Ireland, Republic of

Ireland, Republic of A country in western Europe comprising four-fifths of the island of IRELAND, to the west of Great Britain.

Physical

A flat and fertile plain surrounds a central lake, Lough Ree, and the basin of the River Shannon. It is surrounded by coastal areas of great beauty: the Wicklow Mountains in the south-east reach to nearly 1000 m (3300 feet); the Connemara Mountains in the west stand up above great lakes, while those of Kerry in the south-west reach to over 1000 m (3282 feet) and point like rugged fingers to the sea. Many islands, among them Aran, lie in the deep bays of the western coast, where there are sandy beaches among the rocks.

Economy

Ireland has a diversified economy in which agriculture predominates, although industry has become increasingly important; the chief exports are foodstuffs (especially beef), electrical machinery, and chemicals. Other industries include textiles, and tourism is also important. The country generates 15% of its electricity by burning peat, of which there are extensive reserves. Ireland has a higher rate of emigration than any other member of the EU. However, in recent years the economy has grown rapidly, with inflation remaining low. Irish citizens have had the right to reside, work, and vote in the UK since independence.

History

After years of intermittent fighting, the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921, concluded by Lloyd George with the SINN FEIN leaders, gave separate DOMINION status to Ireland (as the Irish Free State) with the exception of six of the counties of Ulster, which formed the state of NORTHERN IRELAND. Irish republicans led by DE VALERA rejected the agreement and fought a civil war against the Irish Free State forces, but were defeated in 1923. After the FÍANNA FÁIL victory in the election of 1932, de Valera began to sever the Irish Free State's remaining connections with Great Britain. In 1937 a new constitution established it as a sovereign state with an elected president; the power of the British Crown was ended and the office of governor-general abolished. The title of Irish Free State was replaced by Ireland; in Irish, Eire. An agreement in 1938 ended the British occupation of certain naval bases in Ireland. Having remained neutral in World War II, Ireland left the COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS and was recognized as an independent republic in 1949. De Valera was elected President in 1959. He was succeeded as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) by Sean LEMASS (1959–66) and Jack LYNCH (1966–73). In 1973 Ireland joined the European Community and a FINE GAEL—Labour coalition led by Liam COSGRAVE came to power. Subsequent governments have been controlled alternately by the Fíanna Fáil under Charles HAUGHEY (1979–81; 1982; 1987–92) and the Fine Gael—Labour coalition under Dr Garret FITZGERALD (1981–82; 1982–87). In November 1985 Ireland signed the Anglo-Irish Accord (the Hillsborough Agreement) giving the republic a consultative role in the government of Northern Ireland. The agreement thus ensured a role for the republic on behalf of the nationalist minority in the north. The election as President, in December 1990, of Mary ROBINSON, of the Irish Labour Party, represented a move towards greater liberalism within Irish society; but opposition to abortion remained strong. Economically the republic has gained from its membership of the European Community (now the EUROPEAN UNION), which it continues strongly to support. In 1992 Haughey was replaced by Albert REYNOLDS, who resigned in 1994 following the collapse of his coalition. The Fine Gael leader, John BRUTON, became Prime Minister at the head of a new coalition with Labour and the Democratic Left. In December 1993 Albert Reynolds had joined the UK Prime Minister John MAJOR in issuing the DOWNING STREET DECLARATION, which set out general principles for the holding of future peace talks on NORTHERN IRELAND and represented a significant step towards peace in the province. In August 1994 the IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY (IRA) announced a complete ceasefire, and the Irish government agreed to the early release of IRA prisoners as a move to consolidate the peace process. Despite the presentation by John Major and John Bruton of a joint framework document for all-party talks on a durable settlement for Northern Ireland in early 1995, a deadlock in progress towards talks developed over the British government's insistence on the IRA decommissioning of weapons before any talks began. The IRA's ceasefire was broken in early 1996 and there were bomb attacks on mainland Britain. Peace talks began in June 1996, from which Sinn Fein (the political wing of the IRA) was excluded, but in 1997, following a further IRA ceasefire, talks resumed with Sinn Fein included. In January 1998 the Irish and British governments issued, as a basis for negotiation, a joint document containing proposals for the future government of Northern Ireland, which would include a north—south ministerial council to promote cooperation between the Republic and Northern Ireland. In 1998 a peace agreement based on these proposals was signed by the Irish and British Prime Ministers ( Bertie AHERN and Tony BLAIR) and by the negotiating parties and was endorsed by the Irish electorate in a referendum.

Capital:	Dublin
Area:	70,285 sq km (27,137 sq miles)
Population:	3,647,000 (1998 est)
Currency:	euro; also until 2002 1 Irish pound (punt) = 100 new pence
Religions:	Roman Catholic 93.1%; Church of Ireland (Anglican) 2.8%; Presbyterian 0.4%
Ethnic Groups:	Over 94.0% Irish nationality
Languages:	English, Irish (both official)
International Organizations:	EU; OECD; UN; Council of Europe; CSCE