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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Ireland,_Republic_of
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1. (Irish Eire) area 68,900 sq km/26,595 sq
mi capital Dublin towns ports Cork, Dun
Laoghaire, Limerick, Waterford physical
central plateau with hills; rivers Shannon,
Liffey, Boyne features Bog of Allen, source
of domestic and national power;
Magillicuddy's Reeks, Wicklow Mountains;
Lough Corrib, lakes of Killarney; Galway Bay
and Aran Islands; heavy rainfall head of
state Patrick J Hillery from 1976 head of
government Charles Haughey from 1987
political system democratic republic
political parties Fianna Fail (Soldiers of
Destiny), moderate centre-right; Fine Gael
(Irish Tribe), moderate centre-left; Labour
Party, moderate left-of-centre; Progressive
Democrats, radical free-enterprise exports
livestock, dairy products, Irish whiskey,
microelectronic components and assemblies,
mining and engineering products, chemicals,
tobacco, clothing; tourism is important
currency punt (1.08 = 1 Feb 1990) population
(1988) 3,540,000; annual growth rate 1.2%
life expectancy men 70, women 76 language
Irish and English (both official) religion
Roman Catholic literacy 99% (1984) GNP $16.5
(1983); $4,750 per head of population
chronology 1916 Easter Rising: nationalists
seized the Dublin general post office and
proclaimed a republic. The revolt was
suppressed by the British army and most of
the leaders were executed. 1918-21 Guerrilla
warfare against British army led to split in
rebel forces. 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty
resulted in creation of the Irish Free State
(Southern Ireland). 1937 Eire established as
an independent state. 1949 Eire left the
Commonwealth and became the Republic of
Ireland. 1973 Fianna Fail defeated after 40
years in office. Liam Cosgrave formed a
coalition government. 1977 Fianna Fail
returned to power, with Jack Lynch as prime
minister. 1979 Lynch resigned and was
succeeded by Charles Haughey. 1981 Garret
FitzGerald formed a coalition. 1983 New
Ireland Forum formed, but rejected by the
British government. 1985 Anglo-Irish
Agreement signed. 1986 Protests by Ulster
Unionists against the agreement. 1987 General
election won by Charles Haughey. 1988
Relations with UK at low ebb because of
disagreement over extradition decisions. 1989
Haughey failed to win a majority in the
general election. Progressive Democrats (a
breakaway party of Fianna Fail) given cabinet
positions in a coalition government.
2. Country occupying the main part of the
island of Ireland, off the NW coast of
Europe. It is bounded to the E by the Irish
Sea, to the S and W by the Atlantic, and to
the NE by Northern Ireland. government The
1937 constitution provides for a president,
elected by universal suffrage for a
seven-year term, and a two-chamber national
parliament, consisting of a senate Seanad
Eireann and a house of representatives Dail
Eireann, serving a five-year term. The senate
has 60 members, 11 nominated by the prime
minister (Taoiseach) and 49 elected by panels
representative of most aspects of Irish life.
The Dail consists of 166 members elected by
universal suffrage through a system of
proportional representation. The president
appoints a prime minister who nominated by
the Dail, which is subject to dissolution by
the president if the cabinet loses its
confidence within the five-year term.
Proportional representation encourages the
existence of several parties, the most
significant being Fianna Fail, Fine Gael
(United Ireland Party), the Labour Party, and
the Progressive Democrats. history For
history pre-1921, see Ireland, history. In
1921 a treaty gave S Ireland dominion status
within the Commonwealth, while six out of the
nine counties of Ulster remained part of the
UK, with limited self-government. The Irish
Free State, as S Ireland was formally called
1922, was accepted by IRA leader Michael
Collins but not by many of his colleagues,
who shifted their allegiance to Fianna Fail
leader, Eamonn de Valera, who eventually
acknowledged the partition as well, in 1937
when a new constitution established the
country as a sovereign state under the name
of Eire. The IRA continued its fight for an
independent, unified Ireland through a
campaign of violence, mainly in Northern
Ireland but also on the British mainland and,
to a lesser extent, in the Irish republic.
Eire remained part of the Commonwealth until
1949, when it left, declaring itself the
Republic of Ireland, while Northern Ireland
remained a constituent part of the UK. In
1973 Fianna Fail, having held office for over
40 years, was defeated and Liam Cosgrave
formed a coalition of the Fine Gael and
Labour parties. In 1977 Fianna Fail returned
to power, with Jack Lynch as prime minister.
In 1979 IRA violence intensified with the
killing of Earl Mountbatten in Ireland and 18
British soldiers in Northern Ireland. Lynch
resigned later the same year and was
succeeded by Charles Haughey. His aim was a
united Ireland, with considerable
independence for the six northern counties.
After the 1981 election Garrett FitzGerald,
leader of Fine Gael, formed another coalition
with Labour, but was defeated the following
year on budget proposals and resigned.
Haughey returned to office with a minority
government, but he, too, had to resign later
that year, resulting in the return of
FitzGerald. In 1983 all the main Irish and
Northern Irish political parties initiated
the New Ireland Forum as a vehicle for
discussion. Its report was rejected by
Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government
in the UK but discussions between London and
Dublin resulted in the signing of the
Anglo-Irish Agreement 1985, providing for
regular consultation and exchange of
information on political, legal, security,
and cross-border matters. The agreement also
said that the status of Northern Ireland
would not be changed without the consent of a
majority of the people. The agreement was
criticized by the Unionist parties of
Northern Ireland, who asked that it be
rescinded. FitzGerald's coalition ended 1986,
and the Feb 1987 election again returned
Fianna Fail and Charles Haughey. In 1988
relations between the Republic of Ireland and
the UK were at a low ebb because of
disagreements over extradition decisions. In
1989, Haughey failed to win a majority at the
election, and entered into a coalition with
the Progressive Democrats (a breakaway party
from Fianna Fail), putting two of their
members into the cabinet.