Rail transport in Ireland

Ireland has been inhabited for at least 9000 years, although little is known about the neolithic inhabitants of the island. Early historical and genealogical records note the existance of dozens of different peoples (Cruthin, Attacotti, Conmaicne, Éoganacht, Érainn, Soghain, to name but a few). Over the last 1000 years, there have been influences by the Vikings, who founded several ports, including Dublin, and Normans, with some admixture to the gene pool. However the greater part (80%) of the Irish population descends from the original inhabitants of the islan ...

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Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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Ireland - Literature and the arts. Main articles: Irish literature, and Irish art, and [[]], and [[]]See also:

Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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Ireland was mostly ice-covered and joined by land to Britain and Europe during the last ice age. It has been inhabited for about 9,000 years. Stone age inhabitants arrived sometime after 8000 BC, with the culture progressing from Mesolithic to high Neolithic over the course of three or four millennia. The Bronze Age, which began around 2500 BC, saw the production of elaborate gold and bronze ornaments and weapons. The Iron Age in Ireland is associated with people now known as Celts. They are traditionally thought to have colonised Ireland in ...

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Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland. Main articles: History of the Republic of Ireland, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]See also:

Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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Gaelic football and hurling are the most popular sports in Ireland. Along with Camogie, Ladies' Gaelic football, handball and rounders, they make up the national sports of Ireland, collectively known as Gaelic Games. All Gaelic games are governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), with the exception of Ladies' Gaelic Football, which is governed by a separate organisation. The GAA is organised on an all-Ireland basis with all 32 counties competing; traditionally, counties first compete within their province, in the provincial champions ...

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Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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Due to the United Kingdom's island nature, before the Channel Tunnel and the advent of air travel the only way to enter or leave the country was on water. Transport in the United Kingdom - Ports and harbours. Approximately 95% of freight enters the UK by sea (75% by value). Three major ports handle most freight traffic: Felixstowe on the east coast - the fourth largest seaport in Europe. Tilbury, near London. Southampton on the south coast. There are many other ports and harbours ...

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Transport in the United Kingdom, Transport in the United Kingdom - Transport trends, Transport in the United Kingdom - Railways, Transport in the United Kingdom - Great Britain, Transport in the United Kingdom - Northern Ireland, Transport in the United Kingdom - Rapid transit, Transport in the United Kingdom - Trams and Light Rail, Transport in the United Kingdom - Roads, Transport in the United Kingdom - Buses, Transport in the United Kingdom - Water, Transport in the United Kingdom - Ports and harbours, Transport in the United Kingdom - Merchant marine, Transport in the United Kingdom - Other shipping, Transport in the United Kingdom - Inland waterways, Transport in the United Kingdom - Air transport

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Ireland - Transport. Main articles: Transport in Ireland, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]See also:

Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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The national bus services in the Republic of Ireland is provided by Bus Éireann (Bus Ireland). The company provides an express coach network connecting most cities in Ireland, along with local bus services in the provincial cities. In Dublin, Bus Átha Cliath - Dublin Bus provides bus services. Both are part of C.I.E. There are also a number of private operators, the biggest of which include Aircoach, a subsidiary of First Group which provides services to Dublin Airport from parts of Dublin, and Scottish Citylink which competes on the Dublin-Galway route. Some private rural o ...

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Transport in Ireland, Transport in Ireland - Railways, Transport in Ireland - External links, Transport in Ireland - Roads, Transport in Ireland - Bus Services, Transport in Ireland - Waterways, Transport in Ireland - Pipelines, Transport in Ireland - Ports and harbours, Transport in Ireland - Merchant marine, Transport in Ireland - Airports

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Ireland has ports in the towns of Arklow, Belfast, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Dundalk, Dún Laoghaire, Foynes, Galway, Larne, Limerick, New Ross, Rosslare Europort, Waterford, Wicklow Ports in the Republic handle 3,600,000 travelers crossing the Irish sea each year, amounting to 92% of all sea travel (CSO figures). This has been steadly dropping for a number of years (20% since 1999), probably as a result of low cost airlines. Ferry connections between Britain to Ireland via the Irish Sea include the routes from Swansea to Cork, F ...

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Transport in Ireland, Transport in Ireland - Railways, Transport in Ireland - External links, Transport in Ireland - Roads, Transport in Ireland - Bus Services, Transport in Ireland - Waterways, Transport in Ireland - Pipelines, Transport in Ireland - Ports and harbours, Transport in Ireland - Merchant marine, Transport in Ireland - Airports

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Ireland's roads link Dublin with all the major cities (Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Belfast). Driving is on the left. Main Article: Roads in Ireland ...

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Transport in Ireland, Transport in Ireland - Railways, Transport in Ireland - External links, Transport in Ireland - Roads, Transport in Ireland - Bus Services, Transport in Ireland - Waterways, Transport in Ireland - Pipelines, Transport in Ireland - Ports and harbours, Transport in Ireland - Merchant marine, Transport in Ireland - Airports

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Since 1952 (the earliest date for which comparable figures are available), the UK has seen a dramatic shift away from the use of public transport and towards the use of private transport, for both passengers and freight. In 1952 just 27% of distance travelled was by car or taxi; with 42% being by bus or coach and 18% by rail. A further 11% was by bicycle and 3% by motorcycle. The distance travelled by air was negligible. By 2003 85% of distance travelled was by car or taxi; with just 6% being by bus and 6% by rail. Air, pedal c ...

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Transport in the United Kingdom, Transport in the United Kingdom - Transport trends, Transport in the United Kingdom - Railways, Transport in the United Kingdom - Great Britain, Transport in the United Kingdom - Northern Ireland, Transport in the United Kingdom - Rapid transit, Transport in the United Kingdom - Trams and Light Rail, Transport in the United Kingdom - Roads, Transport in the United Kingdom - Buses, Transport in the United Kingdom - Water, Transport in the United Kingdom - Ports and harbours, Transport in the United Kingdom - Merchant marine, Transport in the United Kingdom - Other shipping, Transport in the United Kingdom - Inland waterways, Transport in the United Kingdom - Air transport

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The road network in the United Kingdom is extensive, with around 370,000 km of road, and is one of, if not the most, popular method of transportation. A high-speed motorway system, with a total length of 3300 km, was constructed from the 1950s onwards, and links all major cities (though part of the A74 linking England and Scotland has not yet been upgraded). The maximum speed limit is 70 miles per hour (113 km/h). Alongside the motorway system are trunk roads, many of which are dual carriag ...

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Transport in the United Kingdom, Transport in the United Kingdom - Transport trends, Transport in the United Kingdom - Railways, Transport in the United Kingdom - Great Britain, Transport in the United Kingdom - Northern Ireland, Transport in the United Kingdom - Rapid transit, Transport in the United Kingdom - Trams and Light Rail, Transport in the United Kingdom - Roads, Transport in the United Kingdom - Buses, Transport in the United Kingdom - Water, Transport in the United Kingdom - Ports and harbours, Transport in the United Kingdom - Merchant marine, Transport in the United Kingdom - Other shipping, Transport in the United Kingdom - Inland waterways, Transport in the United Kingdom - Air transport

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Ireland's main airports are Dublin Airport, Shannon International Airport, Cork International Airport and Belfast International Airport. Many regional airports exist, some flying to international destinations. For example Knock International Airport in County Mayo, Galway Airport, Sligo Airport, Kerry Airport, City of Derry Airport, Belfast City Airport and Waterford Airport. Services to the Aran Islands are operated from Connemara Regional Airport. Ireland's national airline, Aer Lingus provides air services from Dublin, Cork ...

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Transport in Ireland, Transport in Ireland - Railways, Transport in Ireland - External links, Transport in Ireland - Roads, Transport in Ireland - Bus Services, Transport in Ireland - Waterways, Transport in Ireland - Pipelines, Transport in Ireland - Ports and harbours, Transport in Ireland - Merchant marine, Transport in Ireland - Airports

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Politically, Ireland is divided into: The Republic of Ireland, with its capital in Dublin. This state is often simply referred to internally and internationally as "Ireland" in English or "Éire" in Irish. Technically Ireland and Éire are the official names of the state while the "Republic of Ireland" is its official description. Northern Ireland is unofficially known as 'the North', and 'Ulster' (the province of Ulster also includes Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan which are in the Republic). North ...

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Ireland, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Flag of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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There is no universally agreed flag that represents the island of Ireland. Historically a number of flags were used, including St. Patrick's cross, the flag sometimes used for the Kingdom of Ireland and which represented Ireland on the Union Jack after the Act of Union, a green flag with a harp (used by some radical nationalists in the 19th century and which is also the flag of Leinster), a blue flag with a harp used from the 18th century onwards by many nationalists (now the standard of the President of Ireland), and the Irish tricolour. Ho ...

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Ireland, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Flags of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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Ireland may somewhat aspire to be an egalitarian society — wealth is partially redistributed among the poorer segments of society through the progressive tax system — however large disparities in wealth still exist among the employed and unemployed, with one of the worst rich-poor gaps among Western nations. Wealth is more concentrated in the eastern region around Dublin. There are many spots in Dublin marked by poverty, particularly in the inner city. The poorest segments of society are foreign nationals working in manual jobs an ...

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Economy of the Republic of Ireland, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - History, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Infrastructure, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Natural resources, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Energy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Monetary system, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic makeup, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Secondary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Tertiary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State role in the economy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State ownership and deregulation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Taxation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - The welfare state, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic ties, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - United States, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - European Union, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Wealth distribution, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics

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There is no universally agreed flag that represents the island of Ireland. Historically a number of flags were used, including St. Patrick's cross, the flag sometimes used for the Kingdom of Ireland and which represented Ireland on the Union Jack after the Act of Union, a green flag with a harp (used by some radical nationalists in the 19th century and which is also the flag of Leinster), a blue flag with a harp used from the 18th century onwards by many nationalists (now the standard of the President of Ireland), and the Irish tricolour. Ho ...

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Ireland, Ireland - Geography, Ireland - Politics, Ireland - Flag of Ireland, Ireland - History, Ireland - History since partition, Ireland - Irish Independence: The Irish Free State Éire Ireland, Ireland - Northern Ireland, Ireland - Sport, Ireland - Culture, Ireland - Literature and the arts, Ireland - Music and dance, Ireland - Demographics, Ireland - Infrastructure, Ireland - Transport, Ireland - Energy

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The Irish economy's secondary and tertiary sectors are of a similar size in fiscal terms however in terms of labour, the tertiary sector is far larger. Similarly in fiscal terms the primary sector appears small, however it still employs about 8% of the workforce. Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector. The primary sector constitutes 5% of Irish GDP, and 8% of Irish employment. It is largely made up of cattle grazing, dairy production, fishing and tillage farming; particularly of turnips, barle ...

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Economy of the Republic of Ireland, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - History, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Infrastructure, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Natural resources, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Energy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Monetary system, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic makeup, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Secondary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Tertiary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State role in the economy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State ownership and deregulation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Taxation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - The welfare state, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic ties, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - United States, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - European Union, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Wealth distribution, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics

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The national currency is the euro (Ireland is a member of the EMU). The banking system is dominated by the Big Four - AIB Bank, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and National Irish Bank. The banking system is generally quite expensive and uncompetitive. There is a large Credit Union movement within the country which offers an alternative to the banks. There is a stock exchange (the ISEQ) in Dublin, however, due to its small size, many firms also maintain listings on either the AIM, FTSE or NASDAQ. The insurance industry is poorly regulated and do ...

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Economy of the Republic of Ireland, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - History, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Infrastructure, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Natural resources, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Energy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Monetary system, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic makeup, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Secondary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Tertiary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State role in the economy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State ownership and deregulation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Taxation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - The welfare state, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic ties, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - United States, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - European Union, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Wealth distribution, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics

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Main article: Economic history of the Republic of Ireland The state known today as the Republic of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom in 1922. The state was plagued by poverty and emigration until the 1990s. That decade saw the beginning of unprecedented economic success, in a phenomenon known as the "Celtic Tiger". Over the past decade, the Irish government has implemented a series of national economic programmes designed to curb inflation, ease tax burdens, reduce government spending as a percentage of GDP, increase labo ...

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Economy of the Republic of Ireland, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - History, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Infrastructure, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Natural resources, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Energy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Monetary system, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic makeup, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Secondary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Tertiary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State role in the economy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State ownership and deregulation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Taxation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - The welfare state, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic ties, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - United States, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - European Union, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Wealth distribution, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics

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Ireland's transport infrastructure varies substantially in quality. On the East coast, the country is served by a modern road network which includes a north-south motorway (the M1), various by-passes and several dual carriageways. The rest of the country however is still served by a relatively poor standard of road. The main national routes are centred on Dublin, leading to other population centres. There is only one major non-Dublin route (or series of routes), extending through the western half of Ireland from Cork through Limerick to Galw ...

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Economy of the Republic of Ireland, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - History, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Infrastructure, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Natural resources, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Energy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Monetary system, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic makeup, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Secondary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Tertiary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State role in the economy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State ownership and deregulation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Taxation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - The welfare state, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic ties, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - United States, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - European Union, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Wealth distribution, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics

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The vast majority of Irish energy needs are met by fossil fuels. About 98% of the Republic of Ireland's final energy demand is produced by burning coal, petroleum, peat, or natural gas [10]. This over reliance on fossil fuels - particularly oil - has left the Republic vulnerable to international price fluctuations - the state imports all of its oil needs. Renewable energy is beginning to meet some demand in the Republic - Airtricity and Hibernia Wind Energy (a subsidiary of the ESB) are developing wind farms across the country. As of Decembe ...

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Economy of the Republic of Ireland, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - History, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Infrastructure, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Natural resources, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Energy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Monetary system, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic makeup, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Primary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Secondary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Tertiary sector, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State role in the economy, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - State ownership and deregulation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Taxation, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - The welfare state, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Economic ties, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - United States, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - European Union, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Wealth distribution, Economy of the Republic of Ireland - Statistics

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