User:Éireann/archive/countries/europe

Coordinates: 53°N 8°W / 53°N 8°W / 53; -8
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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User:Éireann‎ | archive

The following is an archive of countries in europe.

Ireland Archived: 27 April 2024

This page is about the sovereign state. For the revolutionary republic of 1919–1922, see Irish Republic. For other uses, see Ireland (disambiguation).
Ireland[a]
Éire (Irish)
Flag of Ireland
Flag
Anthem: "Amhrán na bhFiann"
"The Soldiers' Song"
Location of Ireland (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green)
Location of Ireland (dark green)

– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (green)

Capital
and largest city
Dublin
53°20.65′N 6°16.05′W / 53.34417°N 6.26750°W / 53.34417; -6.26750
Official languages
Ethnic groups
(2011[2])
  • 84.5% White Irish
  • 9.1% Other White
  • 1.6% Not stated
  • 1.5% Other Asian / Asian Irish
  • 1.3% Other
  • 1.4% Black Irish / Black African
  • 0.7% Irish Traveller
  • 0.4% Chinese
  • 0.1% Other Black
Demonym(s)Irish
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
• President
Michael D. Higgins
• Taoiseach
Enda Kenny
• Tánaiste
Frances Fitzgerald
Legislature
Republic Act
18 April 1949
left
Calling code+353
ISO 3166 codeIE
Internet TLD.ie[b]
  1. Republic of Ireland Act 1948 declares that Republic of Ireland is "the description of the State".[7]
  2. ^ The .eu
domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ ⓘ; Irish: Éire [ˈeːɾʲə] ⓘ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (Poblacht na hÉireann), is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, which is located on the eastern part of the island, and whose metropolitan area is home to around a third of the country's 4.75 million inhabitants. The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint George's Channel to the south-east and the Irish Sea to the east. It is a unitary, parliamentary republic.[8] The legislature, the Oireachtas, consists of a lower house, Dáil Éireann, an upper house, Seanad Éireann, and an elected President (Uachtarán) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state, but with some important powers and duties. The head of government is the Taoiseach (Prime Minister, literally 'Chief', a title not used in English), who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President, and appoints other government ministers.

The state was created as the

North-South Ministerial Council
created by the Agreement.

Ireland ranks among the top twenty-five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita,

neutrality through non-alignment since immediately prior to World War II and the country is consequently not a member of NATO,[15] although it is a member in Partnership for Peace
.

Name

Main article:
Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, "It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland." The 1948 Act does not name the state as "Republic of Ireland", because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution.[17]

The government of the United Kingdom used the name "Eire" (without the diacritic), and, from 1949, "Republic of Ireland", for the state;[18] it was not until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that it used the name "Ireland".[19]

As well as "Ireland", "Éire" or "the Republic of Ireland", the state is also referred to as "the Republic", "Southern Ireland" or "the South".

Irish republican context it is often referred to as "the Free State" or "the 26 Counties".[21]

History

Main article: History of the Republic of Ireland
For the history of the entire island, see History of Ireland.

Home-rule movement

Main article:
Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. During the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over 8 million fell by 30%. One million Irish died of starvation and/or disease and another 1.5 million emigrated, mostly to the United States.[22]
This set the pattern of emigration for the century to come, resulting in a constant population decline up to the 1960s.

The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891).

From 1874, and particularly under

grand juries of the Protestant Ascendancy
.

Home Rule seemed certain when the

Irish Unionist Party and the Ulsterman Sir James Craig of the Ulster Unionist Party, unionists became strongly militant in 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 Minister H. H. Asquith introduced an Amending Bill
reluctantly 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.

Revolution and steps to independence

Easter Proclamation, 1916

Though it received the

16th (Irish) divisions of the New British Army, while Unionists joined the 36th (Ulster) divisions.[24]

The remainder of the Irish Volunteers, who opposed any support of Britain, launched an armed insurrection against British rule in the 1916 Easter Rising, together with the Irish Citizen Army. This commenced on 24 April 1916 with the declaration of independence. After a week of heavy fighting, primarily in Dublin, the surviving rebels were forced to surrender their positions. The majority were imprisoned but fifteen of the prisoners (including most of the leaders) were executed as traitors to Britain. This included Patrick Pearse, the spokesman for the rising and who provided the signal to the volunteers to start the rising, as well as James Connolly, socialist and founder of the Industrial Workers of the World union and both the Irish and Scottish Labour movements. These events, together with the Conscription Crisis of 1918, had a profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland.

In January 1919, after the December

Paris Peace Conference
of 1919, but it was not admitted.

Oireachtas was established, of which Dáil Éireann became the lower house
.

After the

British government and the Irish treaty delegates, led by Arthur Griffith, Robert Barton and Michael Collins, negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London from 11 October to 6 December 1921. The Irish delegates set up headquarters at Hans Place in Knightsbridge and it was here in private discussions that the decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. The Second Dáil Éireann narrowly ratified
the Treaty.

In accordance with the treaty, on 6 December 1922 the entire island of Ireland became a self-governing

Parliament of the Irish Free State and Executive Council of the Irish Free State did 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."[26] The Irish Free State was a constitutional monarchy sharing a monarch with the United Kingdom and other dominions of the British Commonwealth. The country had a governor-general (representing the monarch), a bicameral parliament, a cabinet called the "Executive Council", and a prime minister called the President of the Executive Council
.

Irish Civil War

Éamon de Valera (1882–1975)

The

Free State Parliament would have to swear what the Anti-treaty side saw as an oath of fidelity to the British King. Pro-treaty forces, led by Michael Collins, argued that the treaty gave "not the ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it".[This quote needs a citation
]

At the start of the war, the

Irish regiments
of 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. The 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.

1937 Constitution

Following a

King George VI
. George VI was only an "organ", that was provided for by statute law.

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 the London Declaration
of 28 April 1949. Ireland did not reapply when the rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later, the Crown of Ireland Act was repealed in Ireland by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act, 1962.

Recent history

Lisbon Treaty
in 2007.

Ireland became a member of the

neutral stance during the Second World War and not supporting the Allied cause.[30] 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.[31]

Interest towards membership of the

protectionist policy.[32] Many Irish economists and politicians realised that economic policy reform was necessary. The prospect of EEC membership became doubtful in 1963 when French President General Charles de Gaulle stated that France opposed Britain's accession, which ceased negotiations with all other candidate countries. However, in 1969 his successor, Georges Pompidou, was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 the Treaty of Accession was signed. A referendum held in 1972 confirmed Ireland's entry, and it finally joined the EEC in 1973.[33]

The economic crisis of the late 1970s was fuelled by the

Financial crisis of 2007–08
. However, since 2014, Ireland has experienced strong economic growth.

In the Northern Ireland question, the British and Irish governments started to seek a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict involving many paramilitaries and the British Army in Northern Ireland known as "The Troubles". A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good 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 in Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland was removed by referendum.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher on the Atlantic coast

The state extends over an area of about five-sixths (70,273 km2 or 27,133 sq mi) of the island of Ireland (84,421 km2 or 32,595 sq mi), with Northern Ireland constituting the remainder. The island is bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel. To the east, the Irish Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to 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 of

Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in the southwest. The 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, headlands and bays
.

ramsons
(wild garlic)

Before the arrival of the first settlers in Ireland about 9,000 years ago, the land was largely covered by forests of

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.[37]

Glendalough valley in County Wicklow

fertiliser use, has placed pressure on biodiversity.[40]

Climate

Main article:
wind energy generation.[44] 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.[45]

Politics

Main article: Politics of the Republic of Ireland
President Michael D. Higgins

Ireland is a

bicameral national parliament composed of the President of Ireland and the two Houses of the Oireachtas: Seanad Éireann (Senate) and Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives).[46] Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the President of Ireland, while the houses of the Oireachtas meet at Leinster House in Dublin
.

The President serves as

figurehead, but is entrusted with certain constitutional powers with the advice of the Council 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.[47] Michael D. Higgins became the ninth President of Ireland on 11 November 2011.[48]

The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) serves as the head of government and is appointed by the President upon the nomination of the Dáil. Most Taoisigh have served as the leader of the political party that gains the most seats in national elections. It has become customary for coalitions to form a government, as there has not been a single-party government since 1989.[49] Enda Kenny assumed the office of Taoiseach on 9 March 2011.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny

The Seanad is composed of sixty members, with eleven nominated by the Taoiseach, six elected by two universities, and 43 elected by public representatives from panels of candidates established on a vocational basis. The Dáil has 158 members (

constituencies under the system of proportional representation and by means of the single transferable vote
.

The

WUAG, the Green Party as well as a number of Independents
.

Government Buildings

Ireland has been a member state of the European Union since 1973, but has chosen to remain outside the Schengen Area. Citizens of the United Kingdom can freely enter the country without a passport due to the Common Travel Area, which is a passport-free zone comprising the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. However, some identification is required at airports and seaports.

Local government

Main article:
town councils
.

  1. Fingal
  2. Dublin City
  3. Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown
  4. South Dublin
  5. Wicklow
  6. Wexford
  7. Carlow
  8. Kildare
  9. Meath
  10. Louth
  11. Monaghan
  12. Cavan
  13. Longford
  14. Westmeath
  15. Offaly
  16. Laois
  1. Kilkenny
  2. Waterford
  3. Cork City
  4. Cork
  5. Kerry
  6. Limerick
  7. Tipperary
  8. Clare
  9. Galway
  10. Galway City
  11. Mayo
  12. Roscommon
  13. Sligo
  14. Leitrim
  15. Donegal

Local authorities are responsible for matters such as planning, local roads, sanitation, and libraries.

regions
, each with a Regional Authority 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.

Law

Main articles:
Courts of Ireland, and Law enforcement in the Republic of Ireland
Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court
.

Ireland has a

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and Central Criminal Court.[52]

Criminal Courts of Justice
is the principal building for criminal courts.

firearms. Standard policing is traditionally carried out by uniformed officers equipped only with a baton and pepper spray.[54]

The

prisoners of war and refugees.[55]

Ireland's citizenship laws relate to "the island of Ireland", including islands and seas, thereby extending them to Northern 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,[56] may exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship, such as an Irish passport.[57]

Foreign relations

Main article:
Foreign relations of the Republic of Ireland
See also: Ireland–NATO relations

Foreign relations are substantially influenced by membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with the United Kingdom and United States are also important.[58] It held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on six occasions, most recently from January to June 2013.[59]

Ireland tends towards independence in foreign policy, thus the country is not a member of

Irish Defence Forces to be successful in their contributions to peace-keeping missions with the United Nations since 1960, during the Congo Crisis and subsequently in Cyprus, Lebanon and Bosnia and Herzegovina.[60][disputed – discuss
]

Despite

First Gulf War.[63]

Since 1999, Ireland has been a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), which is aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union.[64][65]

Military

Main article: Defence Forces (Ireland)
Irish Army Mowag Piranha AFV at 2006 Easter Military Parade in Dublin

The Defence Forces are made up of the

EEZ by the Irish Naval Service, and UN, EU and PfP peace-keeping missions. By 1996, over 40,000 Irish service personnel had served in international UN peacekeeping missions.[70]

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 eight

patrol ships, and smaller numbers of inflatable boats and training vessels, and has armed boarding parties capable of seizing a ship and a special unit of frogmen. The military includes the Reserve Defence Forces (Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve) for part-time reservists. Ireland's special forces include the Army 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 answers to the Government via the Minister for Defence
.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Republic of Ireland
Ireland is part of the EU (dark grey & dark blue) and Eurozone (dark blue).

Development

The Irish economy has transformed since the 1980s from being predominantly agricultural to a modern

multinational corporations due to a highly educated workforce and a low corporation tax rate.[71]

Companies such as

GNP per capita. GDP is significantly greater than GNP due to the large number of multinational corporations based in Ireland.[71]

Beginning in the early 1990s, the country experienced unprecedented economic growth fuelled by a dramatic rise in consumer spending, construction and investment, which became known as the

Irish banking crisis. Ireland officially entered a recession in 2008 following consecutive months of economic contraction.[73] GNP contracted by 11.3% in 2009 alone, the largest annual decline in GNP since 1950.[74]

The country officially exited recession in 2010, assisted by a strong growth in exports.

Census of Ireland 2011. One-third of the emigrants were aged between 15 and 24.[80]

In 2013, Ireland was named the "best country for business" by Forbes.[81] Ireland exited its EU-IMF bailout programme on 15 December 2013.[82] 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.[citation needed]

Trade

The International Financial Services Centre in Dublin, with the Famine memorial

Although multinational corporations dominate 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 as

Tourism in Ireland
contributes 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.

Irish Financial Services Centre also 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.[83]

The EU is by far the country's largest trading partner, accounting for 57.9% of exports and 60.7% of imports. The United Kingdom is 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.[83]

Energy

A wind farm in County Wexford
Main article:
wind power, with 3,000 MegaWatts[86] of wind farms being constructed, some for the purpose of export.[87] The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have estimated that 6.5 percent of Ireland's 2011 energy requirements were produced by renewable sources.[88] The SEAI have also reported an increase in energy efficiency in Ireland with a 28% reduction in carbon emissions per house from the peak year (2005) to 2013.[89]

Transport

Main articles: Transport in Ireland, Rail transport in Ireland, and Roads in Ireland
Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport

The country's three main international airports at Dublin, Shannon and Cork serve many European and intercontinental routes with scheduled and chartered flights. The London and Dublin route is the second busiest international air route in Europe, with 3.6 million people flying between the two cities in 2013[90] down from the 4.4 million who flew in 2003.[91][92] Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland, although Ryanair is the country's largest airline. Ryanair is Europe's largest low-cost carrier,[93] the second largest in terms of passenger numbers, and the world's largest in terms of international passenger numbers.[94]

Heuston station

Railway services are provided by

Northern Ireland Railways, connects Dublin and Belfast. The whole of Ireland's mainline network operates on track with a gauge of 5' 3", which is unique in Europe and has resulted in distinct rolling stock designs. Dublin has a steadily improving public transport network including the DART, Luas, Dublin Bus, and dublinbikes
.

local roads are managed by the local authorities in each of their respective areas. The road network is primarily focused on the capital, but motorways have been extended to other cities as part of the Transport 21 capital investment programme, as a result motorways have been completed between Dublin and a number of other major Irish cities including Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway.[95]

Dublin has been the focus of major projects such as the

River Lee in Cork, and the Limerick Tunnel, under the River Shannon
, were two major projects outside Dublin. Several by-pass projects are underway in other urban areas.

Demographics

Main article:
Irish population analysis
Population of Ireland since 1951.

Genetic research suggests that the earliest settlers migrated from

Celtic language and culture. Migrants from the two latter eras still represent the genetic heritage of most Irish people.[97][98] Gaelic tradition 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 4,588,252 in 2011, an increase of 8.2% since 2006.

natural increase and immigration.[102]
This rate declined somewhat during the subsequent 2006-2011 intercensal period, with an average annual percentage change of 1.6%.

At the time of 2011 census, the number of non-Irish nationals was recorded at 544,357, comprising 12% of the total population. This is nearly 2.5 times the number of non-Irish nationals recorded in the 2002 census (224,261), when the question of nationality was asked for the first time. The five largest non-national cohorts were Polish (122,585), UK (112,259), Lithuanian (36,683), Latvian (20,593) and Nigerian (17,642) respectively.

List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland by population
Largest
urban centres
by population

Dublin

Limerick

# Settlement Population # Settlement Population

Cork

Galway

1 Dublin 1,110,627[104] 11 Ennis 25,360
2 Cork 198,582[105] 12 Kilkenny 24,423
3 Limerick 91,454[106] 13 Tralee 23,693
4 Galway 76,778[107] 14 Carlow 23,030
5 Waterford 51,519[108] 15 Newbridge 21,561
6 Drogheda 38,578[109] 16 Naas 20,713
7 Dundalk 37,816[110] 17 Athlone 20,153
8 Swords 36,924[111] 18 Portlaoise 20,145
9 Bray 31,872[112] 19 Mullingar 20,103
10 Navan 28,559[113] 20 Wexford 20,072

Languages

Main articles:
Mid Ulster English
The percentage who said they spoke Irish daily outside the education system in the 2011 census.

The Constitution describes Irish as the "national language", but English is the dominant language. In the 2006 census, 39% of the population regarded themselves as competent in Irish. 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 the

Irish Defence Forces
, all foot and arms drill commands are given in the Irish language.

As a result of immigration,

Scots is spoken by some descendants of Scottish settlers in Donegal.[116] 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 offer Ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin. The study of Irish is 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.[117]

Healthcare

Main article: Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland
RCSI Disease and Research Centre at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin
city.

Although the Irish healthcare system comes under constant criticism from politicians and the public, Ireland has one of the most developed systems of healthcare in the world and healthcare professionals who are highly trained. Healthcare in Ireland is provided by both public and private healthcare providers.[118]

The Minister for Health has 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 the Health Service Executive and 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 their GP may incur a fee of €100. In some circumstances this fee is not payable or may be waived.[119]

Anyone holding a European Health Insurance Card is 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 average life expectancy in Ireland in 2012 is 81 years (OECD average life expectancy in 2012 was 80 years), with 78.2 years for men and 83.6 years for women.[120] It has the highest birth rate in the EU (16.8 births per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to an EU average of 10.7)[121] and a very low infant mortality rate (3.5 per 1,000 live births). The Irish healthcare system ranked 13th out of 34 European countries in 2012 according to the European Health Consumer Index produced by Health 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.

Education

Main article:
Junior Certificate examination.[122]

There are approximately 3,300 primary schools in Ireland.[123] 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.

University College Cork was founded in 1845 and is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland.

The

Leaving 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.[124]
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.

The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, 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[125] In 2012, Irish students aged 15 years had the second highest levels of reading literacy in the EU.[126] Ireland also has 0.747 of the World's top 500 Universities per capita, which ranks the country in 8th place in the world.[127] Primary, secondary and higher (University/College) level education are all free in Ireland for all EU citizens.[128] There are charges to cover student services and examinations.

In addition, 37 percent of Ireland population has a university or

college degree, which is among the highest percentages in the world.[129][130]

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Republic of Ireland
Religion in the Republic of Ireland
Religion Percent
Roman Catholic
 
 84.2%
Non-religious
 
 6.2%
Protestant
 
 4.6%
Muslim
 
 1.1%
Other
 
 2.8%

Religious freedom is constitutionally provided for in Ireland.

Mass attendance in the Western world.[132] While daily attendance was 13% in 2006, there was a reduction in weekly attendance from 81% in 1990 to 48% in 2006, although the decline was reported as stabilising.[133] In 2011, it was reported that weekly Mass attendance in Dublin was just 18%, with it being even lower among younger generations.[134]

Saint Finbarre's Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Cork
city.

The Church of Ireland is the second largest Christian denomination. Membership declined throughout the twentieth century, but experienced an increase early in the 21st century, as have other small Christian denominations. Significant Protestant denominations are the Presbyterian Church and Methodist Church. Immigration has contributed to a growth in Hindu and Muslim populations. In percentage terms, Orthodox Christianity and Islam were the fastest growing religions, with increases of 100% and 70% respectively.[135]

Ireland's patron saints are Saint Patrick, Saint Bridget and Saint Columba. Saint Patrick is the only one commonly recognised as the patron saint. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March in Ireland and abroad as the Irish national day, with parades and other celebrations.

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, a Church of Ireland cathedral.

As with other predominantly Catholic European states, 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 the Fifth Amendment in 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.

Religious studies was introduced as an optional Junior Certificate subject in 2001. Although many schools are run by religious organisations, a secularist trend is occurring among younger generations.[136] Religious schools cannot discriminate against pupils concerning religion. 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.

Culture

Main article:
Catholic Europe, and other Celtic regions. The Irish 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.

Literature

Main article: Irish literature
Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)

Ireland has made a significant contribution to world literature in both the English and Irish languages. Modern

George Moore, and Somerville and Ross. Bram Stoker is best known as the author of the 1897 novel Dracula
.

Edith Somerville continued writing after the death of her partner Martin Ross in 1915. Dublin's Annie M. P. Smithson was 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 as Flann O'Brien, Elizabeth Bowen, and Kate O'Brien. During the final decades of the 20th century, Edna O'Brien, John McGahern, Maeve Binchy, Joseph O'Connor, Roddy Doyle, Colm Tóibín, and John Banville
came to the fore as novelists.

W. B. Yeats (1865–1939)

Patricia Lynch (1898–1972) was a prolific children's author, while Eoin Colfer has been particularly successful in this genre in recent years. In the genre of the short story, which is a form favoured by many Irish writers, the most prominent figures include Seán Ó Faoláin, Frank O'Connor and William Trevor. Well known Irish poets include Patrick Kavanagh, Thomas McCarthy, Dermot Bolger, and Nobel Prize in Literature laureates William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney (born in Northern Ireland but resided in Dublin). Prominent writers in the Irish language are Pádraic Ó Conaire, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Séamus Ó Grianna, and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.

The history of Irish theatre begins 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 Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan were 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, principally Oscar Wilde and Literature Nobel Prize laureates George Bernard Shaw (1925), and Samuel Beckett (1969), playwrights such as Seán O'Casey, Brian Friel, Sebastian Barry, Brendan Behan, Conor McPherson, and Billy Roche have gained popular success.[137] Other Irish playwrights of the 20th century include Denis Johnston, Thomas Kilroy, Tom Murphy, Hugh Leonard, Frank McGuinness, and John B. Keane.

Music and dance

Main articles:
Irish traditional music
has 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.

The Frames

There are a number of classical music ensembles around the country, such as the RTÉ Performing Groups.[138] Ireland also has three opera organisations. Opera Ireland produces large-scale operas in Dublin, the Opera Theatre Company tours its chamber-style operas throughout the country, and the annual Wexford Opera Festival, which promotes lesser-known operas, takes place during October and November.

Ireland has participated in the

1994 contest.[143]

Irish dance can broadly be divided into

céilí dances are danced by varied formations of 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 as stepdance. Irish stepdance, popularised by the show Riverdance
, 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".

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Ireland
Poulnabrone dolmen in County Clare was built during the Neolithic period.

Ireland has a wealth of structures,

Early Medieval
period.

The ruins of Monasterboice in County Louth are of early Christian settlement.

Christianity introduced simple

Tintern abbeys.[149] Gaelic settlement had been limited to the Monastic proto-towns, such as Kells, where the current street pattern preserves the original circular settlement outline to some extent.[150] Significant urban settlements only developed following the period of Viking invasions.[148] The major Hiberno-Norse Longphorts were located on the coast, but with minor inland fluvial settlements, such as the eponymous Longford
.

Castles were built by the

Tudor English kings to suppress local insurgency, followed by 18th century landlord towns.[153] Surviving Norman founded planned towns include Drogheda and Youghal; plantation towns include Portlaoise and Portarlington; well-preserved 18th century planned towns include Westport and Ballinasloe
. These episodes of planned settlement account for the majority of present-day towns throughout the country.

Dublin Custom House is a neoclassical
building from the late 18th century.

Houses of Parliament being the most significant.[157]

With the erection of buildings such as

thatched roof cottages, though these are nowadays considered quaint.[158]

The Elysian tower in Cork is the tallest storeyed building in the Republic of Ireland.

Beginning with the American designed

Cork County Hall. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland regulates the practice of architecture in the state.[162]

Media

Main article:
RTÉ News Now, RTÉjr, and RTÉ One +1. Subscription-based television providers operating in Ireland include Virgin Media and Sky
.

Supported by the

Irish 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 like Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan.[165]

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.[166] RTÉ Radio operates four national stations, Radio 1, 2fm, Lyric fm, and RnaG. It also operates four national DAB radio stations. There are two independent national stations: Today FM and Newstalk.

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.[165]

Eurostat reported that 82% of Irish households had Internet access in 2013 compared to the EU average of 79% but only 67% had broadband access.[167]

Cuisine

Main article: Irish cuisine
Further information: List of Irish dishes
A pint of Guinness

Irish cuisine was traditionally based on meat and dairy products, supplemented with vegetables and seafood. Examples of popular Irish cuisine include

wheaten bread. Barmbrack is a yeasted bread with added sultanas and raisins
.

Popular everyday beverages among the Irish include

dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate in Dublin. Irish whiskey is also popular throughout the country, and comes in various forms, including single malt, single grain and blended whiskey.[168]

Sports

Main article: Sport in Ireland
Croke Park stadium is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Gaelic Athletics Association on an all-Ireland basis. Other Gaelic games organised by the association include Gaelic handball and rounders.[170]

Soccer is the third most popular spectator sport and has the highest level of participation.[171] Although the League of Ireland is the national league, the English Premier League is the most popular among the public.[172] The Republic of Ireland national football team plays at international level and is administered by the Football Association of Ireland.[173]

The Irish Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union, which is played at local and international levels on an all-Ireland basis, and has produced players such as Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara, who were on the team that won the Grand Slam in 2009.[174]

The success of the

Irish Cricket Team in the 2007 Cricket World Cup has led to an increase in the popularity of cricket, which is also administered on an all-Ireland basis by Cricket Ireland.[175]

Ireland national netball team
.

Golf is another popular sport in Ireland, with over 300 courses countrywide.[176] The country has produced several internationally successful golfers, such as Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley.

The Curragh Racecourse in County Kildare and at Leopardstown Racecourse, racing taking place since the 1860s, but racing taking place as early as the early 1700s. Popular race meetings also take place at Galway. Operations include Coolmore Stud and Ballydoyle, the base of Aidan O'Brien arguably one of the world's most successful horse trainers. Ireland has produced champion horses such as Galileo, Montjeu, and Sea the Stars
.

Irish Amateur Boxing Association on an all-Ireland basis, it has gained in popularity as a result of the international success of boxers such as Bernard Dunne, Andy Lee and Katie Taylor
.

Some of Ireland's highest performers in

Dublin Women's Mini Marathon are two of the most popular athletics events in the country.[177]

Irish Elite League is a domestic competition for rugby league teams in Ireland.[179]

The profile of

horse riding, motorsport, and softball
.

Society

See also:
Attorney General v. X subsequently prompted passage of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, guaranteeing the right to have an abortion performed abroad, and the right to learn about "services" that are illegal in Ireland but legal abroad. The prohibition on divorce in the 1937 Constitution was repealed in 1995 under the Fifteenth Amendment
. 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).

Capital punishment is 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.[183][184] In 2010, the Dáil and the Seanad passed the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act, which recognised civil partnerships between same-sex couples.[185] It permits same-sex couples to register their relationship before a registrar.[186] A Sunday Times poll carried out in March 2011 showed that 73% of people believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, while 60% believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children.[187] In April 2012, the Constitutional Convention voted overwhelmingly in favour of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.[188] On 23 May 2015, Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote.[189]

Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce an environmental levy for

plain cigarette packaging.[192] Despite the above measures to discourage tobacco use, smoking rates in Ireland remain above 20% of the adult population and above those in other developed countries.[193]

State symbols

Further information:
Symbols of the Republic of Ireland
seal of the President of Ireland
, incorporating a harp

The state shares many symbols with the

St. Patrick's Day
. These symbols are used by state institutions as well as private bodies in the Republic of Ireland.

The

green ensign of Ireland used in the 18th and 19th centuries and the traditional green flag of Ireland dating from the 16th century.[196]

Like the national flag, the national anthem,

presidential salute
.

The

seal of the President of Ireland
.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Prior to 2002, Ireland used the punt (Irish pound) as its circulated currency. The euro was introduced as an accounting currency in 1999.

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