Ireland Goes On

IRELAND

The population of Ireland is approximately 6.2 million people. Just under 4.5 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. Relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a centralplain epitomise Ireland's geography with several navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of its mild but changeable oceanic climate, which avoids extremes in temperature. Thick woodlands covered the island until the 17th century. Today, it is the most deforested area in EuropeIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world.It lies to the north west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland is Great Britain, separated from it by the Irish Sea. The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island,and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom.

         Most of Ireland was covered with ice until the end of the last ice age over 9,000 years ago.

The Iron Age in Ireland is traditionally associated with people known as the Celts. The Celts were commonly thought to have colonised Ireland in a series of invasions between the 8th and 1st centuries BC.

The Romans would later refer to Ireland by this name too in its Latinised form, Hibernia, or Scotia.

Saint Patrick, Ireland's best known patron saint, arrived in the  year  AD 432

Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday on the 17th of March. 

 It began as a purely Catholic holiday and became an official feast day in the early 17th century.

 It has gradually become more of a secular celebration of Ireland's culture.

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland. It is a three-leafed old white clover. 

The name shamrock is derived from Irish seamróg, which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover.

A leprechaun  is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, 

clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, 

 The Leprechauns spend all their time busily making shoes, and store away all 

their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If ever captured by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release. Popular depiction shows the Leprechaun as being no taller than a small child.

The Irish Famine of 1740–1741 in the Kingdom of Ireland 

was perhaps of similar magnitude to the better-known Great Famine of 1845–1852. The famine of the 1840s, 

which was caused in part by a fungal infection in the potato crop resulting in a series of poor harvests.

 Hunger compounded a range of fatal diseases. In Ireland, the Great Famine was a period of mass starvation,

 disease and emigration between 1845 and 1852. It is also known, mostly outside of Ireland, 

as the Irish Potato Famine.During the Famine, Ireland's population fell by between 20 and 25 percent.

 Approximately one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland.

The harp has been used as a political symbol of Ireland for centuries. Its origin is from the time of Brian Boru, a famous 'High King' of the whole island of Ireland who played the harp. 

Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803)

 at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London 

in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. A distinctive feature is 

the burnt flavour which is derived from the use of roasted unmalted barley.

Dublin  is the primate and capital city of Ireland.

 It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath .

 The English name is derived from the Irish Dubh Linn (meaning "black pool"). 

The city has an urban population of over 1 million people and is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast,

 at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region.

The Cliffs of Moher are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of the Burren area near

 Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland.The Cliffs of Moher rank as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland and topped the list of attractions in 2006 by drawing almost one million visitors.

The Dingle Peninsula  is the northernmost of the major peninsulas in County Kerry. 

Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.

"Molly Malone" (also known as "Cockles and Mussels" or "In Dublin's Fair City") is a popular song, set in Dublin, Ireland,

 which has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City.

The Spire of Dublin, officially titled the Monument of Light is a large, stainless steel,

 pin-like monument 121.2 metres (398 ft) in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar on O'Connell Street 

in Dublin.

The Liffey (An Life in Irish) is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin.

Aer Lingus (ISEQ: EIL1, LSE: AERL) (a phonetic rendering of the Irish Aer-Loingeas, "air fleet") is the flag carrier of Ireland

Hurling  is an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic

 Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. 

The game, played primarily in Ireland, has prehistoric origins and is thought to be the world's 

fastest field team sport in terms of game play.

Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and

 historically spoken by the Irish people.

The euro (sign: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of the eurozone:

 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) including ireland. 

The coins are issued in €2, €1, 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c, and 1c denominations.  

Notes are issued in €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10, €5.

Garda Síochána na hÉireann  Irish for "Guard(ians) of the Peace of Ireland"), more commonly 

referred to as the Gardaí, is the police force of the Republic of Ireland.