The world of the Irish

Abstract

The Irish — Who are they? The question was posed to Irish artist George Campbell by a Spanish friend in Pedregalejo the tiny Málaga fishing village where he resided several months each year since his arrival in 1950. The answer was simple. George replied: “The Irish are Spaniards who got lost”. This was meant as a tongue-in-cheek reply and the Spaniards did not get lost. There is some truth about the relationship between Irish and Spaniards, implied in Campbell’s reply. A connection that may be traced back to 900 AC. Controversy has surrounded this connection that allowed a strong, unusual relationship to develop and evolve over centuries. The relationship of two people, physically separated by an ocean has remained unbreakable; without impacting cultural, religious, economic and political ties. What/where is the link? Why is the relationship not found between either and other European countries geographically much closer? Discussions and heated conversations surround the answer. One link appears in all research as the only possible thread weaving through time — the answer — Celtic Ancestry. What does Celtic mean? Definitions abound always based on language. If language is the only connection how do shared attributes and similarities remain constant in religion, traditions, environmental beliefs, political inclination, etc. This can only be found in societies that share a common ancestry.