Notes

Ireland is VERY different from the United Kingdom in many ways. Religion is a large part of Irish culture, with 90% of its inhabitants being Catholic. The population size is also much different- there are approximately 3.7 million people living in Ireland currently, as opposed to the UK’s 59 million count.

Against the blue water of the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland’s rolling green hills and plentiful forests stand out like a sore thumb- this gorgeous greenery has earned Ireland the nickname “The Emerald Isle”. In western Ireland, the land is risen high up in rocky cliffs that overlook the Atlantic. At the core of Ireland is a large rolling plain with many farms and forests. Most of this area is covered in peat, a wet ground with many decaying plants. Peat is often times dried out and used as natural fuel. It can be dug from bogs, creeks, and most swamps and marshlands.

The Shannon River flows through the center of these plains. Dublin, Ireland’s capital and largest city, lies to the East.

·         QUICK FACT! No part of Ireland is more than 70 miles from the sea.

While Ireland has few mineral resources, it makes up for what it lacks in good farmland. Because of the moist ground, it is great for farming and raising cattle and has been for years. In the early 1800’s, many Irish farmers grew potatoes in the dirt as their main source of food. Unfortunately, disaster hit when too much rain and foul weather allowed an unwelcome disease to spread through the plants. The disease spread like wildfire through the vast farmer’s fields and the Irish, having basically nothing else to eat, suffered greatly and over a million people died in what is now known as “The Potato Famine”.

Because of this, Ireland’s population declined and many of the survivors of this famine packed up and moved to the United States, where they believed it would be easier to live and raise families. Ireland’s farmers still grew potatoes, but they also learned to cultivate barley, wheat, sugar beets, and turnips. They still raise these crops to this day, along with raising beef and dairy cattle.