Language: Irish, English
Currency: Euro
Calling code: +353
Ireland is a state in Western Europe that occupies
most of the island of Ireland. In the north it borders with Northern
Ireland (part of Great Britain). Area - 70.2 thousand km². The name
of the country comes from the Irish Éire "state".
The capital
is the city of Dublin, which is home to about a quarter of the
country's population (1.4 million people).
Member of
organizations: Council of Europe (since 1949), UN (since 1955), OECD
(since 1960), European Union (since 1973), Euratom (since 1973),
European Monetary System (since 1979).
Laois County
Longford County
Westmeath County
Wicklow County
Castle Oliver
Springfield
Castle
Bantry House
Barryscourt Castle
Belvelly Castle
Blackrock Castle
Blarney Castle
Carriganass Castle
Castle Donovan
Drombeg Stone Circle
Dunasead Castle
Dunboy Castle
Kanturk Castle
Ardfert Cathedral
Ballycarbery Castle
Carrigafoyle Castle
Dunbeg Promontory Fort
Killarney National Park
Aran Islands
Aughnanure Castle
Connemara
National Park
Dunguaire
Castle
Fiddaun
Castle
Kylemore Abbey
Oranmore
Castle
Portumna
Castle
Thoor
Ballylee
Ashford Castle
Ballycroy National Park
Doe Castle
Donegal Castle
Glenveagh Castle
Glenveagh
National Park
Greencastle
Leitrim County
Monaghan County
Ballymote Castle
Markree Castle
Ballymoon
Castle
Dolmen
Carlow Castle
Huntington Castle aka Clonegal
Wicklow
Mountains
The name of the state in modern Irish (Eire) comes from the Old Irish
Eriu, or Eriu - the name of the goddess in Irish mythology.
The
fourth article of the Constitution of Ireland (adopted in 1937) states:
"The name of the state is Éire, or, in English, Ireland." In 1947, the
name Republic of Ireland was adopted as a Description of the State; its
name is still simply Ireland. This is due to the claims to the entire
island stated in the constitution: “The territory belonging to the
people consists of the entire island of Ireland, the islands adjacent to
it and the territorial sea” (Article 2; since 1998, as a result of the
Belfast Agreement, the text has been replaced by a more neutral one).
Nevertheless, in various spheres - official and unofficial - the name
Republic of Ireland is widely used to distinguish the state from British
Northern Ireland and the island as a whole.
islands, it is located between 6° 20'-10°
20' W. and 51° 25'—55° 23' N. sh. From the east it is washed by the
Irish Sea, as well as the Straits of St. George and the North, from the
south by the Celtic Sea, and from the west and north by the open waters
of the Atlantic Ocean. The length from west to east is about 300 km,
from north to south - about 450 km. The highest point is Mount
Carrantuil (1041 m).
The total area of the territory is about
70.2 thousand km². The length of the border with Great Britain is 360
km. Ireland is the third largest country in Europe entirely located in
the Western Hemisphere after Iceland and Portugal.
The
climate of Ireland is temperate maritime. Near the western coast of the
island, there is a warm North Atlantic Current, which, together with
southwestern winds from the Atlantic Ocean, brings warm and humid air
masses.
Winters are quite mild and summers are cool. The warmest
month of the year is July with an average air temperature of 18-20
degrees. The coldest month is January, the temperature of which drops to
7-9 degrees.
On average, up to 1200 mm of precipitation falls per
year, but their distribution over the territory is uneven. The highest
values are typical for the western part of the island - due to the
influence of the sea, their number can reach 1600 mm, while in the east
and in the central part of the country about 800-1000 mm are noted.
The coasts of Ireland (especially
in the north, south and west) are rocky, heavily dissected by bays, the
largest of which are Galway, the estuary of the Shannon River, Dingle
and Donegal in the west, Loch Foyle in the north. There are many rocky
islands off the coast of Ireland.
The landscapes are mostly flat:
the interior is occupied by the vast Central Lowland, which extends to
the shores of the island in the west and east. On the outskirts of the
island there are low mountains (the highest point is Mount Carantuill,
1041 m) and a plateau (the largest is Antrim in the northeast).
Ireland is classified by the World Wildlife Fund
into two ecoregions: Celtic broadleaf forests and North Atlantic mixed
forests, although in fact forest covers no more than 12% of the island.
A large proportion of the island's surface is occupied by meadows and
heaths. There are both northern, alpine plants and species
characteristic of southern Europe (as a rule, they grow in the west of
the island).
Soils
Soddy-podzolic soils predominate in the
Central Lowland, mountain podzolic soils in the mountains, and peat-bog
soils on poorly drained plateaus and lowlands. On limestones there are
humus-calcareous soils.
Ireland is sometimes called the "Emerald
Isle" because of the abundance of vegetation that remains green all year
round thanks to the frequent rains.
Historically, there has been a situation in which there has never been a
heavy and environmentally harmful industry in Ireland.
Citizens
of Ireland consider their nature (and its ecological state) as their
property and take measures to reduce the human impact on the ecological
state of the environment: sorting and processing waste; non-use of
disposable bags in supermarkets; high taxes on vehicles that are capable
of polluting the environment; And so on. For example, for garbage thrown
on the street outside of specially provided places, you can get a very
substantial fine.
As a result, all this makes Ireland an
"ecologically clean island" even against the backdrop of quite
prosperous other European countries.
Ireland's national park system displays typical and unique natural landscapes of the island. The parks, six in number (Ballycroy, Burren, Glenveh, Killarney, Connemara, Wicklow Mountains), are managed by a government agency, The National Parks and Wildlife Service. The purpose of this organization is to create a system of protected areas that represents the diversity of Ireland's nature. The tasks of the agency are to preserve the integrity of ecosystems, biodiversity and provide an opportunity to visit parks and explore the nature of Ireland for everyone.
The first people settled Ireland during the Mesolithic, in
the IX millennium BC; The oldest traces of life are Dauth, Nauth and
Newgrange (now included in the list of cultural heritage of Ireland). According
to genetic research, the Irish are the descendants of farmers from the
Mediterranean, who destroyed the ancient population of the Emerald Isle, as well
as pastoralists from the Black Sea. Black Sea immigrants are Indo-Europeans who
brought their tongue and hemochromatosis genes, as well as genes that allow them
to absorb lactose and drink milk. The similarity of the genomes of the people of
the Bronze Age and modern Irish, Scots and Welsh suggests that already by 2000
BC the main characteristics of the “island”, different from the Gallic, Celtic
genome, the descendants of which the Irish people can be considered, have
developed. One of the first mentions of the civilization of Ireland is the
mention of Pythaeus (end of the 4th century BC). In the Irish language there are
many borrowings from the pre-Celtic population of the territory.
The name
of the island in Irish is "Eriu" (Dr. Irl. Ériu, Irl. Éire). The ancient Irish
lived as separate tribes - clans under the control of hereditary leaders,
jointly owned land and were engaged almost exclusively in cattle breeding.
Ireland was not part of the Roman Empire, but Roman historians mention it
(Ptolemy, Tacitus, Juvenal). The ancient capital of Ireland (until the XII
century) is Tara.
The first Christian burial
places of Ireland date back to the end of the 4th century; archaeological finds
indicate that the Christianization of Ireland began more likely from the south
rather than from the north, where St. Patrick acted, who is usually credited
with the Christianization of Ireland; the first bishop of Ireland, according to
the "Chronicle" of Prosper of Aquitaine, was the Gallo-Roman St. Palladium, who
was ordained by Pope Celestine in 431. According to legend, his mission was
unsuccessful - he fell ill and died when he returned to Britain.
In his
Confession, Saint Patrick himself mentions thousands of baptisms he performed;
he confesses that he presented gifts to kings and judges in the lands where he
visited especially often, but says that he himself refused bribes and gifts. He
mentions that once with his companions he was in prison for two weeks in
shackles. The initial flock of Patrick, judging by the people mentioned in the
Confession, consisted mainly of young people, women and slaves, that is, from
fairly marginalized sections of society. The annals of the four masters mention
that he founded 600 churches (according to other sources - there were 300
churches), and more than 120,000 who received the baptism of the Irish from him.
In 1991, S. V. Shkunaev, referring to “The Life of St. Patrick” by Murkhu Mokka
Mahteni (moccu Machtheni), suggested that the Christianization of Ireland was
supported by St. Patrick by the local landowner aristocrats according to the
Indian "Kshatriya Revolt" model, which contradicts the "marginal" theory of
Christianization. It is difficult to judge the whole process of the early
Christianization of Ireland, since the next literary monument of Irish church
law, following the works of Patrick, is “The First Synod of St. Patrick’s, was
composed only in the middle of the VII century.
Ireland was not affected
by the civil wars and invasions of the Germans that accompanied the collapse of
the Roman Empire, which contributed to the development of written culture and
education in the early Middle Ages. Soon after the country's baptism, the first
works in Latin appear; from the beginning of the 7th century, literature in Old
Irish appears. Already in the VI century, Ireland became the center of Western
scholarship; preachers of Christianity on the mainland came out of her monastery
schools. One of the main cultural centers was the monastery on the island of
Iona. Irish monks made a significant contribution to the preservation of Latin
culture during the early Middle Ages. Ireland of this period was famous for its
arts - illustrations for handwritten books, metalwork and sculpture.
Significant damage to the Irish culture, economic and political stability of the
island as a whole, was caused by the Vikings raids. Soon they began to establish
settlements on the shores of the island (in particular, Dublin, Limerick,
Waterford). Only at the beginning of the XI century, the Irish, led by the
Munster king Briand Bohr, defeated the Vikings. Brian Boru died in the decisive
battle of Klontarf in 1014.
At the end of the XII century, part of the territory of Ireland
was conquered by the British under King Henry II. The English barons
took possession of the lands of the Irish clans and introduced
English laws and a system of government. The conquered area was
called the outskirts (English the Pale) and both in management and
in its further development was very different from the still not
conquered, the so-called Wild Ireland, in which the British
constantly sought to make new conquests.
When Robert Bruce
took possession of the Scottish crown and successfully waged a war
with England, the Irish leaders turned to him for help against a
common enemy. His brother Edward arrived with the army in 1315 and
was proclaimed king by the Irish, but after a three-year war that
terribly devastated the island, he died in battle with the British.
However, in 1348, the “Black Death” came to Ireland, exterminating
almost all the British who lived in cities where mortality was
particularly high. After the plague, British power extended no
further than Dublin.
During the English
Reformation, the Irish remained Catholics, which created a surviving
split between the two islands. In 1536, Henry VIII crushed the
rebellion of Silk Thomas Fitzgerald, an English protege in Ireland,
and decided to re-conquer the island. In 1541, Henry declared
Ireland a kingdom, and himself king of it. Over the next hundred
years, under Elizabeth and Jacob I, the British strengthened control
over Ireland, although they could not make the Irish Protestants,
but the entire English administration consisted only of Anglican
Protestants.
During the civil war in England, English control
over the island was greatly weakened, and the Irish Catholics
rebelled against the Protestants, temporarily creating Confederate
Ireland, but already in 1649 Oliver Cromwell arrived in Ireland with
a large and experienced army, taking the city of Droeda by attack
near Dublin and Wexford . In Drode, Cromwell ordered the entire
garrison and the Catholic priests to be killed, while in Wexford the
army massacred without permission. For nine months, Cromwell
conquered almost the entire island, and then transferred the command
to his son-in-law Ayrton, who continued the work that had begun.
Cromwell's goal was to put an end to the unrest on the island by
ousting Irish Catholics, who were forced to either leave the country
or move west to Connaught, while their lands were distributed to the
English colonists, most of them to Cromwell’s soldiers. In 1641,
more than 1.5 million people lived in Ireland, and in 1652 only 850
thousand remained (of which 150 thousand were English and Scottish
new settlers).
In 1689, during the Glorious Revolution, the
Irish supported the English king Jacob II, deposed by William of
Orange, for which they paid again.
As a result of English
colonization, the native Irish almost completely lost their land
holdings; a new ruling stratum was formed, consisting of
Protestants, immigrants from England and Scotland.
In 1798, with the
support of France, an Irish uprising unfolded: despite the initial
success, it ended in the defeat of the rebels.
In 1801,
Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland. Irish began to be superseded by English.
At the
beginning of the XIX century, about 86% of the population of Ireland
was engaged in agriculture, in which dominated by bonded forms of
exploitation. Ireland served as one of the sources of the
accumulation of English capital and the development of industry in
England.
In the mid-1840s, an agrarian
coup began. The fall in bread prices (after the repeal of the "grain
laws" in England in 1846) prompted landowners to begin an intensive
transition from a small peasant lease system to a large pasture
farm. The process of driving small tenants off the ground has
intensified (the so-called cleaning of estates).
The
abolition of the "bread laws" and the disease of potato, which was
the main crop among the small-land Irish peasants, led to a terrible
famine of 1845-1849. As a result of hunger, about 1 million people
died.
Emigration increased significantly (from 1846 to 1851
1.5 million people left), which became a constant feature of the
historical development of Ireland.
As a result, in 1841-1851,
the population of Ireland decreased by 30%.
And in the
future, Ireland was rapidly losing population: if in 1841 the
population was 8 million 178 thousand people, then in 1901 - only 4
million 459 thousand
In 1919, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) launched active
hostilities against the British troops and police. April 15-27, 1919
on the territory of the county of the same name there is the
Republic of Limerick Council. In December 1921, a peace treaty was
signed between Great Britain and Ireland. Ireland gained dominion
status (the so-called Irish Free State), with the exception of the
six most industrially developed northeastern counties (Northern
Ireland) with a predominance of Protestants who remained part of the
United Kingdom. However, Britain retained military bases on the
territory of Ireland, the right to receive “redemption” payments for
the former possessions of English landlords. In 1937, the country
adopted the official name Éire.
In 1949, Ireland was
proclaimed an independent republic. The republic was announced to
withdraw from the British Commonwealth. Only in the 1960s did
emigration from Ireland cease and population growth was noted. In
1973, Ireland became a member of the European Economic Community.
In the 1990s, Ireland entered a period of rapid economic growth,
which continued until 2007. With the onset of the global financial
crisis of 2008, the Irish economy is experiencing a sharp recession
associated with declining exports, problems in the construction
industry and the banking sector. According to the IMF, in 2008 the
country's economy experienced a decline of 3.5%, in 2009 - by 7.6%,
which was the largest decline in the history of the country.
As a result of a referendum held on May 22, 2015, Ireland became the
first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular
vote.
The current constitution was adopted as a result of a plebiscite on July 1, 1937, and entered into force on December 29, 1937. However, despite the fact that she confirmed the country's independence from Great Britain, the last constitutional ties between the states were broken only in 1948, after the adoption of the Irish Republic Act. Later, 23 amendments were adopted to it, the last of which relate to 2009. The official text of the Constitution contains 16 sections, consisting of 50 articles.
The coat of arms of
Ireland is a golden harp with silver strings on a blue shield. The harp
has long been the heraldic symbol of Ireland. In its modern form, the
coat of arms was approved on November 9, 1945.
The flag of
Ireland is the national symbol of Ireland. The flag has a 1:2 ratio and
consists of three stripes - green, white and orange - in sequence from
left to right. Green symbolizes Catholics, orange - Protestants, white -
peace between the two communities.
The national anthem of Ireland
is the Song of the Soldier (Irl. Amhrán na bhFiann), which is also known
by its English name. The Soldier's Song. The text was originally written
in 1907 by Peadar Kearney in English. The music was then written with
Patrick Heeney and Liam Ó Rinn translated the lyrics into Irish. The
song's lyrics were first published in English by Bulmer Hobson in the
Irish Freedom newspaper in 1912. The song became popular among Irish
Republicans and was sung by rebels during the 1916 Easter Rising and
later in British prison camps. The Irish text first appeared in print on
3 November 1923 in the Irish Defense Forces magazine An tÓglach.
In 1934, the Irish government bought the song's copyright for £1,200.
Ireland is a parliamentary republic.
The highest legislative body is the parliament (irl.
Tihe-an-Irakhtash - Tithe An Oireachtais "council"), which includes the
president and 2 chambers: the House of Representatives (Doyle Eren) and
the Senate (Senad Eren).
Doyle Ehren (Irl. Dáil Éireann - "The
Assembly of Ireland") from 160 to 170 members elected by the population
on the basis of universal, direct and secret suffrage under the
proportional representation system. Doyle's meetings are chaired by the
Head of the Council (Irl. Ceann Comhairle), elected by Doyle.
The
Senate of Ireland (Irl. Seanad Éireann) consists of 60 members, of which
11 are appointed by the Prime Minister, 6 are elected by the National
and Dublin Universities, 43 are elected through indirect elections on
special lists (candidates for these lists are put forward by various
organizations and associations). The electoral college for elections to
the Senate consists of approximately 900 members, including members of
the House of Representatives, members of county and municipal councils.
The term of office of both chambers is up to 7 years. The meetings of
the Senate of Ireland are chaired by the chairman (irl. Cathaoirleach
"chairman"), who has a deputy (irl. Leas-Chathaoirleach).
Fine
Gael, the Labor Party, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the United Left
Alliance (a coalition of small left parties) are represented in Doyle
Ehren and the Ehren Senate. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin are
represented in the European Parliament.
The
President of Ireland (officially called "uakhtaran" in Irish - Irl.
Uachtarán; mostly a ceremonial post) is elected by the population for 7
years. The president has the right to convene and dissolve the lower
house of parliament at the initiative of the government, he promulgates
laws, appoints judges and other senior officials, and leads the armed
forces.
The de facto head of the executive branch is tyshah
(Taoiseach "leader") - the prime minister, nominated by the House of
Representatives and approved by the president. The government also
includes a vice-premier (irl. Tánaiste) from among the members of the
government. The structure of government is governed by the constitution
of Ireland. According to the constitution, the government must consist
of 7-15 members of the cabinet, each member of the government must be a
member of the Irish Parliament, while the deputies of the Senate, the
upper house of the national parliament, can be no more than two members
of the cabinet. It is specifically stipulated that the Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance must be members of the
House of Representatives - Doyle Ehren.
The Prime Minister is
appointed by the President on the nomination of Doyle Ehren. The Prime
Minister submits for approval by Doyle Ehren cabinet members who are
approved by the President. Members of the government are usually
referred to as "cabinet ministers", as opposed to the so-called
"ministers of state", or "junior ministers", who are not part of the
government. Sometimes the government includes a minister without
portfolio who is a member of the government but not a government
minister.
The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court (Cúirt Uachtarach); courts of appeal - superior courts (Ard-Chúirt); courts of first instance - district courts (Chúirt Chuarda); the lowest level of the judicial system is the district courts (Chúirt Dúiche).
Data on the number of seats in the House of Representatives of
Ireland following the 2011 parliamentary elections, as a result of which
the government, led by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, was formed by a
coalition of Fine Gael and Labor.
centre-right
Fine Gael is a
conservative party (76 deputies).
centrists
Fianna Fail is a
liberal populist party (20 deputies).
centre-left
Labor Party -
Social Democratic (37 deputies);
Green Party of Ireland.
Left
Sinn Fein - left-wing nationalist party (14 deputies);
Socialist
Party - Trotskyist Socialist Party (3 deputies);
"People are more
important than profit" - the front of the Trotskyist Socialist Labor
Party (3 deputies);
The Workers' Party of Ireland ("Official Sinn
Féin") is a Marxist-Leninist party;
Communist Party of Ireland;
Irish Republican Socialist Party.
Unions
The largest trade
union center is the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The current system of local government is established by the Local Government Act 1898 and enshrined in 1999 by the Twentieth Amendment to the Irish Constitution. There are 26 traditional counties. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 provides for a system of 31 local governments - 26 county councils, two county and city councils (Limerick, Waterford), three city councils (Galway, Dublin and Cork). Second-level administrative divisions (with the exception of the Dublin District and three city councils) are provided - municipal districts, which replace the existing system of city councils.
The Supreme Commander of the Irish Army is the President, and the
direct command of the armed forces is carried out by the Minister of
Defense, under which there is an advisory council.
The ground
forces number about 8,500 people. The territory of the country is
divided administratively and operationally into three regions, each of
which is deployed one infantry brigade. 1st Southern Brigade is located
in Cork; 2nd Eastern Brigade - in Dublin; 4th Western Brigade - in
Athlone. In service are: small arms - Steyr AUG A1, FN MAG, AI96, M2HB
Browning and M203; anti-tank weapons - Carl Gustaf, AT4 and FGM-148
Javelin; artillery systems - Hotchkiss Brandt, Denel Vector M1, L118 and
QF 25 pounder; air defense systems - Bofors L70 and RBS-70; armored
vehicles - AML-20, AML-90, MOWAG Piranha and FV101 Scorpion.
The
number of the Irish Navy is 1144 people, the ship structure is 8 patrol
ships. The main base is on Holbowling Island in Cork Bay. The ships bear
traditional Irish female names taken from history and Celtic mythology;
the name is preceded by the prefix LÉ (Irl. Long Éireannach "Irish
ship"): LÉ Emer (P21), LÉ Aoife (P22), LÉ Aisling (P23), LÉ Eithne
(P31), LÉ Orla (P41), LÉ Ciara (P42) , LÉ Róisín (P51), LÉ Niamh (P52).
All of them were built between 1978 and 2001.
About 920 people
serve in the Air Corps of Ireland, 24 air units are in service: aircraft
- CASA CN-235, Pilatus PC-9M, Cessna FR172H, BeechCraft SuperKing Air
200, Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream IV and Bombardier Learjet 45;
helicopters - AgustaWestland AW139 and Eurocopter EC135. The main air
force base is located in Dublin.
The police in Ireland is called
Garda Shihana (Irl. Garda Síochána na hÉireann). The number of staff is
about 14.5 thousand people. The country is divided into regions: Dublin,
East, North, West, South and Southeast; which in turn consist of
departments and subdivisions where police stations are located. Among
the functions of the Garda are the protection of public order,
immigration policy, the prevention and detection of crimes, the control
of traffic safety, and the provision of national security.
International position and foreign policy
The modern foreign policy
of the Republic of Ireland is largely determined by its membership in
the European Union, although bilateral relations with the United States
and the United Kingdom are also important for the country. Ireland
strives for independence in foreign policy, therefore it is not a member
of NATO and has long pursued a policy of military neutrality.
In
1955, Ireland became a member of the UN, and since 1958, its troops have
been participating in peacekeeping operations.
general information
The population of Ireland is mostly of Celtic
origin. According to the 2006 general census, it is 4.24 million people.
National minorities make up 420 thousand, i.e. 10%. 275.8 thousand are
immigrants from the EU countries (Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania),
the rest are from Russia, China, Ukraine, Belarus, Pakistan,
Philippines, Nigeria. As of 2019, the United Nations estimated that
833,564 immigrants lived in Ireland, or 17.1% of the country's
population.
From the 1840s, when the population of the regions
that are now part of the Republic of Ireland, was about 6.5 million, and
until the 1970s, there was a constant decline in population - mainly due
to high levels of emigration. The annual population growth in the 1980s
was only 0.5%, and by 2000 the increase had slowed to 0.41%.
According to the 2016 census, 3,330,141 inhabitants (69.93%) lived in
cities of all levels, while in 2011, according to the census, the number
of citizens was 3,178,820 inhabitants (69.28%), for the intercensal
period the number city dwellers grew by 4.76%, and the share of city
dwellers increased by 0.65%.
Cities with a population of more
than 40,000 inhabitants according to censuses.
According to the
24 April 2016 census, the population was 4,757,976 inhabitants.
According to the 2016 census, the indigenous population is about 83%, including 0.7% of "Irish Travelers" (another 2.6% did not indicate nationality). People from Europe make up 9.5% of the population (relatively large diasporas of the British, Poles and Balts stand apart), from Asia - 2.1%, blacks - 1.3%, "the rest" - 1.5%.
The official languages of the Republic of Ireland are
Irish and English (Irish dialect).
The Irish government is taking
steps to replace English with a resurgent Irish language. It is taught
in schools as a compulsory subject, it is used on national television
and radio (channels RTÉ, TG4 (mainly for children), Lá). In April 2005,
a law was passed under which all English-language signs on the country's
west coast were replaced with Irish ones. In accordance with the new
law, toponymic designations in the Gaeltachts, the territories where the
position of the Irish language is strongest, must be translated into
Irish and cannot be duplicated by English names.
According to the
results of the 2016 census, 1.76 million people in the country could
speak Irish (Gaelic) to one degree or another. This is more than at the
1996 census (1.43 million), but slightly less than at the time of the
2011 census (1.77 million). Irish is used in everyday communication,
however, only 73,803 people (approximately 1.5% of the total
population). A significant part of them live compactly in rural areas,
along the western coast of the country (see Geltakht).
Religion
In Ireland, among the religions, Christianity prevails, among the
churches - the Catholic Church. The Irish constitution states that the
state cannot support any religion and guarantees freedom of worship. In
2006, 86.8% of the population identified themselves as Roman Catholic,
down 1.4% from 4 years ago, although the number of Catholics increased
by 218,800.
general information
Ireland's gross domestic product in 2009 was
$172.5 billion, down 7.1% from 2008 levels. GDP per capita amounted to
about 38.7 thousand dollars (2009). The drop in indicators was the
result of the economic crisis of 2008-2009, which severely affected the
banking and financial system of Ireland. In 2010, thanks to EU support,
it was possible to reduce the rate of decline in economic indicators:
GDP fell to 172.5 billion, and in terms of per capita to 39 thousand
dollars.
Unemployment in the country as of November 2010 is
13.5%.
In pre-crisis times, from the early 1990s until 2008, the
term "Celtic Tiger" was used to describe the economy of Ireland. From
1996 to 2007, the country's GDP increased by an average of 7.1% per
year, which exceeded not only the world indicators (3.2%), but also the
indicators of fast-growing Asian countries (4.3%). Among the factors
that provided the “Celtic economic miracle” are such as: accession to
the European Union and the euro area, investment in information
technology, telecommunications, healthcare and pharmaceuticals,
international and financial services, software products, e-commerce;
investment in education, reform of the labor market and the tax system
(by 2002, the tax rate for all companies reached 12.5%, which meant a
drastic reduction for local companies), investments from the USA
(including from Irish Americans), low entry barriers including language.
In the fall of 2010, the banking sector, the real estate market and
the country's budget were hit hard by the consequences of the global
financial crisis. The government was forced to cut several thousand
jobs, cut wages, introduce new taxes, and seek help from the European
Union and the IMF for a loan of about 85 billion euros.
As of
2018, the average salary in Ireland is €3,300 (gross) and €2,564 (net)
per month. From January 1, 2019, the minimum wage is €1563.25 (gross)
and €1509 (net) per month and €9.80 (gross) per hour.
Previously, the country used the Irish pound or punt as its national currency, and in 1999 Ireland became one of the eleven EU states that introduced the single European currency, the euro, on their territory. Banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 share the same design as the rest of the countries on the continent, however, the coins have their own design: they depict the Celtic harp - the traditional symbol of Ireland, as well as the year of issue and the word Éire.
By the beginning of the 21st
century, the key sectors of the Irish economy are: pharmaceuticals, the
production of medical equipment, information and multimedia
technologies, mechanical engineering, and the food industry.
Ireland's electronics industry consists of the following sectors -
components, computers, semiconductors, software development and
production, telecommunications and information communications. In terms
of total production in these sectors, Ireland ranks 19th in the world.
The country has an advantage over its European neighbors due to heavy US
investment, low manufacturing and trading costs, great workforce
flexibility, high productivity levels, and close links between schools
and industries. Ireland has subsidiaries of six of the world's largest
IT manufacturers - IBM, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Dell, Oracle, Microsoft,
as well as about 300 other large local companies, which together account
for about a third of the country's total exports.
Also located in
Ireland are many large pharmaceutical manufacturers - Liptor, Zocor,
Weyth, Schering-Plough, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Novartis, Allergan,
GlaxoSmithKline, etc., as well as several medical device companies -
Boston Scientific, Becton Dickinson, Bausch & Lomb, Abbott, Johnson &
Johnson and Striker. Most of the pharmaceutical factories are located in
the southern part of Ireland. About a third of the 150 pharmaceutical
companies are small local firms. They mainly produce generics, vitamins
and dietary supplements, and also fulfill orders from foreign
manufacturers.
In the field of mechanical engineering, the
industry for the production of agricultural equipment is the most
developed. Several Irish companies are world leaders in this field;
their products are used in animal husbandry, the dairy industry, and
crop production.
The light industry in Ireland is represented mainly by small and
medium-sized businesses, and the annual export of the industry as a
whole is 1 billion euros per year. Traditionally, products from wool,
linen, silk are made here - tablecloths, napkins, carpets, scarves,
scarves, shawls, etc. Some companies unite under common brands, such as
Fabric Ireland, to enter new world markets.
Among the
manufacturing industries, the food industry occupies a large share. The
country traditionally produces beer, whiskey, dairy and meat products,
flour, sugar, tobacco products and other goods of great export
importance.
Energy in Ireland is based on the consumption of
natural gas, coal, peat and oil and is represented mainly by thermal
power plants, which generate up to 95% of electricity. The country has
the world's largest power plants (Edenderry - 128 MW; Lanesborough - 150
MW; West Offlay - 150 MW.), working on peat (produce more than 15% of
electricity). Hydroelectric power plants account for only 4% of total
electricity generation. In total, the country produces about 1.574
million tons of oil equivalent. e., while even up to 13.353 million toe.
e. imported (according to 2002 data). The Irish energy market is
currently dominated by Bord Gais, as well as smaller players such as
Viridian's Energia, Vayu, Flogas and Gazprom Marketing and Trading Ltd
(a subsidiary of Gazprom).
Significant efforts are being made in
Ireland to increase the use of renewable and sustainable forms of
energy, in particular wind power, with a large number of Airtricity wind
farms along coastal areas.
The contribution of the
extractive industry to Ireland's GDP is about 3%.
Ireland is rich
in minerals such as zinc (9 million tons), lead (1.7 million tons),
silver (1 million tons), barite (1 million tons), there are also proven
reserves of gold (5 thousand tons), copper ( 110 thousand tons), coal
(29 million tons) and natural gas (20 billion m³). Coal deposits and
mines for its extraction are concentrated in the counties of Kilkenny
and Carlow; in the central part of Ireland, the post-magmatic lead-zinc
deposit of Shelley-Silvermines; in the Avoki area there is a
copper-pyrite deposit. Sand, gravel and stone are being mined for the
needs of the construction industry. In the absence of diversity and
sufficient mineral resources, the main mineral resource in the country
is peat, which is mined at the level of 5 million tons per year. At the
same time, it is processed for energy needs by two peat briquette
plants.
Livestock plays a leading role
in Irish agriculture: it accounts for about 80% of GDP in this sector of
the economy. Up to 2 million hectares are used for pastures, while the
livestock consists of 11 million poultry, 7 million cattle and 4 million
sheep. The main products of this industry: milk and dairy products
(about 5 million tons per year), beef, wool. The cattle breeding areas
are concentrated in the south and east of the country, as well as around
Dublin; pig-breeding gravitates towards the western counties. The
largest beef producers are united in BQAS (The Beef Quality Assurance
Scheme), pork in PQAS (Pigmeat Quality Assurance Scheme), chicken eggs
in EQAS (Egg Quality Assurance Scheme), etc., which are control systems
quality of products both at the farmer level and at processing
enterprises.
The main agricultural crops are wheat, oats,
potatoes, barley and sugar beets; they occupy almost 240 thousand
hectares of land. There are about 140,000 family farms in Ireland, with
an average size of 29 hectares. The main agricultural lands are located
in the southern, central and eastern regions of the country. Some
counties specialize in certain varieties for planting: Cork and Wicklow
favor winter wheat and barley; in Carlow they cultivate oats with
rapeseed, etc.
In the coastal waters of Ireland, intensive
fishing is carried out. As of 2001, about 1.4 thousand vessels
participated in the fishery, which caught up to 300 thousand tons of
fish. Main commercial species: herring, anchovy, haddock, cod, mackerel.
Major fishing ports: Dun Laare, Skerries, Dublin and its environs.
Aquaculture is also actively developing in the country. The Irish
successfully breed trout, mussels, salmon, lobsters. Since the early
2000s, the country's authorities have been strictly monitoring this
sector of the economy. In total, Ireland has 7 regional fisheries
committees that monitor the implementation of laws on environmental
protection and fishing regulations. Government licenses are required to
fish, especially salmon and sea trout, in any part of Ireland. In
addition, it is necessary to mark and account for each individual
caught. The adopted unified program for the management of fish farms in
the country is designed to protect and reduce the death of fish as a
result of pollution of water resources or the actions of poachers,
increase the number of livestock, and improve the culture of fishing.
In general, Ireland's agriculture is subsidized: since the early
1990s, state subsidies have almost doubled - from 400 million to 800
million euros, while 2/3 of them were for cattle breeding, and 15% for
growing cereals. The share of fisheries by 2009 accounted for about 120
million euros of subsidies.
The
main body that regulates financial services in the country is the
Central Bank of Ireland. Its goal is to maintain stability in the euro
area, as well as the development and implementation of a single monetary
policy, foreign exchange operations, management of official foreign
exchange reserves, etc. All major European banking institutions are
represented in Ireland, divided into three main categories : settlement
banks, trade and commercial banks, industrial banks. The largest of
them: National Irish Banks, Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish
Banks, Anglo Irish Bank, EBS Bank, ICS Building Society, ACCBank, etc.
The Irish Stock Exchange was founded in 1793 and is one of the
oldest stock exchanges in Europe. The key stock index is ISEQ 20, which
includes 20 companies with the largest trading volume and the largest
capitalization. The index calculation base includes the following
companies: Aer Lingus Group, Aryzta, Bank of Ireland, CRH, C&C Group,
Fyffes, Dragon Oil, Green REIT, FBD Holdings, Glanbia, Irish Continental
Group, Kenmare Resources, Origin Enterprises, Providence Resources,
Kerry Group, Kingspan Group, Paddy Power, Ryanair, Smurfit Kappa Group,
Total Produce.
As a result of the financial crisis of 2008-2011,
banks were hit hard by the collapse of the domestic real estate market;
as real estate developers occupied a significant place in the loan
portfolio of Irish financial institutions. Developers invested several
billion euros in overvalued land and speculated on arable land. At the
same time, loans grew to 28% of the country's total bank loans, that is,
they became approximately equal to the sum of all public deposits in
retail banks. In 2008, the government announced measures to save the
country's banking system: state guarantees were given that covered all
deposits, bonds and debts. However, the situation only worsened, and the
market capitalization collapsed. Then the state decided to nationalize
Anglo Irish Bank, which had a market capitalization of less than 2% of
its peak in 2007. After that, two more large banks collapsed, which at
the beginning of 2009 had a drop in shares of up to 50% per day. In
2010, after long refusals of EU assistance, Ireland nevertheless decided
to take a loan to help banks from a special European fund in the amount
of 80-90 billion euros at 5% per annum.
Historically, neighboring Great Britain, which is one of the main trade partners of the country, plays an important role in the structure of Ireland's foreign trade turnover. However, over the past 20 years there has been a decline in the volume of economic ties: in 1983, Ireland's exports to the United Kingdom were 38%, and imports from there - 49%; then by 2005, these figures fell to 18% and 31%, respectively. At the same time, the role of trade relations with the United States has steadily increased over the past 15 years due to the active investment of capital by American companies in the Irish economy. This was reflected in the growth of Irish exports to North America, which rose from 10% in 1983-1990 to 20% in 2004. Imports from the US during this time also rose steadily to almost 16% in 2005.
A significant strengthening of trade relations with Europe began
after the country's transition to the euro currency. The volume of
exports to the EU increased in the period 1970-2000 from 21% to 45%;
however, Ireland is the only EU member state that has two non-eurozone
countries as main trading partners. Trade with Asian countries has also
grown significantly over the past 20 years, as evidenced by the volume
of imports. It has tripled to 18% of the total, while Ireland's exports
to Asia have tripled to 10%. In particular, China has become the fourth
supplier of imported goods to Ireland after the USA, Great Britain and
Germany.
Main markets for food products: Great Britain (39%),
continental Europe (35%), other countries (26%). In the total share of
exports of food industry products, milk (32%), beef (22%), semi-finished
products (19%) and drinks (12%) take first place, the rest have lower
figures - pork and poultry (6%), seafood (4%), lamb (3%), vegetables
(2%).
Ireland imports a large amount of energy for its needs: up
to 90% of the natural gas it needs.
As of 2017, the volume of
exports amounted to 159 billion dollars, and imports - 84 billion
dollars, the positive balance of foreign trade - 75.2 billion dollars.
Almost 56% of exports (in 2017) accounted for chemical products,
including packaged medicines (17%), followed by industrial and household
machinery, equipment and electronics (15.7%), including integrated
circuits (4, 6%). The rest of the exports were devices and tools (9.1%),
including medical and orthopedic (6.9%), food products and semi-finished
products, including malt extract (1.4%), beef (1.1%) , various dairy
products.
Top buyers: US (25%), UK (12%), Belgium and Luxembourg
(9.7%)
Imports were dominated by chemical goods, semi-finished
products (21.7%), vehicles (18.3%), mainly aircraft (16%) and cars
(3.2%), as well as other manufactured goods (including computers and
office machines). ) - up to 17.5%.
Top Suppliers: UK (25%), US
(21%), Germany (10%)
The main tax in Ireland is a tax on individuals, that is, income tax.
There are also taxes on capital gains, capital gains (including
inheritance tax), utility taxes (real estate income tax) and stamp duty
on real estate transactions. In Ireland, taxation of individuals is
based on the principle of residence or the principle of registration.
All residents pay according to the Pay-As-You-Earn system, that is,
every week or every month the tax is withheld from the employer. People
running their own businesses are responsible for paying their own taxes,
according to the Self Assessment system. Standard tax - from 20% to the
minimum acceptable level of income. All income above this level is
already taxed at 42%.
In 1990-2000, Ireland became one of the
world's largest corporate offshore zones ("Double Irish with a Dutch
sandwich"), which had a positive impact on the success of attracting
international financial institutions. If an offshore company is located
in Ireland, its worldwide income is subject to Irish corporate taxation.
However, the benefits that the firm can reap in this case are the
ability to reduce tax rates to the level of 10% and use the tax
agreements concluded by Ireland with other countries to mitigate Irish
and foreign taxes. Under the production subject to this low tax is
understood several areas of economic activity, among which: work in the
chemical, electrical, mechanical industries and civil engineering, which
are carried out outside the countries that are members of the Economic
Community; industrial breeding of fish and cultivation of mushrooms;
repair and maintenance of aircraft or ships; certain types of computer
processing of databases and services; export of goods through the
Special Trading House; cultivation of plants grown by micropropagation
or vegetative propagation; production of photographic, film and tape
recordings, etc.
The preferential regime attracted banks and
foreign capital to the country. For example, the Dublin International
Financial Services Center (IFSC) specializes in processing banking
information for Citibank, Merrill Lynch, Daiwa, ABN Amro and another
four hundred foreign banks. however, it may actually be even lower, as
high asset depreciation rates are allowed. Ireland has a very wide
network of double tax treaties, which consists of 15 treaties. Tax
treaties of different degrees and nature of benefits have been concluded
with different countries. In accordance with these agreements, interest
on loans, royalty payments, rental payments from the ownership of
aircraft and real estate are almost completely exempted from taxes "at
source". As far as dividends are concerned, the tax regime here depends
on the tax treaties and domestic tax laws of each country. Significant
tax savings in dividend transfer transactions are provided by tax
agreements with Belgium, Denmark, Scotland, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland, and Russia.
Much of Ireland's transport system is in the public domain. Ireland's
road networks developed independently in the Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland, while the rail network was largely formed before the
division of Ireland.
Public road and rail networks, public
transport, airports and some other matters in Ireland are handled by the
Minister for Transport through the Department for Transport. Although
some sections of the highways were built with private or public-private
funds and have the status of toll roads, they are owned by the
Government of Ireland. The rail network is also owned and operated by
the state, while only the main airports are owned by the government.
Public transport is primarily in the hands of a statutory company, Córas
Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), and its subsidiaries Bus Átha Cliath (Dublin
Bus), Bus Éireann (Bus Service) and Iarnród Éireann (Rail Service).
On November 1, 2005, the government released the Transport 21 plan,
which included spending 18 million euros for road development and 16
million for railways, including the Western Railway Corridor and the
Dublin Underground.
Tourism in Ireland is one of the important sectors of the economy, with more than 6.2 million people visiting the country every year, which is about 1.4 times the size of Ireland's own population. Ireland's tourism industry employs over 200,000 people and generates around €5 billion in annual tourism revenue. and Ireland's DiscoverIreland.com, was named the best travel site in the world. Most of the tourists visiting Ireland come from the UK, USA, Germany and France.
Healthcare
In 2016, the average life expectancy in Ireland was 81
years and eight months.
Science and education
Education in the
Republic of Ireland is three-stage: primary, secondary and higher. The
academic year starts in September and ends in May. Education is
compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 16, or who have
completed three years of the second level of education and passed the
Junior Certificate examination. Pre-school education is available for
children from 4 years old.
The main surviving monuments of the Paleolithic era are graves and
monuments that previously marked burial sites. One of the most famous in
Ireland - dolmens, massive three-core structures, were erected 4-5
thousand years ago. Another special form of burial is gallery graves,
such as Newgrange. The very first Irish fortresses date back to the
Bronze Age and are round forts on an earthen and stone rampart with a
palisade and a moat around. One of these was reconstructed in County
Cork near Clonakilty. Some fortifications were already at that time
built entirely of stone, for example, in Inishmore in the Aran Islands.
In the 5th century, Christianity came to Ireland, and the
construction of churches began throughout the island. Initially, they
were quite simple - roofed with wood or solid stone. With the appearance
of monasteries and the growth of their influence, the size of structures
also increased (for example, the monastery in the Glendalough valley or
the cathedrals of Clonmacnoise). Also, one of the architectural symbols
of that time was round towers with conical roofs. During the Viking
raids at the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th centuries, they were
built throughout the country, and were both shelters and observation
posts. In 1169, along with the Normans, the Gothic style came to
Ireland: high vaulted windows and V-shaped arches. Notable examples are
Christ Church in Dublin and St Canice's Cathedral in County Kilkenny.
During the reign of the four Georges (1714-1837), the architectural
appearance of the country's largest cities changed significantly. So,
Dublin began to be built up in the corresponding Georgian style with
elegant houses with red brick terraces, with small windows and carved
doorways. However, in the middle of the 20th century, many buildings of
that time were badly damaged. Some examples have been preserved in the
Marrion Square area. During the years of English rule in Ireland, many
classical Palladian manors were built, such as Castletown (1722) near
Celbridge and Russborough House (1741) near Blessington. The German
architect Richard Cassels, who arrived in Ireland in 1728, became the
author of many landmark buildings for Irish architecture: Leinster House
in Dublin and Powerscourt in County Wicklow.
Modern architectural
trends did not penetrate Ireland for quite some time. The first building
in the Art Nouveau style, Dublin Central Bus Station, was built here
only in 1950 according to the design of Michael Scott. His work has
inspired many Irish architects, and in 1967 the Berkeley Library at
Trinity College Metropolitan (by Paul Koralik) was hailed as the finest
example of contemporary Irish architecture. Since the beginning of the
1980s, the architectural heritage in the form of historical buildings,
monuments, castles and temples has been given quite a lot of attention
by the authorities and society. So, in Dublin, the previously abandoned
ancient district of Temple Bar was restored. In addition, the building
boom has led to the emergence of a large number of modern eclectic
buildings in and around the capital (for example, the Financial Services
Center and Custom House Square).
Irish literature is the third oldest literature in Europe (after
Greek and Roman). Its ancestor is considered to be St. Patrick (5th
century, as the author of the "Confession", written in Latin).
Three representatives of Ireland received the Nobel Prize in Literature:
William Butler Yeats (1923), Samuel Beckett (1969), Seamus Heaney
(1995). Among the largest British writers there are many Irish by birth
or closely associated with Ireland (J. Swift, O. Goldsmith, R. B.
Sheridan, Maria Edgeworth, T. Mine Reed, O. Wilde, A. Conan Doyle,
Bernard Shaw, etc. ).
Irish art during
the period of English domination was usually considered within the
framework of the English school of painting. After the 17th century,
many Irish painters and sculptors achieved prominence, with the result
that we can talk about the formation of the Irish school of painting.
The Irish painters George Barrett and Nathaniel Hone Sr., along with Sir
Joshua Reynolds, were co-founders of the Royal Academy in 1768. James
Arthur O'Connor was a prominent landscape painter of the period, and
Daniel Maclise created world-famous frescoes in the Royal Gallery of the
House of Lords.
Among the Irish painters of the 19th century,
Nathaniel Hawn Jr. and Walter F. Osborne, as well as the
post-impressionist Roderick O'Conor, gained European fame. One of the
leading masters of expressionism is now recognized as Jack Butler Yeats,
son of the artist John Butler Yeats and brother of the poet William
Butler Yeats. Recently, the work of cubist artist Maini Jellet and
church stained glass master Evie Hone has received recognition.
Irish musicians were known throughout Europe by the 12th
century. The most famous of these was the blind harpist Turlaf
O'Carolan, who composed some 200 compositions, mostly for his patrons.
Irish folk music is very diverse: from lullabies to drinking songs,
from slow instrumental melodies to fast fiery dances, and in them the
use of variations and nuances of rhythm and melody plays a huge role.
Traditional Irish dance music includes reels (4/4 time signature), jigs
(6/8 time signature is the most common), and hornpipes. Since the
beginning of the 19th century, polka has been popular in Ireland,
brought by dance teachers and soldiers returning from Europe. Set dances
supposedly have existed since the 18th century. Later, the mazurka
appeared in Ireland as a variant of the Scottish strassey.
In the
20th century, a revival of the Irish tradition began; the accordion and
concertina became popular, and Irish tap and keley competitions began to
be held, widely supported by the educational system and patriotic
organizations. Shan-nos (Irl. sean-nós, "old style") became popular, a
style of performing songs and dances in the old manner.
Thanks to
the widespread emigration of the Irish to the USA, Irish music became
widely known in America, and from there - all over the world; the
musicians who had been on tour, in turn, made pro-American changes in
their style of performance.
Ireland has participated in the
Eurovision Song Contest (Irl. Comórtas Amhránaíochta na hEoraifíse)
every year since 1965, except for 1983 and 2002. The country took first
place 7 times, second place 4 times, third place once.
The first national theater in Ireland, the Abbey Theatre, opened in
Dublin on 27 December 1904.
The history of the development of the
Irish theater is closely connected with the war for the independence of
the country that took place in the years of its formation. Members of
the troupe of the Abbey Theater themselves participated in it.
Irish dances include:
Irish solo dances (English Irish Stepdance).
Their distinguishing feature is fast and clear leg movements while
remaining motionless body and arms. Irish solo dances were created by
Irish dance masters in the 18th-19th centuries and quite rigidly
standardized by the Irish Dance Commission at the beginning of the 20th
century in Ireland as a result of the activities of the Gaelic League,
which eventually made it possible to create a numerous school of masters
capable of performing quite complex dance techniques. It is on this
technique that the spectacle of Riverdance and similar shows is based.
Irish keili (Irl. céilí) are pair and group dances based on the standard
steps of Irish solo dances. Keili schemes are also formalized by the
Irish Dance Commission.
Choreographed Figure Dances are based on
standard Irish solo dances and ceili figures, but are focused on the
mass performance of many dancers at once within the framework of staged
shows, and therefore allow various deviations from the standards in
order to increase entertainment. As a result of the development of this
particular direction, Riverdance and other equally famous Irish dance
shows were created.
Set dancing is a paired Irish social dance.
Unlike keili, they are based on the relatively simple steps of French
quadrilles.
Shan-nose (Irl. sean-nós) is a special style of
performance of traditional Irish songs and dances, not affected by the
activities of dance masters and the Gaelic League, and preserved in the
Irish region of Connemara.
During the period of the English
colonization of Ireland, the mother country continuously pursued all
manifestations of Irish culture. The "punitive laws" that were
introduced by the British in the middle of the 17th century forbade the
teaching of anything to the Irish, including music and dance. The rise
of interest in Irish dancing came after the performance of Riverdance at
the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.
In the past, many films in Ireland were censored or even banned by it, mainly due to the influence of the Catholic Church. The Irish Film Classification Office is committed to the view that the viewer can make a choice and aims to study and classify films. In general, the Irish film industry has recently been growing, and the number of people employed in it has grown from 1000 to 6000 in the period 2003-2009.
A number of public holidays are celebrated in Ireland; such holidays include Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and others. There is a system of transferring the dates of the celebration depending on the day of the week on which they fall.
In everyday life, butter, milk, cheeses, fish are used; the "Irish breakfast" includes toast, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, white pudding and black pudding, tomatoes, fish and chips are popular from fast food. Traditional dishes include Irish stew; The potato has been a staple in the diet of the Irish, especially the poor, since the 18th century.
Sport in Ireland is popular and widespread. Participation levels in sports tournaments are high, but in the western regions participation is declining due to the increasing popularity of other things such as television and computer games. The country has a wide variety of sports, the most popular of which are Gaelic football and boxing; 34% of athletes are involved in football, 23% in boxing. Gaelic football and boxing are considered the national sport of Ireland. Traditional Irish competitive sports are governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association, which has 800,000 amateur athletes.
There are more than 85 Internet providers operating in the country.