Ireland—the Emerald Isle—has a rich culture and complex history. Once an English colony, it was formally incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801. After World War I, and the subsequent Irish War of Independence, the island was partitioned in 1920, with the creation of Northern Ireland, a six-county area with devolved powers within the United Kingdom, whereas under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6, 1921, the other 26 counties became the Irish Free State, a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth and Empire. In 1937 the southern state passed a new constitution that offered a more robust expression of sovereignty, and in 1949 it formally left the Commonwealth as the Republic of Ireland (see Encyclopaedia Britannica). Ireland is one of the Member States of the European Union, and its currency is the Euro.

Ireland’s capital is Dublin, a populous and affluent city whose metropolitan area is home to more than one-fourth of the country’s total population. The city’s old dockside neighbourhoods have given way to new residential and commercial development. So, how about travelling to Dublin for a long weekend, and explore this vibrant city and its surroundings? 

In this theme, I also posted two essays—that I wrote as assignments at university—on Northern Ireland (NI), whose capital is Belfast: I invite you to travel back in time and explore the period of The Troubles in Northern Ireland (NI) and its aftermath.

The illustrations on the top of the page come from The Book of Kells : see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells