Ireland is called Éire in Irish and is also known as the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland covers five-sixths of the island of the same name, the remaining one-sixth of the island is Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

Irish, or Irish Gaelic is the country's first official language, however the second official language English is more commonly spoken.

There are around 5.1 million people living in Ireland as of 2023.

The Irish capital, Dublin is home to around one quarter of the total population.

Other Irish cities of note include Cork, Limerick and Galway.

Irish novelists have made major contributions to world literature. Famous writers include Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels, Bram Stoker - Dracula and James Joyce - Ulysses.

Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest a record seven times.

A number of multinational technology corporations have setup European headquarters in Ireland helping to make it one of the largest exporters of hardware and software-related goods and services in the world.

Ireland was one of the initial 12 European Union nations that began using the euro currency in 2002.

Drivers use the left-hand side of the road in Ireland.

The films "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" were partly shot on Skellig Michael, a unique island featuring a Gaelic monastery accessible via a steep and narrow set of stone steps.

Saint Patrick's Day is Irelands official national holiday. The 17th of March holiday is celebrated in Ireland and also embraced by many other countries around the world.

The world famous Guinness beer is from Ireland, it originated in the Dublin brewery of Arthur Guinness.

Gaelic football and hurling are traditional sports of Ireland and remain the most popular sports in the country.

At the Olympics, boxing is Ireland's most successful sport.

In 2002 Ireland was the first country in the world to have an environmental tax for plastic shopping bags and in 2004 it was the first to introduce a public smoking ban.

Shamrock (type of clover) is the national symbol of Ireland and along with the harp it is a registered trademark of the country.

For more information, check out maps of Ireland or take a closer look at the Irish flag.