1 Ireland By Ali Richter

2 Capital  The capital of Ireland is Dublin. It is located on the eastern coast.

3 Holidays and Festivals  Fleadh Nuo is a long festival (celebrated on May 22-30 this year) that is celebrated every year in Ennis Country Clare. It is filled with dancing, music, and much more.  April 23- April 25 are 3 days of top quality horse racing in Mallow over the Easter weekend. It is held in Cork, which is known in history for its racing. (Date changes from year to year).  The Dublin Festival and Parade is held on St. Patrick’s Day. Thousands of performers are out in the streets. New events come each year, but there is always lots of good music, dancing, and fireworks.  Easter is a big holiday in Ireland. There are many events for everybody in the family, even babies. Parades and festivals are held almost everywhere on Easter weekend.  Christmas is celebrated in Ireland, same date as the U.S. After Christmas (Dec. 26) is St. Stephens Day. This is where people paint their faces, dress in robes, and sing out in the streets (kind of like caroling).

4 Famous Places and People  Ireland has many famous historical places. There are many castles in Ireland, as well as lush green beautiful scenery. One of these castles is Drimnagh Castle, in Dublin. People lived in this castle up until 1954, when the last inhabitants left. It is a great example of an old feudal home. It is one of the only castles that still has a moat surrounding it. Blarney Castle is another very famous Irish castle. Newgrange is a series of tombs, and is older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Egypt. St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built to honor Ireland’s patron saint. It is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland.  Many famous people have come from Ireland. The author of Dracula, Bram Stoker, was born in Marino Crescent. Daniel O’Connell was a famous politician that lived in Cahersiveen, Kerry. Arthur Guiness was a Brewer, and is widely famous for his drinks. He lived in Celbridge, Kildare. Alicia Stott was an amazing mathematician who live in Cork.

5 Currency  The Irish people use the euro (€) for their money. One euro (€) is equal to 1.4483 ($1.45) U.S. dollars. Each country has its own personal euro. The euro at the top left is different from the euro’s in the top middle.

6 President of Ireland  The president of Ireland is Mary Mcaleese. She is the eighth president of Ireland. She was inaugurated for the first time on November, 11 1997, and then again on October 1, 2004. She was the first president to come from Northern Ireland (belongs to the U.K.). She is married to Dr. Martin McAleese, an accountant and dentist. They have three children.

7 Departure and Arival  To Dublin, Ireland Depart from DFW on Thurs. April 28 th at 10:50 a.m. Arrive at DUB on Fri. April 29 th at 5:15 a.m. American Airlines Flight 400/104  Back to Dallas, Texas Depart from DUB on Sun. May 15 th at 11:00 a.m. Arrive at DFW on Sun. May 15 th at 6:45 p.m. Aer Lingus Flight 139/1281 Make sure to get to the airport an hour early for international flights!

8 Hotel  The Fitzwilliam is a five-star hotel. It has an amazing restaurant, thanks to one of Ireland’s leading chefs. It is in a great spot in Dublin, just a few steps away from the city’s center. The price per person (hotel and flight) is $2,881.17 and the total price is $5,762.34.

9 Important Information  The population of Ireland is 4,670,967 as of 2010. The population of Dublin is 1,024,027 (as of 2010). The official language is English, but they mostly speak Irish on the coasts. The area of Ireland is 70,273 square km. It is usually overcast, and it is consistently humid there. They have mild winters and cool summers. Most of the population is Roman Catholic. Traditional foods include: Irish stew, corned beef with cabbage, bacon and cabbage, soda bread, leek and potato soup, champ, and colcannon. Some Irish music includes folk music, U2 (band, rock music), bagpipes, and Lord of the Dance (song).

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