Ireland

An Introduction to Ireland

For a country small in land size, Ireland is one of the big tourist destinations. It sits on the north-western fringe of Europe in the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean which has shaped the rugged landscape of the western coast, home to the dramatic sea cliffs of Donegal and Clare. On the east, the coast is marked by stretches of golden beaches. The coastal mountains ring the low central plains and the island is bisected by the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland.

It's thought that Ireland was inhabited as far back as 6000BC. A Golden Age of monastic influence marked the 6th century and vikings invaded around 795 although they never secured complete domination of the island. The English appeared on the scene in the 12th century when Henry II declared himself Lord of Ireland. From then on there were continuing battles between the Irish and English for control of the island.

Since 1921, Ireland has been divided politically into two parts. The independent twenty-six county area is called the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, contains six of the nine counties of the ancient province of Ulster. In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Union (EU).

As well as it's breathtaking scenery, Ireland can be counted on for its rich cultural history. Ireland has given the world four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature: William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Although not a Nobel Prize winner, James Joyce is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses is considered one of the most important works of Modernist literature, and his life is celebrated annually on 16 June in Dublin.