Gargaz/Test · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 8 3.87k
76.04647064208984 29 WikiText2
4800 The North / South Ministerial Council is an institution through which ministers from the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive agree all @-@ island policies . At least six of these policy areas must have an associated all @-@ island " implementation bodies " and at least six others must be implemented separately in each jurisdiction . The implementation bodies are : Waterways Ireland , the Food Safety Promotion Board , InterTradeIreland , the Special European Union Programmes Body , the North / South Language Body and the Foyle , Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission .
89.9394302368164 102 WikiText2
4801 The British – Irish Intergovernmental Conference provides for co @-@ operation between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom on all matter of mutual interest , especially Northern Ireland . In light of the Republic 's particular interest in the governance of Northern Ireland , " regular and frequent " meetings co @-@ chaired by the ROI Minister for Foreign Affairs and the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland , dealing with non @-@ devolved matters to do with Northern Ireland and non @-@ devolved all @-@ Ireland issues , are required to take place under the establishing treaty .
44.748779296875 115 WikiText2
4802 The North / South Inter @-@ Parliamentary Association is a joint parliamentary forum for the island of Ireland . It has no formal powers but operates as a forum for discussing matters of common concern between the respective legislatures .
111.17672729492188 42 WikiText2
4803 = = Economy = =
965.3128662109375 5 WikiText2
4804 Despite the two jurisdictions using two distinct currencies ( the euro and pound sterling ) , a growing amount of commercial activity is carried out on an all @-@ Ireland basis . This has been facilitated by the two jurisdictions ' shared membership of the European Union , and there have been calls from members of the business community and policymakers for the creation of an " all @-@ Ireland economy " to take advantage of economies of scale and boost competitiveness .
39.96126174926758 87 WikiText2
4805 There are two multi @-@ city regions on the island of Ireland :
440.9981689453125 15 WikiText2
4806 Dublin @-@ Belfast corridor - 3 @.@ 3 m
2367.02392578125 13 WikiText2
4807 Cork @-@ Limerick @-@ Galway corridor - 1 m
432.8962097167969 13 WikiText2
4808 Below is a comparison of the Regional GDP on the island of Ireland .
93.92948913574219 14 WikiText2
4809 The BMW region of the Republic of Ireland ( consisting of Connacht , Counties Laois , Offaly , Westmeath , Longford , Donegal , Monaghan , Cavan , Louth )
37.55958557128906 30 WikiText2
4810 The S & E region of the Republic of Ireland ( consisting of Munster , Counties Dublin , Wicklow , Meath , Kildare , Kilkenny , Carlow , Wexford ) .
26.690462112426758 31 WikiText2
4811 = = = Energy = = =
138.08973693847656 7 WikiText2
4812 Ireland has an ancient industry based on peat ( known locally as " turf " ) as a source of energy for home fires . A form of biomass energy , this source of heat is still widely used in rural areas . However , due to the ecological importance of peatlands in storing carbon and their rarity , the EU is attempting to protect this habitat by fining Ireland if they are dug up . In cities , heat is generally supplied by heating oil , although some urban suppliers distribute " sods of turf " as " smokeless fuel " .
66.83572387695312 103 WikiText2
4813 An area in which the island operates as a single market is electricity . For much of their existence electricity networks in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were entirely separate . Both networks were designed and constructed independently post partition . However , as a result of changes over recent years they are now connected with three interlinks and also connected through Great Britain to mainland Europe . The situation in Northern Ireland is complicated by the issue of private companies not supplying Northern Ireland Electricity ( NIE ) with enough power . In the Republic of Ireland , the ESB has failed to modernise its power stations and the availability of power plants has recently averaged only 66 % , one of the worst such rates in Western Europe . EirGrid is building a HVDC transmission line between Ireland and Great Britain with a capacity of 500 MW , about 10 % of Ireland 's peak demand .
37.20811080932617 161 WikiText2
4814 As with electricity , the natural gas distribution network is also now all @-@ island , with a pipeline linking Gormanston , County Meath , and Ballyclare , County Antrim completed in 2007 . Most of Ireland 's gas comes through interconnectors between Twynholm in Scotland and Ballylumford , County Antrim and Loughshinny , County Dublin . A decreasing supply is coming from the Kinsale gas field off the County Cork coast and the Corrib Gas Field off the coast of County Mayo has yet to come on @-@ line . The County Mayo field is facing some localised opposition over a controversial decision to refine the gas onshore .
76.5415267944336 114 WikiText2
4815 The Republic of Ireland has shown a strong commitment to renewable energy , ranking as one of the top 10 markets for cleantech investment in the 2014 Global Green Economy Index . Research and development in Ireland in renewable energy such as wind power has increased since 2004 . Large wind farms are being constructed in coastal counties such as Cork , Donegal , Mayo and Antrim . The construction of wind farms has in some cases been delayed by opposition from local communities , some of whom overall consider the wind turbines to be unsightly . The Republic of Ireland is also hindered by an ageing network that was not designed to handle the varying availability of power that comes from wind farms . The ESB 's Turlough Hill facility is the only power @-@ storage facility in the state .
27.97353172302246 144 WikiText2
4816 = = Geography = =
412.44439697265625 5 WikiText2
4817 The island of Ireland is located in the north @-@ west of Europe , between latitudes 51 ° and 56 ° N , and longitudes 11 ° and 5 ° W. It is separated from the neighbouring island of Great Britain by the Irish Sea and the North Channel , which has a width of 23 kilometres ( 14 mi ) at its narrowest point . To the west is the northern Atlantic Ocean and to the south is the Celtic Sea , which lies between Ireland and Brittany , in France . Ireland has a total area of 84 @,@ 421 km2 ( 32 @,@ 595 sq mi ) . Ireland and Great Britain , together with many nearby smaller islands , are known collectively as the British Isles . As the term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland , the alternate term Britain and Ireland is often used as a neutral term for the islands .
23.433815002441406 166 WikiText2
4818 A ring of coastal mountains surround low plains at the centre of the island . The highest of these is Carrauntoohil ( Irish : Corrán Tuathail ) in County Kerry , which rises to 1 @,@ 038 m ( 3 @,@ 406 ft ) above sea level . The most arable land lies in the province of Leinster . Western areas can be mountainous and rocky with green panoramic vistas . The River Shannon , the island 's longest river at 386 km ( 240 mi ) long , rises in County Cavan in the north west and flows 113 kilometres ( 70 mi ) to Limerick city in the mid west .
69.69198608398438 117 WikiText2
4819 The island 's lush vegetation , a product of its mild climate and frequent rainfall , earns it the sobriquet the Emerald Isle . Overall , Ireland has a mild but changeable oceanic climate with few extremes . The climate is typically insular and is temperate avoiding the extremes in temperature of many other areas in the world at similar latitudes . This is a result of the moderating moist winds which ordinarily prevail from the South @-@ Western Atlantic .
73.18634033203125 83 WikiText2
4820 Precipitation falls throughout the year but is light overall , particularly in the east . The west tends to be wetter on average and prone to Atlantic storms , especially in the late autumn and winter months . These occasionally bring destructive winds and higher total rainfall to these areas , as well as sometimes snow and hail . The regions of north County Galway and east County Mayo have the highest incidents of recorded lightning annually for the island , with lightning occurring approximately five to ten days per year in these areas . Munster , in the south , records the least snow whereas Ulster , in the north , records the most .
38.98681640625 116 WikiText2
4821 Inland areas are warmer in summer and colder in winter . Usually around 40 days of the year are below freezing 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ) at inland weather stations , compared to 10 days at coastal stations . Ireland is sometimes affected by heat waves , most recently in 1995 , 2003 , 2006 and 2013 . In common with the rest of Europe , Ireland experienced unusually cold weather during the winter of 2009 / 10 . Temperatures fell as low as − 17 @.@ 2 ° C ( 1 ° F ) in County Mayo on 20 December and up to a metre ( 3 ft ) of snow fell in mountainous areas .
34.124820709228516 122 WikiText2
4822 The island consists of varied geological provinces . In the far west , around County Galway and County Donegal , is a medium to high grade metamorphic and igneous complex of Caledonide affinity , similar to the Scottish Highlands . Across southeast Ulster and extending southwest to Longford and south to Navan is a province of Ordovician and Silurian rocks , with similarities to the Southern Uplands province of Scotland . Further south , along the County Wexford coastline , is an area of granite intrusives into more Ordovician and Silurian rocks , like that found in Wales .
55.51837921142578 99 WikiText2
4823 In the southwest , around Bantry Bay and the mountains of Macgillicuddy 's Reeks , is an area of substantially deformed , but only lightly metamorphosed , Devonian @-@ aged rocks . This partial ring of " hard rock " geology is covered by a blanket of Carboniferous limestone over the centre of the country , giving rise to a comparatively fertile and lush landscape . The west @-@ coast district of the Burren around Lisdoonvarna has well @-@ developed karst features . Significant stratiform lead @-@ zinc mineralisation is found in the limestones around Silvermines and Tynagh .
118.58624267578125 107 WikiText2
4824 Hydrocarbon exploration is ongoing following the first major find at the Kinsale Head gas field off Cork in the mid @-@ 1970s . In 1999 , economically significant finds of natural gas were made in the Corrib Gas Field off the County Mayo coast . This has increased activity off the west coast in parallel with the " West of Shetland " step @-@ out development from the North Sea hydrocarbon province . The Helvick oil field , estimated to contain over 28 million barrels ( 4 @,@ 500 @,@ 000 m3 ) of oil , is another recent discovery .
94.06861877441406 109 WikiText2
4825 Landscapes
440.57489013671875 1 WikiText2
4826 = = = Places of interest = = =
147.12289428710938 9 WikiText2
4827 There are three World Heritage Sites on the island : the Brú na Bóinne , Skellig Michael and the Giant 's Causeway . A number of other places are on the tentative list , for example the Burren , the Ceide Fields and Mount Stewart .
90.94967651367188 46 WikiText2
4828 Some of the most visited sites in Ireland include Bunratty Castle , the Rock of Cashel , the Cliffs of Moher , Holy Cross Abbey and Blarney Castle . Historically important monastic sites include Glendalough and Clonmacnoise , which are maintained as national monuments in the Republic of Ireland .
35.694297790527344 50 WikiText2
4829 Dublin is the most heavily touristed region and home to several of the most popular attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse and Book of Kells . The west and south west , which includes the Lakes of Killarney and the Dingle peninsula in County Kerry and Connemara and the Aran Islands in County Galway , are also popular tourist destinations .
31.199975967407227 61 WikiText2
4830 Achill Island lies off the coast of County Mayo and is Ireland 's largest island . It is a popular tourist destination for surfing and contains 5 Blue Flag beaches and Croaghaun one of the worlds highest sea cliffs . Stately homes , built during the 17th , 18th and 19th centuries in Palladian , Neoclassical and neo @-@ Gothic styles , such as , Castle Ward , Castletown House , Bantry House , Glenveagh Castle are also of interest to tourists . Some have been converted into hotels , such as Ashford Castle , Castle Leslie and Dromoland Castle .
72.1694564819336 103 WikiText2
4831 World Heritage Sites
2112.002197265625 3 WikiText2
4832 = = Flora and fauna = =
289.5452575683594 7 WikiText2
4833 Because Ireland became isolated from mainland Europe by rising sea levels before the last ice age had completely finished , it has fewer land animal and plant species than Great Britain , which separated later , or mainland Europe . There are 55 mammal species in Ireland and of them only 26 land mammal species are considered native to Ireland . Some species , such as , the red fox , hedgehog and badger , are very common , whereas others , like the Irish hare , red deer and pine marten are less so . Aquatic wildlife , such as species of sea turtle , shark , seal , whale , and dolphin , are common off the coast . About 400 species of birds have been recorded in Ireland . Many of these are migratory , including the barn swallow .
25.447368621826172 143 WikiText2
4834 Several different habitat types are found in Ireland , including farmland , open woodland , temperate broadleaf and mixed forests , conifer plantations , peat bogs and a variety of coastal habitats . However , agriculture drives current land use patterns in Ireland , limiting natural habitat preserves , particularly for larger wild mammals with greater territorial needs . With no large apex predators in Ireland other than humans and dogs , such populations of animals as semi @-@ wild deer that cannot be controlled by smaller predators , such as the fox , are controlled by annual culling .
63.39859390258789 103 WikiText2
4835 There are no snakes in Ireland and only one species of reptile ( the common lizard ) is native to the island . Extinct species include the Irish elk , the great auk and the wolf . Some previously extinct birds , such as the golden eagle , been reintroduced in about the year 2000 after decades of extirpation . Until medieval times Ireland was heavily forested with oak , pine and birch . Forests today cover about 12 @.@ 6 % of Ireland , of which 4 @,@ 450 km ² or one million acres is owned by Coillte , the Republic 's forestry service .
50.56868362426758 111 WikiText2
4836 As of 2012 the Republic is one of the least forested countries in Europe . Much of the land is now covered with pasture and there are many species of wild @-@ flower . Gorse ( Ulex europaeus ) , a wild furze , is commonly found growing in the uplands and ferns are plentiful in the more moist regions , especially in the western parts . It is home to hundreds of plant species , some of them unique to the island , and has been " invaded " by some grasses , such as Spartina anglica .
43.083526611328125 101 WikiText2
4837 The algal and seaweed flora is that of the cold @-@ temperate variety . The total number of species is 574 and is distributed as follows :
100.51531219482422 29 WikiText2
4838 264 Rhodophyta ( red algae )
480.8639221191406 6 WikiText2
4839 152 Phaeophyceae ( brown algae including kelps )
665.5537109375 8 WikiText2
4840 114 Chloropyta ( green algae )
867.4267578125 6 WikiText2
4841 31 Cyanophyta ( Blue @-@ green algae )
1367.6243896484375 10 WikiText2
4842 Rarer species include :
2373.746826171875 4 WikiText2
4843 Itonoa marginifera ( J.Agardh ) Masuda & Guiry
1541.9713134765625 8 WikiText2
4844 Schmitzia hiscockiana Maggs & Guiry
2715.81396484375 5 WikiText2
4845 Gelidiella calcicola Maggs & Guiry
876.876953125 5 WikiText2
4846 Gelidium maggsiae Rico & Guiry
9476.337890625 5 WikiText2
4847 Halymenia latifolia P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan ex Kützing .
183.7369842529297 8 WikiText2
4848 The island has been invaded by some algae , some of which are now well established . For example :
82.22642517089844 20 WikiText2
4849 Asparagopsis armara Harvey , which originated in Australia and was first recorded by M. De Valera in 1939

76.04647064208984 29 WikiText2

4800 The North / South Ministerial Council is an institution through which ministers from the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive agree all @-@ island policies . At least six of these policy areas must have an associated all @-@ island " implementation bodies " and at least six others must be implemented separately in each jurisdiction . The implementation bodies are : Waterways Ireland , the Food Safety Promotion Board , InterTradeIreland , the Special European Union Programmes Body , the North / South Language Body and the Foyle , Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission .

89.9394302368164 102 WikiText2

4801 The British – Irish Intergovernmental Conference provides for co @-@ operation between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom on all matter of mutual interest , especially Northern Ireland . In light of the Republic 's particular interest in the governance of Northern Ireland , " regular and frequent " meetings co @-@ chaired by the ROI Minister for Foreign Affairs and the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland , dealing with non @-@ devolved matters to do with Northern Ireland and non @-@ devolved all @-@ Ireland issues , are required to take place under the establishing treaty .

44.748779296875 115 WikiText2

4802 The North / South Inter @-@ Parliamentary Association is a joint parliamentary forum for the island of Ireland . It has no formal powers but operates as a forum for discussing matters of common concern between the respective legislatures .

111.17672729492188 42 WikiText2

4803 = = Economy = =

965.3128662109375 5 WikiText2

4804 Despite the two jurisdictions using two distinct currencies ( the euro and pound sterling ) , a growing amount of commercial activity is carried out on an all @-@ Ireland basis . This has been facilitated by the two jurisdictions ' shared membership of the European Union , and there have been calls from members of the business community and policymakers for the creation of an " all @-@ Ireland economy " to take advantage of economies of scale and boost competitiveness .

39.96126174926758 87 WikiText2

4805 There are two multi @-@ city regions on the island of Ireland :

440.9981689453125 15 WikiText2

4806 Dublin @-@ Belfast corridor - 3 @.@ 3 m

2367.02392578125 13 WikiText2

4807 Cork @-@ Limerick @-@ Galway corridor - 1 m

432.8962097167969 13 WikiText2

4808 Below is a comparison of the Regional GDP on the island of Ireland .

93.92948913574219 14 WikiText2

4809 The BMW region of the Republic of Ireland ( consisting of Connacht , Counties Laois , Offaly , Westmeath , Longford , Donegal , Monaghan , Cavan , Louth )

37.55958557128906 30 WikiText2

4810 The S & E region of the Republic of Ireland ( consisting of Munster , Counties Dublin , Wicklow , Meath , Kildare , Kilkenny , Carlow , Wexford ) .

26.690462112426758 31 WikiText2

4811 = = = Energy = = =

138.08973693847656 7 WikiText2

4812 Ireland has an ancient industry based on peat ( known locally as " turf " ) as a source of energy for home fires . A form of biomass energy , this source of heat is still widely used in rural areas . However , due to the ecological importance of peatlands in storing carbon and their rarity , the EU is attempting to protect this habitat by fining Ireland if they are dug up . In cities , heat is generally supplied by heating oil , although some urban suppliers distribute " sods of turf " as " smokeless fuel " .

66.83572387695312 103 WikiText2

4813 An area in which the island operates as a single market is electricity . For much of their existence electricity networks in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were entirely separate . Both networks were designed and constructed independently post partition . However , as a result of changes over recent years they are now connected with three interlinks and also connected through Great Britain to mainland Europe . The situation in Northern Ireland is complicated by the issue of private companies not supplying Northern Ireland Electricity ( NIE ) with enough power . In the Republic of Ireland , the ESB has failed to modernise its power stations and the availability of power plants has recently averaged only 66 % , one of the worst such rates in Western Europe . EirGrid is building a HVDC transmission line between Ireland and Great Britain with a capacity of 500 MW , about 10 % of Ireland 's peak demand .

37.20811080932617 161 WikiText2

4814 As with electricity , the natural gas distribution network is also now all @-@ island , with a pipeline linking Gormanston , County Meath , and Ballyclare , County Antrim completed in 2007 . Most of Ireland 's gas comes through interconnectors between Twynholm in Scotland and Ballylumford , County Antrim and Loughshinny , County Dublin . A decreasing supply is coming from the Kinsale gas field off the County Cork coast and the Corrib Gas Field off the coast of County Mayo has yet to come on @-@ line . The County Mayo field is facing some localised opposition over a controversial decision to refine the gas onshore .

76.5415267944336 114 WikiText2

4815 The Republic of Ireland has shown a strong commitment to renewable energy , ranking as one of the top 10 markets for cleantech investment in the 2014 Global Green Economy Index . Research and development in Ireland in renewable energy such as wind power has increased since 2004 . Large wind farms are being constructed in coastal counties such as Cork , Donegal , Mayo and Antrim . The construction of wind farms has in some cases been delayed by opposition from local communities , some of whom overall consider the wind turbines to be unsightly . The Republic of Ireland is also hindered by an ageing network that was not designed to handle the varying availability of power that comes from wind farms . The ESB 's Turlough Hill facility is the only power @-@ storage facility in the state .

27.97353172302246 144 WikiText2

4816 = = Geography = =

412.44439697265625 5 WikiText2

4817 The island of Ireland is located in the north @-@ west of Europe , between latitudes 51 ° and 56 ° N , and longitudes 11 ° and 5 ° W. It is separated from the neighbouring island of Great Britain by the Irish Sea and the North Channel , which has a width of 23 kilometres ( 14 mi ) at its narrowest point . To the west is the northern Atlantic Ocean and to the south is the Celtic Sea , which lies between Ireland and Brittany , in France . Ireland has a total area of 84 @,@ 421 km2 ( 32 @,@ 595 sq mi ) . Ireland and Great Britain , together with many nearby smaller islands , are known collectively as the British Isles . As the term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland , the alternate term Britain and Ireland is often used as a neutral term for the islands .

23.433815002441406 166 WikiText2

4818 A ring of coastal mountains surround low plains at the centre of the island . The highest of these is Carrauntoohil ( Irish : Corrán Tuathail ) in County Kerry , which rises to 1 @,@ 038 m ( 3 @,@ 406 ft ) above sea level . The most arable land lies in the province of Leinster . Western areas can be mountainous and rocky with green panoramic vistas . The River Shannon , the island 's longest river at 386 km ( 240 mi ) long , rises in County Cavan in the north west and flows 113 kilometres ( 70 mi ) to Limerick city in the mid west .

69.69198608398438 117 WikiText2

4819 The island 's lush vegetation , a product of its mild climate and frequent rainfall , earns it the sobriquet the Emerald Isle . Overall , Ireland has a mild but changeable oceanic climate with few extremes . The climate is typically insular and is temperate avoiding the extremes in temperature of many other areas in the world at similar latitudes . This is a result of the moderating moist winds which ordinarily prevail from the South @-@ Western Atlantic .

73.18634033203125 83 WikiText2

4820 Precipitation falls throughout the year but is light overall , particularly in the east . The west tends to be wetter on average and prone to Atlantic storms , especially in the late autumn and winter months . These occasionally bring destructive winds and higher total rainfall to these areas , as well as sometimes snow and hail . The regions of north County Galway and east County Mayo have the highest incidents of recorded lightning annually for the island , with lightning occurring approximately five to ten days per year in these areas . Munster , in the south , records the least snow whereas Ulster , in the north , records the most .

38.98681640625 116 WikiText2

4821 Inland areas are warmer in summer and colder in winter . Usually around 40 days of the year are below freezing 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ) at inland weather stations , compared to 10 days at coastal stations . Ireland is sometimes affected by heat waves , most recently in 1995 , 2003 , 2006 and 2013 . In common with the rest of Europe , Ireland experienced unusually cold weather during the winter of 2009 / 10 . Temperatures fell as low as − 17 @.@ 2 ° C ( 1 ° F ) in County Mayo on 20 December and up to a metre ( 3 ft ) of snow fell in mountainous areas .

34.124820709228516 122 WikiText2

4822 The island consists of varied geological provinces . In the far west , around County Galway and County Donegal , is a medium to high grade metamorphic and igneous complex of Caledonide affinity , similar to the Scottish Highlands . Across southeast Ulster and extending southwest to Longford and south to Navan is a province of Ordovician and Silurian rocks , with similarities to the Southern Uplands province of Scotland . Further south , along the County Wexford coastline , is an area of granite intrusives into more Ordovician and Silurian rocks , like that found in Wales .

55.51837921142578 99 WikiText2

4823 In the southwest , around Bantry Bay and the mountains of Macgillicuddy 's Reeks , is an area of substantially deformed , but only lightly metamorphosed , Devonian @-@ aged rocks . This partial ring of " hard rock " geology is covered by a blanket of Carboniferous limestone over the centre of the country , giving rise to a comparatively fertile and lush landscape . The west @-@ coast district of the Burren around Lisdoonvarna has well @-@ developed karst features . Significant stratiform lead @-@ zinc mineralisation is found in the limestones around Silvermines and Tynagh .

118.58624267578125 107 WikiText2

4824 Hydrocarbon exploration is ongoing following the first major find at the Kinsale Head gas field off Cork in the mid @-@ 1970s . In 1999 , economically significant finds of natural gas were made in the Corrib Gas Field off the County Mayo coast . This has increased activity off the west coast in parallel with the " West of Shetland " step @-@ out development from the North Sea hydrocarbon province . The Helvick oil field , estimated to contain over 28 million barrels ( 4 @,@ 500 @,@ 000 m3 ) of oil , is another recent discovery .

94.06861877441406 109 WikiText2

4825 Landscapes

440.57489013671875 1 WikiText2

4826 = = = Places of interest = = =

147.12289428710938 9 WikiText2

4827 There are three World Heritage Sites on the island : the Brú na Bóinne , Skellig Michael and the Giant 's Causeway . A number of other places are on the tentative list , for example the Burren , the Ceide Fields and Mount Stewart .

90.94967651367188 46 WikiText2

4828 Some of the most visited sites in Ireland include Bunratty Castle , the Rock of Cashel , the Cliffs of Moher , Holy Cross Abbey and Blarney Castle . Historically important monastic sites include Glendalough and Clonmacnoise , which are maintained as national monuments in the Republic of Ireland .

35.694297790527344 50 WikiText2

4829 Dublin is the most heavily touristed region and home to several of the most popular attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse and Book of Kells . The west and south west , which includes the Lakes of Killarney and the Dingle peninsula in County Kerry and Connemara and the Aran Islands in County Galway , are also popular tourist destinations .

31.199975967407227 61 WikiText2

4830 Achill Island lies off the coast of County Mayo and is Ireland 's largest island . It is a popular tourist destination for surfing and contains 5 Blue Flag beaches and Croaghaun one of the worlds highest sea cliffs . Stately homes , built during the 17th , 18th and 19th centuries in Palladian , Neoclassical and neo @-@ Gothic styles , such as , Castle Ward , Castletown House , Bantry House , Glenveagh Castle are also of interest to tourists . Some have been converted into hotels , such as Ashford Castle , Castle Leslie and Dromoland Castle .

72.1694564819336 103 WikiText2

4831 World Heritage Sites

2112.002197265625 3 WikiText2

4832 = = Flora and fauna = =

289.5452575683594 7 WikiText2

4833 Because Ireland became isolated from mainland Europe by rising sea levels before the last ice age had completely finished , it has fewer land animal and plant species than Great Britain , which separated later , or mainland Europe . There are 55 mammal species in Ireland and of them only 26 land mammal species are considered native to Ireland . Some species , such as , the red fox , hedgehog and badger , are very common , whereas others , like the Irish hare , red deer and pine marten are less so . Aquatic wildlife , such as species of sea turtle , shark , seal , whale , and dolphin , are common off the coast . About 400 species of birds have been recorded in Ireland . Many of these are migratory , including the barn swallow .

25.447368621826172 143 WikiText2

4834 Several different habitat types are found in Ireland , including farmland , open woodland , temperate broadleaf and mixed forests , conifer plantations , peat bogs and a variety of coastal habitats . However , agriculture drives current land use patterns in Ireland , limiting natural habitat preserves , particularly for larger wild mammals with greater territorial needs . With no large apex predators in Ireland other than humans and dogs , such populations of animals as semi @-@ wild deer that cannot be controlled by smaller predators , such as the fox , are controlled by annual culling .

63.39859390258789 103 WikiText2

4835 There are no snakes in Ireland and only one species of reptile ( the common lizard ) is native to the island . Extinct species include the Irish elk , the great auk and the wolf . Some previously extinct birds , such as the golden eagle , been reintroduced in about the year 2000 after decades of extirpation . Until medieval times Ireland was heavily forested with oak , pine and birch . Forests today cover about 12 @.@ 6 % of Ireland , of which 4 @,@ 450 km ² or one million acres is owned by Coillte , the Republic 's forestry service .

50.56868362426758 111 WikiText2

4836 As of 2012 the Republic is one of the least forested countries in Europe . Much of the land is now covered with pasture and there are many species of wild @-@ flower . Gorse ( Ulex europaeus ) , a wild furze , is commonly found growing in the uplands and ferns are plentiful in the more moist regions , especially in the western parts . It is home to hundreds of plant species , some of them unique to the island , and has been " invaded " by some grasses , such as Spartina anglica .

43.083526611328125 101 WikiText2

4837 The algal and seaweed flora is that of the cold @-@ temperate variety . The total number of species is 574 and is distributed as follows :

100.51531219482422 29 WikiText2

4838 264 Rhodophyta ( red algae )

480.8639221191406 6 WikiText2

4839 152 Phaeophyceae ( brown algae including kelps )

665.5537109375 8 WikiText2

4840 114 Chloropyta ( green algae )

867.4267578125 6 WikiText2

4841 31 Cyanophyta ( Blue @-@ green algae )

1367.6243896484375 10 WikiText2

4842 Rarer species include :

2373.746826171875 4 WikiText2

4843 Itonoa marginifera ( J.Agardh ) Masuda & Guiry

1541.9713134765625 8 WikiText2

4844 Schmitzia hiscockiana Maggs & Guiry

2715.81396484375 5 WikiText2

4845 Gelidiella calcicola Maggs & Guiry

876.876953125 5 WikiText2

4846 Gelidium maggsiae Rico & Guiry

9476.337890625 5 WikiText2

4847 Halymenia latifolia P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan ex Kützing .

183.7369842529297 8 WikiText2

4848 The island has been invaded by some algae , some of which are now well established . For example :

82.22642517089844 20 WikiText2

4849 Asparagopsis armara Harvey , which originated in Australia and was first recorded by M. De Valera in 1939