Introduction
– official name: Republic of Ireland
– Green Island (lots of rain – good for growing grass)
– known mostly for its rich, Celts related history
Location
– island located in the Atlantic ocean
– separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea
– on the northwest of continental Europe
– occupies about five-sixths of Island of Ireland
– shares only land borders with Northern Ireland
– washed by Pacific ocean to the west, by Irish Sea to the east and by Celtic Sea to the south-east
Surface
– central plain surrounded by mountains
– Carrauntoohil – highest peak (1038 m)
– lowlands in the east
– wild and beautiful seacoast (Cliffs of Moher) – cliffs, hills, mountains
– mountains – mostly in south
Climate
– oceanic climate (little difference between winter and summer)
– mild with frequent rains
– similar to UK weather
– is influenced by the Golf stream
– the moist air from the Atlantic Ocean meets the dry continental air and causes rains
Water bodies
– Shannon – longest river, from north to south, forms many lakes, connects to Atlantic Ocean
– Celtic Sea (south), Irish Sea (east)
– river develops into 3 lakes – Lough Allen, Lough Ree, and Lough Derg
– Lough Derg – largest lake
Natural resources
– peat – has been a key fuel for centuries, still provides about 12% of energy
– main energy source – natural gas
– minerals – gold, silver, calcite
Economy
– currency: Euro
– relies on investments from foreign corporations – Intel, Microsoft, attractive because of low tax rates and educated population
– during 90´s – dramatic rise in customers spending – Celtic tiger
– one of the highest GDP per capita from the EU members
Agriculture
– rich and fertile soil, suitable for farming and cattle raising
– fishing (rivers)
– employs more people than is usual in developed countries
– over half of agriculture products is exported
– products – barley, potatoes
– cattle and sheep breeding
– mostly in central Ireland
Industry
– hydro-electric industry (river Shannon)
– IT, hardware, software services – top industry, a lot of big companies invest their money here, educated workforce, IBM, PayPal, Intel
Services
– tourism – fast growing industry, big profits
– about 6% of GDP
– most of the tourists come from the USA
Population, languages
– 4,5 million people
– most inhabitants live in towns (south, east)
– very religious – 84% of people would characterize themselves as Roman Catholic
– official language: Irish Gaelic, English
– Gaelic culture is an important part of Irish identity
– highest birth rate a lowest death rate in EU
– high immigration – 12% of citizens are born elsewhere, mostly from Poland, UK
– according to the constitution Irish is a national language, English is dominant, most of the signs are bilingual, Irish is compulsory at schools
Cities
Dublin
– capital city
– east coast
– founded as Viking settlement
– many parks – St. Stephens Green – largest park in the middle of the city
– O´Connell Street – reminders of Irelands Civil War
– St. Patrick´s Cathedral – largest church in Ireland
– Temple Bar area – the best pubs in Dublin
– big companies have their European headquarters here – Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Yahoo
Cork
– located in south-west region
– built on river Lee
– city center is located on island, created by channels
– it is said that people from Cork have a very original accent
Galway
– in the west of Ireland
– known as Ireland cultural heart
– has been experiencing economic growth lately
Places of interest
Dublin
Guiness Storehouse – museum of the Irish most famous beer, Dublin
Cliffs of Moher – west coast, rise 120 m above the Atlantic Ocean, 320 million years old
Whisky Distilleries – Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Bushmills
Ring of Kerry – southwestern Ireland, tourist trail, longest and oldest walking road, can see many glaciers on the way
Guinness beer