9781422278017

IRELAND AT A GLANCE

Flag of Ireland The Republic of Ireland occupies 80 percent of the island of Ireland, the remaining 20 percent being part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In 1921, Ireland became an independent state, having been part of the United Kingdom for over one hundred years. The flag dates back to 1848 and was used by freedom fighters in their struggle against the British. This came in the wake of the revolutions that were sweeping Europe in 1848 against post-

Napoleonic conservatism. The flag was officially adopted after independence, the green representing the Roman Catholic Church, the orange the Protestants, with white symbolizing the desire for peace.

ABOVE: Temple Bar is an area on the south bank of the river Liffey in central Dublin. It is promoted as Dublin’s cultural quarter and has a lively nightlife that is popular with tourists.

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