Grá, guts, gumption and glory: Are these Irish history's greatest romances?

From the mythology of Gráinne and Diarmuid to the poetry of Yeats and the songs of Van the Man, Ireland has long celebrated passion and devotion. 

From TG4's Seachtain na Cásca docudrama: Grace Gifford (Kathleen Watkins) and Joseph Plunkett (Declan Harvey) are married in Kilmainham.

Ireland has always had a funny relationship with romance. Despite our location on a cold northern European island and the best efforts of certain institutions, we are a passionate and red-blooded sort. 

Our windswept landscapes, love of literature and music and the struggle for freedom have woven themselves into our notions of love and passion.