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Ireland By: Brittany Poorman
Ireland
By: Brittany Poorman
In the Stone and Bronze Ages, Ireland was inhabited by Picts in the north and people called the Erainn in the south, the same stock, apparently, as in all the isles before the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain. Around the 4th century B.C., tall, red-haired Celts arrived from Gaul or Galicia. They subdued and assimilated the inhabitants and established a Gaelic civilization. By the beginning of the Christian Era, Ireland was divided into five kingdoms—Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Meath, and Munster.
History
By the Act of Union (1801), Great Britain and Ireland became the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.” A steady decline in the Irish economy followed in the next decades. The population had reached 8.25 million when the great potato famine of 1846–1848 took many lives and drove more than 2 million people to immigrate to North America
Independence: 1921 December 6 (from UK by treaty) Constitution: 1937 December 29
History
Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean,
west of Great Britain Geographi
c coordinat
es:
53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map reference
s:
Europe
Area: total: 70,280 sq. km land: 68,890 sq. km water: 1,390 sq. km
Area - comparati
ve:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundarie
s:
total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km
Geographical location
Time zone- Ireland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and, in accordance with daylight saving, clocks are put forward one hour in late March and back one hour at the end of October. In summer months, it stays light until as late as 11pm but by mid-December, it can be dark by 4pm.
Current info/facts
Monuments/stops/sites to visit:
The Spire in Dublin points skyward over the historic Irish capital like an enormous needle. It was built at a cost of four million euro and is the focal point of a project aimed at rejuvenating the O’Connell Street district, Dublin’s traditional shopping and cultural hub.
Virtual tour
Father Matthew Statue Standing in the center of Patrick Street, this statue commemorates Fr. Thoebold Matthew, the apostle of Temperance(1790 – 1861), He was known and loved in Cork for his efforts to alleviate distress during the cholera epidemic of 1832 and during the Great Famine from 1845 to1850. He was also responsible for the purchase of the botanic gardens in Ballyphehane and the establishment of St Joseph’s cemetery on that site.
Virtual tour
Molly Malone: This bronze statue of Molly Malone is reportedly the most photographed site in all of Dublin
Virtual tour
James Joyce: This statue of Dublin's legendary author stands on East Street North, facing O'Connell Street, the city's widest boulevard.
Virtual tour
Street Entertainer : In Dublin, especially along Grafton Street, the city's main high-end shopping district, street entertainers of all types around. This purple-robed Genie wowed the crowds, and his basket was full of Euros.
Virtual tour
Kilmainham Gaol (well worth touring) is one of the most important historical sites in Ireland, and is a designated National Monument. Within this now closed prison and behind this typical heavy door, in a cell about the size of a home closet, with no plumbing and no heat and very little light, prisoners (often six to a cell) would serve out their sentences. It was not unusual for unrelated men, women and children to be imprisoned in the same cell.
Virtual tour
Flight info
Passport/VisaIf a visa is not required, travellers should hold a return or onward ticket, or proof of funds for the duration of stay. Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay in the UK; nationals of the EU require a passport valid on arrival. All nationals of non-EEA member states travelling to the UK for more than six months require an Entry Clearance visa.
Flight info
When to fly to Northern Ireland Peak season:The summer months of July and August generally enjoy the best weather. This is festival season so Northern Ireland flights and accommodation are in high demand.
Off season:There is no off-peak season, per se. The cities of Londonderry and Belfast have become popular city-break destinations year-round. Northern Ireland's winters are mild with very little snow.
Flight info
http://flights.expedia.com/cheap-flights-to-ireland/
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ireland&start=67&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=789&addh=36&tbm=isch&tbnid=kfmMGa_beCLLGM:&imgrefurl=http://www.irishoakforests.com/&docid=jQ0jGCU2hLMOkM&imgurl=http://www.irishoakforests.com/images/ireland_shamrock.jpg&w=512&h=384&ei=nQOcUKrAI6bfyAGrvYHYBw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=249&sig=103338489440227249976&page=3&tbnh=140&tbnw=179&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:67,i:9&tx=107&ty=47
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ireland&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=789&tbm=isch&tbnid=sAqPRWvqU68GCM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bingley_Ireland_Bridge_1.jpg&docid=0-aim9_MCNGnYM&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Bingley_Ireland_Bridge_1.jpg&w=2272&h=1704&ei=mwOcULLQBKbvygGN_oHADw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=280&sig=103338489440227249976&page=2&tbnh=144&tbnw=222&start=32&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:32,i:311&tx=141&ty=105
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ireland&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=789&tbm=isch&tbnid=wPAf3T-aLLPNBM:&imgrefurl=http://www.theadventurepost.com/all-posts/ireland-plans-the-gathering-for-2013/&docid=_a4-nOiZKRkDsM&imgurl=http://www.theadventurepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031512_Ireland_Gathering_opener.jpg&w=500&h=375&ei=mwOcULLQBKbvygGN_oHADw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=296&sig=103338489440227249976&page=2&tbnh=140&tbnw=195&start=32&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:32,i:282&tx=113&ty=82
http://infoplease.com
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/iedublinphotos.htmhttp://www.welovedonegal.com/facts-info--trivia-about-ireland.html
http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcireland.htmIreland: Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities — Infoplease.com
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107648.html#ixzz2BYymiseu
Sources
