Presentation. 6th grade. Ireland

Ireland

What do we know about Ireland?

Ireland is an  island  in the  North Atlantic .

It is separated from  Great Britain  to its east by the  North Channel , the  Irish Sea , and  St George's Channel .

Ireland is the  second-largest island  of the  British Isles , the  third-largest  in Europe, and the  twentieth-largest  on Earth.

Geopolitically , Ireland is divided between the  Republic of Ireland  (officially  named Ireland ), which covers five-sixths of the island, and  Northern Ireland , which is part of the  United Kingdom . In 2011, the  population of Ireland  was about 6.6 million, ranking it the  second-most populous island in Europe  after Great Britain. As of 2016, 4.8 million live in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.

The  geography of Ireland  comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with  several navigable rivers  extending inland. Its lush vegetation is a product of its mild but changeable climate which is free of extremes in temperature. Much of Ireland was woodland until the end of the  Middle Ages . Today, woodland makes up about 10% of the island, compared with a European average of over 33%, and most of it is non-native conifer plantations. There are twenty-six extant land mammal species native to Ireland. The  Irish climate  is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and thus very moderate, and winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, although summers are cooler than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.

The earliest evidence of human presence in Ireland is dated at 10,500 BC. 

Gaelic Ireland   had emerged by the 1st century AD. The island was Christianised from the 5th century onward. Following the 12th century  Anglo-Norman invasion ,  England  claimed sovereignty.

However, English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th–17th century  Tudor conquest , which led to  colonisation by settlers from Britain .

In the 1690s, a system of  Protestant English rule  was designed to materially disadvantage the  Catholic  majority and Protestant  dissenters , and was extended during the 18th century. With the  Acts of Union  in 1801, Ireland became  a part of  the  United Kingdom . A  war of independence  in the early 20th century was followed by the  partition of the island , creating the  Irish Free State , which became increasingly sovereign over the following decades, and Northern Ireland, which remained a part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland saw much  civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s . This subsided following  a political agreement  in 1998. In 1973 the Republic of Ireland joined the  European Economic Community  while the United Kingdom,

and Northern Ireland, as part of it, did the same.

Irish culture   has had a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the field of  literature .

Alongside mainstream  Western culture , a strong indigenous culture exists, as expressed through  Gaelic games ,  Irish music  and the  Irish language . The island's culture shares many features with that of Great Britain, including the  English language , and sports such as  association football ,  rugby ,  horse racing , and  golf .

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT IRELAND

Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because of its lush rolling hills and vales of green. Poet William Drennan is thought to be the first to use the phrase in print, in his poem When Erin First Rose.

The flag of Ireland is green, orange and white in the middle.

White signifies the peace between orange Protestants and green Catholics. The Irish tricolor of green, white and orange represents both Ireland’s history and its independence. The green represents the Gaelic tradition of Ireland, the Orange represents the followers of William of Orange and the white represents the aspirations for peace between the two. The flag was inspired by the French flag when it was designed by Thomas Francis Meagher in 1848. But it was only first raised high above Dublin’s GPO and recognized as the Irish flag after the 1916 rising.

The famine was exacerbated by the actions (and inactions) of the British government at the time, leading some to suggest that the famine was essentially a form of genocide exacted on the Irish.

Ireland and the UK share a chequered history.

In 1801, Great Britain annexed the Kingdom of Ireland under the Act of Union; in 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty established the Irish Free State, an independent dominion of the British crown partitioned from Northern Ireland; and in 1949, the Republic of Ireland became fully independent from the UK.

Since the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Irish harp has been the official emblem of Ireland, not the shamrock which is more

commonly used.

One of the most well-known facts about Ireland is that Dublin is home to the world-famous Guinness Brewery. In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for the land.

The MacGillycuddy’s Reeks are Ireland’s highest mountain range, home to  Carrauntoohil , which at 1,038m (3,406ft) is Ireland’s highest mountain.

Ireland has a population of just over five million, of which over three quarters (78.3%) is Roman Catholic.

One of the most curious facts about Ireland takes place in the town of Killorglin in the  Reeks District . Here, a festival known as the Puck Fair sees a goat crowned as King Puck for three days. The Queen of Puck, traditionally a local young schoolgirl, crowns the goat.

The ancestral language of Irish people is Irish Gaelic. However, the 2011 census found that 82,600 people in Ireland speak Irish outside of school (where it is an obligatory subject). The census also reported that 119,526 speak Polish meaning Irish is now the third most spoken language in Ireland after English and Polish.

The most popular sport in Ireland is Gaelic football, followed by Hurling. Both sports are native to Ireland. Collectively – along with Gaelic handball, rounders and others – the sports are known as the Gaelic games, under the aegis of the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Irish surnames beginning with O’ mean ‘descendant of ’ in Irish Gaelic. Today, there are four O’ names in the top 10 most common Irish surnames

In 2017, Leo Varadkar became Ireland’s prime minister. Born in 1979,

he is Ireland’s youngest prime minister,

the country’s first openly gay leader and the first of Indian heritage.

This amazing country attracts modern travelers not only with incredibly beautiful nature, but also unique cultural traditions. One of the main national symbols of the country is clover. You can see its pictures on many popular souvenirs. The other national symbol is a bagpipe. Playing this musical instrument really leaves all travelers spellbound. It is especially interesting to watch pipers’ performances on national holidays. The necessary attributes of such musical performances are beautiful national costumes. Ireland is famous for its brewing traditions. Local Guinness beer is very popular all over the world. The national cuisine also has a lot of interesting features. Its main peculiarity is nourishing mutton and pork dishes. The most popular side dishes here are potatoes and cabbage in different variations. Spices in the national cuisine are almost not used. The natural flavor of products is appreciated here.