About Ireland

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean.  It is separated from Great Britain to the east by the Irish Sea, along with North and St. George’s Channels.  The island remains divided between the Republic of Ireland , an independent state covering most of the island. Northern Ireland is part of United Kingdom.  Dublin is the capital of the Republic and Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. The currency for the Republic is Euros and Northern Ireland is the United Kingdom pound.

Ireland’s tumultuous history began in the 1920’s, when Northern Ireland remained under British Rule. Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland claimed independence.  Also, comparatively the conflicts reflected in the religions, with the North as Protestant and the Republic as Catholic.  Later in the 1960’s the conflict ignited to the level of becoming a civil war, with most of the violence in Northern Ireland. Finally, The Troubles ended in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.  Overall, more than 3,500 people died during The Troubles. About half of these deaths were in Belfast from bombings and shootings.  In addition, about 50,000 people became injured. 

During this conflict, the citizens of Belfast built the Peace Wall to divide the Catholics and Protestants.  Starting in 1969, these peace walls now stretch over 21 miles (34 km). Eventually, the walls became a canvas to express through murals the political views and tumultuous history of this community. Consequently, these articulate murals evolved over 50 years into some of the most expressive and famous political murals in the world.

The Atlantic Ocean greatly influences the Irish Climate, keeping it moderate with milder winters than other areas of this northern latitude. The summers keep cool with lots of rainfall and clouds. The Irish culture has a significant influence on other cultures worldwide. Ireland is known for its great literature, poetry and music. It has some of the most dramatically beautiful coastlines in the world, at sites, such as the Northern Ireland’s Coastal Causeway Route and Republic of Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher.

Ireland Travel Guides
Northern Ireland / Republic of Ireland