...cture has exposed a granite core hich no forms rounded peat-covered uplands, the crests being notched in places by glacial cirques. The mountains are penetrated by deep glacially modified valleys of hich the best knon is Glendalough in County icklo. The younger structures Armorican extend from central Europe through Brittany to southern Ireland, here they reappear as a series of east-est anticlinal sandstone ridges separated by limestone or shale-floored valleys. The hills rise in height estards culminating in Carrantouhill 1041 m in the Magillycuddy Reeks, the highest mountain in the country. The famous Upper Lake of Killarney nestles in the eastern slopes of this range. The valleys separating the estern extension of these mountains have been flooded by the sea, giving rise to a number of long deep inlets. In north-eastern Ireland basaltic lavas spread idely over the existing rocks in Eocene times and no form the bleak plateau of east Antrim. estards the basalt is donarped and the resultant drift-covered loland is occupied in part by Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland. The heart of the country is a limestone- floored loland bounded on the south by the Armorican ridges and on the north and est by the Caledonian mountains. This loland is open to the Irish Sea for a distance of 90 km beteen the icklo Mountains and the Carlingford peninsula, giving easy access to the country from the east. It also extends estards to reach the Atlantic Ocean along the Shannon Estuary, in Galay Bay, in Cle Bay and again in Donegal Bay. Numerous hills break the monotony of the loland hich rises estard toards the coast in County Clare here it terminates in the cliffs of Moher, one of the finest lines of cliff scenery in estern Europe. Much of Ireland as covered by ice during the Pleistocene period. This ice finally melted aay about telve thousand years ago, leaving behind evidence of its former presence in most of the minor physical features of the landscape. Throughout the greater part of the loland the bedrock is hidden by glacial deposits hich, in the north central part of the country, form a broad belt of small hills drumlins. The glacial cover also modified the early drainage pattern and in places created groundater conditions hich facilitated the groth of peat bogs. Tourism There has been major groth in Irish tourism since the Second orld ar, related mainly to increased affluence, improved transport facilities and greater promotion and organisation of the industry. A severe setback occurred in the years 1969-72, principally as a result of violence in Northern Ireland, and subsequent recovery has been sloer in the north. Tourism plays an important role in the balance of payments, ith over three million people visiting the country annually. Visitors come mainly from Great Britain but also from continental Europe, North America and other areas. There is also substantial tourist traffic ithin the country. The tourist attractions of Ireland include the relaxed atmosphere and friendliness of the people, the clean rural environment, the varied and attractive scenery, the important historical and literary associations and the opportunities to participate in recreational activities. There is also a major ethnic factor, ith emigrants returning home on holiday and people of Irish descent visiting relatives and places of ancestral connection. Tourism is strongly oriented toards the coastal zone, hich offers the attractions of the sea, scenic landscapes and the major cities and tons. Dublin is the single most important centre but the estern seaboard is the part of the country having the greatest tourist appeal.Climate Irelands mild and equable climate is a reflection of the fact that its shores are bathed by the relatively arm ocean aters of the North Atlantic Drift. Valencia, in the extreme south-est, has an average January temperature of 7C and a July temperature of 1 5C, a range of only eight degrees. The figures for Dublin are 4.5C in January and 1 5.5C in July, a range of eleven degrees. Extremely high or lo temperatures are virtually unknon. Rainfall is heaviest on the estard facing slopes of the hills here it may exceed 3,000 mm in Kerry, Mayo and Donegal. The east is much drier and Dublin records on average only 785 mm annually. The outstanding feature of the Irish eather is its changeability, a characteristic hich it shares ith all the countries that lie in the path of the temperate depressions. Hoever more stable atmospheric conditions may arise in inter ith the extension of the continental high pressure system bringing clear skies and cool conditions, especially to the eastern part of the country. In summer an extension of the Azores high pressure system may bring periods of light easterly inds and bright sunny eather. HISTORY OF IRELANDEarly Christian PeriodChristianity as introduced in the 5th century. This is traditionally associated ith St Patrick d. 461 although there ere some Christians in the country before his arrival. The first ritten documents date from this period. A distinctive feature of the development of early Irish Christianity as the important role played by monasticism. The great monasteries such as Glendalough, founded by St Kevin, and Clonmacnoise, founded by St Ciaran, ere famous centres of culture and learning and the illuminated manuscripts hich they produced ere among the glories of Irish monasticism. It as through the monasteries that Irish influence on Britain and Europe as exerted from the 6th century onards. Setting out first as pilgrims, Irish monks preached the Gospel and established ne communities across the continent. Ireland, unlike most of the rest of Europe, did not suffer barbarian invasion and so acted as a repository of Christian civilization at a time hen it as almost extinguished elsehere. Irish monks are associated ith a number of continental centres - St Fursey at Peronne in France, St Kilian at urzburg in Germany, St Vergil at Salzburg in Austria, St Columbanus at Bobbio in Italy. They brought Christianity to pagan peoples, established centres of learning and paved the ay for the intellectual floering in 9th century France knon as the Carolingian Renaissance. One of the most notable of these monks as the philosopher and theologian Johannes Scotus Eriugena. The successful missionary efforts of the Irish abroad ere matched by rich cultural achievements at home. Elaborate chalices, croziers and ornamental jeellery ere fashioned hile the scribes committed the rich classical tradition to their magnificently illuminated manuscripts. This period from the 6th to the 9th century has been seen by many as the Golden Age of Irish history. The Middle AgesFrom around 800 onards Ireland as attacked by bands of Viking marauders. The raids continued right through the 9th century and a second major ave began early in the 10th century. The monasteries, as the major ...
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