GENERAL INFORMATION
Area:70,182 sq km (27,097 sq miles).
Population: 4,048,800 (2004).
Population Density:56.7 per sq km.
Capital: Dublin. Population: 1,144,400 (2004).
Government: Republic. Head of State: President Mary McAleese since 1997.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Bertie Ahern since 1997.
Language: Irish (Gaelic) is the official language, spoken as a first language by about 55,000 people (mostly in the west). The majority speak English. Official documents are printed in both languages.
Religion: Roman Catholic 77 per cent, the remainder being Protestant, with Jewish and Islamic minorities.
Time:GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before the last Sunday in October).
Electricity:220 volts AC, 50Hz. Three-pin plugs are in use.
Communications: Telephone/IDD is available. Country code: 353 followed by the area code, omitting the initial zero. Outgoing international code: 00.
Mobile telephone/GSM 900 networks cover the whole country. GSM 900/1800 networks operated by O2 Communications (Ireland) Ltd, Meteor (website: www.meteor.ie) and Vodafone (website: www.vodafone.ie). Handsets can be hired.
Fax:Facilities are widely available.
Internet: Public access is available free in libraries. Internet cafes exist in nearly every town. ISPs include Ireland On-Line (website: http://home.iol.ie).
Post:Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730/1800, Sat 0900-1300. Sub-post offices close at 1300 one day a week. The Central Post Office is in O’Connell Street, Dublin.
Press
There are several daily newspapers published in Dublin including Evening Herald, the Irish Independent and The Irish Times; and two in Cork (Evening Echo and Irish Examiner). British dailies and Sunday papers are available.
Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
Location
Europe, off the west coast of Great Britain.
Country dialing code: 353.
SHOPPING:
Special purchases include hand-woven tweed, hand-crocheted woolens and cottons, sheepskin goods, gold and silver jewelry, Aran knitwear, linen, pottery, Irish crystal and basketry.
Shopping hours:
Mon-Sat 0900-1730/1800. Many towns have a late night opening on Thursday or Friday until 2000/2100 and smaller towns may have one early closing day a week.
Currency Information:
Single European currency (Euro)
The Euro is now the official currency of 12 EU member states (including Ireland). The first Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002; the Irish Punt was completely replaced by the Euro on 9 February 2002. Euro (&Euro;) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of &Euro;500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of &Euro;2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Currency exchange:Available in banks, airports and in bureaux de change. ATMs are widely available, catering for Cirrus and Mastero symbols.
Credit & debit cards:American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all widely accepted, as well as Eurocheque cards. Check with your credit and debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
Travelers cheques:Accepted throughout Ireland. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.
Currency restrictions
There are no restrictions on the import of local and foreign currencies. The export of local currency is restricted to &Euro;190.46 and of foreign currency notes up to &Euro;634.87 or up to amount imported. CLIMATE
WEATHER
Ireland has a temperate climate and is cold and damp much of the year. Summer (May to September) is the warmest and driest season and is the best time to visit, though attractions can get crowded in July and August. Winter is characterised by short, wet, foggy days and long night, but the temperature rarely gets below freezing due to the tempering Gulf Stream winds that buffet the west coast of Ireland. Some attractions are only open in summer.
