Nakladatelství Bridge s.r.o. Giant’s Ševce Matouše 22, 140 00 Praha 4 Causeway tel.: 241 443 003, 241 444 242 – an area of about 40,000 rock e-mail: [email protected] columnsco created by a volcanic www.bridge-online.cz eruption (but according to Dunluce illustrations: Ondřej Strnad© Castle a legend made by a giant) IRELAND Not for sale. Bushmills – the oldest legal whiskey distillery in the world Gaeltacht (established 1608) – a region where people speak Irish Gaelic as their fi rst language; these areas are mainly in the west of Ireland (the greatest number of Irish speakers live in Donegal Gaeltacht) LondonderryLdd ((Derry)D ) – the “Hands Across the Divide” peace statue joins the Catholic and Protestant n areas of the city and symbolizes getting a over the past troubles e Beaghmore Carrickfergus Castle c Stone Circles – a 12th-century Norman castle, – the most productive fi shing port in one of the best preserved Slieve Ireland; known for the production of medieval castles O carpets and tapestries League Killybegs in Ireland NORTHERN Belfast – a centre of confl ict between c IRELAND the nationalists and unionists i Lough t (UK) Neagh n – the largest lake in Ireland and the UK (388 sq km); it is a an important place for silver l eel fi shing t Ben Ireland’s main cereal crop is barley; A Bulben it is often used for making beer and whiskey. Co. Sligo – country home of the family of W. B. Yeats (1865 - 1939), Potatoes are one of the most important Irish poet, prose writer and crops; in the past they were the primary dramatist, Nobel Prize winner food source (when they were infested by a fungus in the 19th century, it resulted in a devastating famine). Battle of the Boyne – a battle fought near CarlingfordCarlingf Drogheda in 1690 at the River Boyne between – a coastal village, the the Catholic King James II and the Protestant most important place for REPUBLIC OF IRELAND King William of Orange; William’s victory oyster-fi shing in Ireland secured the dominance of the (it hosts an annual Oyster Protestants in Ireland Festival) – a site of pilgrimage where St. Patrick Leprechauns are fairy creatures fasted for forty days in the 5th century from Irish folk tales; they and threw a bell down the side of the are usually pictured as old According to a legend, the shamrock was used mountain, driving all the snakes out of men whose trade is that of by St. Patrick to illustrate the Holy Trinity; Ireland (probably a metaphor for driving shoemakers and are said to Drogheda today it is a popular symbol of Ireland. out paganism) have pots of gold buried in the ground. Newgrange Croagh Kells – a town with a monastery Patrick which is famous for the Book of Kells, a manuscript from the 9th century About two thirds of the land of containing the four Gospels of the Bible Ireland is used for farming; sheep are very common, they graze in Kylemore Abbey the mountainous areas as well as lowlands. Hill of Tara – formerly the seat of Connemara the High Kings of Ireland, National Park who were the most important bogs in central Ireland kings of their time – an area of large peat bogs (bogs cover nearly 15 % of Ireland and are amongst the largest in Europe); peat can be collected, DublinDublin – home to St. James’s Gate Brewery, where left to dry and then used as fuel the popular dark Guinness beer is brewed; Clonmacnoise the birthplace of many writers (J. Swift, O. Wilde, Leixlip G. B. Shaw, J. Joyce, S. Beckett) Galway Claddagh ring consists of two hands clasped – Intel’s European around a heart with a crown above it Headquarters, making (symbols of friendship, love and loyalty); if it is computer chips for worn with the heart facing towards the hand, it all Europe indicates the person is in a serious relationship Powerscourt The Curragh – a fl at plain between the towns of Kildare and Newbridge with a popular horse-racing track; the surrounding countryside is used for horse breeding Aran The Burren – unique karst landscape composed of limestone Islands pavements with cracks; there are also many Glendalough Aran Islands – three small islands (the biggest is only archeological sites such as megalithic tombs – site of a 6th-century 13 km x 3 km) rich in old cultural heritage and traditional Poulnabrone monastery, with a round crafts; home of the Aran Sweaters (sweaters made Cliffs of tower, stone churches and decorated crosses from cream-coloured wool, often worn by fi shermen) Moher Dolmen Dolmens, huge three-legged structures with capstones, ancient tombs; the name Poulnabrone means ‘the hole of sorrows’. Bunratty Castle Irish – a Norman castle and a folk park that recreates rural and urban life in Kilkennyk – a picturesque historical town; in summer the 19th century it hosts the Kilkenny Arts Festival Sea Rock of Cashel – the ruins of a cathedral, a Romanesque chapel, a round hurling tower and high crosses; according Ireland’s native sport, , to a legend the solitary rock was is played with sticks and a ball; formed by the devil, who was flying if it is played by women, and also overhead and dropped a big stone called camogie. from his mouth Slea Head – the most westerly point in Europe Waterford Gallarus – Ireland’s oldest city, founded by the Oratory Vikings in 914; it is famous for the production of fi ne crystal Killarney Carrauntoohill – a tourist spot popular for rides in horse-drawn – Ireland’s highest cabs; usual starting point for the Ring of Kerry Blarney Castle mountain (1,041 m) tourist trail (about 180 km long route with beautiful – a medieval castle famous for the Blarney seaside sceneries and picturesque villages) Stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence to those who kiss it Galway is unique among Irish cities because of its strong Gaelic language and cultural tradition. Cork Cobh It lies close to the Galway Gaeltacht. Many people in the city speak Gaelic and students The Skelligs come there to study it at the university. Galway – two small, steep, rocky islands: is called “the city of festivals” – there are annual Little Skellig, closed to public, is home music and arts festivals, an oyster festival, to thousands of seabirds; on Skellig a horse-racing festival and others. Claddagh Michael, a Christian monastery was built Kinsale village, just outside the old walls of Galway, in the 6th century and monks lived there – the site of the Battle of Kinsale gave birth to the Claddagh ring. in stone huts for 600 years in extreme (1601 - 1602), the ultimate battle in isolation and harsh conditions England’s successful effort to conquer Drombeg Stone Circle Gaelic Ireland (Catholic Irish leaders, Cork, situated on the River Lee, began as The romantic neo-gothic Kylemore Abbey with support from Spain, fought the a monastic settlement in the 6th century. The was built in the 19th century as a private house. English in the battle and lost) city’s landmarks are St. Finbarr’s Cathedral, and In 1920, Benedictine nuns, who had escaped to – nicknamed the Druid’s Altar, the 18th-century St Ann’s Shandon (a church Ireland from war-torn Belgium, moved there and the impressive circle is 9.5 m in with a famous bell tower which has two sides diameter, with stones about 2 m tall opened a school for girls. It is still running, but built from red stone and two from grey stone). some parts of the building are open to visitors. The modern administrative County Hall is the There is also a Victorian walled garden with the tallest building in the Republic of Ireland (67 m). longest flower-beds in Ireland, and a church County Cork has always had a reputation for which is a tiny replica of Norwich Cathedral resistance to the British, which gave it the in England. nickname “The Rebel County”. Stone circles are fairly common in Ireland. The Clonmacnoise, the ancient monastic site, has Dublin is Ireland’s capital and largest city, and Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne) was built around most extensive concentration of them can be one of finest round towers and high crosses was founded by the Vikings. Dublin Castle 3200 BC. It is a huge man-made circular found at Beaghmore – there are seven low typical of Ireland. A high cross, a standing stone was the seat of British rule until Ireland won mound of earth and stone into which a narrow stone circles and ten stone rows (Beaghmore cross with a circle, often richly decorated with independence in the 1920s. In 1916, the city passage leads and ends in a chamber. On the Stone Circles). The Beaghmore area was abstract ornaments, figures, and biblical scenes, was the site of a significant rebellion – the morning of the winter solstice, the rising sun probably occupied from Neolithic times, but is a characteristic symbol of Celtic Christianity. Easter Rising. The Irish republicans seized shines through the passage to the chamber the stones were raised in the early Bronze Age Round towers are early medieval stone towers, strategic places in Dublin and proclaimed an and illuminates it for just 17 minutes. There are (approx. 2000 - 1200 BC). They could have between 18 to 40 metres high, usually standing independent Irish Republic, but after six days great examples of megalithic art, such as triple served for religious and social gatherings, for close to a church or monastery. People think the rising was suppressed by the British and the spirals carved into the stones. According to Irish watching the movements of the sun and moon, they served as bell towers, lookouts for invaders leaders were executed.