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Ireland has made a significant contribution to literature
and the arts.
Amongst Ireland’s most famous sons and daughters are
Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett
and W B Yeats. More modern day writers include Roddy Doyle,
the 1993 Booker Prize winner, and Edna O’Brien.
Music holds
a special attraction for the Irish and the music of the Irish
has travelled well throughout the world having a major influence
on musical development in many areas of the world. Having
influenced other people’s music, it, like many modern
day emigrants, has returned home and in its developed form
has influenced the original Irish music which had been left
at home, bringing together blends of jigs, folk, rock, blues
and jazz to create a truly global mix of modern day sounds
in today’s Ireland.
Traditional
music, which nowadays would appear to cover
anything using the fiddle, flute, bodhran, tin whistle, guitar
or banjo, is available in virtually every town in the land.
There will undoubtedly be a pub with a “session”
going on with some combination of these instruments.
Some
famous contemporary Irish musicians well worth listening to
would be Van Morrison, Paul Brady, Mary Black, Sinéad
O' Connor, Christy Moore and well known bands are U2, The
Corrs, Clannad, The Fureys and, of course, The Dubliners.
The
theatre is
more popular in Ireland than in many modern European countries,
and is relatively well patronised. Tourist offices always
detail currently showing and forthcoming concerts and theatre
productions. Some of the main theatres are:-
| Theatre |
Telephone
No: |
|
Belfast Waterfront Hall |
(353) (0)1232 334400 |
|
Cork Opera House |
(353) (0)21 274308 |
|
The Gaiety, Dublin |
(353)
(0)1 679 5622 |
|
Point Depot, Dublin |
(353) (0)1 836 3633 |
| The
Druid Theatre, Co. Galway |
(353) (0)91 568617 |
|
The Theatre Royal, Limerick |
(353) (0)61 414224 |
|
The Theatre Royal, Wexford |
(353) (0)53 22144 |
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There
are museums
and art galleries
in every major town in Ireland reflecting and depicting the
rich cultural mix and history of the island’s inhabitants.
Again, tourist offices both north and south, have details
of the numerous locations and any special exhibitions. More
details are available from “Heritage Ireland”, Tel:
(353) (0) 1 260 0055
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