Some facts about Ireland

Location in Europe: Western Europe

Area: 81,638.1 km²

Coastline: 3,700 km

Highest point: Carrauntoohil 1041 m

Capital: Dublin

The population of the island is slightly under 6 million, with 4.2 million in the republic and an estimated almost 1.75 million in Northern Ireland. This is a significant increase from a modern historical low in the 1960s, but still much lower than the peak population of over 8 million in the early 19th century.

The name Ireland derives from the name of the Celtic goddess Èriu, with the addition of the Germanic word land. Most other western European names for Ireland, such as French Irlande, derive from the same source.

NEWS

IRA says the armed campaign is over

After decades of fighting, bombs and threatening, IRA decides that their violent form for debating is dead. Still, IRA will continue debating to achieve their goal in making Ireland independent from Great Britain.

The former prime minister, Tony Blair said the decision by IRA was “a step of unparalleled magnitude”. “It is what we have striven for and worked for throughout the eight years since the Good Friday Agreement” he said. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4720863.stm)

The decision by IRA became public in an internal debate. IRA will continue to achieve their goal exclusively through politics.

The statement by IRA received a warm welcome by the Irish government and Irish civilians. “An important and potentially historic statement” says the Irish government.

Sources: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4720863.stm

A part of an IRA documentary

This is a little part of an IRA documentary. This documentary provides facts about the situation in Northern Ireland. It gives the viewer a little insight in the conflict of Northern Ireland.

"The sniper" short film

Liam O’Flaherty's short story "The Sniper" made as a short movie. The movie is quite like the written version to O'Flaherty. I think the pictures is a bit to dark in the movie, but i hope you enjoy it.

Unknown Facts - Northern Ireland Conflict

This video shows what is claimed to be "Unknown facts about the conflict in Northern Ireland". The maker of this video is clearly sympatic with the IRA and blames the whole conflict on the UVF. UVF satands for Ulster Volunteer Force and is an loyalist group in Northern Ireland.

Multicultural societies

Multicultural societies are to find all over the world. Many of the modern world’s biggest cities are results of such societies, and this that gives both advantages and disadvantages to the civilization.

Discuss the main advantages and disadvantages with mixed societies? In which way can different cultures within one city affect the social environment?

The sniper introduction!

The sniper is a story written during the Irish conflict. The author is Liam O’Flaherty. Liam was a significant Irish novelist and short story writer. The sniper was one of his first published works.
The story takes place in Dublin, in the Republic of Eire, not in Northern Ireland of today.
In The sniper we meet a person who works as a sniper shooter for the Free Starters or Republicans, one of the two parts in the conflict. The story is being told from a third person. The name of the sniper shooter is never being told in the story. And he just speaks once during the short story.

The story starts when the sniper sees an armored car slowly driving into the street. Then an old woman comes around the corner and goes straight over to the man in the armored car. She point up to the place where the sniper lays. She is an informer. Suddenly the turret open and a man look out. The sniper takes his rifle and shoots his head off. The old woman starts running down the street. The sniper fire again, and the old woman falls down in the gutter. Suddenly an enemy sniper across the street fires a shoot. It hits the sniper in the right forearm. The sniper can’t use his rifle now, so he reaches for his pistol and take a steady aim. Then, out of the smoke he sees the enemy fell down dead. The streets are now empty and quiet. The sniper takes his weapons and walk down from the roof. When he come down to the street he turn the enemy snipers body and see that it is his brother.

I think that Liam describe a scene that I really think could be a real one, from the Irish civil war. The Irish civil war was starting because the establishment of the Irish Free State became independent from Britain. It was a lot of people that didn’t like that. Especially the Irish Republicans did not like it. This was the main reason for the Irish civil war. The war was won by the Irish Free State.

The sniper has the theme of the tragedy of war, particularly the tragedy of civil war.