In Celebration of Ireland: The Irish, Past and Present

For a great number of facts on Ireland covering the economy, geography, history, demographics and much more, check out the CIA World Factbook.

Exploring ancient Irish history is most fun with the help of original documents. CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) has gathered hundreds of interesting primary documents. Most are available to view right in your browser, or to download as a PDF.

From a social perspective, Ireland stands apart from the other countries of the U.K., although there are strong genetic ties. In a 1908 social history of the country, P.W. Joyce wrote on the ancient Irish, including their style of dress, social customs, paganism and the people’s written records. Read parts of this book online at Tír na nÓg, a “virtual Irish cybercafe.”

Read the biographies of the current and past presidents of Ireland and the contexts surrounding their terms in office, including the first female president, Mary Robinson, and the current president, Mary McAleese.

Ireland’s geographical fabric and the beautiful structures that dot the landscape are as much a part of the country’s culture as pubs. Our Ireland Travel Guide recommends Rough Guides as a site to get a sense of Ireland’s natural and man-made treasures: the site lists 33 must-see spots, including historic (and prehistoric) places such as parks and castles, museums, art galleries and racetracks.

The History Channel Web site is also commemorating St. Patrick’s Day. Read their feature, which includes an “Irish Destinations” section, to explore more interesting spots in the country, including Cork, Donegal, the Shannon River and Dublin.