There are two official languages in Ireland: Irish, which is the national language, and English which is the language of the majority of the population.

Irish is a Celtic language, closely related to Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Breton. It was the language of the vast majority of the population until the early 19th century. The shift to English happened quickly and by 1891 it was being spoken by over 85% of the population.

The early 20th century saw a national cultural revival as well as the establishment of an independent Irish State. Subsequent promotion of the Irish language by the state has preserved existing usage and increased bilingualism. Latest figures available show that 32% of adults claim a knowledge of the language.

Irish is the principle language in areas known as Gaeltachts, situated mainly along the western seaboard. A State authority, Udaras na Gaeltachta, promotes industrial development in these areas. Bord na Gaeilge (the Irish Language Board), also a State agency, promotes the use of Irish throughout the country and as a core school subject up to secondary.

A growing number of schools, known as Gaelscoil (all-Irish Schools), offer tuition exclusively through the Irish language. Radio na Gaeltachta broadcasts nationally in Irish and a new Irish language television service, TG4 was launched in November 1996.

The Irish Independent
The Irish Times
The Examiner
The Star
The Belfast Newsletter
The Irish News.
Three evening newspapers are published:

The Evening Herald
The Evening Echo
The Belfast Telegraph.
There are six Sunday Newspapers:

The Sunday Tribune The Sunday Independent, The Sunday World, The Sunday Business Post, The Sunday Life and a weekly sports newspaper, The Title.

There are also about 100 local newspapers, usually published weekly and a wide variety of magazines dealing with current affairs, economic issues and leisure interests. British newspapers and magazines are widely available, a number with special Irish editions. Newspapers from other countries can also be purchased.

January 1st: New Year's Day
March 17th: St. Patrick's Day
Friday before Easter: Good Friday
Monday after Easter: Easter Monday
First Monday in May: May Day Holiday
First Monday in June: June Holiday
First Monday in August: August Holiday
Last Monday in October: October Holiday
December 25th: Christmas Day
December 26th: St. Stephen's Day

The 1988 Radio and Television Act established The Independent Radio and Television Commission which has responsibility for licensing and overseeing independent radio and television broadcasting. In recent years, quite a number of independent local and community radio initiatives have emerged across the country, gaining substantial audience.

Irish Hand-woven tweed, traditionally crafted, is acclaimed for its quality, individuality, versatility and colour blends. It is used in a wide range of clothing as well as soft furnishings. Linen weaving is one of Ireland's earliest crafts. As well as the more traditional bed linen and tableware, fashion clothing now makes up a large part of the linen range.

Knitwear has undergone a revolution in Ireland in recent years and has become a flagship small industry. The intricate stitch work of the traditional Aran sweater has been incorporated into a wide variety of stylish designs and patterns. The patterns of the original báinín sweater (so called because of the undyed wool from the Aran Islands which was used to knit them) was unwritten and handed down from family to family.

Glass factories existed in many parts of Ireland until the early nineteenth century when heavy duties forced most to close. Today's industry is a restoration of the old craft and glass-cutting companies now produce fine crystal and cut-glass in Waterford, Cork, Cavan, Galway, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Tyrone, Sligo and Dublin. Handblown glass is produced in Jerpoint in Kilkenny as well as in Kerry, Dublin and Tipperary.

Pottery The ceramic industry is flourishing in Ireland and factories, as well as studio potteries, produce a variety of designs in ovenware, tableware and decorative items throughout the country. Belleek Pottery, in Fermanagh, is in operation since l857, and is widely acclaimed. Irish porcelain is produced too in Cork, Clare, Galway, Leitrim and Kilkenny. Silver The working of precious metals in Ireland dates from about 2000 B.C. and the tradition of Celtic ornamentation inspires many of today's jewellery and craftworkers. Handwrought jewellery is available from studios and workshops throughout the country. Hand-made chocolates, smoked salmon, preserves and ready-to-wear clothing are also widely available.

Telephone tones and their significance vary from country to country. These are the tones used throughout the island of Ireland:

Dial Tone - a continuous high pitched tone
Ringing Tone - a repeated double beat tone (burr-burr)
Engaged Tone - a high pitched, broken tone (beep-beep-beep).

Public Phones in Ireland

There are public telephones in many outdoor locations, as well as in Telecentres, public buildings - including rail and bus stations, shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels. Local, trunk and international calls can be dialled direct from these phones.

Eircom, the national phone company, has introduced Cardphones in cities and towns throughout Ireland. Cards can be purchased in Telecentres as well as post offices and retail outlets, displaying the Callcard sign. Cards can be purchased in 10, 20, 50 and 100 unit denominations. Operating instructions are displayed in each kiosk or on the payphone itself.

For location of Cardphones and Callcard Agents ring Freefone 1800 250 250. A list of all Irish regional codes and International direct dialling codes is contained in the front of the telephone directory.
International Credit Cards

Credit cards from most countries are accepted by the international telephone exchange for costs incurred by calls back to the country in which the card was issued.