Republic of Ireland

Ireland, also called the Republic of Ireland, is a country in Northwestern Europe. It is made up of 26 of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland and has a population of about 5.4 million people. The capital and largest city is Dublin, with over 1.5 million people living there.

The Republic of Ireland shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the southeast, and the Irish Sea to the east.

Ireland became an independent country in 1922 and joined the European Union in 1973. It is known for having a high quality of life and a strong economy. The country has a policy of military neutrality and is not a member of NATO, but it works with other countries for peace and cooperation.

Name

Main article: Names of the Irish state

The names Ireland and Éire come from an old word that means "fertile soil." The country was created in 1922 and was first called the Irish Free State. In 1937, its constitution said the name of the country is Éire or Ireland in English. In 1948, a law said people could also call it the Republic of Ireland. Sometimes people call it "the Republic," "Southern Ireland," or "the South" to tell it apart from the whole island.

History

Main article: History of the Republic of Ireland

For the history of the entire island, see History of Ireland.

Home-rule movement

Main article: Irish Home Rule movement

From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. During the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over 8 million fell by 30%. One million Irish died of starvation and disease and another 1.5 million emigrated, mostly to the United States. This set the pattern of emigration for the century to come, resulting in constant population decline up to the 1960s.

From 1874, and particularly under Charles Stewart Parnell from 1880, the Irish Parliamentary Party gained prominence. This was firstly through widespread agrarian agitation via the Irish Land League, which won land reforms for tenants in the form of the Irish Land Acts, and secondly through its attempts to achieve Home Rule, via two unsuccessful bills which would have granted Ireland limited national autonomy. These led to "grass-roots" control of national affairs, under the Local Government Act 1898, that had been in the hands of landlord-dominated grand juries of the Protestant Ascendancy.

Home Rule seemed certain when the Parliament Act 1911 abolished the veto of the House of Lords, and John Redmond secured the Third Home Rule Act in 1914. However, the Unionist movement had been growing since 1886 among Irish Protestants after the introduction of the first home rule bill, fearing discrimination and loss of economic and social privileges if Irish Catholics achieved real political power. In the late 19th and early 20th-century unionism was particularly strong in parts of Ulster, where industrialisation was more common in contrast to the more agrarian rest of the island, and where the Protestant population was more prominent, with a majority in four counties. Under the leadership of the Dublin-born Sir Edward Carson of the Irish Unionist Party and the Ulsterman Sir James Craig of the Ulster Unionist Party, unionists became strongly militant, forming Ulster Volunteers in order to oppose "the Coercion of Ulster". After the Home Rule Bill passed parliament in May 1914, to avoid rebellion with Ulster, the British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith introduced an Amending Bill reluctantly conceded to by the Irish Party leadership. This provided for the temporary exclusion of Ulster from the workings of the bill for a trial period of six years, with an as yet undecided new set of measures to be introduced for the area to be temporarily excluded.

Revolution and steps to independence

Though it received the Royal Assent and was placed on the statute books in 1914, the implementation of the Third Home Rule Act was suspended until after the First World War which defused the threat of civil war in Ireland. With the hope of ensuring the implementation of the Act at the end of the war through Ireland's engagement in the war, Redmond and the Irish National Volunteers supported the UK and its Allies. 175,000 men joined Irish regiments of the 10th (Irish) and 16th (Irish) divisions of the New British Army, while Unionists joined the 36th (Ulster) divisions.

The remainder of the Irish Volunteers, who refused Redmond and opposed any support of the UK, launched an armed insurrection against British rule in the 1916 Easter Rising, together with the Irish Citizen Army. This commenced on 24 April 1916 with the declaration of independence. After a week of heavy fighting, primarily in Dublin, the surviving rebels were forced to surrender their positions. These events, together with the Conscription Crisis of 1918, had a profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland against the British Government.

In January 1919, after the December 1918 general election, 73 of Ireland's 105 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected were Sinn Féin members who were elected on a platform of abstentionism from the British House of Commons. In January 1919, they set up an Irish parliament called Dáil Éireann. This first Dáil issued a declaration of independence and proclaimed an Irish Republic. The declaration was mainly a restatement of the 1916 Proclamation with the additional provision that Ireland was no longer a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic's Ministry of Dáil Éireann sent a delegation under Ceann Comhairle (Head of Council, or Speaker, of the Daíl) Seán T. O'Kelly to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, but it was not admitted.

After the War of Independence and truce called in July 1921, representatives of the British government and the five Irish treaty delegates, led by Arthur Griffith, Robert Barton and Michael Collins, negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London from 11 October to 6 December 1921. The Irish delegates set up headquarters at Hans Place in Knightsbridge, and it was here in private discussions that the decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. On 7 January 1922, the Second Dáil ratified the Treaty by 64 votes to 57.

In accordance with the treaty, on 6 December 1922 the entire island of Ireland became a self-governing Dominion called the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann). Under the Constitution of the Irish Free State, the Parliament of Northern Ireland had the option to leave the Irish Free State one month later and return to the United Kingdom. During the intervening period, the powers of the Parliament of the Irish Free State and Executive Council of the Irish Free State did not extend to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland exercised its right under the treaty to leave the new Dominion and rejoined the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. It did so by making an address to the King requesting, "that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland." The Irish Free State was a constitutional monarchy sharing a monarch with the United Kingdom and other Dominions of the British Commonwealth. The country had a governor-general (representing the monarch), a bicameral parliament, a cabinet called the "Executive Council", and a prime minister called the President of the Executive Council.

Irish Civil War

Main article: Irish Civil War

The Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) was the consequence of the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State. Anti-treaty forces, led by Éamon de Valera, objected to the fact that acceptance of the treaty abolished the Irish Republic of 1919 to which they had sworn loyalty, arguing in the face of public support for the settlement that the "people have no right to do wrong". They objected most to the fact that the state would remain part of the British Empire and that members of the Free State Parliament would have to swear what the anti-treaty side saw as an oath of fidelity to the British king. Pro-treaty forces, led by Michael Collins, argued that the treaty gave "not the ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it".

At the start of the war, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) split into two opposing camps: a pro-treaty IRA and an anti-treaty IRA. The pro-treaty IRA disbanded and joined the new National Army. However, because the anti-treaty IRA lacked an effective command structure and because of the pro-treaty forces' defensive tactics throughout the war, Michael Collins and his pro-treaty forces were able to build up an army with many tens of thousands of World War I veterans from the 1922 disbanded Irish regiments of the British Army, capable of overwhelming the anti-treatyists. British supplies of artillery, aircraft, machine-guns and ammunition boosted pro-treaty forces, and the threat of a return of Crown forces to the Free State removed any doubts about the necessity of enforcing the treaty. Lack of public support for the anti-treaty forces (often called the Irregulars) and the determination of the government to overcome the Irregulars contributed significantly to their defeat.

Constitution of Ireland 1937

Following a national plebiscite in July 1937, the new Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) came into force on 29 December 1937. This replaced the Constitution of the Irish Free State and declared that the name of the state is Éire, or "Ireland" in the English language. While Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution defined the national territory to be the whole island, they also confined the state's jurisdiction to the area that had been the Irish Free State. The former Irish Free State government had abolished the Office of Governor-General in December 1936. Although the constitution established the office of President of Ireland, the question over whether Ireland was a republic remained open. Diplomats were accredited to the king, but the president exercised all internal functions of a head of state. For instance, the President gave assent to new laws with his own authority, without reference to King George VI who was only an "organ", that was provided for by statute law.

Ireland remained neutral during World War II, a period it described as The Emergency. Ireland's Dominion status was terminated with the passage of The Republic of Ireland Act 1948, which came into force on 18 April 1949 and declared that the state was a republic. At the time, a declaration of a republic terminated Commonwealth membership. This rule was changed 10 days after Ireland declared itself a republic, with the London Declaration of 28 April 1949. Ireland did not reapply when the rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later, the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 was repealed in Ireland by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act 1962.

Recent history

Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955, after having been denied membership because of its neutral stance during the Second World War and not supporting the Allied cause. At the time, joining the UN involved a commitment to using force to deter aggression by one state against another if the UN thought it was necessary.

Interest towards membership of the European Communities (EC) developed in Ireland during the 1950s, with consideration also given to membership of the European Free Trade Area. As the United Kingdom intended on EC membership, Ireland applied for membership in July 1961 due to the substantial economic linkages with the United Kingdom. The founding EC members remained sceptical regarding Ireland's economic capacity, neutrality, and unattractive protectionist policy. Many Irish economists and politicians realised that economic policy reform was necessary. The prospect of EC membership became doubtful in 1963 when French President General Charles de Gaulle stated that France opposed Britain's accession, which ceased negotiations with all other candidate countries. In 1969 his successor, Georges Pompidou, was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 the Treaty of Accession was signed. A referendum was held later that year which confirmed Ireland's entry into the bloc, and it finally joined the EC as a member state on 1 January 1973.

The economic crisis of the late 1970s was fuelled by the Fianna Fáil government's budget, the abolition of the car tax, excessive borrowing, and global economic instability including the 1979 oil crisis. There were significant policy changes from 1989 onwards, with economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and a ban on borrowing to fund current spending. This policy began in 1989–1992 by the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats government, and continued by the subsequent Fianna Fáil/Labour government and Fine Gael/Labour/Democratic Left government. Ireland became one of the world's fastest growing economies by the late 1990s in what was known as the Celtic Tiger period, which lasted until the Great Recession. Since 2014, Ireland has experienced increased economic activity.

In the Northern Ireland question, the British and Irish governments started to seek a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict involving many paramilitaries and the British Army in Northern Ireland known as "The Troubles". A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement, was approved in 1998 in referendums north and south of the border. As part of the peace settlement, the territorial claim to Northern Ireland in Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland was removed by referendum. In its white paper on Brexit the United Kingdom government reiterated its commitment to the Good Friday Agreement. With regard to Northern Ireland's status, it said that the UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of the UK, but with strong links to Ireland".

Geography

Main article: Geography of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland covers about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, with Northern Ireland making up the rest. The island is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the Irish Sea to the east, and connects to the Atlantic through the St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.

The western part of Ireland has rugged cliffs, hills, and mountains, while the central areas have lowlands covered with clay, sand, and lots of bogland. The highest point is Carrauntoohil in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountains. The River Shannon is the longest river, stretching 386 kilometers. The west coast is wilder than the east, with many islands, peninsulas, headlands, and bays.

Main article: Climate of Ireland

The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream help keep Ireland's weather mild. Winter temperatures rarely drop below −5 °C, and summer temperatures seldom rise above 26 °C. The warmest day ever recorded was 33.3 °C in Kilkenny, and the coldest was −19.1 °C in Sligo. Rain falls more in winter and less in early summer, with the southwest getting the most rain. The southeast gets the most sunshine, while the far north and west are very windy, which is great for making wind energy. Ireland usually gets between 1,100 and 1,600 hours of sunshine each year, with May and June being the sunniest months.

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of the Republic of Ireland and Elections in the Republic of Ireland

Ireland is a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Oireachtas is the national parliament made up of the President of Ireland and two Houses: Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). Áras an Uachtaráin is the home of the President, while the Houses of the Oireachtas meet at Leinster House in Dublin.

The President is the head of state, elected for seven years and can serve one more term. The President mainly acts on advice but has some important powers. Catherine Connolly became the tenth President of Ireland in November 2025. The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is the head of government, chosen by the President after the Dáil nominates them. Most Taoisigh lead the party with the most seats, but often parties work together in coalitions to form a government.

The Dáil has 174 members called Teachtaí Dála elected to represent areas using a fair voting system. The Seanad has sixty members, some chosen by the Taoiseach, some by universities, and others by public representatives. The government can only have fifteen members, with rules about who can serve.

Local government

Main article: Local government in the Republic of Ireland

Local government areas are based on the traditional counties of Ireland, with Cork, Dublin and Galway having more than one local authority. There are thirty-one local authorities, including twenty-six county councils, two city and county councils, and three city councils. Local authorities handle planning, roads, cleaning, and libraries.

Law

Main articles: Law of the Republic of Ireland, Courts of the Republic of Ireland, and Law enforcement in the Republic of Ireland

Ireland uses a common law system with a written constitution. Courts include the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, Circuit Court, and District Court. The Garda Síochána, or Gardaí, is Ireland’s police force. Most officers do not carry guns and use tools like batons for safety.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Ireland

See also: Ireland–NATO relations

Ireland’s foreign policy is shaped by being a member of the European Union, and also by its ties with the United Kingdom and the United States. Ireland is not part of NATO and has a policy of being neutral. This means Ireland can send troops to help keep peace in other places when the United Nations asks.

Military

Main article: Defence Forces (Ireland)

See also: Irish neutrality

Ireland is a neutral country and only sends troops to areas where the United Nations approves. The Defence Forces include the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps, and Reserve Defence Force. They help keep peace, protect Ireland’s waters, and support the United Nations in other countries.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Republic of Ireland

Ireland has a strong economy and is known for attracting many big companies from around the world. It ranks very high in terms of income for its people. Many large companies, especially from the United States, have set up offices in Ireland, which helps create jobs and bring in money.

Ireland uses the euro as its currency, and after facing tough economic times following the Great Recession, the country has grown again, helped by these big companies. The country has worked to manage its finances and has become a popular place for many international businesses, especially in technology and pharmaceuticals.

Taxation policy

Ireland changed its tax rules to make it easier for big companies to set up there, offering lower taxes than many other places. This helped turn Ireland from a country mostly focused on farming into one with many technology and service industries. These changes brought strong growth for a while, known as the "Celtic Tiger" period, but also led to some financial challenges when the global economy changed.

Trade

Big companies play a big role in Ireland’s exports, selling things like medicines, computer software, and airplane parts. Ireland also exports farm products like beef and dairy. The country imports things like computers, chemicals, and clothing. Most of Ireland’s trade is with Europe, especially with the United Kingdom, and also with the United States.

Energy

Main article: Energy in Ireland

Ireland gets its electricity from companies like ESB and Bord Gáis Energy. The country has some natural gas and is working to use more wind power. Ireland has built many wind farms and aims to use cleaner energy sources more.

Transport

Main articles: Transport in Ireland, Rail transport in Ireland, and Roads in Ireland

Ireland has three big airports in Dublin, Shannon, and Cork, with Aer Lingus and Ryanair offering many flights. Trains run across the country, with Dublin as the main hub. The roads include motorways connecting major cities like Cork and Limerick to Dublin. Dublin also has buses, bike-sharing, and special train lines along the coast.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Republic of Ireland

See also: Historical population of Ireland

Genetic research shows that the first people in Ireland came from Iberia after the last ice age. Later, people from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age brought Celtic traditions. Today, most Irish people have a mix of Gaelic, Norse, Anglo-Norman, French, and British roots.

In 2022, Ireland’s population was about 5.1 million, up 8% from 2016. Ireland had the highest birth rate in Europe in 2011, with 16 births for every 1,000 people. By 2018, the average age of people in Ireland was 37.1 years.

See also: List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland

Languages

Main articles: Languages of Ireland, Irish language, Hiberno-English, and Mid Ulster English

The Irish Constitution names Irish as the “national language” and English as the “second official language.” Most people speak English daily, while Irish is mainly spoken in certain western and southern areas called the Gaeltacht. Road signs in these areas are often in both languages. Irish appears on TV, radio, and online news. In the military, commands are given in Irish.

Because of people moving to Ireland, Polish is now the most common language after English, with Irish as third. Other languages spoken include Czech, Hungarian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian, Shelta by Irish Travellers, and Scots by some in Donegal. In school, students can learn French, German, Italian, Spanish, and other languages.

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Republic of Ireland

Religious freedom is protected in Ireland. While Ireland was mostly Catholic, fewer people identify as Catholic today. In 2022, 69.1% of people said they were Catholic, down from 84.2% in 2011. Other groups include 4.2% Protestant, 1.3% Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, and 9.8% with no religion. Ireland’s patron saints are Saint Patrick, Saint Bridget, and Saint Columba. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th with parades.

Education

Main article: Education in the Republic of Ireland

Ireland has three education levels: primary, secondary, and higher education. Children must go to school from age six to fifteen. Most primary schools are run by the Catholic Church, but all schools must follow the same rules and cannot treat students unfairly.

The Leaving Certificate is a big exam taken after secondary school. It helps students get into higher education. Ireland has many universities and colleges, and its education system is highly ranked.

Healthcare

Main article: Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland

Healthcare in Ireland is provided by public and private services. Everyone can use the public system, paid for by taxes. Some services may cost a small fee depending on income or age. Free care is provided for babies under six months and for pregnant women. People with a European Health Insurance Card can get free treatment in public hospitals. Private health insurance is also an option. Ireland has a high life expectancy and a low rate of infant deaths.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Ireland

Ireland's culture has been mainly Gaelic for centuries and remains one of the six main Celtic cultures. After invasions from groups like the Anglo-Normans and later British rule, Irish culture mixed with English and Scottish influences. Even so, Irish culture stays unique and shares some traits with other English-speaking, Catholic European, and Celtic areas. The Irish people living outside Ireland have helped spread Irish culture worldwide through art, music, and science.

Literature and drama

Main articles: Irish literature, Irish short stories, Irish poetry, and Irish theatre

Ireland has greatly added to world literature in both English and Irish languages. Modern Irish fiction started with the 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. Important writers from the 18th century include Laurence Sterne and Oliver Goldsmith. Many famous Irish writers appeared in the 19th century, such as Maria Edgeworth, George Moore, and Bram Stoker, writer of Dracula.

James Joyce wrote his famous book Ulysses in 1922. After World War II, well-known authors included Flann O'Brien, Elizabeth Bowen, and Maeve Binchy. Modern writers like Roddy Doyle and Colm Tóibín are also very popular.

Patricia Lynch wrote great books for children, and Eoin Colfer became famous for his stories too. Ireland has many talented poets like William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney. Irish theatre began in the 1600s and has grown to include famous playwrights like Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, and Samuel Beckett.

Music and dance

Main articles: Irish music and Irish dance

Irish traditional music stays strong and has influenced many music styles around the world. Ireland has produced famous music groups like the rock band U2, known for selling millions of albums.

Ireland has groups that play classical music and two groups that perform opera. The country has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1965 and has won several times. The show Riverdance began as a performance during the contest in 1994.

Irish dance includes social dancing and performance dancing. Social dancing has styles like céilí and set dancing, while performance dancing is known as stepdance, famous for quick foot movements.

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Ireland

Ireland has old buildings from the Neolithic period, like Brú na Bóinne. After the Viking time, towns grew up. Castles were built by new rulers, and towns were planned with special designs.

Gothic cathedrals were built later, and after a big battle in the 1690s, new building styles like palladianism appeared. In Dublin, buildings in neoclassical and Georgian styles became common. In the 20th century, modern styles took over, and new developments changed the look of cities like Dublin.

Media

Main article: Media of the Republic of Ireland

Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) is Ireland’s main broadcaster, running two TV channels and several radio stations. Other channels like Virgin Media One and TG4 are also available. Many people watch the BBC from nearby Northern Ireland.

Ireland’s film industry has grown, making both local and international movies. There are many local and national radio stations, and newspapers are popular. Most Irish homes have internet access.

Cuisine

See also: Irish cuisine and List of Irish dishes

Traditional Irish food includes dishes like boxty, colcannon, and stew. The full Irish breakfast is a popular meal. New Irish cuisine uses old ingredients in new ways, with fresh vegetables, fish, and cheeses. Popular drinks include tea, coffee, and Guinness beer.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Ireland

Gaelic football and hurling are Ireland’s traditional sports. Association football (soccer) is also popular. The national soccer team plays internationally. Other sports like rugby, cricket, and golf are enjoyed too. Ireland has successful Olympic boxers and runners.

Society

See also: Abortion in the Republic of Ireland and LGBT rights in the Republic of Ireland

Ireland is known for its equality and charity. Laws protect people from discrimination, and same-sex marriage is allowed. Ireland was the first country to charge for plastic bags and to ban smoking in public places. The country works hard on recycling and environmental rules.

State symbols

Further information: Symbols of the Republic of Ireland

Ireland uses symbols like the colours green and blue, animals such as the Irish wolfhound, and designs like Celtic knots. The flag of Ireland is a tricolour of green, white, and orange. The national anthem is Amhrán na bhFiann, and the arms of Ireland feature a harp. These symbols are important to the country and its people.