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Republic of Ireland

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This article deals with the Republic of Ireland. The island as a whole is dealt with at Ireland; there is also Northern Ireland.

The island of Ireland, which is located off mainland Europe and is part of a group of islands known variously as the British Isles or more recently the IONA (Islands of the North Atlantic), contains two separate states originally created in the 1920s. The six county state covering the north-east corner of the island is called Northern Ireland and is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The remaining three quarters of the island, consisting of a twenty-six county state, has undergone a number of name changes since its creation in 1922.

Between 1922 and 1937, the twenty-six county state was a British dominion known as the Irish Free State. In 1937, a new constitution was introduced which renamed the twenty-six county state ' Éire, or in the English language, Ireland '. (Article 4 of the constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann. The name 'Éire' is given constitutional superiority). The official description of the state is Republic of Ireland, according to The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948, which came into force in April 1949. The Republic of Ireland is now the most widely used name for the twenty-six county state. (In this article, 'Ireland' unless otherwise stated is referring to the Republic of Ireland.)

How the island of Ireland became two states is covered in the History of Ireland page.

Ireland   
Éire
File:Ireland flag medium.png
(In Detail)
National motto: None
Official languages English and Irish
Capital Dublin
PresidentMary McAleese
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
Area
 - Total
 - % water		Ranked 118th
70,280 km²
2%
Population


 - Total (2000)


 - Density 		Ranked 121st


3,840,838


55/km²
Independence
 - Date 		From the UK
December 6, 1921
Currency Euro¹, Irish euro coins
Time zone UTC 0
National anthem Amhran na bhFiann
Internet TLD.IE
Calling Code353
(1) Prior to 1999: Irish Punt

Economy

Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 9% in 1995-99. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 39% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. Over the past decade, the Irish government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb inflation, reduce government spending, and promote foreign investment. The unemployment rate has been halved; job creation remains a primary concern of government policy. Recent efforts have concentrated on improving workers' qualifications and the education system. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency in January 2000 along with 10 other EU nations.

Culture

The national anthem is Amhrán na bhFiann (The Soldiers' Song). An understanding of Irish history also come from examination of Pádraic Pearse's poem Mise Éire.

Ireland has produced Irish traditional music, George Berkeley, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Guinness, etc. Its most famous exports in the late twentieth century included the rock group U2, the dance show Riverdance. Its most prominent world figure was Mary Robinson, from 1997 to 2002, the United Nations High Commussioner for Human Rights.

Religion

The Republic of Ireland is officially 92% Roman Catholic. However there had been a massive decline in adherence to Roman Catholicism among Irish catholics. In five years, Mass attendance, already previously in decline, has fallen from 60% to 48%. All but two of its priest-training seminaries have either closed or are expected to close soon. The Church was hit in the 1990s by a series of sexual scandals; from the resignation of one bishop who had fathered a child by a divorced cousin to the notorious case of child rapist Fr. Brendan Smyth. In recent years, another bishop had been forced to resign over his incompetent handling of paedophile priests in his diocese. The second largest religion, the anglican Church of Ireland, is itself in decline, with a largely elderly membership. In recent years, it has been forced to close down many of its rural churches, and some even in urban areas. A similar phenomenon is also affecting the Jewish Congregation in Ireland. The only religions showing a major growth are Islam and small born again christian faiths associated with Ireland's growing immigrant community.

Government

The Republic of Ireland is a republic, with a parliamentary system of government. A President of Ireland is the head of state. The Parliament, called the Oireachtas, consists of two houses, a lower house called Dáil Éireann (pronounced 'dawl air-inn', meaning House of Representatives) has 166 MPs called in gaelic TDs) and Seanad Éireann (pronounced, 'sch-anad air-inn', meaning Senate of Ireland), a partially appointed, partially elected upper chamber, with 60 members.

The Government, headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach, is appointed by the President of Ireland on the nomination of Dáil Éireann. See Taoiseach, President of Ireland.

From the CIA World Factbook 2000:

International rankings

See also:

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