156-550: Tesco Ireland Limited is the Irish subsidiary of supermarket group Tesco . Tesco Ireland was formed by Tesco plc's 1997 purchase of the Irish retailing operations of Associated British Foods , namely Powers' Supermarkets Limited and its subsidiaries, trading as Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices . There are 152 Tesco stores in operation in Ireland as of August 2018. Tesco had approximately 21% of
312-526: 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 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
468-546: 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 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
624-460: 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 ,
780-674: 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 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
936-611: 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 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
1092-542: A closure order on Tesco's store in Prussia Street, Dublin, the day after they inspected it, for a number of breaches of Food Hygiene Regulations. Most food is imported from Britain, where the BBC's Whistleblower programme showed undercover footage showing the sale of products after their sell-by date; allegations that the company illegally sold 'back-labelled' products after their use by date; falsification of temperature records; and
1248-488: A coeducational school; Our Lady's Bower School, a girls' school; Marist College , a boys' school; Coláiste Chiaráin, the new secondary school resulting from the amalgamation of St. Aloysius' College and St Joseph's College, Summerhill. In June 2010, Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced his support of a proposed European and Chinese training hub in Athlone. In May 2012, the project was granted permission by An Bord Pleanála . It
1404-404: 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 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
1560-505: A fine brogue in Athlone, almost as fine as in Belfast". "It's a fine brogue, but it's not brogue. It's the English language as it was spoken before all the other countries of the world forgot how to speak it. There are two things a singer can't buy, beg or steal, and that no teacher, coach or conductor can give him. One is his voice, the other is the language that was born in his mouth. When McCormack
1716-538: 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 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
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#17328511898701872-515: A high quality generic line called Premium Choice modeled after Loblaws President's Choice (Loblaws being owned by another branch of the Weston family ). Quinnsworth was also remembered for its advertising campaigns featuring its marketing director (and later chief executive) Maurice Pratt , who would personally introduce new product promotions, ending each advert with the company slogan, "That's Real Value". Crazy Prices (occasionally Super Crazy Prices)
2028-576: A life-sized male figure, dressed in a typical IRA uniform from the period, and was created by Dublin-based sculptor Desmond Broe . Also on Custume Place is a sculpture, the "Mask of the Shannon", which was erected in 2020 - despite some controversy about the choice of figure used to personify the River Shannon . A figurative statue , representing the "contributions the Marist Brothers have made to
2184-417: A link between his dismissal and his HIV status. Tesco stated that he was dismissed for gross misconduct, i.e. consuming a product without paying for it. In February 2013, it was reported that staff at a Tesco warehouse were made to wear digital arm-band devices that monitor their performance. Tesco was branded "hypocritical" by Irish poultry farmers for its commitment to source all UK-sold fresh poultry from
2340-536: 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
2496-517: A number of hotels, including chains such the Radisson Blu and Sheraton hotels, as well as several locally-owned ones. The promenade on the River Shannon is popular among anglers , birdwatchers and swimmers . The lakeshore is accessed from Coosan Point and Hodson Bay. Athlone Castle is open to the public as a museum and there is a tourist office on Church Street. Sean's Bar , located on
2652-536: 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 , 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
2808-481: A pharmaceutical company that succeeded Elan in Athlone; Bioclin Laboratories, another pharmaceutical company; Ericsson , a telecommunications business; Tyco Healthcare , a medical equipment supplier; Utah Medical, another medical equipment supplier; Pharmaplaz, another pharmaceutical company; Alienware , a computer hardware business; ICT Eurotel, a contact centre; and Athlone Extrusions, a polymer supplier. Athlone
2964-678: 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 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
3120-510: A range of clothing , electrical goods, music , DVDs and video games , as well as newspapers , magazines , and toys . The Naas, County Kildare store is the first in Ireland to have a Tesco Pharmacy. On 30 November 2021, it was announced that Tesco Ireland had acquired the rival Joyce's supermarket chain. In 2022, the business began rebranding the former Joyce's shops. Tesco was required to sell Joyce's Oranmore supermarket in order to obtain
3276-569: A right to elect two MPs to the Irish House of Commons until 1801. After the Acts of Union 1800 , it was represented in the United Kingdom House of Commons by one MP. A commissioners' report dated 1833 stated: "To the prosperity of Athlone the corporation have at no time contributed, nor is it likely that, as at present constituted, they ever will. The strongest feeling of hostility exists between
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#17328511898703432-647: 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
3588-436: A transfer at Portarlington connects Limerick Junction and Limerick . There are trains from Portarlington to Mallow , and from Mallow to Cork , Killarney , Farranfore and Tralee . Travel between Athlone and Killdare enables connections to Carlow , Kilkenny and Waterford . For many years state-owned bus operator Bus Éireann provided hourly services to Dublin and Galway from its bus station in Athlone located beside
3744-452: A vocational basis. The government is constitutionally limited to fifteen members. No more than two members can be selected from 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
3900-613: A year in "hello money". The company was the subject of claims in February 2010 of demanding up to €500,000 per supplier for stocking goods. The leader of the Labour Party described the practice as "outrageous extortion" and was "like the kind of thing you expect to see in The Sopranos ." In early 2011, Tesco warned Irish publishers that it would ban their books from its shelves if they did not comply with its rules. A bestseller, which sparked
4056-599: 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 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
4212-643: Is also home to a number of privately operated services, including the Flagline bus company, which operates local bus routes as well as service to Tullamore . Bus Éireann continues to operate a local Athlone bus service in and around the town. The local services are as follows: Route A1: Bus Station, Willow Park (Norwood Court) via Golden Island Shopping Centre, Dublin Road and Athlone Institute of Technology; and Route A2: Monksland (River Village); Garrycastle (Moydrum Road) via Galway Road, St. Peter's Avenue, Saint Anne's Terrace,
4368-442: Is an annual event which began in 1999, originally as a weekend celebration of the life and works of John Broderick , but which now features a great variety of speakers and debaters. The tenor John McCormack was born in Athlone and, for many years, an annual festival was held in the town to celebrate his life. Athlone School of Music opened in 2005 and is a grant-aided project aimed at developing music education and services in
4524-499: 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
4680-578: 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
4836-581: Is part of the municipal district of Athlone— Moate . Theatres in Athlone include the Dean Crowe Theatre & Arts Centre and the Little Theatre . RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival takes place annually in Athlone, bringing together nine amateur drama groups from across Ireland. The festival is supported by a number of "fringe" events that include street theatre , art exhibitions , workshops and activities for young people. Athlone Literary Festival
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4992-541: 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 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
5148-463: Is the regional centre for a large number of state-run and semi-state-run organisations. The Department of Education , State Examinations Commission , Revenue Commissioners , FÁS Midlands Region, Bus Éireann , Iarnród Éireann , IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland all have bases in the town. Athlone is also a major Irish military centre, as the Custume Barracks , which lie on the west bank of
5304-576: The Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690. That same year, Colonel Richard Grace 's Jacobite forces in Athlone repelled an attack by 10,000 men led by Commander Douglas. In the following year's campaign, the Siege of Athlone saw a further assault by a larger allied force, during which the invading troops of King William and Queen Mary eventually overran the entire city. The defenders were forced to flee further west, toward
5460-638: 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 the decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. On 7 January 1922,
5616-619: 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
5772-711: 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 the UN involved a commitment to using force to deter aggression by one state against another if
5928-585: The Esker Riada meets the Shannon, while to the north the Shannon flows into Lough Ree . In 1001 Brian Bóru sailed his army up river from Kincora and through Lough Derg to attend a gathering in Athlone. The following year, Brian met the High King of Ireland Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill at Athlone, intending to engage him in a battle for the High Kingship – only to have Máel Sechnaill, abandoned by his kinsmen of
6084-751: 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 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
6240-459: 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 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
6396-515: 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 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
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6552-591: The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands . However, some identification is required at airports and seaports. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 was 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
6708-562: The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , the town became an urban district and the board of commissioners was upgraded to an urban district council. The portion of the urban sanitary district which had been in County Roscommon was transferred to County Westmeath. In 2002, the urban district council became a town council. In 2003, the area of jurisdiction of the town was enlarged. In 2014, in common with all town councils in Ireland, it
6864-572: The Minister for Defence . In 2017, Ireland signed the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . Athlone Athlone ( / æ θ ˈ l oʊ n / ; Irish : Baile Átha Luain , meaning 'The town of Luan's ford ' [ˌbʲlʲɑː ˈl̪ˠuənʲ] ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath , Ireland . It is located on the River Shannon near
7020-655: The National Consumer Agency in July 2008. Tesco Ireland decided in 2019 not to make home deliveries in Tallaght due to a anti-social behaviour incidents in the area. Tesco apologised for selling anti-Jewish literature to customers in Ireland. Sheikh Dr Shaheed Satardien, head of the Muslim Council of Ireland, said this was effectively "polluting the minds of impressionable young [Islamic] people with hate and anger towards
7176-526: The Northern Uí Néill , submit to Brian without a fight. A bridge was built across the river in the 12th century, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) south of the current structure. In 1129, to protect the bridge, the High King Turloch Mór Ó Conor constructed a fort on the river's west bank, within Athlone. On a number of occasions both the fort and bridge were subject to attacks, and towards
7332-425: The Rio de Janeiro State University , one of the largest universities in the Brazilian city. AIT also has agreements with the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais , one of the largest Brazilian private universities. The institute also founded agreements with two leading Beijing universities, the Capital University of Economics and Business and the Beijing Union University . The agreements were signed by
7488-488: The River Suck , at such speed that eyewitness accounts record that they "flung their cannons into the morass" as they fled. The most recently discovered account of the Siege of Athlone, written after the attack, on 5 July 1691, was found in 2004 in an archive in the Netherlands. The account was penned by the victorious commanding officer from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , general lieutenant Godard van Reede, in letters written to his family in mainland Europe. In
7644-414: 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 the option to leave the Irish Free State one month later and return to the United Kingdom. During
7800-411: 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 the Irish Party leadership. This provided for the temporary exclusion of Ulster from
7956-451: 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 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
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#17328511898708112-464: The 1840s. Before then, boats used a canal, about a mile and a half long, to the west of the river. The canal was built by Thomas Omer for the Commissioners of Inland Navigation. Work started in 1757 and involved the work of over 300 men. Omer built a single lock, 120' X 19' with a rise of 4.5', but there was also a guard lock, further upstream, with a single set of gates to protect the canal against floods. There were also two lay-bys, or harbours, one above
8268-407: 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 the necessity of enforcing the treaty. Lack of public support for the anti-treaty forces (often called the Irregulars) and
8424-443: The 1970s the Republican Éire Nua programme proposed making Athlone the capital of a federal United Ireland . With the two counties divided by the river, the part of the town that lies east of the Shannon is in the province of Leinster , the county of Westmeath , the barony of Brawny , and the civil parish of St Mary's. Unusually, the barony is coterminous with a single civil parish. In terms of ecclesiastical boundaries,
8580-417: The Arcadia Retail Park and Athlone Institute of Technology rather than the bus station. Such private bus companies that stop in Athlone include Citylink and a new Aircoach bus route (Galway-Athlone-Dublin) which was established soon after Bus Éireann's decision, to cope with the demand. There are also services to Limerick , Dundalk , Waterford , Cavan , Belfast , Longford and Roscommon . The town
8736-437: 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 is Carrauntoohil (1,038.6 m or 3,407 ft), located in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in
8892-400: The Batteries, Connaught Street, Northgate Street, Bus Station, Golden Island Shopping Centre , Dublin Road and Athlone Institute of Technology . The Athlone Town service became Ireland's first fully electric bus service in January 2023. The town is located alongside the N6 dual carriageway , which is effectively a section of the M6 motorway connecting Galway to Dublin. The N6 passes along
9048-438: 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 a declaration of independence and proclaimed an Irish Republic . The declaration
9204-417: The Chinese Ambassador to Ireland and university representatives. Other agreements exist between the AIT and TVTC , in Saudi Arabia, and a memorandum of understanding exists with the Georgia Institute of Technology . Further agreements exist with the Bharati Vidyapeeth , one of the largest universities in India . There are four major secondary schools in the Athlone area, the Athlone Community College ,
9360-436: 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 the constitution established the office of President of Ireland , the question over whether Ireland was a republic remained open. Diplomats were accredited to
9516-444: 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 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
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#17328511898709672-445: The Fresh fruit and vegetable distributor Daily Wrap Produce Ltd. The Northern Ireland operations were folded into Tesco's core UK business, while the Republic of Ireland operations became Tesco Ireland. Lifestyle Sports was demerged in 1997 via a management buy-out of seven directors and the venture capital company, ACT. Stewarts Wine Barrel was sold to United Wine Merchants. After the acquisition of Power Supermarkets (PSL) by Tesco,
9828-407: The Gaeltacht, opened with an exhibition of works from the Irish Museum of Modern Art . Burgess Park stands near the centre of the town, on the banks of the River Shannon . Other nearby tourist attractions include the Glendeer Open Farm and the Viking Cruise of the Shannon. Baysports , a boat training and watersports centre with the world's largest floating inflatable water slide, is located on
9984-438: The Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Studies building, built in 2003; the Nursing and Health Science building, built in 2005; the Midlands Innovation and Research Centre, also built in 2005; the Engineering and Informatics building, built in 2010; and the Postgraduate Research Hub, also built in 2010. RTÉ's Midlands studio and office are located at AIT. The Athlone Institute of Technology has memorandum of understanding with
10140-462: 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 a prime minister called the President of the Executive Council . The Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923)
10296-486: 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
10452-435: The Irish customer" was a key objective. At the same time the Irish Farmers' Association president said there was deep anger about Tesco's decision to displace local produce with imports "will inevitably lead to thousands of job losses and will put Irish producers of local, fresh produce out of business," In 2008 The Irish Independent reported that roles in Tesco Ireland's head office in Dún Laoghaire were being redeployed to
10608-455: The Irish grocery market in 2021 and its main competitors are Dunnes Stores and SuperValu . Tesco operates full-sized supermarkets under the main Tesco brand, smaller urban stores under the Tesco Metro banner, hypermarkets as Tesco Extra, a small number of convenience stores as Tesco Express, as well as internet shopping service Tesco.ie. It previously operated several petrol stations , which were divested in August 2019 to DCC plc . In 2007,
10764-456: The Jewish community". The supermarket refused in 2002 to stock any of the million postcards which were aimed at closing the controversial nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria, in England. Competing retailers did sell the postcards. Tesco tried to hide its policy of buying directly from UK suppliers. An internal document said that ensuring its policy of taking deliveries directly from UK suppliers went unnoticed and "invisible to
10920-442: The Midlands region. Abbey Road Artists' Studios launched in 2011 in a building constructed in 1841. These artists' studios, which provide a dedicated space for local and visiting artists, consist of four individual studios as well as a multi-purpose space which is used community cultural events, exhibitions, performances and workshops. The Abbey Road artists' studios work closely with the Luan Art Gallery . In 1954, Athlone became
11076-407: 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 the Good Friday Agreement , was approved in 1998 in referendums north and south of the border. As part of the peace settlement,
11232-548: The Republic In June 2012, Eurostat blamed "overly dominant supermarkets" as a factor why Ireland is the fifth most expensive nation in the EU in terms of supermarket prices. Tesco increased the prices of some well-known products significantly just weeks into 2011 before reducing them as part of a 1,000-product price promotion launched in March 2011. Tesco Ireland was one of seven shops fined for failing to display prices properly by
11388-636: The Republic of Ireland and Stewarts Supermarkets Limited in Northern Ireland. Comar was the parent company of Powers Supermarkets Ltd (trading as Quinnsworth) and Crazy Prices in the Republic of Ireland. Stewarts Supermarkets included Crazy Prices in Northern Ireland. Other businesses acquired were the Stewarts Wine Barrel off-licence chain, the sports goods retailer Lifestyle Sports , the meat processing and packing business Kingsway Fresh Foods Ltd. and
11544-401: The River Shannon. Lough Ree , the largest lake on the Shannon, is a short distance upstream from Athlone, and many boat companies are based out of the town. For craft to pass through Athlone, it is necessary to use a lock in the river, which is beside the weir and downstream of the current road bridge. The lock, weir, and bridge were all constructed by the Shannon navigation commissioners in
11700-701: The Shannon in the town, is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Irish Army . The Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) is a constituent institute of the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest , (TUS). Athlone forms part of the Midlands Gateway , an in-progress infrastructure initiative, along with Mullingar and Tullamore . The AIT has a campus size of 44 acres, and has new, purpose-built facilities include
11856-519: 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 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
12012-541: The UK and outsourced to India. The Irish Times commented in April 2011 that "Increasingly, Ireland is being viewed as a provincial backwater by the parent company – albeit a very profitable little backwater – and all the strategic decisions are being taken in the UK. Tesco used the slogan "Change for Good" as advertising, which is trademarked by Unicef for charity usage but is not trademarked for commercial or retail use which prompted
12168-454: The UK, but not doing the same in Ireland. This is putting pressure on prices in Ireland as surplus poultry meat from the UK is being dumped on the market. The Irish Advertising Standards Authority in January 2009 found that Tesco Ireland advertising was misleading. Britain's Advertising Standards Authority said a leaflet produced by Tesco Ireland Ltd, was ‘‘irresponsible’’ and breached clauses in
12324-529: 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 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
12480-546: 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 the prisoners (including most of the leaders) were executed as traitors to
12636-583: 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 a profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland against
12792-652: 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 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
12948-649: 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
13104-719: 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
13260-459: The account, the commanding allied officer reported that half of Athlone's defenders retreated westward, towards the rest of their army, leaving almost 2,000 dead within the city walls and more than 100 taken prisoner, including dozens of officers. Following the Acts of Union 1800 , Athlone continued as a constituency , sending one MP to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. In
13416-475: The advertising code on substantiation and weight control in May 2010. Tesco pleaded guilty and was fined, after sending unsolicited marketing emails to a number of customers and for having a problem with the email "opt-out" option. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland , has on a number of occasions ordered the recall of Tesco branded products, including a case of glass contamination. Environmental Health Officers served
13572-584: The agency to say "it is the first time in Unicef's history that a commercial entity has purposely set out to capitalise on one of our campaigns and subsequently damage an income stream which several of our programmes for children are dependent on". They went on to call on the public "who have children’s welfare at heart, to consider carefully who they support when making consumer choices ". Large supermarket chains were accused by Fine Gael of putting up to 100,000 Irish jobs at risk by forcing suppliers to pay €160 million
13728-515: The approval of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's, due to there already being a Tesco supermarket in the town. In October 2000, Tesco Ireland launched its Tesco.ie online shopping service for the Dublin area. The service expanded and by the end of the decade it was available nationwide. Tesco Ireland has come in for increased criticism for apparently high prices in its Irish stores. However, there have been general criticisms of
13884-525: 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 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
14040-427: The company launched its mobile telephone service, Tesco Mobile . Tesco Ireland operated a number of 24-hour stores, but has abandoned 24-hour opening as of 2014, with all stores closed from 00:00-06:00. The company was founded as "Quinnsworth" by Pat Quinn in 1966, and was later sold to Power Supermarkets. During the 1970s the slogan used was "Let's get it all together at Quinnsworth". Power Supermarkets Ltd. became
14196-453: The company name changed to "Tesco Ireland Limited". The first signs of the new regime was the almost immediate introduction of the Tesco own-brand (with advertising stating "Tesco at Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices"), with the completion of the phasing out of Yellow Pack and the other PSL own-brands such as KVI and Premium Choice. Maurice Pratt stayed on as chief executive of the Irish operations. Over
14352-407: The controversy over the revelation about Sean FitzPatrick 's golf meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen , was published in secret and distributed directly to Easons and selected bookstores—but not to Tesco or other supermarkets. The secret last-minute delivery was organised to avoid any legal complications that might have prevented publication. Tesco said "if we find evidence of this happening (again),
14508-520: The convenience store market, with the first a converted Quinnsworth (then the smallest store in the chain) in Drumcondra , opened as a "Tesco Local". This was the only store to use this brand in Ireland, with one store in Northern Ireland using the name as well, as subsequent new convenience stores use the "Tesco Express" brand instead. Tesco has also expanded its product range in Ireland. The Tesco Extra hypermarkets, as well as larger Tesco stores, now stock
14664-481: 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 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,
14820-539: 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 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
14976-452: 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 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
15132-502: The east. Located centrally is the Athlone Town Centre , a shopping centre built in 2007, containing 54 shops, cafés and a four-star hotel. The Golden Island Shopping Centre , which opened in 1997, is also located in the town centre. Athlone Regional Sports Centre, developed by the former Town Council in 2002, is located on the outskirts of the town. The facility contains a swimming pool, gym and AstroTurf pitches. Athlone has
15288-772: The eastern part of the town is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and the parish of St Mary's. There are several other churches in the town including a Church of Ireland ( St. Mary's , Anglican ), the St. Peter and St. Pauls , a Franciscan friary and a chapel of the Society of Saint Pius X . However, seven townlands , or sections of the town, lie west of the Shannon: Athlone and Big Meadow, Bellaugh, Bogganfin, Canal and Banks, Doovoge, part of Monksland, and Ranelagh. Although surrounded by County Roscommon in
15444-462: The end of the 12th century the Anglo-Normans constructed a motte-and-bailey fortification there. This earthen fort was followed by a stone structure built in 1210 by Justiciar John de Gray . The 12-sided donjon , or tower, dates from this time; however, the rest of the original castle was largely destroyed during the 1691 Siege of Athlone and subsequently rebuilt and enlarged. In 1607, Athlone
15600-461: The extensive clearing of woodland for farming are believed to be the main causes of deforestation . Today, only about 10% of Ireland 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
15756-525: 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 the ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it". At the start of the war,
15912-414: 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 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
16068-515: The first branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland and the town had a large part in the organisation's creation. American crime writer James M. Cain refers to Athlone in his 1937 book, Serenade , in a passage where two characters discuss tenor John McCormack: "--There's the language he was born to. John McCormack comes from Dublin". "He does not. He comes from Athlone". "Didn't he live in Dublin?". "No Matter. They speak
16224-730: 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 the first home rule bill, fearing discrimination and loss of economic and social privileges if Irish Catholics achieved real political power. In
16380-663: 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 the 36th (Ulster) divisions. The remainder of the Irish Volunteers , who refused Redmond and opposed any support of
16536-635: The inhabitants and its members." The municipal corporation was abolished under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 . It was disfranchised by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 . Athlone was later granted town commissioners under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act 1854. Following the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878 , Athlone was designated as an urban sanitary district. Under
16692-554: 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 the King requesting, "that the powers of the Parliament and Government of
16848-551: 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 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
17004-399: 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, a period it described as The Emergency . Ireland's Dominion status was terminated with
17160-659: 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 the leadership of the Dublin-born Sir Edward Carson of the Irish Unionist Party and the Ulsterman Sir James Craig of
17316-549: The lock and another at the upstream end. The old canal is no longer navigable. Athlone railway station opened on 3 October 1859, with Irish Rail services travelling eastwards to Portarlington , Kildare and Dublin Heuston and westwards to the Westport / Ballina lines as well as to Athenry , Oranmore and Galway . Connections from Athlone via a train transfer at Athenry railway station extend to Ennis and Limerick , while
17472-683: 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 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,
17628-530: The next few years, the Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices chains were rebranded as Tesco Ireland, using a white-on-blue variation of the familiar Tesco logo. The first store to open under the Tesco name was in Athlone in 1997. The changeover was at first relatively slow, with the Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices names continuing to appear on adverts for some time after the launch of the new company identity. Tesco's initial policy
17784-541: The northern side of the town, crossing the River Shannon into County Roscommon . A number of national secondary roads connect Athlone with other towns and regions, namely the N55 to Ballymahon and Cavan , the N61 to Roscommon and the N62 to Birr , Roscrea , and Southern Ireland. Athlone was granted a municipal charter by James I in 1607. This created a parliamentary borough with
17940-521: The offending publisher will have all their titles removed from sale and returned". One publisher pointed out that Tesco sometimes implements exclusive deals itself. Tesco was convicted of a breach of consumer law for not displaying the right price of goods in October 2011. In January 2012, a former Tesco employee was awarded damages at the Employment Appeals Tribunal where he claimed there was
18096-586: The outskirts of the town at Hodson Bay. Examples of public art and sculpture in Athlone include the IRA Memorial which was erected near the corner of Church Street and Custume Place in the early 1950s. It is dedicated to the Athlone Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) that participated in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and Irish Civil War (1922–1923). The limestone statue consists of
18252-418: The parent company but used Quinnsworth as its marketing name. The company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc. Quinnsworth is remembered for its choice of store sites, its most memorable act was the addition of the phrase Yellow Pack to the retailing lexicon . Towards the end of Quinnsworth's life, Yellow Pack was replaced by K.V.I. label as the low-cost generic grocery brand, and
18408-480: 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 the rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later,
18564-469: The province of Connacht , they are designated as part of County Westmeath to preserve the integrity of the town. These townlands lie in St Peter's civil parish in the barony of Athlone South . In terms of ecclesiastical boundaries, the townlands west of the Shannon are part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin and the parish of Saints Peter and Paul. Athlone is a common stop for pleasure craft along
18720-421: 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
18876-674: The public face of Quinnsworth, left the company to become chief executive of C&C, later taking up a post as chairman of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) . He was replaced by Gordon Fryett. In the late 2000s, Tesco Ireland gradually rebranded as simply "Tesco", using the regular red-on-white Tesco logo. The company opened its first Irish "Tesco Extra" hypermarket at the Clare Hall Shopping Centre in Coolock , north Dublin in 2004, and has also branched into filling stations. Many stores are now also open 24 hours. The company has also moved into
19032-701: The railway station, but in July 2021 these routes, 20 and X20 Expressway, were cancelled indefinitely. The company cited "continuing losses [..] resulting from the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic " as the reason. Bus Éireann services between Dublin and Belfast, Cork and Limerick were also cut following a "viability review" of 18 routes in September 2020. It was noted that from July 2021 onwards, bus journeys between Athlone and Galway, Ballinasloe , Moate , Dublin city or Dublin airport would be operated by private companies only, with passengers being dropped off or picked up at
19188-434: 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
19344-620: The running of Tesco Mobile to Fujitsu Ireland . The network uses the 089 prefix. Up to March 2015, Tesco Mobile Ireland operated as an MVNO on the O2 Ireland network. O2 Ireland has since been purchased and merged with Three Ireland and as a result, Tesco Mobile now operates as an MVNO on the Three Ireland Network with 99.6% coverage. Republic of Ireland – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in
19500-465: The sale of partially cooked mince mixed with uncooked mince. In May 2012, it pleaded guilty to selling " gone off " (decayed or rotten) meat and the next month was prosecuted and fined for breaches of consumer law. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland found horse meat, consumption of which is considered taboo in Ireland, accounted for approximately 29% of the meat content in beef burger products from Tesco in January 2013. Tesco's Irish profit margin
19656-597: 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
19812-480: The similar pricing between Irish supermarkets, and economic reports noting the high prices in Ireland generally. Research from Forfas , concluded that only a five per cent difference in the cost of goods between North and South was justifiable. Despite claims from Tesco that it matched prices in the Republic of Ireland with prices in Northern Ireland , a November 2009 survey by Consumers Choice magazine has claimed that, on average, prices are still 18% more expensive in
19968-404: The southern shore of Lough Ree . It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of 22,869 in the 2022 census . Most of the town lies on the east bank of the river, within the townland of the same name ; however, by the terms of the Local Government Act of 1898 , six townlands on the west bank of the Shannon, formerly in County Roscommon, were incorporated into
20124-637: 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 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
20280-406: 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
20436-416: 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 the UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of
20592-411: 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, 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
20748-545: 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 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
20904-417: The town from the west, having crossed into Connacht at Sligo . Forty years later, during the pan-European War of the Grand Alliance (1688–97), the town was again of key strategic importance. In the Irish phase of the conflict (the Williamite War in Ireland of 1688–1691), Athlone was one of the Jacobite strongholds that defended the river-crossings into the Jacobite-held Province of Connacht following
21060-427: The town of Athlone", was unveiled on St. Mary's Square in 2012. The Old Rail Trail greenway runs for 42 kilometres from Athlone to Mullingar , along the disused Athlone-Mullingar Railway . It will eventually form part of the Dublin–Galway Greenway . A new cycle and pedestrian bridge over the River Shannon was built beside the Luan Gallery and opened in August 2023. Athlone's major employers include Alkermes,
21216-432: The town, and consequently, into the county of Westmeath. Around 100 km west of Dublin , Athlone is near the geographical centre of Ireland . Athlone Castle , situated on the western bank of the River Shannon, is the geographical and historical centre of Athlone. Throughout its early history, the ford of Athlone was strategically important, as south of Athlone the Shannon is impassable until Clonmacnoise , where
21372-485: The traditional counties of Cork , Dublin and Galway containing two or more local government areas. The Local Government Act 2001 , as amended by 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
21528-404: The west bank of the river, was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest pub in Ireland. The Luan Gallery was opened in 2012. It is the first purpose-built, modern visual art gallery in the Midlands. It was designed by Keith Williams , who also designed the Athlone Civic Centre. The gallery, which was officially opened by Jimmy Deenihan , the Minister for Arts, Heritage and
21684-417: 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 the First World War which defused the threat of civil war in Ireland. With the hope of ensuring
21840-414: 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 the President of Ireland and the two Houses of the Oireachtas: Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). Áras an Uachtaráin
21996-406: Was 2RN, a wordplay on the song "Come back to Erin". The station subsequently became known as "Radio Athlone" and could clearly be heard throughout Europe, and as far away as Moscow. This changed as bandwidth allocations were accorded at the Helsinki Declaration. The station originally operated at a power of 60 kW, which during the 1950s, was increased to 100 kW. For an antenna, a T-antenna
22152-410: Was 9.3 per cent in 2008, making the Irish operation Tesco's most successful worldwide in margin terms. On 26 October 2007, Tesco Ireland announced that 'An extensive range of Tesco Mobile prepay handsets will be rolled out to 48 Tesco stores from Monday 29 October'. Tesco Mobile launched as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), piggybacking on the O 2 Network in Ireland. It had also outsourced
22308-482: Was Crazy Prices equivalent to the Quinnsworth Yellow pack. It came in blue red and white striped packaging. K.V.I. stood for "Keen Value Item" and was the equivalent of the previous Quinnsworth Yellow Pack , except perhaps even further downmarket. On 6 May 1997, Tesco acquired the retailing and supply chain operations of Associated British Foods - with the sole exception of Primark - for £643 million. The grocery businesses acquired were those held by Comar Limited in
22464-428: Was a brand used by Quinnsworth on some of its larger outlets. These were known for their cheap prices. Crazy Prices was one of the first retailers in Ireland to introduce late night opening (until 9pm) on Wednesdays, dubbing this night "Crazy Night" and running special in-store promotions. Until the mid-1990s, most Irish retailers only opened late one night a week, usually Thursday (in Dublin city) or Friday. KVI branding
22620-434: 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
22776-444: Was abolished. The urban district council was based at the old civic offices, which had been crudely extended over time and were demolished to make way for the new Athlone Civic Centre, which was completed in 2004. In County Roscommon, Athlone is a six-seat local electoral area (LEA) to Roscommon County Council which forms its own municipal district. In County Westmeath, Athlone is a five-seat LEA to Westmeath County Council which
22932-399: 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 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
23088-410: 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 the Local Government Act 1898 , that had been in
23244-417: Was granted a municipal charter by James I. This entitled it to send two MPs to the Irish House of Commons . Throughout the wars that wracked Ireland in the 17th century, Athlone contained the vital, main bridge over the River Shannon into Connacht . During the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–53), the town was held by Irish Confederate troops until it was taken in late 1650 by Charles Coote , who attacked
23400-487: 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 the 1979 oil crisis . There were significant policy changes from 1989 onwards, with economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and
23556-442: 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 was not admitted. After the War of Independence and truce called in July 1921, representatives of
23712-403: 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 , was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 the Treaty of Accession was signed. A referendum
23868-427: Was not to change the name over the door until the store had been upgraded to Tesco's standards, in some older stores this meant a significant rebuild of the premises. The first fully rebuilt store opened in Maynooth in 2000, which has since been redeveloped again as a Tesco Extra. Some older stores continued to trade under the Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices name until the early 2000s. In 2001, Maurice Pratt, who had been
24024-533: Was planned to comprise a total of nine exhibition halls, nine smaller independent exhibition buildings, one temporary exhibition space, several offices, administrative services, some living quarters, hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs, a school and railway station. It was never built. Between 1931 and 1975 the main radio transmission centre for Irish radio was located at Moydrum, Athlone ( 53°25′14″N 7°52′52″W / 53.42056°N 7.88111°W / 53.42056; -7.88111 ). The original call sign
24180-408: Was singing Handel he was singing English, and he sings it as no American and no Englishman will ever sing English". The Irish poet Aubrey Thomas de Vere wrote a poem The Ballad of Athlone which is an account of an incident in the 1691 siege. Athlone is a retail destination within the Midlands region of Ireland. The town centre extends from Church Street in the west to Seán Costello Street in
24336-402: 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 the face of public support for the settlement that the "people have no right to do wrong". They objected most to
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