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Ireland and Irish
Ireland
Ireland (i/ˈaɪərlənd/, RP: [ˈʌɪələnd]; Irish: Éire [ˈeːɾʲə]; Ulster-Scots: Airlann or Airlan) is an island to the north-west of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth.[5] To its east is the larger island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea.
Politically, Ireland 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, which covers the remainder and is located in the north-east of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.4 million. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.[6]
The island's geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, 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 one of the most deforested areas in Europe.[7][8] There are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland.
A Norman invasion in the Middle Ages gave way to a Gaelic resurgence in the 13th century. Over sixty years of intermittent warfare in the 1500s led to English dominance after 1603. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters, and was extended during the 18th century. In 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. A war of independence in the early 20th century led to the partition of the island, creating the Irish Free State, which became increasingly sovereign over the following decades. Northern Ireland remained a part of the United Kingdom and saw much civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s. This subsided following a political agreement in 1998. In 1973, both parts of Ireland joined the European Economic Community.
Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, particularly in the fields of literature and, to a lesser degree, science and education. Alongside mainstream Western culture, a strong indigenous culture exists, as expressed for example through Gaelic games, Irish music, and the Irish language. The culture of the island has also many features shared with Great Britain, as expressed through sports such as soccer, rugby, horse racing, and golf, as well as the English language.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland
Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə]), also known as the Republic of Ireland (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann), is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. It is a unitary parliamentary republic[8] with an elected president serving as head of state. The head of government—called the Taoiseach—is nominated by the lower house of parliament (Dáil Éireann). The capital is Dublin in the east of the island. The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.
The modern Irish state gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1922 following a war of independence resulting in the Anglo-Irish Treaty, with Northern Ireland exercising an option to remain in the United Kingdom. Initially a dominion within the British Empire called the Irish Free State, a new constitution and the name of "Ireland" were adopted in 1937. In 1949 the remaining duties of the British monarch were removed and Ireland was declared a republic, with the description Republic of Ireland. The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the twentieth century, but since 1999 they have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North-South Ministerial Council created under the Good Friday Agreement.
Whilst Ireland today ranks amongst the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita,[9] the country was once one of the poorest in Western Europe. Economic protectionism was dismantled in the late 1950s and Ireland joined the European Economic Community in 1973. Economic liberalism from the late 1980s onwards resulted in rapid economic expansion, particularly from 1995 to 2007, which became known as the Celtic Tiger period. An unprecedented financial crisis beginning in 2008 ended this era of rapid economic growth.[10][11]
In 2011, Ireland was ranked the seventh most developed nation in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[12] Ireland is also highly ranked for press, economic and political freedom. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD. It pursues a policy of neutrality through non-alignment and consequently is not a member of NATO, although it does participate in Partnership for Peace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland
Irish people
The Irish people (Irish: Muintir na hÉireann or na hÉireannaigh; Ulster-Scots: Airisch or Airish fowk)[8][9] are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years (according to archaeological studies, see Prehistoric Ireland). The Irish people's earliest ancestors are recorded in legends – they are claimed to be descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians.[10] Lebor Gabála Érenn, a book of Irish mythology tells that Milesians were Scythian descendants.[11]
The main groups that interacted with the Irish in the Middle Ages include the Picts, Scots, and the Vikings. Due to this contact, Icelanders are noted for having some Irish descent. The Anglo-Norman invasion of the High Middle Ages, the English plantations and the subsequent English rule of the country introduced the Normans and Flemish into Ireland. Welsh, Picts, Bretons, and small parties of Gauls and even Anglo-Saxons are known in Ireland from much earlier times.
There have been many notable Irish people throughout history. The 6th century Irish monk and missionary Columbanus is regarded as one of the "fathers of Europe",[12] followed by Kilian of Würzburg and Vergilius of Salzburg. The scientist Robert Boyle is considered the "father of chemistry". Famous Irish explorers include Brendan the Navigator, Robert McClure, Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. By some accounts, the first European child born in North America had Irish descent on both sides;[13] and an Irishman was the first European to set foot on American soil in Columbus' expedition of 1492.[14]
There are descendants of Irish people living in many western countries, particularly in English-speaking countries. Historically, emigration has been caused by politics, famine and economic issues. An estimated 50 to 80 million people are descendants of Irish people, primarily in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada and Iceland; there are also smaller numbers in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, South Africa, New Zealand, France, Germany and Brazil. The largest number of descendants of Irish people live in the United States – the number that claim partial Irish ancestry is about ten times more than the population of Ireland itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_people
Irish Proverbs
Failure
¶ The girl who can't dance says the band can't play.
References
Ireland and Irish
[5]^ "Islands by Area". UN System-Wide Earthwatch. United Nations Environment Programme. 1998-02-18. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
[6]^ The 2011 population of the Republic of Ireland was 4,588,252 and that of Northern Ireland in 2011 was 1,810,863. These are Census data from the official governmental statistics agencies in the respective jurisdictions:
Central Statistics Office, Dublin
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2008). "Population and Migration Estimates Northern Ireland (2008)". Belfast: Department of Finance and Personnel. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
[7]^ Brown, Felicity (2 September 2009). "Total forest coverage by country". Environment Data. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
[8]^ Solnit, Rebecca (1997). Book of Migrations: Some Passages in Ireland. London: Verso. p. 100. ISBN 1-85984-186-4.
Republic of Ireland
[9]^ "Country Comparison: GDP – per capita (PPP)". World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
[10]^ "EU: Causes of Growth differentials in Europe", WAWFA think tank
[11]^ Nicoll, Ruaridh (16 May 2009). "Ireland: As the Celtic Tiger roars its last". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 30 March 2010.
[12]^ United Nations (2011). "Table 1". Human Development Index and its components. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
Irish people
[8]^ Saint Patrick's Journey – Monasteries BBC. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
[9]^ Tourism Airlan – Corporate Plen 2008–2010 Tourism Ireland. Retrieved 27 October 2011. Archived January 2012
[10]^ Boylan, Henry (1998). A Dictionary of Irish Biography, 3rd Edition. Dublin: Gill and MacMillan. pp. xvi. ISBN 0-7171-2945-4.
[11]^ M. Virpiranta, Struggles of Sun against Thunder: Development of Druidism and Christianity. Perfect Paperback, 2011.
[12]^ a b "Pope Calls Irish Monk a Father of Europe". Zenit. 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
[13]^ a b Smiley, p 630
[14]^ a b c d MacManus, p 343-344
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_people
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