Country of Ireland

Ireland is an island on the western edge of Europe, 480 km long and 240 km wide, with a population of a little over five million. The capital city of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin. Ireland is a constitutional democracy and a member of the United Nations and the European Union.
The beauty of Ireland is legendary. Ireland is known as the "Emerald Isle", offering rich green landscapes and over 5500 km of largely unspoiled coastline. In Ireland, the climate is mild year round. One is never more than 110 km from the sea, making it possible to take a day trip to the coast even from the most centrally located inland town.
Since the early sixth century, Ireland has been known as "The Island of Saints and Scholars". It was the monks of Ireland that kept much of European education alive through the middle ages. This commitment to scholarship has continued down through the centuries; Ireland is now renowned for its focus on high-quality third-level education in training future leaders in the sciences, business and the arts. Ireland's long-term investment in education has given a good return, as evidenced by the number of multinational companies who have located here due to the highly educated and well-trained young workforce that is available to fill their needs.

Dublin began as a Viking settlement founded over one thousand years ago on the banks of the River Liffey and situated on a majestic broad sweeping bay. It became an administrative capital after the Norman conquest of Ireland in the twelfth century and developed its own parliament and government institutions under British sovereignty from the fourteenth century onwards. During the eighteenth century, the city grew rapidly, building fine Georgian architecture which still exists today. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Dublin became the center of two great cultural movements - the Gaelic League, aimed at restoring the Irish Language, and the Irish Literary Renaissance. Dublin is now the thriving capital of an independent Ireland and is the center of the political, diplomatic, administrative and commercial life of the country. It is home to a population of over one million people. UCD students from North America will get to know the city fairly well during their first year and will continue to enjoy all the facilities that Dublin has to offer for the remainder of their studies.

irish tourist board www.ireland.ie
entertainment ireland www.entertainmentireland.ie
irish times newspaper www.ireland.com