Profile on the Republic of Ireland Literature A2
Warm up
1 Guess if the statements below are true or false. Then compare your answers with your classmates and if necessary, check them on the Internet.
1 The capital of Ireland is Cork.
2 The official languages of Ireland are English and Irish.
3 Its currency is the Irish dollar.
4 The Irish flag consists of three stripes; one green, one white and one red.
5 Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle because of the green grass and plants that cover the island.
6 The national symbols of Ireland are the shamrock, the harp, the Celtic cross and Guinness beer.
7 Eire is the Irish name for Ireland.
➜ Did you know...?
The Irish writer George Bernard Shaw is the only person to receive both a Nobel Prize and an Oscar in Literature. His Oscar was for the film Pygmalion
Fill the gaps
Fill the gaps with the missing words.
novel death wife famous prison
Oscar Wilde is one of Ireland’s most (1) and popular writers. He wrote poetry, plays, short stories and one (2) .......... , The Picture of Dorian Grey. He is also famous for his witty* sayings. He was born in Dublin in 1854. In 1895 he was sent to prison for two years. After he left (3) .......... he went to Europe. He died in France in 1900 in poverty. Wilde wrote about his terrible experience of prison life in his most famous poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol. This poem is a protest against the (4) penalty and the prison system. The central event of the poem is the execution of a soldier who murdered his (5) .......... . The most famous line from this poem is Yet each man kills the thing he loves.
Listening 1
3 Below is the first verse of The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Listen to the poem and number the lines in the correct order. And blood and wine were on his hands d He did not wear his scarlet coat,
The poor dead woman whom he loved e And murdered in her bed. When they found him with the dead, f For blood and wine are red,
The Gift of the Gab*
According to legend, if you kiss the Blarney Stone, you will receive the gift of the gab – that means you will become very eloquent. But kissing the stone is not easy. The stone is in the tower of Blarney Castle not far from Cork. First, you have to climb up the tower. Next, you have to lean backwards* over the wall and kiss the stone. In the past people have died trying to kiss the Blarney Stone. In the Sherlock Holmes story, The Adventure of the Blarney Stone, Sherlock Holmes investigates the death – or the murder – of a man who falls to his death while kissing the Blarney Stone. Now there is a metal railing* to stop you falling… Phew!
Vocabulary
4 There are lots of great sayings in Ireland. Match the saying to the meaning.
1 No flies on him
2 It is often a person’s tongue which cuts his throat
a What you say can get you into trouble
b Talking won’t get a job done
3 Talk doesn’t wear the clothes
Over to you
c A person is not easily deceived*
5 Do you have a favourite saying, phrase or word? Tell the class!
SaoiRse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan is a young Irish actress and the star of films like Hanna, Violet and Daisy, and The Host. Her name is Irish, it means freedom. She was born on the 12th of April, 1994. Like all modern-day celebrities she has a twitter account.
Reading and speaking
6 Read Saoirse’s tweet for her 18th birthday. Do you think she had a good day?
U2 rockin’ out on the iPod. Hair and make-up truck* decorated with balloons and stars - what a great start to my 18 th... Doing what I love!
Over to you
7 How do you normally celebrate your birthday? With friends, family, at home, at a restaurant, at a party...
Words to remember
bump: (qui) dare piccoli colpi deceived: ingannata gab: parlantina lean backwards: piegarti all’indietro
railing: ringhiera truck: camion (qui camerino mobile) upside down: sottosopra witty: spiritose/argute
Key Language
My favourite saying / phrase / word is ................................
Did you know...?
It’s an Irish tradition on a child’s birthday to turn the child upside down* and bump* their head on the ground, once for every year of their birthday and once more for good luck… Ouch!!!
Key Language
I normally / usually / sometimes ............................
On my last birthday I celebrated with ..................... Next year I would like to / hope to ...............................