All posts have to be written in English, they have to follow an acceptable level of grammar and the vocabulary used must be appropriate and polite. Posts without the author's name will not be published.
L.S. Lowry was one of the greatest British artists of the XX century. He was also one of the most unusual. The images of matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs with which he became popular were, and still are, a totally unique strand of European art.
Going to the Match
Apart from these matchstick men he was also famous for painting scenes of life in industrial North-WestEngland in the mid-20th century.
Coming Home from the Mill
Although he has sometimes been considered a naive "Sunday" painter, he is nowadays recognised as one of the most important British painters in the last one hundred years, as it is proved by the major retrospective opened at the prestigious Tate Britain in June 2013.
Going to Work
As a curiosity, we can say that he was a very private person and holds the record for the most rejectedBritish honours (five in total, among them a knighthood).
A Village Square
At the Seaside
Children´s Playground
His matchstick men have become an important cultural reference in Britain. So, rock band Status Quo paid tribute to him in their single "Pictures of Matchstick Men", which became their first hit single.
Pictures of Matchstick Men, Status Quo
In 1978, Brian and Michael reached number one in British charts with the tribute "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs". They have also influences works by film director Terry Gillian, rock band Oasis or even Burberry clothes designs.
Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs
Northern English rock band Oasis made this song in 1996. The song was included in Oasis' compilation album, Stop the Clocks (1986) and a special L.S. Lowry-inspired animated promotional video was created.
Next 17 March, many people in the world will have a celebration. It is St. Patrick´s Day, a cultural and religious holiday commemorating the death of Saint Patrick, who took Christianity into Ireland and is since then the patron saint of that country. He is even said to have taken snakes out of Ireland (That´s the way the Irish explain the absence of snakes in the island)
Millions of people around the world celebrate St. Patrick´s Day
We say that it is celebrated in Ireland, of course, but also by the millions of Irish descendantsall over the world. They remember in that way their Irish identity, which must never be lost.
This day is particularly famous for several symbols and traditions. Let´s see some of them:
WEARING OF THE GREEN
Everything becomes green on 17 March, even Chicago River.
You can drink some "green" beer
Green is the colour associated to Ireland. The island has also been known as "The Emerald island" due to the evergreen colour of their fields. In addition, green was the colour used by Irish soldiers in the 1798 rebellion against the British. The repression they suffered from the British army gave birth to the street ballad "The Wearing of the Green". That´s why many people around the world wear any green clothing on 17 March. This celebration has become so important in countries such as the United States that 90% of its population celebrate St. Patrick´s Day.
Watch out! There exists the tradition of pinching those people who forget to wear something green on March 17.
THE SHAMROCK
The shamrock is a very common plant in Ireland and it was chosen as the national emblem because of the legend that St. Patrick had used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity is the idea that God is really three-in-one: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Apart from that, Irish people consider shamrocks as good-luck symbols.
The shamrock is one of the main symbols of Ireland
LEPRECHAUNS
We are sure you have seen before the image of a leprechaun. They are small fairies that look like small old men. According to legends, they are unfriendly and live alone. They also have a hidden potof gold. If you trap a leprechaun, you must keep your eyes on him every second. If you stop doing it for just a moment, he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.
Leprechauns hide a treasure
HARPS
Harps are ancient musical instruments used in Ireland for centuries. It has also become a symbol of Ireland and you can see it on Irish coins, the presidential flag, uniforms and official documents.
The Irish harp is found in many places around the country
THE CELTIC CROSS
When St. Patrick went to Ireland to take Christianity, he didn´t try to make the Irish forget their old beliefs. One example of this is the Celtic Cross, combining the Christian symbol of the cross with the sun, a powerful Irish symbol.
The Celtic Cross
TRADITIONAL SONGS
There are lots of traditional songs in Ireland. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to listen to them sung by Irish people in a pub or on any celebration. Here you have some of the most popular ones: "Molly Malone" , "Whiskey in the Jar" and "The Wild Rover". There is also a promotional video of Ireland, one of the most impressive countries in the world. And a piece of advice: "Go to Ireland as soon as you can. You´ll never regret."
To end with, and to show the strong feeling of identitity and the enormous pride Irish people feel for being Irish, we leave you with the images of the Spain-Ireland football match in last Euro 2012. Spain was winning 4-0. Suddenly, a song started to be heard along the stands of the Gdansk stadium. Were the Spanish fans singing to celebrate the win? The answer is no. The Irish supporters sang a traditional Irish song (The Fields of Athenry, a song set on the Irish Great Famine) to tell their players that the result was not so important. They were all Irish and they would be united no matter they won or lost. Sometimes,defeats are even sweeter than victories.
