Ireland - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Ireland, it was the Irish name Eire evolved from the Gaelic name Eriu, which is possibly derived from the Old Celtic iveriu, meaning "good land;" the English name, Ireland, is a direct translation. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 28 counties and 3 cities*; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork*, Donegal, Dublin*, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway*, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
National symbols
Harp, shamrock (trefoil).
The flag
The National flag of Ireland has three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; the flag colors have no official meaning, but a common interpretation is that the green stands for the Irish nationalist tradition, orange for the Orange tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange), and white for peace or a lasting truce between the green and the orange.
Info
note: similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has red instead of orange
The National Anthem
| Title | |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music |
Info
More about the government of Ireland
| Date of Independence | 6 December 1921 (from the UK); 6 December 1922 (Irish Free State established); 18 April 1949 (Republic of Ireland Act enabled) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March |
| Legal system | common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1922; latest drafted 14 June 1937, adopted by plebiscite 1 July 1937, effective 29 December 1937 |
| Amendment process | Proposed as bills by Parliament; passage requires majority vote by both the Senate and House of Representatives, majority vote in a referendum, and presidential signature |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no, unless a parent of a child born in Ireland has been legally resident in Ireland for at least three of the four years prior to the birth of the child |
| Citizenship by descent only | yes |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 4 of the previous 8 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011) |
| Head of government | Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Michael MARTIN (since 23 January 2025) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by the Dali Eireann (lower house of Parliament) |
| Election/appointment process | president directly elected by majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); taoiseach (prime minister) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann), appointed by the president |
| Most recent election date | 26 October 2018 |
| Election results | 2025: Michael MARTIN is elected taoiseach by parliament, 95 votes to 76, and is appointed taoiseach by the president 2024: Simon HARRIS is elected taoiseach by parliament, 88 votes to 69, and is appointed taoiseach by the president 2018: Michael D. HIGGINS reelected president in first round; percent of vote in first round - Michael D. HIGGINS (independent) 55.8%, Peter CASEY (independent) 23.3%, Sean GALLAGHER (independent) 6.4%, Liadh NI RIADA (Sinn Fein) 6.4%, Joan FREEMAN (independent) 6%, Gavin DUFFY (independent) 2.2% |
| Expected date of next election | no later than November 2025 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parliament (Oireachtas) |
| Legislative structure | Bicameral |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of Ireland (consists of the chief justice, 9 judges, 2 ex-officio members -- the presidents of the High Court and Court of Appeal -- and organized in 3-, 5-, or 7-judge panels, depending on the importance or complexity of an issue of law) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Judges nominated by the prime minister and Cabinet and appointed by the president; chief justice serves in the position for 7 years; judges can serve until age 70 |
| Subordinate courts | High Court, Court of Appeal; circuit and district courts; criminal courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Geraldine BYRNE NASON (since 16 September 2022) |
| Chancery | 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 462-3939 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 232-5993 |
| Email address and website | https://www.ireland.ie/en/usa/washington/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Atlanta, Austin (TX), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Michael CLAUSEN (since January 2025) |
| Embassy | 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 |
| Mailing address | 5290 Dublin Place, Washington DC 20521-5290 |
| Telephone | [353] (1) 668-8777 |
| FAX | [353] (1) 688-8056 |
| Email address and website | ACSDublin@state.gov https://ie.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 2 (both cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne; Sceilg Mhichíl |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Ireland
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Ireland
Want to know more about Ireland? Check all different factbooks for Ireland below.
