IRELAND

• Since 1874 under the ideological leadership of Charles Stewart Parnell the Irish tried to get the return of his political powers need through the Irish Parliamentary Party, which had endowed the island of political autonomy without taking the drastic step of independence from United Kingdom.

• On 29 December 1937, a new constitution was put into practice. This change simply by the name of the state of Ireland and withdrew the figure of the king by the President.

• The Republic of Ireland came in as a member of the UN in 1955 and the European Economic Community (now called European Union) in 1973. Successive Irish governments have cooperated with the UK government to end the violent conflict between - Republicans and pro-British Unionists in Northern Ireland.

A bit of history

Leprechaun • It is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of

an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, Leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology. The Leprechauns spend all their time busily making shoes, and store away all their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If ever captured by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release. Popular depiction shows the Leprechaun as being no taller than a small child, with a beard and hat, although they may originally have been perceived as the tallest of the mound-dwellers (the Tuatha Dé Danann).

• The Leprechaun originally had a different appearance depending on where in Ireland he was found. Prior to the 20th century, it was generally held that the Leprechaun wore red, not green.

• Some folk traditions hold that the Leprechauns are descended from the Tuatha de Danann. When the Milesians came to Ireland they conquered the Tuatha de Danann and forced them to live under ground.

• When Christianity took religious precedence, the importance of the leprechauns decreased..

Geography

• The island of Ireland has got an area of 84,421 square kilometers of which 83% correspond to the Republic (70,280 km ²) and the rest in Northern Ireland. It is limited to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of the North Channel to the east by the sea that connects to the Irish ocean through St. George's Channel and Celtic Sea. The relief of Ireland is slightly injured several mountain

• Because of its isolation from the late Würm respect to continental areas and even respect for Britain’s poor indigenous terrestrial fauna: foxes, ferrets, rabbits and deer are just the main cast, there is a small number reptiles, there is only one native reptile. The fauna of birds and mammals amphibians is also reduced by predation. The Great gavotte died out in the seventeenth.

• Due to the temperate oceanic climate moderated by the Gulf Stream, the relatively mild climate and high humidity the island is covered almost entirely dominated by prairie clover, the peat is formed from the decomposition of plants such as Sphagnum, the field has a bright green Irish which led to Ireland often get the nickname “Green Erin”.

Language• The Irish, a language goidèlica branch of Celtic languages , was the only

languagespoken on the island until the imposition of English in official domains and loss ofprestige of Gaelic, which has become a popular speech. Today, from the proclamationof the Republic, is co-oficial with English throughout, and still the majority language inthose areas known as Gaeltachtaí, plural Gaeltacht, which is still in a state of decline and decline, despite government efforts to promote it. In other areas, the level ofknowledge varies greatly according to the statistics, but in general we can say thatEnglish is the majority almost everywhere on the island. Learning Irish is compulsory in primary and secondary schools in the state.

literature• Within the literature of the island of Ireland, probably the

most famous is the Book of Kells, also known as the Great Evangelari of St. Columba, a manuscript illustrated with decorative, motifs, made by Veltic monks to in 800. Main piece of Irish Christianity andIrish-Saxon art, is, despite being incomplete, one of the most magnificent illuminated manuscripts that have survived the Middle Ages. Because of its beauty and Exelfinished his excellent technique, this manuscripts is considered by many experts as one of the most important vestiges of medieval religious art. Written in Latin, the Book of Kells contains the four Gospels of the New Testament.

Traditions• The national holiday is on March 17, in honor of the patron Saint of

Ireland, St. Patrick, who promote Christianity to the island. Often uses the metaphor of the expulsion of snakes from the island of St to discuss the expulsion of the Gentiles. The harp, which appears in the arms of the province of Leister and four-leaf clover, are symbols which are indentified with the Irish. One might also speak of the green as a sign identifying the Irish and immigrants from around the world to Ireland.

• Day after Christmas, on December 26, Boxing Day is celebrated. On February 1 is the Catholic feast of Imbolc, Candlemas in English or purification of the Virgin and Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple. Other pre-Christian celebrations retain their pagan names in Irish and now the name of some months of the year: Bealtine (May), Lúnasa (august) and Samhain (November).

Music• In Ireland it looks very traditional Irish music, but

stand apart fig musical late twentieth century as Christy Moore, Pat ingolsby, Shane MacGowan and Sinead O'Connor. It also highlights the rock band U2, and others like The Corrs, The Cranberries, Bob Geldof, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Horslips, Rory Gallagher, Westlife, Van Morrison and Chris de Burgh.

Mythology• Part of the mythology of the Irish people is based

on the Arthurian story with the princess Isolde, who is the daughter of King Anguish and Isolde, the queen mother. One of the main characters of the poems sad Béroul, Thomas Jofré England and Strasbourg.Other legends of mythology of the island are the Mystical Leprechaun, wealthy nad wise Goblin if caught, will give away his gold because let go.

The End

INS JOSEP VALLVERDÚ

2011