Just have faith...or not

Posted By Hooff Cooksey

When I came to Ireland, I was under the impression that the majority of citizens were Catholics, with a few Protestants thrown in the mix; Northern Ireland was separate from the Republic but was relatively peaceful; that the Irish are very kind and welcoming people, just to name a few.  I was correct about the last one, but that is about it.

Matt (left) explaining uses of turf from the bogs.

This past weekend, I ventured over to Western Ireland to witness the Cliffs of Moher, see Galway, drive through the bogs and view some castles.  I learned a great deal about the formation of bogs, the many uses of the turf harvested, and the natural preservative the bog water acts as.  The next day we were met with the stunning views and scale of the Cliffs of Moher (photos), which soar 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.  However, I could not get over comments made by both of our tour guides on separate occasions.  “I am an atheist?”  

Gravan, our Dublin tour guide, in front of a statue of Oscar Wilde.

Just like that, my assumptions above were instantly proven wrong. 

After doing a little research, it turns out that Ireland has a growing atheists population due to dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church, as well as an impatience with the Catholic/Protestant clashes in Northern Ireland. 

Not only did the guides proclaim themselves to be atheists, but also went on to speak ill of religious establishments.  I could not help but notice a tone of bitterness in their voices.  This reminded me of an earlier comment made by our tour guide Garvan, concerning the state of faith in Ireland.  After the Celtic Tiger in the 1990s, when Ireland’s economy skyrocketed, many Irish lost their faith to materialistic thinking.  However, as the economy began to weaken into the recession in 2006 the church community began to grow again.  

Was the animosity expressed by the guides due to violence in Ireland, the economy, or some of both?

I was thoroughly surprised by the incite into the religious history of Ireland, not to mention that in a few days I will spend a day in Belfast, Northern Ireland where I will be even more enlightened on the subject.  I am slowly learning that to judge Ireland from the outside, at a surface level, does not even begin to allow you to understand the culture, specifically religious.  Not until I actually listened and spoke with Irish men and women did I realize just how much religion impacted this proud and influential country.  

*I will add a short Belfast update to my blog next week, before my regular entry.