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Cultural Profile Resource: Ireland Cultural Profile Resource: Ireland A resource for aged care professionals Birgit Heaney Dip. 19/06/2014 A resource for aged care professionals Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Background ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Irish Society and Migration …………………………………………………………………………………………...…5 Family ............................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Personal Hygiene .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Leisure and Recreation ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Religion ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Food and Diet ................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Health .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Death and Dying ............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Language ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Disclaimer ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 References ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 2 A resource for aged care professionals Irish Culture Profile Introduction This profile of the Irish cultural community is just one of the many projects undertaken by Quality Aging. This project aims to provide relevant information for community groups and residential aged care providers to implement “best practice” strategies of care for the older individuals from diverse backgrounds. This project is about ensuring the needs of older persons from an Irish cultural background are met. Population trends within Australia are increasingly characterized by a diversity of people, languages and culture. Together with this trend is an aging population, also with a rich diversity of languages and cultures. Not surprisingly then, that residential aged care providers are faced with growing demands for culturally responsive facilities and care. This profile aims to create a tool to provide aged care providers with An awareness of the cultural and linguistically diverse needs of older persons from an Irish background. It also strives to enable the professional capability and progress of staff in the provision of culturally inclusive care; and The organisation’s compliance with the Residential Care Standards and National Care Standards as they pertain to the issue of cultural and linguistic needs. The profile provides beneficial information about a variety of subjects and resources. This is a guide only and is not intended to replace one stereotype of this culture with another; it is only intended to provide some insight into the culture. Nor does it reduce the importance of you establishing the individual cultural needs of each person as part of your care planning process. In an effort to continue to provide you with updated information of this profile and improve its contents, we encourage readers to provide feedback by contacting Quality Aging at [email protected] 3 A resource for aged care professionals Background Ireland enjoys a strategic location on one of the major sea and air routes between northern Europe and North America. Ireland, whose Gaelic name is Eire, occupies five-sixths of the island of Ireland which is to the west of Great Britain. The country is divided into four provinces – Connaught, Leinster, Munster and Ulster and 26 counties. Dublin is the capital of Ireland. The Irish identify themselves more with their counties than with the cities from which they come. Inevitably, there are a number of stereotypes between the Irish concerning the characteristics of people coming from a particular county. The counties are subdivisions of the ancient Provinces of Ireland that were historically based on the traditional geographical areas. Today, the division of the country into counties is still important and has been adopted by cultural and sporting organisations that organise their activities along county lines. The history of the country dates back to 600-150 B.C. when Celtic tribes arrived on the island. A significant point in Irish history is the English invasion, which started in the 12th century, beginning more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by violent rebellions and harsh repressions. In 1921, 26 southern counties gained independence from the UK and the Irish Free State was created. In 1948, Ireland extracted itself from the British Commonwealth and in 1973 joined the European Community. The division of the island into Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic was primarily based on the religious orientation of the people. Northern Ireland is characterised by a strong protestant community whereas in the Irish Republic, catholic orientation is prevalent. This religion-based division and issues stemming from it has been the biggest issue in Ireland’s history in the 20th century. In Ireland there still exist various opinions as to whether the two countries should unite or stay separate. In the past, the tension between the groups advocating different views has caused several conflicts. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement, was finally approved in 1998 and is being implemented, albeit with some difficulties. 4 A resource for aged care professionals Irish Society and Migration Traditionally Irish society has been one of emigration. For hundreds of years more Irish people left Ireland than immigrated to Ireland. The most notable periods of emigration were following the famine in 1845 and more recently in the 1950s and 1980s when large numbers of Irish emigrated to look for a better life. This has changed since the late 1990s when the economy of Ireland improved dramatically. Since then many people have immigrated to Ireland. The Census in 2006 estimated that 1 in 10 people in Ireland were not Irish citizens; this figure included a significant proportion of UK citizens. Although emigration has been a constant feature of Irish society, the late 1990s also saw a trend of Irish emigrants returning home to live in Ireland. Many millions of people around the world particularly in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand claim Irish ancestry. For many generations most Irish people have had family that live in other countries, something that is now also characteristic of immigrants to Ireland. Greetings Irish people have the reputation of being very friendly. Generally people will shake hands when they meet for the first time. Friends will hug or just say hello. Sometimes people will kiss on the cheek if they know each other well. People generally make eye contact because it is a sign of trust and that you are interested in what they are saying. Time Keeping Sometimes it may seem as if time keeping is not very important in Ireland. Generally when someone arranges to meet you at 8pm this will usually mean 8.15pm or later. Irish people, in general, are very relaxed about time. Manners The Irish are generally well mannered. People will generally say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, for example, when getting off a bus most people will thank the bus driver. People also usually queue in line and wait their turn, for example, in a shop. Humour The Irish have a reputation for their wit and humour – which they call having ‘the craic’ [pronounced crack]. As well as quick tongued with jokes they also make eloquent and witty speakers. They pride themselves on being able to find humour and it is often self-deprecating or ironic. It is common for the Irish to trade insults and tease one another (called “slagging”) with people to whom they are close. If you are teased, it is important to take it well and not see it as personal. They have a rich history in storytelling which was used to pass information down through the generations (poems and songs also served the same purpose). 5 A resource for aged care professionals Cultural Taboos If a subject that is inappropriate is introduced, your Irish counterpart will be quick to point this out. As a golden rule, it is essential to keep in mind that Ireland and Northern Ireland are two completely separate countries and political entities, since many conversational issues arise from this difference. Although under certain circumstances it may be acceptable, the topic of Anglo-Irish
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