IRELAND

-Food:

There is fresh fish and seafood from the lakes and the ocean, and fresh meat and vegetables from the farms. The national dish, Irish stew is made from lamb, potatoes, onions, carrots and parsley. The Irish are even more fond of drinking tea than the English.

-Sport:

The national sport of Ireland is Gaelic football, but its different than normal football. Another Irish sport is hurling. In this sport you hite the ball with a stick.

On 26th December, they go to horses races. Other popular sports are rugby, football and golf.

-Music and Dance:

In many countries traditional music has died out, but not in Ireland. Irish dancing is also popular and the show Riverdance was an international success. There are U2, Boyzone, Westlife, Enya or Van Morrison?

The traditional Irish song is “Danny Boy”.

The Economy:

Ireland has been a poor country with many problems but from 1995 to 2007 there was an economic boom there. People called Ireland the “Celtic Tiger”.

Iconic places:

Dublin is the capital of Ireland. The river Liffey passes through the centre of Dublin. Some of the Republicans organised the revolution from inside the Post Office and you can still see the bullet holes in the stone.

Trinity Collage is the most important Irish university.
The Book of Kells is a beautifil book that is more than 1,200 years old.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.

The Giant's Causeway is one the east coast of Northern Ireland.
In the walls of Blarney castle near the city of Cork is an ancient piece of bluestone called The Blarney Stone.
In the south-west of Ireland, the Lakes of Killarney are in a ring of mountains.

Iconic People:

Teddy Roosvelt, J.F.Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton and the Barack Obama's mother family are from Irleland. In Northern Ireland says that George Best is the best football player in the world.

Bob Geldof was the leader of an Irish punk band.

Mary Robinson was the first woman president of Ireland between 1990 and 1997.

Saint Patrick:

Saint patrick was a slave in Ireland, hescaped but retuned to Ireland around CE 450. He converted the Irish people to Christianity.

Stories from the past:

Leprechauns are little old men who wear green or red jacket, carry a stick and wear a tall hat. One Celtic legend are “Deiredre of the Sorrows”. Ireland has not had an easy history. For centuries, the English controlled the country.