Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign state, occupying 5/6 of the island of Ireland, located in the Irish Sea. The Norther 1/6 of the island is made up of Northern Ireland, one of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Originally the Island was all one country, and Ireland as a whole joined the UK in 1801. After a brief war of independance, Southern Ireland (what makes up the Republic today) seceded from the Union in 1922, with the Northern portion choosing to remain with the UK.

The island is known as the “Emerald Isle” due to it’s lush green appearance, and the Republic is also a member of the European Union. The Island is the second largest in Europe, after only Great Britain. Whilst Northern Ireland uses Pound Stirling (£), the Republic uses the Euro, in common with many other countries in the EU. The border between the two Irelands is open, so visitors can visit anywhere on the whole Island. Originally the island was split into 32 counties, like the countries of the UK, however when 6 split to form Northern Ireland, only 26 were left.

Ireland is one of the ancient Celtic Nations, along with the Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales, Brittany (part of France) and Cornwall (a county in England), with the Irish version of the Celtic Language still surviving today.

The Republic is also frequently voted the best place to live in global surveys, with the United Kingdom recently coming in 7th on the list.

Irish name: Poblacht na hÉireann

Capital and largest city: Dublin

Cities: 6 (as of 2014)

Counties: 26

Official languages: Irish, English.

Patron saint and day: Saint Patrick, 1st of March.

Click here to see the location of the Republic of Ireland within the British Isles. You can see any places we have visited within the Republic of Ireland by looking through the counties below: