Ireland

THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

ÉIRE

OVERVIEW

The national flag: the colours represent the Catholics (green) and the Protestants in Ireland (orange), with white representing the wish for peace between them ( see "History").

The National Coat of Arms: a gold harp with silver strings on a blue background. The harp was adopted as the emblem of the Irish Free State when it separated from the United Kingdom in 1922.

Capital city: Dublin

Other big cities: Cork, Galway, Limerick

Currency: Euro

National anthem: "Amhrán na bhFiann" ("The Soldiers' Song")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7lGmgFovM

Head of state: President Michael D. Higgins

Official languages: Irish and English. To hear what the Irish language sounds like go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw5EKb6pLg4

The national dish of Ireland is the Irish stew.

Other names for Ireland: Erin, Eire, the Emerald Isle

Patron Saint: St Patrick

Driving: on the left side

The national gemstone is Connemara / Conamara marble.

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Personification: Hibernia, an attractive, vulnerable girl

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Ireland's national dance: the Irish dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgGAzBDE454
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoHlrQScWl0

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National animals:

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the Northern pike

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Northern lapwing bird

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the Irish Wolfhound

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The national land animal is not very clear. Both, the Irish hare and the red deer are defined as the national land animals.

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The national plant: the shamrock

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The national tree is the sessile oak.

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The national instrument: the Celtic harp, Great Irish warpipes and Uilleann pipes

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Uilleann pipes

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National weapon: battle axe

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GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Ireland is an island in Northwestern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island is surrounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast lies the North Channel. To the east, the Irish Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean through St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.

Highest point: Carrauntoohil (1,038 m) located in the Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in the southwest.

Longest river: the River Shannon (386 kilometres )

The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands, peninsulas, headlands and bays. There are a number of large lakes along Ireland's rivers, of which Lough Neagh is the largest.

Ireland consists of a mostly flat low-lying area in the midlands, surrounded by mountain ranges such as the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Comeragh Mountains, Blackstairs Mountains, Wicklow Mountains, the Mournes, Glens of Antrim, Sperrin Mountains, Bluestack Mountains, Derryveagh Mountains, Ox Mountains, Nephinbeg Mountains and the Twelve Bens/Maumturks group. Some mountain ranges are further inland in the south of Ireland, such as the Galtee Mountains (the highest inland range),Silvermine and Slieve Bloom Mountains.

The River Shannon enters the Atlantic Ocean after Limerick city at the Shannon Estuary. Other major rivers include the River Liffey, River Lee, River Blackwater, River Nore, River Suir, River Barrow, River Bann, River Foyle, River Erne, and River Boyne

The climate is mild, moist and changeable with lots of rainfall and no temperature extremes. Ireland's climate is defined as a temperate oceanic climate.

Generally there are warm summers and mild winters. There are no extreme weather conditions with tornadoes and similar weather features being rare. January and February are the coldest months of the year, and mean daily air temperatures fall between 4 and 7 °C during these months. July and August are the warmest, with mean daily temperatures of 14 to 16 °C .

64% of the total land area is agricultural.

Ireland is divided into four provinces, Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, and 32 counties.Six of the nine Ulster counties form Northern Ireland and the other 26 form the state, Ireland.

14. Kilkenny
15. Waterford
16. Cork
17. Kerry
18. Limerick
19. Tipperary
20. Clare
21. Galway
22. Mayo
23. Roscommon
24. Sligo
25. Leitrim
26. Donegal

Northern Ireland ( pink area)

1. Fermanagh
2. Tyrone
3. Londonderry

(Republic of) Ireland
1. Dublin
2. Wicklow
3. Wexford
4. Carlow
5. Kildare
6. Meath
7. Louth
8. Monaghan
9. Cavan
10. Longford
11. Westmeath
12. Offaly
13. Laois

4. Antrim
5. Down
6. Armagh