1.
Enda Kenny
–
Enda Kenny is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fine Gael since 2002 and Taoiseach since March 2011. He has also been Irelands Minister for Defence since 6 May 2016 and he was a two-term Vice-President of the European Peoples Party and was Irelands Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since 1975, having succeeded his father Henry Kenny and he is the longest-serving TD currently in Dáil Éireann, which makes him the incumbent Father of the Dáil. He is the first taoiseach from Fine Gael since John Bruton, Enda Kenny was born in 1951 in Derrywash, Islandeady, near Castlebar, County Mayo, the third child of five of Mary Eithne and Henry Kenny. He was educated locally at St Patricks National School, Cornanool and at St. Geralds College and he attended St Patricks College of Education, Dublin, qualifying as a national teacher and was an undergraduate student at University College Galway. He worked as a school teacher for four years. Kenny has been married to Fionnuala OKelly since 1992 and she has been described by the media as his secret weapon. OKelly is first cousin to sitting Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly, the OKelly family originally come from the parish of Kilcummin near Killarney, County Kerry. The Kennys have three children, one daughter - Aoibhinn, and two sons - Ferdia and Naoise, the couple met in Leinster House where OKelly worked as a press officer for Fianna Fáil. She later worked with Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Kenny has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and completed the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle. He is a supporter of his native Mayo GAA football team. He played Gaelic football for his club, Islandeady, of which he is the current club president. His father Henry won an All-Ireland medal with the county team in 1936 and his grandfather was a lighthouse keeper. From an early age Kenny was exposed to politics as his father, Henry Kenny, in the early 1970s he became directly involved in politics when he started helping his father with constituency clinics. In 1975, Henry Kenny died after a battle with cancer. The Fine Gael party wanted one of his sons to stand as their candidate at the subsequent by-election and he was elected on the first count with 52% of the vote, and at 24 he was the youngest member of the 20th Dáil. Kenny remained on the backbenches of the Dáil for almost a decade and he was appointed party spokesperson firstly on youth affairs and sport, then western development, however, he failed to build a national profile as he concentrated more on constituency matters. Kenny was left out in the cold when Garret FitzGerald became Taoiseach for the first time in 1981 and he was, however, appointed as a member of the Fine Gael delegation at the New Ireland Forum in 1983 and later served on the British-Irish Parliamentary Association
2.
Joe McHugh
–
Joe McHugh is an Irish Fine Gael politician and a Teachta Dála for the Donegal constituency. He previously served as a TD for the Donegal North-East constituency between 2007 and 2016, and as a senator in Seanad Éireann between 2002 and 2007, born in Carrigart, County Donegal, McHugh was educated at Umlagh National School and the Loreto Convent, Milford. He attended the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where he received a degree in economics and sociology. A keen sportsman, McHugh has been a member of the Carrigart Boxing Club, has played soccer in the Donegal League with Cranford F. C. McHugh taught geography and mathematics at the Loreto Convent Secondary School, Letterkenny from 1993 to 1995. From 1995–96 he taught A-level economics in Dubai, during which time he helped establish the first GAA club in the United Arab Emirates, in 1996, he returned to Ireland and became a youth worker in the Ballyboe area of Letterkenny. Selected by Fine Gael to run for a Donegal County Council seat in the Milford Electoral area, McHugh was elected on 11 June 1999. In 2001, he introduced a motion to establish a council for the county, which led to the formation of the Donegal Youth Council. He also worked closely with Young Fine Gael, helping to establish the first branch in the county in March 2004, while a member of the council, he was appointed chairman of the cross-border body ERNACT, where he made the provision of broadband in border areas a priority. He was elected to Seanad Éireann by the Administrative Panel in 2002, McHugh set up a full-time constituency office in Letterkenny. When Fine Gael chose him as its Donegal North-East candidate for the Dáil, he moved into a new constituency office, which was officially opened by Fine Gael party leader Enda Kenny on 6 October 2006. After a surprise poll-topping victory in Donegal North-East, where he captured 22.6 percent of the first preference vote and his wife Olwyn Enright also won re-election to the Dáil, making them the third married couple to be elected to sit in the same Dáil. McHugh was appointed party deputy spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility for North-South Co-operation in October 2007, McHugh was re-elected to the Dáil at the 2011 general election, attaining 19. 3% of the first-preference vote. In Manchester in October 2011, McHugh became the first Fine Gael TD to address delegates from the British Conservative Party and he described it as an opportunity. RTÉ Radio 1 created the radio documentary Fine Gaeilgeoir, narrated and produced by Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh, following McHughs efforts to improve his Irish over the course of a year. The appointment of a speaker to a Gaeltacht ministry has since become known as a Joe McHugh moment. In February 2016, McHugh was heavily criticised for allocating 93% of Gaeltacht grants to the Donegal Gaeltacht and this revelation led to calls for McHugh to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of Dáil Éireann, in order to explain such a disproportionate allocation of funding. At the 2016 general election, after a redrawing of constituency boundaries, the following May, he escorted Charles Mountbatten-Windsor and Camilla Parker Bowles around Donegal during their day visit to the county. In July 2005, McHugh married Olwyn Enright, who served as a Fine Gael TD for Laois–Offaly from 2002 to 2011, families in the Oireachtas Official website Joe McHughs page on the Fine Gael website
3.
Mary Hanafin
–
Mary Hanafin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was a Teachta Dála for Dún Laoghaire from 1997 to 2011. She was briefly Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil in 2011, since May 2014 she has sat as a Councillor on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, representing the Blackrock ward. Born in Thurles, County Tipperary, Hanafin is the daughter of Des and her father was a businessman and Fianna Fáil councillor who later served as a Senator at various times for over twenty-five years between 1969 and 2002. Her brother John Hanafin was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2002 to 2011, Hanafin was educated at the Presentation Convent in Thurles and St. Patricks College in Maynooth, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. She subsequently worked as a school teacher of Irish and History in the Dominican College Sion Hill in Blackrock. Hanafin also obtained a diploma in legal studies at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Hanafin married Eamon Leahy, a Senior Counsel, in 1985. He died suddenly on 17 July 2003, aged 46, Hanafin was involved in politics from the age of 15. She joined Ógra Fianna Fáil aged fifteen and spoke at her first Ard Fheis two years later, Hanafin first became involved in national politics in 1980 when, at the age of twenty-one, she was elected to the Fianna Fáil national executive, the partys ruling body. She lost her seat on Dublin City Council in 1991 and became involved in the running of the Fianna Fáil party and she was elected as national treasurer in 1993. Hanafin is also a president of the National Youth Council of Ireland. Hanafin was elected to the Dáil on her attempt, at the 1997 general election for the Dún Laoghaire constituency. In her first few years as a TD she served on a number of Oireachtas committees, including Education and Science, Heritage, in 2000 Hanafin was appointed Minister of State for Children, one of a number of new junior ministry positions created by the Government in 1997. Following a cabinet reshuffle in September 2004 Hanafin became Minister for Education, among her activities in that post, she abandoned the compilation of school league tables begun by her predecessor Noel Dempsey. She prioritised school bus safety following the death of five schoolgirls near Navan and this has mandated the provision of one seat per child and of the mandatory usage of seatbelts in school buses. She announced plans for a change of entry requirements to third-level medical education. Hanafin was accused of bias towards private fee-paying schools in her constituency when awarding building grants to them in 2005, christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park and St. Andrews College both received building grants for extensions and works on their buildings. Only Belvedere College, Kilkenny College and Loreto Beaufort, Rathfarnham had previously received money since 1995, in February 2008 it emerged that Hanafin, while Government Chief Whip, had assisted poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh to obtain an Irish visa for a Nepalese youth. The allegations were contained in the documentary Fairytale of Kathmandu, Hanafin, who admitted being friends with Ó Searcaigh for many years, dismissed the allegations as an irresponsible piece of journalism
4.
John Bruton
–
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. He became leader of Fine Gael in 1990 and served as Taoiseach from 1994 until 1997, Bruton was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a TD for Meath in 1969, and served continuously until his retirement from domestic politics in 2004. He served as the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States from 2004–2009, John Gerard Bruton was born to a wealthy, Catholic farming family in Dunboyne, County Meath and educated at Clongowes Wood College. Bruton later went on to study at University College Dublin where he received an honours Bachelor of Arts degree and qualified as a barrister from Kings Inns, Bruton was narrowly elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1969 general election as a Fine Gael TD for Meath. At the age of 22 he was one of the youngest ever members of the Dáil at that time and he more than doubled his vote in the general election of 1973, which brought Fine Gael to power as part of the National Coalition with the Labour Party. Bruton was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce and to the Minister for Education and he remained in office until 1977. He is married to Finola Bruton and they have four children, following Fine Gaels defeat at the 1977 general election, Bruton was appointed to the new front bench as Spokesperson on Agriculture by its new leader, Garret FitzGerald. He was later promoted to the shadow Finance portfolio, making an effective speech in the Dáil in response to the budget of 1980. He played a prominent role in Fine Gaels campaign in the 1981 general election resulted in another coalition with the Labour Party. Bruton received a personal vote in Meath, and at the age of only 34 was appointed Minister for Finance. The new government had to abandon its election promises to cut taxes in the light of overwhelming economic realities, the government collapsed unexpectedly on the night of 27 January 1982 when Brutons controversial Budget was defeated in the Dáil. The following year, Energy became a separate Department and Brutons brief became Industry, Trade, Commerce, a 1986 Cabinet re-shuffle saw Bruton return as Minister for Finance. Although he was Minister for Finance, Bruton never presented his Budget, the Labour Party withdrew from the government due to a disagreement over his budget proposals leading to the collapse of the government and another election. Following the 1987 general election Fine Gael suffered a heavy defeat, Garret FitzGerald resigned as leader immediately, and a leadership contest ensued between Alan Dukes, Peter Barry and Bruton himself. The exact result of the vote was not published and this was a severe blow as the victor, Dukes, was, like Bruton, one of the younger generation of politicians but had been a TD for 12 years fewer. Bruton was of Fine Gaels Christian Democrat tradition, whereas Dukes was in FitzGeralds Social Democratic mould, Dukes was perceived to be a lacklustre leader however, who alienated his partys TDs and made little progress in recovering the ground lost by Fine Gael in 1987. His Tallaght Strategy where he stated that he would support Fianna Fáil on economic reforms was also unpopular, Bruton, who was the deputy-leader of Fine Gael at the time, was unopposed in the ensuing leadership election. Whereas Dukes came from the democratic wing of Fine Gael
5.
Irish general election, 2011
–
The Irish general election of 2011 took place on Friday 25 February to elect 165 Teachtaí Dála across 43 constituencies to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Irelands parliament, the Oireachtas. The Dáil was dissolved and the election called by President Mary McAleese on 1 February. The electorate was given the task of choosing the members of the 31st Dáil, who met on 9 March 2011 to nominate a Taoiseach and ratify the ministers of the Government of the 31st Dáil. Cowen had previously announced on 20 January that the election would be held on 11 March, constitutionally, an election must be held within 30 days after a Dáil dissolution. Fine Gael sought to gain a dominant position in Irish politics after poor results in the 2000s, and to replace Fianna Fáil for the first time since 1927 as the largest party in Dáil Éireann. The Green Party, having been in coalition with Fianna Fáil during the Government of the 30th Dáil, Sinn Féin was expected to make gains, encouraged by a by-election victory in November 2010 and by opinion polls which placed it ahead of Fianna Fáil. Fianna Fáil was swept from power in the worst defeat of a government since the formation of the Irish state in 1922. Fianna Fáil lost more than half of its vote from 2007. It was the third-largest party in the 31st Dáil–the first time since the September 1927 election that it was not the largest party in the chamber, the Irish Times, Irelands newspaper of record, described Fianna Fáils meltdown as defeat on a historic scale. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny became Taoiseach, in a coalition with Labour, the European Financial Stability Facility then offered the government a multibillion-euro deal for its new debt burden. The Labour Party and Fine Gael called for an election in order to seek political certainty. On 22 November 2010, Taoiseach Brian Cowen indicated that the election would take place in early 2011 after the 2011 budgetary process had been completed, there were fears that calling the election could trigger another credit downgrade. On 16 January Cowen announced his decision to stay on as Taoiseach, on 18 January he called for and won a vote of confidence within the party with a majority of the 71 Fianna Fáil deputies supporting him. Despite saying he would offer Cowen full support, Foreign Minister Micheál Martin resigned, however, following criticism within his party after his failed attempt to carry out a reshuffle of Fianna Fáil ministers, Cowen announced his resignation as leader of the party on 22 January. He confirmed he would remain as Taoiseach until after the election, the key dates were, Ireland uses proportional representation with a single transferable vote, also known as PR–STV. The general election took place in 43 parliamentary constituencies throughout the state for 165 of the 166 Dáil Éireann seats, the Ceann Comhairle is automatically re-elected. Each multi-member constituency returns three, four or five Teachtaí Dála, the closing date for nominations was 9 February 2011. A total of 566 candidates contested the election, nearly 100 more than the 2007 general election, the number of candidates per party was, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour Party, Green Party, Sinn Féin, and Independents and smaller parties
6.
Irish general election, 2016
–
The Irish general election of 2016 took place on 26 February to elect 157 Teachtaí Dála across 40 constituencies to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, Irelands parliament. The 31st Dáil was dissolved by President Michael D. Higgins on 3 February, following the election, Kennys Fine Gael remained the largest party in the Dáil, albeit having lost 26 seats compared with the previous election. The main opposition party Fianna Fáil, which had suffered its worst-ever election result of 20 seats in 2011, Sinn Féin was expected to make gains, encouraged by opinion polls placing it ahead of Fianna Fáil, and it became the third-most numerous party with 23 deputies. Smaller parties and independent politicians made up the remaining 34 seats, Kenny formally resigned as Taoiseach that same day, but remained in office as a caretaker until a new government was formed. Kenny sought an agreement with Fianna Fáil to form a government, an agreement was finally reached for a Fine Gael-led minority government on 29 April,63 days after the election, and the Dáil formally re-elected Kenny as Taoiseach on 6 May. Kenny is the first Taoiseach from Fine Gael to win re-election, the outgoing government was a Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition led by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton. Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit, Renua Ireland, Social Democrats, Workers and Unemployed Action, the government was formed on 9 March 2011, the first day of the 31st Dáil elected on 25 February 2011. Electoral law required the 31st Dáil to be dissolved by 9 March 2016, Kenny rejected predictions in October 2015 that he would call an election in November to capitalise on rising Fine Gael support. After a cabinet meeting on 2 February, Kenny announced that he would be seeking a dissolution the following day. At 09,30 on 3 February he formally told the Dáil this, and that the new Dáil would meet on 10 March, the Dáil was adjourned without statements from the opposition. At 09,58 while Kenny was en route to Áras an Uachtaráin to meet the President, at 10,35 the President issued the proclamation dissolving the Dáil. Later that day, Minister Kelly signed the order setting the polling day, the writs of election are issued by the clerk of the Dáil. Founded by Wexford TD Mick Wallace, it was renamed Independents 4 Change in October 2015, all four members as well as one other councillor entered the election as Independents 4 Change candidates. Lucinda Creighton led this party into the election, on 30 March 2015, the Independent Alliance was formed by non-party TDs and founded by Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice. It was not a party, and stated that it would not impose a whip except where the group had agreed to support a government on confidence motions. All three entered the election as co-leaders of the Social Democrats and they had contested the 2011 general election as separate parties, as the Socialist Party and the People Before Profit Alliance respectively, under the joint platform of the United Left Alliance. Part 6 of the Electoral Act 2012 provides that parties will lose half of their funding unless at least 30% of their candidates at the election are female. All parties except Direct Democracy Ireland fulfilled this condition and this contributed in part to the highest percentage of women elected to the Dáil, at 35 TDs, this was 22% of the 158 TDs, an increase from 15% at the previous general election
7.
Irish general election, 1987
–
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach, the general election took place in 41 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann. The general election of 1987 was precipitated by the withdrawal of the Labour Party from the Fine Gael-led government on 20 January 1987, the reason was a disagreement over budget proposals. Rather than press on with the agenda, the Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, Garret FitzGerald. An unusually long period of four weeks was set for the campaign and it was hoped that the electorate would warm to Fine Gaels budget proposals during the campaign. Fianna Fáils campaign involved a refusal to any definite commitments. Charles Haugheys attitude towards Northern Ireland and the Anglo-Irish Agreement were both attacked, however, the campaign was mostly fought on economic issues. The Labour Party decided against any pre-election pact, particularly with Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats, founded only two years earlier, surpassed the Labour Party as the third-biggest political party in the Dáil. Although the majority of the party consisted of Fianna Fáil defectors, independents include Independent Fianna Fáil and the Tax Reform League. Notes, Changes in numbers of seats for each party are shown relative to the election in November 1982. †During the previous Dáil,4 Fianna Fáil TDs and 1 Fine Gael TD had joined the Progressive Democrats, in spite of the opinion polls suggesting otherwise, Fianna Fáil once again failed to win an overall majority. However the party was able to govern as a minority government and Charles Haughey was back for his third, the Fianna Fáil government of 1987 to 1989 was the last time to date that a government composed of only one party has been formed in Ireland. The new party, the Progressive Democrats, did well on their first outing, becoming the third biggest party in the Dáil. Fine Gael lost many seats, mostly to the PDs, the Labour Party failed to make any impact, with its leader Dick Spring, almost losing his seat. Members of the 25th Dáil Government of the 25th Dáil Ministers of State of the 25th Dáil 1987 election, Party leaders debate RTÉ archives
8.
County Kerry
–
County Kerry is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county, Kerry County Council is the local authority for the county and Tralee serves as the county town. The population of the county was 147,554 in 2016, Kerry is the fifth-largest of the 32 counties of Ireland by area and the 15th-largest by population. It is the second-largest of Munsters six counties by area, uniquely, it is bordered by only two other counties, County Limerick to the east and County Cork to the south-east. The diocesan see is Killarney, which is one of Irelands most famous tourist destinations, the Lakes of Killarney, an area of outstanding natural beauty are located in Killarney National Park. The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is the most westerly point of Ireland, there are nine historic baronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, the county is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by the River Shannon. Just off the coast are a number of islands, including the Blasket Islands, Valentia Island, skellig Michael is a World Heritage Site, famous for the medieval monastery clinging to the islands cliffs. The county contains the extreme west point of Ireland, Dunmore Head on the Dingle Peninsula, or including islands, Tearaght Island, the most westerly inhabited area of Ireland is Dún Chaoin, on the Dingle Peninsula. The River Feale, the River Laune and the Roughty River flow through Kerry, the North Atlantic Current, part of the Gulf Stream, flows north past Kerry and the west coast of Ireland, resulting in milder temperatures than would otherwise be expected at the 52 North latitude. This means that plants such as the strawberry tree and tree ferns, not normally found in northern Europe. Because of the area and the prevailing southwesterly winds, Kerry is among the regions with the highest rainfall in Ireland. Owing to its location, there has been a reporting station on Valentia for many centuries. The Irish record for rainfall in one day is 243.5 mm, in 1986 the remnants of Hurricane Charley crossed over Kerry as an extratropical storm causing extensive rainfall, flooding and damage. Kerry means the people of Ciar which was the name of the tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich, in Old Irish Ciar meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective describing a dark complexion
9.
Republic of Ireland
–
Ireland, also known as the Republic of Ireland, is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, which is located on the part of the island. The state shares its land border with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint Georges Channel to the south-east, and it is a unitary, parliamentary republic. The head of government is the Taoiseach, who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President, the state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It was officially declared a republic in 1949, following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955. It joined the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union, after joining the EEC, Ireland enacted a series of liberal economic policies that resulted in rapid economic growth. The country achieved considerable prosperity between the years of 1995 and 2007, which known as the Celtic Tiger period. This was halted by a financial crisis that began in 2008. However, as the Irish economy was the fastest growing in the EU in 2015, Ireland is again quickly ascending league tables comparing wealth and prosperity internationally. For example, in 2015, Ireland was ranked as the joint sixth most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index and it also performs well in several national performance metrics, including freedom of the press, economic freedom and civil liberties. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a member of the Council of Europe. The 1922 state, comprising 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, was styled, the Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, provides 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 the state as 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, and, from 1949, Republic of Ireland, for the state, as well as Ireland, Éire or the Republic of Ireland, the state is also referred to as the Republic, Southern Ireland or the South. In an Irish republican context it is referred to as the Free State or the 26 Counties. From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, during the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the islands population of over 8 million fell by 30%
10.
Irish people
–
The Irish people are a nation and ethnic group native to the island of Ireland, who share a common Irish ancestry, identity and culture. Ireland has been inhabited for about 9,000 years according to archaeological studies, for most of Irelands recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland, the people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities, including Irish, Northern Irish, British, or some combination thereof. The Irish have their own customs, language, music, dance, sports, cuisine, although Irish was their main language in the past, today the huge majority of Irish people speak English as their first language. Historically, the Irish nation was made up of kin groups or clans, there have been many notable Irish people throughout history. After Irelands conversion to Christianity, Irish missionaries and scholars exerted great influence on Western Europe, the 6th-century Irish monk and missionary Columbanus is regarded as one of the fathers of Europe, followed by saints Cillian and Fergal. The scientist Robert Boyle is considered the father of chemistry, famous Irish writers include Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker and James Joyce, notable Irish explorers include Brendan the Navigator, Robert McClure, Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. By some accounts, the first European child born in North America had Irish descent on both sides, many presidents of the United States have had some Irish ancestry. The population of Ireland is about 6.3 million, but it is estimated that 50 to 80 million people around the world have Irish forebears, historically, emigration from Ireland has been the result of conflict, famine and economic issues. People of Irish descent are mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United Kingdom. There are also significant numbers in Argentina, Mexico and New Zealand, the United States has the most people of Irish descent, while in Australia those of Irish descent are a higher percentage of the population than in any other country. Many Icelanders have Irish and Scottish Gaelic forebears, in its summary of their article Who were the Celts. The National Museum Wales notes It is possible that genetic studies of ancient. However, early studies have, so far, tended to produce implausible conclusions from very small numbers of people and using outdated assumptions about linguistics, nineteenth century anthropology studied the physical characteristics of Irish people in minute detail. During the past 10,000 years of inhabitation, Ireland has witnessed some different peoples arrive on its shores, the ancient peoples of Ireland—such as the creators of the Céide Fields and Newgrange—are almost unknown. Neither their languages nor terms they used to describe themselves have survived, as late as the middle centuries of the 1st millennium the inhabitants of Ireland did not appear to have a collective name for themselves. Ireland itself was known by a number of different names, including Banba, Fódla, Ériu by the islanders, Iouerne and Hiverne to the Greeks, other Latin names for people from Ireland in Classic and Mediaeval sources include Attacotti and Gael
11.
Fine Gael
–
Fine Gael is a liberal-conservative and Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the governing and largest party in Ireland in terms of members of the Oireachtas, Kenny has led the party since 2002. Fine Gael was founded on 8 September 1933 following the merger of its parent party Cumann na nGaedheal, the National Centre Party and the National Guard. Its origins lie in the struggle for Irish independence and the pro-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War and Michael Collins, Fine Gael is generally considered to be more of a proponent of market liberalism than its traditional rival, Fianna Fáil. However, apart from brief minority governments, Fine Gael has rarely governed Ireland without a coalition also included the Labour Party. Fine Gael describes itself as a party of the centre which it defines as acting in a way that is right for Ireland. It lists its values as equality of opportunity, free enterprise and reward, security, integrity. It is strongly in favour of the European Union and opposed to physical force Irish republicanism, the partys youth wing, Young Fine Gael, was formed in 1977, and has approximately four thousand members. Fine Gael is a member of the European Peoples Party. In 1923 this faction formally separates to become Cumann na nGaedheal and it rules as a minority government until 1932 when it’s replaced by a Fianna Fáil minority government with support from the Labour Party. 1933, It becomes Fine Gael also merging with two groups, the National Centre Party and the National Guard. 1937, It campaigns against the enactment of a new constitution proposed by Fianna Fáil advocating a no vote in the referendum, 1948–51, It forms part of Ireland’s first coalition government also including the Labour Party, Clann na Poblachta, Clann na Talmhan and the National Labour Party. 1954–57, It takes part in a three-party coalition government with the Labour Party,1972, It supported the campaign for a yes vote in the referendum to join the European Communities, voters approved of this proposal in the referendum. Both amendments were approved by voters in referenda, 1973–77, It takes part in a two-party coalition government with the Labour Party. Both amendments were approved by voters in referenda, 1981–82, It takes part in a two-party minority coalition government with the Labour Party. 1982-87, It takes part in a two-party coalition government with the Labour Party,1984, It proposed and supported the campaign for a yes vote for a constitutional amendment to extend the voting franchise to allow votes for non-citizens who are residents. This amendment was approved by voters in the referendum,1986, It proposed and supported the campaign for a yes for a constitutional amendment to make divorce constitutional. This amendment was rejected by voters in the referendum,1987, It supported the campaign for a yes vote for a constitutional amendment permitting the state to ratify the Single European Act
12.
St Michael's College, Listowel
–
St Michaels College, is an all-boys secondary school serving the town of Listowel, and the greater North County Kerry catchment area. The school is situated on the banks of the River Feale, the school was founded by the Catholic Bishop of Kerry in 1879. The college was located in a town house in The Square, Listowel, but moved to the former fever hospital on the edge of the town. With a student body of seventy mostly fee paying students, the teachers were presided over by a President. Since, all principals/presidents have been lay persons, the school celebrated its centenary with great enthusiasm in 1979. The school retains its original home, and the old building still holds classes, offices and laboratories, two extension programs have taken place since 1983. The first included the addition of ten new classrooms, a hall, offices. More recently in 2003, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern opened a new extension which contains a further five classrooms, woodwork and metalwork rooms, dressing rooms were added to the sports hall, and a new football pitch was inaugurated in 2009. The College values academic excellence and offers a curriculum which best meets the needs of the students within the context of available resources and it follows a five-year cycle, with Junior Certificate for three years, and Leaving Certificate and Leaving Vocational Programme for two. Transition Year was introduced as a subject in 2010. Participation in sport and cultural activities are encouraged but apart from classes in Physical Education it is not compulsory. The traditional college sport is Gaelic football, there is also a provision for athletics, badminton, hurling, soccer, rugby, golf and swimming. Teams are entered for school competitions, students are encouraged to enter and represent the College in Debating, Music, Bridge, All-Science Quiz, General Knowledge Quiz, Literary Competitions and Mathematic Competitions. Alfred ORahilly, noted academic, President of University College Cork and Teachta Dála for Cork City Gerard Barrett, writer, director and producer John B
13.
Alma mater
–
Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase for a university or college. In modern usage, it is a school or university which an individual has attended, the phrase is variously translated as nourishing mother, nursing mother, or fostering mother, suggesting that a school provides intellectual nourishment to its students. Before its modern usage, Alma mater was a title in Latin for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele. The source of its current use is the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum, of the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world and it is related to the term alumnus, denoting a university graduate, which literally means a nursling or one who is nourished. The phrase can also denote a song or hymn associated with a school, although alma was a common epithet for Ceres, Cybele, Venus, and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a well-known 11th century antiphon devoted to Mary, the earliest documented English use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when University of Cambridge printer John Legate began using an emblem for the universitys press. In English etymological reference works, the first university-related usage is often cited in 1710, many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of the Latin translation of their official name. The University of Bologna Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. At least one, the Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg, Austria, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been called the Alma Mater of the Nation because of its ties to the founding of the United States. At Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ancient Roman world had many statues of the Alma Mater, some still extant. Modern sculptures are found in prominent locations on several American university campuses, outside the United States, there is an Alma Mater sculpture on the steps of the monumental entrance to the Universidad de La Habana, in Havana, Cuba. Media related to Alma mater at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of alma mater at Wiktionary Alma Mater Europaea website
14.
Gaelic football
–
Gaelic football, commonly referred to as football or Gaelic, is an Irish team sport. It is played two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kicking or punching the ball into the teams goals or between two upright posts above the goals and over a crossbar 2.5 metres above the ground. Players advance the football, a leather ball, up the field with a combination of carrying, bouncing, kicking, hand-passing. In the game, two types of scores are possible, points and goals, a point is awarded for kicking or hand-passing the ball over the crossbar, signalled by the umpire raising a white flag. A goal is awarded for kicking the ball under the crossbar into the net, positions in Gaelic football are similar to that in other football codes, and comprise one goalkeeper, six backs, two midfielders, and six forwards, with a variable number of substitutes. Gaelic football is one of four sports controlled by the Gaelic Athletic Association, along with hurling and camogie, Gaelic football is one of the few remaining strictly amateur sports in the world, with players, coaches, and managers prohibited from receiving any form of payment. Gaelic football is played on the island of Ireland, although units of the Association exist in other areas such as Great Britain, North America. Outside Ireland, football is played among members of the Irish diaspora. Gaelic Park in New York City is the largest purpose-built Gaelic sports venue outside Ireland, the All-Ireland Senior Championship is considered the most prestigious event in Gaelic football. Under the auspices of the GAA, Gaelic football is a sport, however. Gaelic football was first codified in 1887, although it has purported links to varieties of football played in Ireland. Consequently, the name caid is used by people to refer to present day Gaelic football. Dublin is still known as the football field, the Statute of Galway of 1527 allowed the playing of foot balle and archery but banned hokie—the hurling of a little ball with sticks or staves as well as other sports. By the 17th century, the situation had changed considerably, the games had grown in popularity and were widely played. This was due to the patronage of the gentry, now instead of opposing the games it was the gentry and the ruling class who were serving as patrons of the games. Games were organised between landlords with each team comprising 20 or more tenants, wagers were commonplace with purses of up to 100 guineas. The earliest record of a precursor to the modern game date from a match in County Meath in 1670
15.
Kerry GAA
–
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry. The county board is responsible for the Kerry inter-county teams. The Kerry branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in the year 1888, Gaelic football is the dominant sport in the county, with both the mens and womens teams among the strongest in the country at senior level. In hurling, the mens side compete in the sports premier inter-county competition, Kerry have been the most successful team in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, topping the list of counties for All-Irelands won. They have won the competition on 37 occasions, including two four-in-a-rows and two three-in-a-rows, the teams current crest, which came into use in 2012, features design elements that represent the county, Kerry’s people, landscape, flora, fauna and artistry. These animals are believed to have had a presence in Ireland since the end of the last Ice Age and are steeped in folklore. The previous crest, shown on the right, which was used from 1988 to 2011 was based more on Irish and Celtic symbolism, featuring a church, an Irish Wolfhound. Kerry traditional colours are gold and green and the county team kits are composed by a shirt with a single golden hoop, white shorts and green. In the early days of the All-Ireland Football Championship, counties were represented by the county champions, Kerrys first represpentatives were from Laune Rangers, and the blue of Laune Rangers was worn in Kerrys first championship outing in 1889. The royal blue of Laune Rangers were also worn in the 1892 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, between 1889 and 1895 inclusive, the teams that went forward to represent Kerry were Laune Rangers and Ballymacelligott, who both wore blue. One account says that it was a red jersey with green neck and cuffs, another account says that it was an entirely red jersey with no green in it. The reason that Kerry wore this red or mainly red jersey was that a new set of green, for the later games in the 1903 series of games, Kerry wore green jerseys with gold on the cuffs and over the shoulders. These were the colours of the Tralee Mitchels senior team, the classic style is green with a gold hoop. The colours have changed only rarely, most of all in the 80s finals against Offaly to avoid again colour clashes. In the 1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final Kerry were to play Meath, to avoid a colour clash, Kerry wore the red and white of Dingle, the county champions at the time. The change kit is blue, reflecting the Munster GAA colours. Kerrys inter-county teams are sponsored by the Kerry Group, in one of the longest standing sponsorship arrangements in the GAA, the teams have been connected with the Kerry Group since sponsorship became more open in the GAA in the early 1990s. Kerrys jerseys are provided by ONeills sportswear
16.
Rugby union
–
Rugby union, known in some parts of the world simply as rugby, is a contact team sport which originated in England in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is between two teams of 15 players using a ball on a rectangular field with H-shaped goalposts on each try line. Historically an amateur sport, in 1995 restrictions on payments to players were removed, World Rugby, originally the International Rugby Football Board and from 1998 to 2014 the International Rugby Board, has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of Great Britain and Ireland, early exponents of the sport included Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji, Georgia, Madagascar, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Rugby union is played in over 100 countries across six continents, there are 101 full members and 18 associate members of World Rugby. The Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, takes place four years with the winner of the tournament receiving the Webb Ellis Cup. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are major annual competitions. The origin of football is reputed to be an incident during a game of English school football at Rugby School in 1823. Although the evidence for the story is doubtful, it was immortalised at the school with a plaque unveiled in 1895, despite the doubtful evidence, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named after Webb Ellis. Rugby football stems from the form of game played at Rugby School, Old Rugbeian Albert Pell, a student at Cambridge, is credited with having formed the first football team. During this early period different schools used different rules, with pupils from Rugby. Other important events include the Blackheath Clubs decision to leave the Football Association in 1863, despite the sports full name of rugby union, it is known simply as rugby throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England, by 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams, and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby tournament, the Melrose Sevens. During the early history of union, a time before commercial air travel. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by the New Zealand team touring Europe, All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in, the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event, in 1905 France played England in its first international match
17.
Garryowen Football Club
–
Garryowen Football Club, usually referred to as Garryowen, is a rugby union club from Limerick, Ireland. It plays in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League and historically has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union, the club was formed in 1884. The founding members of the club were, President W. L and he made sure Garryowen received Union recognition in 1884. If not for his tireless work promoting rugby, Garryowen might never have begun, another great family linked to Garryowen were the OConnors. John OConnor was a member of the club and his seven sons were prominent rugby players, runners. They won 47 Munster senior cup medals between them beginning in the early 1890s, born in Athlunkard Street, Limerick, the seven brothers - Mick, Charlie, Jack, Thade, Joe, Bryan and Jim - set an impressive record with 47 medals. Jack with 11 had the most and his son, Mick, won 4 further Munster Senior Cup medals between 1925 and 1934. The club has had two fixed homes, the Markets Field until 1958 then the club moved to Dooradoyle. After the club moved, Garryowen which had won the Senior cup in 1954 did not achieve success again for 15 years and this was the longest period in the clubs history without a cup win. It was not till 1969 that another led to a period for the club with probably the finest collection of players since the great nine in row team. With 5 senior cups coming in the next 10 years, there was also great success on the international scene with 6 players getting capped for Ireland in this time. Back-to-back Munster Senior League successes in 1982 and 1983 were the highlights of the 80s, the foundations were laid for the great success that was achieved in the 90s. The advent of the All Ireland League would give the game in Limerick the platform it had long sought. Having won the title in its second and fourth year. In total Garryowen have won the Munster Senior Cup 38 times, Garryowen won the trophy nine times in a row between 1889 and 1898 and have the distinction of having played in the first final in 1886 and the 100th final in 1986. In playing terms a garryowen is a high up and under kick designed to put the opposing team under pressure, by allowing the kicking team time to arrive under. It is thought to have part of the modern lexicon in the early 1920s as one of the great Garryowen teams that won three Senior cups from 1924 to 1926 used this tactic to the utmost. The club is honoured to have had players represent Ireland at every position, the following Garryowen players have also represented the British and Irish Lions
18.
Finuge
–
Finuge is a village near Listowel in County Kerry, Ireland. Finuge is a traditional Irish crossroads village with a shop, a pub, Teach Siamsa, sheehans Thatched House located at Finuge Cross is regarded as one of the oldest surviving authentic thatched houses in Ireland. Conservation experts estimate it at least 300 years old, the villages name is derived from Préachán, meaning crow. Around 1660, Finuge was planted by the Desmond Geraldines during the Cromwellian Plantation, at that time, Finuge village was situated near the bank of the River Feale. The land here was of excellent quality, so much so that the families were evicted and pushed south-east and re-located beside the new road that links Listowel and Lixnaw today. The house plots were marked out and the eviction about to place, when the Agent Holmes died unexpectedly. There were three churches in Finuge at one time, in 1825 a new church was built at Irremore, it was renovated in 1961 and serves the people to the present day. The big house in the district was Ennismore House, it became the property of the Desmond Geraldines as a result of the Cromwellian Plantation, in later times George Hewson inherited it from the last of the Fitzgeralds. Finuge House, the ruins of which can be seen beside Finuge Bridge was owned by another Hewson family and this family were always associated with Harvest Home, an annual celebration at the end the harvest. The last record of such a gathering was Oct. 25th 1877, ringforts were features of the parish, with excellent examples on the farms of Quinlans and McElligotts of Coolnaleen, Galvins and Whelans of Finuge, but sad to relate these no longer exist. In olden times, Finuge was not just a townland, it was a parish that stretched form Dysert to Ballinruddery, there were several townlands in the parish of Finuge including Bealkilla, Kilcrean, Knockamoohane and Ballinruddery, Garryantanavalla, Ballygrennan, Moyassa, Knockanassig, Grogeen. There are no remains of a church today, but there is a burial ground. The village is located on the banks of the River Feale,2 miles from Listowel, the Finuge crossing is a bridge over the River Feale linking Finuge to Killocrim. It is in the Barony of Clanmaurice, the GAA club in the area is known as Finuge GAA or Finuge and has had a lot of success for its size. Sean McCarthy, a Finuge native, was a famous Irish folk song writer, paul Galvin is a famous Gaelic footballer with the Finuge club, Feale Rangers divisional side and Kerry county team. List of towns and villages in Ireland The Barony of Finuge
19.
Limerick
–
Limerick is a city in county Limerick, Ireland. It is located in the Mid-West Region and is part of the province of Munster. Limerick City and County Council is the authority for the city. The city lies on the River Shannon, with the core of the city located on Kings Island, which is bounded by the Shannon. Limerick is also located at the head of the Shannon Estuary where the river widens before it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 95,854, Limerick is the third most populous area in the state. There are 102,161 people living in the Limerick City Metropolitan District, on 1 June 2014 following the merger of Limerick City and County Council a new Metropolitan District of Limerick was formed within the united council which extended the city area. The Metropolitan District includes the city area and extends outwards towards Patrickswell in the west. The City Metropolitan Area however excludes city suburbs located within County Clare, when included this increases the overall city and metropolitan area by a further 5,000 with a combined total population of 107,161. Limerick is one of the constituent cities of the Cork–Limerick–Galway corridor which has a population of 1 million people and it is located at a strategic position on the River Shannon with four main crossing points near the city centre. To the south of the city is the Golden Vale, an area of rich pastureland, historically, much of the citys industry was based on this rich agricultural hinterland and it is particularly noted for Limerick Ham. Luimneach originally referred to the area along the banks of the Shannon Estuary known as Loch Luimnigh. The earliest settlement in the city, Inis Sibhtonn, was the name for Kings Island during the pre-Viking and Viking eras. This island was also called Inis an Ghaill Duibh, The Dark- Foreigners Island, the name is recorded in Viking sources as Hlymrekr. Antiquitys map-maker, Ptolemy, produced in 150 the earliest map of Ireland, history also records an important battle involving Cormac mac Airt in 221 and a visit by St. Patrick in 434 to baptise an Eóganachta king, Carthann the Fair. Saint Munchin, the first bishop of Limerick died in 652, in 812 the Vikings sailed up the Shannon and pillaged the city, burned the monastery of Mungret but were forced to flee when the Irish attacked and killed many of their number. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King Johns Castle, one of the kingdoms most notable kings was Brian Boru, ancestor of the OBrien Clan of Dalcassians. The word Thomond is synonymous with the region and is retained in place such as Thomondgate
20.
Gaelic football, hurling and camogie positions
–
The following are the positions in the Gaelic sports of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie. Each team consists of one goalkeeper, six backs, two mid fielders, and six forwards, fifteen players in all, some under-age games are played 13-a-side or 11-a-side. The positions are listed below, with the number usually worn by players in that position given. The role of a goalkeeper who wears the number 1 jersey in Gaelic games is similar to other codes, the goalkeeper in Gaelic football and hurling also usually has the role of kicking or pucking the ball out to the outfield players. A good goalkeeper most often has great agility and bravery as well as strength, in Gaelic football a keepers shot stopping ability is of great importance. There is no limit to where on the field the goalkeeper can travel, although once they are outside of the penalty area, a goalkeeper in mens football may touch the ball on the ground within his own penalty area, and is the only player permitted to do so. It is not permitted to challenge a goalkeeper while inside his own small parallelogram. The substitute goalkeeper usually wears the number 16 jersey and the third choice goalkeeper usually wears the number 31 jersey. The role of the right and left back who, respectively, wear the number 2 and number 4 jerseys, is to defend against opposing attackers – in particular the left. They will play most around the 20-metre line, the positions require the players having decent speed over short bursts and good hand eye co-ordination. Endurance and strength are unnecessary, although agility is required, the role of full back who wears the number 3 jersey is one of the most important in Gaelic football or hurling. The full back plays most often around the 20-metre line, the position of the full back requires that the player have decent speed over short bursts, strength, and good hand eye co-ordination. The role of the backs who wear the 5 and 7 jerseys is less defensive than that of the corner backs. The half backs operate most often in between the 45-metre line and the midfield, sometimes referred to as right/left wing back. The role of the half back who wears the number 6 jersey, is less defensive than that of the full back. The centre backs operates from the 45-metre line and forward to the midfield, the centre back will help win the breaking ball in the midfield and can be used as a third midfielder. The centre half back generally marks the centre half forward, sometimes referred to as centre back. The required agilities of a half back are strength, height, speed
21.
Munster Senior Football Championship
–
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier inter-county knockout competition in Gaelic football in the province of Munster in Ireland. The games are organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months, the Munster final is normally played in July. Kerry are the most successful, having won the Munster championship 78 times and they have also won the championship eight times in a row on two occasions, the most consecutive wins in any of the Provincial Football Championships. The championship has been won by Kerry or Cork every year since 1923 with the exception of victories by Tipperary in 1935, the Munster Football Championship is run on a knock-out basis in which once a team loses they are eliminated from the competition. All six counties of Munster compete, the winners of the Munster championship advance to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-finals. The Munster championship is contested by all six counties in the Irish province of Munster, currently, all championship matches are played on a rolling home and away basis. While the six county grounds are used for championship matches in recent times. The combined total capacity of the Munster Championship in the 2016 championship was 208,960, stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for the Munster Council and the individual county boards. For the 2016 championship, the total attendance at the five games was 40,700. Managers in the Munster Championship are involved in the running of the team, including the training. They are assisted in the selection by a team of selectors. Their influence varies from county-to-county and is related to the relationship of the manager with the county board, as of 2016 all inter-county management teams are required to have some coaching qualifications. The championships longest-serving manager in the era was Mick ODwyer. He is also the most successful manager in the history of the championship, during that time he won eleven Munster titles. Éamonn Fitzmaurice is now the championships longest-serving current manager, having been in charge of Kerry since 2012 and they achieved this feat on three separate occasions, 1936-1943, 1958-1966 and 1975-1983
22.
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
–
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is an annual series of games played in Ireland and organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final is played on the third or fourth Sunday in September at Croke Park in Dublin, the first Championship to be held featured club teams who represented their respective counties after their county championship. The 21 a-side final was between Commercials of Limerick and Young Irelands of Louth, the final was played in Beech Hill, Clonskeagh on 29 April 1888 with Commercials winning by 1–4 to 0–3. Unlike later All-Ireland competitions, there were no championships. The second Championship was unfinished owing to the American Invasion Tour, the 1888 provincial championships had been completed but after the Invasion tour returned, the All-Ireland semi-final and final were not played. English team London reached the four times in the early years of the competition. In 1892, inter-county teams were introduced to the All-Ireland Championship, Congress granted permission for the winning club to use players from other clubs in the county, thus the inter-county teams came into being. The rules of hurling and football were also altered, goals were made equal to five points, the 1903 Championship brought Kerrys first All-Ireland title. They went on to become the most successful team in the history of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The first half of the century brought the rise of several teams who won two or more All-Ireland titles in that period, such as Kildare, Mayo, Cavan, Wexford. In the 1990s, a significant sea change took place, as the All-Ireland was claimed by an Ulster team in four consecutive years, since then Ulster has produced more All-Ireland winning teams than any other province. The All-Ireland Qualifiers were introduced in 2001, later that year, the 2001 final brought victory for Galway who became the first football team to win an All-Ireland by springing through the back door. In 2013, Hawk-Eye was introduced for Championship matches at Croke Park and it was first used to confirm that Offaly substitute Peter Cunninghams attempted point had gone wide 10 minutes into the second half of a game against Kildare. 2013 also brought the first Friday night game in the history of the Championship - a first round qualifier between Carlow and Laois, the county is a geographical region in Ireland, and each of the thirty-two counties in Ireland organises its own GAA affairs through a County Board. The county teams play in their respective Provincial Championships in Connacht, Leinster, Munster, kilkenny is currently unique among the 32 Irish county associations in not participating in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The Provincial Championships operate through a cup competition format. They take place during the months of May, June and July, the winners of each of the four Provincial Championships earn a place in the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals, which take place in the month of August. Each match is played as a single leg, if a match is drawn there is a replay
23.
Feale Rangers GAA
–
Feale Rangers is a North Kerry Divisional Gaelic football team in Kerry. The teams involved are Clounmacon, Duagh, Finuge, Gale Rangers, Listowel Emmets, Moyvane and this newly formed team contested the County Finals in 1959 and 1962 to John Mitchels and the semi-final in 1963, which they lost to eventual winners John Mitchels. This was no bad result versus the great John Mitchels team that won the County Finals 5 times in a row in 1959,1960,1961,1962 and 1963, after this North Kerry again split into two teams, St. Vincents and Shannon Rangers. Shannon Rangers did well and became county champions in 1964,1972, St. Vincents didnt do quite as well and in 1971 were renamed Feale Rangers. Between 1977 and 1985 Feale Rangers contested six senior county finals, winning in 1978 and 1980, after that followed a barren period in which they lost the finals of 1982,1983,1985 and 1999. In 2007 they won their last senior final, eleven of the players that lost the 1999 final also played in the 2007 final
24.
St Mary's University, Twickenham
–
St Marys University, Twickenham, is a research university located in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, in South West London. Founded in 1850, it is acknowledged to be the oldest Roman Catholic university in the United Kingdom. Formerly called St Mary’s University College, it was granted full university title by the Privy Council on 23 January 2014. The university is built on land attached to Strawberry Hill House. Horace Walpole, a son of the politician Robert Walpole, rented the cottage in 1747 and he set about reconstructing the house and adding to the land, which now amounts to around 35 acres. Walpole did not follow the conventional fashion of classical building. Some of his contemporaries imitated his design and so this house, by the end of the 20th century, Strawberry Hill House had fallen into a state of disrepair, with the cost of reversing its condition too substantial for the College to meet.6 million grant in 2005. £370,000 development funding and £1.4 million of investment from St Mary’s was also received, the shortfall was finally met in 2007 and in July of that year the lease was transferred from the Catholic Education Service to the Trust. Restoration began in 2008 and the house was opened to the public in September 2010 following the completion of the first phase of the £9 million project, near the porters lodge is what Bridget Cherry and Sir Nikolaus Pevsner describe as an incongruous Walpole survival without its protective vegetation. The Grade I listed Chapel in the Wood is a building designed in 1772 by John Chute and was completed in 1774 by Thomas Gayfere the Elder. It was restored in 1954 as a chapel to include a shrine of the Virgin Mary, with new murals, the stained glass that Walpole housed within it is now at its original home at Bexhill Church, Sussex. St Marys was founded by Steven Gary Stahlmann in 1850 on the initiative of Cardinal Wiseman, a legal trust created on 16 July 1851 in connection with this property and its use as a training college for Catholic schoolmasters was confirmed in perpetuity. The college was established on similar lines to that of the Brothers of Christian Instruction at Ploermel, Brittany, where English students were sent between 1848 and 1851. A French brother, Brother Melanie, was placed in charge of St Marys College, until the appointment of an English principal, Rev. John Melville Glennie. The college opened with six male students who had begun their training at the novitiate of the Brothers of Christian Instruction. In 1855, additional accommodation was provided for 50 lay students, with the appointment of the fourth principal, Father William Byrne CM in 1899, the association of the College with the Congregation of the Mission commenced. At the same time the college was concerned with adjusting to the requirements of the Education Acts of 1902–3, in 1898 Inter-College Sports were introduced between Borough Road, St Marks, St Johns, Westminster and St Marys Colleges. The college magazine, The Simmarian, began a new series in 1903-4, originally in manuscript form, it became a printed paper in 1905 and is still published today
25.
All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
–
The Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier knockout competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The minor final provides the curtain-raiser to the senior final, the prize for the winning team is the Tom Markham Cup, which is named in honour of former Clare figure Tom Markham. The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship features players at under eighteen level (players must be under 18 on 1 January of the year of the competition, the first minor championship was played in 1929 when Clare were crowned the champions. The championship has held every year since then, however. Kerry are the most successful team in football with 13 titles, closely followed by Dublin on 11. All three teams have achieved famous three-in-a-rows, Kerry twice from 1931 to 1933 & from 2014 to 2016, Cork from 1967 to 1969, and Dublin from 1954 to 1956. The coveted treble of winning senior, under-21 and minor titles in the year has been achieved on just one occasion. Because teams will play together for at most, about two or three years, unlike the senior competition, it is unusual that one county will dominate for periods any longer than this. The current champions are Kerry who defeated Tipperary at Croke Park on Sunday 20 September 2015. gaainfo. com Complete Roll of Honour on Kilkenny GAA bible
26.
All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship
–
The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier knockout competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association, the trophy for the winning team is the Clarke Cup which is named in honour of former Kildare Secretary and Treasurer Tim Clarke. Mayo are the 2016 All Ireland U-21 Champions, scoring five goals to defeat Cork in the final, the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship was created in 1964 in response to a Congress motion put forward by the Kerry County Board. Since then the competition has grown in importance and profile, the championship is run on an inter-county provincial basis with the winners from Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht playing off against each other in two semi-finals. Cork are the most successful teams in the history of the Under-21 Championship, two teams have achieved three-in-a-rows, Kerry from 1975 to 1977 and Cork from 1984 to 1986. The coveted treble of winning senior, under-21, minor titles in the year has been achieved on just one occasion. Because teams will play together for at most, about two or three years, unlike the senior competition, it is unusual that one county will dominate for periods any longer than this. It is usually considered a mark of a promising player to play for both a countys Under 21 and Senior team at the same time. Many great players have achieved this, although one example would be Frank McGuigan
27.
National Football League (Ireland)
–
The National Football League is an annual Gaelic football competition between the senior county teams of Ireland plus London. Sponsored by Allianz, it is known as the Allianz National Football League. The Gaelic Athletic Association organises the league, the winning team receives the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company. The National Football League is the second most prestigious inter-county Gaelic Football competition after the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, unlike many league competitions in sport, each team plays the other teams in their division only once. Teams that meet in the division over the course of a number of years often play on a home and away basis in alternative years. Once the divisional matches have been played, the stages of the league become a knockout competition for the top teams in each division. Dublin, the league champions, defeated Kerry in the 2016 league final. The National Football League was first held in 1925–26, thirty-eight years after the first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, laois won the inaugural National Football League. The NFL has traditionally played second fiddle to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and this was not helped by the fact that the League was initially played in winter, while the Championship had the more attractive summer dates and knockout structure. Mayo dominated the early NFL, winning seven titles in eight seasons until the tournament was suspended during the Second World War. For many seasons in the 50s and 60s, the winners of the league played New York in the NFL final. New York won three of these finals, in 2002, the league was changed to a February–April calendar. This has increased interest, boosted attendances and led to games being broadcast on TG4. The 2009 season was broadcast live on Setanta Sports, coverage of the 2010 finals in Croke Park saw TG4 become the most watched channel, with 650,000 viewers tuning in to watch some of the games. The Division 1 final had an audience of 220,000 viewers. The National Football League winners receive the Irish National Insurance Cup, Kerry are the most successful team in the League, having played in the final on twenty-four occasions and won nineteen of these. Kerry also are the team to have most often achieved the double, ^ New York received a bye to the final in 10 NFL seasons between 1949–50 and 1988–89
28.
Cork GAA
–
It is one of the constituent counties of Munster GAA. Cork is one of the few counties in Ireland, competing in a similar level in both gaelic football and hurling. As of the end of the 2015 National Leagues, Cork compete in the top division of both sports, by comparison, Cork has only won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship seven times. Traditionally football is strongest in the half of the county. Hurling is the dominant sport in the east, with such as Sarsfields. Naturally, there are exceptions to this rule of thumb, with hurling pockets in football areas, one example is Fermoy in east Cork, which has seven Cork football titles to its name. As well as this, the St. Finbarrs club in the city has eight Cork football titles and 25 in hurling, Corks current GAA crest is based on the traditional coat of arms of Cork city. Like the coat of arms, the crest features the Kings old castle, the centre foreground of the crest features a ship, as does the coat of arms. This is due to Corks history as a city, also shown in the city motto Statio Bene Fida Carinis. The badge also features two footballs, along with a pair of hurleys. Corks traditional colours are red and white, but this was not always the case, in its early days of competing, the county wore a blue jersey with a saffron-coloured C emblazoned on the chest. This was changed in 1919 when the Cork hurlers were preparing to play Dublin in the All-Ireland Final, in the week leading up to the game, British forces broke into the county board offices on Maylor Street in the city centre and seized the Cork jerseys. Because of the loss of their kit, the county board borrowed jerseys from the now-defunct Father OLeary Temperance Association team, Cork went on to win the game, ending a sixteen-year spell without a trophy. Following this win Cork decided to wear the red jerseys in their future games. This red and white colour scheme has led to the Cork strip being nicknamed the blood, a colour clash with Louth in the 1957 All-Ireland Football Final saw Cork wear the blue jerseys again, but this occasion saw the team wear the blue jersey of the province of Munster. In 1976 Corks footballers became involved in an incident known as the three stripes affair, before the Munster football final Cork were offered a set of Adidas jerseys. The use of these jerseys caused controversy as it seemed to undermine the promotion of Irish manufacturers, Corks alternative colours are traditionally white jerseys and white shorts. These alternate colours were worn in the 1973 All-Ireland Football Final when Cork defeated Galway to claim their fourth title and they were worn again in the 2010 Final when Cork defeated Down for their seventh title
29.
Mick O'Dwyer
–
Michael Mick ODwyer is an Irish retired Gaelic football manager and former player. He most famously managed the Kerry senior team between 1974 and 1989, during which time he became the countys longest-serving manager and most successful in terms of titles won. ODwyer is regarded as the greatest manager in the history of the game, born in Waterville, County Kerry, ODwyer was introduced to Gaelic football by the local national school teacher who organized games between schools in the area. He enjoyed divisional championship success during a club career with Waterville. ODwyer also won three medals with South Kerry. ODwyer made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kerry minor team, an All-Ireland runner-up in this grade, ODwyer subsequently made his senior debut during the 1956–57 league. He went on to play a key role for Kerry in attack during a successful era. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on five occasions, as a member of the Munster inter-provincial team, ODwyer won one Railway Cup medal in 1972. Throughout his inter-county career he made 48 championship appearances, ODwyer retired from inter-county football following the conclusion of the 1974 championship. ODywer was appointed manager of the Kerry senior team prior to the start of the 1974-75 league and he went on to lead Kerry through a period of unprecedented provincial and national dominance, winning twenty two major honours. ODwyer simultaneously took charge of the Kerry under-21 team, winning three successive All-Ireland Championships and his tenure in charge of the Munster team saw the province claim six Railway Cups. After ending his fifteen-year managerial tenure with Kerry, ODwyer moved to Leinster where he took charge of Kildare between 1990 and 1994, after making Kildare a competitive footballing force during that period, he was reappointed for a second tenure in 1996. ODwyer ended a 42-year provincial famine with the securing of two Leinster titles, while Kildare also made their first All-Ireland final appearance in seventy years, in 2002 ODwyer moved to Laois where he helped end a 57-year wait for a Leinster title. ODwyer remained in Leinster after his Laois tenure and began a stint as Wicklow manager in 2006. In spite of enjoying little success, Wicklow secured the Tommy Murphy Cup in 2007. ODwyer ended his career with an unsuccessful one-year stint in charge of Clare. Mick ODwyer was born in Waterville, County Kerry in 1936 and he was educated locally at St. Finians national school before later attending Waterville Technical School. ODwyer later worked as a hotelier and as well as running an undertaker service, ODwyer first played for Kerry as a member of the minor team in 1954
30.
Dublin GAA
–
The Dublin Gaelic football team is the most supported GAA team in terms of attendance which is made up of 286 clubs. The team and its fans are known as The Dubs or The Jacks, the fans have a special affiliation with the Hill 16 end of Croke Park. Dublin GAA has jurisdiction over the area that is associated with the county of County Dublin. There are 9 officers on the Board including the Cathaoirleach, Seán Shanley, for details on the Boards clubs, see Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in County Dublin and List of Gaelic games clubs in Ireland. The Board is subject to the Leinster GAA Provincial Council, the teams of Dublin GAA play home games at Parnell Park, Donnycarney on the northside of the city, although Croke Park is used for major matches at the request of the GAA. Parnell Park also hosts all the games in the Dublin club Football. The current senior manager is Jim Gavin. The current senior hurling team manager is Ger Cunningham, meanwhile, the hurlers retained their status in the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Plans to divide Dublin into two teams – North Dublin and South Dublin – were proposed in 2002 but rejected by the Dublin County Board, currently the Board has only decided to divide its development teams. These teams are not considered to be a move towards dividing the county but are in fact a move designed to identify, the restructured developments teams are North, South and West. Dublin supporters are known as The Dubs, and in the 1970s as Heffos army. While songs are popular with the Dublin fans they tend to be Dublin-centric such as Molly Malone. The Hill 16 end in Croke Park is an area for which many Dubs hold a special affection, Dublin supporters have been known to chant Hill 16 is Dublin only as a humorous jibe at supporters from rival teams. The Dublin team are sometimes called The Jacks with the ladies called The Jackies and these names came from a shortening of the word Jackeen. Notable fans include Jim Stynes, golfer Pádraig Harrington, rugby union star Brian ODriscoll, in 2003/4, the Dublin County Board tried unsuccessfully to copyright the Dublin crest in use at the time. The crest at the time was declared to be in the domain by the Irish High Court as it was too similar to other crests in use by Dublin City Council. The name Áth Cliath in Irish replaces the previous name Dublin, till 1918, Dublin wore the colours of the Club Champions as many other counties. The change to the present look, with blue details, shorts
