Ireland is a country with an extremely strong religious history and a traditional view of sexuality. Despite that, romance, sexual pleasure and respect are all cornerstones of Irish views on sexuality. In a changing world, Ireland embraces the traditional family model while welcoming more sexual freedom into the culture.

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe. It consists of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom and is largely Protestant, and the Irish Free State which won it's independence from Britain mainly in order to continue practicing Catholicism. The two groups have a long history of political and religious conflict; however, the island of Ireland also has deep roots in Celtic traditions.

No matter which religion an Irish person hails from, it is highly likely that they are actively religious. In one survey, at least 80 percent of Irish people attended church regularly. Strong religious views greatly affected sexual life in Ireland. Divorce only became legal in the Irish Free State in 1995. Although in recent years Ireland has become more liberal and open to other ways of life, there is still much conservatism at work in Irish sexuality. Shame and sin are often associated with sexuality and nudity for the Irish.

In terms of sexuality during the Celtic and Druidic periods of Ireland's history, however, it was a whole different story. The Irish at that time were expected to show their sexual prowess. One story even included Kings having sex with a mare as part of a coronation ritual. The female goddess of fertility was Aine. She is said to have visited men at night, causing them to ejaculate. She may have been the basis for the Lady of the Lake in the famous Arthurian legend. The male god of sexuality and love was Aengus Og. He searched the world for a woman he saw in a dream and even rescued her after she was turned into a swan. (This is the origin of the Swan Lake legend.)

The influence of Druids was largely suppressed in other countries but they had a strong influence in Ireland until Christianity began to take over. Little is known about the Druids, except that they were an order of men and their influence was a social one as well as a religious one. This was all part of Ireland's history of paying strict heed to religious leaders.

According to legend, Saint Patrick arrived in 432 to convert the Irish to Christianity. The people were eased into Christianity by the fact that Patrick kept as many of the pre-Christian Irish traditions alive as he could, changing only what he felt was truly necessary. There was also a famine in Ireland from 535-536 which greatly contributed to the fall of the Druidic culture. Nevertheless, many pre-Christian myths survived as fairy tales, new saint stories or were often retold as long past histories (such as the ones in the above paragraph.)

Starting from around 795, Ireland was subject to many conquests from foreign cultures. This included raids from Norwegian Vikings, Normans and eventually the Tudors of England. It was starting in the 16th Century when laws began to be passed discriminating against any Irish people who were not Anglican. This was the beginning of centuries of bloody religious and political conflict. Many Irish people seemed to feel that they needed to preserve their own traditions against the outside factors, particularly the English. This is part of why the family unit is such an important part of Irish culture.

In Ireland, traditional gender, sexual and romantic roles are of great importance. Gender roles are particularly a particularly prevalent issue Ireland since the women's liberation movement seems to not have affected this country as much as some of its contemporary counterparts. For instance, in 1991 only 16.7 percent of married Irish women were working (compare that with the 50 percent of German women the same year and you will see a striking difference). Irish women are often revered for their role as mothers. The cult of the Virgin Mary is very strong in Ireland and it is common to speak highly of one's mother and the traditional woman's role. In 1937, the Irish constitution stated: “In particular the State recognizes that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.”

The role of sex within an Irish marriage is considered very important. Lack of sexual activity is seen as grounds for an annulment of a marriage and couples without children are considered selfish. Infidelity is frowned on but considered somewhat excusable in the case of men. Wives are expected to be more in control of their sexual desires and men are socialized to be sexually dominant.

Romantic love is an important part of Irish culture. Romantic novels, films, songs and stories are consistently popular within the culture and it is common for Irish couples to say they married for love. A popular Celtic/Irish symbol of love is the Claddagh ring which consists of a heart, clasped hands and a crown. These rings have become increasingly prevalent in popular culture in recent years. The rings are worn extensively in Ireland. When the ring is turned with the heart facing outwards, it means the wearer is single and when it is turned inwards, especially on the left hand, it means the wearer is happily married. Claddagh rings can be exchanged for a variety of reasons and the traditional statement that goes along with the exchange is "With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love".

Beginning in the 1980s, Ireland began to implement sexual education as a recommended subject for schools. There has been much debate on the subject but the curriculums which were decided on attempted to integrate religious ideals into sexual teachings. All contraceptives are currently available in Ireland at this time.

A traditional part of Irish culture is definitely alcohol. Drinking is considered an important part of Irish life and a cause for celebration. This obviously has a correlation to sexuality as alcohol can aid in flirtation at the very least. Ireland does have certain restrictions on alcohol consumption, however. Eighteen is the legal drinking age and you may not drink in most public places, buy alcohol during mass times or become a public nuisance.

As we have seen, traditionally Irish sexuality is associated with strong family values and heavy alcohol consumption. There is a level of sexual repression in Irish society, but also a strong emphasis on procreation and marriage. Many sexual terms have derogatory Irish nicknames. For instance, both an Irish wedding and an Irish promotion are terms for masturbation and an Irish rise and an Irish horse both mean a flaccid penis. The latter may be in reference to impotence because of intoxication and the former are probably due to the taboo nature of both premarital sex and masturbation in traditional Catholic societies.

Whether you are referring to Northern Ireland, the Free State or ancient Celtic traditions, it is certain that Irish people have set values and strong traditions. The culture is filled with beautiful love songs, bawdy jokes, rousing drink and deep respect for the family unit. Ireland is a place that truly shows us how sexuality and faith can learn to work side by side.