Language
The Irish language is commonly known
as Irish Gaelic, spoken as a native
language in the regions of Connemara, the Aran Islands, on the west coast
of County Donegal and in some places in County Kerry. There are also three
major distinct dialects in three counties
with correspondent names: the Connaught, the Munster and the Ulster dialects.
Until the 19th century Irish was the official language in the country,
but after the British invasion, Gaelic was forbidden and replaced
by English. After the Irish
independence large efforts were made to revitalize the traditional
language, especially by Irish presidents, who always made their public
speeches in Irish. In spite of all the measures taken, spoken Irish is
in decline in favour of English.
Demographics
Most Irish are either of Celtic or English
ethnicity. 92% of the Irish are Roman
Catholics (Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church). Nonetheless,
the number of followers of the Church of Ireland (Anglican Church) increased.
Secondary religions are other small Christian denominations and the Muslim
and Jewish religions.
History of Ireland
The whole of Ireland was part of the United
Kingdom from 1801 to 1922. In 1919 an independent Irish parliament
(Dáil Éireann) was created to face up against the British
government. From about January 1919 until July 1921 a campaign was mounted
by the Irish Republican Army to fight
the British influence. This action is known as the Anglo-Irish War or
the Irish War of Independence.
It ended in 1921, followed by the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) and the founding
of the Irish Free State (1922). As
the Anglo-Irish Treaty still bound Ireland to the British Empire, some
of those who fought for the Independence, such as MICHAEL COLLINS (1890-1922),
started the Irish Civil War (June 1922-April
1923). Although the Irish Free State was supposed to cover the whole island,
Northern Ireland chose to remain part of the United Kingdom. On 29 December
1937 a new Constitution called Éire replaced the Irish Free State,
but only after 1 April 1949 was the Éire declared a republic.
Ireland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the European Union in 1973.
The resolution of the conflicts between Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland was the main issue of the Belfast
Agreement (10 April 1998). Today the two governments are still
joined in efforts to stop the violence.
Politics
The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary
democracy with an elected president as head of state. The governmental
system is loosely based on the British model. The Parliament
has a lower house known as the Dáil, which has 166 elected members.
The upper house is the Senate. Senators
are nominated by the Prime Minister or elected by university graduates
and councillors from around the country. The President is elected by popular
vote for a seven-year term. The two main political parties are Fianna
Fáil and Fine Gael and a third is the Labour Party. Fianna Fáil
normally wins the greatest number of seats in the general elections.
Irish culture
Aspects of Irish culture that have attained world renown are Irish coffee,
Guinness beer, Celtic music, and many famous rock groups or stars, such
as U2, The Cranberries, SINÉAD O'CONNOR and The Corrs. English
Literature has also had great contributions from Irish
writers, such as JAMES JOYCE (1882-1941 [Ulysses; A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man; Finnegans
Wake]); OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900 [The Picture
of Dorian Gray; The Happy Prince and Other Tales]); the poet W. B.
YEATS (1865-1939 [The Isle of Statues]); SAMUEL BECKETT (1906-1989 [Waiting for Godot; Happy
Days]) and BRAM STOKER (1847-1912 [Dracula]).
Nowadays the Irish people contribute a great deal to European literary movements
and the film scene. One of the most widely read novelists is RODDY DOYLE
(The Van). CHRISTOPHER NOLAN (Memento; Insomnia)
and NEIL JORDAN (Interview with the Vampire; Michael
Collins) are the most famous Irish film directors.
Since 17 March 1737 St. Patrick's
Day is the formal national holiday when Ireland celebrates its patron
saint, St. Patrick.
Some facts and figures about Ireland
| Ireland's total area | 84,421 km² |
| Republic of Ireland's area | 70,273 km² |
| Population | 5,6 million |
| Capital: Dublin | population: 1,122,600 |
| Official languages | Irish, English |
| Currency: Euro | (prior to 1999: Irish punt) |
| Independence day | 6 December 1921 |
| President | MARY MCALEESE |
| National anthem | Amhrán na bhFiann (The Soldier's Song) |
| National flag | tricolour of green, white and orange |
| National symbol | the harp |