Republic of Ireland facts

Hibernia. The Romans would later refer to Ireland by this name too in its Latinised form - Hibernia. Hibernia as a national personification representing Ireland appeared in numerous cartoon and drawings, especially in the nineteenth century.

In Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s. The agreement also created a number of institutions between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Ireland. Éamon de Valera was a prominent statesman and political leader in 20th-century Ireland. His political career spanned over half a century. He served several terms as head of government and head of state. He also led the introduction of the Constitution of Ireland.

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic and Irish origin. The game has prehistoric origins, and has been played for 4,000 years. The objective of the game is for players to use a wooden stick called a hurl to hit a small ball called a sliotar between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points.

Station Island. St Patrick's Purgatory is an ancient pilgrimage site on Station Island in Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland. According to legend, the site dates from the fifth century, when Christ showed Saint Patrick a cave, sometimes referred to as a pit or a well, on Station Island that was an entrance to Purgatory.

Shannon. The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at 360.5 km (224 miles). The river represents a major physical barrier between east and west, with fewer than thirty-five crossing-points between Limerick city in the south and the village of Dowra in the north. The river is named after Sionna, a Celtic goddess.

Northern Ireland. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland.

Ireland. The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. The islands are an official Gaeltacht, with a vast majority of inhabitants primarily speaking Irish.