Glossary – Yalla Craic

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Traditional songs that carried stories of love, loss, and rebellion — a vital form of cultural resistance and memory under British oppression.

British auxiliary forces sent to Ireland in 1920 to crush independence; notorious for brutality — their tactics later echoed in British colonial policing in Palestine.

On November 21, 1920, British forces opened fire at a Dublin football match, killing 14 civilians — a turning point in the Irish War of Independence.

British soldiers shot dead 14 unarmed civil rights marchers in Derry on January 30, 1972 — a massacre that shocked the world and intensified the Northern Ireland conflict.

A lively social gathering with Irish music and dance — a space of joy, identity, and togetherness, even under colonial rule.

No Irish Need Apply refers to signs used in the 19th century to exclude Irish people from jobs, showing discrimination against Irish immigrants mainly in Britain and the United States.

Dabke is a traditional Arab group dance where people hold hands and stomp their feet together at celebrations, especially in Palestine, Jordan Lebanon, and Syria.

A 1916 armed rebellion in Dublin by Irish republicans against British rule; though defeated, it inspired the later independence movement.

The Gaelic Athletic Association preserved Irish sports like hurling and football — which were once banned by the British for fostering national identity.

Refers to the humanitarian crisis and starvation conditions in Gaza caused by ongoing blockade and bombardment.

Refers to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that largely ended the Troubles, bringing fragile peace to Northern Ireland through shared governance.

The traditional storyteller who preserves Palestinian history and identity through spoken word, folklore, and resistance tales.

Irish republican prisoners, most famously Bobby Sands in 1981, refused food to protest British prison conditions and assert political status.

Meaning “uprising,” it refers to Palestinian popular revolts (1987–1993, 2000–2005) against Israeli occupation — marked by civil resistance and harsh crackdowns.

Jaffa oranges are a famous type of orange originally grown in the Palestinian city of Jaffa and known worldwide for their sweetness.

The Jordan River is an important river in the Middle East that flows through and alongside Palestine and is historically and religiously significant.

Weekly protests in Gaza (2018–2019) demanding the right of refugees to return to their ancestral lands — met with lethal force by Israeli troops.

Arabic for “catastrophe,” the 1948 mass expulsion and destruction of Palestinian villages during Israel’s creation — over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced.

The northern lapwing is a black-and-white bird with a long head feather and is the national bird of Ireland.

The sunbird is a small, brightly colored bird that drinks nectar from flowers and is the national bird of Palestine.

A set of 17th–18th century British laws that suppressed Irish Catholics — banning education, land ownership, and worship to enforce Protestant control.

Describes Israel’s use of administrative detention, where Palestinians are imprisoned indefinitely without charge or trial.

The shebbabeh is a traditional Palestinian flute made of reed and played in folk music.

The Atlantic Ocean is the vast ocean that lies to the west of Ireland and has shaped Ireland’s climate, travel, and history.

The Mediterranean Sea is the large body of water that borders the coast of Palestine and many countries in southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

The Great Famine (1845–1852) devastated Ireland when potato crops failed; over a million died and many more emigrated, while British aid was minimal and often cruelly withheld.

A violent conflict (late 1960s–1998) in Northern Ireland between nationalists seeking reunification and unionists loyal to Britain, marked by bombings, repression, and deep trauma.

“The wall” or “The Occupation Wall” refers to the large concrete barrier built by Israel that separates Israeli and Palestinian areas and greatly affects daily life for Palestinians.

Short for “traditional music,” it preserves Irish culture through fiddle, flute, and song — passed down as acts of resilience and pride.

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