish spirit of
hospitality, the perfect place to find good conversation, better people, and the best of Irish traditional
music. Whether it’s far down a country road or deep in the heart of the city, the Irish pub is as unique
to Ireland as a fingerprint.

39. How does the Ireland's Call depict the Irish strife for unification

Ireland's Call
(Phil Coulter)

Come the day and come the hour

Come the power and the glory
We have come to answer
Our Country's call
From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We'll answer Ireland's call

From the mighty Glens of Antrim

From the rugged hills of Galway
From the walls of Limerick
And Dublin Bay
From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
36
Shoulder to shoulder
We'll answer Ireland's call

Hearts of steel
And heads unbowing
Vowing never to be broken
We will fight, until
We can fight no more
From the four proud provinces of Ireland

Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We'll answer Ireland's call

Ireland's Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international
Rugby Union fixtures. It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket, Rugby League
and A1GP teams.

37
 Northern Ireland

1. What larger country is Northern Ireland part of?

The united Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

2. What is the capital of Northern Ireland?

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland, as well as the second largest city on the
island of Ireland.

3. What is the population of Northern Ireland and where does it mostly live?

1,789,000 (2009)

4. What are the religions in Northern Ireland?

Religious background in Northern Ireland

Religion Percent
Protestant    53.1%
Roman Catholic    43.8%
Non-religion/Other    3.1%

The population of Northern Ireland was estimated as being 1,759,000 on 10 December 2008.[45] In the
2001 census, 45.57% of the population identified as belonging to Protestant or other non-Catholic
denominations (20.69% Presbyterian, 15.30% Church of Ireland, 3.51% Methodist, 6.07% other
Christian/Christian related), 40.26% identified as Catholic, 0.30% identified with non-Christian religions
and 13.88% identified with no religion.[46] In terms of community background, 53.1% of the Northern
Irish population came from a Protestant background, 43.8% came from a Catholic background, 0.4%
from non-Christian backgrounds and 2.7% non-religious backgrounds.[47][48] The population is forecast to
pass the 1.8 million mark by 2011.[49]

5. When was the Northern Ireland created as it exists today?

Northern Ireland consists of six of the nine counties of the Irish province of Ulster. It was created as a
distinct division of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act
1920,though its constitutional roots lie in the 1800 Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland.

6. What is the reason for the Troubles?

Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict — the
Troubles — which was caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman
Catholic, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as
a part of the United Kingdom,[6] while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of
Ireland, independent of British rule.[7][8][9][10] Since the signing of the "Good Friday Agreement" in 1998,
most of the paramilitary groups involved in the Troubles have ceased their armed campaigns.

7. What is the Anglo-Irish agreement known for?

38
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The treaty gave the Irish
Government an advisory role in Northern Ireland's government while confirming that there would be no
change in the constitutional position of Northern Ireland unless a majority of its people agreed to join the
Republic.[1] It also set out conditions for the establishment of a devolved consensus government in the
region.

The Agreement was signed on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough Castle, by the British Prime Minister,
Margaret Thatcher, and the Irish Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald.

8. What are the languages spoken in Northern Ireland?

English, Irish, Ulster Scots

9. What do you know about the segregation of education in Northern Ireland and what is the basis
for it?

Education in Northern Ireland is heavily segregated. Most state schools in Northern Ireland are
predominantly Protestant, while the majority of Catholic children attend schools maintained by the
Catholic Church. In all, 90 per cent of children in Northern Ireland still go to separate faith schools. [3] The
consequence is, as one commentator has put it, that "the overwhelming majority of Ulster's children can
go from four to 18 without having a serious conversation with a member of a rival creed." [4] The
prevalence of segregated education has been cited as a major factor in maintaining endogamy (marriage
within one's own group)[5] However, the Integrated Education movement has sought to reverse this trend
by establishing non-denominational schools such as the Portadown Integrated Primary. Such schools are,
however, still the exception to the general trend of segregated education. Integrated schools in Northern
Ireland have been established through the voluntary efforts of parents. The churches have not been
involved in the development of integrated education.

10. What are the two ethnic groups in Northern Ireland?

The cultural differences that underlie many of Northern Ireland’s contemporary social problems have a
long and troubled history. The region has had lasting links with parts of western Scotland, strengthened
by constant population movements. After the Tudor invasions and particularly after the forced
settlements, or plantations, of the early 17th century, English and Scottish elements were further
differentiated from the native Irish by their Protestant faith. Two distinct and often antagonistic groupings
—the indigenous Roman Catholic Irish and the immigrant Protestant English and Scots—date from
that period, and they have played a significant role in molding Northern Ireland’s development. The
settlers dominated County Antrim and northern Down, controlled the Lagan corridor toward Armagh, and
also formed powerful minorities elsewhere.

2. Supply the word or phrase from the vocabulary list which correctly completes the
sentence:
Hibernia, gallowglasses, the English Pale, undertakers, six counties, lord deputy,
blight, the Fenian Brotherhood, jigs, a Celtic language, Beltain, sheela-na-gig, the Giants
Causeway, Banshee, Saint Patrick.

1. The patron saint of Ireland is called Saint Patrick . 2. Irish is the Celtic language of
the Irish people. 3. The Republic of Ireland occupies the greater part of the island, named
39
Hibernia by the ancient Romans. 4. In the 14th century Irish chieftains hired Scottish
mercenaries called gallowglasses who were more than a match for the Romans. 5. The
Great Famine was caused by (potato)blight which is a plant decease caused either by
insects or fungus. 6. A secret society founded in 1846 to establish an Irish Republic was
called the Fenian Brotherhood. 7. jigs are lively, leaping dances and the music for them. 8.
Beltain celebrated on the 1st of May comes from "bright fire" in Old Irish. 9. The two most
revered Irish pagan goddesses are Banshee and sheela-na-gig. 10. Northern Ireland
consists of six counties that were originally the part of Ulster. 11. The English Pale was a
narrow stretch of territory on the east coast of Ireland. 12. Notable Englishmen to whom
Queen Elizabeth I gave estates in Ireland were called undertakers. 13. A title given
throughout English history to a person appointed to govern a distant territory in the absence
of the English monarch is lord deputy. 14. A most unusual geographical feature of Northern
Ireland is believed to be the Giants Causeway.

3.Decide whether the statements are true or false:

1. Belfast is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. – F
2. The Island Ireland is part of the British Isles. – F
3. Today's emblem of the Republic of Ireland is a version of Brian Boru's harp. – T
4. The first people settled in Ireland in 3000 B.C. – F
5. The revolt of Hugh O'Neill and Red Hugh O'Donnell was the greatest threat that
Queen Elizabeth had to face in Ireland. – T
6. King James won at the Battle of the Boyne. – F
7. The Great Famine was one of the main reasons for Irish immigration to the United
Statues. – T
8. Fenians wanted to support the English monarch in Ireland. – F
9. Sinn Fein was successful from the very beginning. – T
10. The Leaders of the Easter Rising were Thomas Clarke, Patrick Pearse and Sean
MacDermott. – T
11. All the political parties in the Republic of Ireland support the reunification of the
country by peaceful means. – F
12. Irish is not widely spoken in Ireland nowadays. – T
13. The Republic of Ireland has elected a woman as its president for the third time. –
T
14. Eire and Poland are strongholds of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern
Europe. – T
15. Camogie and hurling are two completely different games. – F

4. Write the letter of the best answer according to the information in the text:
a) Ulster is the name of one of the four original provinces of Ireland; +
b) Ulster is the name of the Six Counties;
c) Ulster is the same as Northern Ireland.

a) "Beyond the pale" means "beyond the boundary"

40
 b) "Beyond the pale" means "beyond the boundaries of acceptable behaviour" +
c) “Beyond the pale” means “beyond human possibilities”

a) Plantations in Irish history were attempts to plant as many potatoes as possible;

b) Plantations in Irish history were attempts to “plant” English mentality in Ireland;
c) Plantations in Irish history were attempts to “plant” English Settlers on Irish soil. +

a) Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Celtic step dancing; +

b) Riverdance is traditional Irish dance by a river;
c) Riverdance is the name of a Concert Hall;

a) Stout is a kind of hisky;

b)Stout is a bitter beer; +

c) Stout is a fizzy drink.

a) The Troubles is the name of a pub in Belfast.

b) The Troubles is the difficulty in reading Irish Gaelic words.
c) The Troubles is a way of describing sectarian violence. +

a) Norn Iron is the material used for shipbuilding in Belfast.

b) Norn Iron is a joking way of describing a Northern Irish accent.+

c) Norn Iron is an alternative name for the sick used in Hurling.

a) The name Dublin comes from the Irish for 'Black Pool'. +

b) The name Dublin is Manx for 'another pint of Guinness'.

c) The name Dublin is the name of an ancient Celtic god.

a)Coffin ships are ship carrying coffins for sale.

b)Coffin ships is the name given by the Irish to those vessels used for their passage to
America. +
c)Coffin ships are ships for transportation of dead bodies.

5. Identify the events in Irish history related to the following names:

Finn McCool – Fionn mac Cumhaill (in early texts Finn or Find mac Cumail or mac Umaill, anglicised to Finn McCool
in the Romantic Period of the 19th century) was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the
mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or
Fiannaidheacht, much of it purported to be narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Oisín.
Fionn or Finn is actually a nickname meaning "fair" (in reference to hair and/or skin colour), "white", or "bright". His
childhood name was Deimne "Sureness, Certainty", and several legends tell how he gained the nickname when his hair turned
prematurely white. The name "Fionn" is related to the Welsh name Gwyn, as in the mythological figure Gwyn ap Nudd, and to

41
the continental/Roman British Celtic Vindos, also a 'nickname' for a god such as Belenos.
The 19th century Irish revolutionary organisation known as the Fenian Brotherhood took its name from these legends. The
Scottish name Fingal comes from a retelling of these legends in epic form by the 18th century poet James Macpherson.
King Cormac mac Airt - (son of Art), also known as Cormac ua Cuinn (grandson of Conn) or Cormac Ulfada (long
beard), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He is probably the most
famous of the ancient High Kings, and may have been an authentic historical figure, although many legends have attached
themselves to him, and his reign is variously dated as early as the 2nd century and as late as the 4th. He is said to have ruled
from Tara, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, for forty years, and under his rule Tara flourished. He was famous for his
wise, true, and generous judgments. In the Annals of Clonmacnoise, translated in 1627, he is described as:
"absolutely the best king that ever reigned in Ireland before himself...wise learned, valiant and mild, not given causelessly to be
bloody as many of his ancestors were, he reigned majestically and magnificently".
The hero Fionn mac Cumhaill is supposed to have lived in Cormac's time, and most of the stories of the Fenian Cycle are set
during his reign.
Brian Boru - Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, (c. 941–23 April 1014), (English: Brian Boru, Middle Irish: Brian
Bóruma, Irish: Brian Bóroimhe), was an Irish king who ended the domination of the so-called High Kingship of Ireland by the
Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain,
Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, making himself ruler of the south of Ireland. He is the
founder of the O'Brien dynasty.
Rory O'Connor - (1883–1922) was an Irish republican activist. He is best remembered for his role in the Irish Civil War
1922-1923, which led to his execution. He did not accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which established the Irish Free
State, but which abolished the Irish Republic declared in 1916 and 1919, which O'Connor and his comrades had sworn to
uphold. On 26 March 1922, the anti-treaty officers of the IRA held a convention in Dublin, in which they rejected the Treaty
compromise and repudiated the authority of the Dáil, the elected Irish Parliament.
On 14 April 1922 O'Connor, with 200 other hardline anti-treaty IRA men under his command, took over the Four Courts
building in the centre of Dublin in defiance of the Provisional Government. They wanted to provoke the British troops (whom
were still in the country) into attacking them, which they thought would re-start the war with Britain, and re-unite the IRA
against their common enemy. They also occupied other smaller buildings thought to be associated with the former British
administration, such as the Ballast Office and the Freemasons' Hall in Molesworth Street, but the Four Courts remained the
focus of interest.
In the following months Michael Collins tried desperately to persuade O'Connor and his men to leave the building before
fighting broke out. In June 1922, after the Four Courts garrison had kidnapped JJ O'Connell, a general in the new Free State
Army, Collins shelled the Four Courts with borrowed British artillery. O'Connor surrendered after two days of fighting and
was arrested and held in Mountjoy Prison. This incident sparked the Irish Civil War - as fighting broke out around the country
between pro and anti treaty factions.
King William of Orange - William III (4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was a sovereign Prince of Orange by
birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange (Dutch: Willem III van Oranje) over Holland, Zeeland,
Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland, and
as William II over Scotland.He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy".A member of the House
of Orange-Nassau, William won the English, Scottish, and Irish crowns following the Glorious Revolution, in which his uncle
and father-in-law, James II, was deposed. In the British Isles, William ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II, until her death on 28
December 1694. The period of their joint reign is often referred to as "William and Mary".
A Protestant, William participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic king of France, Louis XIV, in coalition with
Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe. Many Protestants heralded him as a champion of their faith. Largely because of that
reputation, William was able to take the British crowns when many were fearful of a revival of Catholicism under James.
William's victory over James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemorated by the Orange Institution in Northern
Ireland to this day. His reign marked the beginning of the transition from the personal rule of the Stuarts to the more-
Parliament-centred rule of the House of Hanover.

Thomas Clarke - Thomas James "Tom" (11 March 1858[1] – 3 May 1916) was an Irish revolutionary leader and
arguably the person most responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising. Clarke was stationed in the headquarters at the General Post
Office during the events of Easter Week, where rebel forces were largely composed of Irish Citizen Army members under the
command of Connolly. Though he held no formal military rank, Clarke was recognised by the garrison as one of the
commanders, and was active through out the week in the direction of the fight, and shared the fortunes of his
comrades.Following the surrender on April 29, Clarke was held in Kilmainham Jail until his execution by firing squad on May
3 at the age of 59. He was the second person to be executed, following Patrick Pearse.
Patrick Pearse (nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. He was
declared "President of the Provisional Government" of the Irish Republic in one of the bulletins issued by the Rising's leaders,
a status that was however disputed by others associated with the rebellion both then and subsequently.) and Sean
MacDermott (Seán Mac Diarmada (February 28, 1883 – May 12, 1916) (born John MacDermott, usually used the

42
name Sean MacDermott) was one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland.)
Wolfe Tone - Theobald Wolfe Tone (20 June 1763 – 19 November 1798), commonly known as Wolfe Tone, was a
leading figure in the United Irishmen Irish independence movement and is regarded as the father of Irish republicanism.
William Gladstone - (29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over
sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four times (1868–1874, 1880–1885, February–July 1886 and 1892–1894), more than
any other person. Gladstone was 84 years old - still physically vigorous albeit with failing hearing and eyesight - when he
resigned for the last time, making him Britain's oldest Prime Minister. He also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer four
times (1853–1855, 1859–1866, 1873–1874, and 1880–1882).
John O'Mahony - (1816 Kilbeheny, County Limerick, Ireland - February 7, 1877) was a Gaelic scholar and the
founding member of the Fenian Brotherhood in the United States, sister organisation to the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
Arthur Griffith – third leader of Sinn Féin and later President of Dáil Éireann
David Lloyd George – (1863 – 1945) was a British Liberal politician and statesman. He was Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom at the head of a wartime coalition government between the years 1916-1922
and was the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1926-1931.
Michael Collins – (1890 – 1922) was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and
Teachta Dála, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish
Treaty negotiations.
William T. Cosgrave – (1880 – 1965) was an Irish politician who succeeded Michael Collins as
Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government from August to December 1922. He served as the first
President of the Executive Council (prime minister) of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932.
Mary McAleese – (1951) is the eighth and current President of Ireland.
Seamus Heany – (1939) is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. Regarded as an elder statesman of
poetry.
Bob Geldof – (1951) is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He
rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early
1980s alongside the punk rock movement.
Veronica Guerin – (1958 – 1996) was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered on 26 June 1996
by drug lords, an event, which alongside the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe three weeks
earlier, helped establish the Criminal Assets Bureau.

6. Match the events in the first column to the dates in the second column:

1. The Statutes of Kilkenny (1367) 4- 6000 B.C.

2. The First Viking raid to Ireland 3- 1590
3. Irish revolt against queen Elizabeth( 1- 1350
4. First Settlers in Ireland (8000 B.C) 7- 1685
5. Elizabeth confiscated 202 00 hectares from Irish owners 6- 2000 B.C.
6. Metal workers arrived in Ireland 8- 1689
7. Accession of King James to the English Throne 2- 795 A.D.
8. The Battle of Boyne 9- 1798
9. The Races of Castlebar 5- 1597
10.Foundation of the Home Rule Movement 10- 1870s
11.The Easter Rising 12- 2004
12.The second term of Mary McAleese as President 13- 1937
13.Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act and a new Constitution 11- 23 April 1916

43
 7. Match the following words and word combinations to their correct meaning:
Orangemen – Those who want to maintain the Act of Union
Live Aid – A multi-venue rock music concert organised by Bob Geldof
The gift of the gab – Having the ability to persuade eloquently
Tinkers – Irish travelling people
Races of Castlebar – A battle on the flat areas in 1798
Leprechauns – Elfish warriors in Celtic mythology
Craic – Excellent story-telling, having fun in pubs
Bloomsday – A festival named after the central character in Ulysses
Unionists – Protestant Unionists called after William II of England who
defeated the deposed catholic king
The Book of kells – Exquisitely illustrated rendition of the four Gospels

8. Tell the tale behind the name "the Red Hand Flag of Ulster ".

It is generally accepted that this Irish Gaelic symbol originated in pagan times and was first
associated with the mythical figure Labraid Lámh Dhearg or Labraid Lámderg (Labraid of the Red Hand).
According to one myth, the kingdom of Ulster had at one time no rightful heir. Because of this it was
agreed that a boat race should take place (possibly in Strangford Lough) and that "whosoever's hand is the first
to touch the shore of Ulster, so shall he be made the king".
One potential king so desired the kingship that, upon seeing that he was losing the race, he cut off his
hand and threw it to the shore — thus winning the kingship. The hand is most likely red to represent the fact
that it would have been covered in blood. According to some versions of the story, the king who cut off his
hand belonged to the Uí Néill clan, which apparently explains its association with them.
Another story concerns two giants engaged in battle, one of whom had his hand cut off by the other,
and a red imprint of the hand was left on the rocks.

9. Dramatise the Irish jokes you likes the best.

 Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson were on a camping and hiking trip.
They had gone to bed and were lying there looking up at the sky. Holmes said, "Watson,
look up. What do you see?"
"Well, I see thousands of stars." "And what does that mean to you?" "Well, I guess
it means we will have another nice day tomorrow. What does it mean to you, Holmes?"
"To me, it means someone has stolen our tent."

44
 An Irish policeman in Liverpool found a dead horse in Cazneau Street. 
Not being too sure how to spell Cazneau Street he dragged the beast into Lime Street.
A wee Belfast boy came home from school in tears.
'What's the matter, son?' asked his mammy.
'We were doing sums today, Mammy,' he said.
'And were they too hard?'
'Well, the teacher said either I couldn't count, or I was stupid, or all three.'

Murphy walked with his dog every day all through the villiage, so everyone knew both Murphy
and his dog. One day Murphy is on his walk without the dog. Cronin sees Murphy and asks, "Where is your
dog?". Murphy answers, " I had to have him put down." "Was he mad", asks Cronin." "He wasn't too
pleased," says Murphy.

10. Write a short summary of Irish history and present it in the class.

The island or Ireland, some 89,000 sq. km (32,000 sq. mi.) is comprised of the Republic of Ireland (Eire)
which occupies almost 85% of the total land-mass, and Northern Ireland which is part of the United
Kingdom. Within the traditional four ecclesiastical provinces of Ulster (north-east), Leinster (south-
eastern Ireland including the ancient kingdom of Meath), Munster (south-west), and Connaught (or
Connacht, north-west) there are 32 counties, 26 of which are within the Republic. The partition of the
island dates from 1920-22, before which the whole island was under British rule.

The first settlement of Ireland took place sometime around 6000 BC by hunters and fishers along the
island's eastern coast. The Gaels, a Celtic-speaking people from western Europe, found their way to the
island sometime between about 600 and 150 BC and subdued the previous inhabitants.

About the time of Christ the island was organised into five kingdoms, the traditional "Five Fifths of
Ireland". By AD 400 seven independent kingdoms had evolved. The kings of these kingdoms often allied
their armies to raid neighbouring Roman Britain and the Continent. On one of these raids a lad of 16 was
captured, returned to Ireland and sold into slavery. During his enslavement the boy turned to religion and
some six years later at the age of 22 escaped. The young man studied theology in the Roman church and
in 432 returned to Ireland, and began a lifelong quest of converting the Irish to Christianity. This was
none other than Ireland's patron, Saint Patrick.

In the 9th and 10th centuries, Ireland came under fierce attacks from the Vikings. Monasteries suffered
great atrocities at the hands of these aggressors. In 853 the Danes invaded the island and were followed
by Danish settlers who gradually assimilated with the local population and adopted Christianity. When
the four ecclesiastical provinces (Ulster - north-east, Leinster - south-eastern Ireland including the ancient
kingdom of Meath, Munster -southwest, and Connaught, or Connacht - north-west) were created in 1152,
both Gaelic and Danish elements helped form a united Church. This reform, and others advocated by the
Irish church were frowned on by some, including Pope Adrian IV, an Englishman. In 1155 he conferred
on Henry II of England the lordship of Ireland with hopes of curing some of Ireland's perceived
ecclesiastical ills. In 1168 the English invaded the island and soon thereafter began invoking reforms,
many dealing with the granting of land, and many of which violated the traditional political and social
structure.
45
From the latter twelfth century to about 1400, many Norman's from England moved to Ireland and settled
the eastern areas, particularly around Dublin. Some assimilated but strife persisted between the native
Irish and the colonists. In 1367 a law was enacted to keep the two populations separate.

In 1495 Henry VII extended English law over the entirety of Ireland, and assumed supremacy over the
existing Irish parliament. When Henry VIII became king, he tried to separate the Irish Church from the
Papacy much as he had done in England. Instead he intensified Irish resolve toward the English. By the
time that Queen Elizabeth ascended to the English thrown, Roman Catholicism became linked with Irish
sentiment and the Irish refused to accept English imposed ecclesiastical change. Mounting English
domination was also being met with greater Irish resistance. In the 1560s the English suppressed a revolt
in Ulster and Queen Elizabeth took the opportunity to expropriate all lands and settle the province with
Englishmen. By 1660 they had become well seated and English law prevailed throughout the land.

During the reign of James I (ruled 1603-1625), Catholic schools were closed and children were taught in
Protestant institutions. Soon the old distinctions of Irish, Anglo-Irish, and English became realigned to
Catholic and Protestant, although the island remained overwhelmingly Catholic. It was about this period
that the emigration trend began.

When Cromwell took firm control of England, he also invoked strict rule over Ireland and confiscated all
Catholic holdings. Following his death, however, the Irish renewed their claims on their historic lands.
After some successes, in 1690 they defeated the English at Londonderry and signed a treaty with London
that granted them a number of rights, only to see it rejected by the Protestant dominated Irish parliament.

The rift between adherents of the two religions broadened. In 1727, Catholics were excluded from all
public office and denied the right to vote. Although some measured attempts at reconciliation were made
nearing the end of the century, for the most part relations between the two factions remained poor.

In 1798, a revolt in Ireland set in motion a series of events that led the Irish to relinquish their own
parliament. On 1 Jan 1801, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland came into existence. Not
surprisingly, the union in Ireland was highly unpopular and relations continued to deteriorate between the
Catholic and Protestant populations. In the 1830s, a movement began to repeal the union. It found little
favour in Protestant Ulster, though, where growing prosperity kept many committed to the legislative
union with Britain. Catholic areas of Ireland fared less well and when the potato crops of the 1840s failed,
a devastating famine resulted. Between 1841 and 1851, Ireland's population fell from 8.2 million to 6.6
million through starvation, disease, and emigration, particularly to the United States.

Following the famine, Catholic Ireland slowly increased in prosperity but there became a growing
awareness of the greater affluence enjoyed by the industrialised Ulster and British people. Demand for
national self-government came to the fore. The Catholics gradually gained parliamentary power and
"home rule", a separate Irish parliament within the Union, gained popularity. Using their leverage in the
British parliament, a home rule bill was enacted in 1914, but not put in effect until the end of World War
I.

In the twentieth century, Ireland's situation has remained unsettled. In 1920, the "Government of Ireland
Act" set up separate parliaments for both the north and south, although only the former ever functioned.
In 1921 a treaty between southern Ireland and Britain established the Irish Free State, a self-governing
dominion within the British Commonwealth of Nations. This allowed the Northern Ireland Parliament to
take the six northern counties out of the dominion. A subsequent civil war broke out between pro-treaty
and anti-treaty factions but ultimately the treaty stood.

In 1937 southern Ireland drafted and adopted a new constitution creating the new state of Eire. A republic
in all but name, it remained formally within the British Commonwealth. It lasted only eleven years until
1948 when the ties with the Commonwealth were severed completely and the Republic of Ireland was
46
born. In the north, the Protestants and Catholics continued their unsettled relationship with one another. In
1972, the Republic of Ireland joined the European Economic Community (EEC) along with the United
Kingdom and Denmark. That same year, the Northern Irish State was dissolved and the six counties were
put under direct rule from London

47
48