#1229 Ireland

The national flag of Ireland (Irish: bratach na hÉireann) – frequently referred to as the Irish tricolour (trídhathach na hÉireann) – is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white, and orange.

The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is to say, flown horizontally, the flag is half as high as it is wide). The Irish government has described the symbolism behind each colour as being that "green represents the older Gaelic tradition while the orange represents the supporters of William of Orange. The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the 'Orange' and the 'Green'."

Presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from a small group of French women sympathetic to the Irish cause, it was not until the Easter Rising of 1916, when it was raised above the General Post Office in Dublin, that the tricolour came to be regarded as the national flag. Meagher was the son of Newfoundland-born mayor of Waterford, Thomas Meagher Jr. However, there are two theories on his inspiration for the flag: the similarly-coloured Newfoundland Tricolour credited in legend as having been created in 1843, though this seems unlikely given the actual known history surrounding the Newfoundland Tricolour; and the French Tricolour.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Nicole !

Sent on: March 1, 2017

Received on: March 6, 2017

#1094 Ireland

Date of Issue: May 12, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Declan !

Sent on: May 18, 2016

Received on: May 23, 2016

#913 Ireland

For more info about Ireland, see received card #300.

About some facts written on the card:

Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, venture capitalist, businessman and philanthropist. He is best recognized as the frontman of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Alison Stewart, and the future members of U2. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics, frequently using religious, social and political themes.During U2's early years, Bono's lyrics contributed to their rebellious and spiritual tone. As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences shared with the other members.

Wikipedia.org

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish author, playwright and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Today he is remembered for his epigrams, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his plays, as well as the circumstances of his imprisonment and early death.

Wikipedia.org

Pierce Brendan Brosnan, (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist who after leaving comprehensive school at age 16, began training in commercial illustration. He then went on to train at the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the television series Remington Steele (1982-87), which blended the genres of romantic comedy, drama and detective procedural.

Wikipedia.org

Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (born 8 December 1966) is an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra. O'Connor achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a new arrangement of Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U".

Wikipedia.org

The Hook Lighthouse (Irish: Teach Solais Rinn Duáin; also known as Hook Head Lighthouse) is a building situated at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford, in Ireland. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world, and the oldest operating lighthouse in Ireland. It is operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights, the Irish Lighthouse Authority, it marks the eastern entrance to Waterford Harbour. The current structure has stood for almost 800 years.

Wikipedia.org

Sean's Bar is a pub in Athlone, Ireland. It claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland, dating back to 900 AD. In 2004 Guinness World Records listed Sean's Bar as the oldest pub in Europe.

Sean's Bar is located on side Street, Athlone, on the east Bank of the River Shannon, and was originally known as Luain's Inn. It is often colloquially referred to simply as Sean's.

During renovations in 1970, the walls of the bar were found to be made of wattle and wicker, dating back to the tenth century. According to Frommer's travel guide, the bar holds records of every owner since its inception, including when Boy George owned it briefly in 1987.

Wikipedia.org

A leprechaun (Irish: leipreachán) is a type of fairy in Irish folklore. It is usually depicted as a little old man, wearing a coat and hat, who partakes in mischief. They are solitary creatures who spend their time making and mending shoes and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If captured by a human, the leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their freedom. Like other Irish fairies, leprechauns may be derived from the Tuatha Dé Danann. Leprechaun-like creatures rarely appear in Irish mythology and only became prominent in later folklore.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 14, 2015 | Europa 2015 'Old Toys'

Thank you, Anastasia !

Received on: June 15, 2015

#300 Dublin, Ireland

 Newgrange (Irish: Sí an Bhrú) is a prehistoric monument in County Meath, Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built about 3200 BC, during the Neolithic period, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and chambers inside. The mound has a retaining wall at the front and is ringed by 'kerbstones' engraved with artwork. There is no agreement about what the site was used for, but it has been speculated that it had religious significance – it is aligned with the rising sun and its light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. It is the most famous monument within the Neolithic Brú na Bóinne complex, alongside the similar passage tomb mounds of Knowth and Dowth, and as such is a part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. Newgrange also shares many similarities with other Neolithic constructions in Western Europe, such as Maeshowe in Orkney, Scotland and the Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales.

After its initial use, Newgrange was sealed and it remained so for several millennia, later appearing in Irish mythology and folklore. It first began to be studied by antiquarians in the 17th century AD and archeological excavations took place at the site over the following centuries. In the 1970s, the front of the monument was reconstructed, although some have questioned it. Today, Newgrange is a popular tourist site and, according to the archeologist Colin Renfrew, is "unhesitatingly regarded by the prehistorian as the great national monument of Ireland" and as one of the most important megalithic structures in Europe.

 Wikipedia.org

Property No #659

It's in the list of UNESCO as a part of Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne.

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1993

Ireland (Irish: Éire [ˈeːɾʲə]; Ulster-Scots: Airlann or Airlan) is an island to the north-west of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth. To its east is the larger island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea.

Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remaining area and is located in the north-east of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.4 million. 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 oceanic climate, which avoids extremes in temperature. Thick woodlands covered the island until medieval times. Today, the amount of land that is forested in Ireland is just one third of the European average of 35%. There are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland.

Wikipedia.org 

The Roman Catholic Church of St. Patrick is located in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. It is often mistaken for a cathedral, although it is only a church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh. It is built in the Gothic style, and was designed by the architect Thomas Duff.

Wikipedia.org 

***

This card is a Surprise card.

Andalusia (Spanish: Andalucía) is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities in Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognized as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Seville. Its capital is the city of Seville (Spanish: Sevilla).

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Anna !

Sent on: August 20, 2013
Received on: August 26, 2013

#268 Dublin, Ireland

The Hook Lighthouse (also known as Hook Head Lighthouse) is a building situated at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford, in Ireland. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world, and the oldest operating lighthouse in Ireland. It is operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights, the Irish Lighthouse Authority, it marks the eastern entrance to Waterford Harbour. The current structure has stood for almost 800 years.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Monika !

Sent on: July 4, 2013

Received on: July 9, 2013

#267 Dublin, Ireland

The Cliffs of Moher (Irish: Aillte an Mhothair) are located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres to the north.

The cliffs take their name from an old fort called Moher that once stood on Hag's Head, the southernmost point of the cliffs. The writer Thomas Johnson Westropp referred to it in 1905 as Moher Uí Ruis or Moher Uí Ruidhin. The fort still stood in 1780 and is mentioned in an account from John Lloyd's a Short Tour Of Clare (1780). It was demolished in 1808 to provide material for a new telegraph tower. The present tower near the site of the old Moher Uí Ruidhin was built as a lookout tower during the Napoleonic wars.

Wikipedia.org

O'Brien's Tower marks the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, located a short distance from the village Doolin, famous for its traditional Irish music. The tower is also near Liscannor a coastal village famous for its slate flagstones which were used for fencing purposes.

The tower was built on the cliffs in 1835 by local landlord Sir Cornellius O'Brien as an observation tower for the hundreds of Victorian tourists that frequented the cliffs at the time. Another version tells of O'Brien building the tower in order to impress women he was courting. On a clear day the view can extend as far as Loop Head at the southern tip of Clare and beyond to the mountains of Kerry. Looking north from O'Brien's Tower on clear days, the Twelve Bens in Connemara (also known as the Twelve Pins) beyond Galway Bay can be seen, and typically the Aran Islands to the west.

Folklore holds that Sir Cornellius O'Brien was a man ahead of his time, believing that the development of tourism would benefit the local economy and bring people out of poverty. O'Brien also built a wall of Moher flagstones along the Cliffs and it is said in the locality that he built everything in the area except the cliffs. He died in 1857 and his remains lie in the O'Brien vault in the graveyard adjoining St Brigid’s Well.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 2, 2013 | Europa 2013 "The Postman Van"

Thank you, Monika !

Sent on: July 4, 2013

Received on: July 9, 2013

#266 Dublin, Ireland

The Skellig Islands (Irish: Na Scealaga), once known as the Skellocks, are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about 13 km west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsulain County Kerry, Ireland. They are famous for their thriving gannet and puffin populations, and for an early Christian monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wikipedia.org

Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilig Mhichíl), or Great Skellig (Irish: Sceilig Mhór), is an island (the larger of the two Skellig Islands) in the Atlantic Ocean, 11.6 km west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. A Christian monastery was founded on the island at some point between the 6^th and 8^th century, and was continuously occupied until its abandonment in the late 12^th century. The remains of this monastery, along with most of the island itself, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1996.

Wikipedia.org

Property No #757

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1996

Date of Issue: May 2, 2013 | Europa 2013 "The Postman Van"

The stamp depicts two postmen, one on his bicycle and the other pushing a post trolley.
Posteurop.org

Thank you, Monika !

Her blog: http://monikuchaspostcards.blogspot.ie/

Sent on: July 4, 2013

Received on: July 9, 2013