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Gaelic
Football and Hurling
Gaelic Football and the sport of Hurling are very popular
in Ireland. One might loosely consider Gaelic football as a
mixture of soccer, rugby and handball and it is played on a
pitch similar in size to a rugby pitch with 15 players per
team. The ball used for Gaelic Football is round and the
goals are very similar to those of Rugby but you can score a
goal as in soccer (worth 3 points) or a point by putting the
ball over the bar. To score you can hit the ball with the
foot, the hand or the fist.
Hurling is played with rules similar to Gaelic football,
but the players use a narrow long stick called a hurley
(approximately 1m) to strike a small leather ball.
Language
The National and Official language of Ireland is
Gaelic...... as well as English. However, approximately 99%
of the population speak English. Despite governmental
efforts to rekindle interest in the Irish Language less than
5% of the population use it on a daily basis. Gaelic is
obligatory in Irish schools and currently there is a renewed
interest in the language.
Religion
Find out in conversation!!
Education
Ireland has a particularly efficient educational system.
School is obligatory from six to fifteen years and the
system is made up of 3 levels:
- Primary education (5-12 years) - free
- Secondary education (12-18 years) - free
- Third level - college
Climate
The Irish climate is an oceanic climate, therefore rather
soft (as they say in Ireland) with westerly winds
prevailing. The temperatures do not vary much and range from
on average between 4 and 7C in January and between 14 and
16C in July. The climate is generally wet explaining the
dominant green colours of the landscape
Economic
Development
The geographical situation of Ireland was always a
significant barrier to development as the principal markets
are subject to significant transport costs. However, with
the help of the European Union there has been a great
improvement in the infrastructures of the country. Another
element which continues to aid the economic development is
the tax advantages enjoyed by international companies
setting up in Ireland.
Political
System
Head of State
- The Head of State is the President - currently Mary
McAleese. Presidential elections take place every seven
years with a direct vote of the people. The President
appoints the Taoiseach on the nomination of Dáil
Éireann and appoints Government Ministers on the
advice of the Taoiseach.
Parliament
- The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary democracy
governed by the Oireachtas which consists of the
President and the Legislature. The Legislature has two
houses, Dáil Éireann, which is a house of
representatives and Seanad Éireann, which is a
senate or upper house.
- The sole and exclusive power of making laws is vested
in parliament.
- The Dáil has exclusive responsibility for
initiating Money Bills or Bills to amend the
Constitution. The Seanad has only limited powers in
amending Money Bills and any Bill passed by the
Dáil.
Elections
- General Elections must be held at least once every 5
years. One hundred and sixty-six Teachtaí
Dála (members of the Dáil) are elected
directly in 41 constituencies by Irish and British
citizens resident in the Republic.
- System - Proportional representation and a single
transferrable vote.
- Seanad Éireann has 60 Seanadoirí
(Senators); 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach, 6 are
elected by the graduates of Trinity College Dublin and
the National University of Ireland and the remaining 43
are elected by 5 panels.
Main Political
Parties
- Fianna Fáil
- Founded in 1926 by Éamon de Valera. Fianna
Fáil was made up of anti-treaty Sinn
Féin members, the party did not sit in the
Oireachtas until 1927.
- Fine Gael
- Founded in 1933 following the amalgamation of
Cumann na nGaedheal, the Centre Party and the Army
Comrades Association.
- Labour Party
- Founded in 1912 by James Connolly, Jim Larkin and
William O'Brien as political wing of Irish Trade Union
Congress, the party merged with Democratic Left in
1999
- Progressive Democrats
- Formed in 1985 by Des O'Malley, Mary Harney and
other former members of Fianna Fáil.
- The Green Party
- Founded in 1981 as the Ecology Party of Ireland,
renamed The Green Party in 1986.
- Sinn Féin
- Founded in 1905 as Sinn Féin League, 1970
as Provisional Sinn Féin.
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Without
any doubt pubs are the main places for socializing
in Ireland especially in the small towns (which are
numerous in Ireland). 
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