Ireland

IRELAND

Information about travelling to Ireland

Ireland is located in Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Facts about Ireland
Population4,156,119 (July 2008 est.
CapitalDublin
Time zoneUTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begin
Location Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

General info about Ireland
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is gradually being implemented despite some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.
Languages spoken
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
What about drugs?
transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern
Ethnic division
Irish 87.4%, other white 7.5%, Asian 1.3%, black 1.1%, mixed 1.1%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 census)
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
0.1% (2001 est.)
Climate
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Resources
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
Economy
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. GDP growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007, but economic activity dropped sharply in 2008 and Ireland entered into a recession for the first time in more than a decade with the onset of the world financial crisis and subsequent severe slowdown in the property and construction markets. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Although the export sector, dominated by foreign multinationals, remains a key component of Ireland's economy, construction most recently fueled economic growth along with strong consumer spending and business investment. Property prices rose more rapidly in Ireland in the decade up to 2006 than in any other developed world economy. Per capita GDP also surged during Ireland's high-growth years, and in 2007 surpassed that of the United States. The Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb price and wage inflation, invest in infrastructure, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. In 2008 the COWEN government moved to guarantee all bank deposits, recapitalize the banking system, and establish partly-public venture capital funds in response to the country's economic downturn. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU nations.
Environment
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff

Cities in Ireland

abbeyfeale     abbeyleix     ardee     arklow     ashbourne     athboy     athenry     athlone     athy     bagenalstown     bailieborough     balbriggan     ballaghaderreen     ballina     ballinasloe     ballinrobe     ballybofey     ballyhaunis     ballyshannon     banagher     bandon     bantry     belturbet     birr     blarney     blessington     boyle     bray     buncrana     bundoran     cahir     carlow     carndonagh     carrick-on-suir     carrickmacross     carrigaline     cashel     castlebar     castleblayney     castlecomer     castleisland     castlerea     cavan     celbridge     charleville     clane     clara     claremorris     clonakilty     clones     clonmel     cobh     cootehill     cork     dingle     donabate     donegal     drogheda     dublin     duleek     dunboyne     dundalk     dungarvan     dunmanway     dunmore east     dunshaughlin     edenderry     ennis     enniscorthy     enniskerry     fermoy     galway     gorey     gort     granard     greystones     kanturk     kells     kenmare     kilcock     kilcoole     kilcormac     kilcullen     kildare     kilkenny     kill     killorglin     killybegs     kilmallock     kilrush     kinsale     laytown     leixlip     letterkenny     lifford     limerick     listowel     longford     loughrea     lusk     macroom     malahide     mallow     maynooth     midleton     mitchelstown     moate     monaghan     monasterevan     mountmellick     mountrath     moville     mullingar     naas     navan     nenagh     new ross     newbridge     newcastle     oranmore     passage west     portarlington     portmarnock     prosperous     rathangan     rathcoole     rathdrum     rathkeale     ratoath     roscommon     roscrea     rush     sallins     shannon     skerries     skibbereen     sligo     swinford     swords     templemore     thomastown     thurles     tipperary     tower     tralee     tramore     trim     tuam     tullamore     tullow     waterford     westport     wexford     wicklow     youghal    

National airlines
Aer Lingusairline website
Ryanairairline website


Airports in Ireland
BelmulletBLY
BantryBYT
DonegalCFN
CastlebarCLB
DublinDUB
CarnmoreGWY
KilkennyKKY
LetterkennyLTR
ConnemaraNNR
Knock InternationalNOC
CorkORK
ShannonSNN
CollooneySXL
WaterfordWAT
CastlebridgeWEX


Beer in Ireland (0.33l)
Achill~ 2 EUR
Ardara~ 2.3 EUR
Athlone~ 2.3 EUR
Athlone~ 2.3 EUR
Balbriggan~ 2.9 EUR
Ballycrissane~ 2.9 EUR
Bantry~ 2.4 EUR
Blanchardstown~ 3 EUR
Bray~ 2.9 EUR
Bray~ 2.9 EUR
Carlow~ 2.7 EUR
Carnew~ 2.4 EUR
Castlebar~ 2 EUR
Castlecomer~ 2.3 EUR
Castleknock~ 3 EUR
Cavan~ 1.9 EUR
Clane~ 2.6 EUR
Clare~ 2.8 EUR
Clondalkin~ 2.5 EUR
Clondalkin~ 2.5 EUR
Cork~ 2.4 EUR
Cork~ 2.4 EUR
Cornafean~ 1.2 EUR
Dalkey~ 2.9 EUR
Derry~ 1.8 EUR
Drogheda~ 2.9 EUR
Dublin~ 3 EUR
Dublin~ 3 EUR
DUBLIN~ 3 EUR
Dublin~ 3 EUR
Dundalk~ 2.6 EUR
Ennis~ 2.3 EUR
Galway~ 2.6 EUR
Glencullen~ 2.9 EUR
Kilcoole~ 2.5 EUR
Kilkenny~ 1.9 EUR
Kilkenny~ 1.9 EUR
Killarney~ 2.5 EUR
Kinsale~ 2.4 EUR
Laragh~ 2.4 EUR
Letterkenny~ 2.7 EUR
Letterkenny~ 2.7 EUR
Limerick~ 2.6 EUR
Limerick~ 2.6 EUR
Lucan~ 3 EUR
Maynooth~ 2.5 EUR
Maynooth~ 2.5 EUR
Monaghan~ 2.2 EUR
Mullingar~ 2.6 EUR
Navan~ 2.3 EUR
Navan~ 2.3 EUR
Rathmolyon~ 2 EUR
Shankill~ 2.8 EUR
Sligo~ 2.6 EUR
Tralee~ 2.6 EUR
Tralee~ 2.6 EUR
Tullamore~ 2.5 EUR
Waterford~ 3.1 EUR
Waterford~ 3.1 EUR
Westport~ 2.3 EUR
Wexford~ 2.5 EUR
Wicklow~ 2.3 EUR

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