Usually this question is a complaint.  Many people are
	disappointed when they read soc.culture.irish and find it
	isn't quite what they expected.  The newsgroup is not just for
	discussions about Irish culture (unless you broaden the word
	"culture" to encompass almost all things Irish).  This is for
	the very good reason that soc.culture.irish is the only Irish
	newsgroup with worldwide distribution.	(Other newsgroups, such
	as those in the ie.* hierarchy are not available everywhere.)
	It does not pay to read too much into a name when that name is
	fairly arbitrary (as is the case with most Usenet newsgroups).

	Having said that, there is most likely a place in the newsgroup
	for Irish culture as you define it.  If you don't see what
	you want to discuss, you should post an article on the subject
	yourself.  If you express yourself well, you'll probably find
	that people will respond positively.  On the other hand, it is
	not productive to complain about what's there if you have made
	no effort to contribute yourself.

If you need inspiration, take a look at Gerard Cunningham's archive
	of poetry postings (http://www.wwa.com/~abardubh/poetry/)
	and various other cultural items
	(http://www.wwa.com/~abardubh/culture/culture.html).

	Finally, remember that, as in most news groups, the interesting
	articles are often hard to find until you get to know the group.
	There are discussions going on all the time about things other
	than politics: you just have to look beyond the current flame war.
	You might want to read for a couple of weeks before you pass
	judgement.  As always, good news reading software helps a lot.
	(This is particularly true since the newsgroup has become more
	busy, with upwards of 200 articles a day.)

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