English Schools - Courses in Ireland: Learn English in Ireland
Come and join us at one of our English schools and courses in Ireland and learn English in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and the greenest country on the face of the earth. Come travel the countryside and revel in the stunning emerald glow. The terrain of Ireland features rolling hills, rugged seascapes, mountains and lakes, but Ireland also plays host to several quaint cities, and many historical landmarks. Learn English in Ireland and enjoy an experience you won't soon forget. Trade proverbs with the locals over a Guinness, and embark on fantastic tours through enchanting castles. Join us on one of our English courses in Ireland and this truly remarkable country will guarantee a priceless experience!
Ireland - History
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian Boru defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties, while the six counties in the North continued to be part of the UK. In 1948, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth ; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some difficulties
English Courses Ireland - Geography
 Situated in Western Europe, this country occupies five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, and west of Great Britain. It has a strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe ; over 40% of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin
Ireland is divided into four provinces - Ulster (North), Leinster (East), Munster (South) and Connaught (West) - each of which is sub-divided into counties. There are thirty-two counties, with six of them being ruled by Britain ( Ulster : Down, Antrim, Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh ). The remaining twenty-six counties form the Republic of Ireland ( Ulster : Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan; Leinster : Dublin, Louth, Meath, Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford, Kilkenny, Laois, Kildaire, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath; Munster : Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Kerry, Waterford and Clare; Connaught : Mayo, Sligo, Galway, Leitrim and Roscommon).
The island's main rivers are: the Boyne, the Liffey, the Slaney, the Barrow, the Nore and the Suir in Leinster, the Blackwater and the Lee in Munster, the Moy in Connaught and the Shannon, (the longest river in Ireland ) on the borderline of Connaught and Leinster.
English Schools Ireland - Economy
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the labor force. While exports are still very important for Ireland 's growth, consumer spending, construction, and business investment have also improved the economy. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four big European economies and the second highest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in circulating the Euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU nations.
English Courses Ireland - Climate
Since Ireland is an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the North, West and South, it benefits from the ocean's moderating effects and the Gulf Stream. The climate is usually mild but can be unpredictable in winter. The main characteristic of the Irish weather is 'rain', especially in the South West.
English Schools Ireland - Food
Food is expensive in Ireland, although quality has generally improved enormously in the last ten years. Most small towns will have a supermarket and many have a weekly farmers' market. The cheapest option for eating out is either fast food or pubs. Many pubs offer a carvery lunch consisting of roasted meat, vegetables and the ubiquitous potatoes, which is usually good value. Vegetarian selections are limited outside the main cities. Modern Irish cuisine emphasises fresh local ingredients, simply prepared and presented (sometimes with some Mediterranean-style twists). Meat (especially lamb), seafood and dairy produce can be of a very high quality. Try some soda bread, made with buttermilk and leavened with bicarbonate of soda rather than yeast. It is heavy, tasty and almost a meal in itself! In recent years many good quality, not too expensive restaurants have been set up.
The small town of Kinsale near Cork has become internationally famous for its many excellent restaurants, especially fish restaurants.
Ireland - Interesting facts
The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia, in County Galway.
An odd Irish birthday tradition is to lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps should allegedly correspond to the child's age plus one.
Wooden truncheons, or paddy wackers, which have been carried by Irish police since the 1800s, will be phased out this year. They are being replaced by lightweight retractable batons.
The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000-year lease on its property, at a perpetual rate of 45 Irish pounds per year.
 The island of Montserrat is sometimes called "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean," and has a shamrock carved above the door of the governor's home, areas called Cork and Kinsale, and people with names like O'Garra and Riley. The island was originally settled in 1633 by Irish-Catholics who came from the nearby island of St. Kitts.
Cedric Gibbons, who was born in Dublin in 1823, designed the “Oscar” statuette handed out at the Academy Awards. Gibbons had immigrated to the US, and was considered MGM's top set designer from the twenties to the fifties. He worked on over 1,500 films. Aside from designing the coveted prize, Mr. Gibbons won a dozen of them himself.
One of the most popular radio shows in rural parts of Ireland is the weekly broadcast of local obituaries.
The word quiz was purportedly invented in the 1830's by a Dublin theater owner named Richard Daly. He had made a bet that he could make a gibberish word known throughout the city in just two days. Legend tells us that Daly gave his employees cards with the word “quiz” written on them. He then told them to write it on walls all over the city. A few historians argue that the word was previously in us, but most are of the opinion that it did not get it's current definition - "to question or interrogate" - until the 19th century.
The Vikings founded Dublin in 988.
An English barrister named Fred Weatherly, while he was riding on a commuter train allegedly wrote the lyrics to “Danny Boy”.
The first three days of April are called the "Borrowed Days" and are traditionally associated with bad weather. This comes from a legend where a mythical cow boasted that March was unable to kill her. The result was that March borrowed three days of bad weather from April to try to defeat the cow.
The Charitable Irish Society of Boston hosted the very first St. Patrick's Day parade in America in 1737.
Famous People
James Joyce (1882-1941) based characters in his writings (much of which was autobiographical) on family members and familiar and casual acquaintances. After the death of his mother, Joyce resided at a variety of addresses, one of which was the Martello Tower, Sandycove. He only stayed there for six days. This tower is the setting for the first scene of his masterpiece 'Ulysses'. It now is home to the ' James Joyce Museum '.
Learn English Ireland - Advice
At our English schools and courses in Ireland our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.
 The English school and course you choose in Ireland is going to be the core of your English study, so make sure you choose a English language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our English courses at our English schools in Ireland, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice English in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.
You must work at your new English language skills every day. Ideally, you should study English an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice English every single day.
If you attend one of our English courses in Ireland and you learn English everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the English language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the English language.
Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.
Phrase Book
These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn English and they are convenient and cheap.
Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the English language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to English AND English to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the English language, but may be difficult to translate.
Flashcards
A simple English language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.
Talk to yourself
 It may be obvious, but the best way to learn English in Ireland is to speak English in Ireland ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice English by thinking English. Throughout the day, think of the English words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic English phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.
Practice with friends
Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak English, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or 'see you later' in English will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!
Listen to music
Listen to English music. You'll hear the English language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in English might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in English and many different languages.
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