A WALK FOR IRELAND

INTRODUCTION• Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest

island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and 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 state Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland) covers five - sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the

United Kingdom, covering the remainder in the north-east.

1.- GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

• Geography:– Political geography– Physical geography

• Climate • Fauna

GEOGRAPHY

• Political geography: The island of Ireland is occupied by two political entities:

» - Ireland (also sometimes 'Republic of Ireland', such as seen on this map, for clarification and national state

purposes, not normally used in reference to Ireland), a sovereign country, covers five-sixths of the island. Its capital is Dublin.

» - Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, covers the remaining sixth.

Its capital is Belfast.

• Physical geography: A ring of coastal mountains surrounds low central plains. The highest peak is

Carrauntoohil (Irish: Corrán Tuathail) in County Kerry, which is 1,041 m (3,414 ft). The River Shannon, at 386 km (240 miles) is the longest river in Ireland. The island's lush vegetation, a product of its mild climate and frequent rainfall, earns it the sobriquet "Emerald Isle". The island's area is 84,412 km² (32,591 square miles).

– Mountains:• Ireland is a plain that is surrounded by several mountain chains. Some

important mountain chains are:

-Macgillycuddy's Reeks

-Comeragh Mountains

-Blackstairs Mountains

-Wicklow Mountains.

– Rivers:• Ireland has several rivers. Of these rivers we stand out: The main river in Ireland is the River Shannon, 386 km

(240 miles), the longest river in either Ireland. Other rivers are: River Liffey, River Lee, River Blackwater, River Nore, River Suir.

FAUNAThe most important species are:

-red fox

-hedgehog

-red deer

CLIMATE• Ireland has a very regular climate with temperatures that do not change in

excess along the whole country. In winter it is cold, and the coldest months are January and February. The hottest months are July and August. During the rest of the year the temperatures are moderate. And there are enough rainfalls.

Dublin Airport weather station statistics

Factor Jan Feb MarApr

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec; Year

Mean daily max temp (°C)

7.6 7.5 9.5 11.4

14.2 17.2 18.9 18.6 16.6 13.7 9.8 8.4 12.8

Mean daily min temp (°C)

2.5 2.5 3.1 4.4 6.8 9.6 11.4 11.1 9.6 7.6 4.2 3.4 6.0

Mean daily

sunshine

(h)

1.8 2.5 3.6 5.2 6.1 6.0 5.4 5.1 4.3 3.1 2.4 1.7 3.9

Mean monthly

rain (mm)69.4 50.4 53.8

50.7

55.1 56.0 49.9 70.5 66.7 69.7 64.7 75.6 732.7

2.- MONUMENTS– Trinity College:

Dublin has a rich history and a lot of monuments to show for itself. The prosperity of the British Empire in the 18th century can still been seen in the splendour of some mansions build in that era. Also an important monument in Irish history is the GPO (general post office) on O’Connell Street where Patrick Pearse, James Connolly and Michael Collins acclaimed the Independence of Ireland in 1916. Some of the best of Dublin’s churches are St. Patrick’s Cathedral (whose most famous Dean was writer, Jonathan Swift) and Christ Church Cathedral (originally constructed in 1038 but has been rebuilt many times since).

• DUBLIN:

- The Spire of Dublin One of Dublin's newest monuments is

the Spire of Dublin, a 120-metre / 394-foot conical spire which is made of stainless steel. This new spire replaces Nelson's Pillar, which was erected by the British during colonial times and it is intended to mark Dublin's place in the 21st Century.

- Molly MaloneSweet Molly Malone is another

figment of Irish imagination and she has inspired many songs, poems and more recently this wonderfully detailed sculpture. Her larger than life bronze statue is complete with flower cart and can be found where Nassau and Grafton Streets meet. The revealing neckline may explain her many nicknames, which include 'the tart with the cart' and 'the trollop with the scallops'.

- St. Patrick's Cathedral This cathedral is the site of a holy well, which was used by St.

Patrick for baptisms. A church was built here in the 5th century and the building, which was constructed in 1171, is actually Ireland's largest church, built on the oldest Christian site in Dublin. The church organ is the most powerful in Ireland and the West Tower houses some of the largest bells in the country. In 1320, St. Patrick's Cathedral was also the first university and has now become a very popular tourist attraction, as well as a place of worship.

• CORK:– Grand ParadeOn Grand Parade, also once a waterway, stands the grandiose National

Monument , recalling the Irish patriots who died between 1798 and 1867. Bishop Lucey Park, off Grand Parade, has a section of city walls and a fine gatewary from the old cornmarket.

– The statue of Fr. Matthew Standing in the centre of Patrick Street, this

statue commemorates Fr. Thoebold Matthew, the apostle of Temperance(1790 - 1861), He was known and loved in Cork for his efforts to alleviate distress during the cholera epidemic of 1832 and during the Great Famine from 1845 to1850. He was also responsible for the purchase of the botanic gardens in Ballyphehane and the establishment of St Joseph's cemetery on that site.

The statue of Fr. Matthew was erected 10 October 1864 and it has been loved and adore by Corkoians ever since.

• BELFAST:– Albert Memorial Clock

The Constructed between 1865 and 1870, as a memorial to Queen Victoria's late Prince Consort, Prince Albert, it stands 113 feet tall. A statue of the Prince in robes of a Knight of the Garter stands on the western side of the tower. A two tonne bell is housed in the tower.

Designed by William J Barre, who also designed Belfast's Ulster Hall, it is described as a mix of French and Italian Gothic styles. The sculpture of Albert is

by S.F. Lynn.

• LIMERICK

– King John's Castle King John's Castle is a castle located on King's Island in Limerick, Ireland, next to the River Shannon.

The walls, towers and fortifications remain today, and are a visitor attraction. The remains of a Viking settlement were uncovered during the construction of a visitor centre at the site.

– Treaty of Limerick The Treaty of Limerick ended the Williamite war in Ireland between the Jacobites and the supporters of William of Orange. It concluded the Siege of Limerick. The treaty really consisted of two treaties which were signed on 3 October 1691. Reputedly they were signed on the Treaty Stone, an irregular block of limestone which once served as a mounting block for horses. This stone is now displayed on a pedestal in Limerick city. Because of the treaty, Limerick is sometimes known as the Treaty City.

3.- CULTURE

• Food:– Most of the Irish local dishes are elaborated by simple food and of great quality

as vegetables, meat, butter, fished and potato, the potato is considered as the basic food of its nourishment. The Irish breakfast is characterized for being strong and consistent,it is formed by eggs, bacon, sausages, fruit, cereals, cake of potato, tomato. The meat of Ireland possesses an excellent flavor thanks to

the pastures in which the cattle is fed. The ham roasted to the oven with nails and sugar, the veal stew with beer,

the pork roasted with honey, the chops of lamb with cream of mint or the stuffed pheasant of chestnuts are some of the plates with more tradition.

The local dishes of Ireland are the Boxty, Irish Stew and Colcannon.• Boxty:is a traditional Irish potato pancake. The dish consists of finely grated, raw

potato and mashed potato with flour, baking soda, buttermilk and sometimes egg. The grated potato may be strained to remove most of the starch and water but this is not necessary. The mixture is fried on a griddle pan for a few minutes on each side, similar to a normal pancake.

• Colcannon:is a traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage, butter, salt, and pepper. It can contain other ingredients such as milk, cream, leeks, onions, chives, garlic, boiled ham or Irish bacon. At one time it was a cheap, year-round staple food.

• Irish Stew: is a traditional Irish dish made from lamb, beef or mutton,as well as potatoes, onions, and parsley.

• Holidays, traditions and Symbols– Holidays and Traditions:

The national holidays of Ireland are St. Patrick's Day, Beltane and Samhain. • St. Patrick's Day: is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick , one of the

patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on 17th of March.The day is the national holiday of Ireland: it is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. It is also a public holiday in Montserrat. In Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Argentina and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday.

• Beltane: is a former Irish celebrated bank holiday on May 1.For the Celts, Beltane was marking the beginning of the

season of pastoral summer when the herds of cattle were removing towards the summer pastures and to the lands of pasture of the mountains

• Samhain:Is the festivity of the most important Celtic origin of the pagan period that dominated Europe up to the

evangelización of the christianity, in which there was celebrated the end of the season of crops in the Celtic culture and was considered as the "New Celtic Year ",which began with the dark station. It is so much a holiday of transition of opening to another world.

– Symbols:Some Irish symbols are the shillelagh, the Shamrock and the Book of Kells. – Shillelagh: is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from

a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top, that is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore.

– The Book of Kells: is a manuscript illustrated with ornamental motives, realized by Celtic monks towards the year 800.Writing in Latin, Book of kells contains four Gospels of the New Testament, besides preliminary and explanatory notes, and numerous illustrations and colored

miniatures. At present the manuscript is exposed permanently in the library of the Trinity College of Dublin.

• Music and sports:– Music: The traditional Irish music is characterized by the slow movement of

change that has along the list of accepted beginning(principles). The melody more common is the reel.(it is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type.In Irish dance, a reel is any dance danced to music in reel time (see below). In Irish stepdance, the reel is danced in soft shoes and is one of the first dances taught to students).

The most common Irish instruments are the harp, the bagpipe, the fiddle, the drum, the flute and the in whistle

– Sports:The sports most practised and followed in Ireland are the hurling and the Gaelic

football.– Hurling: an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the

GAA, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. The game, played primarily in Ireland, has prehistoric origins and is thought to be the world's fastest field team sport in terms of game play. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, number of players, and much terminology. There is a similar game for women called camogie.The object of the game is for players to use a wooden axe-shaped stick called a hurley to hit a small ball called a sliotar between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points.

- Gaelic football: is a form of football played mainly in Ireland.Gaelic football is played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end. The primary object is to score by kicking or striking the ball with the hand and getting it through the goals. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins. Players advance the ball up the field with a combination of carrying, soloing (dropping and then toe-kicking the ball upward into the hands), kicking, and hand-passing to their team-mates

4.- IRISH LANGUAGE:

• Dialects of Irish:– There are a number of distinct dialects of Irish. Roughly speaking, the three

major dialect areas coincide with the provinces of Munster (Cúige Mumhan), Connacht (Cúige Chonnacht) and Ulster (Cúige Uladh).

• Munster dialects: Munster Irish is spoken in the Gaeltachtaí of Kerry

• Connacht dialects: The strongest dialect of Connacht Irish is to be found in Connemara and the Aran Islands. It is spoken between Galway and Mayo

• Ulster dialects: The most important of the Ulster dialects today is that of the Rosses it is spoken in the North of Ireland.

Meeting People• Dia duit: Hello. (Literally: God to

you.) Dia's Muire duit: Reply to hello.(Literally: God and Mary to you.) Cén t-ainm atá ort?: What is your name? Éamonn atá orm: Éamonn is my name. Cad is ainm duit?: What is your name? Síle is ainm dom: Síle is my name. Cé hé sin?: Who is he? Sin é Seán: He is Seán. Cé hí sin?: Who is she? Sin í Máire: She is Máire.

Irish phrases:

How are you?Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú?: How are you? (Connemara) Caidé mar tá tú?: How are you? (Ulster) Conas tá tú?: How are you? (Munster) Tá mé go maith: I am good. Tá mé go hiontach: I am wonderful. Tá mé go dona: I am (feeling) badly. Tá mé tinn: I am sick. Tá tinneas cinn orm: I have a headache. Tá tuirse orm: I am tired.

PlesantriesMa's é do thoil é: Please. Le do thoil: Please. Go raibh maith agat: Thank you. Tá fáilte romhat: You're welcome. Ná habair é: Don't mention it. Dia linn: God bless you. (After a sneeze) Buíochas le Dia: Thank God. Gabh mo leithscéal: Excuse me. Cén fáth?: Why? B'fhéidir: Maybe. Bí ciúin: Be quiet. Is dóigh liom: I suppose. Is cuma liom: I don't care. Maith go leor: Good enough / O.K. Go n'éirí an t-ádh leat: Good luck.

In the classroomTar isteach: Come in. Suí síos: Sit down. An dtuigeann tú?: Do you understand? Tuigim: I understand. Ní thuigim: I do not understand. An bhfuil a fhios agat?: Do you know? (A fact, not a person.) Tá a fhios agam: I know. Níl a fhios agam: I do not know. Conas a dearfá_________ as Gaeilge?: How do you say_________ in Irish? Bain triail as: Try it. Abair go mall é, ma's é do thoil é: Say it slowly, please.

Eating:An bhfuil ocras ort?: Are you hungry? Níl. Ach tá tart orm: No, but I am thirsty. Cuir chugam an siúcra, le do thoil: Pass me the sugar, please.

Cá bhfuil an salann?: Where is the salt? Tabhair dom an t-uisce, le do thoil: Give me the water, please. An maith leat beoir?: Do you like beer? Is maith liom: I like it. Ní maith liom: I do not like it. Is fearr liom beoir: I prefer beer. Is fuath liom fíon: I hate wine.

Is breá liom caife: I love coffee. Beidh, go raibh maith agat: Yes, thank you. (Literally: There will be a cup of tea [coffee] at me.

Tá an bia go han-mhaith: The food is very good. Bhí na béilí ar fheabhas: The

meals were excellent.