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Language

The main languages are English and Irish, most signposts in Ireland are bilingual. English is spoken by everyone, while Irish is generally confined to certain regions in the south-west, west, and north-west coastal areas.

Weather

The climate in Ireland is mild and temperate. The average temperatures range from 4C in the Winter to 20 C in the Summer months. Ireland has an average monthly rainfall of between 2 and 3 inches, with the daily sunshine averaging from 6 hours in June to 2 hours in December.

Money

There are two currencies, the Euro in the Republic of Ireland and Sterling in Northern Ireland. Foreign exchange bureau are available throughout the country in banks, tourist information offices, airports, some shops and many towns and cities.

Tipping

It is normal practice for hotels and restaurants to add 10-15% to the bill, especially for large parties. Tipping in pubs is not expected, unless for table service. In the case of taxis the fare is usually rounded up, incorporating a small tip.

History and Government

Following a rebellion in 1916 and a subsequent civil war, the first government of the Irish Free State was led by William T. Cosgrove in 1923. Their chief aim was to establish infrastructure and administration for the new state.

Name of the State

Ireland in the English language and Eire in the Irish language. The modern word Ireland derives from a combination of the Gaelic "Eire", and the Germanic word "land".

The National Flag

Is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The green represents the older Gaelic and Anglo-Norman element in the population, the orange the Protestant supporters of William of Orange, while the white represents a lasting peace between the two traditions.

The National Anthem

Ireland's National Anthem is ''Amhran na bhFiann'' [The Soldier's Song], written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney.

The National Day

St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, celebrated by Irish Communities all over the world.

Public Holidays

Bank and Public Holidays in the Republic of Ireland in 2009 are New Year's Day January 01, St. Patrick's Day March 17, Easter Monday April 09, May 04, June 01, August 03, October 26, December 25 & 26.

Bank and Public Holidays in Northern Ireland in 2009 are New Year's Day January 01, St Patrick's Day 17 March, Good Friday 10 April, Easter Monday 13 April, Early May Bank Holiday 4 May, Spring Bank Holiday 25 May, Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) 13 July, Summer Bank Holiday 31 August, Christmas Day 25 December, Boxing Day 28 December.

The Constitution

The basic law of the State was adopted by referendum in 1937. It defines Ireland as a sovereign, independent and democratic state, it sets out the administrative structure of Government and states that all the powers of the Government derive under God from the people.

The Irish Government

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. The national parliament is called the Oireachtas, and consists of the President and two houses. The Dail [the House of Representatives] and the Seanad [the Senate]. The Dail is the primary of the two houses.The current Irish Government consists of a coalition of 3 political parties Fianna Fail, Progressive Democrats and the Green Party. The Head of the Government is the Taoiseach. Brian Cowen is the current Taoiseach.

The President of Ireland

The President is elected by direct vote of the people for a term of 7 years. While the President does not have any executive powers, the role is more than a ceremonial one. The President has certain powers which essentially make him or her a guardian of the Constitution. The current President of Ireland is Mary Mc Aleese.

The Economy

The Irish economy is an open, mostly export based economy, that has experienced an unprecedented level of growth since the late 1990's. It is expected this growth will continue at least for the first decade of this century, subject to the availability of a skilled labour force.

The Irish economy is heavily dependant on trade, with export goods and services accounting for 96.8% of GDP. Membership of the European Union and access to the Single Market has allowed Ireland to diversify its trade patterns. Although Britain has always been Ireland's largest single trading partner, almost half of all Irish exports now go to other member states.

The roots of this prosperity lie in a number of contributing factors, including a young skilled workforce, co-operation between Government, Industry, and Unions, as well as the work of industrial promotional agencies.

Culture

Throughout the centuries Ireland has produced many great authors, playwrights and poets, Irish Literature has become recognised for its quality all over the world. Among our most famous contributors are James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, W B Yeats, Seamus Heaney, Brendan Behan, and in more recent times Brian Friel, John Banville and Roddy Doyle. Four Irish writers received the Nobel Prize for Literature in the 20th century.

There is a rich tradition of music in Ireland, both traditional and current. Comhaltas Ceoltori Eireann [Fellowship of Irish musicians] has done much to preserve and promote traditional Irish music, both at home and abroad, the Chieftans, one of our best know traditional groups have done much to bring this heritage to international audiences.

Today the likes of U2, Van Morrision, Sinead O Connor, and Westlife, very much keep Ireland on the musical map. Riverdance, which has become an international phenomenon, played a major role in 'exporting' the rich culture of traditional Irish music song and dance to a world-wide audience.

Sport

Gaelic Football and Hurling are our native sports and both very popular in Ireland. The All Ireland Finals are held in Croke Park in Dublin,a magnificent 82,000 capacity modern stadium. Soccer is also widely played in Ireland, many of our most talented players play in leagues abroad, particularly in England's Premiership. Rugby Football is becoming increasingly popular and is played at club and school level.