Ireland

By: Heather

Country Facts • Capital: Dublin, Ireland• Largest City: Dublin, Ireland• Area: 70,273 sq km• Climate: Temperate Maritime, Mild

Winters, Cool Summers, Consistently Humid, Overcast Half Of The Time

• Elevation: Lowest- Atlantic Ocean 0 m Highest- Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

• Population: 4,203,200

Country Facts (Continued)• Life Expectancy: Male- 75.6 Years;

Female- 81.06 Years• Nationality: Irishman, Irishwoman, Irish,

Celtic• Ethnic Groups: Irish 87.4%, Other White

7.5%, Asian 1.3%, Black 1.1%, Mixed 1.1%, Unspecified 1.6%

• Religions: Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church Of Ireland 2.9%, Other Christian 1.9%, Other 2.1%, Unspecified 1.5%, None 4.2%

• Language: English, Irish (Gaelic)

Country Facts (Continued)• Government Type: Republic, Parliamentary

Democracy• Independence Day: 12/06/1921• Chief Of State: Mary McAleese• Head Of State: Brian Cowen• Unemployment Rate: 11.8%• Population Below Poverty Line: 4.2%• Exchange Rates: Imports- 63.12 Billion;

Exports- 108.6 Billion• Airports: 39• Paved Runways: 16• Unpaved Runways: 23

Country Symbols• The Conventional Long Name Is The

Republic Of Ireland, Though The Local Short Name Is Eire, Which Means Ireland In Gaelic

• The Most Famous Motto Of Ireland Is “Eire Go Bragh” (Pronounced Eran Go Brah), Which Means Ireland Forever. The Proper Motto For Ireland Is, “Fe’ Mhoid Bheith Saor”, Meaning “Sworn To Be Free”

• This Is Ireland’s Coat Of Arms. • Believe It Or Not, The Harp Is The Symbol

Of Ireland, Not A Wee Man Dressed In Green, Or The Famous Shamrock.

Ireland’s Country Animal• Ireland Doesn’t Have A Country Bird, But

The Country Animal Is A Red Dear• In Celtic Mythology, The Stag Represents

The God Cernunnos, “The Horned One”. He Was Seen As The God Of Plenty

Map Of Ireland

Bordering Countries/ Bodies Of Water

• Bordering Country: Northern Ireland

• Bordering Bodies Of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea

Land’s Purpose• Pastures

• Potato Fields

• And Open Land

Major Industries• Steel

• Lead

• Zinc

• Silver

• Aluminum

• Barite

Major Industries (Continued)• Food Products

• Other

• Textiles

James Barry• Born In County Cork, Ireland• Popular Artist• Self Portrait:

• Popular Works:

Theo Dorgan• From County Cork• Popular Poet• Is To ReceiveThe 14th O’ ShaughnessyAward• Some Works: The Ordinary House Of

Love,Rosa Mundi, And Sappho’s Daughter

Justin McCarthy• From County Cork• Popular Writer• Began His CareerAs A JournalistAt Age 18.• Was On The Staff Of The Northern Daily Times

Colum McCann• From Dublin• An Award Winning Author Of Literary Fiction.• Novels Include A Side Of Brightness,

Which He Researched By Living With The Homeless In The Subway Tunnels Of Manhattan, And Dancer.

Ireland’s History• In 1845, The Great Potato Famine Struck Ireland.

Considering All Of Ireland Had Mostly Relied On Potato Crops, Many People Died. Celts Began Boarding Ships To America. When They Reached Land, If They Couldn’t Pay For Their Passage They Were Taken In As Indentured Servants. They Would Normally Serve About Seven Years To A Family To Pay For Their Passage. If A Family Member Died On The Journey Over, The Surviving Relatives Would Have To Work To Pay Off The Passage Of The Deceased As Well. My Great, Great Grandmother Was One Of The Many To Come To America On These Ships. Her Sister Died On The Way Over And She Had To Work Many Years To Pay Off The Travel.

•

Giant’s Causeway• It Is Called Giant’s Causeway Because Of

The Legend Of A Quarrel Between Two Giants Named Finn Mac Cool And Benandonner. Benandonner Built The Causeway From Scotland To Fight With Finn Mac Cool. Finn Mac Cool Pretended To Be A Baby And His Mother Told Benandonner It Was Finn’s Baby Brother, Finn Gal. When Benandonner Saw How Strong The Baby Was, He Got Scared And Thought Finn Mac Cool Would Be Stronger. He Ran Back Across The Sea To Scotland, Tearing Up The Causeway In His Rush. He Left In Such A Hurry His Boot Came Off And Is Still There Today.

Newgrange• The Entrance Path To Newgrange Leads

To A Cruciform Chamber. • The Entrance Path That Leads Straight

Through Newgrange Is Built A Special Way. At The Top Of Each Entrance There Is A Slot Above The Door. Every Year On The Winter Solstice, The Sun Will Shine Straight Through Newgrange And Out The Other Side.

• Newgrange Was Used For Burial Ceremonies, And Other Rituals, But People Were Never Buried There.

Craggaunowen • Craggaunowen Is Located In County

Clare, Ireland.• The Name Comes From Cragg, Which Is A

Lake Or Lakeside Settlement.• Ring Fort Is Also In Craggaunowen. A Ring

Fort (Or Fairy Fort), Is Basically A Mound Of Earth Believed To Have Been Home To Fairy Tribes. Disturbing One Is Very Disrespectful, And Could End Badly.

Hill Of Tara• The Hill Of Tara Is In Slight Danger,

Because Of The Recent Building Process Of A Highway Next To This Historic Place.

• The Stone Of Destiny (Right Picture) Is Said To Have Been Used In The Coronation Ceremonies Of The Celtic High Kings.

Cliffs Of Moher• Designated As A Refuge For Fauna In

1988 And As A Special Protection Area For Birds (SPA) Under The EU Birds Directive In 1989.

• The Cliffs Of Moher Are Where Ireland Meets The Atlantic Ocean.

Blarney Castle• Built In 1446, Blarney Castle Has Become

A World Landmark, And One Of Ireland’s Most Popular Attractions.

• The Blarney Stone, And The Stone Of Eloquence Are Located At The Top Of The Castle’s Tower. Legend Has It That If You Kiss It, You’ll Be Struck With Eternal Eloquence And You Will Never Be At A Loss For Words.

Ireland Facts• In Ireland, Red Headed, Green Eyed Female

Children Were Sacrificed, For They Were Believed To Be Powerful. They Came Along Every Third Generation. (My Mother Was The First American Born McCann With Red Hair And Green Eyes)

• The High Kings And Queens Of Ireland Were Crowned In Armagh, Now Part Of Northern Ireland.

• My Ancestors (McCann And McCaughlan) Are From County Cork.

• Saint Patrick’s Day Is One Of Ireland’s Most Important Holidays.

• Halloween Is Ireland’s New Years Eve, A Time For New Beginnings

Ireland Facts (Continued)• The Celtic Knot (Trinity) Signifies “The

Continuity Of Life”

• A Banshee’s Cry Foretells A Death In The Family.

• The Celtic CrossIs Also AMajor Symbol Of Ireland

Ireland Facts (Still Continued)• Druidism Is Also A Religion In Ireland, But

It Is Not Often Spoken Of. • Much Of Ireland’s History Is Passed Down

By Word Of Mouth, It Is Not Written. • Many Irish Books Aren’t Allowed In The

United States Because The History In Them Isn’t To Be Shared With Other Countries (There Are Many Things In Irish History That People Would Question).

Resources• Pictures:

www.ballynagarrick.net/ulsterancestors/www.nytimes.comwww.google.com/images• Info: www.cia.govwww.discoverireland.com