IRELAND

General information

Flag and coat of arms.

Capital.

Location.

Population.

Flag and coat of arms:

Capital: Dublin

Location:

Ireland is an island of scanty altitude and coast very cut away, placed in the Ocean Atlantic and separated 80 km in direction West of the British coast for the sea of Ireland.

Population:

Ireland has a population of approximately 4.200.000 inhabitants. It owns a young population due to its high rate of natality. This is due to the influence of the Catholic Church.

geography

Generally

Rivers

Relief

Generally:

The island of Ireland is located to Europe’s northwest, forming a part of the British archipelago.

The interior of the country is a plain and is crossed by multiple rivers, it possesses abundant marshes and lakes. The coasts that surround the island ploughs in the habit of being very cut away by fiords and peninsulas, specially in the western part.

Rivers:

The most important rivers are the Shannon, the Blackwater, the Barrow and the Bann. The rivers are short, mighty and regular, in the antiquity they were used as mass media and in them there was constructed multitude of channels that were crossing them. The coasts that surround the island are in the habit of being very cut away by fiords and peninsulas, especially in the western part.

Most of the mountainous territory of Ireland concentrates on the coast, forming a ring in whose center finds flatness. His mounts do not possess big altitude and the most important are: Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Comeragh Mountains, Blackstairs Mountains, Wicklow Mountains, the Mournes, Glens of Antrim, Sperrin Mountains, Bluestack Mountains, Derryveagh Mountains, Ox Mountains.

The coast consists principally of cliffs and there are very few beaches.

Relief:

VEGETATION & FAUNA

Vegetation:

The vegetation of Ireland emphasizes for being of green an intense one and for being devoid of trees. The few existing forests are made up of non-evergreen trees as the oaks, hazels, etc. Abounds the prairies (that cover 50% of the country) and bogs, which are used for the extraction of the crowd.

Fauna:

Apart from seals which breed around the coast and whales which occasionally visit coastal waters, Ireland has twenty-seven species of mammal. These include the red deer, pine marten, badger, otter, hare and stoat which are native to the country, as well as introduced species such as the fallow deer, rabbit and other rodents.

Ireland's only reptile is a small lizard and there are three amphibians, the newt, the frog and the toad. The rivers and lakes have salmon, trout, char, pollan, perch, pike and eels.

Climate

General

Summer

general:

The Irish climate is relatively uniform, with very few changes throughout the year, the day and of the regions. The counties of the south of Ireland are provided with the warmest temperatures. On the other hand, while the north coast is slightly more fresh than the south, the areas of the interior are the most fresh.

Summer:

A typical day of summer in Ireland includes a miscellany of warm and sunny climate with variable cloudy skies. The light showers happen sometimes, but the rains in the summer normally remain limited to a few days. A frequent characteristic of July and August is the high level of moisture and the summer thunderstorms. The average temperature in July is of about 15ºC, although in some occasions temperatures top have happened to 30ºC.

important cities

Cork

Belfast

Galway

CORK

Elizabeth Fort

Built in the 16th century on the site of a monastic settlement, Elizabeth Fort was destroyed in 1603 by citizens of Cork in an act of defiance against King James I. Since 1690 it has been used as a prison and a barracks, and is now a police station. It was used by the Black and Tans in 1920 and later by Republicans during the civil war .

St Fin Barre's Cathedral

Situated in a quiet part of town, south of the Lee, St Finbarre's Cathedral is dedicated to the founder and patron saint of the city. Designed by Willliam Burges, building was completed in 1878. It's an exuberant triple-spired edifice built in Gothic Revival style. Inside, the painted apse ceiling depicts Christ surrounded by angels. The stained glass windows below tell the story of Christ's life.

belfast

The Tropical Ravine

The construction of the Tropical Ravine house was undertaken by the then curator of the gardens Charles McKimm and completed in 1889. It is the only one of its size in Europe. Divided into a temperate and a stove section, the interior is designed as a sunken ravine with a railed balcony extended around the perimeter from which the visitor can view the plant collection. Here lush plants and trees compete for light and moisture in a veritable jungle. The ferns and mosses reside down below while the stronger bigger plants, including banana trees, reach the roof.

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park

The beautiful Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park comprises rolling meadows, woodland, riverside fields and formal gardens. Each season thousands of visitors enjoy the rose gardens and associated events during Rose Week. Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park also contains International Camellia Trials, a walled garden, a Japanese-style garden with water features for quiet contemplation, a very popular childrens' playground, an orienteering course and many walks.

Galway

Fountain

The Fountain was erected in 1984 to commemorate Galway's quincentenary. The distinctive rust colored sculpture in the center of the fountain is not a flaw as many people believe. The sails represent those found on the traditional sailing vessel of Galway, the "Galway Hooker", which has rust colored sails and a black base. This sculpture symbolises the importance of the sea and maritime trade in the development of the city, from mediaeval times to the present day.

Tuam’s Mill Museum

Tuam’s Mill Museum is at present housed in the Little Mill and the Millers House. The Mill is the only preserved mill in the west of Ireland. This museum was opened in 1974 and consisted of a water powered corn mill complete with its machinery. The museum closed down in 1977 and reopened its doors again to the public in 1980. Since then it has opened every summer to cater for the tourists coming to town. In the Millers House there is a display of miniature models of four types of mill.

Irish / spanish

Food: Main food, breakfast, typical food and popular drinks.

Popular sport

Music: Popular music, representative instruments.

National festivities

Religion

Greetings

Stereotypes

Food

Main food:

POTATOES BREAD

Breakfast:

The most common ingredients of the breakfast are bacon rashers, sausages, fried eggs, white pudding, black pudding, liver, and brown soda bread, accompanied with black tea and milk. Potato bread, baked beans, fried tomatoes and mushrooms are sometimes included.

It consists of coffee and milk or hot chocolate with a variety of sweet cakes such as brioche and pastries such as croissant, often with a sweet jam, cream, or chocolate filling. It is often served with juice.

Typical food:

Mussel Soup, Fresh Oysters, Mushroom Soup, Smoked Salmon, Dublin Coddle, Irish Stew, Cutlets of Lamb, Cooked Ham.

Paella, tortilla, cocido madrileño, fabada, Iberian ham, cheese of La Mancha.

Popular drinks:

Guinness, whiskey, cider, cream Liquor Mead, Poitín and Irish coffee.

Sangría, vino and cava.

Popular sport

Hurling and gaelic soccer, hunts and flat racing.

Football.

music

Popular music:

Celtic music. Flamenco, Chotis, Copla, Cuplé, Jota, Pasodoble, Sardana.

representative instrument:

Harp Spanish guitar

National festivities

January 1 (New Year)

March 17 (day of San Patricio)

March 24 (Easter Monday)

May 5 (national Holiday(Party)of May)

June 2 (national Holiday(Party) of June)

August 4 (national Holiday(Party) of August)

October 27 (national Holiday(Party) of October)

December 25 (Christmas)

December 26 (San Esteban)

January 1 - New Year

January 6 – The Kings

April 10 - Easter

May 1 - Day of the Work

August 15 – “Asunción de la Virgen”

October 12 - Columbus Day

November 1 - Day of All the Saints

December 6 - Day of the Spanish Constitution

December 8 - Inmaculate Conception

December 25 - Christmas

Religion

Catholics 95%

Protestants, Anglicans, Presbiterians and Methodists 4%

Nonbelieving 13.2%

Catholic 76.7%

Atheist 6.8%

Believer of another religion 1.6%

greetings

Céad míle fáilte ( A hundred of thousands of welcomes)

Hello

How are you?

Dia dhuit (That God is with you)

Slán (It sees safe)

Slán agus beannacht (It sees safe, and God bless you)

Buenos días (Good morning)

Hola (Hello)

¿Cómo está? (How it is?)

¿Qué tal? (How is everything?)

Stereotype

The Irishes are happy, nice and funny persons. They like the music and they frequent very much the bars. Physically the majority they are red-haired.

The Spanish are noisy, party-goers, extroverts, vague and dirty. They sleep every day the siesta. Physically they are brown and small.

Irish/English

Basic phrases

Colours

Days of the week

Months.

Basic words:

How are you?

Thank you

You're welcome

Hello

What is your name?

My name is María

Conas atá tú?

Go raibh maith agat

Tá fáilte romhat

Dia dhuit

Cad is ainm duit?

María is ainm dom

Days of the week:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Dé Luain

Dé Máirt

Dé Chéadaoin

Dé Ardaoin

Dé Haoine

Dé Sathairn

Dé Domhnaigh

Colours:

Orange

Blue

Pink

Yellow

Brown

Green

Green

Grey

Oráiste

Gorm

Bán-dearg

Buí

Donn

Uaine

Glas

Liath

Months:

January FebruaryMarch AprilMay June July August September October November December

Eanáir Feabhra Márta Aibreán Bealtaine Meitheamh Iúil Lúnasa Meán Deireadh Samhain Nollaig

Ana Vergara Sáez

Diana Plaza Chica

Arantxa Ferrer de la Cruz

Paloma Castillo Monteagudo