Brief information
The famous Russian poetess Zinaida Gippius once, although she had never seen Ireland, called it “a foggy country with sharp rocks.” Now the island of Ireland, on which, in fact, the Republic of Ireland is located, is called the “Emerald Isle”, because. trees and plants are green almost all year round. However, tourists in Ireland will be interested not only in nature, but also in numerous medieval castles, as well as other attractions, traditional festivals and local alcoholic drinks (Irish whiskey, beer and ale).
Geography of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland is located on the island of Ireland, in northwestern Europe. This country has a land border only with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. The island of Ireland is washed on all sides by the Atlantic Ocean (the Celtic Sea in the south, the St. George Canal in the southeast and the Irish Sea in the east). The total area of this country is 70,273 sq. km. The highest peak in Ireland is Mount Carantwill, whose height reaches 1041 m.
Capital
According to itypejob.com, the capital of Ireland is Dublin, which now has a population of about 550 thousand people. Historians claim that a Celtic settlement on the site of modern Dublin existed already in the 2nd century AD.
Official language of Ireland
Ireland has two official languages - Irish and English. However, only 39% of the population of Ireland knows the Irish language.
Religion
About 87% of the inhabitants of Ireland are Catholics belonging to the Roman Catholic Church.
State structure
According to computerminus.com, Ireland is a parliamentary republic, the head of which is the President, who is elected for a 7-year term.
Executive power belongs to the bicameral Parliament – Oirakhtas, consisting of the Senate (60 people) and the House of Representatives (156 people).
The main political parties are the Labor Party, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Workers’ Party of Ireland, and the Socialist Party.
Climate and weather in Ireland
The climate in Ireland is determined by the Atlantic Ocean and the warm Gulf Stream. As a result, the climate in this country is temperate maritime. The average annual air temperature is +9.6C. The warmest months in Ireland are July and August, when the average air temperature reaches +19C, and the coldest months are January and February (+2C). The average rainfall is 769 mm per year.
Average air temperature in Dublin:
- January – +4C
- February – +5С
- March – +6.5C
- April – +8.5С
- May – +11C
- June – +14C
- July – +15С
- August – +15C
- september – +13С
- october – +11C
- November – +7С
- December – +5C
Seas and oceans
The island of Ireland is washed on all sides by the Atlantic Ocean. In the south, Ireland is washed by the Celtic Sea, and in the east by the Irish Sea. In the southeast, the St. George Canal separates Ireland and Great Britain.
Rivers and lakes
Many rivers flow through Ireland. The largest of these are Shannon, Barrow, Shur, Blackwater, Bunn, Liffey, and Slaney. As for the lakes, of them, first of all, the following should be mentioned: Loch Derg, Loch Mask, Loch Neagh, and Killarney.
Note that Ireland has an extensive network of canals, most of which were built more than 100 years ago.
History
The first people on the island of Ireland appeared 8 thousand years ago. Then, during the Neolithic, Celtic tribes from the Iberian Peninsula arrived in Ireland. The spread of Christianity in Ireland is associated with the name of St. Patrick, who arrived on this island around the middle of the 5th century.
Since the 8th century, Ireland has been subjected to a century-long invasion of the Vikings. At this time, the country is divided into several counties.
In 1177, a significant part of the territory of Ireland was captured by English troops. In the middle of the 16th century, the British tried to impose Protestantism on the Irish, but they could not do it completely. Thus, to this day, the inhabitants of the island of Ireland are divided into two religious concessions – Catholics and Protestants (in the Republic of Ireland, the majority of the population are Catholics).
In 1801 Ireland became part of Great Britain. It wasn’t until 1922, after the Irish War of Independence, that most of Ireland seceded from Great Britain, forming the Irish Free State (but which was part of the Commonwealth of Great Britain). Only in 1949 did Ireland become truly independent. However, Northern Ireland, where the majority of the population is Protestant, is still part of the UK.
In 1973 Ireland was admitted to the EU.
Culture of Ireland
Despite the fact that the British for many centuries tried to include Ireland in their empire, the Irish still managed to maintain their national identity, as well as traditions and beliefs.
The most popular festivals in Ireland are the St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade, the Galway Oyster Festival, the Cork Jazz Festival, the Bloomsday Festival, and the Dublin Marathon.
Kitchen
Traditional products in Ireland are meat (beef, pork, lamb), fish (salmon, cod), seafood (oysters, mussels), potatoes, cabbage, cheese, dairy products. The most famous Irish dish is Irish stew, which is made from lamb, potatoes, carrots, parsley, onions and cumin.
Another traditional Irish dish is boiled bacon with cabbage. Ireland is also famous for its traditional soda bread and cheesecake.
Everyday non-alcoholic drinks in Ireland are tea and coffee (think of the famous Irish coffee, which includes whiskey, brown sugar and whipped cream). As for alcoholic beverages, the Irish prefer whiskey, beer and ale.
Landmarks of Ireland
Despite the fact that Ireland is a small country, it still has a lot of interesting sights. The top ten of them, in our opinion, are the following:
- Dublin Castle
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin
- Ross Castle in County Kerry
- Dunagor Castle in County Clare
- Monastery of Glendalough
- Cashel Castle (St. Patrick’s Rock)
- Bunratty Castle
- Ancient religious building Newgrange
- Trinity College Dublin Library
- Ballycarbury Castle in County Kerry
Cities and resorts
Ireland’s largest cities are Cork, Limerick and, of course, Dublin. The largest of them is Dublin, which is now home to about 550 thousand people. In turn, the population of Cork is more than 200 thousand people, and Limerick – about 100 thousand people.
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists from Ireland usually bring traditional Irish sweaters from the Aran Island (we recommend buying white Aran sweaters, not colored ones), Waterford Crystal glassware, tweed suits, linen, Irish music CDs, fishing tackle, and, of course, Irish whiskey.
Office Hours
Banks: Mon-Fri: 10:00-16-00 (on Wednesdays – 10:30-16-30).
Some shops in Ireland are open on weekdays until 21:00. Some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day. Bars and pubs in Ireland open at 10:00 (Mon-Sat) and close at 23:00 (Mon-Thur), at 00:30 on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday at 23:00.
Visa
To enter Ireland, Ukrainians need to apply for a visa.
Currency of Ireland
Ireland is a member of the European Union, which means that the euro is used as currency in this country. All major credit cards are widely accepted in the country, including Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Customs restrictions
You can import foreign currency into Ireland without restrictions, but you can export no more than what was declared when entering the country. Customs regulations in Ireland are the same as in other EU countries.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
Address of the Consulate of Ireland in Ukraine:
Index – 01133, Kiev, st. Shchorsa, 44
Т: (044) 285-59-02
Address of the Embassy of Ukraine in Ireland:
Dublin 4, Ballsbridge, 16 Elgin Road
Т: (8 10 3531) 668-51-89
Emergency numbers To
contact the police, fire brigade or ambulance in Ireland, call 112 or 999.
Time
Behind Kyiv for 2 hours. Those. if in Dublin, for example, 9:00 am, then in Kyiv – 11:00 am.
Tips
Tipping in hotels and restaurants in Ireland is usually 10-15%, and is already included in the bill. Those. Tipping is not required in Ireland, but is always welcome.
The medicine
International health insurance of at least €30,000 is required to enter Ireland.
Security
Violent crimes against foreign tourists in Ireland are rare, but pickpocketing, robbery and theft from cars are quite common, especially in cities. In recent years, credit card fraud has become widespread in Ireland.
