爱尔兰共和国，简称“爱尔兰”，位于欧洲大陆西北海岸，西临大西洋，东靠爱尔兰海，与英国隔海相望，是北美通向欧洲的通道。绿树成荫，绿草遍野，故有“翡翠岛国”、“绿宝石”及“绿岛”之美誉。山峦环抱的中原地区多为丘陵和平原。海岸线上绵延崎岖的山崖，翠绿的乡村，蜿蜒的湖岸和纵横的河流。其中香农河是不列颠群岛最长的河流，全长约400公里，贯穿整个爱尔兰岛，发源于奎尔卡山西麓的香农潭，向南流经中央低地，起伏于丘陵之间，穿过湖泊和沼泽泥炭地带，下游转而向西，注入大西洋，是爱尔兰自古以来的重要水道。爱尔兰受墨西哥暖流影响，属典型温带海洋性气候，温和湿润，长年多雨。年平均气温4℃到20℃，四季区别不明显。气温相对均衡，全国气温基本一致。
约翰·斯科特尼著的《爱尔兰（英文版）》带你感受精彩的爱尔兰探索之旅。

Ireland
Introduction
Key Facts
Chapter 01 LAND & PEOPLE
Geography and Climate
Irish Society and People
The Importance of History to the Irish
The Making of Modern Ireland
The Main Irish Cities
Politics
Chapter 02 VALUES & ATTITUDES
Irishness
The Irish View of the Outside World
Ireland Today
Sex and Morality
Censorship and Bad Longunge
Social Attitudes and the TV Screen
Chapter 03 RELIGION & TRADITION
Religion Is Important
The Catholic Church in Ireland
Education
The Irish Way of Death
The Church of Ireland
Ecumenism
The Presbyterian Church
Methodists and Others
The Religious Orders
Irish Saints
Pilgrimage Sites
The Irish Language
Mythology
Irish Fairy Lore
Chapter 04 Getting On With the Irish
Home Life
Chapter 05 CULTURAL LIFE
Music, Song, and Dance
Traditional Music
Literature and the Bardic Tradition
Irish Novelists
Film
Festivals
Chapter 06 TIME OUT
Food and Eating Out
Drinking and Pubs
The Sporting Life
Chapter 07 The Economy
Internationalism
Business Etiquette
Women in Business
Management Style
Meetings, Negotiations, and Communication
Teams and Teamwork
Business Entertaining
Business, Shopping, and Banking Hours, and Public Holidays
Chaater 08 COMMUNICATING
A Love of the Language
The Importance of Understatement
Watch Out for Gossip!
Accent and Idiom
The Media
Communicating and Getting Around
Conclusion
Appendices
Places
People
Exercises