• General Information 
• Climate
• Flora and Fauna
• Population

The island of Ireland consists of a large central lowland of limestone with a relief of hills and several coastal mountains and is situated in the extreme north-west of Europe between 51.5 and 55.5 degrees north latitude and 5.5 and 10.5 degrees west longitude. The Irish Sea to the east, which separates Ireland from Britain, is from 17.6 to 192 km wide and has a maximum depth of about 200 metres. Around the other coasts the shallow waters of the Continental Shelf are rather narrow and depths increase rapidly into the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain ridges of the south comprise old red sandstone separated by limestone river valleys. Elsewhere granite predominates, except in the north east which is covered by a basalt plateau. The central plain contains glacial deposits of clay and sand. It is interrupted by low hills and has large areas of bog and numerous lakes.

At least two general glaciations have affected the island and everywhere ice-smoothed rock, mountain lakes, glacial valleys and deposits of glacial sand, gravel and clay mark the passage of the ice. A spectacular example of the impact of glaciation on the landscape is found in the Burren in County Clare and County Galway.

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Climate

Influenced by the Gulf Stream, and with the prevailing south-westerly winds coming from the Atlantic, the climate of Ireland is temperate and temperatures are fairly uniform over the whole country.

The coldest months are January and February which have mean daily air temperatures of between 4˚C and 7˚C while July and August are the warmest, with mean temperatures of between 14˚C and 16˚C. Extremes of air temperature, below -10˚C or above 30˚C, are extremely rare. May and June are the sunniest months, averaging five to seven hours sunshine per day.

In low-lying areas average annual rainfall is mostly between 800mm and 1200mm but in mountainous areas it may exceed 2000mm. Rainfall is normally well distributed throughout the year but about 60% of the total falls between August and January.

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Flora and Fauna

Ireland was separated from the European mainland after the last Ice Age. As a result the island has a smaller range of flora and fauna than is found elsewhere in Europe.

Much of the Island was once covered with primeval forest. Although the original forests have been cleared over most of the country, a reaforestation programme has favoured Sitka spruce, Scots and Conterta pines, larches, Norway spruce and Douglas fir. There are over 400 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) protected under the EU Habitats Directive.

In the Burren there is a region of bare carboniferous limestone containing arctic-alpine plants which survived from the last glaciation. Ireland’s bogs host a large variety of bog-moss species together with heathers and sedges. In the south west (County Cork and County Kerry), there are areas rich in plants that thrive in the mild and humid climate of the region.

Ireland is important for its seabird colonies and migratory waterfowl. Of some 380 species of wild birds recorded in Ireland, 135 breed while on the Island. There is considerable migration of birds to Ireland in spring and autumn, while several species arrive from Greenland and Iceland in winter; 75 per cent of the world’s population of the Greenland white-fronted goose winter in Ireland. The significance of this has been marked by the establishment of an internationally important wild bird reserve in County Wexford on the south-east coast.

Inland waters support colonies of swans, geese, waders, duck, tern and gulls. Game shooting is strictly controlled and State-assisted restocking programmes augment stocks of wild game birds. Among the more unusual species of bird are merlin, peregrine falcon, corncrake and chough.

Rivers and lakes contain a wide variety of fish life. Salmon, brown trout, char, pollan and eel all occur naturally and other varieties such as pike, roach and rainbow trout have been introduced from outside.

Mammals are similar to those found throughout the temperate regions of Europe. There are 31 species of which the Irish stoat and the Irish hare are of particular interest. Other animals include the red deer, fox, badger, rabbit, otter, grey seal, common seal, red squirrel, hedgehog and many bat and cetacean species. The only amphibians are a single species each of frog, toad and newt. There are no snakes in Ireland and the only reptile is the common lizard.

Responsibility for protecting and conserving Ireland’s natural and built heritage lies with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Office of Public Works.

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Population

Ireland has been inhabited since the Stone Age. People moved westwards across the European continent for more than seven thousand years and settled in the country. Each new group of immigrants, Celts, Vikings, Normans, English, has contributed to its present population. The major centres of population are Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Sixty per cent of the population live in cities and towns of 1,000 people or more. A high proportion of the population is concentrated in the younger age groups.

The present population is over 4.2 million, the highest on record since 1861. As a consequence of Ireland’s improved economic performance there has been a significant increase in net migration in recent years. It is estimated that over 10% of the current population are migrants, of which, the majority have come from the twelve most recent Member States to accede to the European Union (since 1 May 2004).  In addition, there has been significant ‘reverse emigration’ of Irish immigrants returning to live in Ireland since the mid-1990s.  

An specific example of this migratory pattern can be seen in the twelve months leading up to the last census day in 2006. In this period, 121,700 persons immigrated into Ireland: of these, 55,000 were Irish born with the highest numbers of non-nationals being from Poland (33,400) the UK (22,600) and Lithuania (7,400).

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