Radical Groups

     The Irish Republican Army, better known as the IRA (Irish Republican Army in English) is a paramilitary group and Catholic reintegralista, which aims to separate Northern Ireland from the UK and reattaching the Republic of Ireland. Once resorted to terrorist methods, especially bombings and ambushes with firearms, and had targeted traditional Protestant unionist politicians and representatives of the British government. The IRA has links with other groups and an Irish nationalist political arm, the nationalist party Sinn Fein ("We Own"). Over more than two decades of armed struggle, there were over 3500 deaths.     The main reason why the IRA was fighting the religious equality, whereas 75% of the Northern Irish Protestant and what little was left, Catholic, which meant that there was inequality and prejudice between religions. As the Protestants were the majority, political candidates and referendums decided, inter alia, preventing the Catholic will be manifested. On July 28, 2005, the IRA announced an end to "armed struggle" and the delivery of weapons. The process of handing over weapons expired on September 26, 2005. The whole process of desmantelação arms was instructed by the head of the International Commission on Disarmament, the Canadian General John de Chastelain.

IMMA - Irish Museum of Modern Art

http://www.imma.ie/en/index.htm 

Religion

    Republic of Ireland, 86.8% of the population is Catholic, does not belong to any religion was 186,318 (4.4%). In addition, 1515 people claimed to be agnostic or atheist 929. Therefore, the total non-religious is 4.5% of the population. The rest of the population, or 70,322 (1.7%), declared no religion.

Dialect

     The official languages are Irish, the native Celtic language, and English, which is constitutionally described as a secondary official language. Learning Irish is compulsory in the education of the country, but English is widely prevalent. The sign is usually bilingual, which also exists in the Irish national media. Persons belonging to predominantly Irish speaking communities (the Gaeltacht) are mainly on the west coast of the island.

Geography

     The island of Ireland has a span of more than 84,421 km ², of which five sixths belong to the Republic of Ireland, making up the remainder of Northern Ireland. It is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, northeast of the northern canal in the east by the Irish Sea and the southeast and south by the canal of St. George and the Celtic Sea. The west coast of Ireland mostly consists of cliffs, hills and low mountains.The interior of the country is predominantly composed of relatively flat farmland, traversed by rivers such as the Shannon and punctuated by several large lakes, the Loughs. The center of the country is part of the River Shannon watershed, and contains large areas of fen, used for peat production. The climate temperadoda island is modified by North Atlantic Current and is relatively mild.Summers are rarely very hot, but rarely get very cold in winter.Precipitation is very common, with up to 275 days of rain per year in some parts of the country. Major cities are the capital Dublin on the east coast, Cork in the south west coast eLimerick Galway and Waterford on the southeast coast.

History

Bandeira da Irlanda

      On December 29, 1937, Ireland became the successor State of the Irish Free State, established on December 6, 1922. Ireland was one of the poorest countries of Western Europe and had high emigration. The protectionist economy began in the 1950s and Ireland joined the European Community (now renamed the later European Union) in 1973. An economic crisis led Ireland to start a large-scale economic reforms in the late 1980s. Ireland has dramatically reduced taxation and regulation, in comparison with other EU countries.The law was intended primarily to declare that Ireland was a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy.Ireland is the successor to the Irish Free State. This area had been completed when the entire island of Ireland split from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on December 6, 1922.However, the next day, parliament of Northern Ireland has exercised its right under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and again chose to belong to the UK.The Irish independence from Britain in 1922 was preceded by the War of Independence and the Easter Uprising of 1916, when Irish volunteers and members of the Army Civilian Irish took the lead of places in Dublin and GalwayOn December 29, 1937, a new Constitution, the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland (Irish: Bunreacht na hÉireann), entered into force. It replaced the Irish Free State Constitution and created a new state called simply "Éire", or, in English, "Ireland." The former Free State Government has taken steps to formally abolish the Office of Governor-General a few months before the new Constitution comes into force.

Politics

     Politically, Ireland is divided into:
    1. Irish Republic with its capital established in Dublin, which covers five sixths of the island. Ireland and Eire are the names of state officials - in English and Irish respectively - while the Republic of Ireland and its official description. It is called the "south" or "the Republic" by many residents of Northern Ireland.
     2. Northern Ireland, Belfast is the capital and part of the UK, is also known as "the North" by nationalists and residents of the Republic of Ireland, "the six states" by the nationalists and Ulster "by unionists. This state that gives its name to conventional long name of the United Kingdom, which was "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Betanha.
       Traditionally, Ireland is subdivided into four provinces: Connacht, Leinster, Munster eUlster, and since the nineteenth century in 32 counties. 26 of these counties are in Ireland, and the other six (all in Ulster) are in Northern Ireland. Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. Legislative power is exercised by Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of the President and both chambers. The President, who is directly elected for seven years. The government consists of a maximum of 15 members, of whom two shall belong to the Senate and the other to the president.

Culture:

      In Irish culture, we highlight the writers Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde, in addition to four Nobel Prize for Literature: George Bernard Shaw, W. B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Only an Irishman won oNobel of Physics, Ernest Walton in 1951. Besides these, also gave contribution William Thompson, a leading naturalist, and William Rowan Hamilton, was a renowned physicist and mathematician of the nineteenth century.

Cinema

   There are several international figures natural and Ireland who have triumphed in Hollywood: Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, George Brent, Arthur Shields Maureen O'Sullivan, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne, Brendan Gleeson, DanielDay Lewis, Colm Meaney, Colin Farrell, Brenda Fricker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Stuart Townsend, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson and Evanna Lynch. Other names such as Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan, also stood in the world of cinema as director of production.

Music

    The Irish are very interested in the traditional Irish music, but also to the music of the twentieth century, played by Christy Moore, Pat Ingolsbhy, Shane MacGowan and Sinead O'Connor. Also noteworthy is the rock band U2, Snow Patrol, The Corrs, The Cranberries, Bob Geldof, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Horslips, Rory Gallagher, Westlife, Chris de Burgh and Van Morrison. In more traditional music sung by Enya, The Dubliners, Tara Blaise, The Chieftains and Celtic Woman, among others, and James Galway.

Gastronomy

     Examples of some typical dishes of the Irish are Irish stew, and also bacon with cabbage (boiled together). The Boxty is a traditional dish, which is a pastry made from potatoes. Dublin is popular ocoddle, which is made with cooked pork sausage. Ireland is famous for its Irish breakfast which is served mostly with pork and may include potato chips.
One of the drinks most associated with Ireland is Guinness, which is often served in pub's, but is also popular to Smithwicks. This is an Irish tradition of taking cider, in addition to the Malt Whiskey and Irish Coffee. Since 1974, Ireland produced one of the most famous liqueurs, Bailey's Irish Cream to, being a mixture of cream with Irish whiskey, which reach 17% alcohol by volume.

Economy

       Ireland now has the fifth highest GDP per capita in the world, and the seventh considering the GDP per capita in purchasing power parity, Ireland also has the fifth highest HDI in the world. The country also boasts the highest quality of life of the world, being in first place in terms of quality of life index of the Economist Intelligence Unit.Ireland was ranked sixth in the Global Peace Index Ireland also has a high ranking in its educational system, political freedom and civil rights, freedom of press and economic freedom, which was also ranked as the fourth country Failed States Index, being one of the few countries "sustainable" throughout the world. Ireland has emerged as an attractive destination for foreign immigrants, who now make up about 10% of the population.

Curiosity

    Éire is the Irish name that refers both to the island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. He comes from the goddess Ériu, which would have helped the Gaels, according to Celtic mythology, to conquer Ireland, and is one of three queens of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The name Éire appears on coins, postage stamps, passports and other official documents since 1937.