Pre-Trip Information

According to Article 4 of the Republic of Ireland's Constitution, the official name of this country is Ireland in the English language and Éire in the Irish (Gaelic-Irish) language. The origins of the name Éire are unknown, however, the name of a mythological heroine Eiru was referenced in some of the earliest literature in Old Irish. It is likely that the name of the country has some historical association with this mythological character in literature. The name Ireland is derived from a combination of the Gaelic word "Éire" and the Germanic word "land".

Irish culture has been highly informed by folklore and legends. Indeed, storytelling -- an oral tradition -- has been part of Irish culture for centuries, as evidenced by the high regard placed on the poet or "file" who was viewed as the guardian of cultural knowledge. As such, Irish folklore and legends have been passed down from generation to generation, with storytelling functioning as a significant aspect of the social tradition and national community of Ireland.

Social and Cultural Demography

Today, Ireland has a population of about 4.5 million. Dublin -- Ireland's capital city -- is home to a population of approximately one million people making it the most densely populated part of Ireland. Many visitors to Ireland find that Dublin is a bustling and cosmopolitan city, in contrast to the mystical appeal of Ireland's western coastline.

The majority of Ireland's nearly inhabitants are a mixture of Celtic and English. Celts are sometimes associated with the notion of authentic Irish identity, although many other ethnic groups settled on the Emerald Isle and also form part of the Irish identity. These groups include Pre-Celtic wanderers, Vikings, Normans, Huguenots, Spaniards, French, Scots and English settlers. Ireland's constitution states that citizenship is bestowed not only on the basis of birth or even descent, but also via naturalization. Currently, Ireland's population includes a notable minority of naturalized citizens born in other parts of the world.

The Gaelic-Irish language evolved from Celtic immigrants around 600 before the common era (BCE). Although other linguistic elements were introduced to Ireland over the centuries, most notably from invading Vikings and Normans, the Gaelic-Irish language has proven itself to be remakably enduring. Gaelic-Irish is one of three Gaelic languages derived from the Indo-European lingusitic family. English usage was introduced by the Normans but it was not easily integrated, although in the 18th century it became the language of business, jurisprudence, and other arenas of administration. The first to bring the English language to Ireland were the Normans. Over time, Gaelic-Irish became increasingly associated with the less educated and poorer segments of the population. In recent times, however, it has gained cultural and historical importance. Today, English is the language generally used by most of the Irish population, although Gaelic-Irish is spoken in areas across Ireland and especially along the western seaboard. Officially, however, according to Ireland's constitution, Gaelic-Irish (called simply Irish in many circles) is the recognized language of Ireland, while English is also recognized as the other language of the country.

The vast majority of people in Ireland profess to be Roman Catholics. Indeed, Ireland is often characterized as an intensely Catholic country not only in terms of numerical figures but also because Irish Catholics are perceived to be highly devout. In terms of religious affiliation, 92 percent of the population claims to be Roman Catholic while two percent of the population belongs to the Protestant Church of Ireland. Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses and Jews are also represented. The Irish Constitution guarantees the free profession of religion.


Human Development

Ireland is home to a highly literate population with a literacy rate of 98 percent. In terms of life expectancy, the average life expectancy, based on recent estimates, is 77 years of age (80 years for females and 74 years for men). Ireland's population growth rate is 1.07 percent, according to recent  estimates. The infant mortality rate is 5.43 deaths per 1,000 live births.

About 7.6 percent of GDP is spent on health expenditures in this country; about  4.9 percent of GDP is spent on educational expenditures.  Access to education, sanitation, water, and health is regarded to be excellent.

One notable measure used to determine a country's quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI), which has been compiled annually since 1990 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The HDI is a composite of several indicators, which measure a country's achievements in three main arenas of human development: longevity, knowledge and education, as well as economic standard of living. In a recent ranking of 169 countries, the HDI placed Ireland in the high human development category, at 5th place, making it one of the countries in the world with the highest quality of life.

Note:  Although the concept of human development is complicated and cannot be properly captured by values and indices, the HDI, which is calculated and updated annually, offers a wide-ranging assessment of human development in certain countries, not based solely upon traditional economic and financial indicators.