1. IRELAND I LOVE ENGLISH 6 Form 8

2. BACKGROUND Celtic tribes settled on the island from 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle. In 1921 Ireland became independent from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom.

3. Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain LOCATION AREA Total area: 70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km

4. Ireland is an island. The island of Ireland is divided into two parts: the southern part is the Republic of Ireland, the northern part is Northern Ireland.

5. NORTHERN IRELAND Northern Ireland occupies the north- eastern corner of the island of Ireland. Area: 14,121 sq km Population: 1,600,000 people

6. ULSTER Northern Ireland is often called Ulster. BELFAST Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.

7. EIRE Ireland is called Eire in Gaelic. Ireland is also called Emerald Isle because of its beautiful green countryside. EMERALD ISLE

8. Ireland's highest mountain is Carrantouhill, Co. Kerry at 1,041m. HIGHEST MOUNTAIN

9. Lough Neagh,396 sq km, in Northern Ireland LARGEST LAKE

10. The Shannon,340km LONGEST RIVER

11. POPULATION 4,6 million (2011 census) NATIONALITY noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish LANGUAGES English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard.

12. GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT TYPE republic 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty) INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HOLIDAY Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March

13. President Michael D.Higgins (since 11 November 2011) HEAD OF STATE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT Prime Minister Benda Kenny (since March 2011)

14. CAPITAL DUBLIN is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland.

15. LARGEST CITIES Dublin Cork Limerick

16. There are 26 administrative counties in the Republic of Ireland. IRISH COUNTIES In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealt h; it joined the European Community in 1973.

17. FLAG The National Flag is a tricolour of green, white and orange.

18. The National Anthem of Ireland is "Amhrán Na bhFiann" (The Soldier's Song) written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney. It was formally adopted as the national anthem in 1926. NATIONAL ANTHEM The Origin of The Irish National Anthem

19. SHAMROCK The national flower is the shamrock.

20. COAT OF ARMS The Irish coat of arms pictures a traditional harp which is a favourite musical instrument in Ireland.

21. PATRON SAINT St.Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

22. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin

23. ST. PATRICK’S DAY Does it really matter if you are Irish or not on this day? Celebrate the shamrock and leprechaun with all your friends and family on this day o'green!

24. The Legend of the Leprechaun By Sheri Amon Oh, the leprechaun, a mysterious fellow, An Irish fairy he be. An unfriendly sort who keeps to himself, A miserly fellow is he. Making shoes for his living, not a bit does he spend, Instead stores it all in a pot. At the end of the rainbow his hiding place is, And to find it will bring you good luck. If you happen to hear a shoemaker's hammer, tis the sound that a leprechaun makes. Find him and corner him, he'll tell you his secret, If a stare you can maintain. Look not away for this fairy is tricky, He'll attempt to sway your glance. Gone will he be, look away for a moment, And you'll lose your one only chance. LEPRECHAUN The most famous (or infamous) Irish fairy of them all is the stuff of many a fantasy and folktale and one of Ireland's most beloved symbols.

25. Folklore and legend has always been an essential part of Irish culture, with the emphasis being on story telling, an oral tradition. FOLKLORE

26. LITERATURE George Bernard Shaw (1865-1950) William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) James Joyce (1882- 1941)

27. Oscar Wilde (Sculpture), Merrion Square, Dublin Oscar Wilde Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde in a movie “Wilde”. Oscar Wilde & Eduard Wilde in Tartu

28. IRISH DANCE Irish dance is a very distinctive style of dance that has developed in Ireland over many centuries. The Irish word céili originally referred to a gathering of neighbours in a house to have an enjoyable time, dancing, playing music and storytelling. Today it refers to an informal evening of dancing. Céilis

29. Riverdance – the most famous Irish dance Performance

30. MUSIC Today, traditional Irish music is played on the harp, the bodhrán, the uilleann pipes, the fiddle and the accordion. Uillean Player The bodhrán Traditional Irish Music Session, Galway City

31. Irish rock and pop acts such as U2, Boyzone, The Corrs and Westlife have also gained international acclaim. The Corrs IRISH ROCK & POP

32. U 2

33. SPORT Gaelic Football and Hurling, as Ireland's native sports are the most popular. Soccer is also very popular in Ireland and is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Rugby Football has about 60,000 Irish participants at club and school level. Gaelic football is a mixture of Rugby and Soccer, played with a round ball. Hurling is a little bit like Hockey

34. Athletics and particularly track and field athletics has a long tradition in Ireland. The most popular events are running, over middle and long distances and on marathon, track and indoor cross-country courses. Equestrian: The Irish bloodstock industry is considered one of the finest in the world. Sonia O’Sullivan Golf

35. IRELAND & IRISH It is a land of mountains, rivers, lakes and green fields. This is also the land of Connemara pony. The Irish are a friendly people, but they are also proud and independent. They are famous for their music and their relaxed way of life.

36. Cahir Castle Cliffs Of Mohar St.Kevin's Church Glendalough BEAUTIFUL IRELAND Connema ra pony

39. Long gone are the days when Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Europe and its natives fled to all corners of the globe in search of refuge. Today, it is cool to be Irish and, thanks to the likes of The Corrs, Boyzone and U2, evocative images of Ireland now pervade popular culture across the globe. The Ireland of the new millennium is a modern, progressive European nation whose ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy is booming, but it is not only Irish eyes that are smiling as more and more tourists discover Ireland for themselves.