Ireland

Ireland is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean west of Great Britain. It is called the Emerald Isle because of its bright green countryside. Ireland is famous for its legends, music, and friendly people.

Land and People

About 5 million people live in Ireland. The capital is Dublin. The land is covered in green fields, rolling hills, and rugged cliffs. The Cliffs of Moher on the west coast drop 700 feet down to the sea. Sheep are everywhere in the countryside.

Old drawing of an Irish leader giving a speech.
Old drawing of an Irish leader giving a speech. (Unknown. Publisher: Currier & Ives, 115 Nassau St., New York, c 1881 Nov. 4. / Wikimedia Commons)

Culture and Fun Facts

Irish people celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17. Traditional Irish music with fiddles, flutes, and drums is played in pubs. Legends tell of leprechauns who hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows. Irish stew and soda bread are hearty traditional foods.

Fun Facts

  • St. Patrick's Day is celebrated all around the world on March 17.
  • Ireland has no snakes and legend says St. Patrick drove them all away.
  • The harp, not the shamrock, is the official symbol of Ireland.

Did You Know?

Ireland has no wild snakes at all. Legend says that St. Patrick chased them all into the sea. Scientists say snakes never came to Ireland because it has been separated from the mainland by water since the last Ice Age.