Ireland (Irish: Éire; Ulster Scots: Airlann) is the third largest island in Europe behind Great Britain and Iceland. It is also the twentieth largest in the world. It lies to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. Politically, the Republic of Ireland (also known simply as Ireland) covers five sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, covering the remainder in the northeast. The name 'Ireland' derives from Old Irish Ériu (in modern Irish, Éire) with the addition of the Germanic word 'land'. This word, from Proto-Celtic *Iwerju, which also gave Middle Welsh Iwerd "Irish Sea", originally meant "fatness", in the sense of fertile.
The population of the island is slightly under six million (2006/7), with almost 4.25 million in the Republic of Ireland (1.7 million in Greater Dublin) and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland (0.6 million in Greater Belfast ).
Interesting places to visit on the island of Ireland include the following:
Achill Island, Co. Mayo
The Aran Islands, Co. Galway
Athenry, Co. Galway
Bangor, Co. Down
Blarney Castle, Co. Cork
The Book of Kells, Trinity College Dublin
Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare
The Burren, Co. Clare
Cahir Castle nearby Cahir, Co Tipperary
Céide Fields, Co. Mayo
Clonmacnoise Co. Offaly
Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo
Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
Walled City of Derry
Dublin Zoo, Dublin
Emain Macha (also known as Navan Fort), Co. Armagh
Fore Abbey Co. Westmeath
Fota Island Wildlife Park, Co. Cork
Galway City
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim
Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
The Glens of Antrim, Co. Antrim
Hill of Tara, Co. Meath
The Botanic Gardens, Dublin
The Japanese Gardens, Co. Kildare
Jerpoint Abbey, Co Kilkenny
Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry
King John's Castle (Limerick)
Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo
Lake County Westmeath
The Mourne Mountains, Co. Down
Mount Errigal, Co. Donegal
Newgrange, Co. Meath
Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim
The Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Slieve League cliffs, Co.Donegal
Trim Castle, Co. Meath
Trinity College, Dublin
Tory Island, Co. Donegal
The Wicklow Way, Co. Wicklow
For an island of relatively small population, Ireland has made a disproportionately large contribution to world literature in all its branches, mainly in English. Poetry in Irish represents the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century; Jonathan Swift, still often called the foremost satirist in the English language, was wildly popular in his day (Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal etc.) and remains so in modern times amongst both children and adults. In more recent times, Ireland has produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature: George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Although not a Nobel Prize winner, James Joyce is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century and Samuel Beckett memorably refused to attend his own Nobel award ceremony, claiming that Joyce should have received the award. His 1922 novel Ulysses is considered one of the most important works of Modernist literature and his life is celebrated annually on June 16 in Dublin as the Bloomsday celebrations.
In the 20th century, Irish architecture followed the international trend towards modern, sleek and often radical building styles, particularly after independence in the first half of the century. New building materials and old were utilised in new ways to maximise style, space, light and energy efficiency. 1928 saw the construction of Ireland's first all concrete Art Deco church in Turners Cross, Cork. The building was designed by Chicago architect Barry Byrne and met with a cool reception among those more accustomed to traditional designs.
In 1953, one of Ireland's most radical buildings, Bus Éireann's main Dublin terminal building, better known as Busáras was completed. It was built despite huge public opposition, excessive costs (over £1m) and even opposition from the Catholic Church. Michael Scott, its architect is now considered one of the most important architects of the twentieth century in Ireland.
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