112-566: Bloom Festival is Ireland 's largest gardening show. It is a large five-day event, held each year in Phoenix Park , Dublin. It was first held in 2007, and is organised by Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board) . The 2020 event was cancelled owing to the measures taken to address the 2020 coronavirus pandemic . The first Bloom garden festival was held in June 2007 and opened by then President of Ireland Mary McAleese . The fourth (2010) festival
224-621: A declaration of independence and proclaimed an Irish Republic . The declaration was mainly a restatement of the 1916 Proclamation with the additional provision that Ireland was no longer a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic's Ministry of Dáil Éireann sent a delegation under Ceann Comhairle (Head of Council, or Speaker, of the Daíl) Seán T. O'Kelly to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, but it
336-648: A member state of the European Union since 1973. Citizens of the United Kingdom can freely enter the country without a passport due to the Common Travel Area , which is a passport-free zone comprising the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands . However, some identification is required at airports and seaports. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 was
448-467: A Regional Assembly composed of members delegated by the various county and city councils in the region. The regions do not have any direct administrative role as such, but they serve for planning, coordination and statistical purposes. Ireland has a common law legal system with a written constitution that provides for a parliamentary democracy . The court system consists of the Supreme Court ,
560-639: A comment hard to reconcile with his 1945 claim that the Irish state was already a republic. The United Kingdom responded to the Republic of Ireland Act by enacting the Ireland Act 1949 . This Act formally asserted that the Irish state had, when the Republic of Ireland Act came into force, ceased "to be part of His Majesty's dominions" and accordingly was no longer within the Commonwealth. Nonetheless,
672-527: A legislative guarantee that Northern Ireland would continue to remain a part of the United Kingdom unless the Parliament of Northern Ireland formally expressed a wish to join a United Ireland ; this "unionist veto" proved to be controversial during the Act's passage through Westminster , as well as in the Irish state and amongst Northern Ireland's nationalist community. The guarantee was replaced in 1973, when
784-546: A lower limit may be set by statute law. The current government is a coalition of Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael , and the Green Party with Simon Harris of Fine Gael as Taoiseach and Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil as Tánaiste. Opposition parties in the current Dáil are Sinn Féin , the Labour Party , People Before Profit–Solidarity , Social Democrats , Aontú , as well as a number of independents . Ireland has been
896-514: A member of NATO , although it is a member of Partnership for Peace and certain aspects of PESCO . Ireland's economy is advanced, with one of Europe's major financial hubs being centred on Dublin. It ranks among the top five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of both GDP and GNI per capita. After joining the EC, the country's government enacted a series of liberal economic policies that helped to boost economic growth between 1995 and 2007,
1008-593: A member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), which is aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Ireland is a neutral country , and has "triple-lock" rules governing the participation of Irish troops in conflict zones, whereby approval must be given by the UN, the Dáil and Government. Accordingly, its military role
1120-520: A period it described as The Emergency . Ireland's Dominion status was terminated with the passage of The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 , which came into force on 18 April 1949 and declared that the state was a republic. At the time, a declaration of a republic terminated Commonwealth membership. This rule was changed 10 days after Ireland declared itself a republic, with the London Declaration of 28 April 1949. Ireland did not reapply when
1232-722: A prime minister called the President of the Executive Council . The Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) was the consequence of the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State. Anti-treaty forces, led by Éamon de Valera , objected to the fact that acceptance of the treaty abolished the Irish Republic of 1919 to which they had sworn loyalty, arguing in
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#17328015274261344-660: A profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland against the British Government. In January 1919, after the December 1918 general election , 73 of Ireland's 105 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected were Sinn Féin members who were elected on a platform of abstentionism from the British House of Commons . In January 1919, they set up an Irish parliament called Dáil Éireann . This first Dáil issued
1456-678: A ship and a special unit of frogmen . The military includes the Reserve Defence Forces ( Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve ) for part-time reservists. Ireland's special forces include the Army Ranger Wing , which trains and operates with international special operations units. The President is the formal Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, but in practice these Forces answer to the Government via
1568-572: A symbol of the cooperation of the nations that were members of the Commonwealth with which Ireland associated itself, and his successors those functions which the Act now transferred to the President. The Republic of Ireland Act consists of five brief sections, set out in full as follows: Number 22 of 1948 The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948 An Act to repeal the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936, to declare that
1680-630: A time now often referred to as the Celtic Tiger period. A recession and reversal in growth then followed during the Great Recession , which was exacerbated by the bursting of the Irish property bubble . The Great Recession lasted until 2014, and was followed by a new period of strong economic growth. The Irish name for Ireland is Éire , deriving from Ériu , a goddess in Irish mythology. The state created in 1922, comprising 26 of
1792-562: A wide range of insect, bird and mammal species. It is home to two terrestrial ecoregions: Celtic broadleaf forests and North Atlantic moist mixed forests . Agriculture accounts for about 64% of the total land area. This has resulted in limited land to preserve natural habitats, in particular for larger wild mammals with greater territorial requirements. The long history of agricultural production coupled with modern agricultural methods, such as pesticide and fertiliser use, has placed pressure on biodiversity . The Atlantic Ocean and
1904-560: Is Éire and in the English language, Ireland. Its description in the English language is "the Republic of Ireland." In 1945, when asked if he planned to declare a republic, the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera had replied, "we are a republic", which he had not said in the previous eight years. He also insisted that Ireland had no king, but simply used an external king as an "organ" in international affairs. In October 1947, de Valera asked
2016-489: Is Carrauntoohil (1,038.6 m or 3,407 ft), located in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in the southwest. River Shannon , which traverses the central lowlands, is the longest river in Ireland at 386 kilometres or 240 miles in length. The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands, peninsulas , headlands and bays . Ireland is one of the least forested countries in Europe. Until
2128-593: Is also informally called "the Republic", "Southern Ireland" or "the South"; especially when distinguishing the state from the island or when discussing Northern Ireland ("the North"). Irish republicans reserve the name "Ireland" for the whole island and often refer to the state as "the Free State", "the 26 Counties", or "the South of Ireland". This is a "response to the partitionist view [...] that Ireland stops at
2240-505: Is appointed by the Government. Most uniformed members do not routinely carry firearms . Standard policing is traditionally carried out by uniformed officers equipped only with a baton and pepper spray . The Military Police is the corps of the Irish Army responsible for the provision of policing service personnel and providing a military police presence to forces while on exercise and deployment. In wartime, additional tasks include
2352-410: Is appointed by the President upon the nomination of the Dáil . Most Taoisigh have served as the leader of the political party that gains the most seats in national elections. It has become customary for coalitions to form a government, as there has not been a single-party government since 1989. The Dáil has 160 members ( Teachtaí Dála ) elected to represent multi-seat constituencies under
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#17328015274262464-707: Is bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel . To the east, the Irish Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. The western landscape mostly consists of rugged cliffs, hills and mountains. The central lowlands are extensively covered with glacial deposits of clay and sand, as well as significant areas of bogland and several lakes. The highest point
2576-589: Is limited to national self-defence and participation in United Nations peacekeeping . The Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann ) are made up of the Army , Naval Service , Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force . It is small but well equipped, with almost 10,000 full-time military personnel and over 2,000 in reserve. Daily deployments of the Defence Forces cover aid to civil power operations, protection and patrol of Irish territorial waters and EEZ by
2688-607: Is no record of a prior decision to repeal the External Relations Act before Costello's Canadian trip, among cabinet papers for 1948, which supports Browne's claim. However, the Costello government refused to allow the Secretary to the Government, Maurice Moynihan , to attend cabinet meetings and take minutes, because they believed he was too close to the opposition leader, Éamon de Valera . Rather than entrust
2800-536: Is primarily a figurehead , but is entrusted with certain constitutional powers with the advice of the Council of State . The office has absolute discretion in some areas, such as referring a bill to the Supreme Court for a judgment on its constitutionality. Michael D. Higgins became the ninth President of Ireland on 11 November 2011. The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) serves as the head of government and
2912-606: Is the Taoiseach (prime minister, lit. ' chief ' ), elected by the Dáil and appointed by the president, who appoints other government ministers. The Irish Free State was created with Dominion status in 1922, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty . In 1937, a new constitution was adopted, in which the state was named "Ireland" and effectively became a republic, with an elected non-executive president . It
3024-554: Is the dullest month, with an average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the extreme southeast. The sunniest summer in the 100 years from 1881 to 1980 was 1887, according to measurements made at the Phoenix Park in Dublin; 1980 was the dullest. Ireland is a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Oireachtas is the bicameral national parliament composed of
3136-541: Is woodland, most of which is non-native conifer plantations , and only 2% of which is native woodland. The average woodland cover in European countries is over 33%. According to Coillte , a state-owned forestry business, the country's climate gives Ireland one of the fastest growth rates for forests in Europe. Hedgerows , which are traditionally used to define land boundaries, are an important substitute for woodland habitat, providing refuge for native wild flora and
3248-521: The 1979 oil crisis . There were significant policy changes from 1989 onwards, with economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and a ban on borrowing to fund current spending. This policy began in 1989–1992 by the Fianna Fáil/ Progressive Democrats government, and continued by the subsequent Fianna Fáil/ Labour government and Fine Gael /Labour/ Democratic Left government. Ireland became one of
3360-666: The 36th (Ulster) divisions. The remainder of the Irish Volunteers , who refused Redmond and opposed any support of the UK, launched an armed insurrection against British rule in the 1916 Easter Rising , together with the Irish Citizen Army . This commenced on 24 April 1916 with the declaration of independence . After a week of heavy fighting, primarily in Dublin, the surviving rebels were forced to surrender their positions. The majority were imprisoned, with fifteen of
3472-643: The Court of Appeal , the High Court , the Circuit Court and the District Court , all of which apply the Irish law and hear both civil and criminal matters. Trials for serious offences must usually be held before a jury . The High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have authority, by means of judicial review , to determine the compatibility of laws and activities of other institutions of
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3584-550: The External Relations Act was inevitable. He remarked 'No party has left the door open to any other course'. The result of the election saw a new Irish government formed under the leadership of John A. Costello . Costello made the announcement that a bill to repeal the External Relations Act was to be introduced when he was in Ottawa , during an official visit to Canada . David McCullagh has suggested that it
3696-618: The First World War which defused the threat of civil war in Ireland. With the hope of ensuring the implementation of the Act at the end of the war through Ireland's engagement in the war , Redmond and the Irish National Volunteers supported the UK and its Allies . 175,000 men joined Irish regiments of the 10th (Irish) and 16th (Irish) divisions of the New British Army , while Unionists joined
3808-683: The Good Friday Agreement , was approved in 1998 in referendums north and south of the border. As part of the peace settlement, the territorial claim to Northern Ireland in Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland was removed by referendum. In its white paper on Brexit the United Kingdom government reiterated its commitment to the Good Friday Agreement. With regard to Northern Ireland's status, it said that
3920-738: The Ireland Act 1949 ). Likewise, the liturgy for morning and evening prayers includes "O Lord, save the Queen" in Northern Ireland and "O Lord, guide and defend our rulers" in the republic. Miriam Moffitt notes that Maude's supporters were mostly older church members. In 1996, the Constitution Review Group reviewed the full text of the Constitution. It considered whether the name of the state should be amended to declare that Ireland should be named "Republic of Ireland". It decided against recommending such an amendment. This
4032-785: The Local Government Act 1898 , that had been in the hands of landlord-dominated grand juries of the Protestant Ascendancy . Home Rule seemed certain when the Parliament Act 1911 abolished the veto of the House of Lords , and John Redmond secured the Third Home Rule Act in 1914. However, the Unionist movement had been growing since 1886 among Irish Protestants after the introduction of
4144-902: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 , provides for a system of thirty-one local authorities – twenty-six county councils, two city and county councils, and three city councils. Counties (with the exception of the three counties in Dublin) are divided into municipal districts . A second local government tier of town councils was abolished in 2014. Local authorities are responsible for matters such as planning, local roads, sanitation, and libraries. The breaching of county boundaries should be avoided as far as practicable in drawing Dáil constituencies . Counties with greater populations have multiple constituencies, some of more than one county, but generally do not cross county boundaries. The counties are grouped into three regions , each with
4256-669: The Minister for Defence . In 2017, Ireland signed the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 (No. 22 of 1948) is an Act of the Oireachtas which declared that the description of Ireland was to be the Republic of Ireland, and vested in the president of Ireland the power to exercise the executive authority of
4368-592: The President of Ireland and the two Houses of the Oireachtas: Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the President of Ireland, while the houses of the Oireachtas meet at Leinster House in Dublin . The President serves as head of state , is elected for a seven-year term, and may be re-elected once. The President
4480-399: The President of Ireland may instead exercise these functions and any other functions in relation to the state's external (or foreign) relations. At the time the Act came into force, John A. Costello , the Taoiseach whose government introduced the Act, believed that Ireland did not have a King and had not been a member of the Commonwealth since 1936. His government's view was that Ireland
4592-467: The Seanad , and the Taoiseach , Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Finance must be members of the Dáil . The Dáil must be dissolved within five years of its first meeting following the previous election, and a general election for members of the Dáil must take place no later than thirty days after the dissolution. In accordance with the Constitution of Ireland , parliamentary elections must be held at least every seven years, though
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4704-420: The royal family , and the Commonwealth. The church was historically associated with the Protestant Ascendancy and had been the established church until 1871 ; its "southern" membership (one-third of the total) was mostly unionist before 1922 and pro-British thereafter. In late 1948, archbishops John Gregg and Arthur Barton devised replacement prayers to be used in the republic, at first temporarily until
4816-421: The 1949 general synod would update the Book of Common Prayer. A grassroots campaign led by Hugh Maude of Clondalkin opposed any change, and the 1950 synod authorised a compromise, whereby the old prayers remained in Northern Ireland, and the republic used a "Prayer for the President and all in authority" and "A Prayer for King George the Sixth … in whose dominions we are not accounted strangers" (an allusion to
4928-417: The 2021 Human Development Index listing ranked it the sixth-highest in the world. It also ranks highly in healthcare , economic freedom and freedom of the press . It is a member of the EU and a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD . The Irish government has followed a policy of military neutrality through non-alignment since before World War II , and the country is consequently not
5040-408: The 32 counties of the island of Ireland , with a population of about 5.4 million. The capital and largest city is Dublin , on the eastern side of the island, with a population of about 1.5 million. The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to
5152-409: The 32 counties of Ireland , was "styled and known as the Irish Free State" ( Saorstát Éireann ). The Constitution of Ireland , adopted in 1937, says that "the name of the State is Éire , or, in the English language, Ireland". Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, "It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland." The 1948 Act does not name
5264-412: The Act repealed the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936 . By doing so the Act abolished the last remaining functions of the British monarch (then King George VI ) in relation to the Irish state. These functions had related to the issuance and acceptance of letters of credence of diplomatic and consular representatives and the conclusion of international agreements . Section 3 provides that
5376-400: The British Commonwealth of Nations". After all, in their view, the King was still empowered by Ireland to fulfill certain functions as Ireland's statutory agent under the External Relations Act 1936. With that Irish Act now being repealed, there was no longer any basis, however tenuous, to consider Ireland as continuing to have a King or to be part of His Majesty’s dominions and therefore within
5488-474: The Clerk of the Parliaments continued to inform Horan in the old manner until the Irish government, reviewing administration for the commencement of the Republic of Ireland Act, informed the Lords in late 1948 that the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland no longer existed. The Book of Common Prayer of the all-island Church of Ireland was modelled on that of the Church of England and included three "state prayers": for "our most gracious Sovereign Lord, King George",
5600-410: The Commonwealth, was made shortly afterwards in response to India 's desire to continue as a member once its new republican constitution was finalised. However, the Irish government did not reapply for membership of the Commonwealth. De Valera was opposed to this and considered applying for membership after his return to office in the 1950s. Section 2 of the Act provides: It is hereby declared that
5712-457: The Commonwealth. In their view, Ireland had now declared itself a republic for the first time bringing its membership of the Commonwealth to an end. Ironically, the Taoiseach chose to announce the repeal of the External Relations Act while on an official visit to Canada, the same country whose constitutional status had been the basis for the establishment of the Irish Free State . The London Declaration , which permitted republics to remain within
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#17328015274265824-402: The External Relations Act had already been made before Costello's Canadian visit. Costello's revelation of the decision was because the Sunday Independent (an Irish newspaper) had discovered the fact and was about to "break" the story as an exclusive. Nevertheless, one minister, Noel Browne , gave a different account in his autobiography, Against the Tide . He claimed Costello's announcement
5936-419: The Irish Free State and declared that the name of the state is Éire , or "Ireland" in the English language. While Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution defined the national territory to be the whole island, they also confined the state's jurisdiction to the area that had been the Irish Free State. The former Irish Free State government had abolished the Office of Governor-General in December 1936. Although
6048-486: The Irish Naval Service, and UN, EU and PfP peace-keeping missions. By 1996, over 40,000 Irish service personnel had served in international UN peacekeeping missions. The Irish Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces and operates sixteen fixed wing aircraft and eight helicopters. The Irish Naval Service is Ireland's navy, and operates six patrol ships , and smaller numbers of inflatable boats and training vessels, and has armed boarding parties capable of seizing
6160-404: The Irish Party leadership. This provided for the temporary exclusion of Ulster from the workings of the bill for a trial period of six years, with an as yet undecided new set of measures to be introduced for the area to be temporarily excluded. Though it received the Royal Assent and was placed on the statute books in 1914, the implementation of the Third Home Rule Act was suspended until after
6272-456: The Irish state. The 1949 Act now provided that "the part of Ireland heretofore known as Eire" could be referred to in future UK legislation as the "Republic of Ireland". The UK's continued aversion to using "Ireland" as the formal name for the state due to the fact it did not (and does not) comprise the entirety of the island of the same name remained a source of diplomatic friction for several decades afterwards. The UK's Ireland Act also gave
6384-425: The King requesting, "that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland." The Irish Free State was a constitutional monarchy sharing a monarch with the United Kingdom and other Dominions of the British Commonwealth . The country had a governor-general (representing the monarch), a bicameral parliament, a cabinet called the "Executive Council", and
6496-407: The Parliament of Northern Ireland was abolished, by a new guarantee based on "the consent of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland". On the day the Act came into force, 18 April 1949, King George VI sent the following message to the President of Ireland , Seán T. O'Kelly : I send you my sincere good wishes on this day, being well aware of the neighbourly links which hold the people of
6608-414: The President of Ireland was broken. The Irish position was that a toast to the King, instead of representing both countries, would not include Ireland. Only a toast to the King was proposed, to the fury of the Irish delegation. Shortly afterwards Costello announced the plan to repeal the External Relations Act. However, according to all but one of the ministers in Costello's cabinet, the decision to repeal
6720-402: The Republic of Ireland in close association with my subjects of the United Kingdom. I hold in most grateful memory the services and sacrifices of the men and women of your country who rendered gallant assistance to our cause in the recent war and who made a notable contribution to our victories. I pray that every blessing may be with you today and in the future. From the Acts of Union 1800 , when
6832-419: The UK House of Lords noted someone's succession to an Irish peerage , the Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland in Dublin to update the electoral register for Irish representative peer . Such elections ceased in 1922 and the office of Clerk of the Crown was formally abolished in 1926, when the last holder, Gerald Horan , became first Master of the High Court . Nevertheless,
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#17328015274266944-399: The UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of the UK, but with strong links to Ireland". The state extends over an area of about five-sixths (70,273 km or 27,133 sq mi) of the island of Ireland (84,421 km or 32,595 sq mi), with Northern Ireland constituting the remainder. The island
7056-412: The UN involved a commitment to using force to deter aggression by one state against another if the UN thought it was necessary. Interest towards membership of the European Communities (EC) developed in Ireland during the 1950s, with consideration also given to membership of the European Free Trade Area . As the United Kingdom intended on EC membership, Ireland applied for membership in July 1961 due to
7168-428: The United Kingdom and United States are also important. It held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on six occasions, most recently from January to June 2013. Ireland tends towards independence in foreign policy; thus the country is not a member of NATO and has a longstanding policy of military neutrality. This policy has led to the Irish Defence Forces contributing to peace-keeping missions with
7280-405: The United Kingdom statute provided that Irish citizens would not be treated as aliens under British nationality law . This, in effect, granted them a status similar to the citizens of Commonwealth countries. Between the enactment of the Constitution of Ireland in 1937 and the enactment of the Ireland Act 1949, the United Kingdom had formally decided upon the (anglicised) "Eire" as its name for
7392-448: The United Nations since 1960, including during the Congo Crisis and subsequently in Cyprus , Lebanon and Bosnia and Herzegovina . Despite Irish neutrality during World War II , Ireland had more than 50,000 participants in the war through enlistment in the British armed forces. During the Cold War , Irish military policy, while ostensibly neutral, was biased towards NATO. During the Cuban Missile Crisis , Seán Lemass authorised
7504-438: The area. The event organisers have sought to encourage attendees to make use of public transport. Republic of Ireland – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union (light green) Ireland ( Irish : Éire [ˈeːɾʲə] ), also known as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of
7616-413: The attorney-general, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh , to draft a bill to repeal the External Relations Act, and by 1948 a draft of the bill included a reference to the state as being a republic. In the end, the draft bill was never submitted to the Oireachtas for approval. By the eve of the 1948 Irish general election the United Kingdom's Representative to Ireland , Lord Rugby , reported that the annulment of
7728-400: The border". From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . During the Great Famine , from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over 8 million fell by 30%. One million Irish died of starvation and disease and another 1.5 million emigrated, mostly to the United States. This set
7840-422: The conflict that had become known as the Troubles . Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the Irish government and Northern Irish government have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North/South Ministerial Council created by the Agreement. Ireland is a developed country with a quality of life that ranks amongst the highest in the world; after adjustments for inequality ,
7952-468: The constitution established the office of President of Ireland , the question over whether Ireland was a republic remained open. Diplomats were accredited to the king, but the president exercised all internal functions of a head of state. For instance, the President gave assent to new laws with his own authority, without reference to King George VI who was only an "organ", that was provided for by statute law. Ireland remained neutral during World War II,
8064-585: The decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. On 7 January 1922, the Second Dáil ratified the Treaty by 64 votes to 57. In accordance with the treaty, on 6 December 1922 the entire island of Ireland became a self-governing Dominion called the Irish Free State ( Saorstát Éireann ). Under the Constitution of the Irish Free State , the Parliament of Northern Ireland had
8176-459: The description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland, and to enable the President to exercise the executive power or any executive function of the state in or in connection with its external relations. (21 December 1948) Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:— 1.—The Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936 (No. 58 of 1936), is hereby repealed. 2.—It is hereby declared that
8288-431: The description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland. 3.—The President, on the authority and on the advice of the Government, may exercise the executive power or any executive function of the State in or in connection with its external relations. 4.—This Act shall come into operation on such day as the Government may by order appoint. 5.—This Act may be cited as The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948. Section 1 of
8400-527: The description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland. The Act did not declare that Ireland a republic, nor did it change the official name of the state which continued to be Éire (in Irish) and Ireland (in English) as prescribed in the Constitution. The Act provided for a description for the State. The distinction between a description and a name has sometimes caused confusion. Costello explained
8512-495: The difference in the following way: If I say that my name is Costello and that my description is that of senior counsel , I think that will be clear to anybody who wants to know. If the Senator [ Helena Concannon ] will look at Article 4 of the Constitution she will find that the name of the State is Éire . Section 2 of this Bill declares that "this State shall be described as the Republic of Ireland." Its name in Irish
8624-515: The end of the Middle Ages , the land was heavily forested. Native species include deciduous trees such as oak , ash , hazel , birch , alder , willow , aspen , elm , rowan and hawthorn , as well as evergreen trees such Scots pine , yew , holly and strawberry trees . The growth of blanket bog and the extensive clearing of woodland for farming are believed to be the main causes of deforestation . Today, only about 10% of Ireland
8736-446: The event was launched, the show has had an increasing focus on food, with garden designers finding it hard to get sponsorship, and the food board Bord Bia, pushing its food agenda. The event has historically attracted large volumes of visitors, increasing from 60,000 people as of the 2010 festival, to approaching 120,000 people by the time of the 2019 event. The volume of visitors has led to long queues, and increased levels of traffic in
8848-589: The face of public support for the settlement that the "people have no right to do wrong". They objected most to the fact that the state would remain part of the British Empire and that members of the Free State Parliament would have to swear what the anti-treaty side saw as an oath of fidelity to the British king. Pro-treaty forces, led by Michael Collins , argued that the treaty gave "not
8960-487: The first home rule bill, fearing discrimination and loss of economic and social privileges if Irish Catholics achieved real political power. In the late 19th and early 20th-century unionism was particularly strong in parts of Ulster , where industrialisation was more common in contrast to the more agrarian rest of the island, and where the Protestant population was more prominent, with a majority in four counties. Under
9072-489: The founding statute of the present system of local government, while the Twentieth Amendment to the constitution of 1999 provided for its constitutional recognition. The twenty-six traditional counties of Ireland are the basis of the local government areas, with the traditional counties of Cork , Dublin and Galway containing two or more local government areas. The Local Government Act 2001 , as amended by
9184-999: The leadership of the Dublin-born Sir Edward Carson of the Irish Unionist Party and the Ulsterman Sir James Craig of the Ulster Unionist Party , unionists became strongly militant, forming Ulster Volunteers in order to oppose "the Coercion of Ulster". After the Home Rule Bill passed parliament in May 1914, to avoid rebellion with Ulster, the British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith introduced an Amending Bill reluctantly conceded to by
9296-459: The lowest temperature recorded was −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F) at Markree Castle in Sligo. Rainfall is more prevalent during winter months and less so during the early months of summer. Southwestern areas experience the most rainfall as a result of south westerly winds, while Dublin receives the least. Sunshine duration is highest in the southeast of the country. The far north and west are two of
9408-400: The minute-taking to Moynihan, the cabinet entrusted it to a Parliamentary Secretary (junior minister), Liam Cosgrave . Given that Cosgrave had never kept minutes before, his minutes, at least early on in the government, proved to be only a limited record of government decisions. So whether the issue was never raised, was raised but undecided on, was subjected to a decision taken informally , or
9520-581: The necessity of enforcing the treaty. Lack of public support for the anti-treaty forces (often called the Irregulars) and the determination of the government to overcome the Irregulars contributed significantly to their defeat. Following a national plebiscite in July 1937, the new Constitution of Ireland ( Bunreacht na hÉireann ) came into force on 29 December 1937. This replaced the Constitution of
9632-426: The option to leave the Irish Free State one month later and return to the United Kingdom. During the intervening period, the powers of the Parliament of the Irish Free State and Executive Council of the Irish Free State did not extend to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland exercised its right under the treaty to leave the new Dominion and rejoined the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. It did so by making an address to
9744-810: The pattern of emigration for the century to come, resulting in constant population decline up to the 1960s. From 1874, and particularly under Charles Stewart Parnell from 1880, the Irish Parliamentary Party gained prominence. This was firstly through widespread agrarian agitation via the Irish Land League , which won land reforms for tenants in the form of the Irish Land Acts , and secondly through its attempts to achieve Home Rule , via two unsuccessful bills which would have granted Ireland limited national autonomy. These led to "grass-roots" control of national affairs, under
9856-615: The prisoners (including most of the leaders) were executed as traitors to the UK. This included Patrick Pearse , the spokesman for the rising and who provided the signal to the volunteers to start the rising, as well as James Connolly , socialist and founder of the Industrial Workers of the World union and both the Irish and Scottish Labour movements. These events, together with the Conscription Crisis of 1918 , had
9968-421: The provision of a traffic control organisation to allow rapid movement of military formations to their mission areas. Other wartime roles include control of prisoners of war and refugees. Ireland's citizenship laws relate to "the island of Ireland", including islands and seas, thereby extending them to Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom. Therefore, anyone born in Northern Ireland who meets
10080-434: The requirements for being an Irish citizen, such as birth on the island of Ireland to an Irish or British citizen parent or a parent who is entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Republic without restriction on their residency, may exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship, such as an Irish passport . Foreign relations are substantially influenced by membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with
10192-648: The rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later, the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 was repealed in Ireland by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act 1962 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955, after having been denied membership because of its neutral stance during the Second World War and not supporting the Allied cause . At the time, joining
10304-677: The search of Cuban and Czechoslovak aircraft passing through Shannon and passed the information to the CIA . Ireland's air facilities were used by the United States military for the delivery of military personnel involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq through Shannon Airport . The airport had previously been used for the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, as well as the First Gulf War . Since 1999, Ireland has been
10416-476: The south, St George's Channel to the south-east and the Irish Sea to the east. It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature, the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann ; an upper house , Seanad Éireann ; and an elected president ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties. The head of government
10528-415: The state "Republic of Ireland", because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution. The government of the United Kingdom used the name "Eire" (without the diacritic ) and, from 1949, "Republic of Ireland", for the state. It was not until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , when the state dropped its claim to Northern Ireland , that it began calling the state "Ireland". The state
10640-672: The state in its external relations, on the advice of the Government of Ireland . The Act was signed into law on 21 December 1948 and came into force on 18 April 1949, Easter Monday, the 33rd anniversary of the beginning of the Easter Rising . The Act ended the remaining statutory role of the British monarchy in relation to Ireland, by repealing the 1936 External Relations Act , which had vested in George VI , in his capacity as
10752-579: The state with the constitution and the law. Except in exceptional circumstances, court hearings must occur in public. The Garda Síochána ( lit. Guardians of the Peace), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí, is the state's civilian police force. The force is responsible for all aspects of civil policing, both in terms of territory and infrastructure. It is headed by the Garda Commissioner, who
10864-541: The substantial economic linkages with the United Kingdom. The founding EC members remained sceptical regarding Ireland's economic capacity, neutrality, and unattractive protectionist policy. Many Irish economists and politicians realised that economic policy reform was necessary. The prospect of EC membership became doubtful in 1963 when French President General Charles de Gaulle stated that France opposed Britain's accession, which ceased negotiations with all other candidate countries. In 1969 his successor, Georges Pompidou ,
10976-439: The system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote . The Seanad is composed of sixty members, with eleven nominated by the Taoiseach , six elected by two university constituencies , and 43 elected by public representatives from panels of candidates established on a vocational basis. The government is constitutionally limited to fifteen members. No more than two members can be selected from
11088-507: The ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it". At the start of the war, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) split into two opposing camps: a pro-treaty IRA and an anti-treaty IRA . The pro-treaty IRA disbanded and joined the new National Army . However, because the anti-treaty IRA lacked an effective command structure and because of the pro-treaty forces' defensive tactics throughout
11200-483: The war, Michael Collins and his pro-treaty forces were able to build up an army with many tens of thousands of World War I veterans from the 1922 disbanded Irish regiments of the British Army, capable of overwhelming the anti-treatyists. British supplies of artillery, aircraft, machine-guns and ammunition boosted pro-treaty forces, and the threat of a return of Crown forces to the Free State removed any doubts about
11312-586: The warming influence of the Gulf Stream affect weather patterns in Ireland. Temperatures differ regionally, with central and eastern areas tending to be more extreme. However, due to a temperate oceanic climate , temperatures are seldom lower than −5 °C (23 °F) in winter or higher than 26 °C (79 °F) in summer. The highest temperature recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) on 26 June 1887 at Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny, while
11424-421: The windiest regions in Europe, with great potential for wind energy generation. Ireland normally gets between 1100 and 1600 hours of sunshine each year, most areas averaging between 3.25 and 3.75 hours a day. The sunniest months are May and June, which average between 5 and 6.5 hours per day over most of the country. The extreme southeast gets most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December
11536-555: The world's fastest growing economies by the late 1990s in what was known as the Celtic Tiger period, which lasted until the Great Recession . Since 2014, Ireland has experienced increased economic activity. In the Northern Ireland question, the British and Irish governments started to seek a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict involving many paramilitaries and the British Army in Northern Ireland known as " The Troubles ". A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as
11648-580: Was a spur of the moment reaction to offence caused by the Governor-General of Canada , Lord Alexander , who was of Northern Ireland descent, who allegedly placed loyalist symbols, notably a replica of the famous Roaring Meg cannon used in the Siege of Derry , before an affronted Costello at a state dinner . What is certain is that an agreement that there would be separate toasts for the King and for
11760-433: Was already a republic and that the Act would not create a republic but rather achieve a "clarification of [Ireland's] constitutional status." These views were shared by the Irish opposition leader of the time, Éamon de Valera . Indeed, Irish leaders had on several previous occasions declared that Ireland was a republic and not a Commonwealth member, but that it was associated with the Commonwealth. The Irish view of things
11872-607: Was done in a fit of anger of his treatment by the Governor-General and that when he returned, Costello, at an assembly of ministers in his home, offered to resign because of his manufacture of a major government policy initiative on the spot in Canada. Yet according to Browne, all the ministers agreed that they would refuse to accept the resignation and also agreed to manufacture the story of a prior cabinet decision. The evidence of what really happened remains ambiguous. There
11984-593: Was not admitted. After the War of Independence and truce called in July 1921, representatives of the British government and the five Irish treaty delegates, led by Arthur Griffith , Robert Barton and Michael Collins , negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London from 11 October to 6 December 1921. The Irish delegates set up headquarters at Hans Place in Knightsbridge , and it was here in private discussions that
12096-569: Was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 the Treaty of Accession was signed. A referendum was held later that year which confirmed Ireland's entry into the bloc, and it finally joined the EC as a member state on 1 January 1973. The economic crisis of the late 1970s was fuelled by the Fianna Fáil government's budget, the abolition of the car tax, excessive borrowing, and global economic instability including
12208-488: Was not shared by the other members of the Commonwealth. Until Ireland brought the Act into force, it was still regarded by the members as forming part of " His Majesty’s dominions ". When Ireland adopted its 1937 Constitution, which made no reference to the King, the United Kingdom Government announced that it and the other Commonwealth Governments were "[still] prepared to treat … Ireland, as a member of
12320-573: Was officially declared a republic in 1949, following The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in 1955. It joined the European Communities (EC), the predecessor of the European Union (EU), in 1973. The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the 20th century, but the 1980s and 1990s saw the British and Irish governments working with Northern Irish parties to resolve
12432-582: Was opened on 3 June 2010, with around 8,000 people visiting during the opening day. Chinese ambassador Liu Biwei and the Earl of Rosse were among notable attendees. Former Chelsea Flower Show judge Andrew Wilson also judged at the event. The 2010 event featured 24 gardens spread across 10 acres (4.0 ha) of Phoenix Park. The winner of Super Garden , an RTÉ competition, was among them. Past events have featured professional gardeners, an artisan food market and culinary displays from several celebrity chefs. Since
12544-408: Was subjected to a decision taken formally , remains obscure on the basis of the 1948 cabinet documentation. The Republic of Ireland Bill was introduced in 1948 by the new Taoiseach, John A. Costello of Fine Gael . The Act was enacted with all parties voting for it. De Valera did suggest that it would have been better to reserve the declaration of the republic until Irish unity had been achieved,
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