Discovering Ireland – Découvrir l’Irlande

Préambule

Pendant l’année scolaire 2019/2020, les élèves de la classe 5èmeA du Collège Pasteur, La Celle St Cloud, ont mené un projet autour de l’Irlande en cours d’anglais.

Ce projet a pu bénéficier d’une résidence territoriale, artistique et culturelle en milieu scolaire auprès de la DAAC (Délégation Académique à l’Action Culturelle), mise en place au sein du collège en partenariat avec la MJC de La Celle St Cloud. Le thème de cette résidence était “accorder toutes les énergies et toutes les différences : un voyage musical, artistique et culturel à travers le monde”.

Les élèves ont commencé leurs parcours par une initiation à la danse irlandaise par une professionnelle, en novembre 2019.

En décembre 2019, nous avons visité l’exposition annuelle “La Route des Contes” organisée par la Mairie de La Celle St Cloud et consacrée cette année à la découverte de l’Irlande, de sa culture et de son histoire.

De retour en classe, et forts de leurs découvertes, les élèves ont effectué des recherches sur quelques lieux historiques et les légendes traditionnelles de l’île émeraude avant de rédiger leurs propres contes inspirés par ce pays enchantant.

Ce livre vous invite à découvrir leurs témoignages et leurs productions, réalisés en anglais et en français.

Bonne lecture !

Mme K. Chambers

La danse irlandaise

Grâce à l’intervention d’une professeur de danse, les élèves ont appris quelques pas de danse irlandaise (Ceili).

Remontant au début des années 1500, le Ceili est un type de danse folklorique pour couples, pratiqué en ligne, en cercle ou en carré. On danse sur la musique traditionnelle irlandaise qui est rythmée et vivante. Les instruments traditionnels sont des percussions (bodhráns), des banjos, des violons, des accordéons, des pipes et des flûtes.

On danse le Ceili à des bals populaires comptant parfois jusqu’à des milliers de personnes. Ce type de danse collective crée une ambiance festive et a aidé à unir le pays dans les moments difficiles de son histoire.

Nos réactions – Our feedback

Léo : “J’ai trouvé la première danse amusante et rapide. Les mouvements de danse ne sont pas compliqués mais le rythme est difficile à suivre.” (“I liked the Irish dance because it was easy to learn and the teacher was cool, very nice and kind.”)

Elena : “We learned Irish dancing in the gymnasium. A dance teacher came to teach us some steps. We stood in a circle and we held hands. Then we moved sideways, backwards and forwards. I enjoyed the dancing because it was funny.”

Axel : “La danse irlandaise est drôle car la professeure disait “back 2, 3” et je trouvais ça drôle. La danse irlandaise est aussi compliquée car quand j’étais en train de danser, certains pas étaient difficiles à suivre. C’était aussi drôle car nous avons pu partager un bon moment avec les autres 5ème.” (“The Irish dancing was funny because dancing with friends is cool.”)

Roberta : “J‘ai bien aimé car j’ai dansé avec des amis, j’ai rigolé avec mon partenaire lors de la première danse. Ma danse préférée était la dernière car c’était plus joyeux, les danses étaient faciles. La professeur de danse était très gentille et agréable.” (“I liked it because I danced with friends, I laughed with my partner during the first dance. My favorite dance was the last because it was more joyful, the dances were easy. The dance teacher was very nice and pleasant.”)

Baptiste : “Pour danser, nous nous sommes mis en rond et nous avons suivi les appels de l’intervenante. Il fallait faire sept pas à droite puis trois petits pas derrière, prendre le bras de la fille à notre gauche puis prendre celui de la fille de droite plusieurs fois. Il fallait ensuite prendre la main de la fille de droite puis marcher (la promenade). Cette version de la ceili s’appelait “Rince Mor”. (“I enjoyed the Irish dance. The dance steps are pretty easy to learn and the music is catchy. Irish dancing is very lively.”)

Mila : “J’ai bien aimé participer à cet initiation à la danse irlandaise ! C’etait fun et cool: l’ambiance et la musique étaient sympa mais je n’ai pas trop aimé devoir donner la main à des garçons car c’etait assez gênant !!” (“I liked it, is was very funny and cool! I liked the atmosphere and the energetic music. I did not really like having to hold a boy’s hand because it was very embarrassing.”)

Gabrielle : “C’était une véritable découverte enrichissante et amusante. La danse que j’ai préférée est la deuxième car j’étais avec des amies, toutes les danses m’ont plu, elles étaient amusantes à faire. J’ai beaucoup aimé la professeur de danse, elle était très joyeuse et gentille.” (“The dance I preferred was the second because I was with my friends, I liked all the dances because they were fun to do. I liked the dance teacher very much, she was very cheerful and kind.”)

Tess : “J’ai bien aimé quand nous avons pu choisir nos partenaires. Durant la danse à trois, j’étais avec Emma et Charlotte. Puis nous avons fait une danse avec les mêmes trios mais en face de nous, il y avait un autre groupe. Nous devions danser tous les six puis nous avancions et nous avions un autre groupe avec qui danser.” (“On Tuesday 19th November, we learned Irish dancing. A dance teacher came in the school to teach us some steps. There were two classes of 7th grade (5eme). We danced a dance that is called “Ceili”. We stood in a circle and we had to hold hands. We did some movements sideways, backwards and forwards. I liked Irish dancing, it was fun but the thing I didn’t like was the part when we had to dance with boys.”)

Flaviu : “J’ai bien aimé la danse irlandaise c’était la première fois que je l’avais essayée mais c’était amusant. Pour une première fois je trouve que j’ai assez bien dansé car d’autres personnes n’arrivaient pas à suivre les pas donc c’était bien.” (“I discovered Irish dance and I enjoyed dancing because it was strange and different for me. The dance was annoying because you had to hold the hand of a girl. The dance was very smooth, and everyone was missing the steps because it was very fast and hard but the most important thing was to try. But in general it was good.”)

Nathan : “Je n’ai pas trop aimé ce cours de danse Irlandaise, parce que je n’aime pas danser. Cependant, j’ai pensé que ce cours était très drôle, et j’ai beaucoup ri. J‘ai trouvé intéressant de savoir comment sont les danses irlandaises, et d’apprendre à propos de l’Irlande. (“I did not really like this lesson of Irish dancing because I don’t like dancing. However, I thought that it was very funny and I laughed a lot. I found it interesting to know what an Irish dance is and to learn about Ireland.”)

Quelques lieux historiques en Irlande

Some famous and historic places in Ireland

Trinity College, Dublin

Belfast

The Giant’s Causeway

The Burren

Killarney

Blarney Castle

Titanic Museum

The Guinness Storehouse

Trinity College, Dublin, by Mila and Lina

Trinity college was built in 1592 by Elizabeth I of England.

There are 16,729 students in Trinity College.

It holds many medieval stories and the Book of Kells. There is the harp of Brian Boru, symbol of Ireland.

It’s also known for how they teach and the Trinity College library is very famous.

Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Nathan and Vincent

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. This city has 671,000 inhabitants.

The city hall of Belfast was built in 1898 under the reign of Queen Victoria. The main attractions of Belfast are:

• The Titanic Belfast Museum
• St George’s market
• The Ulster Museum
• The botanical garden
• The MAC (the Metropolitan Arts Centre of Belfast)

The Giant’s Causeway, by Gabrielle, Camille and Roberta

The Giant’s Causeway is a site with 40,000 columns of basalt caused by a volcanic eruption in Northern Ireland in Antrim County 60 million years ago. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Giant’s Causeway has been named the fourth natural wonder in the UK. The columns are very close to each other and are hexagonal. It is an extraordinary landscape. There is an ancient Irish myth that says the columns come from a fight between the Irish giant, Finn MacCool, and the Scottish giant, Benandonner. They built the causeway so they could meet. In one version of the legend, Finn pretends to be a baby so that Benandonner will take fright and run back to Scotland.

The legend of the Giant’s Causeway

The Burren by Tess and Olivia

Killarney National Park by Elena, Emilie and Catarina

Killarney national park is the oldest national park in Ireland.

The park was created in 1932 when senator Arthur Vincent and his family gave Muckross House & Gardens to the Irish state. Muckross House & Gardens was a 19th century mansion, containing all the original furniture, artwork, trophies and many other furniture from that period.

Killarney Park is near Ireland’s highest mountain range, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks. The highest mountain is Carrauntoohil, more than 1,000 meters high.

The Torc Waterfall is 20m high and an opportunity for a walk in a beautiful landscape.

Blarney Castle by Flaviu and Axel

Blarney Castle is located near Cork in the Republic of Ireland. It was built in the 11th century. Cormac MacCarty rebuilt Blarney castle in 1446.

The castle has been attracting attention ever since and is one of the best attractions in Ireland.

Over the last few hundred years, millions of people go to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Kissing the Blarney Stone is a tradition in Ireland. Legend says that kissing the stone gives you eloquence.

Blarney Castle also has very different types of gardens.

For example: the poison garden, the bog garden, the jungle.

The poison garden is composed of toxic and dangerous plants.

Titanic Belfast, by Baptiste and Léo

Titanic was built by a company called White Star Line. It was completed and ready for the ocean on 31 March 1912, after three years in construction in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

And it was no ordinary ship, Titanic was the most impressive and luxurious ship of its time! It was the biggest, too, measuring 28 metres wide, 53 metres high and 269 metres long — that’s about the length of three football fields!

The RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912 following a collision with an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Between 1,490 and 1,520 people died, making it one of the largest peacetime maritime disasters at the time. The wreck of the Titanic was located on September 1, 1985 by Professor Robert Ballard. It lies at a depth of 3,843 metres, 650 km southeast of Newfoundland.

The history of the liner has marked memories, and has led to the publication of numerous books (historical or fiction) and the making of feature films including the film of the same name Titanic by James Cameron, released in 1997 and which led to a significant revival of interest in the liner and its history. The media again showed interest in the ship on the occasion of the centenary of its sinking in April 2012.

The Guinness Storehouse by Sidney and Anis

Guinness Storehouse is a tourist attraction at St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Since opening in 2000, it has received twenty million visitors.

The Storehouse covers seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness. The ground floor introduces the beer’s four ingredients (water, barley, hops and yeast), and the brewery’s founder, Arthur Guinness.

In 1759, Arthur Guinness decided to sign a 9,000-year lease on a brewery site at St. James’s Gate in Dublin, marking the beginning of GUINNESS®, one of the most iconic brands and Ireland’s favorite beer.

Hiroto and the giants by Camille G.

Once upon a time there was a young boy named Hiroto.

The young boy was walking in the forest when suddenly he saw a leprechaun. This leprechaun was very worried, he told Hiroto that he was in Ireland for a very important mission. His mission was to find out why the giants of Ireland and Scotland are in dispute. The astonished boy wondered why he had to do this. The leprechaun explained that he was the chosen one, and if he did not act, there would be no more life on Earth.

Hiroto was scared by his words but he accepted. He wondered where he could find the giants and he remembered an ancient legend read to him when he was little. Hiroto went to the place and found the giant of Ireland. He asked him why he was angry with the giant of Scotland, but the Irish giant didn’t know what he had done to the Scottish giant. Then Hiroto went to see the giant of Scotland to ask him why he was angry with the Irish giant. He replied that it was because he danced and danced all the time without stopping and that he too wanted to dance like the giant of Ireland. Hiroto did not understand, the other giant did not lie. The giant of Scotland said that the giant of Ireland gave dance lessons, but not to him. So the boy went to settle the argument with the giant of Ireland to know why he was not teaching the Scottish giant how to dance. The Irish giant said he had not received the request for dance lessons. Hiroto returned to the Scottish giant and asked if he had written a letter, and he said no. So the Scottish giant sent a letter to the Irish giant to ask for dance lessons. The giant of Ireland accepted and so the giant of Scotland was happy and able to learn how to dance all day long.

Hiroto et les géants par Camille G.

Il était une fois un jeune garçon nommé Hiroto.

Le jeune garçon marchait dans la forêt quand soudain il vit un lutin. Ce lutin était très inquiet. Il raconta à Hiroto que ce dernier était venu en Irlande pour une mission très importante. Sa mission était de faire connaitre l’origine du conflit entre le géant de l’Irlande et le géant de l’Écosse. Etonné, le jeune garçon se demanda pourquoi il devait faire cela. Le lutin lui expliqua qu’Hiroto était l’élu, et que s’il n’intervenait pas, il n’y aurait plus de vie sur Terre.

Ces paroles effrayèrent Hiroto mais il accepta la mission. Il se demanda où trouver les géants et se souvînt d’une ancienne légende qui lui avait été lue quand il était petit. Hiroto se rendit sur place et trouva le géant de l’Irlande. Il lui demanda pourquoi il était en colère contre le géant de l’Écosse, mais le géant irlandais ne savait pas ce qu’il avait fait pour agacer le géant écossais. Hiroto alla ensuite voir le géant de l’Écosse pour lui demander pourquoi il était en colère contre le géant irlandais. Il lui répondit que c’était parce que le géant de l’Irlande dansait et dansait tout le temps, sans s’arrêter, et qu’il voulait, lui aussi, danser comme le géant de l’Irlande. Hiroto ne comprenait pas, l’autre géant ne mentait pas. Le géant de l’Écosse lui expliqua que le géant de l’Irlande avait donné des cours de danse, mais pas à lui. Alors, le garçon alla régler cette histoire avec le géant de l’Irlande pour savoir pourquoi il n’enseignait pas la danse au géant écossais. Le géant irlandais déclara qu’il n’avait reçu aucune demande de cours de danse de sa part. Hiroto retourna voir le géant écossais et lui demanda s’il avait bien écrit une lettre, et il reconnut que non. Le géant écossais envoya alors une lettre au géant irlandais pour lui demander des cours de danse. Le géant de l’Irlande accepta et le géant de l’Écosse fut heureux et put apprendre à danser toute la journée.

A Magic Emerald by Baptiste H.

One day, Henri, a French speleologist, went to Ireland to study a mysterious cave. He suddenly discovered a precious green stone, it was an emerald through which you could see another island. Henri threw the stone on the ground and a portal appeared. He ventured into it and was teleported to a fantastic island. This island, covered with greenery, was preserved. Not a human had set foot there. It had lots of wealth and natural resources and there were also thousands of birds of all kinds. Henri was amazed by this place and did not really look where he was walking. Suddenly, a creak sounded under Henri’s foot. The famous Book of Kells was spread out on the ground. Henry, surprised by this unexpected discovery, wanted to enter the portal and show this to everyone. Henri thought about it but then thought about the damage that humans would do on this earth. So he decided to keep this secret just for himself and would return when he wished.

L’émeraude magique, par Baptiste H.

Un jour, Henri, un spéléologue français envoyé en Irlande pour étudier une mystérieuse grotte, découvrit une pierre précieuse de couleur verte. C’était de l’émeraude, mais pas de l’émeraude ordinaire, c’était de l’émeraude magique, à travers laquelle on pouvait voir une autre île.

Henri jeta cette pierre par terre puis un portail apparut. Il s’y aventura et fut téléporté sur une île fantastique. Cette île, recouverte de verdure, était préservée. Aucun humain n’y avait mis les pieds. Elle contenait beaucoup de richesses et de ressources naturelles et il y avait aussi des milliers d’oiseaux en tout genre. Henri était étonné de cet endroit et ne regardait pas vraiment où il marchait, lorsque tout à coup, un craquement retentit. Sous le pied d’Henry, le fameux livre de Kells s’étalait par terre. Henri, surpris par cette découverte inattendue, voulut entrer dans le portail et le montrer à tout le monde.

Henri y réfléchit puis pensa aux dégâts que les humains allaient faire sur cette terre. Il décida de garder ce secret pour lui et reviendrait quand il le souhaiterait.

The Little King by Gabrielle R-O.

Once upon a time in an area of Ireland there lived a little king and his subjects. In spite of the glory of the kingdom, as soon as the little king ascended to the throne, the kingdom was covered with shame. One day, while the king was walking in his courtyard, he saw an old woman. This old woman was a witch who asked the king to fetch her a rare flower from the highest mountain. In exchange, the witch promised to make the king tall and so the king accepted. He went up the mountain alone and after hours of climbing he was at the top. There, he saw the flower but also a young girl. Seeing her beauty, he fell in love. But he ignored her and went to pick the flower. The woman stopped him and said “I must protect the flower at all costs!” The king told her about the witch. The witch was the girl’s mother. The girl wanted to see her mother. The king agreed to take her with him on condition of taking the flower with him, and she said yes.

Back at the castle, the king gave the flower to the witch and she made him tall and she told her daughter “my mission was to find you a husband and this is him, get married and be happy.” The couple got married and lived happily ever after.

Le petit roi par Gabrielle R-O.

Il était une fois en Irlande, un petit roi et ses sujets. Malgré la gloire d’antan du royaume, celui-ci se couvrit de honte lorsque le petit roi accéda au trône. Un jour, alors que le petit roi se promenait dans la cour de son château, il vit une vieille dame. Cette vieille dame était une sorcière qui demanda au petit roi de gravir la plus haute montagne d’Irlande pour cueillir une fleur rare. En échange, la sorcière promit au petit roi qu’elle le ferait grandir. Alors le petit roi accepta sa demande. Il grimpa seul la montagne et atteignit le sommet après plusieurs heures de marche. Une fois là-haut, il vit la fleur, mais aussi une belle jeune fille. Il tomba amoureux sur l’instant, mais il l’ignora et alla cueillir la fleur. La fille arrêta le petit roi et lui exclama “je dois protéger la fleur à tout prix !” Le petit roi lui expliqua ce que la sorcière lui avait demandé. Cette sorcière était en fait la mère de la jeune fille. Le petit roi accepta d’emmener la fille voir sa mère, à condition qu’il puisse emporter la fleur avec lui. De retour au château, le roi donna la fleur à la sorcière et elle jeta un sort qui le ferait grandir. La sorcière dit à sa fille “ma mission était de vous trouver un mari. Vous devez vous marier.” Le couple se maria et vécut heureux pour toujours. Et la gloire revînt au royaume.

The Violin by Tess P.

Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in a village. Her name was Dory. Dory’s parents were the king and queen of the village. The king hated music, so the village was a village without music. Dory had chores to do. One day, she had to go collect wood in the forest. Dory met a fox in the forest. The fox’s name was Fire. He was really cute. Every time the little girl went into the forest, she played with Fire and she had fun with him. She didn’t know that the fox had powers. One day, Fire gave Dory a magic violin. She didn’t know what it was, so the fox showed her how to play the violin. She loved to play but she knew her parents wouldn’t let her play. She played the violin for one month, in the forest. Then the fox told her to play in front of her parents. They immediately told her to stop playing the violin. The next day, Dory gave the violin back to Fire. He turned the violin into smoke that every villager inhaled, even the king and the queen. The smoke turned them into people who loved music. So Dory could play the violin from now on.

Le violon par Tess P.

Il était une fois une fille qui vivait dans un village. Elle s’appelait Dory. Ses parents étaient le roi et la reine du village. Le roi détestait la musique, donc le village était un village sans musique.

Dory avait des corvées à faire. Un jour, elle devait aller chercher du bois dans la forêt. Dory rencontra un renard dans la forêt. Le renard s’appelait Fire et il était très mignon. A chaque fois que la petite fille allait dans la forêt, elle jouait avec Fire et s’amusait avec lui. Elle ne savait pas que ce renard avait des pouvoirs. Un jour, Fire donna à Dory un violon magique. Elle ne savait pas ce que c’était, alors le renard lui montra comment jouer au violon. Dory adorait jouer mais elle savait que ses parents ne la laisserait pas jouer. Pendant un mois, elle jouait au violon dans la forêt. Puis le renard lui dit qu’elle devait jouer devant ses parents. Le roi et la reine ordonnèrent à Dory d’arrêter de jouer au violon. Le lendemain, Dory rendit le violon à Fire. Celui-ci transforma le violon en fumée que tous les villageois respirèrent, même le roi et la reine. La fumée les fit devenir des personnes qui adoraient la musique. A partir de ce jour là, Dory pouvait alors jouer au violon.

The Poor Man and the Leprechaun by Axel L.

Once upon a time, a poor man lived in a house near a lake. The house was very small and made of wood.

Every morning, the man went to the forest to collect wood.

One morning, the poor man saw a leprechaun. He went to speak to the leprechaun and said: “Give me all your gold! Now!”

The leprechaun looked frightened and said “ok”.

The poor man thought he was now rich so he walked to Belfast to buy some food and a harp.

At the same time, the leprechaun went to see his friend, a giant in the hills. The leprechaun asked the giant to break the poor man’s house. The giant accepted and the poor man’s house was destroyed.

Le pauvre et le leprechaun par Axel L.

Il était une fois un homme pauvre qui vivait dans une maison proche d’un lac. La maison était en bois et de petite taille.

Tous les matins, ce pauvre partait à la forêt pour ramasser du bois.

Un matin, le pauvre aperçut un leprechaun, une sorte de lutin irlandais. Il s’approcha du leprechaun pour lui parler et lui dit “donnez-moi toutes vos pièces d’or ! Tout de suite !”

Choqué et apeuré, le leprechaun acquiesça.

Le pauvre se crut dorénavant riche et se mit à marcher vers Belfast pour acheter de la nourriture et une harpe.

Pendant ce temps, le leprechaun alla voir son ami, un géant qui vivait à la montagne. Le leprechaun demanda au géant de détruire la maison du pauvre. Le géant accepta et la maison du pauvre fut rapidement détruite.

The Princess, the Prince and the Giant by Roberta S.

Once upon a time, there was a princess, a prince and a giant.

The giant and the prince loved the princess, but the princess loved only the prince. She didn’t love the giant.

The giant was furious and decided to kidnap her. The giant took her to a secret cave.

When the prince heard that the princess was kidnapped, he went to save her. The prince saved the princess and killed the giant.

The grateful princess decided to marry the prince and they lived happily ever after.

La princesse, le prince et le géant par Roberta S.

Il était une fois une princesse, un prince et un géant.

Le géant et le prince étaient tous les deux amoureux de la princesse, mais la princesse aimait seulement le prince. Elle n’aimait pas le géant.

Le géant se vexa et décida de kidnapper la princesse. Il l’emmena dans une grotte cachée.

Lorsque le prince découvrit que la princesse avait été kidnappé, il partit à sa recherche pour la sauver. Le prince sauva la princesse et tua le géant.

Reconnaissante, la princesse décida de se marier avec le prince et ils vécurent heureux pour toujours.

The Magic Coin and the Honey by Rayan B.

Once upon a time, in an Irish village, there was a man who believed in mythological creatures, especially leprechauns. Every day, before going to work, he put a honey pot at

his window and when he came back, he found the pot empty.
Everything was fine until the day when the young man got married with a young girl who didn’t believe in leprechauns. One day, she was tired of seeing her husband put a jar of honey at the window. She asked her husband to stop doing that but the man answered that the honey pot made their life good.

The next day, the man put another pot at the window

but when he was at work, his wife removed it from the window.

A few days later, he realized that he was starting to have a lot of problems, but he did not know the exact cause. One day, he saw a gold coin on the road and for the first time in his life he saw a leprechaun who told him that the coin belonged to him. The leprechaun then asked the young man to give him back his coin but the young man refused, so he went home with it. The man discovered that the coin was magic. When the coin was in his pocket, each time he put his hand in his pocket, the coin multiplied. So the man got more and more wealthy, but there was a problem. The richer he became, the more problems he had. One day he asked his wife why he no longer saw the honey pots. His wife replied that she took the honey pots and hid them. The same day the leprechaun reappeared but the man refused to given him back the gold coin. Three days later, the man decided to give the coin back to the leprechaun. So he put the coin next to the honey pot. When the leprechaun appeared to take the pot, he noticed the gold coin and took the coin too. The young man’s life finally returned to normal.

La pièce d’or magique et le miel par Rayan B.

Il était une fois un homme qui vivait dans un petit village irlandais. Cet homme croyait aux créatures mythiques, notamment aux leprechauns. Chaque jour, avant d’aller au travail, il déposait un pot de miel à sa fenêtre et à son retour il retrouvait le pot de miel vide.

Tout se passait très bien jusqu’au jour où le jeune homme se maria avec une femme qui ne croyait pas aux leprechauns. Un jour, elle eut marre de voir toujours son mari déposer des pots de miel à la fenêtre. Alors elle demanda à son mari d’arrêter. Le jeune homme lui répondit que c’était grâce au miel que tout se passait bien dans leur vie. Le lendemain matin, le jeune homme mit à nouveau un pot de miel devant la fenêtre. Lorsqu’il prit la route du travail, sa femme enleva le pot de miel de la fenêtre. Quelque jours plus tard, il remarqua qu’il commençait à avoir beaucoup d’ennuis. Un jour, il vit sur son chemin une pièce d’or. Pour la première fois de sa vie, il vit un leprechaun. Le leprechaun lui dit que la pièce d’or lui appartenait. Il demanda alors au jeune homme de lui rendre sa pièce mais le jeune homme refusa et rentra chez lui avec la pièce du leprechaun. Le jeune homme se rendit alors compte que la pièce d’or était magique. Chaque fois qu’il touchait la pièce dans sa poche, elle se multiplia. L’homme devint alors de plus en plus riche. Mais, plus il devenait riche, plus il avait d’ennuis.

Un jour, il demanda à sa femme pourquoi il ne voyait plus les pots de miel qu’il déposait à sa fenêtre. Sa femme lui répondit qu’elle prenait les pots de miel et les cachait. Le même jour, le leprechaun réapparut une deuxième fois pour lui dire de lui rendre la pièce d’or. L’homme refusa à nouveau. Trois jours plus tard, le jeune homme décida de lui rendre sa pièce. Alors, il déposa le pot de miel et puis la pièce à sa fenêtre. Le soir même, le leprechaun apparut pour prendre le pot de miel et il remarqua la pièce d’or à côté du pot. Le leprechaun prit les deux objets et quelques jours plus tard, la vie du jeune homme revint à la normale.

The lucky dog by Elena D-R.

Once upon a time in a forest, there was an enchanted house where a young girl, Juliet, lived with her three brothers. She had a horse called Lightning.

One beautiful day, she left with Lightning and her three brothers to Lake Connemara. They crossed the forest and met a leprechaun. “Hello,” he said. “Follow the blue flowers, someone needs your help.” Then he faded away.

After 3 kilometres of flowers, they arrived near a big tree where a little dog was crying. Juliet tried to save the puppy but she failed. She asked her three brothers for help. “Help me, can you give me a leg up?” They saved the little dog and went home with Lightning and the puppy.

The family and the animals lived happily ever after.

Le chien chanceux par Elena D-R.

Il était une fois, dans une forêt, une maison enchantée dans laquelle vivait une jeune fille, Juliette, et ses trois frères. Elle avait un cheval qui s’appelait Eclair.

Un beau jour, elle partit avec Eclair et ses trois frères au lac du Connemara. Ils traversèrent la forêt et rencontrèrent un lutin (un leprechaun). Il leur dit:

“Bonjour, suivez les fleurs bleues, quelqu’un a besoin de votre aide.” Puis il disparut aussitôt.

Après trois kilomètres de fleurs, ils arrivèrent près d’un grand arbre, dans lequel un petit chien pleurait. Juliette essaya de sauver le chiot mais elle n’y arriva pas. Elle demanda à ses trois frères de l’aider : “Aidez-moi, faites-moi la courte échelle.” Ils sauvèrent le bébé chien et rentrèrent à la maison avec Eclair et le chiot.

La famille et les animaux vécurent heureux.

The Dragon by Sidney N.

Once upon a time, a dragon lived in Ireland. This dragon was reputed for his strength and his courage. He was called Jordan and he lived in Belfast in Northern Ireland, in a big royal palace because he was the king of the dragons.

One day, he went to the cliffs to fight against a snake. They wanted to fight for the princess dragon because she was beautiful.

They fought and the dragon won and left with the princess.

Ten years later they got married and lived in the big royal palace. They had children and lived happily ever after.

Le dragon par Sydney N.

Il était une fois un dragon qui vivait en Irlande. Ce dragon était réputé pour sa force et son courage. Il s’appelait Jordan et vivait à Belfast dans l’Irlande du nord, dans un grand palais royal parce qu’il était le roi des dragons.

Un jour, il s’en alla vers les falaises pour combattre un serpent. Ils se battaient pour la dragonne princesse parce qu’elle était très belle.

Ils combattirent et le dragon gagna. Il partit avec la princesse.

Dix ans plus tard, ils se marièrent et vécurent dans le grand palais royal. Ils eurent des bébés dragons et vécurent heureux pour toujours.

The Magic Cow by Lina H.

Once upon a time there was an ugly giant who lived near a castle. He was mean, scary and horrible. His dream was to kidnap the princess and eat her for dinner.

The giant lived in a small cottage on a hill. Right behind the hills was the beach, and near the shore lived a magic cow that could give you magic powers. If you wanted to have magic powers, you had to touch the cow’s tail. The giant wanted to touch the cow’s tail to get magic powers so that he could eat the princess for dinner. So walked to see the cow and get the magic powers.

Then the giant arrived in front of the castle and made the princess fly to him, but fortunately a strong warrior appeared out of nowhere and saved the princess.

La vache magique par Lina H.

Il était une fois un géant qui vivait à côté d’un château. Il était méchant, effrayant et horrible. Son rêve était de kidnapper la princesse pour la manger au dîner.

Le géant vivait dans un petit chalet sur une colline. Juste derrière la colline il y avait une plage et à proximité du rivage vivait une vache magique qui pouvait transmettre des pouvoirs. La légende racontait que pour posséder ces pouvoirs magiques, on devait toucher la queue de la vache. Le géant malintentionné voulait toucher la queue de la vache pour s’acquérir de cette magie et ensuite s’emparer de la princesse, qu’il envisageait de manger. Il alla donc sans effort toucher la queue de la vache pour bénéficier de ces pouvoirs.

Le géant arriva devant le château et jeta un sortilège pour que la princesse vole jusqu’à lui, heureusement un courageux chevalier sorti de nulle part apparut et sauva la princesse du danger.

The Giant and the Princess by Mila V.

Once upon a time, there was a big giant who lived in the hills.

In a castle, there was a pretty princess called Tony.

One day, she went outside to the beach. Suddenly, she heard a loud noise. Tony saw a very big giant who was hungry. The giant caught the princess and took her in the hills.

The king called the warrior who lived beside the castle. He went to get the princess. He overcame the giant and he saved Tony!

Le géant et la princesse par Mila V.

Il était une fois un géant énorme qui vivait sur les collines.

Dans un château proche, vivait une jolie princesse qui s’appelait Tony.

Un jour, elle sortit pour se promener sur la plage. Soudain, elle entendit un bruit fort. Tony vit un géant immense s’approcher et le géant avait faim. Le géant attrapa la princesse et l’emmena sur les collines.

Le roi appela un guerrier qui vivait à côté du château. Il partit à la recherche de la princesse. Il vainquit le géant et sauva Tony !

The Golden Unicorn by Emilie M.

There is an Irish legend that says that somewhere in the thick forests of Ireland, there is an incredible golden unicorn that fulfils your wishes. This unicorn is more commonly called “the treasure unicorn” because no matter where it is, nearby there is also a fabulous treasure composed only of gold coins. There are three ways to meet this unicorn:

1) Doing a bad deed in front of this unicorn (because you may not know it but she can watch you from anywhere). Beware, in this case, the unicorn is vindictive and may take revenge.

2) Doing a good deed. In this case, the unicorn will be very attentive to your desires and will fulfil your every wish.

3) Going to the forest and having a good heart. This unicorn is special because it can see inside you and if you are a good or bad person.

You can recognise the unicorn with her tattoo in the shape of a four-leaf clover, her beautiful white and silky coat and her golden mane.

La licorne dorée par Emilie M.

Une légende irlandaise raconte que quelque part dans les forêts denses d’Irlande, il y a une incroyable licorne dorée qui exauce les voeux. Cette licorne est plus communément appelée la licorne au trésor car peu importe où elle se retrouve, tout près d’elle se trouve aussi un trésor composé uniquement de pièces d’or. Il y a trois façons de rencontrer cette licorne :

1) Faire une mauvaise action devant la licorne (vous le savez peut-être déjà, mais la licorne peut vous observer de n’importe où). Attention, dans ce cas, la licorne est vindicative et ne manquera pas une occasion de se venger.

2) Faire une bonne action. A ce moment-là, la licorne sera très attentive à vos désirs et à vos moindres souhaits.

3) Aller en forêt et avoir un coeur bon et juste. Cette licorne est particulière car elle peut voir en vous, si vous êtes une bonne ou une mauvaise personne.

Elle se reconnaît à son tatouage en forme de trèfle à quatre feuilles, à son magnifique pelage blanc et soyeux et à sa crinière dorée.

A Brave Warrior by Ilian B.

Once upon a time in a castle near a lake, there was a king and a princess. Near the castle, there was a giant’s house. The giant annoyed the people because he wanted to take the princess away. Fortunately, her father protected her.

However, one day the king died because of the giant. The giant finally succeeded in taking the princess!

The government decided to recruit some warriors to release the princess. One brave warrior thought he would be able to save the princess, so he left to free her alone.

An awful fight took place, but the warrior managed to overcome the giant and get away with the princess. They fell in love, got married and had many children.

Un guerrier courageux par Ilian B.

Il était une fois un roi et une princesse qui vivaient dans un château près d’un lac. Près du château, un géant possédait une maison. Le géant embêtait les villageois parce qu’il voulait s’emparer de la princesse. Heureusement, son père la protégeait.

Cependant, un jour, le roi meurt à cause du géant et celui-ci réussit enfin à enlever la princesse !

Le gouvernement décida de recruter des guerriers pour libérer la princesse. Un guerrier courageux se savait capable de sauver la princesse, alors il partit tout seul pour la libérer.

Un combat affreux eut lieu, mais le guerrier réussit à vaincre le géant et s’en alla avec la princesse. Ils tombèrent amoureux, se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d’enfants.

The Two Leprechauns by Flaviu B.

Once upon a time, two leprechauns were born on the same day. The first one was called Garet and the second one, Alex.

Garet had magical powers such as fire and water. Alex had no powers. His parents offered him a lot of gifts and food, but Alex’s sadness was so great, he refused to accept it all. He wanted superpowers like Garet.

One day, he was walking in the magical forest when three demons appeared: a cactus, a lizard and a bomb. They offered Alex black magic and Alex accepted. He felt stronger and more powerful. He wanted to take revenge and kill Garet. Suddenly, lightning came out from Alex’s hand and killed Garet. Alex was sad because he killed his brother. He gave all his gold to the dead Garet and went away forever.

Les deux lutins par Flaviu B.

Un jour, deux lutins naquirent le même jour. Le premier s’appelait Garet et le deuxième, Alex.

Garet avait des pouvoirs magiques tels que le feu et l’eau. Alex n’avait aucun pouvoir. Ses parents lui offrirent beaucoup de cadeaux et de nourriture, mais Alex était tellement triste qu’il refusa tout. Il voulait seulement des super-pouvoirs comme Garet.

Un jour, Alex se promenait dans la forêt magique quand trois démons apparurent: un cactus, un lézard et une bombe. Ils proposèrent de la magie noire à Alex et il l’accepta. Il se sentait tout de suite plus fort et plus puissant. Il voulait se venger et tuer Garet. Soudain, un éclair sortit de la main d’Alex et tua Garet. Alex était triste parce qu’il eût tué son frère. Il décida de laisser toutes ses pièces d’or auprès du corps de Garet et s’en alla. Il ne reviendrait jamais.

The traditional Irish legends we studied

Leprechauns

The leprechaun is the most famous fairy living in Ireland. Leprechauns started appearing in Irish legend in the medieval times. Traditionally, leprechauns are tall fairies and often appear to humans as an old man – much different from the modern view of a small, childlike fairy in a green suit.

Leprechauns are different from traditional fairies because they have got jobs: they make shoes for poor Irish people. As legend says, Leprechauns love to collect gold, which they store in a pot and hide at the end of a rainbow. If a human catches a leprechaun, the fairy must grant the human three wishes before he can be released.

The leprechaun’s message

The Myth of Oisin and the Land of Eternal Youth

A long time ago, the great leader of the Fianna, Fionn Mac Cumhaill, had a son called Oisín. Oisín loved poetry, music and song and people came from far away to hear him read and sing. One day, Niamh, a beautiful young Princess, came to see him. She wore a fine silk dress and silver shoes. She rode the finest white horse in Ireland. She came from the magical land of Tír na nÓg far out in the western sea. Oisín and Niamh immediately fell in love and they were both very happy.

Soon, Niamh had to return to Tír na nÓg and she asked Oisín to come with her. She told him that no one grows old in Tír na nÓg because it is the land of eternal youth and happiness. Oisín agreed to go with her. Everyone in Ireland was sad to say goodbye to Oisín. Niamh’s great white horse carried them over the sea and back to the magical land of Tír na nÓg. Niamh and Oisín married and the King and Queen of Tír na nÓg loved their son-in-law very much.

One year later, Oisín wanted to visit Ireland to see his father again. He told Niamh of his plan but she was worried Oisín would never return. Oisín promised he would be back soon. “Be careful” Niamh warned him. “Do not touch the ground in Ireland because if you do, you will never be able to return to Tír na nÓg. Stay on the white horse and he will bring you back.”

Oisín waved goodbye and the horse galloped across the sea. Soon Oisín could see the wild coast of Ireland but when he arrived, he saw everything had changed. The Fianna were gone, the fortresses were in ruins, the peoples’ clothes had changed. Oisín asked about Fionn and the Fianna. People told him that they had been dead for hundreds of years. Oisín suddenly realized that one day in Tír na nÓg was the same as a year in Ireland. Oisín had been away for more than three hundred years.

Sadly, he turned back to Tír na nÓg. On the way, some men stopped Oisín and asked him for help. He did not refuse. He got off his horse and put foot on the ground. Suddenly he changed. He was no longer a handsome young man. He was old and wrinkled. Frightened, the great white horse ran away back to Tír na nÓg without Oisín.

The Salmon of Knowledge

Fionn wanted to know how his father died. His father was the leader of the Fianna, a tribe of warriors. First, Fionn had to pass 3 challenges to join the Fianna. Finnegas taught Fionn how to hunt and fish so he could pass the challenges. Finnegas told Fionn about the Salmon of Knowledge. The Salmon of Knowledge possessed all the wisdom in the world because it ate the first hazelnuts that fell in the River Boyne from nine magic hazel trees. One day, Fionn and Finnegas caught the Salmon of Knowledge and they cooked it. Fionn burnt his thumb on the salmon while it was cooking and he put his thumb in his mouth. So Fionn was the first to taste the salmon and acquired all the knowledge of the world. Fionn showed his strength by killing Aillen, the fire-breathing spirit which burned Tara to the ground. So Goll Mac Morna accepted Fionn as the new leader of the Fianna. Fionn became the greatest leader of the Fianna. Some say he is sleeping in a cavern under the sea and that he will come back one day when Ireland needs him.

The Children of Lir

A long time ago in Ireland, there was a rich and happy king called Lir. He had magic powers but he didn’t need to use them. He had a beautiful wife, four lovely children (Fionnuala, Fiachra, Conn and Hugh), a pleasant kingdom and loyal friends. Life was perfect until Lir’s wife fell sick and died. Lir was very, very sad. The king and his children cried themselves to sleep for months.

One day, a friend suggested that King Lir marry the dead queen’s sister, Aoife. Lir agreed that this would be a good idea for his children. But Aoife was an evil person. She pretended to be kind to the children but she really hated them. She wanted all the king’s attention for herself. So she worked on her magic powers and used all her strength to make a terrible spell. When she was ready, she invited Lir’s four children to play at Lake Derravaragh. It was a beautiful sunny day and the children ran quickly to swim in the lake. Suddenly, Aoife cast her spell on them. “I turn you into swans for nine hundred years. Three centuries you will stay on Lake Derravaragh, three centuries on the Sea of Moyle and three centuries on Inis Glora!” Their necks grew long, their feet became webbed and their arms turned into wings.

Before her face changed, Fionnuala asked for two wishes. She asked that the children keep their human voices and that they receive a sign when the children will be free of the spell. Aoife accepted. She gave the swans beautiful singing voices and said that the spell will end when they hear a Christian bell ring.

Aoife returned to King Lir without the children and he was very angry. For the first time, he thought Aoife looked cruel and he locked her in a room while he searched for his children.

King Lir started his search for the children at Lake Derravaragh. He saw nothing except four swans swimming. He listened carefully and recognised their voices. The swans came to Lir and told him what happened. Lir was very sad. He ran back home and pulled Aoife up to the high rooftop where he changed her into a black crow. She flew away and was never seen again.

King Lir spent the rest of his life next to the lake listening to the swans sing. Three centuries later, the four swans flew to the Sea of Moyle where they survived the high waves and strong winds. Another three centuries later, the swans flew to Inis Mora. It was a quiet place without humans so they didn’t know about St Patrick coming to Ireland and the Christianity he brought.

One day, a follower of St Patrick arrived and built a small chapel. Some time later, he heard the swans’ beautiful singing and decided to pray in the chapel. The swans followed him into the chapel. He celebrated Mass and rang a bell for communion. Suddenly, the swans began flapping their wings and jumping in the air. In a flash, the swans turned back into four very old and wrinkled people. “What did you do to the swans?” the follower of St Patrick asked. The children of Lir told him the story and the holy man thought it was a miracle. He blessed them and the children of Lir felt they were home at last.

Thank you to the students of 5èmeA for their continued work on Ireland over the course of the school year 2019/20.

Merci aux élèves de la classe de 5èmeA pour leur travail sur l’Irlande au cours de l’année scolaire 2019/20.

Flaviu B.                                   Axel L.

Rayan B.                                  Emilie M.

Ilian B.                                     Sidney N.

Olivia C.                                   Tess P.

Elena D.R.                                Léo R.

Camille G.                                Gabrielle R.O.

Lina H.                                     Jasmine S.

Nathan H.                                Catarina S.

Baptiste H.                               Roberta S.

Abubakar K.                             Mila V.

                                               Anis Y.

Thank you to the MJC for organising the Irish dancing and thank you to the municipality of La Celle St Cloud for the art exhibitions and events they organise.

Merci à la MJC pour l’organisation de la danse irlandaise et merci à la ville de La Celle St Cloud pour les expositions artistiques et culturelles qu’elle met en place.