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Republic of Ireland

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Éire
Ireland

Flag Coat of arms
Anthem
Amhrán na bhFiann
Location of Ireland
Location of Ireland
Capital Dublin
Government Republic and parliamentary democracy
President
- 1949-1959 Seán T. O'Kelly
- 1959-1973 Éamon de Valera
- 1973-1974 Erskine Hamilton Childers
- 1974-1976 Cearbhall O Dalaigh
- 1976-1990 Patrick Hillery
- 1990-1997 Mary Robinson
Taoiseach
- 1949-1951 John A. Costello
- 1951-1954 Eamon de Valera
- 1954-1957 John A. Costello
- 1957-1959 Eamon de Valera
- 1959-1966 Sean Francis Lemass
- 1966-1973 Jack Lynch
Legislature Oireachtas
- Upper house Seanad Éireann
- Lower house Dáil Éireann
History
- December 29, 1937 Constitution of Ireland
- April 18, 1949 Republic of Ireland Act
EU accession January 1, 1973
Area 70,273 km²
Population
- 2010 4,470,700
 Density 63.6/km²
GDP 2010 (PPP)
- Total US$ 176.4 billion
- Per capita US$ 39,468
Currency Euro
NUTS Region IE0
 Ireland
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Ireland is a nation in Europe. Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is gradually being implemented despite some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.[1]




History

In 1800 the Irish parliament passed the Act of Union with Great Britain, and Ireland was an official part of the United Kingdom until 1921. Religious freedom, outlawed in the 18th century, was restored in 1829, but this victory for the Irish Catholic majority was overshadowed by a severe economic depression and the great famine of 1846-48 when the potato crop failed. Millions died, and millions more emigrated, spawning the first mass wave of Irish emigration to the United States. A decade later, in 1858, the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB--also known as the Fenians) was founded as a secret society dedicated to armed rebellion against the British. An above-ground political counterpart, the Home Rule Movement, was created in 1874, advocating constitutional change for independence.

Galvanized by the leadership of Charles Stewart Parnell, the party was able to force British governments after 1885 to introduce several home rule bills. The turn of the century witnessed a surge of interest in Irish nationalism, including the founding of Sinn Féin ("Ourselves Alone") as an open political movement.

Nationalism was and is a potent populist force in Irish politics. A home rule bill passed in 1914, but its implementation was suspended until war in Europe ended. Believing the mantra: "England's problem is Ireland's opportunity," and tapping into a mood of Gaelic revivalism, Padraic Pearse and James Connolly led the unsuccessful Easter Rising of 1916. Pearse and the other 1916 leaders declared an independent Irish republic, but a lack of popular support doomed the rebellion, which lasted a week and destroyed large portions of Dublin. The decision by the British military government to execute the leaders of the rebellion, coupled with the British Government's threat of conscripting the Irish to fight in the Great War, alienated public opinion and produced massive support for Sinn Féin in the 1918 general election. Under the leadership of Eamon de Valera, the elected Sinn Féin deputies constituted themselves as the first Dáil. Tensions only increased: British attempts to smash Sinn Féin ignited the Anglo-Irish War of 1919-1921.

The end of the war brought the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921, which established the Irish Free State of 26 counties within the British Commonwealth and recognized the partition of the island into Ireland and Northern Ireland, although this was supposedly a temporary measure. The six predominantly Protestant counties of northeast Ulster--Northern Ireland--remained a part of the United Kingdom with limited self-government. A significant Irish minority repudiated the treaty settlement because of the continuance of subordinate ties to the British monarch and the partition of the island. This opposition led to further hostilities--a civil war (1922-23), which was won by the pro-treaty forces.

In 1932, Eamon de Valera, the political leader of the forces initially opposed to the treaty, became Prime Minister, and a new Irish constitution was enacted in 1937. The last British military bases were soon withdrawn, and the ports were returned to Irish control. Ireland was neutral in World War II. The government formally declared Ireland a republic in 1948; however, it does not normally use the term "Republic of Ireland," which tacitly acknowledges the partition, but refers to the country simply as "Ireland."[2]

Government

Ireland is a sovereign, independent, democratic state with a parliamentary system of government. The president, who serves as head of state in a largely ceremonial role, is elected for a 7-year term and can be re-elected only once. The current president is Mary McAleese, who is serving her second term after having succeeded President Mary Robinson--the first instance worldwide where one woman has followed another as an elected head of state. In carrying out certain constitutional powers and functions, the president is aided by the Council of State, an advisory body. On the taoiseach's (prime minister's) advice, the president also dissolves the Oireachtas (parliament).

The prime minister (taoiseach) is elected by the Dáil (lower house of parliament) as the leader of the political party, or coalition of parties, that wins the most seats in the national elections, which are held approximately every 5 years (unless called earlier). Executive power is vested in a cabinet whose ministers are nominated by the taoiseach and approved by the Dáil.

The bicameral Oireachtas (parliament) consists of the Seanad Éireann (Senate) and the Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives). The Seanad is composed of 60 members--11 nominated by the prime minister, six elected by the national universities, and 43 elected from panels of candidates established on a vocational basis. The Seanad has the power to delay legislative proposals and is allowed 90 days to consider and amend bills sent to it by the Dáil, which wields greater power in parliament. The Dáil has 166 members popularly elected to terms of 5 years under a complex system of proportional representation. A member of the Dáil is known as a Teachta Dála, or TD.

Judges are appointed by the president on nomination by the government and can be removed from office only for misbehavior or incapacity and then only by resolution of both houses of parliament. The ultimate court of appeal is the Supreme Court, consisting of the chief justice and five other justices. The Supreme Court also can decide upon the constitutionality of legislative acts if the president asks for an opinion.

Local government is by elected county councils and, in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Waterford, by county borough corporations. County councils/corporations in turn select city mayors. In practice, however, most authority remains with the central government.[3]

Politics

Irish politics remain dominated by the two political parties that grew out of Ireland's bitter 1922-23 civil war. Fianna Fáil was formed by those who opposed the 1921 treaty that partitioned the island. Although treaty opponents lost the civil war, Fianna Fáil soon became Ireland's largest political party. Fine Gael, representative of the pro-treaty forces, remains the country's second-largest party. Labour, Sinn Féin, and the Greens are the other significant parties.

The May 2007 national elections brought the Fianna Fáil party and its leader Bertie Ahern back to power in a coalition government for an unprecedented third 5-year term. Coalition members joining Fianna Fáil were the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats. Ahern appointed Finance Minister Brian Cowen Deputy Prime Minister (Tánaiste, pronounced "TAW-nish-tuh").

On April 3, 2008, Ahern announced his intention to resign as leader of Fianna Fáil and Taoiseach on May 6. Cowen was elected leader of Fianna Fáil on April 5, and assumed office on May 6. He was elected Taoiseach on May 7. Cowen appointed Mary Coughlan, Minister for Education and Skills as Tánaiste. The Foreign Minister is Micheál Martin (pronounced “MEE-haul”).

The June 2004 local and European elections featured a referendum on citizenship. Until that time, Ireland had granted citizenship on the basis of birth on Irish soil. Concerns about security and social welfare abuse prompted the government to seek to bring citizenship laws in line with the more restrictive policies prevalent in the rest of Europe, and the 2004 referendum measure passed by a wide majority. Now, persons with non-Irish parents can acquire Irish citizenship at birth on Irish soil only if at least one parent has been resident in Ireland for 3 years preceding the birth.

Fianna Fáil suffered a solid defeat in the June 2009 local and European elections, with Fine Gael, Labour, and independents gaining healthy margins. In a referendum held on October 2, 2009, Irish voters approved the European Union (EU) Lisbon Treaty by 67.1% to 32.9%. The current coalition government is facing declining popularity as it seeks to manage the ongoing economic crisis.

Northern Ireland

U.S. priorities remain supporting the peace process and devolved political institutions in Northern Ireland and encouraging the implementation of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), and the 2006 St. Andrews Agreement.

The conflict in Northern Ireland stems from a history of British rule, historical animosity between Catholics and Protestants, and the various armed and political attempts to unite Northern Ireland with the rest of the island. "Nationalist" and "Republican" groups seek a united Ireland, while "Unionists" and "Loyalists" want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. After decades of violence by both Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries, most notably the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), the British and Irish Governments negotiated a PIRA ceasefire in 1994, which was followed by the landmark U.S.-brokered Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The GFA established a power-sharing executive and assembly to serve as the devolved local government of Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly has 108 elected members. The power-sharing executive is led by a first minister and deputy first minister, one each from the largest unionist and nationalist parties, and an 11-minister executive. The GFA also provided for both Ireland and the U.K. to accept that Northern Ireland could become part of Ireland if a majority (north and south) so voted in the future. The GFA provided a blueprint for "normalization," to include reduction in the numbers and role of armed forces, devolution of police and justice authorities, and guarantees of human rights and equal opportunity for all individuals. The agreement was approved in a 1998 referendum by 71% of Northern Ireland voters and 95% of Irish voters.

The major political parties in Northern Ireland are the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP), and the Alliance Party. The UUP and SDLP are centrist Unionist and Nationalist parties, respectively, while Sinn Fein is strongly Republican and the DUP is strongly Unionist. The Alliance Party is the only non-sectarian party.

Since June 2008, Northern Ireland's First Minister has been DUP party leader Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister has been Martin McGuinness, who is a Sinn Féin member of the British Parliament and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The DUP, UUP, Sinn Féin, and SDLP currently make up the power-sharing executive. The next Northern Ireland Assembly election will be held in May 2011.

In September 2009, Declan Kelly was appointed as the Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, a new position created by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aimed at expanding Northern Ireland's relatively small private sector and furthering economic ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. The Economic Envoy coordinates economic collaboration for the mutual benefit of Northern Ireland and the United States, underpinning the Northern Ireland peace process by focusing on the economic dividends of peace.

The United States also continues to provide funding ($17 million in FY 2010) for projects administered under the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), which was created in 1986 to generate cross-community engagement and economic opportunity in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan, and Sligo). Since the IFI's establishment, the U.S. Government has contributed over $486 million, roughly half of total IFI funding. The other major donor to IFI is the EU.[4]

Foreign Policy

Ireland is a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the European Union. Ireland has been an important contributor to numerous international peacekeeping missions, such as in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Liberia (UNIMIL), the Balkans (KFOR and EUFOR), and Chad (EUFOR). Ireland's overseas development assistance focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa and stands at 0.5% of GDP.[5]

Economy

Until 2008, Ireland boasted one of the most vibrant, open economies in the world. The "Celtic Tiger" period of the mid- to late 1990s saw several years of double-digit GDP growth, driven by a progressive industrial policy that boosted large-scale foreign direct investment and exports. GDP growth dipped during the immediate post-September 11, 2001 global economic slowdown, but averaged roughly 5% yearly between 2004 and 2007, the best performance for this period among the original EU 15 member states. During that period, the Irish economy generated roughly 90,000 new jobs annually and attracted over 200,000 foreign workers, mostly from the new EU member states, in an unprecedented immigration influx. The construction sector accounted for approximately one-quarter of these jobs. However, the Irish economy began to experience a slowdown in 2008. The Irish property market collapsed, putting pressure on the Irish banks, which had a significant portion of their loan books in real estate. This, in turn, caused a collapse in the government’s finances because of a large dip in the amount of revenue raised from value-added tax and tax on property transactions.

In 2009, the Irish economy experienced double-digit unemployment, deflation, a virtual standstill in credit availability, and a widening government budget deficit. Under a deal cut with the EU, the Irish Government is required by 2014 to bring the budget deficit under the 3% requirement mandated by the EU's stability and growth pact. On December 9, 2009, the government announced the first in a series of difficult budgets, cutting spending by €4 billion (approximately $5.8 billion). Following a $9.5 billion recapitalization of Ireland’s two biggest banks and the nationalization of the third-largest bank, on November 22, 2009, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) bill was signed into law. Under this program, the government has created a “bad bank” to acquire property and development assets with a book value of €77 billion (approximately $111.5 billion) for an estimated price of €54 billion (approximately $78.2 billion).

In 2010, the government repeatedly intervened in the banking sector to ensure the safety of bank deposits. However, the virtual collapse of the construction industry meant that unemployment levels continued to rise. Fragile consumer confidence and weak domestic spending further contributed to bleak unemployment levels. Exports grew, albeit slowly, and are expected to be the main driver of an expected modest GDP growth in 2010. With lower tax receipts and rising welfare costs, the government remained committed to cutting both capital and day-to-day spending costs as it faced tough FY 2011 budget decisions.

Economic and trade ties are an important facet of overall U.S.-Irish relations. In 2009, U.S. exports to Ireland were valued at $10.41 billion, while Irish exports to the U.S. totaled $39.19 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics. The range of U.S. exports includes electrical components and equipment, computers and peripherals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and livestock feed. Irish exports to the United States represent approximately 17% of all Irish exports and include alcoholic beverages, chemicals and related products, electronic data processing equipment, electrical machinery, textiles and clothing, and glassware. Irish investment in the United States steadily increased during the economic boom times. Ireland is one of the top 20 sources of foreign direct investment in the U.S., with Irish food processing firms, in particular, expanding their presence.

U.S. investment has been particularly important to the growth and modernization of Irish industry over the past 25 years, providing new technology, export capabilities, and employment opportunities. As of year-end 2009, the stock of U.S. foreign direct investment in Ireland stood at $166 billion, more than the U.S. total for China, India, Russia, and Brazil--the BRIC countries--combined. There are approximately 600 U.S. subsidiaries currently in Ireland that employ roughly 100,000 people and span activities from manufacturing of high-tech electronics, computer products, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals to retailing, banking, finance, and other services. In more recent years, Ireland has also become an important research and development center for U.S. firms in Europe.

Many U.S. businesses find Ireland an attractive location to manufacture for the EU market, since it is inside the EU customs area and uses the euro. U.S. firms year after year account for over half of Ireland's total exports. Other reasons for Ireland's attractiveness include: a 12.5% corporate tax rate for domestic and foreign firms; the quality and flexibility of the English-speaking work force; cooperative labor relations; political stability; pro-business government policies; a transparent judicial system; strong intellectual property protection; and the pulling power of existing companies operating successfully (a "clustering" effect). Factors that negatively affect Ireland's ability to attract investment include: high labor and energy costs (especially when compared to low-cost countries in Eastern Europe and Asia), skilled labor shortages, inadequate infrastructure (such as in the transportation and Internet/broadband sectors), and price levels that are ranked among the highest in Europe.[6]

Demographics

The Irish people are mainly of Celtic origin, with the country's only significant sized minority having descended from the Anglo-Normans. English is the common language, but Irish (Gaelic) is also an official language and is taught in schools.

Anglo-Irish writers such as Swift, Sheridan, Goldsmith, Burke, Wilde, Joyce, Yeats, Shaw, and Beckett have made a major contribution to world literature over the past 300 years.

The earliest inhabitants--people of a mid-Stone Age culture--arrived about 6000 BC. About 4,000 years later, tribes from southern Europe arrived and established a high Neolithic culture, leaving behind gold ornaments and huge stone monuments. The Bronze Age people, who arrived during the next 1,000 years, produced elaborate gold and bronze ornaments and weapons.

The Iron Age arrived abruptly in the fourth century BC with the invasion of the Celts, a tall, energetic people who had spread across Europe and Great Britain in the preceding centuries. The Celts, or Gaels, and their more numerous predecessors divided into five kingdoms in which, despite constant strife, a rich culture flourished.

The coming of Christianity from across the Irish Sea brought major changes and civilizing influences. Tradition maintains that St. Patrick arrived on the island in AD 432 and, in the years that followed, worked to convert the Irish to Christianity.

The pagan druid tradition collapsed before the spread of the new faith, and Irish scholars excelled in the study of Latin learning and Christian theology in the monasteries that flourished. Missionaries went forth from Ireland to England and the continent, spreading news of the flowering of learning, and scholars from other nations came to Irish monasteries. The excellence and isolation of these monasteries helped preserve Latin and Greek learning during the Dark Ages. The arts of manuscript illumination, metalworking, and sculpture flourished and produced such treasures as the Book of Kells, ornate jewelry, and the many carved stone crosses that dot the island.

Two hundred years of Viking invasion and settlement was later followed by a Norman conquest in the 12th century. The Norman conquest resulted in the assimilation of the Norman settlers into Irish society. The early 17th century saw the arrival of Scottish and English Protestants, sent as colonists to the north of Ireland and the Pale around Dublin.[7]

President

  • Seán T. O'Kelly (₩) (April 18, 1949 - June 24, 1959)
  • Éamon de Valera (₩) (June 24, 1959 - June 24, 1973)
  • Erskine Hamilton Childers (₩) (June 24, 1973 - November 17, 1974)
  • Cearbhall O Dalaigh (₩) (November 17, 1974 - October 22, 1976)
  • Patrick Hillery (₩) (October 22, 1976 - December 2, 1990)
  • Mary Robinson (₩) (December 2, 1990 - September 12, 1997)
  • Mary McAleese (₩) (September 12, 1997 - )


Taoiseach

  • John A. Costello (₩) (April 18, 1949 - June 13, 1951)
  • Eamon de Valera (₩) (June 13, 1951 - June 2, 1954)
  • John A. Costello (₩) (June 2, 1954 - March 20, 1957)
  • Eamon de Valera (₩) (March 20, 1957 - June 23, 1959)
  • Sean Francis Lemass (₩) (June 23, 1959 - November 10, 1966)
  • Jack Lynch (₩) (November 10, 1966 - March 14, 1973)
  • Liam Cosgrave (₩) (March 14, 1973 - July 5, 1977)
  • Jack Lynch (₩) (July 5, 1977 - December 11, 1979)
  • Charles James Haughey (₩) (December 11, 1979 - June 30, 1981)
  • Garret FitzGerald (₩) (June 30, 1981 - March 9, 1982)
  • Charles James Haughey (₩) (March 9, 1982 - December 14, 1982)
  • Garret FitzGerald (₩) (December 14, 1982 - March 10, 1987)
  • Charles James Haughey (₩) (March 10, 1987 - February 11, 1992)
  • Albert Reynolds (₩) (February 11, 1992 - December 15, 1994)
  • John Gerard Bruton (₩) (December 15, 1994 - June 26, 1997)
  • Bertie Ahern (₩) (June 26, 1997 - May 7, 2008)
  • Brian Cowen (₩) (May 7, 2008 - )

Nation

Irish Polities

Neighbouring Nations

References

  1. ↑ The CIA World Factbook
  2. ↑ The United States Department of State - Background Note
  3. ↑ The United States Department of State - Background Note
  4. ↑ The United States Department of State - Background Note
  5. ↑ The United States Department of State - Background Note
  6. ↑ The United States Department of State - Background Note
  7. ↑ The United States Department of State - Background Note
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