1. Ireland

2. General facts Population: Approx. 4,8 million Capital city: Dublin
Currency: Euro (since 2002)
Major religions: Christianity (81%): Roman Catholics (78%) + Protestants (3%), Atheism (10%), Other religions (9%)
Language: English + Irish Gaelic (which approx. 30% of the population can speak).

3. History: BC
The first known settlers were the Celts (around 1000 years BC).
People were grouped into different tribes.
Ireland was divided into four kingdoms (see picture) and the seat of the kings (Tara).

5. History: Early AD
Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland (in 430 AD). Saint Patrick became the patron saint of Ireland. Christian monasteries grew up.
Ireland’s ”golden age”, because there were no invaders and culture flowered. But there were still fights between the kingdoms.
The Vikings arrived in the eighth century which ended the golden age. They stole from the monasteries. However, they also meant some positive changes for Ireland. Their trading led to the country’s first ports and towns. Ireland’s two main cities, Dublin and Cork, were founded by the Vikings.

6. History: Late AD
In the twelth century the Normans invaded Ireland. However, they weren’t as successful as the vikings.
British invasion of Ireland started in the early 17th century and lasted until the early 20th century. The conquered land and a lot of the power in politics, religion and the law. As a result a lot of people emigrated.
1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty: The Irish Free State (The Republic of Ireland) and Ulster (Northern Ireland) were formed.

7. Saint Patrick’s Day Annual bank holiday in Ireland: 17th of March.
The colour green is a major part of
Saint Patrick’s Day (from the shamrock = fyrklöver). The day is celebrated with parades and visits to the pub.
It’s also a religious day, so people attend mass at church to pray for all the missionaries around the world.

8. Famous authors James Joyce – Ulysses
Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels
Oscar Wilde – The Picture of Dorian Gray
Frank McCourt – Angela’s Ashes
George Bernard Shaw – Pygmalion (a play), winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925
William Butler Yeats – mainly poems, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923

9. Saint Patrick’s Day

10. The Irish coastline

11. The Dublin Guinness Brewerey