Irish emblem

The harp which once graced the flag of the Republic, still appears on official government documents as well as the Presidential flag, and it is displayed on Irish coins. For centuries, the harp has been a beloved emblem of Ireland. How did the harp become an emblem synonymous with the Emerald Isle? According to tradition, an early king of Ireland whose name was David, took the harp of the Psalmist as his emblem
El arpa que una vez adornó la bandera de la República, aún aparece en documentos oficiales del gobierno así como en la bandera presidencial, y se ve en las monedas irlandesas. Durante siglos, el arpa ha sido un emblema querido de Irlanda. ¿ Cómo se convirtió el arpa en un emblema sinónimo de la Isla Esmeralda? Según la tradición, un rey primitivo de Irlanda cuyo nombre era David, tomó el arpa del Salmista como su insignia.

Clover - Shamrock

Shamrock three-leaf clover
It is an unofficial symbol of Ireland. The diminutive version of the Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamaróg", which was anglicised as "shamrock", representing a close approximation of the original Gaelic pronunciation. It is a common way to represent St. Patrick's Day, a holiday celebrated on March 17. Shamrocks are said to bring good luck.

Es un símbolo no oficial de Irlanda. El diminutivo de la palabra irlandesa "clover" (seamir) es "seamaróg", anglicanizado como "shamrock", representando una aproximación ajustada a la pronunciación gaélica original. Es una forma común de representar el Dia de San Patricio, una fiesta celebrada el 17 de marzo. Se dice que los tréboles traen buena suerte.

Saint Patrick, Patron of Ireland

Saint Patrick's name at birth was Maewyn Succat He was born somewhere near the end of the fourth century and took on the name Patrick after he became a priest, much later in his life. At the age of sixteen Maewyn Succat was kidnapped from his native land of Britain, by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Maewyn worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six long years of slavery he escaped to the northern coast of Gaul.
In Gaul, Maewyn became Patrick (a more christian name) and studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for twelve years. He came to believe that it was his calling to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. St. Palladius was appointed to go to Ireland first but transferred to Scotland two years later opening up the door for Patrick. Patrick was about sixty years old when he arrived in Ireland and it is said that he had a winning personality that helped him win converts. He used the shamrock to help explain the concept of the Trinity : Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. He then retired to County Down and died on March 17 in 461 AD. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

El nombre de San Patricio al nacer era Maewyn Succat. Nació en algún lugar al final del siglo IV y tomó el nombre de Patricio después de ser sacerdote, mucho más tarde en su vida. A los 16 años Maewyn Succat fue raptado de su tierra nativa de Bretaña por una banda de piratas y vendido como esclavo en Irlanda. Maewyn trabajó como pastor y se convirtió a la religión como consuelo. Después de seis largos años de esclavitud se escapó a la costa norte de la Galia. Allí se convirtió en Patricio (un nombre más cristiano) y estudió en el monasterio bajo San Germain , obispo de Auxerre durante 12 años. Creyó que era su llamada para convertir a los paganos de Irlanda al Cristianismo. San Palladius fue nombrado para ir a Irlanda, pero trasladado a Escocia dos años más tarde, dejó la puerta abierta a Patricio. Patricio tenía 60 años cuando llegó a Irlanda y se dice que tenía una personalidad atractiva, que le ayudaba a ganar conversos. Utilizaba el trébol para ayudar a explicar el concepto de Trinidad: Padre, Hijo, Espíritu Santo. La misión de Patricio en Irlanda duró 30 años. Después se retiró a County Down y murió el 17 de marzo del 461 (después de Cristo). Este día se ha conmemorado como el Día de San Patricio desde entonces.

Mary McAleese

The President of Ireland was born on June 27, 1951 in Northern Ireland. She grew up Catholic in an area that was mostly Protestant. She saw lots of battles right in her own neighborhood.
Mary was appointed Professor of Law at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland 1975. She married Martin McAleese, a dentist in 1976. They have three children, Emma, and twins Saramai and Justin.
In 1979 she left Trinity College to be a journalist but in 1987 she was appointed Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies and she came back to law.
On November 11, 1997, Mary McAleese became the eighth President of Ireland.

La Presidenta de Irlanda nació el 27 de Junio de 1951 en Irlanda del Norte. Se educó como católica en un área que era de mayoria protestante. Vió muchas batallas en su propio barrio . Mary fue nombrada catedrática de Derecho en el Trinity College de Dublín en 1975. Se casó con Martin ,un dentista en 1976. Tienen tres hijos, Emma y los gemelos Saramai y Justin.

En 1979 dejó el Trinity College para ser periodista pero en 1987 fue nombrada Directora del Instituto de Estudios Legales Profesionales y volvió a dedicarse al Derecho. El 11 de noviembre de 1997, Mary McAleese se convirtió en la octava Presidente de Irlanda.

Republic of Ireland Government

Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. The National Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of the President , the current one is Mary McAleese and two Houses: Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate), whose powers and functions derive from the Constitution of Ireland enacted by the People on 1 July 1937 . Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Constitution of Ireland, is the basic law of Ireland. No law can be passed which does not agree with it. The Constitution can be changed only by a referendum in which every citizen of Ireland, over the age of 18, is entitled to vote. The present Constitution replaced Constitution of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) which came into existence in 1922).

Irlanda es una democracia parlamentaria. El Parlamento Nacional ( Oireachats) está compuesto por el/la Presidente/a, la actual es Mary McAleese y las dos Cámaras: Dáil ëireann (la Cámara de Representantes) y Seanad Éireann (el Senado) , cuyos poderes y funciones derivan de la Constitución de Irlanda aprobada por el Pueblo el 1 de Julio de 1937. Bunreacht na hÉireann, la Constitución de Irlanda, es la ley básica de Irlanda. Ninguna ley se puede aprobar si no está de acuerdo con ella. La Constitución puede cambiarse solo con un referendum en el cual cada ciudadano de Irlanda, mayor de 18 años, puede votar. La Constitución actual reemplazó a la Constitución del Estado Libre Irlandés (Saorstát Éireann) que nació en 1922.

Republic of Ireland Geography

Ireland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea It occupies the entire island except for the six counties that make up Northern Ireland. Ireland resembles a basin—a central plain rimmed with mountains, except in the Dublin region. The mountains are low, with the highest peak, Carrantuohill in County Kerry, rising to 3,415 ft (1,041 m). The principal river is the Shannon, which begins in the north-central area, flows south and southwest for about 240 mi (386 km), and empties into the Atlantic.

Irlanda está situada en el Oceano Atlántico y separada de Gran Bretaña por el Mar Irlandés. Ocupa la isla entera excepto los seis condados que forman Irlanda del Norte. Irlanda `parece un cuenco - una llanura central bordeada de montañas, excepto en la región de Dublín. Las montañas son bajas con el pico más alto, Carrantuohill en el condado de Kerry, de 3,415 pies (1,042 m). El rio principal es el Shannon, que empieza en el area norte-central, pasa por el sur y el sudoeste por 240mi (386 Km) y desemboca en el Atlántico.

Republic of Ireland History

In the Stone and Bronze Ages, Ireland was inhabited by Picts in the north and a people called the Erainn in the south. About the 4th century B.C., tall, red-haired Celts arrived from Gaul or Galicia. A Gaelic civilization was established. By the beginning of the Christian Era, Ireland was divided into five kingdoms—Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Meath, and Munster. Saint Patrick introduced Christianity in 432, and the country developed into a center of Gaelic and Latin learning. Irish monasteries, the equivalent of universities, attracted intellectuals as well as the pious and sent out missionaries to many parts of Europe and, some believe, to North America.
Norse depredations along the coasts, starting in 795, ended in 1014 with Norse defeat at the Battle of Clontarf by forces under Brian Boru. In the 12th century, the pope gave all of Ireland to the English Crown as a papal fief. In 1171, Henry II of England was acknowledged “Lord of Ireland,” although English control over the whole island was not reasonably absolute until the 17th century. In the Battle of the Boyne (1690), the Catholic King James II and his French supporters were defeated by the Protestant King William III (of Orange). An era of Protestant political and economic supremacy began.
By the Act of Union (1801), Great Britain and Ireland became the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.” Ther was a steady decline in the Irish economy in the next decades. The population had reached 8.25 million when the great potato famine of 1846–1848 took many lives and drove more than 2 million people to immigrate to North America.
In the meantime, anti-British agitation continued along with demands for Irish home rule. The advent of World War I delayed the institution of home rule and resulted in the Easter Rebellion in Dublin (April 24–29, 1916), in which Irish nationalists unsuccessfully attempted to throw off British rule. Guerrilla warfare against British forces followed proclamation of a republic by the rebels in 1919. The Irish Free State was established as a dominion on Dec. 6, 1922, with six northern counties remaining as part of the United Kingdom. A civil war ensued between those supporting the Anglo-Irish Treaty that established the Irish Free State and those repudiating it because it led to the partitioning of the island. The Irish Republican Army (IRA), led by Eamon de Valera, fought against the partition but lost. De Valera joined the government in 1927 and became prime minister in 1932. In 1937 a new constitution changed the nation's name to Éire. Ireland remained neutral in World War II.
In 1948, De Valera was defeated by John A. Costello, who demanded final independence from Britain. The Republic of Ireland was proclaimed on April 18, 1949, and withdrew from the Commonwealth. From the 1960s onward two antagonistic currents dominated Irish politics. One sought to bind the wounds of the rebellion and civil war. The other was the effort of the outlawed Irish Republican Army and more moderate groups to bring Northern Ireland into the republic. The “troubles”—the violence and terrorist acts between Republicans and Unionists in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland—would plague the island for the remainder of the century and beyond.
Under the First Programme for Economic Expansion (1958–1963), economic protection was dismantled and foreign investment encouraged. This prosperity brought profound social and cultural changes to what had been one of the poorest and least technologically advanced countries in Europe. Ireland joined the European Economic Community (now the EU) in 1973. In the 1990 presidential election, Mary Robinson was elected the republic's first woman president. The election of a candidate with socialist and feminist sympathies was regarded as a watershed in Irish political life, reflecting the changes taking place in Irish society. Irish voters approved the Maastricht Treaty, which paved the way for the establishment of the EU, by a large majority in a referendum held in 1992. In 1993, the Irish and British governments signed a joint peace initiative (the Downing Street Declaration), which affirmed Northern Ireland's right to self-determination. A referendum on allowing divorce under certain conditions—hitherto constitutionally forbidden—was narrowly passed in Nov. 1995.
In 1998 hope for a solution to the troubles in Northern Ireland seemed palpable. A landmark settlement, the Good Friday Agreement of April 10, 1998, called for Protestants to share political power with the minority Catholics and gave the Republic of Ireland a voice in the affairs of Northern Ireland. The resounding commitment to the settlement was demonstrated in a dual referendum on May 22: the North approved the accord by a vote of 71% to 29%, and in the Irish Republic 94% favored it. After numerous stops and starts, the new government in Northern Ireland was formed on Dec. 2, 2000, but it has been suspended four times since then (and has remained suspended since Oct. 2002) primarily because of Sinn Fein's reluctance to disarm its military wing, the IRA. In 2005, however, the IRA renounced armed struggle, and peace again seemed possible.

En las Edades de Piedra y Bronce, Irlanda estaba habitada por Picts en el norte y un pueblo llamado Erainn en el sur. Alrededor del siglo IV antes de Cristo, Celtas altos y pelirrojos llegaron de Galicia. Se estableció una civilización Gaélica. Al principio de la Era Cristiana, Irlanda se dividió en 5 reinos (Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Meath y Munster). San Patricio introdujo el Cristianismo en el 432 y el país se convirtió en un centro de aprendizaje de Gaélico y Latin. Los monasterios irlandeses, equivalentes a las universidades, atrajeron a muchos intelectuales así como a personas piadosas y enviaron misioneros a muchas partes de Europa y algunos creen que a Norte América . Los expolios de los Nórdicos por las costas empezaron en el 795 y terminaron en 1914 con la derrota de los Nórdicos en la Batalla de Clontarf por las fuerzas de Brian Boru.
En el siglo XII, el Papa dió toda Irlanda a la Corona inglesa como un feudo papal. En 1171 Enrique II de Inglaterra fue reconocido "Señor de Irlanda", aunque el control inglés de toda la isla no fue razonablemente absoluto hasta el siglo XVII. En la batalla del Boyne ( 1690) el rey católico James II y sus partidarios franceses fueron derrotados por el rey protestante William III (de Orange). Una era de supremacia política y económica protestante comenzó.
Con el Acta de Unión (1801) Gran Bretaña e Irlanda se convirtieron en "El Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda". Hubo un continuo descenso en la economia irlandesa en las siguientes decadas. La población había alcanzado los 8.25 millones cuando el "gran hambre de la patata",1846-1848, se cobró muchas vidas y llevó a mas de 2 millones de personas a emigrar a Norte América. Mientras tanto la agitación antibritánica continuaba junto con demandas de un gobierno irlandés. La llegada de la Primera Guerra Mundial demoró la institución de un gobierno local y tuvo como resultado la Rebelión de Pascua en Dublín(Abril 24-29, 1916) en la cual los nacionalistas irlandeses intentaron sin exito deshacerse del gobierno británico. A la guerra de la Guerrilla contra las fuerzas británicas siguió la proclamación de una república por los rebeldes en 1919. El Estado Libre de irlanda se estableció como un dominio el 6 de diciembre de 1922, permaneciendo como parte del Reino Unido 6 condados del Norte. Siguió una guerra civil entre los que apoyaban el tratado Anglo-Irlandés que establecía el Estado Libre de Irlanda y los que lo rechazaban porque daba lugar a la partición de la isla. El Ejército Republicano Irlandés (IRA) liderado por Eamon de Valera luchó contra la partición pero perdió.