103-441: Arkle (19 April 1957 – 31 May 1970) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by Archive out of Bright Cherry, Arkle was the grandson of the unbeaten (in 14 races) flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco . Arkle was bred by Mary Baker of Malahow House, near Naul , County Dublin , Ireland, and was born at Ballymacoll Stud , County Meath . He was owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster , who named him after
206-604: A Racing Post poll. Arkle put in various public appearances including, after his retirement, one at the Horse of the Year Show in 1969. He has been celebrated in songs, appeared on stamps, and is commemorated with statues. In 1972 the Duchess of Westminster unveiled a statue at Cheltenham racecourse; in 2014 a 1.1 scale bronze statue was unveiled in Ashbourne, County Meath , the nearest town to
309-598: A declaration of independence and proclaimed an Irish Republic . The declaration was mainly a restatement of the 1916 Proclamation with the additional provision that Ireland was no longer a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic's Ministry of Dáil Éireann sent a delegation under Ceann Comhairle (Head of Council, or Speaker, of the Daíl) Seán T. O'Kelly to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, but it
412-622: A member state of the European Union since 1973. Citizens of the United Kingdom can freely enter the country without a passport due to the Common Travel Area , which is a passport-free zone comprising the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands . However, some identification is required at airports and seaports. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 was
515-460: A Regional Assembly composed of members delegated by the various county and city councils in the region. The regions do not have any direct administrative role as such, but they serve for planning, coordination and statistical purposes. Ireland has a common law legal system with a written constitution that provides for a parliamentary democracy . The court system consists of the Supreme Court ,
618-524: A bay colt with no white markings, was bred by Mary Baker, who kept a few mares on the family farm at Malahow, near Naul in County Dublin. His dam was Bright Cherry, who had won seven times over jumps. His sire was Archive, who, although the offspring of leading sire Nearco, had never won a race and stood at the modest fee of 48 guineas. Arkle was foaled at Ballymacoll Stud in County Meath on 19 April 1957. He
721-583: A length to give Stalbridge Colonist 35 lb. Arkle's full race record is listed below. Republic of Ireland – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union (light green) Ireland ( Irish : Éire [ˈeːɾʲə] ), also known as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of
824-534: A lower limit may be set by statute law. The current government is a coalition of Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael , and the Green Party with Simon Harris of Fine Gael as Taoiseach and Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil as Tánaiste. Opposition parties in the current Dáil are Sinn Féin , the Labour Party , People Before Profit–Solidarity , Social Democrats , Aontú , as well as a number of independents . Ireland has been
927-511: A member of NATO , although it is a member of Partnership for Peace and certain aspects of PESCO . Ireland's economy is advanced, with one of Europe's major financial hubs being centred on Dublin. It ranks among the top five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of both GDP and GNI per capita. After joining the EC, the country's government enacted a series of liberal economic policies that helped to boost economic growth between 1995 and 2007,
1030-582: A member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), which is aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Ireland is a neutral country , and has "triple-lock" rules governing the participation of Irish troops in conflict zones, whereby approval must be given by the UN, the Dáil and Government. Accordingly, its military role
1133-512: A period it described as The Emergency . Ireland's Dominion status was terminated with the passage of The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 , which came into force on 18 April 1949 and declared that the state was a republic. At the time, a declaration of a republic terminated Commonwealth membership. This rule was changed 10 days after Ireland declared itself a republic, with the London Declaration of 28 April 1949. Ireland did not reapply when
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#17328592771781236-686: A prime minister called the President of the Executive Council . The Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) was the consequence of the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State. Anti-treaty forces, led by Éamon de Valera , objected to the fact that acceptance of the treaty abolished the Irish Republic of 1919 to which they had sworn loyalty, arguing in
1339-635: A profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland against the British Government. In January 1919, after the December 1918 general election , 73 of Ireland's 105 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected were Sinn Féin members who were elected on a platform of abstentionism from the British House of Commons . In January 1919, they set up an Irish parliament called Dáil Éireann . This first Dáil issued
1442-647: A ship and a special unit of frogmen . The military includes the Reserve Defence Forces ( Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve ) for part-time reservists. Ireland's special forces include the Army Ranger Wing , which trains and operates with international special operations units. The President is the formal Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, but in practice these Forces answer to the Government via
1545-507: A strange quirk in that he crossed his forelegs when jumping a fence. In November 1966, Arkle returned to Newbury to attempt a third consecutive victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup. Without a preparatory race, having not run for eight months and having suffered a setback in training two weeks earlier, faced five rivals all of whom carried at least 33lbs less than him. It was outsider Stalbridge Colonist, receiving 35lbs, who challenged Arkle on
1648-661: A time now often referred to as the Celtic Tiger period. A recession and reversal in growth then followed during the Great Recession , which was exacerbated by the bursting of the Irish property bubble . The Great Recession lasted until 2014, and was followed by a new period of strong economic growth. The Irish name for Ireland is Éire , deriving from Ériu , a goddess in Irish mythology. The state created in 1922, comprising 26 of
1751-758: A while to recover his momentum, finishing in third place. There were three victories for Arkle in Ireland, in the Christmas Handicap Chase, the Thyestes Handicap Chase and the Leopardstown Handicap Chase, before another meeting with Mill House in the 1964 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Arkle avenged his previous defeat by beating Mill House (who had won the race the previous year) by five lengths to claim his first Gold Cup at odds of 7/4 with another previous winner and top-class chaser, Pas Seul, twenty-five lengths back in third place, and Kings Nephew,
1854-562: A wide range of insect, bird and mammal species. It is home to two terrestrial ecoregions: Celtic broadleaf forests and North Atlantic moist mixed forests . Agriculture accounts for about 64% of the total land area. This has resulted in limited land to preserve natural habitats, in particular for larger wild mammals with greater territorial requirements. The long history of agricultural production coupled with modern agricultural methods, such as pesticide and fertiliser use, has placed pressure on biodiversity . The Atlantic Ocean and
1957-482: Is Carrauntoohil (1,038.6 m or 3,407 ft), located in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in the southwest. River Shannon , which traverses the central lowlands, is the longest river in Ireland at 386 kilometres or 240 miles in length. The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands, peninsulas , headlands and bays . Ireland is one of the least forested countries in Europe. Until
2060-630: Is also informally called "the Republic", "Southern Ireland" or "the South"; especially when distinguishing the state from the island or when discussing Northern Ireland ("the North"). Irish republicans reserve the name "Ireland" for the whole island and often refer to the state as "the Free State", "the 26 Counties", or "the South of Ireland". This is a "response to the partitionist view [...] that Ireland stops at
2163-499: Is appointed by the Government. Most uniformed members do not routinely carry firearms . Standard policing is traditionally carried out by uniformed officers equipped only with a baton and pepper spray . The Military Police is the corps of the Irish Army responsible for the provision of policing service personnel and providing a military police presence to forces while on exercise and deployment. In wartime, additional tasks include
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#17328592771782266-462: Is appointed by the President upon the nomination of the Dáil . Most Taoisigh have served as the leader of the political party that gains the most seats in national elections. It has become customary for coalitions to form a government, as there has not been a single-party government since 1989. The Dáil has 160 members ( Teachtaí Dála ) elected to represent multi-seat constituencies under
2369-682: Is bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel . To the east, the Irish Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. The western landscape mostly consists of rugged cliffs, hills and mountains. The central lowlands are extensively covered with glacial deposits of clay and sand, as well as significant areas of bogland and several lakes. The highest point
2472-578: Is limited to national self-defence and participation in United Nations peacekeeping . The Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann ) are made up of the Army , Naval Service , Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force . It is small but well equipped, with almost 10,000 full-time military personnel and over 2,000 in reserve. Daily deployments of the Defence Forces cover aid to civil power operations, protection and patrol of Irish territorial waters and EEZ by
2575-524: Is primarily a figurehead , but is entrusted with certain constitutional powers with the advice of the Council of State . The office has absolute discretion in some areas, such as referring a bill to the Supreme Court for a judgment on its constitutionality. Michael D. Higgins became the ninth President of Ireland on 11 November 2011. The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) serves as the head of government and
2678-589: Is the Taoiseach (prime minister, lit. ' chief ' ), elected by the Dáil and appointed by the president, who appoints other government ministers. The Irish Free State was created with Dominion status in 1922, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty . In 1937, a new constitution was adopted, in which the state was named "Ireland" and effectively became a republic, with an elected non-executive president . It
2781-544: Is the dullest month, with an average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the extreme southeast. The sunniest summer in the 100 years from 1881 to 1980 was 1887, according to measurements made at the Phoenix Park in Dublin; 1980 was the dullest. Ireland is a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Oireachtas is the bicameral national parliament composed of
2884-536: Is woodland, most of which is non-native conifer plantations , and only 2% of which is native woodland. The average woodland cover in European countries is over 33%. According to Coillte , a state-owned forestry business, the country's climate gives Ireland one of the fastest growth rates for forests in Europe. Hedgerows , which are traditionally used to define land boundaries, are an important substitute for woodland habitat, providing refuge for native wild flora and
2987-507: The 1979 oil crisis . There were significant policy changes from 1989 onwards, with economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and a ban on borrowing to fund current spending. This policy began in 1989–1992 by the Fianna Fáil/ Progressive Democrats government, and continued by the subsequent Fianna Fáil/ Labour government and Fine Gael /Labour/ Democratic Left government. Ireland became one of
3090-647: The 36th (Ulster) divisions. The remainder of the Irish Volunteers , who refused Redmond and opposed any support of the UK, launched an armed insurrection against British rule in the 1916 Easter Rising , together with the Irish Citizen Army . This commenced on 24 April 1916 with the declaration of independence . After a week of heavy fighting, primarily in Dublin, the surviving rebels were forced to surrender their positions. The majority were imprisoned, with fifteen of
3193-619: The Court of Appeal , the High Court , the Circuit Court and the District Court , all of which apply the Irish law and hear both civil and criminal matters. Trials for serious offences must usually be held before a jury . The High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have authority, by means of judicial review , to determine the compatibility of laws and activities of other institutions of
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3296-638: The First World War which defused the threat of civil war in Ireland. With the hope of ensuring the implementation of the Act at the end of the war through Ireland's engagement in the war , Redmond and the Irish National Volunteers supported the UK and its Allies . 175,000 men joined Irish regiments of the 10th (Irish) and 16th (Irish) divisions of the New British Army , while Unionists joined
3399-654: The Good Friday Agreement , was approved in 1998 in referendums north and south of the border. As part of the peace settlement, the territorial claim to Northern Ireland in Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland was removed by referendum. In its white paper on Brexit the United Kingdom government reiterated its commitment to the Good Friday Agreement. With regard to Northern Ireland's status, it said that
3502-484: The Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. The racing authorities in Ireland took the unprecedented step in the Irish Grand National of devising two weight systems – one to be used when Arkle was running, and one when he was not. Arkle won the 1964 race by only one length, but he carried 30 lbs more than his rivals. After a warm-up race in Ireland, Arkle returned to Newbury to avenge his defeat by Mill House in
3605-742: The Local Government Act 1898 , that had been in the hands of landlord-dominated grand juries of the Protestant Ascendancy . Home Rule seemed certain when the Parliament Act 1911 abolished the veto of the House of Lords , and John Redmond secured the Third Home Rule Act in 1914. However, the Unionist movement had been growing since 1886 among Irish Protestants after the introduction of
3708-887: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 , provides for a system of thirty-one local authorities – twenty-six county councils, two city and county councils, and three city councils. Counties (with the exception of the three counties in Dublin) are divided into municipal districts . A second local government tier of town councils was abolished in 2014. Local authorities are responsible for matters such as planning, local roads, sanitation, and libraries. The breaching of county boundaries should be avoided as far as practicable in drawing Dáil constituencies . Counties with greater populations have multiple constituencies, some of more than one county, but generally do not cross county boundaries. The counties are grouped into three regions , each with
3811-574: The President of Ireland and the two Houses of the Oireachtas: Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the President of Ireland, while the houses of the Oireachtas meet at Leinster House in Dublin . The President serves as head of state , is elected for a seven-year term, and may be re-elected once. The President
3914-547: The SGB Handicap Chase at Ascot carrying his usual top weight of 12st 7lbs. He actually conceded 35lbs to Vultrix, himself a top-class chaser who had won the race the previous year carrying top weight of 12st 1lb, and Arkle destroyed him by 15 lengths, at which his trainer, Ryan Price, remarked that "Arkle is a living phenomenon". On 27 December 1966, Arkle ran in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park but struck
4017-620: The Seanad , and the Taoiseach , Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Finance must be members of the Dáil . The Dáil must be dissolved within five years of its first meeting following the previous election, and a general election for members of the Dáil must take place no later than thirty days after the dissolution. In accordance with the Constitution of Ireland , parliamentary elections must be held at least every seven years, though
4120-423: The 1965 King George VI Chase , Arkle triumphed in a number of other important handicap chases, including the 1964 Irish Grand National (under 12-0), the 1964 and 1965 Hennessy Gold Cups (both times under 12-7), the 1965 Gallaher Gold Cup (conceding 16 lb to Mill House while breaking the course record by 17 seconds), and the 1965 Whitbread Gold Cup (under 12-7). In the 1966 Hennessy, he failed by only half
4223-508: The 2021 Human Development Index listing ranked it the sixth-highest in the world. It also ranks highly in healthcare , economic freedom and freedom of the press . It is a member of the EU and a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD . The Irish government has followed a policy of military neutrality through non-alignment since before World War II , and the country is consequently not
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4326-408: The 32 counties of the island of Ireland , with a population of about 5.4 million. The capital and largest city is Dublin , on the eastern side of the island, with a population of about 1.5 million. The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to
4429-409: The 32 counties of Ireland , was "styled and known as the Irish Free State" ( Saorstát Éireann ). The Constitution of Ireland , adopted in 1937, says that "the name of the State is Éire , or, in the English language, Ireland". Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, "It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland." The 1948 Act does not name
4532-409: The Bective Novice Hurdle over three miles at Navan . Stable jockey Pat Taaffe had elected to ride the favourite Kerforo and the ride on Arkle was taken by stable lad Liam McLoughlin. Arkle defeated 26 runners to win by 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths, prompting his trainer to say "I think we've got something there!" In his next race, the Rathconnel Handicap Hurdle over two miles at Naas , he was ridden for
4635-423: The Carey's Cottage Handicap Chase at Gowran Park, before he set off for England and a much-anticipated first meeting with the 1963 Gold Cup winner Mill House in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury . In a field of ten, Mill House went off as 15/8 favourite and conceded 5 lbs to Arkle, who started at 5/2. Arkle was just a length behind the leader Mill House at the third last, when he slipped after landing and took
4738-465: The Cheltenham Festival. Having gone off as 4/9 favourite in the Broadway Novices' Chase , he put on a turn of speed from the second last, and won by twenty lengths. The season ended with two more victories in Ireland before Arkle went on his customary summer break at Bryanstown. Arkle started the season with a win in the Donoughmore Plate, a flat race at Navan, in which he was ridden by former champion jockey T. P. Burns . There followed an easy victory in
4841-476: The Cheltenham Gold Cup for the third time. In the 1966 renewal, he was the shortest-priced favourite in history to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, starting at odds of 1/10. He won the race by thirty lengths, hard held, from Dormant and just three other rivals, despite a mistake early in the race where he ploughed through the eleventh fence, while looking at his adoring fans in the stands. However, it did not stop his momentum, nor did he ever look like falling. Arkle had
4944-427: The Greenogue yard. Two races, both Grade 1 , have been named in Arkle's honour: in 1969 the Arkle Challenge Trophy replaced the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse; and the Milltown Novice Chase at Leopardstown was renamed the Arkle Novice Chase. In 1976, the controversial decision was made to exhume Arkle's remains and to mount his skeleton for display at the Irish National Stud . Amongst those who disapproved
5047-419: The Irish Free State and declared that the name of the state is Éire , or "Ireland" in the English language. While Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution defined the national territory to be the whole island, they also confined the state's jurisdiction to the area that had been the Irish Free State. The former Irish Free State government had abolished the Office of Governor-General in December 1936. Although
5150-486: The Irish Naval Service, and UN, EU and PfP peace-keeping missions. By 1996, over 40,000 Irish service personnel had served in international UN peacekeeping missions. The Irish Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces and operates sixteen fixed wing aircraft and eight helicopters. The Irish Naval Service is Ireland's navy, and operates six patrol ships , and smaller numbers of inflatable boats and training vessels, and has armed boarding parties capable of seizing
5253-404: The Irish Party leadership. This provided for the temporary exclusion of Ulster from the workings of the bill for a trial period of six years, with an as yet undecided new set of measures to be introduced for the area to be temporarily excluded. Though it received the Royal Assent and was placed on the statute books in 1914, the implementation of the Third Home Rule Act was suspended until after
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#17328592771785356-425: The King requesting, "that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland." The Irish Free State was a constitutional monarchy sharing a monarch with the United Kingdom and other Dominions of the British Commonwealth . The country had a governor-general (representing the monarch), a bicameral parliament, a cabinet called the "Executive Council", and
5459-399: The UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of the UK, but with strong links to Ireland". The state extends over an area of about five-sixths (70,273 km or 27,133 sq mi) of the island of Ireland (84,421 km or 32,595 sq mi), with Northern Ireland constituting the remainder. The island
5562-412: The UN involved a commitment to using force to deter aggression by one state against another if the UN thought it was necessary. Interest towards membership of the European Communities (EC) developed in Ireland during the 1950s, with consideration also given to membership of the European Free Trade Area . As the United Kingdom intended on EC membership, Ireland applied for membership in July 1961 due to
5665-428: The United Kingdom and United States are also important. It held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on six occasions, most recently from January to June 2013. Ireland tends towards independence in foreign policy; thus the country is not a member of NATO and has a longstanding policy of military neutrality. This policy has led to the Irish Defence Forces contributing to peace-keeping missions with
5768-448: The United Nations since 1960, including during the Congo Crisis and subsequently in Cyprus , Lebanon and Bosnia and Herzegovina . Despite Irish neutrality during World War II , Ireland had more than 50,000 participants in the war through enlistment in the British armed forces. During the Cold War , Irish military policy, while ostensibly neutral, was biased towards NATO. During the Cuban Missile Crisis , Seán Lemass authorised
5871-401: The age of thirteen. He was buried in his field at Bryanstown. Arkle, known simply as "Himself", became a national hero and a legend during his lifetime. Fan mail, sometimes addressed only to "Arkle, Ireland", arrived at the Greenogue yard from all over the world. When it was revealed that two pints of Guinness were added to his regular feed of oats every day, the Company undertook to supply
5974-400: The border". From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . During the Great Famine , from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over 8 million fell by 30%. One million Irish died of starvation and disease and another 1.5 million emigrated, mostly to the United States. This set
6077-422: The conflict that had become known as the Troubles . Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the Irish government and Northern Irish government have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North/South Ministerial Council created by the Agreement. Ireland is a developed country with a quality of life that ranks amongst the highest in the world; after adjustments for inequality ,
6180-468: The constitution established the office of President of Ireland , the question over whether Ireland was a republic remained open. Diplomats were accredited to the king, but the president exercised all internal functions of a head of state. For instance, the President gave assent to new laws with his own authority, without reference to King George VI who was only an "organ", that was provided for by statute law. Ireland remained neutral during World War II,
6283-413: The decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. On 7 January 1922, the Second Dáil ratified the Treaty by 64 votes to 57. In accordance with the treaty, on 6 December 1922 the entire island of Ireland became a self-governing Dominion called the Irish Free State ( Saorstát Éireann ). Under the Constitution of the Irish Free State , the Parliament of Northern Ireland had
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#17328592771786386-456: The end of the Middle Ages , the land was heavily forested. Native species include deciduous trees such as oak , ash , hazel , birch , alder , willow , aspen , elm , rowan and hawthorn , as well as evergreen trees such Scots pine , yew , holly and strawberry trees . The growth of blanket bog and the extensive clearing of woodland for farming are believed to be the main causes of deforestation . Today, only about 10% of Ireland
6489-399: The face of public support for the settlement that the "people have no right to do wrong". They objected most to the fact that the state would remain part of the British Empire and that members of the Free State Parliament would have to swear what the anti-treaty side saw as an oath of fidelity to the British king. Pro-treaty forces, led by Michael Collins , argued that the treaty gave "not
6592-428: The first home rule bill, fearing discrimination and loss of economic and social privileges if Irish Catholics achieved real political power. In the late 19th and early 20th-century unionism was particularly strong in parts of Ulster , where industrialisation was more common in contrast to the more agrarian rest of the island, and where the Protestant population was more prominent, with a majority in four counties. Under
6695-410: The first time by Taaffe. Starting at 2/1 favourite in a field of ten, he won by four lengths. The season ended with two defeats in April 1962. Arkle, ridden by McLoughlin, finished unplaced in the two-mile Balbriggen Hurdle at Baldoyle , the only time in his career he would finish outside the first four. The pair then finished fourth in the New Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse , before Arkle went to spend
6798-419: The founding statute of the present system of local government, while the Twentieth Amendment to the constitution of 1999 provided for its constitutional recognition. The twenty-six traditional counties of Ireland are the basis of the local government areas, with the traditional counties of Cork , Dublin and Galway containing two or more local government areas. The Local Government Act 2001 , as amended by
6901-453: The guard rail with a hoof when jumping the open ditch, which resulted in a fractured pedal bone ; despite this injury, he completed the race and was only overtaken on the run-in to finish second, a half-length behind the winner, Dormant, to whom he was still conceding 21lbs. Visibly lame, Arkle was loaded into the horse-ambulance and taken back to the racecourse stables, where he remained for two months, his injured leg encased in plaster. Arkle
7004-401: The largest prize of his career to date, £8,230. Arkle was unbeaten in his five starts in the 1965/1966 season, winning the Gallaher Gold Cup at Sandown, the Hennessy Gold Cup for a second time, the King George VI Chase by a distance at Kempton , the Leopardstown Handicap Chase for the third time (beating Height O'Fashion by a neck conceding 42lbs in Arkle's first photo finish decider ), and
7107-449: The leadership of the Dublin-born Sir Edward Carson of the Irish Unionist Party and the Ulsterman Sir James Craig of the Ulster Unionist Party , unionists became strongly militant, forming Ulster Volunteers in order to oppose "the Coercion of Ulster". After the Home Rule Bill passed parliament in May 1914, to avoid rebellion with Ulster, the British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith introduced an Amending Bill reluctantly conceded to by
7210-407: The lowest temperature recorded was −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F) at Markree Castle in Sligo. Rainfall is more prevalent during winter months and less so during the early months of summer. Southwestern areas experience the most rainfall as a result of south westerly winds, while Dublin receives the least. Sunshine duration is highest in the southeast of the country. The far north and west are two of
7313-424: The mountain Arkle in Sutherland , Scotland , that bordered her Sutherland estate. Trained by Tom Dreaper at Greenogue, Kilsallaghan, in County Dublin, he was ridden during his steeplechasing career by Pat Taaffe . Arkle won three Cheltenham Gold Cups and a number of other top races before his career was cut short by injury. At 212, his Timeform rating is the highest ever awarded to a steeplechaser. Arkle,
7416-565: The necessity of enforcing the treaty. Lack of public support for the anti-treaty forces (often called the Irregulars) and the determination of the government to overcome the Irregulars contributed significantly to their defeat. Following a national plebiscite in July 1937, the new Constitution of Ireland ( Bunreacht na hÉireann ) came into force on 29 December 1937. This replaced the Constitution of
7519-480: The only horse to have previously beaten Mill House, last of the four runners. It was the last time he did not start as the favourite for a race. Only two other horses entered the Gold Cup that year – and that became the norm for the next two years, for there was no point in taking on Arkle at level weights – so the remaining runners were racing for place money only. Three weeks after his victory at Cheltenham, Arkle ran in
7622-478: The option to leave the Irish Free State one month later and return to the United Kingdom. During the intervening period, the powers of the Parliament of the Irish Free State and Executive Council of the Irish Free State did not extend to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland exercised its right under the treaty to leave the new Dominion and rejoined the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. It did so by making an address to
7725-784: The pattern of emigration for the century to come, resulting in constant population decline up to the 1960s. From 1874, and particularly under Charles Stewart Parnell from 1880, the Irish Parliamentary Party gained prominence. This was firstly through widespread agrarian agitation via the Irish Land League , which won land reforms for tenants in the form of the Irish Land Acts , and secondly through its attempts to achieve Home Rule , via two unsuccessful bills which would have granted Ireland limited national autonomy. These led to "grass-roots" control of national affairs, under
7828-468: The previous year's Hennessy Gold Cup. In a field of nine, Arkle started at 5/4 favourite, with Mill House at 15/8. Taaffe let Arkle go to the front and jump alongside Mill House, who had nothing left as they entered the straight. Arkle strode away to win by ten lengths, with Mill House beaten into fourth place. Just a week later, Arkle was running in the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He
7931-594: The prisoners (including most of the leaders) were executed as traitors to the UK. This included Patrick Pearse , the spokesman for the rising and who provided the signal to the volunteers to start the rising, as well as James Connolly , socialist and founder of the Industrial Workers of the World union and both the Irish and Scottish Labour movements. These events, together with the Conscription Crisis of 1918 , had
8034-480: The provision of a traffic control organisation to allow rapid movement of military formations to their mission areas. Other wartime roles include control of prisoners of war and refugees. Ireland's citizenship laws relate to "the island of Ireland", including islands and seas, thereby extending them to Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom. Therefore, anyone born in Northern Ireland who meets
8137-434: The requirements for being an Irish citizen, such as birth on the island of Ireland to an Irish or British citizen parent or a parent who is entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Republic without restriction on their residency, may exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship, such as an Irish passport . Foreign relations are substantially influenced by membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with
8240-623: The rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later, the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 was repealed in Ireland by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act 1962 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955, after having been denied membership because of its neutral stance during the Second World War and not supporting the Allied cause . At the time, joining
8343-471: The run-in and won by half a length. The scale of the task Arkle faced is shown by the race-fit winner coming a close second and third in the two following Cheltenham Gold Cups, while in third place receiving 33lbs was the future 1969 Gold Cup winner, What A Myth. It was Arkle's first defeat in nearly two years; racing commentator Peter O'Sullevan described it as "a magnificent, noble effort". Arkle returned to his winning ways eighteen days later, when he landed
8446-653: The search of Cuban and Czechoslovak aircraft passing through Shannon and passed the information to the CIA . Ireland's air facilities were used by the United States military for the delivery of military personnel involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq through Shannon Airport . The airport had previously been used for the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, as well as the First Gulf War . Since 1999, Ireland has been
8549-470: The south, St George's Channel to the south-east and the Irish Sea to the east. It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature, the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann ; an upper house , Seanad Éireann ; and an elected president ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties. The head of government
8652-415: The state "Republic of Ireland", because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution. The government of the United Kingdom used the name "Eire" (without the diacritic ) and, from 1949, "Republic of Ireland", for the state. It was not until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , when the state dropped its claim to Northern Ireland , that it began calling the state "Ireland". The state
8755-563: The state with the constitution and the law. Except in exceptional circumstances, court hearings must occur in public. The Garda Síochána ( lit. Guardians of the Peace), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí, is the state's civilian police force. The force is responsible for all aspects of civil policing, both in terms of territory and infrastructure. It is headed by the Garda Commissioner, who
8858-541: The substantial economic linkages with the United Kingdom. The founding EC members remained sceptical regarding Ireland's economic capacity, neutrality, and unattractive protectionist policy. Many Irish economists and politicians realised that economic policy reform was necessary. The prospect of EC membership became doubtful in 1963 when French President General Charles de Gaulle stated that France opposed Britain's accession, which ceased negotiations with all other candidate countries. In 1969 his successor, Georges Pompidou ,
8961-625: The summer on his owner's farm at Bryanstown House, Maynooth, County Kildare. The five-year-old Arkle started the 1962/1963 season with two wins over hurdles in Ireland, ridden on one occasion by Taaffe and on the other, when Taaffe was unable to make the weight, by his regular work rider, Paddy Woods. On 17 November 1962, Arkle ran for the first time over steeplechase fences in the Honeybourne Chase at Cheltenham. Ridden by Taaffe, who would go on to ride him in all his subsequent races over fences, Arkle started at 11/8 favourite and won by 20 lengths. It
9064-439: The system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote . The Seanad is composed of sixty members, with eleven nominated by the Taoiseach , six elected by two university constituencies , and 43 elected by public representatives from panels of candidates established on a vocational basis. The government is constitutionally limited to fifteen members. No more than two members can be selected from
9167-498: The ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it". At the start of the war, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) split into two opposing camps: a pro-treaty IRA and an anti-treaty IRA . The pro-treaty IRA disbanded and joined the new National Army . However, because the anti-treaty IRA lacked an effective command structure and because of the pro-treaty forces' defensive tactics throughout
9270-477: The war, Michael Collins and his pro-treaty forces were able to build up an army with many tens of thousands of World War I veterans from the 1922 disbanded Irish regiments of the British Army, capable of overwhelming the anti-treatyists. British supplies of artillery, aircraft, machine-guns and ammunition boosted pro-treaty forces, and the threat of a return of Crown forces to the Free State removed any doubts about
9373-575: The warming influence of the Gulf Stream affect weather patterns in Ireland. Temperatures differ regionally, with central and eastern areas tending to be more extreme. However, due to a temperate oceanic climate , temperatures are seldom lower than −5 °C (23 °F) in winter or higher than 26 °C (79 °F) in summer. The highest temperature recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) on 26 June 1887 at Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny, while
9476-421: The windiest regions in Europe, with great potential for wind energy generation. Ireland normally gets between 1100 and 1600 hours of sunshine each year, most areas averaging between 3.25 and 3.75 hours a day. The sunniest months are May and June, which average between 5 and 6.5 hours per day over most of the country. The extreme southeast gets most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December
9579-599: The world's fastest growing economies by the late 1990s in what was known as the Celtic Tiger period, which lasted until the Great Recession . Since 2014, Ireland has experienced increased economic activity. In the Northern Ireland question, the British and Irish governments started to seek a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict involving many paramilitaries and the British Army in Northern Ireland known as " The Troubles ". A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as
9682-437: The yard with a free supply in recognition of the "pleasant publicity". At 212, Arkle's Timeform rating is the highest ever awarded to a steeplechaser. Only Flyingbolt , also trained by Dreaper, had a rating anywhere near his at 210. Next on their ratings are Sprinter Sacre on 192 and then Kauto Star and Mill House on 191. In 2004 he narrowly beat Desert Orchid to be named all-time favourite British or Irish racehorse in
9785-523: Was Arkle's jockey Taaffe, who said: "I hated seeing his frame up there. I couldn't look at him for long". Arkle won 27 of his 35 starts, including 22 wins from 26 steeplechases, and he was placed in the other four races with mitigating circumstances for each defeat. He carried more than 12th in weight in 14 of his races, and won at distances from 1m 6f on the Flat up to 3m 5f over fences. Besides winning three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups (1964, 1965, 1966) and
9888-535: Was beaten a length into third place by the grey mare Flying Wild, to whom he was conceding 32 lbs. Arkle returned to Ireland to win the Leopardstown Handicap Chase for a second time before retaining his crown in the 1965 Cheltenham Gold Cup, this time beating Mill House by twenty lengths. His final race of the season was the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown Park . In spite of giving away at least 35 lbs to his six rivals, Arkle won by five lengths and netted
9991-754: Was gelded as a yearling. In August 1960, the yet unnamed gelding was sent to Goff's Bloodstock Sales in Ballsbridge , Dublin , where he was bought for 1,150 guineas by Tom Dreaper on behalf of the Duchess of Westminster. His new owner named him Arkle after a mountain overlooking her Scottish estate. After spending a year at Eaton Hall , the Westminster estate in Cheshire, Arkle returned to Ireland in August 1961 to go into training at Tom Dreaper's yard, Greenogue, at Kilsallaghan, north of Dublin. Arkle's first racecourse appearance
10094-711: Was his first race in England, and his victory earned him a mention in The Times , where he was described as a "promising type". As a preparation for the 1963 Cheltenham Festival , Arkle was entered in the Milltown Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February. He went off as 1/2 favourite and won by eight lengths. The race was later renamed the Arkle Novice Chase in his honour. In March 1963, Arkle made his first appearance at
10197-441: Was in plaster for four months and, though he made a good enough recovery to go back into training, he never ran again. He was retired and ridden as a hack at Bryanstown by his owner but in 1969 his condition deteriorated and he began to show signs of stiffness in his hind legs, possibly due to arthritis. As he found it increasingly difficult to walk and appeared to be in pain, he was put down in his box at Bryanstown on 31 May 1970 at
10300-628: Was not admitted. After the War of Independence and truce called in July 1921, representatives of the British government and the five Irish treaty delegates, led by Arthur Griffith , Robert Barton and Michael Collins , negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London from 11 October to 6 December 1921. The Irish delegates set up headquarters at Hans Place in Knightsbridge , and it was here in private discussions that
10403-559: Was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 the Treaty of Accession was signed. A referendum was held later that year which confirmed Ireland's entry into the bloc, and it finally joined the EC as a member state on 1 January 1973. The economic crisis of the late 1970s was fuelled by the Fianna Fáil government's budget, the abolition of the car tax, excessive borrowing, and global economic instability including
10506-501: Was officially declared a republic in 1949, following The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in 1955. It joined the European Communities (EC), the predecessor of the European Union (EU), in 1973. The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the 20th century, but the 1980s and 1990s saw the British and Irish governments working with Northern Irish parties to resolve
10609-548: Was on 9 December 1961 at Mullingar , where he came third of seventeen in the Lough Ennel Plate, a bumper . It was a race for amateur riders, and he was ridden by the Hon. Mark Hely-Hutchinson, son of Lord Donoughmore (one of Dreaper's major owners). On St Stephen's Day 1961, Arkle ran in another bumper, at Leopardstown . Again ridden by Hely-Hutchinson, he came fourth of ten. In January 1962, Arkle had his first race over jumps in
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