“Irish” is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the fact or quality of being Irish.” This can be further defined by many elements of how we live our lives. You could say that what makes us Irish is our mother tongue and the fact that we still learn it today at school, our sense of humor which is exclusive to Ireland, our traditional sports or our holidays like St. Patrick’s Day. But throughout history, there have been many, many factors that have contributed to our “Irish identity” and shaped the Ireland of today. Since the 1600s, many events have defined Ireland and its Irish character, such as the Great Potato Famine, the founding of the GAA, the formation of the Gaelic League and the Act of Union, the laws criminal and also more minor things such as the formation of the Abbey Theater in Dublin. Those which are going to be discussed in this essay are those which, in my opinion, have had the greatest effect on the present state of Ireland; criminal laws, starvation and the formation of the GAA. All of this has helped to shape the country we live in today and to shape the Irish people and their Irish character. Many attempts have been made over the years to suppress the Irish character and the Irish spirit, one of them being the Penal Laws which were applied to the Catholics of Ireland in the 1690s. Throughout From these attempts the Irish spirit has never wavered and today we are still a very proud and cultured land and people. Penal laws against the Irish people (80% of whom were Catholic) were put in place after 1691 by the Protestant Parliament. in England with the aim of depriving them of their Catholic faith and way of life. There were 4 categories of restrictions applied to Irish culture; restrictions on religion, education, good...... middle of paper ......n in the Catholic faith or practice of religion despite the laws. The famine was a shocking and horrific event in Irish history. It is evident that the struggle of the Irish people highlights that although the Great Famine killed millions and destroyed a country through starvation and disease, the resilience of the country's people gave rise to pride and to a strong spirit on the part of the Irish, who are still present today. Quoted Brian O Conchubhair, “The GAA and the Irish Language” in The Gaelic Athletic Ascociation 1884-2009, ed. Mike Cronin, William Murphy and Paul Rouse (Dublin, 2009) Keegan, G., Famine Diary: Journey to a New World (Dublin, 1895). SJ Connolly., Religion, Law and Power; The Making of Protestant Ireland, (Oxford, 1992), Patrick Brantlinger "The Famine" in Victorian Culture and Literature, vol 32, no. 1, (2003) pages. 193-207