IRELANDMore about Ireland Information about travelling to IrelandIreland is located in Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain |
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Facts about Ireland
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 Irelandabbeyfeale 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 |
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