Geography. of Ireland - wikipedia Geography. of Ireland Ireland is sometimes known as the `` Emerald Isle '' because of its green landscape, as can be seen in this satellite image. Ireland is an island in Northwestern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island lies on the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. The island 's main geographical features include low central plains surrounded by coastal mountains. The highest peak is Carrauntoohil ( Irish : Corrán Tuathail ), which is 1,041 meters ( 3,415 ft ) above sea level. The western coastline is rugged, with many islands, peninsulas, headlands and bays. The island is bisected by the River Shannon, which at 360.5 km ( 224 mi ) with a 102.1 km ( 63 mi ) estuary is the longest river in Ireland and flows south from County Cavan in Ulster to meet the Atlantic just south of Limerick. There are a number of sizeable lakes along Ireland 's rivers, of which Lough Neagh is the largest. Politically, the island consists of the Republic of Ireland, with jurisdiction over about five - sixths of the island ; and Northern Ireland, a constituent country ( and an unconfirmed `` practical '' exclave ) of the United Kingdom, with jurisdiction over the remaining sixth. Located west of the island of Great Britain, it is located at approximately 53 ° N 8 ° W ﻿ / ﻿ 53 ° N 8 ° W ﻿ / 53 ; - 8Coordinates : 53 ° N 8 ° W ﻿ / ﻿ 53 ° N 8 ° W ﻿ / 53 ; - 8. It has a total area of 84,421 km ( 32,595 sq mi ). It is separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea and from mainland Europe by the Celtic Sea. Ireland and Great Britain, together with nearby islands, are known collectively as the British Isles ; as the term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland, the alternative term ' Britain and Ireland ' is increasingly preferred. Contents 1 Geological development 2 Physical geography 2.1 Mountain ranges 2.2 Rivers and lakes 2.3 Inlets 2.4 Headlands 2.5 Islands and peninsulas 3 Climate 4 Political and human geography 5 Natural resources 5.1 Bogs 5.2 Oil, natural gas and minerals 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 8.1 Print 8.2 Online 9 External links Geological development Main article : Geology of Ireland Slieve League in western Banagh The geology of Ireland is diverse. Different regions contain rocks belonging to different geologic periods, dating as far back almost 2 billion years. The oldest known Irish rock is about 1.7 billion years old and is found on Inishtrahull Island off the north coast of Inishowen and on the mainland at Annagh Head on the Mullet Peninsula. The newer formations are the drumlins and glacial valleys as a result of the last ice age, and the sinkholes and cave formations in the limestone regions of Clare. Ireland 's geologic history covers everything from volcanism and tropical seas to the last glacial period. Ireland was formed in two distinct parts and slowly joined together, uniting about 440 million years ago. As a result of tectonics and the effect of ice, the sea level has risen and fallen. In every area of the country the rocks which formed can be seen as a result. Finally, the impact of the glaciers shaped the landscape seen today. This variation in the two areas along with the differences between volcanic areas and shallow seas gives Ireland a range of soils as well. There are wide bogs and free - draining brown earths. The mountains are granite, sandstone, limestone with karst areas, and basalt formations. Lion 's share of Ireland has with most likehood been above sea level during the last 60 million years. As such its landscapes have been shaped by erosion and weathering on land. Protracted erosion does also means most of the Paleogene and Neogene sediments have been eroded away or, as known in a few cases, buried by Quaternary deposits. Before the Quaternary glaciations affected Ireland the landscape had developed thick weathered regolith on the uplands and karst in the lowlands. There have been some controversy regarding the origin of the planation surfaces found on Ireland. While some have argued for an origin in marine planation others regard these surfaces as peneplains formed by weathering and fluvial erosion. Not only is their origin disputed but also their actual extent and the relative role of sea - level change and tectonics in their shaping. Most river systems in Ireland formed in the Cenozoic before the Quaternary glaciations. Rivers follow for most of their course structural features of the geology of Ireland. Marine erosion since the Miocene may have made Ireland 's western coast retreat more than 100 km. Pre-Quaternary relief was more dramatic than today 's glacier - smoothened landscapes. Physical Geography. Mountain ranges See also : List of mountains in Ireland Mountains, lakes, rivers and other physical features of Ireland are shown on this map. ( large version ). Ireland consists of a mostly flat low - lying area in the midlands, ringed by mountain ranges such as ( beginning in County Kerry and working counter-clockwise ) the Macgillycuddy 's Reeks, Comeragh Mountains, Blackstairs Mountains, Wicklow Mountains, the Mournes, Glens of Antrim, Sperrin Mountains, Bluestack Mountains, Derryveagh Mountains, Ox Mountains, Nephinbeg Mountains and the Twelve Bens / Maumturks group. Some mountain ranges are further inland in the south of Ireland, such as the Galtee Mountains ( the highest inland range ), Silvermine and Slieve Bloom Mountains. The highest peak Carrauntoohil, 1,038 m ( 3,405 ft ) high, is in the Macgillycuddy 's Reeks, a range of glacier - carved sandstone mountains. Ireland 's mountains are not high -- only three peaks are over 1,000 m ( 3,281 ft ) and another 457 exceed 500 m ( 1,640 ft ). Rivers and lakes See also : List of rivers in Ireland and List of loughs in Ireland Lough Lene, County Westmeath The main river in Ireland is the River Shannon. 360.5 km ( 224.0 mi ) The longest river in Ireland, it separates the midlands of Ireland from the west of the island. The river develops into three lakes along its course, Lough Allen, Lough Ree, and Lough Derg. Of these, Lough Derg is the largest. The River Shannon enters the Atlantic Ocean after Limerick city at the Shannon Estuary. Other major rivers include the River Liffey, River Lee, River Blackwater, River Nore, River Suir, River Barrow, River Bann, River Foyle, River Erne, and River Boyne ( see the list of rivers in Ireland ). Lough Neagh, in Ulster, is the largest lake in Ireland and Britain. Other large lakes include Lough Erne and Lough Corrib. Inlets Topography of Ireland Killary Harbour forms a natural border between Galway and Mayo for 16km Beginning with County Donegal, Lough Swilly separates one side of the Inishowen peninsula. Lough Foyle on the other side, is one of Ireland 's larger inlets, situated between County Donegal and County Londonderry. Further round the coast is Belfast Lough, between County Antrim and County Down. Also in County Down is Strangford Lough, actually an inlet partially separating the Ards peninsula from the mainland. Further down the coast, Carlingford Lough is situated between Down and County Louth. Dublin Bay is the next sizeable inlet, while the eastern coast of Ireland is mostly uniform until Wexford Harbour at the mouth of the River Slaney. On the southern coast, Waterford Harbour is situated at the mouth of the River Suir ( into which the other two of the Three Sisters ( River Nore and River Barrow ) flow ). The next major inlet is Cork Harbour, at the mouth of the River Lee, in which Great Island is situated. Dunmanus Bay, Kenmare estuary and Dingle Bay are all inlets between the peninsulas of County Kerry. North of these is the Shannon Estuary. Between north County Clare and County Galway is Galway Bay. Clew Bay is located on the coast of County Mayo, south of Achill Island, while Broadhaven Bay, Blacksod Bay and Sruth Fada Conn bays are situated in northwest Connacht, in North Mayo. Killala Bay is on the northeast coast of Mayo. Donegal Bay is a major inlet between County Donegal and County Sligo. Headlands Malin Head is the most northerly point in Ireland, while Mizen Head is one of the most southern points, hence the term `` Malin head to Mizen head '' ( or the reverse ) is used for anything applying to the island of Ireland as a whole. Carnsore Point is another extreme point of Ireland, being the southeastern most point of Ireland. Further along the coast is Hook Head while the Old Head of Kinsale is one of many headlands along the south coast of Ireland. Loop Head is the headland at which County Clare comes to a point on the west coast of Ireland, with the Atlantic on the north, and further inland on the south, the Shannon estuary. Hag 's Head is another headland further up Clare 's north / western coastline, with the Cliffs of Moher along the coastline north of the point. Erris Head is the northwesternmost point of Connacht. Islands and peninsulas See also : List of islands of Ireland Dingle Peninsula as viewed from Banna Strand Apart from Ireland itself, Achill Island to its northwest is now considered the largest island in the group. The island is inhabited, and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Some of the next largest islands are the Aran Islands, off the coast of southern Connacht, host to an Irish - speaking community, or Gaeltacht. Valentia Island off the Iveragh peninsula is also one of Ireland 's larger islands, and is relatively settled, as well as being connected by a bridge at its southeastern end. Omey Island, off the coast of Connemara is a tidal island. Some of the best - known peninsulas in Ireland are in County Kerry ; the Dingle peninsula, the aforementioned Iveragh peninsula and the Beara peninsula. The Ards peninsula is one of the larger peninsulas outside Kerry. The Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal includes Ireland 's most northerly point, Malin Head and several important towns including Buncrana on Lough Swilly, Carndonagh and Moville on Lough Foyle. Ireland 's most northerly land feature is Inishtrahull island, off Malin Head. Rockall Island may deserve this honour but its status is disputed, being claimed by the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Denmark ( for the Faroe Islands ) and Iceland. The most southerly point is the Fastnet Rock. The Hebrides off Scotland and Anglesey off Wales were grouped with Ireland ( `` Hibernia '' ) by the Greco - Roman geographer Ptolemy, but this is no longer common. Climate Main article : Climate of Ireland The climate of Ireland is mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Ireland 's climate is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or Cfb on the Köppen climate classification system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe. The country receives generally warm summers and mild winters. It is considerably warmer than other areas at the same latitude on the other side of the Atlantic, such as in Newfoundland, because it lies downwind of the Atlantic Ocean. It is also warmer than maritime climates near the same latitude, such as the Pacific Northwest as a result of heat released by the Atlantic overturning circulation that includes the North Atlantic Current and Gulf Stream. For comparison, Dublin is 9 ° C warmer than St. John 's in Newfoundland in winter and 4 ° C warmer than Seattle in the Pacific Northwest in winter. The influence of the North Atlantic Current also ensures the coastline of Ireland remains ice - free throughout the winter. The climate in Ireland does not experience extreme weather, with tornadoes and similar weather features being rare. However, Ireland is prone to eastward moving cyclones which come in from the North atlantic. The prevailing wind comes from the southwest, breaking on the high mountains of the west coast. Rainfall is therefore a particularly prominent part of western Irish life, with Valentia Island, off the west coast of County Kerry, getting almost twice as much annual rainfall as Dublin on the east ( 1,400 mm or 55.1 in vs. 762 mm or 30.0 in ). January and February are the coldest months of the year, and mean daily air temperatures fall between 4 and 7 ° C ( 39.2 and 44.6 ° F ) during these months. July and August are the warmest, with mean daily temperatures of 14 to 16 ° C ( 57.2 to 60.8 ° F ), whilst mean daily maximums in July and August vary from 17 to 18 ° C ( 62.6 to 64.4 ° F ) near the coast, to 19 to 20 ° C ( 66.2 to 68.0 ° F ) inland. The sunniest months are May and June, with an average of five to seven hours sunshine per day. Though extreme weather events in Ireland are comparatively rare when compared with other countries in the European Continent, they do occur. Atlantic depressions, occurring mainly in the months of December, January and February, can occasionally bring winds of up to 160 km / h or 99 mph to Western coastal counties ; while the summer months, and particularly around late July / early August, thunderstorms can develop. The table shows mean climate figures for the Dublin Airport weather station over a thirty - year period. Climate statistics based on the counties of Northern Ireland vary slightly but are not significantly different. Climate data for Dublin Airport Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) 16.6 ( 61.9 ) 15.3 ( 59.5 ) 21.3 ( 70.3 ) 20.5 ( 68.9 ) 23.4 ( 74.1 ) 25.1 ( 77.2 ) 27.6 ( 81.7 ) 28.7 ( 83.7 ) 23.9 ( 75 ) 21.2 ( 70.2 ) 18.0 ( 64.4 ) 16.2 ( 61.2 ) 28.7 ( 83.7 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) 7.6 ( 45.7 ) 7.5 ( 45.5 ) 9.5 ( 49.1 ) 11.4 ( 52.5 ) 14.2 ( 57.6 ) 17.2 ( 63 ) 18.9 ( 66 ) 18.6 ( 65.5 ) 16.6 ( 61.9 ) 13.7 ( 56.7 ) 9.8 ( 49.6 ) 8.4 ( 47.1 ) 12.8 ( 55 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) 2.5 ( 36.5 ) 2.5 ( 36.5 ) 3.1 ( 37.6 ) 4.4 ( 39.9 ) 6.8 ( 44.2 ) 9.6 ( 49.3 ) 11.4 ( 52.5 ) 11.1 ( 52 ) 9.6 ( 49.3 ) 7.6 ( 45.7 ) 4.2 ( 39.6 ) 3.4 ( 38.1 ) 6.0 ( 42.8 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 9.4 ( 15.1 ) − 6.2 ( 20.8 ) − 6.7 ( 19.9 ) − 3.7 ( 25.3 ) − 1.0 ( 30.2 ) 1.5 ( 34.7 ) 4.8 ( 40.6 ) 4.1 ( 39.4 ) 1.7 ( 35.1 ) − 0.6 ( 30.9 ) − 3.4 ( 25.9 ) − 10.1 ( 13.8 ) − 10.1 ( 13.8 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 69.4 ( 2.732 ) 50.4 ( 1.984 ) 53.8 ( 2.118 ) 50.7 ( 1.996 ) 55.1 ( 2.169 ) 56.0 ( 2.205 ) 49.9 ( 1.965 ) 70.5 ( 2.776 ) 66.7 ( 2.626 ) 69.7 ( 2.744 ) 64.7 ( 2.547 ) 75.6 ( 2.976 ) 732.7 ( 28.846 ) Mean daily sunshine hours 1.8 2.5 3.6 5.2 6.1 6.0 5.4 5.1 4.3 3.1 2.4 1.7 3.9 Source : Climate data for Belfast Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) 13 ( 55 ) 14 ( 57 ) 19 ( 66 ) 21 ( 70 ) 26 ( 79 ) 28 ( 82 ) 29 ( 84 ) 28 ( 82 ) 26 ( 79 ) 21 ( 70 ) 16 ( 61 ) 14 ( 57 ) 29 ( 84 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) 6 ( 43 ) 7 ( 45 ) 9 ( 48 ) 12 ( 54 ) 15 ( 59 ) 18 ( 64 ) 18 ( 64 ) 18 ( 64 ) 16 ( 61 ) 13 ( 55 ) 9 ( 48 ) 7 ( 45 ) 12 ( 54 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) ( 36 ) ( 36 ) ( 37 ) ( 39 ) 6 ( 43 ) 9 ( 48 ) 11 ( 52 ) 11 ( 52 ) 9 ( 48 ) 7 ( 45 ) ( 39 ) ( 37 ) 6 ( 43 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 13 ( 9 ) − 12 ( 10 ) − 12 ( 10 ) − 4 ( 25 ) − 3 ( 27 ) − 1 ( 30 ) ( 39 ) ( 34 ) − 2 ( 28 ) − 4 ( 25 ) − 6 ( 21 ) − 11 ( 12 ) − 13 ( 9 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 80 ( 3.15 ) 52 ( 2.05 ) 50 ( 1.97 ) 48 ( 1.89 ) 52 ( 2.05 ) 68 ( 2.68 ) 94 ( 3.7 ) 77 ( 3.03 ) 80 ( 3.15 ) 83 ( 3.27 ) 72 ( 2.83 ) 90 ( 3.54 ) 846 ( 33.31 ) Mean daily sunshine hours 5 6 6 3.4 Source : Political and human geography Further information : Counties of Ireland Ireland is divided into four provinces, Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, and 32 counties. Six of the nine Ulster counties form Northern Ireland and the other 26 form the state, Ireland. The map shows the county boundaries for all 32 counties. ( Republic of ) Ireland Dublin Wicklow Wexford Carlow Kildare Meath Louth Monaghan Cavan Longford Westmeath Offaly Laois Kilkenny Waterford Cork Kerry Limerick Tipperary Clare Galway Mayo Roscommon Sligo Leitrim Donegal Northern Ireland Fermanagh Tyrone Londonderry Antrim Down Armagh From an administrative viewpoint, 21 of the counties in the republic are units of local government. The other six have more than one local council area, producing a total of 31 county - level authorities. County Tipperary had two ridings, North Tipperary and South Tipperary, originally established in 1838, renamed in 2001 and amalgamated in 2014. The cities of Dublin, Cork and Galway have city councils and are administered separately from the counties bearing those names. The cities of Limerick and Waterford were merged with their respective county councils in 2014 to form new city and county councils. The remaining part of County Dublin is divided into Dún Laoghaire -- Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin. Electoral areas in Ireland ( the state ), called constituencies in accordance with Irish law, mostly follow county boundaries. Maintaining links to the county system is a mandatory consideration in the re-organisation of constituency boundaries by a Constituency Commission. In Northern Ireland, a major re-organisation of local government in 1973 replaced the six traditional counties and two county boroughs ( Belfast and Derry ) by 26 single - tier districts, which, apart from Fermanagh cross the traditional county boundaries. The six counties and two county - boroughs remain in use for purposes such as Lieutenancy. In November 2005, proposals were announced which would see the number of local authorities reduced to seven. The island 's total population of approximately 6 million people is concentrated on the east coast, particularly in Dublin and Belfast and their surrounding areas. Natural Resources Life in Ireland Culture Christianity Cuisine Culture Customs Holidays Music Religion Sport Tourism Economy Communications Economy Taxation Transport General Architecture Geography History Military Recycling Society Demographics Education Health care Languages Media Politics Government Law Law enforcement Politics Foreign relations Policies Abortion Marriage equality Main article : Natural resources of Ireland Bogs Bord na Móna peat - harvesting in the Bog of Allen Ireland has 12,000 km2 ( 4,633 miles2 ) of bogland, consisting of two distinct types, blanket bogs and raised bogs. Blanket bogs are the more widespread of the two types. They are essentially a product of human activity aided by the moist Irish climate. Blanket bogs formed on sites where Neolithic farmers cleared trees for farming. As the land so cleared fell into disuse, the soil began to leach and become more acidic, producing a suitable environment for the growth of heather and rushes. The debris from these plants accumulated and a layer of peat formed. One of the largest expanses of Atlantic blanket bog in Ireland is to be found in County Mayo. Raised bogs are most common in the Shannon basin. They formed when depressions left behind after the ice age filled with water to form lakes. Debris from reeds in these lakes formed a layer at the bottom of the water. This eventually choked the lakes and raised above the surface, forming raised bogs. Since the 17th century, peat has been cut for fuel for domestic heating and cooking and it is called turf when so used. The process accelerated as commercial exploitation of bogs grew. In the 1940s, machines for cutting turf were introduced and larger - scale exploitation became possible. In the Republic, this became the responsibility of a semi-state company called Bord na Móna. In addition to domestic uses, commercially extracted turf is used in a number of industries, especially electricity generation though peat is being combined with biomass for dual - firing electricity generation. In recent years, the high level of bog being destroyed by cutting has raised environmental concerns. The problem is particularly acute for raised bogs as they yield a higher - grade fuel than blanket bogs. Plans are now in place in both the Republic and Northern Ireland to conserve most of the remaining raised bogs on the island. Oil, Natural gas and minerals Offshore exploration for natural gas began in 1970. The first major discovery was the Kinsale Head gas field in 1971. Next was the smaller Ballycotton gas field in 1989, and the Corrib gas field in 1996. Exploitation of the Corrib project has yet to get off the ground because the controversial proposal to refine the gas onshore, rather than at sea has been met with widespread opposition. Gas from these fields is pumped ashore and used for both domestic and industrial purposes. The Helvick oil field, estimated to contain over 28 million barrels ( 4,500,000 m ) of oil, is a 2000 discovery. Ireland is the largest European producer of zinc with three operating zinc - lead mines at Navan, Galmoy and Lisheen. Other mineral deposits with actual or potential commercial value include gold, silver, gypsum, talc, calcite, dolomite, roofing slate, limestone aggregate, building stone, sand and gravel. In May 2007 the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources ( now replaced by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources ) reported that there may be volumes over 130 billion barrels ( 2.1 × 10 m ) of petroleum and 50 trillion cubic feet ( 1,400 km ) of natural gas in Irish waters -- worth trillions of Euro, if true. The minimum ' guaranteed ' amount of oil in the Irish Atlantic waters is 10 billion barrels ( 1.6 × 10 m ), worth over € 450 billion. There are also areas of petroleum and natural gas on shore, for example the Lough Allen basin, with 9.4 trillion cubic feet ( 270 km ) of gas and 1.5 billion barrels ( 240,000,000 m ) of oil, valued at € 74.4 billion. Already some fields are being exploited, such as the Spanish Point field, with 1.25 trillion cubic feet ( 35 km ) of gas and 206 million barrels ( 32,800,000 m ) of oil, valued at € 19.6 billion. The Corrib Basin is also quite large, worth anything up to € 87 billion, while the Dunquin gas field contains 25 trillion cubic feet ( 710 km ) of natural gas and 4.13 billion barrels ( 657,000,000 m ) of petroleum. In March 2012 the first commercial oil well was drilled 70 km off the Cork coast by Providence Resources. The Barryroe oil well is yielding 3500 barrels per day, at current oil prices at $120 a barrel Barryroe oil well is worth in excess of € 2.14 bn annually. See also Extreme points of Ireland Gravity Anomalies of Britain and Ireland Coastal landforms of Ireland Geographical centre of Ireland References Jump up ^ Nolan, Professor William. `` Geography of Ireland ''. Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2009. 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Retrieved 2013 - 11 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Written Answers. -- Raised Bog Conservation ''. Dáil Éireann Parliamentary Debates -- Volume 487. Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas. 26 February 1998. Retrieved 21 January 2008. ^ Jump up to : Shannon, Corcoran & Haughton ( 2001 ), The petroleum exploration of Ireland 's offshore basins : introduction, Geological Society, London Lyell Collection -- Special Publications, p 2 Jump up ^ `` Major petroleum exploration conference : Conference on Ireland 's Deepwater Frontier ''. Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. 16 September 2001. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 04. Jump up ^ `` History of the Corrib Project ''. Natural Resources. Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Providence sees Helvick oil field as key site in Celtic Sea ''. Irish Examiner. 17 July 2000. Archived from the original on 2012 - 01 - 19. Retrieved 27 January 2008. Jump up ^ `` Mining in Ireland ''. Minerals Ireland : Exploration and Mining Division. Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Ireland on the verge of an oil and gas bonanza ''. Irish Independent. 20 May 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2008. Jump up ^ `` Ireland 's first oil well to yield 4,000 barrels per day ''. Northern Ireland. BBC News. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017. Bibliography Print Mitchell, Frank and Ryan, Michael. Reading the Irish landscape ( 1998 ). ISBN 1 - 86059 - 055 - 1 Whittow, J.B. Geography and Scenery in Ireland ( Penguin Books 1974 ) Holland, Charles, H and Sanders, Ian S. The Geology of Ireland 2nd ed. ( 2009 ). ISBN 1903765722 Place - names, Diarmuid O Murchadha and Kevin Murray, in The Heritage of Ireland, ed. N. Buttimer et al., The Collins Press, Cork, 2000, pp. 146 -- 155. A paper landscape : the Ordnance Survey in nineteenth - century Ireland, J.H. Andrews, London, 1975 Monasticon Hibernicum, M. Archdall, 1786 Etymological aetiology in Irish tradition, R. Baumgarten, Eiru 41, pp. 115 -- 122, 1990 The Origin and History of Irish names of Places, Patrick Weston Joyce, three volumes, Dublin, 1869, 1875, 1913. Irish Place Names, D. Flanagan and L. Flanagan, Dublin, 1994 Census of Ireland : general alphabetical index to the townlands and towns, parishes and paronies of Ireland, Dublin, 1861 The Placenames of Westmeath, Paul Walsh, 1957 The Placenames of Decies, P. Power, Cork, 1952 The place - names of county Wicklow, Liam Price, seven volumes, Dublin, 1945 -- 67 Online Abbot, Patrick. Ireland 's Peat Bogs. Retrieved on 23 January 2008. Ireland -- The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved on 23 January 2008. OnlineWeather.com -- climate details for Ireland. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 12 External links OSI FAQ -- lists of the longest, highest and other statistics A discussion on RTÉ Radio 1 's science show Quantum Leap about the quality of GPS mapping in Ireland is available here ( archived link ). The discussion starts 8mins 17sec into the show. It was aired on 18 Jan 2007 ( archived link ). Requires RealPlayer. Ireland topics Republic of Ireland topics Northern Ireland topics History Timeline Prehistory Protohistory Early history Gaelic Ireland / Lordship of Ireland 800 -- 1169 1169 -- 1536 Kingdom of Ireland 1536 -- 1691 1691 -- 1801 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801 -- 1923 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1922 Irish Free State ( 1922 -- 1937 ) Ireland ( since 1922 ) Events Battles of Tara / Glenmama / Clontarf Norman invasion Bruce campaign Black Death Tudor conquest Desmond Rebellions Spanish Armada Tyrone 's Rebellion Flight of the Earls Plantation of Ulster 1641 Rebellion / Confederate War Cromwellian conquest / Settlement of 1652 Williamite War Penal Laws First Great Famine 1798 Rebellion Act of Union ( 1800 ) 1803 Rebellion Tithe War Second Great Famine Land War Fenian Rising Dublin Lock - out Home Rule crisis Easter Rising War of Independence Anglo - Irish Treaty Civil War The Emergency IRA Northern Campaign IRA Border Campaign The Troubles Peace process Economy of the Republic of Ireland Celtic Tiger Post-2008 Irish economic downturn Post-2008 Irish banking crisis Other topics List of conflicts in Ireland List of Irish tribes List of Irish kingdoms List of High Kings Gaelic clothing and fashion List of World Heritage Sites in the Republic of Ireland Geography Natural Climate Coastline Extreme points Fauna Islands Loughs Mountains Rivers list List of national parks of the Republic of Ireland / in Northern Ireland Human Architecture Notable buildings Tallest buildings and structures Cities Counties Demographics of the Republic of Ireland / of Northern Ireland Ports Provinces ROI -- UK border Towns Tourist attractions Transport Politics Ideologies Nationalism Republicanism Ulster loyalism Unionism Republic of Ireland Constitution Economy Education Foreign relations Government local Oireachtas parliament Dáil Éireann ( lower house ) Seanad Éireann ( upper house ) President Northern Ireland Assembly D'Hondt method Economy Education Government local Peace process Culture Cuisine Food List of dishes Barmbrack Boxty Champ Coddle Colcannon Drisheen Goody Skirts and kidneys Soda bread Stew Ulster fry Drinks Coffee Cream Guinness Mist Poitín Whiskey Dance Jig Sean - nós Set dancing Stepdance Festivals Imbolc Saint Patrick 's Day Bealtaine The Twelfth Lúnasa Rose of Tralee Samhain / Halloween Wren Day Languages Hiberno - English Irish Shelta Ulster Scots Literature Annals Fiction Gaeilge Poetry Theatre Triads Music Ballads Céilí Folk music session Instruments Rock music Traditional singing Mythology Cycles Fenian Mythological Ulster Aos Sí Echtrai Immrama Tuatha Dé Danann Legendary creatures People Anglo - Irish Gaels Gaelic Ireland Hiberno - Normans Irish diaspora List of Irish people Travellers Ulster Scots Sport Association football Camogie Gaelic football Gaelic handball Hurling Martial arts Road bowling Rounders Rugby union Symbols Brighid 's Cross Cláirseach County coats of arms Flags N. Ireland flags issue Irish Wolfhound National coat of arms Red Hand Shamrock Other Calendar Homelessness Names Place names in Ireland / outside Ireland Prostitution ( Republic ) / in Northern Ireland Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland / in Northern Ireland Public houses Ireland portal Geography of Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Other entities European Union Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Ireland&oldid=828034961 '' Categories : Geography of Ireland Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages EngvarB from October 2013 Use dmy dates from October 2013 Featured articles Articles containing Irish - language text Coordinates not on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Asturianu বাংলা Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Română Русский Slovenščina Српски / srpski Svenska Українська 中文 20 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 February 2018, at 04 : 46. 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Question: name the plate on which ireland is situated
Answer: the Eurasian Plate