Ireland - A Country Overview
Find out more about Ireland; its place geographically, history, government, climate, security, tourism and the expatriate population...
The Republic of Ireland (most commonly called Ireland, or Éire in Irish) is home to approximately 6.2 million people. The capital city is Dublin, with a population in excess of one million inhabitants.
English has been spoken in Ireland since the Middle Ages and has replaced Irish as the first language for many of the population. Less than 40 percent of the population are classified as Irish speakers.
Ireland's predominant religious belief is Christianity, in particular Roman Catholicism, which is practised by 73 percent of the country's inhabitants. Also practised are the various protestant denominations (the largest of which is the Anglican Church of Ireland), Judaism and Islam.
Geography
Ireland is Europe's third largest island with a landmass of over 84,400 kilometres square. It is the 20th largest island in the world.
This island lies in the north west of Europe and has sea boundaries with the United Kingdom to the east. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, north and south and the Irish Sea to the east. The area that separates it from south-west Scotland is known at the North Channel. The area between south-east Ireland and Wales that connects the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean is known as St George's Channel and the area of the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland is known as the Celtic Sea. It is surrounded by hundreds of little islands and islets.
The island is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which takes up five sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom), which accounts for the remaining sixth in the north.
Ireland is divided into four provinces; Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster with 26 counties.
Climate
Ireland has a maritime climate due to its location in the Atlantic Ocean and its proximity to the Gulf Stream. Characterised by rainfall, cold winters and mild summers, Ireland has been nicknamed the Emerald Isle because of its vast expanses of greenery.
The southern area of Ireland receives more annual sunshine and a higher average monthly temperature than the northern section. During the winter the average daily temperature is around five degrees, with night temperatures below zero degrees being common. Average temperatures in the summer are around 15-16 degrees during the day, although temperatures in the high 20s are not uncommon, and nights are mild.
- For further information on the climate, see the Irish Meteorological Service website
History
The earliest settlers in Ireland probably arrived between 10,000 BC and 8,000 BC when the polar icecaps had retreated from the area. Agriculture was introduced to the area in approximately 4,000 BC. The Bronze Age around 2,000 BC and the Iron Age in around 600 BC led to the gradual migration of Celtic speaking people to the island. This blend of Celtic and the indigenous population led to the first beginnings of Gaelic; a culture that would emerge fully by the fifth century.
Legend has it that St. Patrick arrived in Ireland in 432 AD and worked to convert the Irish to Christianity. Other sources indicate that there were already Christians living in Ireland, probably as a result of slave taking from western Britain and France. Nevertheless, St. Patrick is credited with preserving Irish society while amending laws and practices at odds with Christian beliefs and introducing the Roman alphabet to the area. Latin study flourished and Christian theology was studied in the numberous monasteries that were built in the ensuing years.
From the end of the eighth century to the beginning of the tenth century, Irish history is punctuated with attacks from Viking raiders. The first raid occurred in 795 AD when they looted the island. By 840 AD they had established settlements along the coastline, such as modern day Dublin, and used these bases to attack further inland. In 1014 the defeat at the battle of Clontarf saw the demise in Viking influence in Ireland. However, the towns continued to flourish long after they had departed.
By the 12th century Ireland was a tapestry of kingdoms and over-kingdoms. Diarmait Mac Murchada of Leinster was exiled by his high king and sought Norman help to regain his throne. The first Norman knight landed in Ireland in 1167 and they soon reinstated control of several counties to Diarmait Mac Murchada. King Henry II was concerned that this could establish a rival Norman state in Ireland and so claimed the Norman territories bequeathing them to his younger son John. When John unexpectedly became King John of England, the titles of "Lordship of Ireland" and the "King of England" united under one person.
The natives began to fight back against the Normans and, aided by the Black Death that swept through the Norman towns and cities in the 14th century, forced English influence in Ireland back to a fortified area around Dublin known as "The Pale". By the end of the 15th century, English influence had all but disappeared and the Lordship of Ireland lay with the Earl of Kildare.
Henry VIII, followed by Elizabeth I and James I, sought to re-conquer Ireland in several bloody conflicts. At the beginning of the 17th century the English established total control over Ireland for the first time, centralised the government and disarmed the local Lordships. Land confiscation and colonialism began as English and Scottish Protestants were moved to Ireland and a series of biased laws in favour of the Anglican Church of Ireland were passed.
The 17th century was characterised by two periods of war where the Catholic gentry briefly ruled the island before Oliver Cromwell retook it for the British Commonwealth. In the latter half of the century Catholic monarch James II left London to be replaced by William of Orange and fought against the new Protestant king over land in Ireland that previously belonged to the Irish Catholic landowners.
After the Protestant king prevailed, hostility and antagonism towards the English increased. In protest, Irish landowners managed their estates inefficiently and, combined with two cold winters, led to the first severe famine that saw the death of 400,000 people and the emigration of 150,000 more.
Following the Irish Rebellion of 1798 the British and Irish Parliaments passed the Act of Union that created a political entity called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Several well-known historical figures attempted to aid the emancipation of Ireland throughout the 19th century including Daniel O'Connell, William Pitt the Younger, the 1st Duke of Wellington, William O'Brien and William Gladstone. The Irish Potato Famine from 1845-1849 saw, through death and emigration, the population of the country diminish from 8 million to nearer 4.4 million people.
The most significant piece of legislation in Ireland's recent history has been the Local Government Act of 1898 whereby the power control of landowners shifted to democratically elected county councils. This led to debates between Irish Nationalists (those that wanted self-governance in Ireland) and Irish Unionists (those that favoured the link to Britain) over the notion of full home rule. The Nationalists (who were mainly Catholic and lived across the island) feared they would remain second-class citizens, while the Unionists (mainly Protestant and living in the north of the country) feared loss of political power and wealth to the rural Nationalist majority.
Home rule became a reality in 1912 when it was introduced under John Redmond. Unionist opposition to the bill was immediate with the formation of the Ulster Volunteers while the Nationalists countered with the Irish Volunteers. The UK parliament passed the Third Home Rule Act in 1914 just as the First World War broke out. Ireland sent troops to the aid of Britain during this period.
1916-1921 saw violence and political upheaval. The 1916 Easter Rising aimed at gaining independence for Ireland was quashed in such a bloody fashion that it further garnered support for the rebels. Their party, Sinn Fein, won three quarters of the seats in the Irish Parliament in 1918. Declaring sovereignty over the entire island, the new Irish Republican Army were unwilling to negotiate any less than total independence from the British and waged the Irish War of Independence from 1919-1921. In 1920 the British government introduced the 4th Government Act of Ireland that implemented plans for a "Northern Ireland" and a "Southern Ireland" while introducing total Home Rule.
Following the Anglo-Irish treaty in 1921 war was halted and a self-governing "Irish Free State" was created which Northern Ireland had the choice to, and promptly did, opt out of. As a result 26 of Ireland's 32 counties were granted independence. It declared itself a republic in 1949.
Politics and Government
Ireland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The head of state is the elected President while the indirectly elected Prime Minister, or "Taoiseach", heads the government. The presidential term runs for seven years and cannot exceed two terms. There is no Vice-President with the Presidential Commission providing an alternative.
The Government wields executive authority. The cabinet is made up of between 7 and 15 members that are nominated by the Prime Minister and approved by the President.
The Prime Minister is itself elected by the lower House of Representatives, or "Dail Eireann", before being officially appointed by the President.
Membership to the House of Representatives is gained through proportional representation of direct elections once every five years in multi-seat constituencies. Candidates must be at least 21 years of age. All Irish and British citizens resident in Ireland over the age of 18 are eligible to vote.
The third house is the largely advisory body of the Senate, or Seanad Éireann. Made up of 60 members, eleven members are nominated by the Prime Minister, six are elected by national universities and the remaining 43 are elected by the members of the outgoing senate, government and local councils. It has the power to delay legislation.
The Judicial branch of Government is formed by the High and Supreme Courts. Judges are nominated by the Government and appointed by the President. Judges are able to declare laws and acts of state against the constitution as invalid.
Since the early 1990s, no single party has had the majority in the House of Representatives making coalition governments the norm.
Economy
The economy of Ireland has changed over the last 15 years or so from an agricultural focus to a knowledge economy based on services and high-tech trade. Ireland has many successful exports such as zinc, lead, pharmaceuticals, and software.
The period of substantial economic growth from 1995 to 2000 led to the country getting the economic nickname of the Celtic Tiger and a study in The Economist found Irish inhabitants to have the best quality of life in the world. This period of foreign investment into Ireland was buoyed by the relatively low corporation tax rate. Ireland is rated number nine in the global Ease of Doing Business scale.
Following the 2008 financial crisis Ireland entered a recession as the property bubble in the country burst. Ireland now has the highest level of household debt relative to disposable income in developed world.
The currency is the Euro.
Security
Ireland is a parliamentary democracy with a history of terrorist activity in certain areas. Violent crime rates are low. Visitors to Ireland can find up-to-date information on safety and security on the links below:
Immigration
Until recently, Ireland was traditionally a country of emigration. However, since its introduction to the EU, the relatively high wages and low unemployment have led to it becoming a popular destination for migrants.
The 2006 census recorded a total of 420,000 foreign nationals living in Ireland. The majority of these came from Eastern European countries, China, Nigeria and other African nations. Following the global economic crisis of 2008 it is estimated that over 50,000 Eastern European workers may have since left Ireland.
During 2010 as a direct result of the global financial crisis, emigration from Ireland was estimated at 1,000 per week.
Tourism
As of 2007, Ireland was the 30th most visited country in the world with an estimated 8.3 million visitors. Dublin is the country's most visited area and home to attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse and the Book of Kells. Ireland is also home to many castles, stately homes, mountains, beaches, forests, lakes, cliffs and monuments as well as three world heritage sites: Bru na Boinne, Skellig Michael and the Giant's Causeway.
1002cr