Ireland
The Island of Ireland is a large island in Europe. It lies west of Great Britain; the two islands are divided by the Irish Sea.
The island of Ireland is 280 miles long and 160 miles broad. Central lowlands are framed by hillier areas in the north and south. The River Shannon, which runs from north to south, is the main river, and there are a large number of lakes, Laugh Neagh probably the most famous. For more detailed information see: Geography of Ireland.
Politically, the island of Ireland is presently divided into:
- the Republic of Ireland, also referred to as 'the Republic';
- Northern Ireland, also referred to as the 'six counties' or 'Ulster' (the latter name is slightly confusing for outsiders as it is also the name of the historic province of Ulster which encompasses 3 counties in the Republic and 6 counties in Northern Ireland).
The island is often said to be part of the British Isles. However, many people, especially those from the Republic, take exception to this name, which seems to suggest the whole island belongs to Britain. For this reason, the term Islands of the North Atlantic (IONA) is sometimes used as a more neutral alternative.
The division of the island into "Northern" and "Republic" is a relatively recent development, only coming about in 1920. The island itself has been inhabited since about the 6th century BC when humans crossed a land bridge from Britain. In the 5th century, the country was converted to Christianity with Saint Patrick being central in this effort according to tradition. It subsequently became a centre of Christian scholarship. This was brought largely to an end, however, with the invasion of the Vikings in the 10th century and the Normans in the 12th century.
In 1172, King Henry II of England gained Irish lands, and from the 13th century, English law began to be introduced. English rule was largely limited to the area around Dublin known as the Pale initially, but this began to expand in the 16th century. From that time, English influence and expansion grew, and with it grew a movement to shake off English rule, and for Ireland to become independent. See history of Ireland for more details.
More recently, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 has brought a degree of powersharing to Northern Ireland, giving both Unionists, who favour it remaining a part of the United Kingdom, and Nationalists, who favour it becoming part of the Irish state a hand in running its affairs. However, the power conferred by the agreement is limited, and the agreement has come close to breaking down on a number of occasions. The political future of the island remains unclear.
In a limited number of areas, the island operates as a single entity. The Irish rugby team, for instance, includes players from the north and the south, and the Irish Rugby Football Union governs the sport on both sides of the divide.
The island also has a shared culture across the divide in many other ways. Traditional Irish music, for example, though showing some variance in all geographical areas, is broadly speaking the same on both sides of the divide.