СЕВЕРНАЯ ИРЛАНДИЯ

orange and green colors. White color is a symbol of

peace between the Irish, who symbolized the green color, and the English companions of William III of England.
The Kladdah symbol personifies love bonds, friendship and loyalty. It is believed that the right hand here symbolizes the father of the Celtic gods named Dagda, and the left hand - the goddess mother Anu. There is a belief that the crown in the middle is the embodiment of the Celtic spirit Biachail.
Celtic Cross - This symbol is a variation of the traditional Christian cross. They say that St. Patrick combined the Christian cross with the solar cross, which the pagans used, and the result was a Celtic cross.
The trefoil is a three-leaf clover that grows everywhere in Ireland. It is believed that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, used a shamrock to spread Christianity in the country, since the three leaves of this plant personify the Holy Trinity.
The legend of the Leprechaun and his pot is known all over the world. Leprechaun is a magical character of traditional Irish folklore. He is a famous lover of various jokes and pranks.
In ancient times, the Irish loved to entertain guests playing the harp. Since then, this musical instrument has become one of the most beloved symbols of Ireland.

natural landscapes, but also for its numerous castles, whose history

is inextricably linked with the history of the country, its sorrows and joys. Virtually every medieval castle in Ireland is covered with mystical charm, in its history there are a lot of mysteries and secrets, sometimes creepy and paranormal.
Ireland is the country where there are many haunted castles - the shadows of the bloody past and still remind living people about themselves. A lot of these ancient castles in our days have become castle-hotels or museums, and yet, they retained a share of mystery and mystery.
Some of the most famous castles are: Ashford, Manderley, Blarney, Bunratty, Belfast, McDermott Island Castle, King John Landless Castle in Limerick.

of the country - they support the development of navigation,

are used for hydropower generation, are the source of many natural resources.
In Ireland, rivers and lakes form a large network, sometimes interspersed with swamps. Rivers do not freeze even during cold periods.
Shannon - the longest river in Ireland, its length is 368 kilometers. It extends from the western part of the country to the southeast. The basin area is more than 15 thousand km², and the water consumption is 200 m³ / s. Shannon takes its origin in the mountains of Kilkaf, the height at the hill is small, and the source is located at a height of 76 meters. Shannon ends in county of Limerick. The reservoir has many tributaries, the main - the rivers Sak and Brosna.
Lough Derg is one of the largest lakes in Ireland. Its coastline is 179 kilometers, and the total area is 129 km². The average depth is 7.6 meters, and the highest recorded - 24 meters. Through the Lough Derg passage is the largest river Shanon, falling from the northern part and flowing from the south, so the lake has an elongated oblong shape.

the country is considered a property, so they are doing

everything possible to preserve the unique landscape. There are six nature reserves and national parks in this country. They are protected by the state, and one of them was a candidate for the UNESCO heritage list.
Killarney National Park in Ireland, located near the town of the same name, covers more than 10 thousand hectares of pristine land. The uniqueness of Killarney National Park is explained not only by the picturesque views, but also by the huge number of rare species of wildlife.
Ballikroy in County Mayo was founded in 1998. It was created to preserve the landscapes of mountains and lowland marshes in the north-west of Ireland.
Glenway County Donegal covers an area of ​​110 square meters. km Its main attraction is the eponymous castle, which, according to the author, was supposed to surpass Balmoral, the Scottish residence of the Queen of England.
Connemara in Galway County, founded in 1980, was created to preserve landscapes of the same geographical area. The peculiarity of the reserve is the megalithic burial places, created 4 thousand years ago.
Wicklow Mountains National Park in Ireland is located in the south-east of the country. Tourists are interested in the park not only because of the flora and fauna, but also because of the ancient monastery of Glendalough, as well as the highest waterfall in Ireland - Powerscourt.

Burren in Ireland - huge slabs of limestone scattered over

a vast territory, boulders and stone megaliths.
The name Burren is related to the Irish word "buron" and is translated as "rocky place".
At first glance, this place may seem lifeless, since it looks like the surface of the Moon and looks like something foreign to Ireland. And this place, which is covered with limestone and full of ancient tombs from prehistoric times, has an extraterrestrial atmosphere.
Tourists most often visit a cave called Elui. It contains traces of a drilling bear that disappeared a thousand years ago. Elui adorns the presence of many bizarre stalagmites, stalactites and other natural masterpieces.
Fortresses and ruined castles, built in the Middle Ages, also add interest to the surrounding area of ​​the park.

Northern Ireland. Originally called Rath (Eng. Castle of Rath), and

the modern name was only in the XVI century.
Dundrum was built by the famous Norman knight John de Courcy, who invaded Ireland around 1171, subjugated the local clans and proclaimed himself Count of Ulster. The castle is located on top of a hill and faces the south side of the Dundrum valley and the picturesque mountain range of Morne. Dundrum was originally a motte and bailey fortress - that is, a wooden building on a bulkhead surrounded by a palisade — but probably around 1180, instead of a palisade, a stone wall was built.

Irish coast of the Irish Sea to the island of

Carrick, located just twenty meters from the coast.
Initially, this bridge was used by local fishermen who fished from Carrick Island. Now it is a major attraction, which is visited by up to a quarter of millions of tourists annually.
The modern bridge was built in 2008: the construction using high-strength cables and spruce trees, capable of supporting a weight of up to ten thousand tons, cost 16 thousand pounds.

tragic shipwreck in 1804. It was originally a mechanical lighthouse,

but the work of art was transformed into an electric one in 1975. Fanad Head Lighthouse offers breathtaking views of the Fened Peninsula and its amazing rocky coast.
The lighthouse, located on Cape Fanad, was not on the same camera. Pictures of this place attract in any weather and in any light.
The photos of this place have so many details that publishers in printing houses often choose the images of the lighthouse on Cape Fanad for the manufacture of puzzles.

northwestern coast of Ireland in the province of Donegal. The

name of the island is derived from the Celtic "Thoraigh", which means the watchtower.
According to Celtic mythology, the island was a fortress of the Fomorians - mythical creatures representing the forces of evil. These were one-eyed giants with one arm and an ugly-looking foot. Interestingly, descriptions of such creatures are present in the legends of other nations, such as Scandinavians or Greeks.
There are many Celtic legends associated with the island, the most famous story is about a princess who lived in a tower of glass erected on the island.
There are only two villages on the island: West town (West City) and East town (East City)
Of the ancient buildings on the island is preserved ancient watchtower, dated X century.

Ireland. In the northern part of the country, near the

small village of Armoy, there is one of the most mystical and mysterious wonders of nature. The dark dead end is shrouded in legends and tales of incredible encounters in its depths.
Beech alley appeared in County Atrim in the 18th century. Then it was not yet dark and dark. The family of the Stuarts who lived in this area did not even assume that the trees planted on the sides of the road Bregai Road would grow to such an extent over the decades that they would intertwine in an alley.
Sunlight penetrates weakly inside. The crowns of the trees form a tunnel that has mystic power. Beech trees have been guarding the road to the unknown for more than three centuries.
The locals, with anxiety and sinking hearts, tell stories to each other and tourists about the spirit of a strange woman who is often seen floating in the doorway of the Dark Tunnel or near it. It is said that this is the maid who was abducted from the house of Stuarts, who lost her life under mysterious circumstances.
Interestingly, some episodes of the series "Game of Thrones" were filmed in Ireland, in the Dark Alley.

stews and potatoes. Of course, beer is traditional for Irish

cuisine.
One of the main national traditions in the cuisine of Ireland - the love of meat, vegetables and bread. The main requirement - the food must be satisfying, this is due to the difficult climatic conditions in which it is necessary to survive.
A typical breakfast dish is black pudding, which resembles blood sausage to taste, with the addition of oats, barley and animal blood.
The Irish have come up with a huge number of recipes from potatoes. The most popular: boksti (pancakes from potatoes), champ (mashed potatoes, whipped with milk), kolkannon (mashed potatoes with the addition of cabbage). If you need to quickly satisfy your hunger, they prefer Fish & Chips, a fish with fries.
The list of national dishes includes a variety of snacks. Dulce is a product that can be bought at health food stores. These are algae that are dried in the sun, ground and added to the first courses. They are also fried or baked under cheese sauce.

Christmas, not Easter, but St. Patrick's Day, which is the

patron saint of all Irish people. Saint Patrick founded the Irish church and drove out the druids and worship of the pagan gods from the "emerald island." Preserved legend, as of sv. Patrick expelled all mosquitoes, wolves and snakes. He ordered all the bastards of Ireland to assemble on the Croagh Patrick mountain, and then threw them into the sea.
Legends tell how St. Patrick crossdid the magic stone of the Druids with a circle. The pagan circle connected with the Latin cross, with complex patterns, runic script, beasts, birds, geometric patterns, and became a symbol of Christianity in Ireland. There are 60 crosses that marked the borders of monasteries and parishes from the 8th-12th centuries.
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, the whole world changes to green and becomes Irish. Schoolchildren are allowed to knock someone who did not come in green clothes, but adults to have fun at parties with music and dance, in which ale and 16 Guinness beers flow like water. At the celebration, you can meet 60-centimeter fairy leprechauns, always wearing green clothes and a hat, who drink moonshine and smoke, and at other times sew new shoes for fairies and hide the found gold coins in pots at the very end of the rainbow.

Athletic Association, the largest organization of non-professional athletes in Ireland,

uniting 2,500 divisions and 800,000 non-professional athletes. The main task of the association is the development and popularization of such sports as Gaelic football, Hurling, Kamogi, Gaelic handball and Gaelic lapta.
Hurling is a mixture of field hockey and rugby. They are played by two teams of 15 people, called “hurlers” (hurlers), each of which has a stick “hurley” (hurley). The task is to score a small ball called “sliotar” at the opponent’s goal. Slitar can be caught by hand and carry it in your hand, but not more than four steps.
Hurling is considered the fastest among team sports. They play it almost exclusively in Ireland, there are several teams outside it, but they are almost entirely made up of players of Irish descent. There is a female version of the game called Kamogi.
The history of Hurling is ancient than the history of Ireland. This game was brought with them by the Celts, thus, it is already more than 2000 years old. Already in the 5th century in the law book of Ireland, punishment was imposed for the death or personal injury of people with the help of clubs or Hurling balls.

entertainment in Ireland. They can not only enjoy the fight

for first place, but also try to win something by making a bet.
"Brewery at the gates of St. James" - the same plant where they brew the world famous dark beer Guinness. This is truly a cult place. Here is the house of Arthur Guinness, the founder of the company and its museum, which is located in a seven-story building. The first floors of the building are devoted to souvenirs, the history of the company, beer tasting, and at the very top is the Gravity Bar, from whose windows a stunning view of the city opens.
The Ring of Kerry is a popular tourist route that runs through the county of Kerry. On the route route with a length of 166 kilometers, you can find a huge number of tourist attractions: Ross Castle, Lake Killarney, Tork Falls, St. Mary’s Church and much more.
The Cliffs of Moher is one of the most popular attractions in Ireland. Their height is more than 200 meters and the rocks stretch for 8 km in length, hanging over the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This place will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, because it was here that scenes for the last movie were filmed.
Galway is the cultural capital of Ireland, one of those few large Irish cities where you can still hear Gaelic (Celtic) language, participate in national holidays.

Irish are red, but in fact people who have natural

copper hair color and funny freckles are only 9% of the total population of the country.
Most of the names in the country begin with “Mac” or “O’ ”, which means“ son ”and“ vnyk ”. In the Russian transcription it would have sounded like this - Semyon, son of Peter, grandson of Egor.?
The native language of the Irish is, respectively, the Irish (Gaelic) language, but only 380 thousand people of the country speak it fluently, and 1.6 million say they know their native language. ?
 In 1745, in the city of Dublin, the Rotunda Hospital began to function, in which, in addition to the provision of medical services, childbirth also took place. Today it is the oldest maternity hospital in the world.?
Ireland produces a quarter of all computers of the total number produced in the European Union.
The huge "Titanik", which, according to the creators, was unsinkable, but still sank, was assembled at a shipyard in Ireland.
Most shops are closed on Sundays, and in the future, many of them open at 12 o'clock in the afternoon, and stop serving customers at 6 pm. Only Thursday is considered to be a “long” day, when the doors of stores are open until 9 o'clock in the evening.

10, 1960 in Dublin. Bono is an Irish singer, musician

and humanist, best known as the vocalist of the super popular Irish band U2.
Colin Farrell was born on May 31, 1976 in Dublin. The actor starred in such films as "Miami Police", "Minority Report", "Telephone Box", "Recruit" and "Alexander".
Liam Nilsson was born on June 7, 1952 in the city of Ballymena, County Antrim. The actor played Oscar Schindler in the film "Schindler's List", Alfred Kinsey in the movie "Kinsey" and Qui-Gon Jinn in the movie "Star Wars. Episode I: The Hidden Threat. ”
Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)? Author of the famous novel "Gulliver's Travels"
Louis de Brock is one of the most famous Irish artists and illustrators (he became the only painter in the history of the country, whose works were included in the collection of the National Art Gallery of Ireland during his lifetime) was born in Dublin in 1916.
Jacqueline Kennedy - the wife of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy and the first lady from 1961 to 1963.
James Hoban (1762 - 1831) - an American architect who was a designer and builder of the White House in Washington.