Ireland

|1| |INTRODUCTION |

Ireland (Irish Éire), country in northwestern Europe occupying most of theisland of Ireland, the second largest of the British Isles. The Republic ofIreland lies to the west of Great Britain, the largest island in thearchipelago. It is separated from Great Britain to the east by the NorthChannel and the Irish Sea, and to the southeast by Saint George’s Channel.The western and southern shores of Ireland meet the North Atlantic Ocean.Ireland’s only land border is with Northern Ireland, a province of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to the northeast. TheIrish Republic has an area of 70,273 sq km (27,133 sq mi). The capital andlargest city is Dublin.Ireland’s vivid green landscapes have earned it the title Emerald Isle.Traditionally, most Irish people made their living farming the land. Sincethe 1950s, energetic industrialization policies have promotedmanufacturing, which, along with services, now dominates Ireland’s economy.In 1973 Ireland was admitted into the European Community (EC), and it isnow a member of the European Union (EU). Since the 1960s Ireland hasundergone a period of vigorous economic growth and rapid social change.

|2| |Climate|

Ireland has a maritime temperate climate with little seasonal or regionalvariation due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, which bringswarm, moist winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The average winter temperatureranges from 4° to 7°C (40° to 45°F), approximately 14 Celsius degrees (25Fahrenheit degrees) higher than that of most other places in the samelatitude in the interior of Europe or on the eastern coast of NorthAmerica. The oceanic influence is also pronounced in the summer; theaverage summer temperature of Ireland ranges from 15° to 17°C (59° to62°F), or about 4 Celsius degrees (7 Fahrenheit degrees) lower than that ofmost other places in the same latitudes. Rainfall averages 1,000 mm (40 in)

annually, although regional variation is significant, with more than twiceas much rain falling in the west as in the east. The sunniest part of thecountry is the southeast.life does not differ markedly from that of England or France. Over manycenturies of human settlement almost all of Ireland’s natural woodlandswere cleared, and indigenous animals such as bear, wolf, wildcat, beaver,wild cattle, and the giant Irish deer (a type of fallow deer) graduallydisappeared. However, the hardy and versatile Connemara pony, Ireland’sonly native pony breed, has been used by Irish farmers since prehistorictimes. The great auk, or garefowl, was exterminated in the 19th century.Small rodents living in forested areas and fields remain numerous acrossIreland, as do numerous species of shore and field birds, including manytypes of gull. Birds of prey are rare. Ireland has no snakes; in fact, theonly reptile found in Ireland is a species of lizard. Sedges, rushes,ferns, and grasses provide the dominant plant cover.|3| |PEOPLE AND SOCIETY |

Ireland’s population descends from a variety of ethnic groups and reflectsintermixing over millennia by successive waves of immigrants. Ireland’spopulation is predominantly of Celtic origin (Celts), but ancient tribeshad inhabited Ireland for thousands of years when Celtic peoples settledthe island in the 4th century bc. Over the centuries Ireland absorbedsignificant numbers of Vikings, Normans, and English. More recently,Ireland’s membership in the European Union (EU) has increased the number ofcitizens of other European countries living in Ireland, and smallcommunities of ethnic Chinese and Indian people also have been established.Since 1996 Ireland has received small numbers of refugees and asylumseekers from eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Ireland also has a smallindigenous minority known as Travellers. Numbering approximately 25,000,Travellers move and camp across the Irish countryside in small groups or

cluster in enclaves within cities.|A| |Population Characteristics |

The population of the Irish Republic in 2004 was estimated at 3,969,558,giving the country an overall population density of 58 persons per sq km(149 per sq mi). Some 60 percent of the population lived in urban areas in2002. The urban share of the population has increased with each successivecensus since 1926; the urban population exceeded the rural population forthe first time in 1971.Ireland’s economic growth in recent decades has reversed a long historicaltrend of emigration. For more than a century after the Great Potato Famineof the 1840s, Ireland’s population steadily declined, despite the nation’srelatively high birth rate. This continuous decline resulted from massemigration, initially to escape the famine and later to seek employment andbetter lives, mainly in the United States and in the industrialized citiesof the United Kingdom. In the 1960s and 1970s emigration fell sharply andno longer offset the natural increase. By the 1980s Ireland’s populationwas growing at an annual rate of about 0.5 percent, and in the 1990simmigration began to exceed emigration by a small margin. In 2002 Ireland’spopulation grew at an annual rate of 1.16 percent, one of the highest ratesin western Europe.|B| |Political || | |Divisions |

The island of Ireland is traditionally divided into the four provinces ofLeinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster. Most of Ulster is now part ofNorthern Ireland.For administrative purposes, the Irish Republic is divided into 26counties. They are the counties of Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny,Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow, inLeinster Province; Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford,in Munster Province; Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo, inConnacht Province; and Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, in Ulster Province.Each county is governed by at least one county council. Two counties are

divided into subsections administered by separate county councils, givingthe Irish Republic a total of 29 county councils. Tipperary county has twocouncils, North and South Tipperary. Dublin county has three councils,Dublin-Belgard, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, and Dublin-Fingal.In addition to the county councils, there are five borough councils, fivecity councils, and 75 town councils. The borough councils are Clonmel,Drogheda, Kilkenny, Sligo, and Wexford. The city councils are Cork, Dublin,Galway, Limerick, and Waterford.|C| |Principal || | |Cities |

The capital and largest city is Dublin, with a population (2002) of495,781. Dublin is the commercial and industrial center of Ireland and thecountry’s principal port. Cork is the second largest city and a major port,with a population of 123,062. Other major cities and towns include Limerick(54,023), Galway (65,832), and Waterford (44,594).|D| |Way of Life|

Ireland, for centuries a predominantly rural, agricultural society, changeddramatically with economic development after World War II (1939-1945). Theemergence of diversified manufacturing and service sectors has made thecountry more urbanized and middle class. Consumption of consumer goods hasexpanded rapidly, and material comforts—including automobiles, cellulartelephones and other electronic goods, and fashionable clothing—have becomeimportant symbols of social status.In cities and towns, most Irish people live in houses, although apartmentsare growing in popularity as urban densities increase. In the countryside,traditional farmhouses constructed of stone or dried peat and covered withthatched roofs have been largely replaced by modern dwellings. Today, mosthomes are made from concrete, brick, or mortared stone and have tile roofs.In rural areas peat is still cut and dried for use as fuel for cooking andheating.Ireland is a strongly Roman Catholic country by tradition. However, thelate 20th and early 21st centuries were marked by increasing secularizationin Irish society. Many Irish have questioned, and even rejected, the role

of the Roman Catholic Church as the chief arbiter of social and familyvalues. At the same time, women have energetically challenged the country’straditional patriarchal social values. Despite these changes, politicallife in Ireland is still largely dominated by men, and women typically earnfar less than their male counterparts. Ireland’s abortion laws are amongthe strictest in Europe.The Irish tend to eat simple, hearty fare. Ireland’s rich pastures producehigh-quality beef and lamb, and the country is renowned for its butter,cream, and cheeses. Potatoes grow well in Ireland’s cool, damp climate andare a national food staple. They may be roasted, boiled, or baked, andeaten alone or served in famous dishes such as Irish stew or colcannon (adish made from mashed potatoes, cabbage, and onions). The Irish are famousfor their many varieties of breads, including soda bread and potato bread.Oysters and other shellfish are popular, and smoked salmon is considered anIrish specialty. Many Irish enjoy socializing in local pubs, where peoplegather to talk with friends, relax, listen to music, and have a drink. Beeris much beloved in Ireland, especially the dark stout varieties. Renownedlocal stouts include Guinness, Beamish, and Murphy’s. Irish whiskey is alsoa popular alcoholic beverage.The national sports are hurling, a strenuous game similar to field hockey,and Gaelic football, which resembles soccer. Soccer has become more popularin recent years, partly because of television coverage of matches in theUnited Kingdom, and also due to the relative success of the IrishRepublic’s national team in European and World Cup soccer competitions.Horse racing is a highly popular spectator sport, and Irish breeders haveproduced some of the world’s finest thoroughbreds. Professional cycling, adifficult endurance sport, also draws a wide following. Saint Patrick’s Day(March 17), which honors the patron saint of Ireland, is the most importantnational holiday.Customs of Ireland

Gaelic footballMarriage and FamilyPeople usually marry in their early to mid-20s. Most weddings are performedin a church, but a minority are also performed in a registry office. Aftermarriage, many people in rural areas stay close to their family’s home andvisit frequently. Many couples, particularly in the cities, live togetherbefore or instead of marriage. Typically, the bonds between siblings in anIrish family are especially strong. In rural areas, extended families oftenlive near one another, and family members who have moved to Dublin oroverseas in search of work often return for Christmas and other familycelebrations or funerals. Traditionally, women have not worked outside thehome except to help on the family farm, but in Dublin and other cities themajority of women now have jobs. 34.2 percent (1999)Salary levels for womenstill lag behind those of men, but gender discrimination is illegal. TheIrish have elected two consecutive women presidents since 1991.EatingAs an agricultural country, Ireland produces many fresh vegetables. Freshdairy products, breads, and seafood are also widely available. Potatoes,once eaten at every meal, are still regularly served, but the Irish haveembraced other foods such as pasta and rice. Apples, oranges, and pearshave long been integral to the Irish diet, but are now joined by a widervariety of fruit that have become available since Ireland joined theEuropean Union (EU). Smoked salmon is considered an Irish specialty, as areIrish stew and Irish lamb. Irish breads include soda bread and brack, arich, dark loaf containing dried fruit and traditionally served atHalloween. Tea and coffee are popular drinks in the home, and Dublin israpidly developing a café culture. Ireland is also the home of stout, a

rich, black beer brewed by Guinness and Murphy’s.The traditional cooked breakfast consists of any or all of the following:bacon, sausages, grilled or fried tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, white andblack pudding (a form of blood sausage) and toast or bread fried in fat oroil. Fewer people now eat such a morning meal, however, preferring alighter breakfast. In recent years, the Irish, particularly those in urbanareas, have become much more adventurous in their diet, and now eat a widevariety of European and ethnic food. Pubs (public houses) and cafés serveboth snacks and full meals. The Irish generally eat three meals a day. Themidday meal is usually referred to as lunch and the evening meal as dinneror, when it is less formal, as supper. But some rural people call themidday meal dinner and the early-evening meal tea. Many people,particularly in Dublin, no longer eat more than a light meal or snack inthe middle of the day. Those who have an early-evening meal sometimes haveanother snack—sandwiches, cakes, or biscuits—at around 9 pm.SocializingThe traditional Irish greeting Céad míle fáilte literally means “A hundredthousand welcomes.” However, the Irish greet one another with commonEnglish phrases such as “Hello” and “How are you?” or more casual greetingssuch as “How’s it going?” The most typical Irish greeting is Dia dhuit,which means “God be with you.” Goodbye is expressed with Slán (roughly “Gosafely”) or the warmer Slán agus beannacht (“Go safely, and blessings bewith you”). Greetings are generally accompanied by a firm handshake,although in cities and among younger people it is not unusual for women tobe kissed on the cheek when greeting. The use of first names is nowwidespread. Unless one knows someone well, it is usual to telephone beforevisiting. Rural people are more likely than urban dwellers to drop in onfriends unannounced, as was common practice in the past. People like tomeet for conversation in pubs, which are important centres of social life.Visiting in the home takes place during holidays, especially betweenChristmas and New Year’s Day, which is also the time when young peopleliving abroad usually come home to visit. Parties are also popular duringholidays.RecreationThe Irish are sports-oriented, and most weekends include some sportingactivities for the family or the individual. Popular sports include the twonational pastimes: Gaelic football and hurling, both strictly amateursports. The women’s version of hurling is called camogie. Hurling, a fastand skillful game, is played on a soccer-type field with wooden sticks anda small leather ball. Gaelic football is played with a round ball; itsrules are similar to soccer, but players can touch the ball with theirhands, although they cannot pick it up from the ground. The ball ispunched, not thrown, and it can be kicked. Scoring is done in a soccer-typenet, but, as in hurling, points can also be made for going over the top ofthe goal. Gaelic football is the precursor of Australian Rules football;the two sports are similar enough that Irish and Australian teams sometimesplay each other with a set of compromise rules. The All-Ireland semi-finalsand finals, sponsored by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), arehighlights of the hurling and Gaelic football seasons.Soccer, rugby, sailing, cycling, golf, and horse and greyhound racing arealso favourite activities. Soccer has become a particularly popularspectator sport in the 1990s, reflecting the enthusiasm surrounding thenational team’s successes during the first half of the decade. Fishing, orangling, is also a common recreational activity, featuring mainly trout andsalmon fishing. Rugby internationals played at Dublin’s Lansdowne Roadstadium are considered high points of the sporting year. Enthusiasts ofhorse racing flock to the Galway Races in the summer and early fall.Holidays and CelebrationsThe Irish celebrate New Year’s Day on 1 January. Saint Patrick’s Day on 17March is a national holiday and is marked by parades, shamrock decorations,and sometimes the wearing of clothing that is green (the national color).Legend has it that resourceful Saint Patrick made use of the three-lobedshamrock as a diagram to explain the Holy Trinity to his uneducatedcongregation. However, the pre-Christian Irish had long associated theshamrock with Trefulngid Tre-eochair (“The Triple Bearer of the TripleKey”), the spring fertility god manifestation, whose symbol can be ashamrock or three legs spiralling together (as seen on the flag of the Isleof Man).The Irish celebrate Easter, and Easter Monday is a public holiday.Christmas is celebrated on 25 December, but celebrations may last until NewYear’s Day. An old custom has boys blackening their faces, carrying paperwrens, and asking for spare change on Saint Stephen’s Day (26 December).This is called “hunting the wren,” and the boys are known as “wren boys.”This tradition commemorates the old story of how the wily wren tricked themighty eagle into giving up the title of King of All Birds. This custom isnot very common today, particularly outside of rural areas.“Bank holidays,” days when banks and other businesses close, occur on NewYear’s Day, the first Mondays of May, June, and August, and the last Mondayin October.

|4| |CULTURE |

LiteratureFrom publications such as James Joyce’s epic masterpiece Ulysses, Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars and Juno and the Paycock in the 1920’s to

more modern works like Brian Friel’s Philadelphia Here I Come, Irishliterature has been recognised for its quality all over the world.

During the twentieth century writing in modern Irish has developed afreshwith vigour. Among the most noteworthy writers are the novelist Máirtín ÓCadhain and the poets Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Cathal Ó Searcaigh, all threeof whom have won international recognition.Recently, poet Seamus Heaney has received the Nobel Prize for literaturethe fourth Irish writer to receive the honour in the 20th century. OtherIrish writers recently recognised for their achievements include JohnBanville, short listed for the Booker Prize for Book of Evidence in 1989and Roddy Doyle, who won the Booker Prize for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha HaHa.Music and DanceThe native music of medieval Ireland was transmitted orally from generationto generation. The harp (cláirseach), and the small harp (cruit), were themain musical instruments. Today, traditional Irish music is played on theharp, the bodhrán, the uilleann pipes, the fiddle and the accordion.No original records of the old bardic music survive, but the works ofTurlough O’Carolan, harpist, composer and poet, have been preserved, andfrom the end of the eighteenth century onwards extensive and valuablecollections of native Irish music have been made and published. Thanks tothe efforts of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (literally, ‘the fellowship ofIrish musicians’) and others, the regard for Irish music, both in Irelandand in many countries overseas, is higher than it ever was. The work ofSeán Ó Riada in the 1960s and of the Chieftains in later decades did muchto rejuvenate traditional music and introduce this genre to a wideappreciative public. At present Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann have 400branches in Ireland and throughout the world, practising and teaching Irish

music. Their archive of traditional music contains 4,000 hours oflistening.The fusions of traditional Irish music with rock, world music and popularmusic have also earned considerable acclaim. Dances include jigs, reels,hornpipes and sets. In recent years there has been a great demand for showssuch as River dance throughout the world.Rock music and ‘country’ music are two main forms of popular music inIreland today. Country music enjoys a huge following and home grown artistssuch as Daniel O’Donnell have has success both at home and abroad. Irishrock and pop acts such as U2, Boyzone, The Corrs and Westlife have alsogained international acclaim. The Irish popular music scene is recognisedas being one of the most vibrant in Europe, with services such as MusicBase in place to assist the development of new acts entering a multi-million pound industry.CinemaThe first public screenings of film in Ireland were held in Dublin by theLumière brothers in 1896, while the following year the first filmed Irishsubjects were shown by a Professor Jolly.The first cinema in Ireland was the Volta on Mary Street in Dublin, whichopened in 1909 under the short-lived management of James Joyce.Apart from indigenous productions, Ireland has always had history of beingused as a backdrop for international films, often by distinguished filmmakers. Examples include Ryan’s Daughter (1970), Brave heart (1994) andSaving Private Ryan (1997). With the establishment of the Irish Film Boardin 1981 and its re-establishment in 1993, native film production was givena platform to develop and grow. Today Irish cinema enjoys a higherinternational profile than ever before, with the work of Irish directorsachieving commercial and critical success. Notable Irish productions ofrecent years include: My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan, 1989), The Field (JimSheridan, 1990), Michael Collins (Neil Jordan, 1996) and The General (JohnBoor man, 1998).FolkloreFolklore and legend has always been an essential part of Irish culture,with the emphasis being on story telling, an oral tradition. In Gaelic andNorman-Gaelic Ireland, the poet or ‘file’ was the guardian of knowledge,and as such, enjoyed high status in society. The folk-tales and legends ofIrish culture have been handed down through generations of such guardiansand the telling of such tales to the community was a great socialtradition.|5| |ECONOMY |

The Irish economy is an open, mostly export based economy that hasexperienced an unprecedented level of growth during the latter half of the1990’s. It is expected that this growth will continue at least for thefirst decade of this century, as long as a skilled labour force continuesto be available.The Irish economy is heavily dependant on trade, with export of goods andservices amounting to over 96.8% of GDP (1999 figure)Membership of the European Union and access to the Single Market hasallowed Ireland to diversify its trade patterns. Although Britain hasalways been Ireland’s largest single trading partner, almost half of allIrish exports now go to the other EU member states.Structural and Cohesion Funds

Ireland will receive about £3.4 billion in structural and cohesion fundsduring the period 2000-2006. For this period Ireland has for the time beendivided into two regions for receipt of structural funds, separating theBorder, Midland and Western region from the East and South of the country.LabourThe reduction in funding (compared to previous periods) and the division ofIreland into regions reflects the economic growth of recent years, a growthrate four times the European average since 1994. In 2002 the total laborforce was 1.7 million. Approximately 7 percent of the workers were engagedin agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 29 percent in manufacturing, mining,

and construction; and 63 percent in services. Some 750,000 workers in boththe Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are members of unions affiliatedwith the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. In the republic, 44 percent of allunion members are women.

Currency and Banking

The monetary unit of Ireland is the single currency of the European Union(EU), the euro (1.07 euros equal U.S.$1; 1999 average). Ireland was amongthe first group of EU member states to adopt the euro. The euro wasintroduced on January 1, 1999, for electronic transfers and accountingpurposes only, and Ireland’s national currency, the Irish pound, was usedfor other purposes. On January 1, 2002, euro-denominated coins and billswent into circulation, and the Irish pound ceased to be legal tender.As a participant in the single currency, Ireland must follow economicpolicies established by the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB is locatedin Frankfurt, Germany, and is responsible for all EU monetary policies,which include setting interest rates and regulating the money supply. OnJanuary 1, 1999, control over Irish monetary policy was transferred fromthe Central Bank of Ireland to the ECB. After the transfer, the CentralBank of Ireland joined the national banks of the other EU countries thatadopted the euro as part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).|6| |International Relations |

Ireland’s relations with the United Kingdom have generally improved sincethe end of World War II. The issue of Northern Ireland’s sovereignty hasdominated the relationship since the early 1970s. Ireland attaches specialimportance to its relations with the United States and Australia, wherepeople of Irish descent are numerous. Ireland’s relations with its Europeanneighbors have become increasingly important as a result of its membershipin the European Union (EU).Ireland is a staunch defender of the UnitedNations (UN), an organization it joined in 1955. Ireland is also a member

of a wide array of other international organizations, including theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and theCouncil of Europe. However, unlike most western European states, Ireland isnot a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The IrishRepublic, which is not part of any military alliance, strives to maintain aneutral position in world affairs.|7| |Government |

Ireland is an independent democratic state that has a parliamentary systemof governing .In Ireland the president serves a 7 year term, the positionof chief of state is a very respected and. Ireland senate is made up of 60members 11 nominated by the prime minister, 6 elected by the nationaluniversities, and 43 elected from panels candidates established on avocational basis. The house of representatives is made up of 166 electedmembers that serve a term of 5 years. Irish politics are made up of twopolitical parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael that came about after the endof the bitter Irish civil war witch ended in 1922. PoliticsIreland has 3 major political parts, Fianna Fail also known as theRepublican Party. The Fine Gael, which is known as the labour party and theprogressive democrat’s party. In Ireland to be able to vote you must havelived in Ireland for 5 years and and be at least 18 years of age. Northern Ireland The conflicts in Northern Ireland have arisen from the division betweennationalist and unionist which the population is currently made up of. TheNationalist of Northern Ireland support unification with Ireland, whileunionists want Northern Ireland to continue its union with Great Britain.The population of Northern Ireland is split down the middle when it comesto supporting these two topics which supports the reason for theseconflicts not being able to be resolved even with the current support ofU.S., British, and Irish governments.

 

Literatūra: 1. Encarta Reference Library Premium 2005 2. www.irlgov.ie 3. www.irishnation.com 4. www.idaireland.com