IRELANDIRELAND

Ireland is the Ireland is the third largest third largest

island in island in Europe and the Europe and the

twentieth-twentieth-largest island largest island in the world. in the world.

The name The name IrelandIreland derives derives from the name from the name ÉriuÉriu with the with the

addition of the addition of the Germanic word Germanic word

landland..

DUBLINDUBLINDublin 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.

CULTURE OF CULTURE OF IRELANDIRELAND

Literature and the Literature and the artsarts

PoetryPoetry

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

TheatreThe 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.

Music and danceMusic 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.

LanguagesLanguages

The 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.

ReligionReligionIn 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.

Saint PatrickSaint Patrick

Saint 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.

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.

Places of interestPlaces of interest

Killarney National Park

Giant's Causeway

Blarney Castle

The Soldier's Song

We'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

Thank you for your attention

Adrianna WronaKlasa 1gim

Rok 2007/2008