Brief description of Ireland's facts, history, mythology and tourist highlights. Students can explain the slides to the rest of the class or use it as a model to do the same with other countries. It is also a speaking exercise for students to agree on what to visit in their travel to ireland.

1. An overview
Marina Rodríguez Pérez

2. Irish facts and figures
Irish Name: Éire Geographically divided:
The Republic of Ireland and
Capital: Dublin (Báile Northern Ireland (part of United
Átha Cliath) Kingdom)
Official languages: Area: 70,273 Km2
English and Irish Population: about 5 mill.
Currency: Euro Drive: on the left
Goverment: Unitary Internet TLD: .ie
parlamentary constitutional
republic Time zone: UTC +0

3. History Timeline
8000 BC- Celtic times
 mesolithic hunter migratefrom Britain and the continent
 Neolithic sites as New Grange
5th C- 600 AD: Saint Patrick brings Chrisitanity
1169- The English come to Ireland
1840 The great hunger
Fighting to be free:
 1914- Britain gives Ireland an Irish Parliament
 1916- Patrick Pearse
 1919-Sinn Fein and IRA
 1972- Bloody Sunday
 2008- a new agreement

4. Celtic Ireland
Sports : hurling and gaelic football
Music
Folk: Patrick denehi
Modern Folk: Enya, Coors
Pop: U2, Sinead O’Connor
Celtic Language
Celtic Mythology

5. Irish Language
Proto-indoeuropean
Celtic Germanic
insular continental west
Goidelic celtiberian German
Scots Irish gaelic English

6. Celtic Mythology
The Fir Bholg The Ulster
Cycle
The Bull
The Formorians
from Cooley
Cuchulainn
Tuatha De
Medb &
Danann
Conchobar
Lugh

7. Irish Society
0-14 age
15-29 age
30-64 age
+ 65age

8. Irish Climate
250
200
150 rain (mm)
sun
100
snow(mm)
50
0
1er trim. 2do trim. 3er trim. 4to trim.

9. Irish Agriculture
Arable
Sheep, Cattle and Grazing
Dairying

11. Geographycal Division
CONNAUGHT MUNSTER
 Galway  Cork
 Mayo  Limerick
 Kerry
LEINSTER
 Dublin ULSTER
 Kilkenny Donegal
 Wexford Caval
Monahan

12. Irish Highlights
East and Midlands
South
West

13. East and Midlands: Meath
· Newgrange: the megalithic tomb is a UNESCO
World Heritage
· Trim castle and visitors centre: the largest Anglo -
Norman castle in Ireland.
· Hill of Tara: Stone Age tomb visual show and guided
tours.
· Athboy city: VI C. city.
· Boyne valley: a walking tour to see the site of The
Battle of the Boyne (1690).

14. East and Midlands:
Kildare
· Castletown house: 1722 Palladian style country house.
· Ballindoolin house and gardens: Georgian house in a
magnificent forest park.
· Coolcarrigan house, Gardens and Church
· Russborough house: often described as the most beautiful
house in Ireland (1750)
· Kildare Town, a Humanity’s heritage town.
· The Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre -Silverware product
from celebrities

15. East and Midlands:
Wicklow
· Black castle ruins
· Killruddery House and garden: Elizabethan Revival mansion.
· Brittas Bay: Blue Flag beach
· Glendalough: glaciated valley and 6th Christian monastic
remains (audiovisual centre)
· Caravan tours: to Mottee Stone, The Wicklow Mountains
National Park, the Blessington lakes…
· Killruddery gardens and House: 17th C. French design gardens
· Wicklow’s historic Gaol
· Ardmore cinema studios with cinema routes: Excalibur,
Braveheart or Michael Collins.

16. East and Midlands:
Louth
· Monasterboice: 5th C. monastic remains
· Old Mellifont Abbey: 1142 Cistercian Monastery
ruins
· Carlinford medieval town and King John's, Castle,
· Cúchulainn’s stone: stone monument
· Knockabbey Castle and 11th C. water gardens
· The Cooley Peninsula : Carlingford Lough boat rides
and sailing.
· Carrickmacross lace: traditional lace gallery

17. East and Midlands:
Longford
· Harp festival
· Corlea tracking way: 148 BC Iron Age bog
road
· Strokestown House and garden: 18th-century
mansion
· Belvedere House and gardens

18. East and Midlands:
Westmeath
· Athlone Castle
· Tullynally House and gardens: 1800’s gothic
castle
· Mullaghmeen 1,000 acre forest
· Locke’s Distillery Museum.
· The River Shannon natural unspoiled beauty
and wild life tours.

19. East and Midlands
Offaly: Laois:
 Birr Demense castle and  Donaghmore Famine
garden Museum
 ·Clonmacnoise: 6th C.  ·Emo Court and
monastic site gardens: neo - classical
 The Tullamore Dew style.
Whiskey Heritage Centre  Ballyfin House:
neoclassical house.

20. South: Carlow
· Dunleckney Manor (bagnelstown): Tudor Gothic country
house
· Leighlinbridge: 14th c. castle, Carmelite priory, bridge across
the river Barrow (1320).
· Brownshill dolmen ( 2500 B.C ).
· Huntington House and gardens (17th C)
·Oak Park Forest Park
·Altamont gardens: romantic garden.
· Carlow beer Brewing Company
· Ballykeenan Pet Farm

21. South: Kilkenny
· Kilkenny City Tour: medieval friendly streets,
13th c. Black Abbey, Saint Canice's Cathedral
and Round Tower ,Killkenny 12th c. Castle
· Jerpoint Abbey: 12th c. Cistercian abbey
· Saint Mary’s Church (13th c)
·Kilkenny Craft Trail
· Try the famous Kilkenny beer in any of its
more than 500 pubs!

22. South: Wexford
· Duncannon Fort: museum and fortress.
·Dunbrody ship: replica of a 1845 ship
· John F Kennedy Arboretum: woodland walks,
playground, tree house, lake with ducks and fish.
· Kilmokea gardens
·Hook Head Peninsula: lighthouse, picnicking, wreck
diving, and wild landscape.
· Opera Festival (autumn)

23. South: Tipperary
· Glengara woods (Cahir): 776 hectares of forest
· Glen of Aherlow: 16-mile glen
· Mitchelson caves tour
· Rosacrea Castle (1280)
· Rock of Cashel: group of medieval buildings including the
12th c. tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th c.
Gothic cathedral, 15th c. castle and the Hall of the Vicars.
· Cahir Castle (XII.c ).
· Brú Ború cultural: native Irish music, song, dance, theatre
and Celtic studies.
· Lar na Pairce: museum of gaelic games.

24. South: Waterford
· Dungarvan Castle: 1185 Anglo-Norman King John's
Castle
· Ballysaggartmore gothic style buildings in woodland
walking and picnic areas.
· Cooligan Woodland trail
· Scenic drives: Comeragh Mountains, Nire Valley
Drives, Vallingscallon forest.
· Waterford’s blue-flag: Dunmore East, Ardmore,
Bunmahon, Clonea and Counsellor’s Strand.
· Crystal factory

25. South: Cork
· Rock close: ancient druidic settlement.
·Bantry House and gardens
· Charles Fort (Kinsale): 17th c. fortress.
· Blarney Castle’s stone: has the traditional power of
conferring eloquence on all who kiss it.
· Cobh heritage Centre- Titanic story
·The Jameson experience in Midleton Distillery
· The lighthouse at Mizen Head
· Garnish Island

26. South: Kerry
· Ross Castle (kilarney): 15th c. towerhouse
· Muckross House and Lake in Killarney National Park.
· The Skellings islands: ecclesiastical ruins of the Dark Ages.
The Ring of Kerry: beaches , ancient monuments and outdoor
activities and routes.
· Killarney national Park: Gap of Dunloe glaciated valley, The
Beara Way (five days route)
·Dingle Peninsula and the Blasket islands: Eco boat tours
· Coolwood Park: wildlife park
·Crag Cave:
· Famine cottage: is a relic of famine times in Ireland.
· Ballybunion: Superb beach, seaweed baths

27. West: Clare
· Craggaunowen- prehistoric park.
· The Burren: monuments characteristic of
every period from the Neolithic onwards
· The village of Killaloe : the palace of Brian
Ború, famed 11th century king of Ireland.
·Cliffs of Moher: 214-metre cliffs
· The Aillwee Caves
· Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

28. West: Limerick
· Adare town: village with l thatched cottages, Tudor-
style houses and gardens.
· Celtic Park at Kilcornan: Ireland’s ancient history
museum
· Lough Gur: pre-celtic archaeological site.
· The Ballyhoura Mountains walking trails.
· Boyce gardens
· Buttercap Farm
·The Irish Harp Centre

29. West: Galway
· Dun Aonghasa Fort: fort in Inishmore
· Kylemore Abbey: Victorian-era castle.
· Saint Brendan’s Cathedral (Conflert)
· Aran Islands: traditional language, culture and music, unique
in their geology and archaeology
· Connemara National Park.
· Killary Fjord
· Atlantaquaria: Ireland’s largest aquarium
·Medieval Banquets at Kinvara
· Galway’s busy nightlife.
· Glengowla mines

30. West: Mayo
· Wesport House: 18th-century stately home set
in parkland with a lake, terraces and gardens.
·Achill island
· Croagh Patrick: holy mountain
· National Museum of Ireland’s country life
· Féile Chois Chuain in Louisburg: Irish music
festival

31. West: Roscommon
· Boyle Abbey: 12th c. Cistercian monastery
· King House: 1730 Georgian mansion
· Roscommon Castle ruins
· Strokestown Park and Famine Museum
· Lough Key Forest Park and lake, Lough Key, Lough
Gara and Lough Boderg.
· Glender open Farm (Athlone)
· Derryglad Folk Museum (Athlone): rural artifacts

32. West: Leitrim
· Drumkeeran Heritage centre: Irish traditional
farmhouse and cottage
· Parkes castle: Lough Gill and manor house
· Glencar waterfall
· Glenfarne forest
· Kinlough folk museum:
· Swan Island Open Farm
· Leitrim Crystal Market Yard: crystal gifts and
tableware.

33. West: Sligo
· Carrowmore Megalithic cementry
· Sligo Abbey
· Drumcliff church and visitor centre
· Lakeview Gardens
· Lough Gill : fishing
· Gillighan’s World: botanical gardens with
“enchanted” areas, miniature villages, and fairy folk.
· Sligo Folk Park: 19th century village, houses and
attractions

34. Famous Irish
Writers
 James Joyce ,Samuel Becket, Oscar Wilde
 Boyne: the boy with stripped pijamas
Actors
 Kenneth Branagh
 Daniel Day Lewis
 Pierce Brosnan