ireland a-z

Ireland A-ZIreland A-Z

Welcome to this Welcome to this multimedia-tour multimedia-tour

through through IrelandIreland

Table of contentTable of content

Arthur Griffith Battle of BoyneCountrysideDonegalEconomy

FermanaghGreat FamineHolidays Irish Reel


Jig dance

Kilkenny

Limerick

Maria II. Stuart

Northern Ireland conflict

Orange Order

Population

Q

Religion


SportsTraleeUlyssesValeraWeatherXYZ

Arthur GriffithArthur Griffith

The Irish journalist Arthur Griffith founded the Irish republican party Sinn Féin in 1905.

Battle of BoyneBattle of BoyneDecisive battle following the Glorious revolution(1688-1689) in England. On 1st July 1690 at theBoyne in Ireland between the Irish troops, theEnglish king Jakob II brought down. and the

Englishtroops king Wilhelms III delivered. Jakob hadhimself retired with his supporters to Ireland, whihdeclared himself independent 1689. To bringIreland under English control again and to beatJakob definite, Wilhelm led a 35 000 man strongarmy to Ireland against Jakobs about 21 000soldiers. Wilhelm gained a decisive victory at theBoyne. The Irish independence ended and Jakobforced into the exile to France. The Protestantsociety of the Orangemen, which were founded1795 in Ireland, named himself after Wilhelm ofOranien, the king Wilhelm III. With a move theProtestant Irishmen annually celebrate the victoryat the Boyne.

The painting is classed to Jan Wyck (1640-1700).

Battle of BoyneBattle of Boyne

CountrysideCountrysideThe Republic of Ireland is predominantly taken by the central

Irish lowlands in the inland region, this extends only in the

east to the Irish sea. To this nature room, which is running

through by single mountain ranges, attaches after orientating

the North-Irish hilly scenery. This originates from the

caledonic mountains formation and marks a geological

continuation of the Scottish Highlands. The lowlands rises in

the south to the south Irish hilly scenery. The Carrauntoohil

also is in the south Irish hilly scenery, with a height of 1 041

meters the highest mountain of the country. The Wicklow Mountains extend in the south of Dublin to the south East coast of Ireland. The spacious, limestone levels of the inland region are of numerous seas, bogs and hill chains succeeds.The Drumlins, round formed low humps, form characteristic landscape elements in the north. The coast is subdivided strongly primarily in the west

CountrysideCountryside

The Slieve League at the coast of the Irish county Donegal is 590 meters high.

The Macgillicuddy's Reeks cover the highest peaks of the Republic of Ireland.

Slieve LeagueSlieve League

Macgillicuddy's ReeksMacgillicuddy's Reeks

CountrysideCountryside

The Wicklow Moutains in Ireland are a popular destination. The mountains built up of granite, arose in the ice age.

The three lakes of Killarney lie in the mountainous county Kerry not far from the city of Killarney. The photo shows Lough Leane, the greatest of the three lakes.

Wicklow MoutainsWicklow Moutains

Lough LeaneLough Leane

DonegalDonegalDonegal (town, Republic of Ireland)

also Dún na nGall, settlement in the county Donegal in the northwest of the Republic of

Ireland. The place lies at the muzzle of the Eske

In the Donegalbai. Donegal has a little port.

The most important economic sectors are the tourism and the textile trade (tweed). The dilapidated Jacobean Donegal

Castle dates from the 15th century (rebuilt in the 17th century).

The abbey of Donegal (1474) is todaya ruin.

There live about 2000 people.

Donegal CastleDonegal Castle

DonegalbaiDonegalbai

EconomyEconomyThe gross domestic production (GDP) is 93 410 million

U.S. dollars (1999); this yields one GDP per inhabitant

of 24 900 U.S. dollars. The state indebtedness is 30.3

billion Irish pounds. The rate of inflation is 3.39 per cent

(1990-1999), the economy growth at 6.89 per cent

(1990-1999). The little job supply and the high

unemployed quota are a main cause for the strong

migration after the 2nd World War. State promotional

programs and the high end standard of education of the

employed persons have provided a growth within the

high tech area (particularly at the computer industry)

and contributed that Dublin could develop into a service

and finance center. 9 per cent of the employed persons

are in the farming occupied, 29 per cent in the industry

and 62 per cent in the service sector.

Peat sharp painPeat sharp pain

Crystal glass goods - WaterfordCrystal glass goods - Waterford

FermanaghFermanagh

Fermanagh, former county in the province's Ulster in the southwest of Northern Ireland. The county Fermanagh is the most western administration district in Northern Ireland. The exceptionally beautiful region surrounds the area at the Lower Lough Erne. More than 150 islands lie in it. The landscape in the southwest at Cuilcagh, at the border to the Republic of Ireland is hilly and rises partly more than 610 meters about the sea-level.

Great FamineGreat Famine

After an explosive population growth the total population around 1845 and reached about 8.5 million. The potato crop were completely destroyed by the cabbage in 1845. The British governments under Robert Peel and Lord John Russell, reacted to the threat of a famine extremely restrainedly. Russel had the opinion, that the poverty is in Ireland thing of the prosperous layers and so he declined financial support. 1847 loans were granted and soup kitchens for the hungry ones established. The potato crop 1847 also brought only little yields. Typhoid fever, cholera and Ruhr epidemics cost more people the life as the hunger catastrophe in towns. Russell broke off the anyway scanty help campaigns end 1847 and and a poor man tax passed on any possession. This measure aroused disturbances. About 16 000 soldiers were sent in addition to Ireland. In the most restless regions of Ireland the conventions of war exclaimed. 1848 the potato crop were destroyed another time. The total populations declined in Ireland around 1.7 million to 6.5 million between 1841 and 1851. A million people died of hunger and the thus obliged illnesses. Others emigrated to Great Britain or North America.

Great FamineGreat Famine

HolidaysHolidaysThe most important legalholidays in Ireland are the NewYear's Day, Saint Patrick's Day (March 17th), Easter,Pentecost, Christmas(December 25th) andSaint Stephen of Day(December 26th). Streetparades take place at SaintPatrick Day, the Irish nationalholiday, in all towns of thecountry. To theseoccasions the Irishmen wearclothes in the national color(green) and thenational symbol, the cloverleaf,can be frequently seen.

Irish ReelIrish Reel

The folk dance Reel, presumable keltic

origin, is far common in Ireland and on the

British islands and in some parts of

Scandinavia.

Jig danceJig dance

The Jig arose as a folk dance in the England of the 16th century, then got local under the name Gigue at the ruler courts of Europe and, today it has still her place in the Irish folklore, too.

KilkennyKilkennyKilkenny, county in the southeast of the Republic of Ireland in the province's flax stere. The capital of the county is Kilkenny. Kilkenny borders on the county Laois in the north, in the east to the counties Carlow and Wexford, in the south to the county Waterford and in the west to Tipperary. The area is predominantly flat wavy. The most important river is the Nore, along the eastern and the southern limit the rivers Barrow and Suir lie. The country economic staple commodities are oats, beets and potatoes. An important economic is also the production of beer (ale) and whiskey. The area of the county is 2 062 square kilometers. About 75 000 people live there.

Look about KilkennyLook about Kilkenny

Kilea CastleKilea Castle

LimerickLimerickLimerick (county) in the southwest of the Republic of Ireland in the province Munster lain, limited in the north by the river Shannon. The ground is primarily fertile in the Golden Vale. Limerick is the richest farming region in the south of Ireland. The most important cultivation products are potatoes and oats. Also important is the milk cattle keeping. Important sections of the production process are the processing of dairy products, the mining of limestone as well as the production of woolen goods, flour and paper. Limerick has an area of 2 686 square kilometers. The population is about 165 000.

Castle of King JohnCastle of King John

Maria II. StuartMaria II. StuartMaria II. Stuart, queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689-1694). Maria II. was born in London on April 30th,1662. She was the oldest daughter Jakobs II. and its first wife Anne Hyde. Maria was trained Protestant, although her father converted to the Catholicism. She was married to the Dutch prince Wilhelm by Oranien in the age of 15 years. 1688 started the Glorious revolution with the opponents of the autocratic and Roman Catholic kind power Jakobs II. Jakob was driven away and and Maria II and her husband get jointly the English crown offered in February 1689. The two were crowned in April 1689. During the absence of her husband, led she the reign. (1690 to 1691 campaign in Ireland, 1692 to 1694 on the mainland) After Maria's death in Kensington Palace (London) on December 28th 1694, Wilhelm ruled alone. The married couple remained childless. After Wilhelm's death Maria's sister Anna took the throne.

Maria II. StuartMaria II. Stuart

Northern Ireland conflictNorthern Ireland conflict

You hear a German audio part to the North Ireland conflict on the next page.

Northern Ireland conflictNorthern Ireland conflict

Orange OrderOrange OrderOn July 7th 1996 forbade the police in the small town Portadown the Protestants organization's orange order her traditional march holding in the Roman-Catholic district. The Orangemen organize about 3000 of such marches in all of Northern Ireland every years. To remind on a battle in the year 1690. The Roman Catholic king James II . was been defeated at that time. According the ban of the march, it came to riots in numerous towns of Protestants against the police and British safety strengths.

Traditional marchTraditional march

PopulationPopulation

In the year 1845 8.5 million people lived in Ireland. By famines, epidemics and a large number of emigrants (mainly to the USA) decreased the population 1851 on 6.5 million. Another emigration wave was after the 2nd World War, the the most important aim country was Great Britain. The population was reduced to approximately 2.8 million. Due to the strong migration, about 16 million people of Irish descent live abroad. Of the today 3.84 million inhabitants (2001) lives a quarter around Dublin in the conurbation. The average population density is one of the lowest in Europe with 55 inhabitants per square kilometer. From the inhabitants are about 94 per cent Irishmen, 3.5 per cent Englishman and Welshman and 1 per cent North-Irishmen.

ReligionReligionAbout 93 per cent of the Irishmen are Roman Roman Catholic, 3 per cent belongs to the Anglican church. The remaining 4 per cent spreads out on other faith directions or is non-denominational. The influence of the Roman Catholic church on the culture and the politics in Ireland is traditionally very greatly. The interests of the social policy are stamped by Christian moral concepts strongly. Divorce and pregnancy termination were forbidden for example by the constitution. Conception preventing means were released only 1985 by parliament decision. Only 1995 were permitted to divorces by a referendum, Abortions are still illegal and are punished hard.

SportsSports

Old Irish sports are Gaelic soccer (a mixture of rugby and soccer), Hurling (a blow ball game similar to the field hockey) and Camogie (women Hurling). The sporting highlights of the year are rugby games of the national team in the Lansdowne-Road-Stadium in Dublin.

RugbyRugby

TraleeTralee

Tralee, town in the County Kerry (Republic of Ireland). The district town lies nearby the Traleebai at the Lee. Tralee is a market place for the country economic products of the surroundings. Besides this, there are light industry, among other things mechanical engineering and textile production. The population is approximately 19 500.

UlyssesUlysses

With Ulysses (1922), the Irish author James Joyce created one of the most important novels of the

modern age.

On the next page you can listen to an statement from Ulysses.

ValeraValera

Valera, Eamon de (1882-1975), Irish politician, secretary president (1932-1948, 1951-1954 and 1957-1959) and president of the Republic of Ireland (1959-1973).

WeatherWeatherThe climate in Ireland is characterized oceanically with relatively cool summers and mild winters. By the influence of the warm Gulf Stream lie the middle temperatures between 4 and 7 degrees Celsius in January. In Ireland are the winters milder than in countries of the same geographical breadth in Europe. The influences of the ocean get also clear in summer. The middle temperatures in July are relatively low with 15 to 17 degrees Celsius. They lie about 4 degrees Celsius below geographical breadth like the places with that. The year precipitation can reach values of up to 3 000 millimeters at the west coast. It rains in western Ireland to more than 200 days in the year. On the other hand, the East coast receives only year precipitations from 700 to 750 millimeters.

ireland a-z

Education

republic of ireland

ireland thing

irish county donegal

southwest of northern

south east coast of

irish troops

irish pounds

irish independence