IRELAND

1. IRELAND

2. Ireland is the third largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. The name Ireland derives from the name Ériu with the addition of the Germanic word land.

3. DUBLINDublin is both the largest city and the capital of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. It was founded as a Viking settlement and it has been Ireland's primary city for most of the island's history since medieval times. Today, it is an economic, administrative and cultural centre of Ireland.

4. CULTURE OF IRELAND

5. Literature and the arts Poetry Irish poetry has a long and complex history. Ireland has one of the oldest poetry traditions in Europe since the 6th century.

6. Theatre The history of Irish theatre begins with the Gaelic Irish tradition. Much of the literature in that Celtic language was destroyed by conquest, except for a few manuscripts and fragments, such as the Book of Fermoy.

7. Music and dance The Irish tradition of folk music and dance is also widely known. In the middle years of the 20th century, as Irish society was attempting to modernise, traditional music tended to fall out of favour, especially in urban areas. During the 1960s, and inspired by the American folk music movement, there was a revival of interest in the Irish tradition.

8. LanguagesThe principal functional language of most residents is English, though a large minority of the population claim some ability to use Irish. Under the Irish constitution, both languages have official status, with Irish being the national and first official language.

9. ReligionIn Ireland 86.8% of the population are Roman Catholic, and the country has one of the highest rates of regular and weekly church attendance in the Western World. The second largest Christian denomination, the Church of Ireland (Anglican). The patron saints of Ireland are Saint Patrick and Saint Bridget.

11. Saint PatrickSaint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. He entered the church, as his father and grandfather had before him, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church. By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland.

13. The Irish Shamrock is, like Guinness, immediately associated throughout the world with Ireland. It is said to have been used by St. Patrick to illustrate and explain to his followers the concept of the Holy Trinity. Now Shamrock is normally seen on the huge amount of "Irish" gifts found in many "souvenir shops" in areas most popular with tourists.

15. Places of interest Giant's Causeway Killarney National Park Blarney Castle

16. The Soldier's SongWe'll sing a song, a soldier's song, With cheering rousing chorus,As round our blazing fires we throng, The starry heavens o'er us; Impatient for the coming fight, And as we wait the morning's light, Here in the silence of the night, We'll chant a soldier's song. Chorus:Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave.Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin's cause, come woe or weal 'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal, We'll chant a soldier's song.In valley green, on towering crag,Our fathers fought before us, And conquered 'neath the same old flag That's proudly floating o'er us. We're children of a fighting race, That never yet has known disgrace,And as we march, the foe to face, We'll chant a soldier's song. IRISH ANTHEM

17. Thank you for your attention Adrianna Wrona Klasa 1gim Rok 2007/2008