17th of March is Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Lá Fhéile Pádraig). The day is a cultural and religious celebration that marks the death date of patron saint of Ireland (c. AD 385–461).
While Saint Patrick's Day is an Irish festival, it is recognised in more countries than any other national festival. It has even been celebrated in space by astronauts on board the International Space Station.
We're honoring St. Patrick's Day and the culture and heritage of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by bringing together all our fantastic free learning resources on Ireland.
Explore the history of Ireland
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The Life of Saint Patrick
Who was Saint Patrick? This extract from Alban Butler's 18th Century work on the lives of the saints tells the story of Ireland's patron saint.
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Level: 1 Introductory
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The Arts Past and Present: Ireland
Do we use our buildings to declare who we are? How far does our heritage influence our collective identity? This insightful album reveals Ireland's shifting attitudes towards its cultural heritage. In 1922 when it broke free of British rule to become an independent nation state, the Irish nationalists abandoned high-profile buildings like ...
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What was the Easter Rising?
How close did the Easter Rising come to achieving the aims of its leaders?
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to access more details of What was the Easter Rising?
Level: 1 Introductory
Explore the history of Ireland
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The Life of Saint Patrick
Read now to access more details of The Life of Saint PatrickWho was Saint Patrick? This extract from Alban Butler's 18th Century work on the lives of the saints tells the story of Ireland's patron saint.
Level: 1 Introductory
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The Arts Past and Present: Ireland
Listen now to access more details of The Arts Past and Present: IrelandDo we use our buildings to declare who we are? How far does our heritage influence our collective identity? This insightful album reveals Ireland's shifting attitudes towards its cultural heritage. In 1922 when it broke free of British rule to become an independent nation state, the Irish nationalists abandoned high-profile buildings like ...
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What was the Easter Rising?
Watch now to access more details of What was the Easter Rising?How close did the Easter Rising come to achieving the aims of its leaders?
Level: 1 Introductory
Explore the culture and literature of Ireland
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Three Irish Poets - Introduction
Read now to access more details of Three Irish Poets - IntroductionA look at three female Irish Poets – Ellen O'Leary, Katharine Tynan and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
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James Joyce’s Dublin
Listen now to access more details of James Joyce’s DublinHow did the fictional world James Joyce created reflect his own experiences of Dublin? Did Joyce write about a distinct Irish identity that had been ignored by many writers in the past? James Joyce was born in1882 and during the course of his life became one of the most influential Irish poets and novelists of his age. This discussion takes ...
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Beaghmore Stone Circle
Watch now to access more details of Beaghmore Stone CircleDiscover the legacy of the first farmers in the Beaghmore Stone Circle landscape of Neolithic, Norman and Plantation farmers throughout Northern Ireland.
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What is poetry?
Learn more to access more details of What is poetry?Have you always wanted to try to write poetry but never quite managed to start? This free course, What is poetry?, is designed to illustrate the techniques behind both the traditional forms of poetry and free verse. You will learn how you can use your own experiences to develop ideas and how to harness your imagination.
Level: 1 Introductory
Explore Ireland's cities and future
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Newry: Frontier town or border city?
Read now to access more details of Newry: Frontier town or border city?Newly-minted Newry's city status may be - but it still relies on the same commerce and location that has kept it thriving across the centuries as a town.
Level: 1 Introductory
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20 things you might not know about Belfast...
Read now to access more details of 20 things you might not know about Belfast...Belfast is a fascinating place. Here are some facts about the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Different types of business
Learn more to access more details of Different types of businessA small grocery store run by one person and perhaps their family must pose quite different challenges from a multinational corporation with operations in many different countries. This free course introduces different types of business, depending on industry sector, size and type of ownership and discusses some of the ways in which businesses ...
Level: 1 Introductory
Discover more with OpenLearn Ireland
OpenLearn Ireland is a section of the OpenLearn website that offers free learning content from The Open University for all who are interested in Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland and the culture, developments and events on the island. Select OpenLearn Ireland to find out more.
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