Éire Republic of Ireland Julie Hoová 4.B

BASIC INFORMATION Capital city - Dublin Area - 70,273 km2 Coastline - 2,797 km Population - 4,581,269 Density - 65,2 inhabitants per km2 Languages - Irish, English, Ulster Scots, Shelta Currency - Euro (EUR) The third largest island in Europe and twentieth largest island in the world

SYMBOLS FLAG A vertical tricolour of green, white and orange Also known as the Irish tricolour Green - Gaelic tradition of Ireland Orange - the followers of William of Orange in Ireland White - peace or a truce

Coat of arms A gold harp with silver strings on blue background 4 earlier versions The harp was adopted as the emblem after the separation from the UK in 1922 Seal of the President

Arms of the four provinces 4 traditional provinces of Ireland displayed quartered as arms of Ireland Provinces are - 1 Leinster (Dublin) 2 Munster (Cork) 3 Connacht (Galway) 4 Ulster (Belfast) There used to be 5 provinces, the fifth one, Meath, was between Leinster and Ulster.

Irish national anthem "Amhrán na bhFiann" - "The Soldiers' Song" Composed by Peader Kearney and Patrick Heeney in 1907 Adopted in 1926 The song has 3 verses but the national anthem consists only of the chorus

The Soldiers' Song Soldiers are we, whose lives are pledged to Ireland, Some have come from a land beyond the wave, Sworn to be free, no more our ancient sireland, Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the "bearna baoil", In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal, ’Mid cannon’s roar and rifles’ peal, We’ll chant a soldier's song Amhrán na bhFiann Sinne Fianna Fáil, atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn, Buíon dár slua thar toinn do ráinig chughainn, Faoi mhóid bheith saor Seantír ár sinsear feasta, Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill. Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil, Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar, Seo libh canaig amhrán na bhfiann

MINORITIES In 2006: 89% Irish, followed by British (112,548), Polish (63,276), and Lithuanian (24,628) Others: Ulter-Scots, Welsch, Latvians, Germans, Americans, … : 94.8% 'White' ethnic or cultural background, 1.1% 'Black or Black Irish' background, 1.3% 'Asian or Asian Irish' background Net migration rate: 14.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population

HISTORY 795: first invasions of Vikings 1649 -1652: Oliver Cromwell came to stop a revolt against the UK, the number of population dropped to a half 1801 -1922: part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1919: establishment of the Irish Republican Army 1922: divided into the Irish Free State (26 counties, British dominion) and Northern Ireland (6 counties, still part of the UK) 27.12.1937: independence and neutrality in the British Commonwealth, new name Éire 1949: went out from Commonwealth and declared itself as a republic

PROBLEMS IN NORTHERN IRELAND Irish Republican Army (January 1919-March 1922) Was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation Was descended from the Irish Volunteers Took part in Irish war of Independence (a guerrilla war againts British government, 1919-1921) 1969: was split into lots of organisations, all called the IRA, which included OIRA, RIRA, CIRA, PIRA Despite the fact that the IRA was forbidden for its terrorist activities, there are still conflicts in Northern Ireland caused by this organisation Home base in Northern Ireland In 2005 the IRA announced that the conflict was over and their weapons were to be put out of use. However, the terrorist activity by the Real IRA continues

NOTABLE ATTACKS Bloody Friday (1972, Belfast) : a bomb attack : 130 injured people, 9 people were killed 1979 : made an assassination on Queen Elizabeth II's uncle Lord Mountbatten and three others by blowing up his boat 1998 : bombs hidden in cars : 29 people were killed

MAIN CITIES Dublin (Leinster) 1,024,027 inhabitants Cork (Munster) 190,384 Dún Laoghaire (Leinster) 185,400 Limerick (Munster) 90,054 Galway (Connacht) Tallaght (Leinster) Waterford (Munster) Drogheda (Leinster) Dundalk (Leinster) Bray (Leinster)

Dublin The capital city and the most populous city of Ireland Set up by Vikings in 9th century Irish name Dubh Linn means ‘black pool‘ Situated near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast Has many monuments, for example the oldest one: Dublin Castle, and the newest one: Spire of Dublin Has more green spaces per square kilometre than any other European capital city

Cork It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork, which has earned the nickname of "the Rebel County" because of Corkonians, who consider Cork as the real capital city Built on the River Lee Blarney Stone: when you kiss the stone, you can lie for 7 years without guilt

GEOGRAPHY Bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel, to the east by the Irish Sea and to the southwest by the Celtic Sea The western landscape consists mostly of rocky cliffs, hills and mountains, lots of peninsulas, bays and headlands The central lowlands, several lakes and boglands are covered by clay and sand The highest point: Carrauntoohil (1,038 m) located in Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountain The longest river: the River Shannon The largest lake: Lough Corrib Moderate climate: influence of the Gulf Stream, temperature is rarely lower than −3 °C in winter or higher than 22 °C in summer

NATURE Emblematic colour is green, you can see even 40 shades of green Only 26 native land mammals species, 400 bird species, 11,500 insect species, 375 fish species Animals: bottlenose dolphin, killer whale, grey squirrel, species of bats, red deer, Irish hare, viviparous lizard… 3,815 plant species Trees: oak, ash, hazel, gorse, strawberry tree, yew tree, rowan, …

POLITICAL SYSTEM Constitutional Parliamentary republic President - Mary McAleese (since November 1997) presidental residence in Áras an Uachtaráin Elected by citizens for a seven-year term and may be re-elected once Formally one of the three tiers of Oirechtas Appoints the Goverment (Taoiseach) and the judges to all Courts on the advice of Goverment Taoiseach (prime minister) - Enda Kenny Tánaiste (vice prime minister) - Eamon Gilmore

Oirechtas (national parliament) consists of the President of Ireland and 2 chambers: Dáil Éireann (the lower house): 166 members, elected for a term of up to five year Seanad Éireann (the upper house): 60 members, elected only 49 members (6 members elected by graduates of 2 universities, 43 members elected from five Vocational Panels), 11 members are appointed by Taoiseach 2 dominating main parties: Fianna Fáil (The Republican Party, political position - centre) and Fine Gael (political position- centre-right, the leader is Enda Kenny) Other parties: Labour Party, Sinn Féin, Independents, Socialist Party,…

SPORT Popular: golf, cricket, rugby, horse races, … Traditional sports Gaelic football Form of football played mainly in Ireland Rules are similar to rugby Outdoor game played by teams of 15 on a pitch with H-shaped goals at each end Played for the first time in 1887 The most popular sport in Ireland, more spectators than any other sport

Hurling Outdoor game played by teams of 15 on a pitch Played with sticks (=hurleys) and a ball (=sliotar) Has been played for at least 3000 years Camogie - female variant Sliotar can be hit, caught in the hand and carried for 4 steps at the most, struck in the air or on the ground with hurley, passed by hand

UNESCO SITES Brú na Bóinne or Newgrange (Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne) In County Meath The largest and very important prehistoric megalithic site in Europe Complex of Neolithic chamber tombs, standing stones, hedges and prehistoric enclosures 780 ha Skellig Michael Also known as Great Skelling Steep rocky island in Atlantic Ocean, about 14,5 km from the coast of County Kerry Larger one of the two Skelling Islands

Brú na Bóinne Skellig Michael

RELIGION The most important religion is Christianity and the largest church is Roman Catholic Church In 2006: 86.8% Roman Catholic, 4.4% no religion Other denominations: Protestant - Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church : Christian - Church of Ireland (Anglican) : Islam, Orthodox Church

FAMOUS PEOPLE LITERATURE Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) essayist, satirist, political pamphleteer, poet, cleric Became Dean of  St. Patrick's Cathedral Gulliver‘s Travel - novel published in 1726 James Joyce (1882-1941) Irish novelist and poet Well-known for his famous novel Ulysses (Odyssey), which was published in 1922 Emigrated to continental Europe (died in Zurich) Others: G.B. Shaw, Oscar Wilde

MUSIC Enya - Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (1961) Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter Watermark - first solo album (1988) Won 4 Grammy Awards Became the world's best selling female artist of 2001 U2 Rock band from Dublin Set up in 1976 Consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion) Released 12 studio albums Won 22 Grammy Awards

Glen Harsand (1970) Irish songwriter, vocalist and guitarist His song "Falling Slowly" from movie Once, co-written with Markéta Irglová, won the Academy Award (the Oscar)  for Best Original Song in 2007 MOVIE Pierce Brosnan (1953) Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist In 1995 he became the fifth actor of film series about James Bond The most popular actor of James Bond

SPECIALITY Leprechaun Irish fairy A small old man with a beard who wears a green coat, shoes and a hat enjoys doing trouble to someone Store all its coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow Has magical power It can fulfil 3 wishes if it is caught by a human Used in Tv cartoons, advertisements, movies

ST. PATRICK‘S DAY 151 days left until St. Patrick's Day on March 17th 2012 Religious holiday celebrated on 17th March Commemorates Saint Patrick, who is the patron saints of Ireland, and arrival of Christianity in Ireland Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century Characterised by attendance of church services, attendance of parades, wearing of green clothes (especially shamrocks), drinking Irish beer and Irish whiskey Public holiday also in Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Great Britain, Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, …

RELATIONS WITH THE CZECH REPUBLIC Member of European Union and UN as well as CzR but not a member of NATO Irish people think as well as the Czechs that their beer is the best in the world

QUESTIONS FOR YOU Which part of Ireland (province) does not belong to the Republic of Ireland? Ulster What is the symbol of 17th March? A shamrock Who was the first actor of James Bond? Sean Connery Do you know any novels written by Oscar Wilde? The Picture of Dorian Graye, The Importance of Being Earnest Do you know another (well-known) megalithic UNESCO site? Stonehendge