The republic of ireland

Facts in brief: Capital: Dublin Official languages: English and Gaelic

Area: 70.000 km²
Population: 3.700.000
Chiefs products: Agriculture (barley, beef, potatoes, sheep)
Manufacturing (alcoholic beverages, chemicals, clothing)
National holiday : Saint Patrick\'s Day, March 17th.
Religions (Republic) : Catholic (~90%), Protestant (~5%), Others (~5%).
[In comparison with Northern Ireland: Catholic 40%, Protestant 55%, Others 5%.]
Currency : 1 Irish pound (punt) = 100 pence (£ Ir)

The Irish flag is known as the Tricolour. It is made up of the colours green, white and orange. The green stands


for the Catholics of Ireland, the orange for the Protestants and white for peace between both.


The National Anthem of Ireland is "The Soldier\'s Song".



Government:

Ireland is a republic with a president, a prime minister, and a parliament. The goverment is based on the Irish Constitution of 1937.

. Ireland's official head of state, is elected by the people to a seven-year term and may serve only two terms. Presidential duties include calling Parliament into session, appointing the prime minister and other officials, and signing law passed by Parliament. But the president's powers are limited. For example, the prime minister must be nominated by the Parliament's House of Representatives. Other officials appointed
by the president are nominated by the prime minister with the approval of
the House.

. The prime minister, the real head of the government, administers laws passed by Parliament. The president appoints the prime minister to a term of a maximum of five years. In most cases, the prime minister is the leader of the party with a majority in the House of Representatives. The prime


minister is called the Taoiseach in Gaelic. The prime minister selects members to serve in the Cabinet. Cabinet members head government departments.

 consists of the president, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives makes Ireland's laws. It ahs 166 members, who are elected by the people to serve a maximum of five years. The Senate serves mainly as an advisory body to the prime minister and the House of Representatives. It has 60 members, who also serve maximum terms of five years. The prime minister appoints 11 members of the Senate, and graduates of the National University of Ireland and of the University of Dublin each choose three members. The rest are elected from panels of candidates representing five fields - (1) agriculture, (2) Commerce and industry, (3) culture and education, (4) labour, and (5) public administration. They are elected of a body of about 1.000 members, made up of the members of Parliament and local representatives.

. Ireland has five major parties - Fianna Fáil (Soldiers and Destiny), also called the Republican party; Fine Gael (Gaelic people); the Labour party; the Progressive Democratic Party; and the Workers' Party. All people at least 18 years old who have resided in Ireland for five years may vote.

. Ireland is divided into 26 counties. For administrative purposes, Tipperary is split in two, making 27 counties. Ireland also has 5 county boroughs. The cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford make up the county boroughs. Each county and county borough is governed by an elected council and a manager appointed by the national government.








People:

. Most of the Irish people are descended from peoples who settled in Ireland during the past 7.000 years. These people
included Celts, Vikings, Normans, and the British. Each group influenced Irish civilisation and helped shape the character of the Irish people.
Today, Ireland has a population of about 4 million. About three-fifths of the Irish people live in cities and large towns. The rest live in small rural towns and villages and in the countryside. Only two Irish cities have more than 100.000 people. Dublin, the capital and largest city an d Cork.
Emigration has been a major problem in Ireland. In the past, thousands of people left the country every year because of limited job opportunities there. Today, many people who were born in Ireland live outside the country. Most of them live in Great Britain or in the United States. During most of the period since 1920's, the development of new industries in Ireland and the limited number of jobs available in other countries have helped check emigration from Ireland. The population of Ireland has been increasing since 1960's. But during the 1980's, both unemployment and emigration increased.

 Ireland has two official languages, English and Gaelic. All the people speak English, and they have a soft accent called brougue.
Gaelic is a form of the ancient Celtic language. The Gaelic spoken in Ireland is generally called Irish. It most died out during the period when Great Britain ruled Ireland. But since Ireland became independent in the early 1900's, many Irish people have attempted to bring the language into wider use. Today, Irish schools teach Gaelic, as well as English. About 30 per cent of the people state that they can speak Gaelic well enough to use it in conversation. However, only a small number of them use Gaelic as their everyday language. The Irish government uses both English and Gaelic for official business.



 In Irish cities and towns, most of the people live in houses. Others live in apartments, and apartment living is increasing. Typical houses in Ireland are built of brick or concrete and have four to seven rooms. In rural areas of Ireland, modern houses have replaced most of the thatch-roofed cottages that once dotted the countryside.
The roman Catholic Church has a long played major role in Irish social life. Almost every Irish city has a Catholic cathedral, and nearly all the towns and villages have a Catholic church. Most people attend church regularly. At their local church, the people join religious societies and
take part in social gatherings and other activities.
Catholic beliefs influence Irish law. For example, divorce - which the Catholic Church opposes - is illegal in Ireland.
Many of the Irish enjoy visiting their neighbourhood pub (public house). People gather in pubs to drink beer and whiskey, talk with friends, and
listen to music. Large number of young people in Ireland once remained
single and lived with their parents until they were over the age of 30. Farmland and jobs were scarce, and few young people could afford to marry and raise families. Marriage practices have changed, and today young people marry earlier than they did in the past.

. Irish cooking is simple. Principal foods include beef, bread, chicken, fruit, mutton, pork, and potatoes and other vegetables. Potatoes grow well in the climate of the country and have been important food in Ireland hundreds of years.
The favourite alcoholic drink in Ireland is beer. A type of beer called stout is especially popular. The Irish use malt to make Irish whiskey, a world famous liquid. A drink called Irish coffee is made with coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and cream.

. About 95 per cent of the Irish people are Roman Catholics. The country's largest Protestant church is the Church of Ireland. Other Protestant churches in Ireland include the Methodist and Presbyterian churches.