City of Ironcastle

The **City of Ironcastle**, also known in Selkie as **Áitadagantiarann**, is one of the industrial and economic centres of the  Free Lands. The City is home of Ironcastle Ironworks Limited, the major steel working company of the Free Lands, and Gabha Motorworks Limited, a producer of vehicles and engines.

The current mayor is Ayden Petrial of the Tribe of Fermanagh.

## History

* ca. 5,000 BCE: permanent settlement
* ca. 3,500 BCE: evidence of metalworking (copper), beginnings of the Selkie Copper Age
	+ Exports reach to Almadaldima
* ca. 800 BCE: Beginning of the Selkie Iron Age
* War of the Three High Kings (319 - 338 CE): All sides try to gain Ironcastle's Support, all three sides succeed
	+ Swords and weapons from Ironcastle are priced commodities
* The Crusade: Crusaders march up the Socair three times towards Ironcastle, fail three times
* 1860s-1880s: Great Railway Construction, the tracks are produced in Ironcastle
* 2020 Ironcastle Harvest Festival.

## Geography

Ironcastle is at the edge of the Silver Mountains and at the banks of the Socair River, which flows into the Silver Bay near Silverport. The Socair also marks the eastern edge of the Great Woods.

### Surrounding Communities

* Village of Cliabhán.
* Village of Builín.
* Village of Balchroch.

## Demographics

*See Category: Citizens of Ironcastle.*
According to the 2018 census, Ironcastle had 17,364 inhabitants in the city itself and 43,974 including the Hinterlands. This makes Ironcastle the second-largest city of the Free Lands after Silverport.

While in 1840, Ironcastle itself had 5,491 citizens, the City broke the 10,000 Inhabitants Benchmark in 1942 and the 15,000 Inhabitants Benchmark in 1960. During the Yard Crisis, the population development stagnated. In the 80s, it slowly picked up again, stabilizing in the 2010s at a bit over 17,000 inhabitants.

The population in the Hinterlands grew constantly in since the Mid-19th century.

## Government

### The Swordmaidens of Carman Fea

Clais Castle, the Headquarters of the Swordmaidens of Carman Fea, is within Ironcastle's City Limits and with it a major, if traditional garrison of the Order. At the height of its size and power, Clais Castle was home to a garrison of over six hundred Swordmaidens.

Nowadays, Clais Castle is home to the Ironcastle Seminary (and the dorms attached to it), the Headquarters of the Swordmaidens and their Main Training Facilities and a ceremonial garrison, all in all around five hundred people - two hundred of which are actually fully-trained Swordmaidens or Swordmaidens-in-training, organized into two Banners, the 3rd Ironcastle-Banner of the Swordmaidens and the Grand Spardrí-Banner (a.k.a. the Eagle-Banner), as well as a Scata, the Scata of Clais.

Clais Castle is a Clódún-Castle, a purely military structure nowadays mostly serving as a tourist attraction and as a home for learning and studying.

Contrary to popular belief, Clais Castle has a small motor pool.

### SDF-Garrisons

Of the SDF, only the Ironcastle Army Air Field is near Ironcastle itself, which houses the I. Airmobile Squadron 'Capall Sciatháin' and the SDF Flight School, as well as the 5th Air Combat Squadron, which flies SDY-Sciathan 18 Stuama Light Multirole Fighters. Several other authorities have small detachments in Ironcastle as well.

After Operation Spartacus and the Army Reform 2021, Ironcastle became home to a Cuachanach-Regiment, the regiment moving in in 2021.

## Economy

Ironcastle is home to Ironcastle Ironworks Limited, Gabha Motorworks Limited and several smaller companies, making it the industrial heart of the Free Lands together with Silverport. Drawing its workers from all over the general area and beyond, the secondary and tertiary sectors are where the vast majority of people work.

The largest employer is Ironcastle Ironworks with 3,541 employees in Ironcastle and a total revenue of 3.2 billion NSD in 2019. With 2,137 employees in Ironcastle, out of a total 7,537, Gabha Motorworks is the second-largest employer, with a total revenue of 1.5 billion NSD in 2019.

There are two major hydroelectric power plants, which provide a good chunk of the power used in the area, as well as a nuclear power plant under Stoda Hill, which has been the point of discussion and contention ever since the plant had been planned in the 80s.

From 1916 to 1949, Ironcastle Airworks produced aircraft, the Abandoned Ironcastle Airworks Testing Field being a testament to that.

In 2016, the city returned to the forefront of aircraft manufacturing with Cumscóir Aircraft Manufactories Limited.

## Infrastructure

### Abandoned Ironcastle Airworks Testing Field

* defunct since 1948
* Used by the Cubs and Kittens of the Daoine as Cruach
* Major center for Street Art

## Education

In Ironcastle itself, there are three elementary schools, four middle schools and six high schools, while in the surrounding communities, a number of smaller schools mostly teach at elementary and middle school levels. The most renown high school is the Muciarana Girls' High School. Another important High School is the Fuarán High School, a co-ed high school.

Despite its size, Ironcastle is not home to a university. However, Ironcastle is home to the Silver Mountains Academy of Geology and Metallurgy and the Tarbh Musical Conservatory.

## Culture

Traditionally, Ironcastle is seen as the center of the Tribe of Westmeath. The city is also closely associated with the Tribe of Wexford, as well as with the Tribes associated with the Great Woods, though that is more of a historic connection.

### Music

Ironcastle is home and place of origin of many bands, Aibleog being one popular example. Quite a few up and coming bands are from the City as well, including the band Cluanaichi, which played at their school, the Muciarana Girls' High School during the 2020 Ironcastle Harvest Festival.

Ironcastle is also known as the place of origin of Selkie-Industrial on the Mainland, after it came from Port Arthur.

### Movies

Ironcastle has the reputation of being *Selkiewood*, the Free Lands' place for movie studios and similar companies.

The headquarters of Sicín Studios, a studio for animated movies and TV-Shows like *Marla*, is in the city, as are many of its core employees. The animated remake of *Gníomhaire Inneall* is produced here as well.

## Architecture

   Ironcastle is mostly known, culturally, for its architecture, seen as a typical example for the Cloch or Stone Style. This is especially true for the historic city center.

The surrounding New Town Districts, established in the 90s and 2000s, are dominated by what is known as Modern Selkie Architecture or Selkie Industrialized Architecture. The main feature of this style is the widespread use of concrete slabs, creating what seems like a bleak landscape of concrete, which was broken up by smaller parks, Street Art and flowers on every balcony.

Ironcastle has the highest density of asphalted roads in the Free Lands.