  IrglanadIrglanad (Irish: Éireannglanadh) is a town in the south of the Frilandic shire of Walamark, located at the mouth of the river Iskar. Although a relatively small town, Irglanad is the main cultural center of the Irish-Frilandic community, who make up the majority of its population. The town has 20,230 inhabitants, of which 13,200 (65% of the population) identify themselves as Irish-Frilandic. The main religion is Catholicism (55%), followed by Ferna Sed (25%), Protestantism (3%) and other religions (2%). 15% is not religious. The official language is Frilandic, which is spoken by almost everyone. Besides that, Irish is recognized at municipal level. 20% of the population speak Irish as a first language and 50% as a second language. District and street names are bilingual and it's possible to speak Irish when dealing with local authorities. Irish is also offered as an extra subject at many schools.  Important locations Important locations are marked on the map with a number, these are described below. 
1. Amonia fieldAmonia field (Fri: Amonijafelþ / Irish: Réimse Amonia) consists of a stadium and its adjacent sports fields. Its name is derived from Irish "iománaíocht" (hurling); one of the Irish sports played here. 2. Blood Tower The Blood Tower (Fri: Bloþtur / Irish: Túr Fola) is the ruin of an old wall tower. Its name refers to an event that took place during the Third Frilandic-Hiverian War, in which Frilandic soldiers threw several dozen collaborators from the tower. 3. Saint Patrick's Library Saint Patrick's Library (Fri: Wi-Bodriksboksamnung / Irish: Leabharlann Pádraig naomh), which dates from 1870, contains a large collection of historical books. The most famous of these is the Codex Valiensis or Book of Walamark (Fri: Walamarkiska Bok / Irish: Leabhar Valmhairg), which describes the Irish invasions. 4. Brian Boru roundabout The Brian Boru roundabout (Fri: Brajan Boru wendar / Irish: Timpeallán Brian Bóramha) is an important traffic hub that was named after the Irish king Brian Boru. 5. Bread Square Bread Square (Fri: Braudrum / Irish: Cearnóg Aráin) is the center of the town. Here you will find the town hall, shops, restaurants, nightlife and all kinds of special events. The square takes its name from the bread market that used to be held there and today there are still many bakeries and sandwich shops, where you can also eat Irish sandwiches such as soda farls, goodies and bairín breac. 6. Saint Brigid's Monastery Saint Brigid's Monastery (Fri: Wi-Brigiþssundarhuf / Irish: Mainistir Naomh Bríd) dates from the late Middle Ages and was originally located outside the town. Although the building is still in use, it is open to visitors. 7. Douglas' Pub Irglanad's most famous pub is Douglas' Pub (Fri: Daubglas' Taphus / Irish: Dubhghlas' Pub), which can be found on Bread Square. Due to its special atmosphere, the place is frequented by tourists. 8. Grayborough Grayborough (Fri: Greburg / Irish: Dúnliath) is an originally 13th century stronghold that protected Irglanad and the entrance to the river Iskar. Its name refers to its gray stone walls. 9. Herbert Street Herbert Street (Fri: Harberhtstrat / Irish: Sráid Hoirbeaird) is a major traffic artery named after Harberht Gaizhardssun (Irish: Hoirbeaird Ó Gearóid), who was mayor of Irglanad between 1906 and 1914. Although not of Irish descent, he took numerous steps to preserve the town's Irish identity. He is also one of the creators of the annual Irish Festival (Féile na hÉireann). 10. Main street Main Street (Fri: Haubidstrat / Irish: Príomhshráid) is adjacent to Bread Square and is the main shopping street. 11. Wheat Gate The Wheat Gate (Fri: Hwaitdur / Irish: Geata Cruithneachta) is a Medieval city gate, through which the wheat used to be brought from the land into town. 12. Irglanad burial mounds The Irglanad burial mounds (Fri: Irglanadiska hlaiwan / Irish: dumhaí Éireannglanadh) in the Hlaigard district date from the Iron Age and were built before Irglanad even existed. 13. Jordan Church The Roman Catholic Jordan Church (Fri: Jaurdanaukirik / Irish: Séipéal na hIordáine), where a phalanx of the Irish missionary Conlaed is kept. 14. Clock Tower Square Clock Tower Square (Fri: Klogador / Irish: Cearnóg Clogadóir) has, you guessed it, a clock tower. There are also many souvenir stalls and the train station is located here. The marshalling yard is located northwest of Klogador. Also, the Frilandic name is a corruption of the Irish one. 15. Conlaed monument The Conlaed monument (Fri: Konledmendmark / Irish: Séadchomhartha Conláed) commemorates the Irish missionary Conlaed, who came to Friland in the 9th century to convert its people to Christianity. After cutting down a sacred oak tree in Arnstad, both he and his soldiers were killed. The monument is controversial; to Christians he is a martyr, but to Ferna Sed followers he is a fanatic who destroyed their holy places and should not be honored for that. 16. O'Connell Park O'Connell Park (Fri: Kunalssungardil / Irish: Páirc Uí Chonaill) is a popular hiking area with views of the Atlantic Ocean. It is named after Aiþward Kunalssun (Éamon Uí Chonaill), an Irish-Frilandic writer who has translated much Frilandic and Irish literature. 17. Saint Mary's Church Saint Mary's Church (Fri: Marijakirik / Irish: Séipéal Muire) is Irglanad's largest and most important church. Most of the building dates from the 15th century, but the tower was built in the 19th century after the previous one collapsed due to fire. 18. Roman Catholic cemetery The Roman Catholic cemetery (Fri: Rumisk-Kaþolisk grabfelþ / Irish: Reilig Caitliceach Rómhánach) is maintained by the monks of the nearby monastery. 19. Sun Temple The Sun Temple (Fri: Sunwi / Irish: Teampall Gréine) is located at the mouth of the Awine and is Irglanad's largest Ferna Sed temple. 20. Tosig bus station The Tosig bus station (Fri: Tosig alforhald / Irish: An Pointe Tosaigh) is the main station of the Irglanadiska Þredalfor (Irglanad Trolleybus). The Frilandic name is a corruption of the Irish name, which means "The Starting Point". 21. Public and Ferna Sed cemetery The Public and Ferna Sed cemetery (Fri: Upen and Ferna Sed grabfelþ / Irish: Reilig Phoiblí agus Ferna Sed) is open to Ferna Sed supporters and anyone else who isn't allowed on the Roman Catholic cemetery. 22. Expectation chapel The Expectation chapel (Fri: Weniþkirikil / Irish: Séipéal Ionchais) is located on a picturesque spot at the White Lake (Fri: Hwitmar / Irish: Loch Fionn) and is therefore a popular wedding location. Districts Below you can find a list of all districts of Irglanad. History Prehistory Archaeological research has shown that the first humans settled at the mouth of the Iskar in the early 3rd century BC. The course of the river then lay further west; today's Hwitmar (Loch Fionn) is a remnant of this. There have been at least three settlements at this site; the first was abandoned in the early 1st century, the second was engulfed by the ocean in the 4th century, and the third was destroyed in the 10th century during the Irish invasions. The "Irglanad" burial mounds were already built before the foundation of Irglanad by the Frilandic population of these lost settlements. The names of these settlements have not been passed down and the original name of the Iskar is also unknown. Its current name is derived from Irish "Uisce" (Water). The Kniglas hills also get their name from Irish "Cnoic Ghlasa" (Green Hills). Irish settlement The start of the Irish presence in Friland is described in the Wikunganbok (9th century) and the Book of Walamark (Codex Valiensis), which dates from the late 10th or early 11th century. The first Irishmen in Friland were missionaries and their bodyguards, who attempted to spread Christianity there in the 9th century. The most famous of these was Conlaed. The conversion efforts were not appreciated by the Frilanders, and soon a folk assembly (þing) decided to banish the missionaries. Between 963 and 986 the Irish invasions took place in southeastern Walamark. Although these were sometimes violent, most Irish settlers were peaceful traders, farmers and fishermen. However, their arrival led to tensions with the Frilanders already living in the area, especially when the Irish warlord Muirtigern tried to establish his own kingdom there. The subsequent war was won in 986 by the Frilandic king Segmer, who forced all the Irish present in Friland to either submit to his authority or leave. Foundation of the city A group of remainers, displaced by the war, was given permission by king Segmer to build a new settlement at the mouth of the Iskar. The Book of Walamark says the following about this: 'En 1310 bilaubþa hauha kunung Segmer þa biwolþan setlung an þa os, hwar furkreigisk ain fiskarþurp wesþa. Ija namnþan hiz Eiranglanaþ, hwat in iz sprek Iranþurp mainiþ.' ('In 987, his highness king Segmer allowed the vanquished to settle at the estuary, where a fishing village used to be before the war. They called it Eiranglanaþ, which means Irish village in their language.') "Éireannglanadh" or "Glanadh na hÉireann" means something like "the Irish settlement", which corrupted into "Eiranglanaþ" and eventually "Irglanad" in Frilandic. The first inhabitants were all of Irish descent; the dominant language was Irish and the dominant faith was Roman Catholicism. The oldest parts of the town are the current districts of Aldland (Sean-Tír) and Iskarmunþ (Béal Uisce). Fortification For over 200 years, Irglanad remained a small, insignificant village with a mainly Irish population. This changed in the late 13th century with the beginning of the third kingless period (1264 - 1432), a time of infighting, poverty and lack of central authority. Fearing an invasion from both Hiveria and his Frilandic competitors, Wenrad II, earl of South Walamark, began to strengthen strategically located positions such as Hlemburg castle, his county capital of Tillau and Irglanad, which he considered to be the gateway to the Iskar. On an elevation near the village he built the stronghold of Greburg (Dúnliath), where soon an eponymous district arose. He also surrounded Irglanad with a city wall and had a defensive ditch dug on the east side of the village; the Abhainn Thoir ("Eastern River"), which corrupted into "Awine" in Frilandic. Many of these defenses were further renovated and improved in later centuries. Due to the increased importance of Irglanad, the population also grew and the share of Frilanders increased steadily. However, the Irish remained the majority. Annexation by Hiveria At the end of the 14th century, all of Walamark, including Irglanad, was annexed by Hiveria. Many cities turned against the defected duke Fulkmer and (at least symbolically) resisted their capture by the Hiverian army. Irglanad however, which was largely Catholic, opened the gates without a fight because it was rather ruled by Catholic Hiveria than by pagan Friland. Many residents then worked together with the new Hiverian regime. At the end of the 14th or the beginning of the 15th century, Saint Brigid's Monastery was founded to the east of the town, around which the district named after it soon grew. Recapture by Friland During the Third Frilandic-Hiverian War, Walamark was liberated by Friland. Irglanad's collaboration with Hiveria had not been forgotten and Frilandic troops threw several dozen traitors from the Blood Tower in what is now O'Connell Park. Irglanad's Irish Catholic identity was held responsible for its disloyalty and the Frilandic government began to suppress it, hoping to "Frilandize" the town that way. In the following centuries, Catholicism managed to survive but the Irish language began to disappear. Irglanad's Middle Irish dialect was laced with Frilandic influences and developed into an Irish-Frilandic mixed language that had little in common with the Irish spoken in Ireland. Equal rights
Expansion In the 17th century, the district of Jairusalhaim (Iarúsailéim) was built north of the Iskar, named after the city of Jerusalem, which is sacred to many inhabitants. In the west, the Merkat (Mhargadh) district developed along the market street and in the east, the working-class neighborhoods of Storfelþ (Mórgort) and Saiwik (Dúiche Farraige) were built. Hwitmar (Loch Fionn) was created in the 18th century at the lake of the same name, where especially the wealthy part of the population had its villas built. In the 20th century Hlaigard (Áit Dumha) and Blakstrand (Trá Dubh) were built and at the beginning of the 21st century industrial estate Tawungfuld (Limistéar Tionsclaíoch) followed. Revaluation of the Irish identity By the 19th century, the Irish-Frilandic dialect had been largely supplanted by Frilandic, but just when Irish in Friland was about to disappear, renewed interest in the Irish language and culture arose. The Irish-Frilandic community recruited teachers from Ireland to teach its children in the original language, causing modern Irish to gain ground and replace the last remnants of the Irish-Frilandic dialect in the process. Many other elements of Irish culture were also reimported, such as holidays (St. Patrick's Day and Lá an Dreoilín) and sports (Gaelic football, hurling, etc.). Current situation Today, only a minority of the Irish-Frilandic community still speak Irish as their first language, but there is a growing number of people who can speak Irish besides Frilandic or are at least able to have a simple conversation in it. From 1908, an annual Irish festival (Féile na hÉireann) is held on November 16 in Irglanad, and St. Patrick's Day is also celebrated. The Irish Frilanders today have more similarities with the Frilanders than with the Irish; they consider being Frilandic as their national identity and their Irish roots as the regional culture, similar to an American who also identifies as a Texan or New Yorker.  |
