A Brief Overview of Ireland

Saint Patrick arrived in the 5th century, rid the land of all its snakes, and converted the entire country. Ireland quickly became known as the island of saints, and scholars. Ireland thrived in the middle ages, and the people enjoyed personal wealth, and independence.

In the 15th century, however, the Pope awarded Ireland to the British, and the Irish became tenant farmers (with very few rights) to absent, yet powerful, English landlords. Even though Ireland remained predominantly Catholic, Queen Elizabeth I founded Trinity College in 1592 in Dublin to educate Protestants only.

In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, the ruthless English Prime minister, went on a rampage through Ireland to convert the Irish from to Protestantism. He burned and massacred his way through Ireland, leaving a wave of destruction, and poverty in his wake. In a final effort to convert the Irish, the British Government instituted the Penal Laws in the late 1600’s. These laws banned any Catholic from owning property. Although most laws were repelled by the 18th century, Catholics still did not get the right to vote until 1831.

In the 19th century, tragedy struck the Emerald Isle when the English landlords raised the rents on all tenancies to an un-affordable level. This led to many Irish becoming homeless, as they could not pay their rents. Poverty increased at an alarming rate. When the potato crop failed in 1846, millions died of starvation.

In a last-ditch attempt to regain some autonomy, a group of nationalists proclaimed the Irish Republic from the steps of a Dublin Post Office in 1916. They were shot for treason. A rebellion ensued that sparked the Anglo-Irish War, which ended in 1922 with the creation of the Irish Free State.

Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom, a division that remains controversial to this day, and the southern part of Ireland became a free, independent country.

Currency

The basic unit of currency is the Euro, which like our dollar is divided into 100 cents. - Banks are generally open weekdays 10am to 4pm and closed on weekends.

Time Zones

Ireland is 5 hours ahead of the East Coast United States, thus 8 hours ahead of the West Coast, which is something to take into consideration when you are planning on phoning home.

Climate

Winters tend to be rainy, and chilly. The summer months can hardly be called hot: temperatures can soar into the 80’s one day and be in the 30’s the following day. If you travel in Britain during the summer months you should pack everything from shorts to sweaters.

These figures are based on the average high and low temperatures in Fahrenheit for Dublin. Temperatures may be warmer in the South, and cooler in the North

Entry Requirements

Passports are required. United States citizens are not required to obtain visas for stays of less of than 90 days, but may be asked to show an onward/return ticket. For additional information consult the Consular Section of Irish Embassy, 2234 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008 (202/462-3939) or the nearest Consulate General: NY (212) 319-2555, MA (617) 267-9330, CA (415) 392-4214, or IL (312) 337-1868. Internet: Embassy of Ireland

U.S. Consulates and Embassies

Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin, with a description of the history and architecture of the building.
http://dublin.usembassy.gov/

Belfast
U.S. Consulate, Danesfort House, 223 Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5GR,
Telephone: (0)28 9038 6100 Fax: Web: http://www.usembassy.org.uk
Office hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m

Telephone System

To dial Ireland from the USA, dial 011 + 353 + the local number for Ireland. Drop the first 0 of the local phone number when dialing from the USA.

To dial the USA from Ireland, dial 001 + area code + local number. We suggest that you use one of the phone boxes to dial home because hotels impose incredible surcharge on calls made from your hotel room. The phone boxes accept coins and/or phone cards. Phone cards can be purchased from a variety of newsagents.

Postal System

Post Offices are open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 9:00am to 12:30pm or 1:00pm.

A Brief History of our country

Tribes of Celts settled in Ireland around 400 hundred years B.C. Being the most western point in Europe, and barely visible from Britain, Ireland did not fall prey to Roman invasion. As a result, Ireland enjoyed a free-reign to develop a truly Gaelic civilization.

Saint Patrick arrived in the 5th century, rid the land of all its snakes, and converted the entire country. Ireland quickly became known as the �island of saints, and scholars. Ireland thrived in the middle ages, and the people enjoyed personal wealth, and independence.

In the 15th century, however, the Pope awarded Ireland to the British, and the Irish became tenant farmers (with very few rights) to absent, yet powerful, English landlords. Even though Ireland remained predominantly Catholic, Queen Elizabeth I founded Trinity College in 1592 in Dublin to educate Protestants only.

In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, the ruthless English Prime minister, went on a rampage through Ireland to convert the Irish from to Protestantism. He burned and massacred his way through Ireland, leaving a wave of destruction, and poverty in his wake. In a final effort to convert the Irish the British Government instituted the Penal Laws in the late 1600’s. These laws banned any Catholic from owning property. Although most laws were repelled by the 18th century, Catholics still did not get the right to vote until 1831.

In the 19th century, tragedy struck the Emerald Isle when the English landlords raised the rents on all tenancies to an un-affordable level. This led to many Irish becoming homeless, as they could not pay their rents. Poverty increased at an alarming rate. When the potato crop failed in 1846, millions died of starvation.

In a last-ditch attempt to regain some autonomy, a group of nationalists proclaimed the Irish Republic from the steps of a Dublin Post Office in 1916. They were shot for treason. A rebellion ensued that sparked the Anglo-Irish War, which ended in 1922 with the creation of the Irish Free State.

Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom, a division that remains controversial to this day, and the southern part of Ireland became a free, independent country.

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