Republic of Ireland

Ireland(Irish:Éire[ˈeːɾʲə]), also known as theRepublic of Ireland(Poblacht na hÉireann),is a country inNorthwestern Europeconsisting of 26 of the 32countiesof the island ofIreland, with a population of about 5.4 million.Itscapitaland largest city isDublin, on the eastern side of the island, with a population of over 1.5 million.Thesovereign stateshares its only land border withNorthern Ireland, which ispart of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by theAtlantic Ocean, with theCeltic Seato the south,St George's Channelto the south-east and theIrish Seato the east. It is aunitary,parliamentary republic.The legislature, theOireachtas, consists of alower house,Dáil Éireann; anupper house,Seanad Éireann; and an electedpresident(Uachtarán) who serves as the largely ceremonialhead of state, but with some important powers and duties. Thehead of governmentis theTaoiseach(prime minister,lit.'chief'), elected by the Dáil and appointed by the president, who appoints other government ministers.
TheIrish Free Statewas created withDominionstatus in 1922, following theAnglo-Irish Treaty. In 1937, anew constitutionwas adopted, in which the state was named "Ireland" and effectively became a republic, with an electednon-executive president. It was officially declared a republic in 1949, followingThe Republic of Ireland Act 1948. Ireland became a member of theUnited Nationsin 1955. It joined theEuropean Communities(EC), the predecessor of theEuropean Union(EU), in 1973. The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the 20th century, but the 1980s and 1990s saw the British and Irish governments working with Northern Irish parties to resolve the conflict that had become known asthe Troubles. Since the signing of theGood Friday Agreementin 1998, theIrish governmentandNorthern Irish governmenthave co-operated on a number of policy areas under theNorth/South Ministerial Councilcreated by the Agreement.
Ireland is adeveloped countrywith aquality of lifethat ranks amongst the highest in the world; afteradjustments for inequality, the 2022Human Development Indexlisting ranked it the fifth-highest in the world.It also ranks highly inhealthcare,economic freedomandfreedom of the press.It is a member of the EU and a founding member of theCouncil of Europeand theOECD. The Irish government has followed a policy ofmilitary neutralitythrough non-alignment since beforeWorld War II, and the country is consequently not a member ofNATO,although it is a member of thePartnership for Peaceandcertain aspects of PESCO.Ireland's economyis advanced,with one of Europe's major financial hubs being centred on Dublin. It ranks among the top five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of bothGDPandGNIper capita.After joining the EC, the country's government enacted a series of liberal economic policies that helped to boost economic growth between 1995 and 2007, a time now often referred to as theCeltic Tigerperiod. A recession and reversal in growth then followed during theGreat Recession, which was exacerbated by the bursting of theIrish property bubble.The Great Recession lasted until 2014, and was followed by a new period of strong economic growth.
The Irish name for Ireland isÉire, deriving fromÉriu, a goddess in Irish mythology.The state created in 1922, comprising 26 of the 32counties of Ireland, was "styled and known as the Irish Free State" (Saorstát Éireann).TheConstitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, says that "the name of the State isÉire, or, in the English language, Ireland". Section 2 of theRepublic of Ireland Act 1948states, "It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland." The 1948 Act does notnamethe state "Republic of Ireland", because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution.
The government of the United Kingdom used the name "Eire" (without thediacritic) and, from 1949, "Republic of Ireland", for the state.It was not until the 1998Good Friday Agreement, when the state dropped itsclaim to Northern Ireland, that it began calling the state "Ireland".
The state is also informally called "the Republic", "Southern Ireland" or "the South";especially when distinguishing the state from the island or when discussingNorthern Ireland("the North").Irish republicansreserve the name "Ireland" for the whole islandand often refer to the state as "the Free State", "the 26 Counties",or "the South of Ireland".This is a "response to thepartitionistview [...] that Ireland stops at the border".
From theAct of Unionon 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island of Ireland was part of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. During theGreat Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over 8 million fell by 30%. One million Irish died of starvation and disease and another 1.5 million emigrated, mostly to the United States.This set the pattern of emigration for the century to come, resulting in constant population decline up to the 1960s.
From 1874, and particularly underCharles Stewart Parnellfrom 1880, theIrish Parliamentary Partygained prominence. This was firstly through widespread agrarian agitation via theIrish Land League, which wonland reformsfor tenants in the form of theIrish Land Acts, and secondly through its attempts to achieveHome Rule, via two unsuccessful bills which would have granted Ireland limited national autonomy. These led to "grass-roots" control of national affairs, under theLocal Government Act 1898, that had been in the hands of landlord-dominatedgrand juriesof theProtestant Ascendancy.
Home Rule seemed certain when theParliament Act 1911abolished the veto of theHouse of Lords, andJohn Redmondsecured theThird Home Rule Actin 1914. However, theUnionist movementhad been growing since 1886 among Irish Protestants after the introduction of the first home rule bill, fearing discrimination and loss of economic and social privileges ifIrish Catholicsachieved real political power. In the late 19th and early 20th-century unionism was particularly strong in parts ofUlster, where industrialisation was more common in contrast to the more agrarian rest of the island, and where the Protestant population was more prominent, with a majority in four counties.Under the leadership of the Dublin-bornSir Edward Carsonof theIrish Unionist Partyand the UlstermanSir James Craigof theUlster Unionist Party, unionists became strongly militant, formingUlster Volunteersin order to oppose "the Coercion of Ulster".After the Home Rule Bill passed parliament in May 1914, to avoid rebellion with Ulster, the British Prime MinisterH. H. Asquithintroduced anAmending Billreluctantly conceded to by the Irish Party leadership. This provided for the temporary exclusion of Ulster from the workings of the bill for a trial period of six years, with an as yet undecided new set of measures to be introduced for the area to be temporarily excluded.
Though it received theRoyal Assentand was placed on the statute books in 1914, the implementation of theThird Home Rule Actwas suspended until after theFirst World Warwhich defused the threat of civil war in Ireland. With the hope of ensuring the implementation of the Act at the end of the war throughIreland's engagement in the war, Redmond and the IrishNational Volunteerssupported the UK and itsAllies. 175,000 men joinedIrish regimentsof the10th (Irish)and16th (Irish)divisions of theNew British Army, while Unionists joined the36th (Ulster)divisions.
The remainder of theIrish Volunteers, who refused Redmond and opposed any support of the UK, launched an armed insurrection against British rule in the 1916Easter Rising, together with theIrish Citizen Army. This commenced on 24 April 1916 with thedeclaration of independence. After a week of heavy fighting, primarily in Dublin, the surviving rebels were forced to surrender their positions. The majority were imprisoned, with fifteen of the prisoners (including most of the leaders) were executed as traitors to the UK. This includedPatrick Pearse, the spokesman for the rising and who provided the signal to the volunteers to start the rising, as well asJames Connolly, socialist and founder of theIndustrial Workers of the Worldunion and both the Irish and Scottish Labour movements. These events, together with theConscription Crisis of 1918, had a profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland against the British Government.
In January 1919, after the December1918 general election, 73 of Ireland's 105Members of Parliament(MPs) elected wereSinn Féinmembers who were elected on a platform ofabstentionismfrom theBritish House of Commons. In January 1919, they set up an Irish parliament calledDáil Éireann. Thisfirst Dáilissued adeclaration of independenceand proclaimed anIrish Republic. The declaration was mainly a restatement of the1916 Proclamationwith the additional provision that Ireland was no longer a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic'sMinistry of Dáil Éireannsent a delegation underCeann Comhairle(Head of Council, or Speaker, of the Daíl)Seán T. O'Kellyto theParis Peace Conferenceof 1919, but it was not admitted.
After theWar of Independenceand truce called in July 1921, representatives of theBritish governmentand the five Irish treaty delegates, led byArthur Griffith,Robert BartonandMichael Collins, negotiated theAnglo-Irish Treatyin London from 11 October to 6 December 1921. The Irish delegates set up headquarters atHans PlaceinKnightsbridge, and it was here in private discussions that the decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. On 7 January 1922, theSecond Dáilratifiedthe Treaty by 64 votes to 57.
In accordance with the treaty, on 6 December 1922 the entire island of Ireland became a self-governingDominioncalled the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann). Under theConstitution of the Irish Free State, theParliament of Northern Irelandhad the option to leave the Irish Free State one month later and return to the United Kingdom. During the intervening period, the powers of theParliament of the Irish Free StateandExecutive Council of the Irish Free Statedid not extend to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland exercised its right under the treaty to leave the new Dominion and rejoined the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. It did so by making an address to the King requesting, "that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland."The Irish Free State was aconstitutional monarchysharing a monarchwith the United Kingdom and other Dominions of theBritish Commonwealth. The country had agovernor-general(representing the monarch), abicameralparliament, a cabinet called the "Executive Council", and a prime minister called thePresident of the Executive Council.
The Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) was the consequence of the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State.Anti-treaty forces, led byÉamon de Valera, objected to the fact that acceptance of the treaty abolished theIrish Republicof 1919 to which they had sworn loyalty, arguing in the face of public support for the settlement that the "people have no right to do wrong".They objected most to the fact that the state would remain part of theBritish Empireand that members of theFree State Parliamentwould have to swear what the anti-treaty side saw as an oath of fidelity to the British king. Pro-treaty forces, led byMichael Collins, argued that the treaty gave "not the ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it".
At the start of the war, theIrish Republican Army(IRA) split into two opposing camps: a pro-treaty IRA and ananti-treaty IRA. The pro-treaty IRA disbanded and joined the newNational Army. However, because the anti-treaty IRA lacked an effective command structure and because of the pro-treaty forces' defensive tactics throughout the war, Michael Collins and his pro-treaty forces were able to build up an army with many tens of thousands of World War I veterans from the 1922 disbandedIrish regimentsof the British Army, capable of overwhelming the anti-treatyists. British supplies of artillery, aircraft, machine-guns and ammunition boosted pro-treaty forces, and the threat of a return of Crown forces to the Free State removed any doubts about the necessity of enforcing the treaty. Lack of public support for the anti-treaty forces (often called the Irregulars) and the determination of the government to overcome the Irregulars contributed significantly to their defeat.
Following a national plebiscite in July 1937, the newConstitution of Ireland(Bunreacht na hÉireann)came into forceon 29 December 1937.This replaced theConstitution of the Irish Free Stateand declared that the name of the state isÉire, or "Ireland" in the English language.WhileArticles 2 and 3of the Constitution defined the national territory to be the whole island, they also confined the state's jurisdiction to the area that had been the Irish Free State. The former Irish Free State government had abolished the Office ofGovernor-Generalin December 1936. Although the constitution established the office ofPresident of Ireland, the question over whether Ireland was a republic remained open. Diplomats were accredited to the king, but the president exercised all internal functions of a head of state.For instance, the President gave assent to new laws with his own authority, without reference to KingGeorge VIwho was only an "organ", that was provided for by statute law.
Ireland remained neutralduring World War II, a period it described asThe Emergency.Ireland'sDominionstatus was terminated with the passage ofThe Republic of Ireland Act 1948, which came into force on 18 April 1949 and declared that the state was a republic.At the time, a declaration of a republic terminated Commonwealth membership. This rule was changed 10 days after Ireland declared itself a republic, with theLondon Declarationof 28 April 1949. Ireland did not reapply when the rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later, theCrown of Ireland Act 1542was repealed in Ireland by theStatute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act 1962.
Ireland became a member of theUnited Nationsin December 1955, after having been denied membership because of itsneutral stanceduring the Second World War and not supporting theAllied cause.At the time, joining the UN involved a commitment to using force to deter aggression by one state against another if the UN thought it was necessary.
Interest towards membership of theEuropean Communities(EC) developed in Ireland during the 1950s, with consideration also given to membership of theEuropean Free Trade Area. As the United Kingdom intended on EC membership, Ireland applied for membership in July 1961 due to the substantial economic linkages with the United Kingdom. The founding EC members remained sceptical regarding Ireland's economic capacity, neutrality, and unattractiveprotectionistpolicy.Many Irish economists and politicians realised that economic policy reform was necessary. The prospect of EC membership became doubtful in 1963 when French President GeneralCharles de Gaullestated that France opposed Britain's accession, which ceased negotiations with all other candidate countries. In 1969 his successor,Georges Pompidou, was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 theTreaty of Accessionwas signed. Areferendum was held later that yearwhich confirmed Ireland's entry into the bloc, and it finally joined the EC as a member state on 1 January 1973.
The economic crisis of the late 1970s was fuelled by theFianna Fáilgovernment's budget, the abolition of the car tax, excessive borrowing, and global economic instability including the1979 oil crisis.There were significant policy changes from 1989 onwards, with economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and a ban on borrowing to fund current spending. This policy began in 1989–1992 by the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democratsgovernment, and continued by the subsequent Fianna Fáil/Labourgovernment andFine Gael/Labour/Democratic Leftgovernment. Ireland became one of the world's fastest growing economies by the late 1990s in what was known as theCeltic Tigerperiod, which lasted until theGreat Recession. Since 2014, Ireland has experienced increased economic activity.
In the Northern Ireland question, the British and Irish governments started to seek a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict involving manyparamilitariesand theBritish Armyin Northern Ireland known as "The Troubles". A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as theGood Friday Agreement, was approved in 1998 in referendums north and south of the border. As part of the peace settlement, the territorial claim to Northern Ireland inArticles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Irelandwas removed by referendum. In its white paper onBrexitthe United Kingdom government reiterated its commitment to the Good Friday Agreement. With regard to Northern Ireland's status, it said that the UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of the UK, but with strong links to Ireland".
The state extends over an area of about five-sixths (70,273 kmor 27,133 sq mi) of the island ofIreland(84,421 kmor 32,595 sq mi), withNorthern Irelandconstituting the remainder. The island is bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by theNorth Channel. To the east, theIrish Seaconnects to the Atlantic Ocean viaSt George's Channeland theCeltic Seato the southwest.
The western landscape mostly consists of rugged cliffs, hills and mountains. The central lowlands are extensively covered with glacial deposits of clay and sand, as well as significant areas ofboglandand several lakes. The highest point isCarrauntoohil(1,038.6 m or 3,407 ft), located in theMacGillycuddy's Reeksmountain range in the southwest.River Shannon, which traverses the central lowlands, is the longest river in Ireland at 386 kilometres or 240 miles in length. The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands,peninsulas,headlandsandbays.
Ireland is one of the least forested countries in Europe.Until the end of theMiddle Ages, the land was heavily forested. Native species includedeciduoustrees such asoak,ash,hazel,birch,alder,willow,aspen,elm,rowanandhawthorn, as well asevergreentrees suchScots pine,yew,hollyandstrawberry trees.The growth ofblanket bogand the extensive clearing of woodland for farming are believed to be the main causes ofdeforestation.Today, only about 10% of Ireland is woodland,most of which is non-nativeconiferplantations, and only 2% of which is native woodland.The average woodland cover in European countries is over 33%.According toCoillte, a state-owned forestry business, the country's climate gives Ireland one of the fastest growth rates for forests in Europe.Hedgerows, which are traditionally used to define land boundaries, are an important substitute for woodland habitat, providing refuge for native wild flora and a wide range of insect, bird and mammal species.It is home to two terrestrial ecoregions:Celtic broadleaf forestsandNorth Atlantic moist mixed forests.
Agricultureaccounts for about 64% of the total land area.This has resulted in limited land to preserve natural habitats, in particular for larger wild mammals with greater territorial requirements.The long history of agricultural production coupled with modern agricultural methods, such aspesticideandfertiliseruse, has placed pressure onbiodiversity.
TheAtlantic Oceanand the warming influence of theGulf Streamaffect weather patterns in Ireland.Temperatures differ regionally, with central and eastern areas tending to be more extreme. However, due to atemperateoceanic climate, temperatures are seldom lower than −5 °C (23 °F) in winter or higher than 26 °C (79 °F) in summer.The highest temperature recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) on 26 June 1887 atKilkenny Castlein Kilkenny, while the lowest temperature recorded was −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F) atMarkree Castlein Sligo.Rainfall is more prevalent during winter months and less so during the early months of summer. Southwestern areas experience the most rainfall as a result of south westerly winds, whileDublinreceives the least. Sunshine duration is highest in the southeast of the country.The far north and west are two of the windiest regions in Europe, with great potential forwind energygeneration.
Ireland normally gets between 1100 and 1600 hours of sunshine each year, most areas averaging between 3.25 and 3.75 hours a day. The sunniest months are May and June, which average between 5 and 6.5 hours per day over most of the country. The extreme southeast gets most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December is the dullest month, with an average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the extreme southeast. The sunniest summer in the 100 years from 1881 to 1980 was 1887, according to measurements made at the Phoenix Park in Dublin; 1980 was the dullest.
Ireland is a constitutional republic with aparliamentary systemof government. TheOireachtasis thebicameralnational parliament composed of thePresident of Irelandand the two Houses of the Oireachtas:Dáil Éireann(House of Representatives) andSeanad Éireann(Senate).Áras an Uachtaráinis theofficial residenceof the President of Ireland, while the houses of the Oireachtas meet atLeinster HouseinDublin.
The President serves ashead of state, is elected for a seven-year term, and may be re-elected once. The President is primarily afigurehead, but is entrusted with certain constitutional powers with the advice of theCouncil of State. The office has absolute discretion in some areas, such as referring a bill to the Supreme Court for a judgment on its constitutionality.Michael D. Higginsbecame the ninth President of Ireland on 11 November 2011.
TheTaoiseach(Prime Minister) serves as thehead of governmentand is appointed by the President upon the nomination of theDáil. MostTaoisighhave served as the leader of the political party that gains the most seats in national elections. It has become customary forcoalitionsto form a government, as there has not been a single-party government since 1989.
TheDáilhas 174 members (Teachtaí Dála) elected to represent multi-seatconstituenciesunder the system ofproportional representationby means of thesingle transferable vote. TheSeanadis composed of sixty members, with elevennominated bytheTaoiseach, six elected by twouniversity constituencies, and 43 elected by public representatives from panels of candidates established on a vocational basis.
Thegovernmentis constitutionally limited to fifteen members. No more than two members can be selected from theSeanad, and theTaoiseach,Tánaiste(deputy prime minister) andMinister for Financemust be members of theDáil. The Dáil must be dissolved within five years of its first meeting following the previous election,and a general election for members of the Dáil must take place no later than thirty days after the dissolution. In accordance with theConstitution of Ireland, parliamentary elections must be held at least every seven years, though a lower limit may be set by statute law. The current government is a coalition ofFianna Fáil,Fine Gael, and someindependentswithMicheál Martinof Fianna Fáil as Taoiseach andSimon Harrisof Fine Gael as Tánaiste. Opposition parties in the currentDáilareSinn Féin, theLabour Party,People Before Profit–Solidarity,Social Democrats,Aontú,The Green Partyas well as a number of independents.
Ireland has been amember state of the European Unionsince 1973. Citizens of the United Kingdom can freely enter the country without a passport due to theCommon Travel Area, which is a passport-free zone comprising the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, theIsle of Manand theChannel Islands. However, some identification is required at airports and seaports.
TheLocal Government (Ireland) Act 1898was the founding statute of the present system of local government, while theTwentieth Amendment to the constitutionof 1999 provided for its constitutional recognition. The twenty-six traditionalcounties of Irelandare the basis of the local government areas, with the traditional counties ofCork,DublinandGalwaycontaining two or more local government areas. TheLocal Government Act 2001, as amended by theLocal Government Reform Act 2014,provides for a system ofthirty-one local authorities– twenty-six county councils, two city and county councils, and three city councils.Counties (with the exception of the three counties in Dublin) are divided intomunicipal districts. A second local government tier oftown councilswas abolished in 2014.
Local authorities are responsible for matters such as planning, local roads, sanitation, and libraries. The breaching of county boundaries should be avoided as far as practicable in drawingDáil constituencies. Counties with greater populations have multiple constituencies, some of more than one county, but generally do not cross county boundaries. The counties are grouped into threeregions, each with a Regional Assembly composed of members delegated by the various county and city councils in the region. The regions do not have any direct administrative role as such, but they serve for planning, coordination and statistical purposes.
Ireland has acommon lawlegal systemwith a written constitution that provides for aparliamentary democracy. The court system consists of theSupreme Court, theCourt of Appeal, theHigh Court, theCircuit Courtand theDistrict Court, all of which apply theIrish lawand hear both civil and criminal matters. Trials for serious offences must usually be held before ajury. The High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have authority, by means ofjudicial review, to determine the compatibility of laws and activities of other institutions of the state with the constitution and the law. Except in exceptional circumstances, court hearings must occur in public.
TheGarda Síochána(lit.Guardians of the Peace), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí, is the state's civilian police force. The force is responsible for all aspects of civil policing, both in terms of territory and infrastructure. It is headed by the Garda Commissioner, who is appointed by the Government. Most uniformed members do not routinely carryfirearms. Standard policing is traditionally carried out by uniformed officers equipped only with abatonandpepper spray.
TheMilitary Policeis the corps of theIrish Armyresponsible for the provision of policing service personnel and providing a military police presence to forces while on exercise and deployment. In wartime, additional tasks include the provision of a traffic control organisation to allow rapid movement of military formations to their mission areas. Other wartime roles include control ofprisoners of warand refugees.
Ireland'scitizenship lawsrelate to "the island of Ireland", including islands and seas, thereby extending them toNorthern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Therefore, anyone born in Northern Ireland who meets the requirements for being an Irish citizen, such as birth on the island of Ireland to an Irish or British citizen parent or a parent who is entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Republic without restriction on their residency,may exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship, such as anIrish passport.
Foreign relations are substantially influenced by membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with the United Kingdom and United States are also important.It held thePresidency of the Council of the European Unionon six occasions, most recently from January to June 2013.
Ireland tends towards independence in foreign policy; thus the country is not a member ofNATOand has alongstandingpolicy of military neutrality. This policy has led to theIrish Defence Forcescontributing to peace-keeping missions with the United Nations since 1960, including during theCongo Crisisand subsequently inCyprus,LebanonandBosnia and Herzegovina.
DespiteIrish neutrality during World War II, Ireland had more than 50,000participants in the warthrough enlistment in the British armed forces. During theCold War, Irish military policy, while ostensibly neutral, was biased towards NATO.During theCuban Missile Crisis,Seán Lemassauthorised the search of Cuban and Czechoslovak aircraft passing through Shannon and passed the information to theCIA.Ireland's air facilities were used by the United States military for the delivery of military personnel involved in the2003 invasion of IraqthroughShannon Airport. The airport had previously been used for theUnited States invasion of Afghanistanin 2001, as well as theFirst Gulf War.
Since 1999, Ireland has been a member of NATO'sPartnership for Peace(PfP) program and NATO'sEuro-Atlantic Partnership Council(EAPC), which is aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Ireland is aneutral country,and has "triple-lock" rules governing the participation of Irish troops in conflict zones, whereby approval must be given by the UN, theDáiland Government.Accordingly, its military role is limited to national self-defence and participation inUnited Nations peacekeeping.
The Irish Defence Forces (Óglaigh na hÉireann) are made up of theArmy,Naval Service,Air CorpsandReserve Defence Force. It is small but well equipped, with almost 10,000 full-time military personnel and over 2,000 in reserve.Daily deployments of the Defence Forces coveraid to civil poweroperations, protection and patrol of Irish territorial waters andEEZby the Irish Naval Service, and UN, EU andPfPpeace-keeping missions. By 1996, over 40,000 Irish service personnel had served in international UN peacekeeping missions.
The Irish Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces and operates sixteen fixed wing aircraft and eight helicopters. The Irish Naval Service is Ireland's navy, and operates sixpatrol ships, and smaller numbers of inflatable boats and training vessels, and has armed boarding parties capable of seizing a ship and a special unit offrogmen. The military includes the Reserve Defence Forces (Army ReserveandNaval Service Reserve) for part-time reservists. Ireland's special forces include theArmy Ranger Wing, which trains and operates with international special operations units. The President is the formal Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, but in practice these Forces answer to the Government via theMinister for Defence.
In 2017, Ireland signed the United NationsTreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Ireland is an open economy and ranks first for "high-value"foreign direct investment(FDI) flows.Ireland ranks 5th of 187 (IMF) and 6th of 175 (World Bank) inGDP per capitaas well as ranking in the top ten forGNI per capita. An alternative metric, known asmodified Gross National Income (GNI), was created by theCentral Statistics Officeand is used by the Irish government to give a view of activity in the domestic economy after stripping out large multinational export movements which can often relate to intangible assets.This is particularly relevant in Ireland's economy, as GDP disproportionately includes income from non-Irish owned companies, which often flows out of Ireland.Foreign multinationals are the main driver of Ireland's economy, employing a quarter of the private sector workforce,and paying 80% of Irish corporate taxes.14 of Ireland's top 20 firms (by 2017 turnover) are US-based multinationalsand 80% of foreign multinationals in Ireland are from the US.
Ireland adopted the euro currency in 2002 along with eleven otherEU member states.As of January 2023 there are 20 EU member states using the euro currency with Croatia the most recent member to join on 1 January 2023.
Following theGreat Recessionand the bursting of theIrish property bubble, the country officially exited recession in 2010, driven by a growth in exports from US multinationals in Ireland.However, due to a rise in the cost of public borrowing due to government guarantees of private banking debt, the Irish government accepted an €85 billion programme of assistance from the EU,International Monetary Fund(IMF) and bilateral loans from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark.Following three years of contraction, the economy grew by 0.7% in 2011 and 0.9% in 2012.The unemployment rate was 14.7% in 2012, including 18.5% among recent immigrants.In March 2016 theunemployment ratewas reported by theCSOto be 8.6%, down from a peak unemployment rate of 15.1% in February 2012.In addition to unemployment, net emigration from Ireland between 2008 and 2013 totalled 120,100,or some 2.6% of the total population according to theCensus of Ireland 2011. One-third of the emigrants were aged between 15 and 24.By November 2022, unemployment had fallen back to 4.4%.
Ireland exited its EU-IMF bailout programme on 15 December 2013.Having implemented budget cuts, reforms and sold assets, Ireland was again able to access debt markets. Since then, Ireland has been able to sell long term bonds at record rates.However, the stabilisation of the Irish credit bubble required a large transfer of debt from the private sector balance sheet (highest OECD leverage), to the public sector balance sheet (almost unleveraged, pre-crisis), via Irish bank bailouts and public deficit spending.The transfer of this debt means that Ireland, in 2017, still has one of the highest levels of both public sector indebtedness, and private sector indebtedness, in the EU-28/OECD.
Ireland became one of the main destinations for US pharmaceuticalcorporate tax inversionsfrom 2009 to 2016.The country has also become the largest foreign location for large US technology multinationals (i.e. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook), which delivered a GDP growth rate of 26.3% (and GNP growth rate of 18.7%) in 2015. This growth was subsequently shown to be due to Apple restructuring its "double Irish" subsidiary (Apple Sales International, currently under threat of a€13bn EU "illegal state aid" finefor preferential tax treatment).
The transformation of Ireland's tax policy started with the creation of a 10% low-tax "special economic zone", called theInternational Financial Services Centre(or "IFSC"), in 1987.In 1999, the entire country was effectively "turned into an IFSC" with the reduction of Irish corporation tax from 32% to 12.5%.This accelerated the later stages of Ireland's transition from a predominantly agricultural economy into aknowledgeandservice economyinitially focused on property and construction and later focused on attracting mainly US multinationals from high-tech, life sciences, and financial services industries seeking to avail of Ireland's low corporation tax rates and favourablecorporate tax system.
The multinational tax schemes foreign firms use in Ireland materially distort Irish economic statistics. This reached a climax with the "leprechaun economics" GDP/GNP growth rates of 2015 (as Apple restructured its Irish subsidiaries in 2015). TheCentral Bank of Irelandintroduced a new statistic, Modified gross national income, to remove these distortions. GNI* is 30% below GDP (or, GDP is 143% of GNI).
From the creation of theIFSC, the country experienced strong and sustained economic growth which fuelled a dramatic rise in Irish consumer borrowing and spending, and Irish construction and investment, which became known as theCeltic Tigerperiod.By 2007, Ireland had the highest private sector debt in the OECD with a household debt-to-disposable income ratio of 190%. Global capital markets, who had financed Ireland's build-up of debt in theCeltic Tigerperiod by enabling Irish banks to borrow in excess of the domestic deposit base (to over 180% at peak), withdrew support in thefinancial crisis of 2007–2008. Their withdrawal from the over-borrowed Irish credit system would precipitate a deep Irish property correction which then led to thePost-2008 Irish banking crisis.
Ireland's successful "low-tax" economy opens it to accusations of being a "corporatetax haven",and led to it being "blacklisted" by Brazil.A 2017 study ranks Ireland as the 5th largest globalConduit OFC, which legally route funds totax havens. A serious challenge is the passing of the USTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017(whose FDII and GILTI regimes target Ireland's multinational tax schemes).The EU's 2018 Digital Sales Tax (DST)(and desire for aCCCTB) is also seen as an attempt to restrict Irish "multinational tax schemes" by US technology firms.
Althoughmultinational corporationsdominate Ireland's export sector, exports from other sources also contribute significantly to the national income. The activities of multinational companies based in Ireland have made it one of the largest exporters of pharmaceutical agents, medical devices and software-related goods and services in the world. Ireland's exports also relate to the activities of large Irish companies (such asRyanair,Kerry GroupandSmurfit Kappa) and exports of mineral resources including zinc and lead concentrates. The country also has significant deposits ofgypsumand smaller quantities of copper, silver, gold,barite, anddolomite.Tourism in Irelandcontributes about 4% of GDP and is a significant source of employment.
Other goods exports include agri-food, cattle, beef, dairy products, and aluminum. Ireland's major imports include data processing equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, and clothing.Financial servicesprovided by multinational corporations based at theIrish Financial Services Centrealso contribute to Irish exports. The difference between exports (€89.4 billion) and imports (€45.5 billion) resulted an annual trade surplus of €43.9 billion in 2010,which is the highest trade surplus relative to GDP achieved by any EU member state.
The EU is by far the country's largest trading partner, accounting for 57.9% of exports and 60.7% of imports. Prior toBrexit, the United Kingdom was the most important trading partner within the EU, accounting for 15.4% of exports and 32.1% of imports. Outside the EU, the United States accounted for 23.2% of exports and 14.1% of imports in 2010.
ESB,Bord Gáis EnergyandAirtricityare the three main electricity and gas suppliers in Ireland. There are 19.82 billion cubic metres of proven reserves of gas.Natural gas extraction previously occurred at theKinsale Headuntil its exhaustion. TheCorrib gas fieldwas due to come on stream in 2013/14. In 2012, theBarryroefield was confirmed to have up to 1.6 billion barrels of oil in reserve, with between 160 and 600 million recoverable.That could provide for Ireland's entire energy needs for up to 13 years, when it is developed in 2015/16.
There have been significant efforts to increase the use of renewable and sustainable forms of energy in Ireland, particularly inwind power, with 3,000 MegaWattsofwind farmsbeing constructed, some for the purpose of export.TheSustainable Energy Authority of Ireland(SEAI) has estimated that 6.5% of Ireland's 2011 energy requirements were produced by renewable sources.The SEAI has also reported an increase in energy efficiency in Ireland with a 28% reduction in carbon emissions per house from 2005 to 2013.
In 2021, Ireland was the 24th largest wind energy producer in the world and the 3rd ranked in 2020 on a per capita basis.
The country's three maininternational airportsatDublin,ShannonandCorkserve many European and intercontinental routes with scheduled andcharteredflights. The London to Dublin air route is the ninth busiest international air route in the world, and also the busiest international air route in Europe, with 14,500 flights between the two in 2017.In 2015, 4.5 million people took the route, at that time, the world's second-busiest.Aer Lingusis the flag carrier of Ireland, althoughRyanairis the country's largest airline. Ryanair is Europe's largest low-cost carrier,the second largest in terms of passenger numbers, and the world's largest in terms of international passenger numbers.
Railway services are provided byIarnród Éireann(Irish Rail), which operates all internalintercity,commuterandfreightrailway services in the country. Dublin is the centre of the network with two main stations,Heuston stationandConnolly station, linking to the country's cities and main towns. TheEnterpriseservice, which runs jointly withNorthern Ireland Railways, connects Dublin andBelfast. The whole of Ireland's mainline network operates on track with agauge of 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), which is unique in Europe and has resulted in distinct rolling stock designs. Dublin's public transport network includes theDART,Luas,Dublin Bus, anddublinbikes.
Motorways,national primary roadsandnational secondary roadsare managed byTransport Infrastructure Ireland, whileregional roadsandlocal roadsare managed by the local authorities in each of their respective areas. The road network is primarily focused on the capital, but motorways connect it to other major Irish cities including Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway.
Dublin is served by major infrastructure such as theEast-LinkandWest-Linktoll-bridges, as well as theDublin Port Tunnel. TheJack Lynch Tunnel, under theRiver Leein Cork, and theLimerick Tunnel, under theRiver Shannon, were two major projects outside Dublin.
Genetic research suggests that the earliest settlers migrated fromIberiafollowing the most recentice age.After theMesolithic,NeolithicandBronze Age, migrants introduced aCelticlanguage and culture. Migrants from the two latter eras still represent the genetic heritage of mostIrish people.Gaelictradition expanded and became the dominant form over time. Irish people are a combination of Gaelic,Norse,Anglo-Norman, French, and British ancestry.
The population of Ireland stood at 5,149,139 in 2022, an increase of 8% since 2016.In 2011, Ireland had the highest birth rate in the European Union (16 births per 1,000 of population).In 2014, 36.3% of births were to unmarried women.Annual population growth rates exceeded 2% during the 2002–2006 intercensal period, which was attributed to high rates ofnatural increaseand immigration.This rate declined somewhat during the subsequent 2006–2011 intercensal period, with an average annual percentage change of 1.6%. Thetotal fertility rate(TFR) in 2017 was estimated at 1.80 children born per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1, it remains considerably below the high of 4.2 children born per woman in 1850.In 2018 themedian ageof the Irish population was 37.1 years.
At the time of the 2022 census, the number of non-Irish nationals was recorded at 631,785. This represents an 8% increase from the2016 censusfigure of 535,475.The five largest sources of non-Irish nationals were Poland (93,680), the UK (83,347), India (45,449), Romania (43,323), Lithuania (31,177), and Latvia (27,338) respectively. The non-Irish nationalities which saw the largest increase from 2016 were India (+33,984), Romania (+14,137), Brazil (+13,698), Ukraine (+10,006). The non-Irish nationalities which saw the largest decrease from 2016 were Poland (−28,835), UK (−19,766), Lithuania (−5,375), Latvia (−1,633), and Slovakia (−1,117).
The Irish Constitution describes Irish as the "national language" and the "first official language", but English (the "second official language") is the dominant language. In the2016 census, about 1.75 million people (40% of the population) said they were able to speak Irish but, of those, under 74,000 spoke it on a daily basis.Irish is spoken as a community language only in a small number of rural areas mostly in the west and south of the country, collectively known as theGaeltacht. Except in Gaeltacht regions, road signs are usually bilingual.Most public notices and print media are in English only. While the state is officially bilingual, citizens can often struggle to access state services in Irish and most government publications are not available in both languages, even though citizens have the right to deal with the state in Irish. Irish language media include the TV channelTG4, the radio stationRTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachtaand online newspaperTuairisc.ie. In theIrish Defence Forces, all foot and arms drill commands are given in the Irish language.
As a result of immigration,Polishis the most widely spoken language in Ireland after English, with Irish as the third most spoken.Several other Central European languages (namely Czech, Hungarian and Slovak), as well asBaltic languages(Lithuanian and Latvian) are also spoken on a day-to-day basis. Other languages spoken in Ireland includeShelta, spoken by Irish Travellers, and a dialect ofScotsis spoken by someUlster Scots peoplein Donegal.Most secondary school students choose to learn one or two foreign languages. Languages available for the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate include French, German, Italian and Spanish; Leaving Certificate students can also study Arabic, Japanese and Russian. Some secondary schools also offerAncient Greek,HebrewandLatin. The study of Irish is generally compulsory for Leaving Certificate students, but some may qualify for an exemption in some circumstances, such as learning difficulties or entering the country after age 11.
Healthcare in Ireland is provided by both public and private healthcare providers.TheMinister for Healthhas responsibility for setting overall health service policy. Every resident of Ireland is entitled to receive health care through the public health care system, which is managed by theHealth Service Executiveand funded by general taxation. A person may be required to pay a subsidised fee for certain health care received; this depends on income, age, illness or disability. All maternity services are provided free of charge and children up to the age of 6 months. Emergency care is provided to patients who present to a hospital emergency department. However, visitors to emergency departments in non-emergency situations who are not referred by theirGPmay incur a fee of €100. In some circumstances this fee is not payable or may be waived.
Anyone holding aEuropean Health Insurance Cardis entitled to free maintenance and treatment in public beds in Health Service Executive and voluntary hospitals. Outpatient services are also provided for free. However, the majority of patients on median incomes or above are required to pay subsidised hospital charges. Private health insurance is available to the population for those who want to avail of it.
The averagelife expectancyin Ireland in 2021 was 82.4 years (OECD list), with 80.5 years for men and 84.3 years for women.It has the highest birth rate in the EU (16.8 births per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to an EU average of 10.7)and a very low infant mortality rate (3.5 per 1,000live births). The Irish healthcare system ranked 13th out of 34 European countries in 2012 according to the European Health Consumer Index produced byHealth Consumer Powerhouse.The same report ranked the Irish healthcare system as having the 8th best health outcomes but only the 21st most accessible system in Europe.
Ireland has three levels of education: primary, secondary and higher education. The education systems are largely under the direction of the Government via theMinister for Education. Recognised primary and secondary schools must adhere to the curriculum established by the relevant authorities. Education is compulsory between the ages of six and fifteen years, and all children up to the age of eighteen must complete the first three years of secondary, including one sitting of theJunior Certificateexamination.
There are approximately 3,300 primary schools in Ireland.The vast majority (92%) are under the patronage of the Catholic Church. Schools run by religious organisations, but receiving public money and recognition, cannot discriminate against pupils based upon religion or lack thereof. A sanctioned system of preference does exist, where students of a particular religion may be accepted before those who do not share the ethos of the school, in a case where a school's quota has already been reached.
TheLeaving Certificate, which is taken after two years of study, is the final examination in the secondary school system. Those intending to pursue higher education normally take this examination, with access to third-level courses generally depending on results obtained from the best six subjects taken, on a competitive basis.Third-level education awards are conferred by at least 38 Higher Education Institutions – this includes the constituent or linked colleges of seven universities, plus other designated institutions of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. According to the 2022 US News rankings, Ireland is among the top twenty best countries for education.
TheProgramme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by theOECD, currently ranks Ireland as having the fourth highest reading score, ninth highest science score and thirteenth highest mathematics score, among OECD countries, in its 2012 assessment.In 2012, Irish students aged 15 years had the second highest levels of reading literacy in the EU.Ireland also has 0.747 of the World's top 500 Universities per capita, which ranks the country in 8th place in the world.Primary, secondary and higher (university/college) level education are all free in Ireland for all EU citizens.There are charges to cover student services and examinations.
In addition, 37 percent of Ireland's population has a university orcollege degree, which is among the highest percentages in the world.
Religious freedom is constitutionally provided for in Ireland, and the country's constitution has beensecularsince 1973.Christianityis the predominant religion, and while Ireland remains a predominantly Catholic country, the percentage of the population who identified as Catholic on the census fell sharply from 84.2 percent in the2011 censusto 78.3 percent in 2016 and 69 percent in 2022.Other results from the2016 censuswere: 4.2%Protestant, 1.3% Orthodox, 1.3% as Muslim, and 9.8% as having no religion.According to aGeorgetown Universitystudy, before 2000 the country had one of the highest rates of regularmassattendance in theWestern world.While daily attendance was 13% in 2006, there was a reduction in weekly attendance from 81% in 1990 to 48% in 2006; the decline was reported as stabilising, though.In 2011, it was reported that weekly mass attendance in Dublin was 18% and even lower among younger generations.
TheChurch of Ireland, at 2.7% of the population, is the second largest Christian denomination. Membership declined throughout the twentieth century but experienced an increase early in the 21st century alongside other Christian denominations. Other significant Protestant denominations are thePresbyterian ChurchandMethodist Church. Immigration has contributed to a growth inHinduand Muslim populations. In percentage terms, as of the 2006 census,Orthodox ChristianityandIslamare the fastest growing religions with increases of 100% and 70% respectively.
Ireland's patron saints areSaint Patrick,Saint Bridget, andSaint Columba; Saint Patrick is commonly recognised as the primary patron saint.Saint Patrick's Dayis celebrated on 17 March in Ireland and abroad as the Irish national day with parades and other celebrations.
As with other traditionally Catholic European states, such as Spain and Italy,Ireland underwent a period of legal secularisation in the late twentieth century. In 1972, the article of the Constitution naming specific religious groups was deleted by theFifth Amendmentin a referendum. Article 44 remains in the Constitution: "The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion." The article also establishes freedom of religion, prohibits endowment of any religion, prohibits the state from religious discrimination, and requires the state to treat religious and non-religious schools in a non-prejudicial manner.
Although mostschools in Ireland are patronised by religious organisations, government policy has been to "transfer" some schools to non-denominational or multi-denominational patronage,and a secularist trend is occurring among younger generations.
Ireland's culture was for centuries predominantlyGaelic, and it remains one of the six principalCeltic nations. Following theAnglo-Normaninvasion in the 12th century, and gradual British conquest and colonisation beginning in the 16th century, Ireland became influenced by English and Scottish culture. Subsequently, Irish culture, though distinct in many aspects, shares characteristics with the rest of theAnglosphere,Catholic Europe, and other Celtic regions. TheIrish diaspora, one of the world's largest and most dispersed, has contributed to the globalisation of Irish culture, producing many prominent figures in art, music, and science.
Ireland has made a significant contribution to world literature in both the English and Irish languages. ModernIrish fictionbegan with the publishing of the 1726 novelGulliver's TravelsbyJonathan Swift. Other writers of importance during the 18th century and their most notable works includeLaurence Sternewith the publication ofThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanandOliver Goldsmith'sThe Vicar of Wakefield. NumerousIrish novelistsemerged during the 19th century, includingMaria Edgeworth,John Banim,Gerald Griffin,Charles Kickham,William Carleton,George Moore, andSomerville and Ross.Bram Stokeris best known as the author of the 1897 novelDracula.
James Joyce(1882–1941) published his most famous workUlyssesin 1922, which is an interpretation of theOdysseyset in Dublin.Edith Somervillecontinued writing after the death of her partnerMartin Rossin 1915. Dublin'sAnnie M. P. Smithsonwas one of several authors catering for fans of romantic fiction in the 1920s and 1930s. After the Second World War, popular novels were published by, among others, Brian O'Nolan, who published asFlann O'Brien,Elizabeth Bowen, andKate O'Brien. During the final decades of the 20th century,Edna O'Brien,John McGahern,Maeve Binchy,Joseph O'Connor,Roddy Doyle,Colm Tóibín, andJohn Banvillecame to the fore as novelists.
Patricia Lynchwas a prolific children's author in the 20th century, whileEoin Colfer's works wereNYT Best Sellersin this genre in the early 21st century.In the genre of the short story, which is a form favoured by many Irish writers, the most prominent figures includeSeán Ó Faoláin,Frank O'ConnorandWilliam Trevor. Well known Irish poets includePatrick Kavanagh,Thomas McCarthy,Dermot Bolger, andNobel Prize in LiteraturelaureatesWilliam Butler YeatsandSeamus Heaney(born in Northern Ireland but resided in Dublin). Prominent writers in the Irish language arePádraic Ó Conaire,Máirtín Ó Cadhain,Séamus Ó Grianna, andNuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
The history ofIrish theatrebegins with the expansion of the English administration in Dublin during the early 17th century, and since then, Ireland has significantly contributed to English drama. In its early history, theatrical productions in Ireland tended to serve political purposes, but as more theatres opened and the popular audience grew, a more diverse range of entertainments were staged. Many Dublin-based theatres developed links with their London equivalents, and British productions frequently found their way to the Irish stage. However, most Irish playwrights went abroad to establish themselves. In the 18th century,Oliver GoldsmithandRichard Brinsley Sheridanwere two of the most successful playwrights on the London stage at that time. At the beginning of the 20th century, theatre companies dedicated to the staging of Irish plays and the development of writers, directors and performers began to emerge, which allowed many Irish playwrights to learn their trade and establish their reputations in Ireland rather than in Britain or the United States. Following in the tradition of acclaimed practitioners, principallyOscar Wilde, Literature Nobel Prize laureatesGeorge Bernard Shaw(1925) andSamuel Beckett(1969), playwrights such asSeán O'Casey,Brian Friel,Sebastian Barry,Brendan Behan,Conor McPhersonandBilly Rochehave gained popular success.Other Irish playwrights of the 20th century includeDenis Johnston,Thomas Kilroy,Tom Murphy,Hugh Leonard,Frank McGuinness, andJohn B. Keane.
Irish traditional musichas remained vibrant, despite globalising cultural forces, and retains many traditional aspects. It has influenced various music genres, such as American country and roots music, and to some extent modern rock. It has occasionally been blended with styles such as rock and roll and punk rock. Ireland has also produced many internationally known artists in other genres, such as rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Ireland's best selling musical act is the rock bandU2, who have sold 170 million copies of their albums worldwide since their formation in 1976.
There are a number of classical music ensembles around the country, such as theRTÉ Performing Groups.Ireland also has two opera organisations:Irish National Operain Dublin, and the annualWexford Opera Festival, which promotes lesser-known operas, takes place during October and November.
Ireland has participated in theEurovision Song Contestsince 1965.Its first win was in 1970, whenDanawon withAll Kinds of Everything.It has subsequently won the competitionsix more times,the highest number of wins by any competing country. The phenomenonRiverdanceoriginated as an interval performance during the1994 contest.
Irish dance can broadly be divided intosocial danceandperformance dance. Irish social dance can be divided intocéilíand set dancing. Irishset dancesarequadrilles, danced by 4 couples arranged in a square, whilecéilí dancesare danced by variedformationsof couples of 2 to 16 people. There are also many stylistic differences between these two forms. Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across the country. In some places dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed. Performance dance is traditionally referred to asstepdance.Irish stepdance, popularised by the showRiverdance, is notable for its rapid leg movements, with the body and arms being kept largely stationary. The solo stepdance is generally characterised by a controlled but not rigid upper body, straight arms, and quick, precise movements of the feet. The solo dances can either be in "soft shoe" or "hard shoe".
Ireland has a wealth of structures,surviving in various states of preservation, from theNeolithicperiod, such asBrú na Bóinne,Poulnabrone dolmen,Castlestrange stone,Turoe stone, andDrombeg stone circle.As Ireland was never a part of theRoman Empire, ancient architecture inGreco-Romanstyle is extremely rare, in contrast to most of Western Europe. The country instead had an extended period ofIron Agearchitecture.TheIrish round toweroriginated during theEarly Medievalperiod.
Christianity introduced simplemonastic houses, such asClonmacnoise,Skellig MichaelandScattery Island. A stylistic similarity has been remarked between thesedouble monasteriesand those of theCoptsof Egypt.Gaelic kings and aristocrats occupiedringfortsorcrannógs.Church reforms during the 12th century via theCisterciansstimulated continental influence, with theRomanesquestyledMellifont,BoyleandTinternabbeys.Gaelic settlement had been limited to the Monastic proto-towns, such asKells, where the current street pattern preserves the original circular settlement outline to some extent.Significant urban settlements only developed following the period of Viking invasions.The major Hiberno-NorseLongphortswere located on the coast, but with minor inland fluvial settlements, such as the eponymousLongford.
Castles were built by theAnglo-Normansduring the late 12th century, such asDublin CastleandKilkenny Castle,and the concept of the planned walled trading town was introduced, which gained legal status and several rights by grant of aCharterunderFeudalism. These charters specifically governed the design of these towns.Two significant waves of planned town formation followed, the first being the 16th- and 17th-century plantation towns, which were used as a mechanism for theTudorEnglish kings to suppress local insurgency, followed by 18th-century landlord towns.Surviving Norman founded planned towns includeDroghedaandYoughal; plantation towns includePortlaoiseandPortarlington; well-preserved 18th-century planned towns includeWestportandBallinasloe. These episodes of planned settlement account for the majority of present-day towns throughout the country.
Gothiccathedrals, such asSt Patrick's, were also introduced by the Normans.Franciscanswere dominant in directing the abbeys by the Late Middle Ages, while elegant tower houses, such asBunratty Castle, were built by the Gaelic and Norman aristocracy.Many religious buildings were ruined with thedissolution of the monasteries.Following the Restoration,palladianismandrococo, particularlycountry houses, swept through Ireland under the initiative ofEdward Lovett Pearce, with theHouses of Parliamentbeing the most significant.
With the erection of buildings such asThe Custom House,Four Courts,General Post OfficeandKing's Inns, theneoclassicalandGeorgianstyles flourished, especially inDublin.Georgian townhouses produced streets of singular distinction, particularly inDublin,LimerickandCork. FollowingCatholic Emancipation, cathedrals and churches influenced by the FrenchGothic Revivalemerged, such asSt Colman'sandSt Finbarre's.Ireland has long been associated withthatched roofcottages, though these are nowadays considered quaint.
Beginning with the American designedart decochurch atTurner's Cross,Corkin 1927, Irish architecture followed the international trend towards modern and sleek building styles since the 20th century.Other developments include the regeneration ofBallymunand an urban extension of Dublin atAdamstown.Since the establishment of theDublin Docklands Development Authorityin 1997, theDublin Docklandsarea underwent large-scale redevelopment, which included the construction of theConvention Centre DublinandGrand Canal Theatre.Completed in 2018,Capital Dockin Dublin is the tallest building in the Republic of Ireland achieving 79 metres (259 feet) in height (theObel TowerinBelfast,Northern Irelandbeing the tallest in Ireland). TheRoyal Institute of the Architects of Irelandregulates the practice of architecture in the state.
Raidió Teilifís Éireann(RTÉ) is Ireland'spublic service broadcaster, funded by atelevision licence feeand advertising.RTÉ operates two national television channels,RTÉ OneandRTÉ Two. The other independent national television channels areVirgin Media One,Virgin Media Two,Virgin Media ThreeandTG4, the latter of which is a public service broadcaster for speakers of the Irish language. All these channels are available onSaorview, the nationalfree-to-airdigital terrestrial televisionservice.Additional channels included in the service areRTÉ News Now,RTÉjr, and RTÉ One +1. Subscription-based television providers operating in Ireland includeVirgin MediaandSky.
TheBBC'sNorthern Irish divisionis widely available in Ireland.BBC One Northern IrelandandBBC Two Northern Irelandare available in pay television providers including Virgin and Sky as well as viasignal overspillbyFreeviewin border counties.
Supported by theIrish Film Board, the Irish film industry grew significantly since the 1990s, with the promotion of indigenous films as well as the attraction of international productions likeBraveheartandSaving Private Ryan.
A large number of regional and local radio stations are available countrywide. A survey showed that a consistent 85% of adults listen to a mixture of national, regional and local stations on a daily basis.RTÉ Radiooperates four national stations,Radio 1,2fm,Lyric fm, andRnaG. It also operates four national DAB radio stations. There are two independent national stations:Today FMandNewstalk.
Ireland has a traditionally competitive print media, which is divided into daily national newspapers and weekly regional newspapers, as well as national Sunday editions. The strength of the British press is a unique feature of the Irish print media scene, with the availability of a wide selection of British published newspapers and magazines.
Eurostatreported that 82% of Irish households had Internet access in 2013 compared to theEUaverage of 79% but only 67% had broadband access.
Irish cuisine was traditionally based on meat and dairy products, supplemented with vegetables and seafood.
Examples of popular Irish cuisine includeboxty,colcannon,coddle,stew, andbacon and cabbage. Ireland is known for thefull Irish breakfast, which involves a fried or grilled meal generally consisting of rashers, egg, sausage, white and black pudding, and fried tomato. Apart from the influence by European and international dishes, there has been an emergence of a new Irish cuisine based on traditional ingredients handled in new ways.This cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish, oysters, mussels and other shellfish, and the wide range of hand-made cheeses that are now being produced across the country. Shellfish have increased in popularity, especially due to the high quality shellfish available from thecountry's coastline. The most popular fish includesalmonandcod. Traditional breads includesoda breadandwheaten bread.Barmbrackis ayeastedbreadwith addedsultanasandraisins, traditionally eaten onHalloween.
Popular everyday beverages among the Irish includeteaandcoffee. Alcoholic drinks associated with Ireland includePoitínand the world-famousGuinness, which is adry stoutthat originated in the brewery ofArthur GuinnessatSt. James's Gatein Dublin.Irish whiskeyis also popular throughout the country and comes in various forms, including single malt, single grain, and blended whiskey.
Gaelic footballandhurlingare the traditional sports of Ireland as well as popularspectator sports.They are administered by theGaelic Athletics Associationon anall-Irelandbasis. OtherGaelic gamesorganised by the association includeGaelic handballandrounders.Association football(soccer) is the third most popular spectator sport and has the highest level of participation.Although theLeague of Irelandis the national league, the EnglishPremier Leagueis the most popular among the public.TheRepublic of Ireland national football teamplays at international level and is administered by theFootball Association of Ireland.
TheIrish Rugby Football Unionis the governing body ofrugby union, which is played at local and international levels on an all-Ireland basis, and has produced players such asBrian O'DriscollandRonan O'Gara, who were on the team that won theGrand Slamin2009.The success of theIrish Cricket Teamin the2007 Cricket World Cuphas led to an increase in the popularity ofcricket, which is also administered on an all-Ireland basis byCricket Ireland.Ireland are one ofthe twelve Test playing membersof theInternational Cricket Council, having been grantedTest statusin 2017.Professional domestic matchesare played between the major cricket unions ofLeinster,Munster,Northern, andNorth West.Netballis represented by theIreland national netball team.
Golfis another popular sport in Ireland, with over 300 courses countrywide.The country has produced several internationally successful golfers, such asPádraig Harrington,Shane LowryandPaul McGinley.Horse racinghas a large presence, with influential breeding and racing operations in the country. Racing takes place at courses atThe Curragh RacecourseinCounty Kildare,Leopardstown Racecoursejust outside Dublin, andGalway. Ireland has produced champion horses such asGalileo,Montjeu, andSea the Stars.Boxingis Ireland's most successful sport at an Olympic level. Administered by theIrish Athletic Boxing Associationon an all-Ireland basis, it has gained in popularity as a result of the international success of boxers such asBernard Dunne,Andy LeeandKatie Taylor.
Some of Ireland's highest performers inathleticshave competed at theOlympic Games, such asEamonn CoghlanandSonia O'Sullivan. The annualDublin MarathonandDublin Women's Mini Marathonare two of the most popular athletics events in the country.Rugby leagueis represented by theIreland national rugby league teamand administered byRugby League Ireland(who are full member of theRugby League European Federation) on an all-Ireland basis. The team compete in theEuropean Cup (rugby league)and theRugby League World Cup. Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the2000 Rugby League World Cupas well as reaching the semi-finals in the2008 Rugby League World Cup.TheIrish Elite Leagueis a domestic competition for rugby league teams in Ireland.
WhileAustralian rules football in Irelandhas a limited following, a series ofInternational rules footballgames (constituting a hybrid of the Australian and Gaelic football codes) takes place annually between teams representing Ireland and Australia.Baseballandbasketballare also emerging sports in Ireland, both of which have an international team representing the island of Ireland. Other sports which retain a following in Ireland includecycling,greyhound racing,horse riding, andmotorsport.
Irelandranks fifthin the world in terms ofgender equality.In 2011, Ireland was ranked the mostcharitablecountry in Europe, and second most charitable in the world.Contraception was controlled in Ireland until 1979, however, the receding influence of theCatholic Churchhas led to an increasinglysecularisedsociety.A constitutional ban ondivorcewas lifted following areferendumin 1995. Divorce rates in Ireland are very low compared to European Union averages (0.7 divorced people per 1,000 population in 2011) while the marriage rate in Ireland is slightly above the European Union average (4.6 marriages per 1,000 population per year in 2012).Abortionhad been banned throughout the period of the Irish state, first through provisions of theOffences Against the Person Act 1861and later by theProtection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013. The right to life of the unborn was protected in the constitution by theEighth Amendmentin 1983; this provision was removed following areferendum, and replaced it with a provision allowing legislation to regulate the termination of pregnancy. TheHealth (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018passed later that year provided for abortion generally during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and in specified circumstances after that date.
Capital punishmentis constitutionally banned in Ireland, while discrimination based on age, gender, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, religion, race or membership of the travelling community is illegal. The legislation which outlawed homosexual acts was repealed in 1993.TheCivil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010permitted civil partnerships between same-sex couples.TheChildren and Family Relationships Act 2015allowed for adoption rights for couples other than married couples, including civil partners and cohabitants, and provided fordonor-assisted human reproduction; however, significant sections of the Act have yet to becommenced.Following areferendumheld on 23 May 2015, Ireland became the eighteenth country toprovide in lawforsame-sex marriage, and the first to do so by popular vote.
Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce an environmental levy forplastic shopping bagsin 2002 and a publicsmoking banin 2004.Recycling in Irelandis carried out extensively, and Ireland has the second highest rate of packaging recycling in theEuropean Union. It was the first country in Europe to banincandescent lightbulbsin 2008 and the first EU country to ban in-store tobacco advertising and product display in 2009.In 2015, Ireland became the second country in the world to introduceplain cigarette packaging.Despite the above measures to discourage tobacco use, smoking rates in Ireland remain at approximately 15.4% as of 2020.
The state shares many symbols with theisland of Ireland. These include the colours green andblue, animals such as theIrish wolfhoundandstags, structures such asround towersandceltic crosses, and designs such asCeltic knotsandspirals. Theshamrock, a type ofclover, has been a national symbol of Ireland since the 17th century when it became customary to wear it as a symbol onSt. Patrick's Day. These symbols are used by state institutions as well as private bodies in the Republic of Ireland.
Theflag of Irelandis atricolourof green, white and orange. The flag originates with theYoung Irelandmovement of the mid-19th century but was not popularised until its use during theEaster Risingof 1916.The colours represent theGaelictradition (green) and the followers ofWilliam of Orangein Ireland (orange), with white representing the aspiration for peace between them.It was adopted as the flag of the Irish Free State in 1922 and continues to be used as the sole flag and ensign of the state. Anaval jack, a green flag with a yellow harp, is set out in Defence Forces Regulations and flown from the bows of warships in addition to the national flag in limited circumstances (e.g. when a ship is not underway). It is based on the unofficialgreen ensignof Ireland used in the 18th and 19th centuries and the traditional green flag of Ireland dating from the 16th century.
Like the national flag, the national anthem,Amhrán na bhFiann(English:A Soldier's Song), has its roots in the Easter Rising, when the song was sung by the rebels. Although originally published in English in 1912,the song was translated into Irish in 1923 and the Irish-language version is more commonly sung today.The song was officially adopted as the anthem of the Irish Free State in 1926 and continues as the national anthem of the state.The first four bars of the chorus followed by the last five comprise thepresidential salute.
Thearms of Irelandoriginate as the arms of the monarchs of Ireland and was recorded as the arms of the King of Ireland in the 12th century. From theunion of the crownsofEngland,ScotlandandIrelandin 1603, they have appearedquarteredon theroyal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. Today, they are the personal arms of the president of Ireland whilst he or she is in office and are flown as thepresidential standard. The harp symbol is used extensively by the state to mark official documents, Irish coinage and on theseal of the president of Ireland.
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