1. IRELAND The Soldier Song Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin's cause, come woe or weal 'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal, We'll chant a soldier's song. from the Irish National Anthem

2. Ireland is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is often called the Emerald Isle where, it is said, the countryside is colored with 40 shades of green. The Land 3. The Republic of Ireland takes up most of the land. The country of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, is located in the northeast. The Land 4. The counties There are 32 counties in Ireland. Twenty-six of them are in the Republic of Ireland. The capital, Dublin, is located in Dublin country. There are six counties in Northern Ireland, know as Ulster Provence. The capital is Belfast. Most of Belfast is in County Antrim, but parts of East and South Belfast are in County Down. 5. Quick Irish History 7500 B.C. The first known inhabitants settle in Ireland. 600-150 B.C. Celtic tribes arrive on the island. 432 A.D. St. Patrick arrives in Ireland, bringing Christianity. (The Protestant faith did not yet exist.) 1541 Britain's King Henry VIII is declared King of Ireland by Englishmen living in Ireland. He opposes the Catholic religion. 1608 Britain's King James I sends thousands of Protestant English farmers to Ireland to take over land owned by Catholic farmers, mostly in the north. 1692 New laws forbid Catholics to vote, own land or practice their religion. Such laws remain in effect until 1829. 1845 1849 A potato blight kills Ireland's staple food crop. About a million people die from starvation and fever during the Great Potato Famine. There is a mass migration to the US and other countries. 1916 The Easter Rebellion. Armed Irish patriots rebel against British troops in Dublin, Ireland, on the Monday after Easter. The British execute rebel leaders. 1919-1921 The Anglo-Irish War between the British and the Irish Republican Army. In a treaty, Britain finally gives up control of most of Ireland but tightens its grip on the six counties of Ulster (Northern Ireland). 6. Quick Irish History 1949 Britain declares Ulster a permanent part of the British Empire. The lower 26 counties of Ireland declare themselves the Irish Republic, totally free of British control. 1972 During anti-British protests in the Ulster town of Londonderry on January 30, 13 unarmed marchers are killed by British troops, an event now known as Bloody Sunday. Britain imposes direct rule on Ulster. A more intense era of bloodshed begins. The Irish call this violence the Troubles. 1990 Mary Robinson becomes the first woman president of Ireland. 1998 Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland adopt on The Good Friday Agreement, an important step in the peace process, and self-governing for Northern Ireland. 2002 The Euro replaces the Irish pound, or punt, as Ireland's official currency. 2005-2006 The European Union officially recognizes Irish as a working language. The Irish government begins a 20-year plan to make Ireland a bilingual country where everyone speaks both Irish and English. 7. Trinity college, University of Dublin Trinity College Dublin is recognized internationally as Irelands most important university and as one of the world's leading research-intensive universities. Founded in 1592 after Oxford and Cambridge, it is the oldest university in Ireland and one of the older universities of Western Europe. Trinity College is the home of The Book of Kells, a four-volume, richly decorated manuscript containing the four Gospels in Latin. It is written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in script known as "insular majuscule". The Book of Kells is believed to have been written about 800 AD in a monastery on Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland. 8. A land of musicians Turlough ocarolan (1670 25 March 1738) A blind early Irish harper, composer and singer whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition. He is considered by many to be Ireland's national composer. 9. Irish Legends Saint Patrick (387 - 461) the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Scotland but spent 40 years in Ireland converting the pagans. He used a shamrock to teach the concept of the trinity. He died on March 17, 461. The anniversary of his death is celebrated around the world. Brian Boru (941 - 1014) the last great High King of Ireland and perhaps the greatest military leader the country has ever known. With his brother, they fought against the invading Norsemen. Finn McCool - Legend has it he built the Giant's Causeway as stepping- stones to Scotland, so as not to get his fesssset wet; he also once scooped up part of Ireland to fling it at a rival, but it missed and landed in the Irish Sea the clump becoming the Isle of Man. 10. Irish Rulers Michael Collins (1890- 1922) revolutionary leader who served as Director of Intelligence for the IRA and Commander in chief of the national Army. He was shot and killed during the Irish civil War. Michael Higgins (1938- ) President of Ireland, elected October 2011. Daniel OConnell (1775 - 1847) referred to as the Liberator, he campaigned for the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament and to repeal the Act of Union which combined Great Britain and Ireland. 11. There are 34.5 million Americans who list their heritage as either primarily or partially Irish. That number is seven times larger than the population of Ireland itself (4.5 million). Irish is the second-most common ancestry among Americans, falling just behind German. Irish Americans Henry Ford: Son of an Irish immigrant who married during the American Civil War. Started the Ford Motor Company and the rest is history. Davy Crockett: Fought under Andrew Jackson (also of Irish descent), served in Congress and died when the Alamo fell in Texas. President John F. Kennedy was the first Irish Catholic elected to be President of the United States. He is well-loved in Ireland even to this day. President Ronald Reagans great- grandfather, Michael Reagan, was from County Tipperary, immigrated to Canada and then the United States. 12. Irish Sweaters 13. Irish sweaters are also known as Aran sweaters, named after the islands where they were first made. The stitches stand for different things. Irish sweaters 14. Ireland vs. San Diego Ireland Population People 4,591,087 Sheep 8,000,000 Cows 7,000,000 Square miles - 32,595 sq miles (84,421 km) Rainfall Between 31 and 47 inches a year Number of days it rains a year Between 151 on the east coast and 225 on the west coast San Diego Population People 1,326,000 Square miles - 372.4 sq miles (964.5 km) Rainfall An average of 10.33 inches a year Number of days it rains a year An average of 41 15. WhaTs cool In Ireland Today Fun: Hurling, X box or play station, football (soccer), rugby, tennis and bowling Hanging out with their friends Music: One Direction, Jason Derulo, Ed Sheerin, Coldplay and Macklemore Fashion: Hollister hoodies, Abercrombie, Juicy Couture, and tee shirts 16. Irish sports Sports are a way of life in Ireland, and they have some great ones! Ireland's national pastime, hurling, is one of the more popular sports, as is Gaelic Football, soccer and rugby. So, here is a breakdown of the most popular sports in Ireland. Hurling - Hurling is a game similar to field hockey and lacrosse with 15 players on each team. In hurling, you can hit the ball along the ground, as in field hockey, or overhead like in lacrosse. You can score by hitting the ball over the crossbar of the goalpost for one point, or you can put it in the net for three points. 17. Irish sports Gaelic Football - Gaelic is a game played by 15 players on each team where the object is to score by kicking or striking the ball (which looks like a volleyball) over or under the crossbar. Like hurling, if it goes over the bar, the team is awarded one point, and if it goes under, they will get three points. Soccer - Soccer is another highly popular sport in Ireland. The Ireland National Football team isn't mentioned among the world's elite, but they do have many talented players. 18. food The staples of the Irish diet have traditionally been potatoes, oats and dairy products. Potatoes still appear at most Irish meals. The Irish have also been accomplished cheese makers for centuries. Ireland makes about fifty types of homemade "farmhouse" cheeses, which are considered delicacies. Soups of all types, seafood, and meats also play important roles in the Irish diet. 19. food Irish stew has been recognized as the national dish for at least two centuries. A poem from the early 1800s praised Irish stew for satisfying the hunger of anyone who ate it: Then hurrah for an Irish Stew That will stick to your belly like glue. Bread is an important part of Irish culture. Fresh soda bread, a crusty brown bread made from whole-wheat flour and buttermilk, is a national dish of Ireland. The most common everyday beverage in Ireland is tea. 20. breakfast A traditional Irish breakfast consists are bacon rashers (slices), sausages, fried eggs, white pudding (port sausage made with oatmeal) , black pudding (pork sausage made with oatmeal including the blood), soda bread and fried tomato. Sometimes mushrooms and baked beans are also served. Its all washed down with a strong Irish breakfast tea. Boxty (potato pancake) or toast is sometimes served as soda bread alternative. 21. Jaunty Rides A jaunting car is a light two-wheeled carriage for a single horse. It commonly has seats for two or four persons placed back to back with the floor boards jutting out over the wheels. It was used extensively in Ireland in the 19thh century. Jaunting cars remain in use for tourists in some parts of the country. 22. Bunratty Castle Bunratty Castle, meaning "Castle at the Mouth of the Ratty river , is a large 15th century tower house in County Clare, Ireland. The castle grounds include a folk park, which is an open-air museum featuring around 30 buildings. 23. Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland's greatest chieftains, Cormac McCarthy, and has been attracting attention ever since. Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our Tower. Kiss it and you'll never again be lost for words. blarney Castel and the stone 24. The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring given which represents love, loyalty, and friendship . The hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the old city walls of Galway, now part of Galway City.[ The ring, as currently known, was first produced in the 17th century. claddagh ring 25. Peat is a brown, soil-like material harvested from bogs. It consists of partly decomposed vegetable matter. It is widely cut and dried for use in gardening and as fuel. Peat is cut into oblong bars. Briquettes are largely smokeless when burned in domestic fireplaces and are widely used in Irish towns and cities where burning non-smokeless coal is banned. peat 26. A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore. They are usually depicted as old men, wearing a red or green coat and enjoy making mischief. Leprechauns are no taller than a small child, and wear a beard and hat. Leprechauns spend their time making shoes, and store all their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you capture a Leprechaun, he has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for his release or he must give you his precious gold. Beware the leprechaun 27. Beware the leprechaun When you find a leprechaun, you must not take your eyes off him if you want your three wishes. This is much harder than it seems. Leprechauns are accomplished ventriloquists, and will try to make you look away by sounding like your mother or pet. When you turn around to look, the leprechaun will vanish. Or, a leprechaun might offer to play his bagpipes for you; but his music will carry a special spell with it, and get your feet to dancing all on their own, so that hell send you down the street doing a silly jig to the Leprechauns Reel, while he waltzes merrily home. 28. Dublin City Cliffs of Mohr, Claire Giants Causeway, Antrim Dingle Peninsula, Kerry Rock of Cashel, Tipperary Blarney Castle, Cork DUNluce castle, antrim Kylemore Abbey, Galway 29. A land of Many Blessings