Country Information

Europe, off the west coast of Great Britain.

70,182 sq km (27,097 sq miles).

4,775,982 (2013).

68.1 per sq km.

Dublin.

Republic.

The Republic of Ireland lies in the north Atlantic Ocean and is separated from Britain by the Irish Sea to the west. The northeastern part of the island (Northern Ireland) is part of the United Kingdom. There are four provinces: Leinster, which covers the eastern portion of the country around Dublin; Munster, which covers the south; Connacht, which covers the west of Ireland; and Ulster, which is predominantly in Northern Ireland but also covers the northern tip of the Republic. Ireland has a central plain surrounded by a rim of mountains and hills offering some of the most varied and unspoilt scenery in Europe. Inland you’ll find bogs, moors, forests, lakes, mountains and wetlands. Quiet sandy beaches, semi-tropical bays warmed by the Gulf Stream, and rugged cliffs make up the 5,600km (3,500 miles) of coastline. For those who really want to make the most of the coastal scenery (and are keen to see a bit of Northern Ireland too), a full loop of the island – sticking close to the sea at all times – can be done with ease in a couple of weeks. Together, the landscape and the offshore waters provide a good habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Seals and dolphins are spotted regularly, while the Cork coast even offers the chance to whale-watch over the summer months. There are numerous rivers in Ireland, the longest of which – the River Shannon, at 360 km (224 miles) in length – is also seen as one of the country’s most picturesque. Other notable waterways include the River Liffey, which flows from the Wicklow Mountains to the Irish Sea, through the centre of Dublin.

Irish (Gaelic) is the official language. Estimates vary on the number of people who genuinely speak it as a first language (somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000), but English is the language of the majority.

Roman Catholic 84%, the remainder being Protestant, with Jewish and Islamic minorities.

GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

The Irish are renowned as an affable, easy-going people, whose conversation is liberally dosed with humour, irreverence and - if you listen carefully - a beal bocht, an Irish expression that translates as 'the poor mouth'. It refers to a kind of modesty where the speaker is careful to talk themselves down and never reveal how well he or she is actually doing. In short, the Irish don't really like a show-off. Arguably the best place to observe and engage with the Irish is in the pub, still a centre of social interaction in Ireland, especially in smaller communities throughout the country. A meal in an Irish home is usually a substantial affair and guests will eat well. Dinner is the main meal of the day and is now eaten in the evening. Casual dress is widely acceptable, but people will often dress up for smart restaurants and social functions. Handshaking is usual, and modes of address will often be informal. Smoking is banned in all public enclosed/working spaces, including pubs, bars and restaurants.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Three-pin plugs are in use.

Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny since 2011.

President Michael D Higgins since 2011.

Prime Minister Bertie Ahern announced his resignation in April 2008, a day after he began a court challenge to limit the work of a public inquiry probing planning corruption in the 1990s.

The general election of May 2007 saw the re-election of Bertie Ahern's Fianna Fail party for a record third time, although they didn't manage to win an overall majority. Their partners in government are the right-of-centre Progressive Democrats, who lost two-thirds of their seats in the Dail but still managed to hold onto the ministerial portfolio in Health; and, for the first time ever, the Green Party, a sure sign that environmental concerns are becoming more important in the minds of the electorate - even if the Greens had to sacrifice a number of important policy positions when negotiating with Fianna Fail.

The economy remains buoyant, despite growing interest rates and a slow-down in the construction market, which may result in a fall in house prices and the dreaded threat of negative equity for home-owners already stretched to the limit of their mortgage repayments.