Europe / Caspian / CIS
Country profile: Ireland
| Location: | Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain |
| Climate: | temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time |
| Terrain: | mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast |
| Size: | 70280 sq. km total (Land area: 68890 sq. km Water area: 1390 sq.km) |
| Population: | 4,156,119 (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard |
| Government: | republic, parliamentary democracy |
| Capital city: | Dublin |
| Legal system: | based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK.
In 1949, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is being implemented with some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 546 million cu m (2005 est.) | |
| Consumption: | 192,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 3 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Exports: | 23,360 bbl/day (2005 est.) | |
| Imports: | 204,400 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 3 million cu m (2005 est.) |
| Reserves: | 9 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) | |
| Major fields: |
Ireland - recent news
| 18 Nov 24 |
Ireland: ESB officially opens its latest battery storage project in Co Cork as part of €300m investment ESB, Ireland’s foremost energy company since its establishment in 1927, has opened its latest major battery plant at its Aghada site in Co Cork which will add 150MW (300MWh) of fast-acting energy storage to help provide grid stability and deliver more renewable power onto Ireland’s electricity system. |
| 11 Nov 24 |
Ireland: Second Irish offshore wind auction announced for 2025 In a major statement of commitment to Irish offshore wind energy Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD this morning told delegates at the Wind Energy Trade Show 2024 that a new, second, offshore wind auction will be run in 2025. |
| 11 Nov 24 |
Ireland is on track to reach 5,000 MW of installed onshore capacity Ireland is on track to reach 5,000 MW of installed onshore capacity before the end of the year. The announcement was made as more than a thousand delegates arrived for the country’s second ever Wind Energy Trade Show. |
| 11 Nov 24 |
Ireland releases critical geophysical data for second offshore wind auction Following the government’s recent approval of the agreed terms for Ireland’s second offshore wind auction, ORESS 'Tonn Nua', the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has now made critical geophysical data sets available. |
| 20 Sep 24 |
Ireland: Lansdowne Oil & Gas enters into Convertible Loan Agreement Lansdowne Oil & Gas has confirmed that the Company has entered into a Convertible Loan Agreement for GBP 95,000 with Directors of the Company and a number of existing shareholders. |
Ireland - more news
Other countries in this region
- Afghanistan,
- Albania,
- Armenia,
- Austria,
- Azerbaijan,
- Belarus,
- Belgium,
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Bulgaria,
- Croatia,
- Cyprus,
- Czech Republic,
- Denmark,
- Estonia,
- Faroe Islands,
- Finland,
- France,
- Georgia,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Greenland,
- Hungary,
- Iceland,
- Italy,
- Kazakhstan,
- Kyrgyzstan,
- Latvia,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Malta,
- Moldova,
- Montenegro,
- Netherlands,
- Norway,
- Poland,
- Portugal,
- Romania,
- Russia,
- Serbia,
- Slovakia,
- Slovenia,
- Spain,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- Tajikistan,
- Tatarstan,
- Turkey,
- Turkmenistan,
- Ukraine,
- United Kingdom,
- Uzbekistan
