Ireland

The island of Ireland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Britain, and to the extreme northwest of Europe. It lies between latitude 51.5 and 55.5 degrees North, and longitude 5.5 and 10.5 degrees West. The population is 5,458,352 in 2004.

Geography
The island of Ireland is located in northwest Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain. It is approximately 53° north of the equator and 8° west of the Greenwich meridian. It has a total area of 84,116 km² (32,477 mi²). Ireland is separated from Britain by the Irish Sea and from mainland Europe by the Celtic Sea. It has a coastline of 1,970 miles. A ring of coastal mountains surrounds low central plains. The highest peak is Carrauntuohill (Irish: Corrán Tuathail), which is 1041 m (3414 feet). The island is bisected by the River Shannon, at 113 km (70 mi) the longest river in either Britain or Ireland, which flows south from northwest County Cavan to meet the Atlantic just south of Limerick. There are a large number of lakes, of which Lough Neagh is the largest. The island's lush vegetation earns it the sobriquet "Emerald Isle". Ireland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and in accordance with daylight saving, clocks are put forward one hour mid-March and back one hour at the end of October. During summer it stays light until as late as 11.00pm but by mid-December it can be dark by 4.00pm.

Climate
The climate of Ireland is influenced by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and on the whole, it tends to be quite temperate. Its relatively small size and the prevailing southwest winds also give a fairly uniform temperature over the whole country. Winters tend to be generally mild, and summers generally cool. Coldest months of the year are usually January and February with average temperatures of 4oc-7oc. The warmest months of the year are July and August with average temperatures of 14oc-16oc. The sunniest months of the year are May and June with an average sunshine of 5-7 hours per day. The average rainfall for Ireland as a whole is between 800 and 1200 mm (or 31" to 41") per year.

Currency
Ireland uses the Euro, whilst Northern Ireland uses the Pound.

Language
Irish
Irish has been the spoken language of Ireland for over two thousand years, and has an extensive literature stretching back to the seventh century. While Irish speakers are very much a minority in the Ireland of today, they have an importance to the cultural life of the nation far out of proportion to their numbers. Irish is by constitutional law the first official language of the Irish Republic, and was recently awarded official status in the Six Counties of Northern Ireland as a central part of the Good Friday Agreement. In the most recent censuses (1991), over a million people in the Republic and over 140,000 in the Six Counties of Northern Ireland reported themselves as having a reasonable proficiency in the language. Around 260,000 people still use Irish as their first language, although many more use it as a second language and it is taught in all schools in Ireland. There are pockets of Ireland where Irish is spoken as a traditional, native language. These regions are known as Gaeltachtaí. The most important ones are in Connemara including the Aran Islands in County Galway and the west coast of County Donegal and the Dingle peninsula in County Kerry. Others exist in Mayo, Meath and Waterford. The numerically strongest Gaeltachtaí are those of Connemara and Aran. The highest percentages of Irish speakers are found in Ros Muc, Connemara, and around Bloody Foreland in Tír Chonaill.

Shelta
A language spoken by parts of the Irish Traveller people. Shelta's vocabulary is based largely on Irish Gaelic while its structure contains many similarities with English. It also contains elements of Romany languages, though the Travellers are not actual Roma. There are anywhere from 6,000-25,000 in Ireland itself according to various sources. The language is spoken almost exclusively by Travellers.

Industry
Ireland has one of the best performing economies in the industrialised world. The highest growth rates in Irish industry over recent years have been achieved in the high-technology sectors of manufacturing, where overseas investment has been attracted by combination of tax and grant incentives, as well as Ireland's location within the European Single Market and the availability of a highly skilled labour force. Within this high technology grouping, the most impressive growth has been achieved in the computer sector, with quite a number of world-leading companies now located in Ireland. There has also been a considerable expansion of output in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and engineering.

History
The island itself has been inhabited for about 9,000 years. These peoples left huge stone monuments, many of them astronomically aligned. The Bronze Age, which began around 2500 BC, saw the production of elaborate gold and bronze ornaments and weapons. The Iron Age in Ireland started with the arrival of the Celts, who colonised Ireland in a series of waves between the 8th and 1st centuries BC. The Gael, the last wave of Celts, conquered the island and divided it into five or more kingdoms. The Romans referred to Ireland as Hibernia. In 432 AD, St. Patrick arrived on the island and converted the Irish to Christianity. Irish scholars excelled in the study of Latin learning and Christian theology in the monasteries that flourished, preserving Latin learning during the Dark Ages. They produced such treasures as the Book of Kells, ornate jewellery, and the many carved stone crosses that dot the island. Beginning in the 9th century, 200 years of intermittent warfare began with waves of Viking raiders who plundered monasteries and towns. The Vikings eventually founded many seacoast towns in Ireland. In 1172, King Henry II of England gained Irish lands. English rule was largely limited to the area around Dublin known as the Pale but this began to expand in the 16th century with the final collapse of the Gaelic social and political superstructure at the end of the 17th century. In the middle of the 1800's the country suffered a huge potato famine. The English approach to this catastrophe meant that millions were starving, and millions emigrated to Britain, North America and Australia. The population dropped from over 8 million before the Famine to 4.4 million in 1911. From that time, English influence and expansion grew, and with it spread the English language. Over time there grew a movement to shake off English rule, and for Ireland to become independent. A war of independence raged from 1919 to 1921, resulting in the creation of the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland (which remained in the Union).

Political
Ireland is divided into two separate countries, The Irish Republic (27,135 square miles, capital city Dublin, currency the Euro) and Northern Ireland (5,409 square miles, capital city Belfast, currency the Pound). Ireland is divided into four provinces - Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connaught and into 32 counties. The Republic of Ireland consists of 26 counties and Northern Ireland consists of 6 counties. 92% of the population of the Republic of Ireland are Roman Catholic, and 40% in Northern Ireland.

We cannot guarantee the visual images or textual description of the quality of the properties displayed on our Internet or printed pages and therefore cannot assume any responsibility for the accuracy or validity of claims or descriptions given by any property owner on this web site or in any other locations on the internet. We strongly suggest that information is sought directly from the owners. Any views or opinions stated within our web sites or other locations on the internet are soley those of the property owner and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Reserve It Ltd. We always reserve the right to remove, without compensation, any establishment that fails to provide the quality of service claimed in their StayinBritain advertisment.