Notre Dame is the cathedral in France. "Notre Dame" is French. There are other churches called Notre Dame in other French speaking countries. So, just how did the University of Notre Dame get to be the "Fighting IRISH"??
2006-09-09 23:14:55 · 5 answers · asked by quntmphys238 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
Don't you think the "Fighting French" is an oxymoron?
2006-09-09 23:24:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Notre = Our + Dame = Mother
Did you ever think about how much influence France has had on the history of the US - and if you have never seen a cross cultural marriage among Catholics or any other group, then you will have to go figure that part out on your own.
2006-09-10 06:36:37 · answer #2 · answered by clophad 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame athletic teams, their never-say-die fighting spirit and the Irish qualities of grit, determination and tenacity....
...so I guess it just plain had nothing to do with anything "French."
2006-09-10 06:26:40 · answer #3 · answered by froggie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe because so many catholics are Irish! Or at least the first ones that attended Notre Dame.
2006-09-10 06:40:16 · answer #4 · answered by musiclady007 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
simple symantics. Why are the Nebraska Cornhuskers called Cornhuskers, when Nebraska is the beef state, and Iowa is the corn state?
2006-09-10 06:22:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋