The first attempts to unite the island politically began with the Norman invasion of 1169, and over the next 700 years, ruled with varying degrees of success by the English, later the British, Crown, Ireland could be said to have become a discrete, if colonised, political entity.
A substantial minority of Irish nationalists remained within the borders of these 6 Counties, and tensions between the two communities remain to this day. The Irish Free State adopted a written Constitution in 1937 and formally declared itself a Republic in 1948.
The population of the island as a whole is approximately 5 million, of whom 3.75 million live in the Irish Republic. Those in the 6 Counties are governed by the parliament at Westminster, while the South is a constitutional democracy ruled by a bi-cameral legislature. Universal suffrage is practised in both jurisdictions, with all those of the age of 18 and over having a vote. There is no state religion in either jurisdiction, though most people on the island profess one version or other of the Christian faiths. Voters in the Republic elect a President every seven years &emdash; the Presidency is a non-executive office, the Head of Government is the Prime Minister, called by the Gaelic word for chieftain, Taoiseach. Culturally there is no border. Irish, or Gaelic, is spoken all over the island, though with varying degrees of proficiency. Traditional music is widespread, and indeed regaining ground lost in the early years of the 20th century. Irish literature, in both languages, though perhaps especially in English, is thriving &emdash; three Nobel Prizes for literature have gone to Irishmen in this century, to George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, while James Joyce, that quintessential Dubliner, has long since been adopted by the world. Many hundrds of contemporary Irish authors are creating a substantial ferment in Ireland today, as are many musicians of world stature. The visual arts went through an explosive growth in the period since 1950, and an indigenous cinema is finally up and running. Many of the most gifted and challenging contemporary artists, musicians and writers are women, an age-old silence finally subverted and overthrown.
Ireland, together with Britain, joined the European Economic Community in 1973, and the consequences were far-reaching. A substantial inflow of funds speeded the modernisation of both parts of the island, perhaps more so in the South. While agriculture remains the economic engine of both jurisdictions, tourism and post rust-belt industries are making substantial inroads. Electronic, chemical and pharmaceutical multinationals are now the main industrial employers, drawn to Ireland by substantial state aid agencies, while the service sectors are also growing rapidly.