Ireland's Call

"Ireland's Call" is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international Rugby Union fixtures. It has since also been adopted by the Irish Hockey, Cricket, Rugby League, Ireland national korfball team, and A1GP teams.

For the Irish rugby team in particular, the team has players from north and south, so internationally represents the island of Ireland as a whole. This is distinctly different from soccer for example where two separate teams, one for each of the political divide, i.e. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, compete internationally in the World Cup and other competitions.

Overview

For most sports, a team representing Ireland may include team members from any part of the island, even though the island is divided into two separate political areas. In the north-east, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, while the rest of the island forms the Republic of Ireland.

While "Amhrán na bhFiann" ("The Soldier's Song") is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland, its use arouses sensitivities among those with Unionist sympathies in Northern Ireland. Equally, the national anthem of Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, is "God Save The Queen", which is sensitive among those with Nationalist sympathies.

Ireland

Ireland (ⁱ/ˈaɪərlənd/; Irish: Éire [ˈeːɾʲə]; Ulster-Scots: Airlann [ˈɑːrlən]) is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.

Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and located in the northeast of the island. In 2011 the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.

The island's geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of its mild but changeable climate which avoids extremes in temperature. Thick woodlands covered the island until the Middle Ages. As of 2013, the amount of land that is wooded in Ireland is about 11% of the total, compared with a European average of 35%. There are 26 extant mammal species native to Ireland. The Irish climate is very moderated and classified as oceanic. As a result, winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area. However, summers are cooler than those in Continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.

Ireland (disambiguation)

Ireland usually refers to:

Ireland may also refer to:

Former political arrangements of Ireland

Ireland, Bedfordshire

Coordinates: 52°03′36″N 0°20′54″W / 52.06002°N 0.34836°W / 52.06002; -0.34836

Ireland is a hamlet in the civil parish of Southill, Bedfordshire, England.

External links

Media related to Ireland, Bedfordshire at Wikimedia Commons