In the west of Europe in the North Atlantic lies the island of Ireland. It is home to the independent state of Ireland and Northern Island, which is part of the United Kingdom.
In the west of Europe in the North Atlantic lies the island of Ireland. It is home to the independent state of Ireland and the northern part of the island of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
The independent State of Ireland has existed since the 1920s when it split off from Britain. The area of the Republic is slightly more than 70,273 square kilometers, which corresponds approximately to the area of the federal state of Bavaria in Germany or the state of Georgia on the Caucasus.
The coat of arms of Ireland decorates a harp on blue background. The Celtic harp has been a symbol of Ireland since the 13th century and since 2002 also on the back of the country’s euro coins.
Irish cuisine is based on the foundation of rich agriculture due to the good climate. A very popular national dish is the Irish stew. A stew made of meat, mostly lamb or mutton, potatoes, onions, and parsley.
One of the best known drinks originating in Ireland is certainly the Guinness. Guinness is a dark beer (dry stout) first brewed over 250 years ago in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Meanwhile the brand belongs to the British multinational alcoholic beverages company Diageo and is distributed worldwide. Diageo, which also owns the Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Baileys brands, produces more than 850 million liters a year at over 50 locations worldwide.
The most popular last name in Ireland is Murphy. It is a variant of the Irish surnames “Ó Murchadha / Ó Murchadh” (descendant of “Murchadh”) and “Mac Murchaidh / Mac Murchadh” (son of “Murchadh”). Murchadh means sea-battler or sea-warrior.
