Editing Munster (section)

==Culture==

Noted for its traditions in [[Folk music of Ireland|Irish folk music]], and with many ancient castles and monasteries in the province, Munster is a tourist destination. During the fifth century, St. Patrick spent seven years founding churches and ordaining priests in Munster, but a fifth-century bishop named [[Ailbe]] is the [[patron saint]] of Munster.

In [[Irish mythology]], a number of ancient goddesses are associated with the province including [[Anann]], [[Áine]], [[Grian]], [[Clíodhna]], [[Aimend]], [[Mór Muman]], [[Bébinn]], [[Aibell]] and [[Mongfind]]. The druid-god of Munster is [[Mug Ruith]] and [[Tlachtga]] is his daughter. Another legendary figure is [[Donn]].

The province has long had trading and cultural links with continental Europe. The [[Corcu Loígde]] had a trading fleet active along the French Atlantic coast, as far south as Gascony, importing wine to Munster. The [[Eóganachta]] had ecclesiastical ties with Germany, which show in the architecture of their ceremonial capital at the [[Rock of Cashel]].

The majority of Irish [[ogham]] inscriptions are found in Munster, principally in areas occupied by the Iverni, especially the [[Corcu Duibne]].<ref>The ruins of the [[Iron Age]] mountaintop fortress [[Caherconree]], preserving the name of Cú Roí, can also be found in their lands.</ref> Later, Europe's first linguistic dictionary in any non-Classical language, the ''[[Sanas Cormaic]]'', was compiled by Munster scholars, traditionally thought to have been directed by the king-bishop [[Cormac mac Cuilennáin]] (d. 908).

The [[School of Ross]] in Munster was one of Europe's leading centres of learning in the Early Middle Ages.

===Sport===
Several sports in Munster are organised on a provincial basis, or operate competitions along provincial lines. This includes traditionally popular sports such as [[hurling]], [[Gaelic football]], [[rugby union]] and soccer, as well as cricket ([[Munster Cricket Union]]), hockey ([[Irish Hockey Association|Munster Hockey Union]]), and others.

====Hurling and football====
{{further|Munster GAA|Munster Senior Hurling Championship|Munster Senior Football Championship}}
Munster is noted for its tradition of [[hurling]]. Three of the four most successful teams in the [[All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship]] are from Munster; [[Cork GAA]], [[Tipperary GAA]] and [[Limerick GAA]]. The final of the [[Munster Senior Hurling Championship]] is one of the most important days in the Irish [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] calendar.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}} Munster is Ireland's only province whose every single county has won at least one [[All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship]].
[[File:Thomond Park.jpg|thumb|Thomond Park in Limerick – one of two venues in the province which host Munster Rugby games]]
Traditionally, the dominant teams in Munster football are [[Kerry GAA]] and [[Cork GAA]], although [[Tipperary GAA]] and [[Limerick GAA]] have also won [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]]s. Kerry in particular are the most successful county in the history of football.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/kingdoms-unique-structure-keeps-them-well-ahead-of-all-pretenders-314760.html|title=Kingdom's unique structure keeps them well ahead of all pretenders|date=2015-02-26|access-date=2018-10-11|archive-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011214707/https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/kingdoms-unique-structure-keeps-them-well-ahead-of-all-pretenders-314760.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Rugby union====
{{Main|Munster Rugby}}
Rugby is a popular game in the cities of Limerick and Cork. [[Munster Rugby]] is an [[Irish Rugby Football Union]] representative side which competes in the [[United Rugby Championship]] competition, winning in 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2023 and in the [[Heineken Cup]], winning in 2006 and 2008. Until 2016, the Munster side was the only Irish side to have defeated the New Zealand [[All Blacks]].

====Soccer====
[[File:Cork City cricket.jpg|thumb|Cricket being played at the [[Richard Beamish Cricket Grounds|Mardyke]] in Cork, the home venue of the [[Munster Reds]]]]
{{Main|Munster Football Association}}
Association football is also a popular game in Munster, with the [[Munster Football Association]] governing a number of aspects of the game in the province. In 2025 five Munster clubs play in the [[League of Ireland]]: [[Waterford FC]] and [[Cork City F.C.]], in the [[League of Ireland Premier Division]];<ref>{{cite web |title=SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division |url=https://www.leagueofireland.ie/mens/sse-airtricity-mens-premier-division/clubs/ |website=League of Ireland}}</ref> and [[Cobh Ramblers]], [[Treaty United F.C.]] and [[Kerry F.C. (Ireland)|Kerry F.C.]] in the [[League of Ireland First Division|First Division]].<ref>{{cite web |title=SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division Clubs |url=https://www.leagueofireland.ie/mens/first-division/clubs/ |website=League of Ireland}}</ref>

====Cricket====
In Cricket, the province is represented by the [[Munster Reds]] in the [[Inter-Provincial Cup]] [[List A cricket|one-day]] competition and the [[Inter-Provincial Trophy]] [[Twenty20]] competition.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} Munster does not currently participate in the [[first-class cricket|first-class]] inter-provincial tournament, though [[Cricket Ireland]] does have plans to include Munster in the format.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

===Irish language===
{{further|Munster Irish}}
The [[Irish language]], or more specifically [[Munster Irish]], is spoken as a first language in [[Gaeltachtaí]] (Irish speaking areas) in a number of areas in the province. This includes West Kerry (''Corca Dhuibhne''), South Kerry (''Uíbh Ráthach''), West Cork (''Múscraí''), south-west Cork (''Oileán Cléire''), and parts of Waterford (''Gaeltacht na Rinne'' or ''Gaeltacht na nDéise'').

There are about 35,000 Irish language speakers in Munster, with 9,737 native speakers in the Munster Gaeltacht areas of Cork, Kerry and Waterford. There are also 12,219 pupils attending 45 [[Gaelscoil]]s (Irish language primary schools) and 15 [[Gaelcholáiste]] (Irish language secondary schools) in the province.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/assets/Staitistic%C3%AD-2010-2011_Gaeilge.pdf | publisher = Gaelscoileanna.ie | title = Gaelscoil stats | date = 2011 | access-date = 8 January 2012 | archive-date = 19 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120419091247/http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/assets/Staitistic%C3%AD-2010-2011_Gaeilge.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> As of the [[Census of Ireland 2011]] there were 13,193 daily speakers outside the education system in Munster.