Maturita Card 37: Cities in Ireland

z Where is Ireland? Ireland is an island in thenorth-west of Europe separated from Great Britain by theIrish Sea, and covers an area of about 84,421 km squared (km2). Its the20th largest island in theworld. There are two countries on theisland of Ireland. TheRepublic of Ireland is an independent country with agreen, orange and white flag. It is part of theEuropean Union and uses theeuro as its currency. Northern Ireland is part of theUnited Kingdom, flies theUnion Jack, and their currency is theBritish pound. z What are themost important cities in Ireland? In thesouth its Dublin, thecapital of theRepublic of Ireland. TheGreater Dublin Area holds nearly one-third of theentire population of thecountry. TheNorths capital is called Belfast. Belfast is just under half thesize of Dublin in terms of population. Both Belfast and Dublin are beautiful cities, but for very different reasons. z What is Dublin famous for? Dublin is sometimes known as theFair City. Thename Fair City comes from apopular song about Dublin called Molly Malone. Over theyears, Molly Malone has come to be regarded as theunofficial anthem of thecity. Molly is afictional character. In thesong she is described as abeautiful fishmonger (= person who sells fish) working in thestreets of Dublin who tragically died while still very young. There is even afamous statue of Molly at thebottom of Grafton Street, which is thecitys main pedestrian shopping street. There are about one and ahalf million people living in Dublin. Themost popular part of thecity is Temple Bar, where all thegood pubs, bars and restaurants are located. Thepubs in Temple Bar play live music almost all thetime. z What else can you see in theIrish capital? Just across theroad from Molly Malones statue is Trinity College, avery old and highly-respected university. It is also known as theplace where theBook of Kells is kept. Thebook is an illuminated biblical manuscript which is considered as amasterpiece of Western calligraphy. Tourists often come to see it. StPatricks Cathedral in Dublin is thelargest church in Ireland. z Can you name some other tourist attractions in Dublin? Themost visited site in thecity is theGuinness Storehouse, where you can learn all about how apint of this famous drink is made. Guinness is atype of beer a dry Irish stout, and one of themost successful brands of alcohol in theworld. There is theGravity Bar on thetop floor where you can enjoy panoramic views of thecity. z What doyou know about Belfast? Belfast has some very impressive architecture. There are some beautifully preserved Edwardian and Victorian buildings and its home to Queens University. z Apart from architecture, what else has Belfast to offer? One of Belfasts unique features is thecolourful murals (= paintings) that are painted on walls throughout thecity. West Belfast has some of thefinest house-sized political murals you are likely to find anywhere. z Can you name some other interesting cities? Galway is known as thecultural heart of theWest of Ireland and is also on thedoorstep of an area of natural beauty known as Connemara. Cork is thegourmet capital of thecountry, and West Cork especially is known for its seafood dishes. Theres also Waterford City in theso-called Sunny Southeast. This part of Ireland enjoys thebest weather. z Can you think of any famous landmarks in Ireland? Blarney Castle is one of thebest preserved medieval castles in thecountry and is afavourite tourist destination; people come to kiss theBlarney Stone which is supposed to give you thegift of eloquence (= ability to speak well). Newgrange, or Br naBinne, is older thanStonehenge and thePyramids of Giza. This ancient tomb and place of worship is over5,000years old.

March 2013

01 Irish symbols

02 Dublin 04 Belfast 03 Dublin

05 Belfast

06 Galway

08 Blarney Castle

07 Newgrange