Northern Ireland

The greater part of Ireland became the Irish Free State (Eire) in 1922. It was a part of the British Commonwealth for a time, but reminded neutral in the Second World War and became a republic in 1949. Meanwhile the six northern counties reminded part of the United Kingdom.

In newspapers you often meet the world «Ulster» which stands for Northern Ireland. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. The political system of Northern Ireland was always dominated by religion. The Protestant and Catholic communities have been mutually hostile for centuries. British troops were sent to Northern Ireland to keep order.

The separation of the six northern counties in 1922 was not readily accepted by the rest of Ireland, and for a long time «Irish Question» has been one of the major problems of British politics. The protestant communities who are allied with the British government terrorize the catholic part of the population of Ulster. On their side are the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) and the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force).The catholic part of Northern Ireland has the IRA (Irish Republican Army) that wants to achieve a untied Ireland by violent means. Today they are condemned by the government of the Irish Republic.

Ex.4 Give English equivalents to the following Russian words.

1) заключить союз; 2) сохранить юридическую систему; 3) отдаленные районы; 4) сохранять; 5) национальное различие; 6) наследник; 7) титул; 8) политическое значение; 9) прилегающая территория; 10) народные танцы; 11) сохранить нейтралитет; 12) протестантское и католические общества; 13) враждебный; 14) отряд; 15) осуждать.

Ex.5 Answer the questions.

1. How big is Scotland? 2. What is the population of Scotland? 3. How did Scotland unite with England? 4. Who speaks the Gaelic language? 5. Where is the English language spoken in Scotland? 6. What parts does Scotland consist of? 7. What are the chief cities of Scotland? 8. Who is given the title «Prince of Wales»? 9. What is the capital of Wales like? 10. What is the only distinctive national feature left in Wales? 11. What are the Welsh famous for? 12. When did Eire become a republic? 13. What is Ulster? 14. What has always dominated the political system of Northern Ireland? 15. What is «Irish Question»?

Ex.6 Choose the right variant.

1 Scotland is …

1. more than twice as big as England; b) as big as England; c) more than half as big as England.

2 Until 1603 Scotland was …

1. an independent state; b) a democratic republic; c) an independent kingdom;

3 The Act of Union was passed in…:

1. 1603; b) 1703; c) 1707

4 The … language is spoken all over Scotland.

2. Celtic; b) English; c) Gaelic

5 … is the capital of Wales.

1. Edinburgh; b) Cardiff; c) Glasgow

6 The IRA is supported by …:

a) the Catholics; b) the Protestants; c) the Irish Republic Government

Ex.7 Tell everything what you know about

1. the following places:

Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Aberdeen, Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, Snowdon.

2. the following people:

Mary Queen of Scots, James Watt, Robert Burns, David Lloyd George, Prince Charles Edward Stewart, Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde.

Ex.8 Match

1. the correspondent Scottish words with the English ones:

Wee, laddie, bonnie, lass, bairn, aye, dram – yes, girl, boy, small, whisky, pretty, child.

2. the correspondent Gaelic words with the English ones:

Bally, slieve, lough, inis, drum, glen – mountain, island, valley, town, lake, mountain top.

3. the correspondent Gaelic names with the English ones:

Sean, Seamus, Liam, Seanna, Brid, Catail – William, Charles, John, Joanna, Bridget, James.

Ex.9 Refute the following statements.

1. More people live in Scotland than in England. 2. Scotland has always had its separate government. 3. Everybody in Scotland speaks the Gaelic language. 4. Scotland is made up of mountains only. 5. Glasgow is the capital of Scotland. 6. Cardiff lies in the north of Wales. 7. Docks in Cardiff are beautiful. 8. Folk culture is not developed in present-day Wales. 9. The Irish Free State took part in the Second World War. 10. The Irish Free State is called “Ulster”. 11. The Catholics and the Protestants peacefully co-exist in Northern Ireland. 12. The IRA supports the Protestants.