Ireland (island)

I

Introduction

Ireland (island), island, British Isles, the westernmost and second largest of the group, in the North Atlantic Ocean, and separated from Great Britain by St. George’s Channel on the southeast, the Irish Sea on the east, and the North Channel on the northeast. Politically, the island is divided into Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, and Ireland, formerly Eire. The island is divided into four historical provinces—Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster—and administrative units called counties. Ireland consists of Connacht, Leinster, and Munster provinces, totaling 23 counties, and in the north, 3 counties of Ulster Province. Northern Ireland consists of 26 districts, the remainder of Ulster Province. The area of the island is 84,431 sq km (32,599 sq mi) (Ireland, 70,273 sq km/27,133 sq mi; Northern Ireland, 14,160 sq km/5,467 sq mi). The estimated population of the island in 1996 was 5,259,000, with the nation of Ireland representing two-thirds of the total.

In a northern and southern direction, the maximum length of Ireland is 486 km (302 mi); its extreme width is 280 km (174 mi). Malin Head, at latitude 55°27’ north, and Mizen Head, at latitude 51°27’ north, are, respectively, the northernmost and southernmost points on the island; easternmost and westernmost points are demarcated by longitude 5°25’ west and longitude 10°30’ west.

II

The Land

The eastern coast of Ireland is comparatively regular and has few deep indentations; the western coast is fringed by drowned or submerged valleys, steep cliffs, and hundreds of small islands torn from the mainland mass by the powerful forces of the Atlantic. Topographically, the surface of the island may be described as basin-shaped. The chief physiographic features are a region of lowlands, occupying the central and east central sections, and a complex system of low mountain ranges, lying between the lowlands and the periphery of the island. Among the principal ranges are the Mourne Mountains in the northeast, rising 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level; the mountains of Donegal in the north, containing Errigal Mountain, 752 m (2,466 ft); the Sperrin Mountains in the northwest, containing Sawel Mountain, 683 m (2,240 ft); the Maumturk Mountains in the west, containing Mount Twelve Bens, 730 m (2,395 ft); the Caha Mountains in the southwest, rising to more than 700 m (2,300 ft); the Boggeragh Mountains in the south, rising to more than 640 m (2,100 ft); and the Wicklow Mountains in the east, rising more than 900 m (3,000 ft). Carrauntoohil (1,041 m/3,415 ft above sea level), located in the southwestern section of the island, is the highest point in Ireland. The central plain, or lowlands region, has an extreme length of 160 km (100 mi) from east to west and a maximum width of 80 km (50 mi) from north to south. Numerous bogs and lakes are found in the plain. The principal rivers of Ireland are the Erne and the Shannon, which are in reality chains of lakes joined by stretches of river. The northern portion of the central plain is drained by the Erne River, and the center of the plain is drained by the Shannon, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean through a wide, lengthy estuary. Nearly half of the Shannon, above the estuary, is made up of Allen, Ree, and Derg lakes. All the principal rivers of Ireland flow from the plain, and an interior canal system facilitates communications.

The climate of Ireland is typically insular. Because of the moderating influence of the prevailing warm, moist winds from the Atlantic Ocean, the mean winter temperature ranges from 4° to 7°C (40° to 45°F), approximately 14°C (25°F) higher than that of other places in the same latitude in the interior of Europe or on the eastern coast of North America. The oceanic influence is also very pronounced in summer, the mean summer temperature of Ireland, 15° to 17°C (59° to 62°F), being approximately 4°C (7°F) lower than that of other places in the same latitudes. The rainfall averages 1,000 mm (40 in) a year.

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The flora of Ireland comes largely from England (it originally came to England from the western portions of the European continent). Sedges, rushes, ferns, and grass are the principal flora. The Irish fauna does not differ markedly from that of England or France. The great Irish deer and the great auk, or garefowl, were exterminated in prehistoric times; and, since civilization took root in Ireland, the island has lost its bear, wolf, wildcat, beaver, native cattle, and other species of animals. Remaining are the small rodents of the woods and fields and such small birds as belong to the fields, gardens, and shore. No serpents are found in Ireland, and the only reptile is the lizard.

III

History

To supplement the following account of the history of the island of Ireland, see Celtic Languages; Gaelic Literature; Ireland, Church of; Ireland, Republic of; Irish Literature.

A

The Early Period

According to local legends Ireland was inhabited first by various tribes, the most important of which were the Nemedians, Fomorians, Firbolgs, and Tuatha Dé Danann. These tribes are said to have been eventually subdued by Milesians (Scots). Although Ireland is mentioned under the name of Ierne in a Greek poem of the 5th century bc and by the names of Hibernia and Juverna by various classical writers, little is known with certainty of its inhabitants before the 4th century ad. At that time Irish tribes, called the Scoti, harried the Roman province of Britain. These expeditions were continued and extended to the coast of Gaul until the time of the Loigare, or King MacNeill (reigned 428-63), during whose reign St. Patrick attempted to convert the natives. Although Christianity had been previously introduced in some parts of Ireland, Patrick encountered great obstacles, and the new faith was not fully established in the island until a century after his death (circa 461).

From early times each province of Ireland appears to have had its own king; according to legend these kings were subject to the ardri, or monarch, to whom the central district, called Meath, was allotted, and who usually resided at Tara, a hill in present-day county Meath. Each clan was governed by a chief selected from its most important family. The laws were dispensed by professional jurists called brehons, who were endowed with lands and who were allowed important privileges.

In the 6th century extensive monasteries were founded in Ireland, in which religion and learning were zealously cultivated during the early Middle Ages of Europe. From these establishments numerous missionaries went forth during the succeeding centuries, while many students of distinction from England and the Continent visited Ireland to further their education. The progress of Irish civilization was checked by the incursions of the Scandinavians, which began toward the close of the 8th century and continued for more than two centuries. The Vikings established settlements on the east coast of Ireland and conducted raids in the interior until their signal overthrow at the Battle of Clontarf, near Dublin, in 1014, by the Irish king Brian Boru.

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