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Top 10 facts about Ireland

28.07.2021

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CONTENTS

1. Geography and population in Ireland

2. Official language in Ireland

3. Currency in Ireland

4. Internet in Ireland

5. Economic development in Ireland

6. Job in Ireland

7. Working days and holidays in Ireland

8. The mentality of the residents in Ireland

9. Advertising in Ireland

10. Cryptocurrency in Ireland 

1. Geography and population in Ireland

Ireland is an island state in the North Atlantic Ocean, located on the 3rd largest island in Europe; it is the westernmost of the two largest British Isles. From the east it is washed by the Irish Sea, as well as by the St. George and the North, from the west, north and south - by the Atlantic Ocean. The length from west to east is about 300 km, from north to south - about 450 km.

Ireland occupies approximately 83.5% of the island of the same name in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and adjacent small islands. The island of Ireland is the westernmost of the two largest British Isles. From the east it is washed by the Irish Sea, as well as by the St. George and the North Strait, from the south by the Celtic Sea, and from the west and north by the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The length from west to east is about 300 km, from north to south - about 450 km. The highest point is Mount Carrantuil (1041 m).

The total area of the territory is about 70 thousand km². The length of the border with Great Britain is 360 km. Ireland is the 3rd largest country in Europe entirely located in the Western Hemisphere after Iceland and Portugal.

 

The population of Ireland is mainly of Celtic origin. According to the general census, the population is 5 million. National minorities make up 420 thousand, that is, 10%.

275.8 thousand - immigrants from the EU countries (Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania), the rest - from Russia, China, Ukraine, Belarus, Pakistan, Philippines, Nigeria. As of 2019, according to UN estimates, 833,564 immigrants lived in Ireland, or 17.1% of the country's population.

Ireland time zone:

Ireland uses Western European Time (WET, UTC + 00:00) during winter and Western European Summer Time (WEST, UTC + 01:00) during summer.

General information about Ireland:

Area: 70 thousand km²

Population: 5 million people

Capital: Dublin

Calling code: +353

National domain: .ie

Language: Irish, English

2. Official language in Ireland

Ireland is a multilingual country, the main language of which is Irish (42% of the population speaks, 11% recognize their native language). Since the end of the 19th century, for a long time, the main language of the country was English (at the moment, 94% of the population speaks, while 68% of those who recognize English as a non-native one) and only a small part of the population spoke Irish; both of these languages are official under the Irish Constitution. Both Irish (since January 1, 2007) and English are the official languages of the European Union. 

The most frequently encountered unofficial language in Ireland is French (20% of the population speaks), which is why it is considered the most useful for learning by 58% of the population (in general, 64% of the population recognize French useful for learning). 34% of the population speaks languages different from their native language (which means that 66% of the population does not speak foreign languages). 65% of the population believes that their fellow countrymen do not speak languages well enough, 64% believe that foreign languages are worth learning, while 85% of the townspeople do not use foreign languages in their daily life. 

3. Currency in Ireland

The Irish pound is the currency in Ireland before the introduction of the euro in 2002. The Irish pound was designated by the symbol “£” or to avoid confusion with the pound sterling “IR £”.

As of December 31, 2001, the total value of Irish banknotes in circulation was €4,343.8 million, and the total value of Irish coins was €387,900,000. Ireland's entry into the euro area was one of the fastest in the Eurozone, some shops stopped accepting pounds within a week of the country's transition to the euro.

1 EUR = 1.19 USD (as of June 2021)

4. Internet in Ireland

Ireland, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Finland, and Norway are among the “forerunners” of e-commerce. Overall, more than 70% of adults in these European countries shop online, and in most low- and middle-income countries, no more than 10%.

Irish people buy more online than in regular stores. The expenses made for online purchases exceeded the expenses for purchases in brick-and-mortar stores, according to payment aggregator Revolut.

Since November 2020, online payment transactions have accounted for 51% of the total number of purchases. Since the start of the pandemic restrictions introduced in March, the number of online shopping transactions has increased by 25%, but many Revolut customers continued to pay with the company's cards in regular stores.

A new lockdown and a ban on the sale of non-essential goods forced shoppers to turn to online Christmas shopping.

It is reported that those stores that have switched to online shopping or offer pre-ordering goods online have increased their sales.

5. Economic development in Ireland

The Republic of Ireland's economy is a modern, relatively small, trade-dependent economy that grew over the period 1995-2000 and averaged 10%.

The agricultural sector, which once played a dominant role in the system, is now being replaced by an industrial sector; the industrial sector accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the workforce. While exports remain the main engine of Ireland's growth, development is also driven by increased consumer spending and a recovery in both construction and business investment.

Highly qualified workforce. The unemployment rate is very low and the incomes of the population are characterized by rapid growth, together with the prices of services (utilities, insurance, health care, lawyers, etc.). Ireland is one of the world's largest corporate offshore zones.

According to the data of the EES EAEC website, calculated on the basis of EIA information (as of December 2015), the total energy reserves (estimated) are 0.027 billion toe (in coal equivalent) or 0.002% of the global (179 countries).

The final consumption of electricity in 2019 is 28,560 million kWh.

The main trends in changes in the structure and levels of consumption:

The economy of the Republic of Ireland has been gradually gaining momentum over the past 20 years. The economic system is heavily dependent on trade. Several decades ago, the agrarian sector played a leading role in the economic development of the country. However, its influence has diminished over time.

Now the profit from the agricultural sphere of activity is no more than 10% of the country's total GDP. About 8% of the total number of working citizens are employed in this particular field of activity. The area of meat and dairy products has received greater development in Ireland. Poultry farming is rather poorly developed. In recent years, crop production has been a subsidized activity. As a rule, various types of cereals, potatoes and sugar beets are grown. But, the total number of agricultural products is not enough even for domestic consumption, so wheat and many other things are bought abroad. Active fishing is carried out in the coastal waters. Export includes cod, haddock, herring, mussels and lobsters, as well as salmon.

 

Telecommunications in Ireland is considered one of the most developed among all countries of the European Union. There are at least one hundred radio stations and four television stations operating successfully, despite the fact that this republic is considered rather small. Tourism has also started to develop actively in recent years. It is worth noting that incredibly beautiful natural conditions have been created in Ireland, thanks to which tourists from different parts of the world travel to Ireland every year. Today, at least seven million travelers visit the country a year, and most of them are exclusively for tourism. The bulk of Ireland's freight traffic is at seaports. There are 26 large-tonnage vessels operating in the country. The main ports are located in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and other major coastal cities. Domestic transportation was mainly carried out by rail, road, air and bus communication.

6. Job in Ireland

Unemployment does not exceed 4-6%, and among young people it reaches 10%. 62 thousand men and 49.4 thousand women are not employed in the country. The most in-demand professions are programmers, doctors, financiers and business analysts.

The salary in Ireland in 2021:

The minimum income that Irish workers can expect is governed by the Irish National Minimum Wage Act 2000. In addition, in certain sectors of the economy, rates are regulated by special agreements.

According to the Irish Department of Employment and Social Welfare, the official minimum wage in Ireland from January 1, 2021 is €10.20 per hour. At the same time, hourly rates for young professionals are calculated as a percentage of the base amount:

- up to 18 years old - 7.14 EUR (70%)

- 18 years old - 8.16 EUR (80%)

- 19 years old - 9.18 EUR (90%)

 

If an employer in Ireland provides an employee with food and housing, the following amounts may be included in the calculation of the minimum wage: €0.91 per hour (meals) and €24.10 per week/ €3.45 per day (accommodation).

 

According to official figures from the Irish Central Statistical Office, the average salary in Ireland in 2021 is 845 EUR per week, up 7.5% compared to the same period last year (786.33 EUR). The hourly rate is €25.56. Before taxes, Irish people earn €3,660 per month, and after all deductions, €2,600 remains.

 

The highest average weekly earnings in Ireland were recorded in the information and communications sector (€1,344.59) and finance, insurance and real estate (€1,189.59). The lowest incomes are provided by the services of accommodation and catering (390.04 euros) and arts, entertainment, recreation (556.58 euros).

 

Average salaries in Ireland in the public sector showed an increase of 3.4% - from 991.07 euros to 1,024.53 euros per week. In the private sector, the growth was 8.5% - from 726.32 euros to 788.33 euros. Overall, Irish workers' earnings increased by 7.5% over the five years, from €711.23 in Q4 2015 to €844.98 in 2020.

 

Ireland's favorable economic situation, including high wages, is largely due to the influx of skilled labor migrants. For example, according to local authorities, only in the field of information technology in recent years, about half of new jobs were occupied by foreign specialists. Moreover, work in Ireland attracts not only applicants from Central and Eastern Europe, but also from many EU countries, including Italy, Spain and Croatia.

One of the main taxes that citizens of this republic are obliged to pay is the pension tax. It directly depends on the size of wages. So, with a salary of 15,000 euros, a tax of 3% is paid.

 

The largest cities in Ireland are the capital Dublin and, in Northern Ireland, the capital Belfast. If we take into account the salaries of their residents, they are much higher than in small towns and settlements, where they mainly receive minimum wages.

 

The most common places to find a job are: Dublin (capital), Cork, Limerick, Talla, Waterford, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway.

Salary by city/ €:

Dublin - €2350

Cork - €2240

Limerick - €1800

Waterford - €2300

Galway - €1900

Average salary by profession/ €:

Beauty therapist - €11,333

Architect - €8083

Actuary (specialist in insurance mathematics) - €7917

Accountant - €3266

Bartender - €1597

 

7. Working days and holidays in Ireland

 

Official holidays and weekends in Ireland:

 

In Ireland, several calendars of the most important holidays are used at the same time, while Christian and pagan holidays can often coincide.

 

January 1st - New Year

February 1st - St. Brigitte's Day, the first day of spring, the holiday of Imbolc

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day, Ireland's national holiday

Holy Friday (Good Friday, the last Friday before Easter) is not considered a public holiday, but on this day most Irish banks and companies are closed

Easter

May 1st - The first day of summer, Beltane holiday

June 24 - St. John's Day, the longest day of the year.

August 1st - The first day of autumn, harvest, Lugnasad festival

September 29 - St. Michael's Day

October 31st - Night of Samhain, the eve of "All Saints Day", the first day of winter

December 25 - Christmas

December 26 - St. Stephen's Day

 

In Ireland, they work an average of 35 hours per week. Although in the late 80s the Irish worked 44 hours, that is, much more than the rest of the Europeans. There are two reasons for the trend: the desire of some specialists to switch to a shorter working day, and the undeveloped local labor market. To work hard and get enough money, many have to move to neighboring Great Britain.

 

8. Irish mentality

 

The main symbol in Ireland is the shamrock. It is used as an emblem by sports teams, troops, universities and other organizations (including Internet communities). He is also depicted on the official images of the country: stamps, seals and insignia of both state and military. The shamrock should not be confused with the four-leaf clover, which brings good luck. In Ireland, locals prefer to relax after work not in cafes and restaurants, which are abundant in the country, but in pubs. They believe that such a homely atmosphere and hospitality is not found anywhere else. In local pubs, you should definitely try the dark Guinness beer, which is one of the country's main treasures. Local residents have been engaged in its production for many centuries.

 

Sweets and flowers are considered good gifts in this country. Even flowers sent the next day after communication will be appreciated. If you are going to make a present for a not very close person, then you can order delivery via the Internet. And this will not be considered bad form.

 

The people of Ireland are renowned for their friendliness and courtesy. They treat guests of their country with keen interest and hospitality, regardless of their nationality. The only exceptions are the British, who are treated with caution and slight distrust by the Irish. A distinctive feature of the local population is attentiveness, they always strive to provide all possible assistance to those in need. Irish people do not accept unnecessary tactile contact. Men only hug at big events like soccer. The main greeting in Ireland is a raised index finger when meeting. Smoking of tobacco products is prohibited in catering establishments, cinemas and hotels. But visitors to the bars traditionally treat their friends to drinks. But on his birthday, it is not the birthday boy who treats his friends to a drink.

Like any other people, the Irish have taboos on some topics for communication, the mention of which can both offend and infuriate even the most benevolent and loyal representative of this people to the mistakes of others. Hobbies, family, sports, music - all this is completely safe for use in dialogue with the descendants of the Celts. But feminism, religion, the situation with the UK and Northern Ireland is better not to mention.

 

9. Advertising in Ireland

 

There are more and more advertisements for healthy food and drinks in Ireland. A report from the Irish out of home advertising agency PML Group (owned by Posterscope) for the first half of 2018 shows significant growth in advertising for healthy food and drinks. This category accounted for almost 8% of the placement volume on the OOH market.

 

With the introduction of a tax on sugar in soft drinks and a general increase in demand for healthy food, many variations of advertising stories have emerged in the out of home media. Sparkling ICE, Vit-Hit, Naked Juice and Vegified Juice have contributed 37% to placement in the soft drink category since the beginning of the year.

 

In the first half of 2018, in addition to low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, advertisements for low-calorie foods and confectionery products with a low sugar content were actively placed.

Non-alcoholic beverages were the fourth largest OOH advertiser category in H1 2018, led by financial services, retail, and beer.

 

Social advertisements are an important aspect of the fight for the safety of motorcyclists on public roads. By target audience, they can be divided into two categories: for motorists, for motorcyclists. In Northern Ireland, a new social video has been shown targeting car drivers. The message is extremely simple: before the maneuver, it is advisable to look a second time and make sure that it is safe. The ad says driver negligence is the most common cause of fatal motorcycle accidents.

 

Online advertising has gone from being a secondary channel in media buying to being an indispensable means of reaching and engaging consumers. In difficult economic conditions and given the stagnating media market, online advertising looks like a guiding star. She keeps him afloat and does not let him fall, notes another co-author Eleni Maruli.

 

The most advanced mobile advertising markets are Ireland and the United Kingdom. There, mobile accounts for about half of Internet advertising spending. In Europe as a whole, a quarter (25.4%) of display advertising is placed on mobile devices; in 2015, brands spent 3.5 billion euros on it, which is 60% more than in 2014. Online video advertising is also growing steadily and already occupies 16.7% of the media segment.

 

 

Ireland is also the leader in ad market growth, with 29% growth in 2015. High rates are shown by Bulgaria (+ 22.3%) and Poland (+ 21.8%). In terms of online advertising market size: (UK - €11.8 billion, Germany - €5.8 billion, France - €4.2 billion, Italy - €2.1 billion and the Netherlands - €1.6 billion).

 

Ads for fast food and junk food in Ireland to be restricted. New rules to advertise foods high in fat, salt and sugar, restricting access to these foods for children, will come into effect in December 2021. The new measures aim to ensure that these ads do not target or target young people under the age of 15. According to the rules, which will take effect on December 1st this year, junk food advertising is prohibited if more than 50% of the audience is under 15 years old. According to ASAI, there should be no fast-food marketing in places such as schools, kindergartens, youth centers, playgrounds and other places used by children.

 

The limits will also apply to the percentage of all junk food-related advertisements. No more than 1/3 of the available open space will be capable of carrying junk food marketing communications, and for film, digital and print media, no more than a quarter of the available advertising space. The new rules also apply to sponsorship packages, so it will be difficult for McDonald's to sponsor Irish events.

 

Ireland is a Guinness beer brand, but it is served by the British. Irish advertising creativity is much smaller in scope and ambition.

 

Announcements to recruit volunteers to participate in clinical trials are permitted in Ireland. Advertisements for recruiting volunteers to participate in clinical trials may not include information about prescription drugs or misleading information about expected or already received trial results. In addition, no claims are made that the product under test is safe to use.

 

10. Cryptocurrency in Ireland

 

The Central Bank of Ireland has extended anti-money laundering laws to cryptocurrency firms - from April 2021, companies will have to conduct special customer checks. In addition to implementing anti-money laundering procedures, Irish cryptocurrency firms will have to comply with other basic requirements of local regulators. Such procedures should be implemented by both cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset companies and financial service providers for these firms.

 

According to the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5) of the European Union, companies working with cryptocurrencies must identify the sender and recipient of funds. The introduction of such procedures will increase the cost of doing business, as well as reduce the level of anonymity in the cryptocurrency space in Ireland.

Also, changes in the laws will allow the Central Bank of Ireland to monitor appointments to management positions of cryptocurrency firms and take various preventive measures in case of non-compliance with AMLD5 norms. Irish officials hope the requirements will make crypto companies more regulated and the industry safer for users. This, in turn, will attract more clients to such firms and make cryptocurrencies more popular.

 

The AMLD5 directive was adopted in the European Union in January 2020.

 

Ireland's energy consumption grew 38% from 1990 to 2015, according to Eurostat. In total, Bitcoin uses 3 KWh less electricity than Ireland.

 

Ireland has one of the highest electricity prices in Europe. A kilowatt-hour costs 23.1 cents in the country, which is 13% more than in the rest of the EU. Simple arithmetic - every day, citizens of the country pay $19 million for electricity.

 

Due to the current state of the crypto market, mining is gradually losing profitability. Especially in some countries where Bitcoin mining will not generate any income at all after deducting equipment and electricity costs. For example, in Ireland, mining one coin with the ASIC Antminer S9 will cost $7,500.

 

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