"Conservancy in 1990. Northern Ireland does not have an official national bird, but the Eurasian oystercatcher (""Haematopus ostralegus"") was unofficially selected in 1961. ""The Irish Examiner"" has put the rook (""Corvus frugilegus"") forward as a possible national bird, due to their ""wild hardiness, spirit, and resilience, in the face of all difficulties, and their ability to cope with style and a bit of craic, with anything that the world throws at them."" In 2016 Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland listed ten possible national birds: European robin, peregrine falcon, common house martin, Eurasian curlew, roseate tern, barn owl, common swift, Bohemian"
"waxwing, Eurasian blackcap, northern pintail. The Irish wolfhound is generally considered Ireland's national breed, although some, including Michael Collins, have put forward the Kerry Blue Terrier as an alternative. The northern pike (""Esox lucius"") is Northern Ireland's national fish. ""Coarse fish"" have been described as the Republic of Ireland's national fish; this category includes the likes of bream, perch and carp. Sheep and cattle are widely used as symbols of Ireland. Sheep feature commonly in souvenirs sold to tourists, while cattle have been important in Irish mythology and folklore for centuries, as sources of milk, cheese, leather and beef, as"
"between 1953 and 1973. The Republic of Ireland has no national motto. Northern Ireland has used the motto ""Quis separabit?"", Latin from Romans 8:35: ""Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi..."", ""Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"" The motto ""Hiberni Unanimes pro Deo Rege et Patria"" (""The Irish United for God, King, and Country"") was used by Confederate Ireland. The Society of United Irishmen (1780s–1798) used ""Equality: it is new strung and shall be heard"" as a motto. The northern lapwing (""Vanellus vanellus"") was declared the Republic of Ireland's national bird by a committee of the Irish Wildlife"
"well as social status. Cattle feature in the Táin Bó Cúailnge and Táin Bó Flidhais, and the tale of Glas Gaibhnenn. The national land mammal/animal is unclear. The Irish hare (""Lepus timidus"") has been described as a national animal, as has the red deer (""Cervus elaphus""). The national plant is the shamrock (""Trifolium dubium"" or ""Trifolium repens""). ""Fuchsia magellanica"" 'Riccartonii' (hummingbird fuchsia, hardy fuchsia; in Irish ""deora Dé"", ""tears of God"") has sometimes been described as the national flower, despite not being a native plant. Flax (""Linum usitatissimum"") is widely used as an emblem of Northern Ireland, such as in"
"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, brown bear 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 km² or one million acres is owned by Coillte, the Republic's forestry service. As of 2012, the Republic is one of the least forested"
"than 21,000 species of insects. Few species of reptiles or amphibians are found in Great Britain or Ireland. Only three snakes are native to Great Britain: the common European adder, the grass snake and the smooth snake; none are native to Ireland. In general, Great Britain has slightly more variation and native wild life, with weasels, polecats, wildcats, most shrews, moles, water voles, roe deer and common toads also being absent from Ireland. This pattern is also true for birds and insects. Notable exceptions include the Kerry slug and certain species of woodlouse native to Ireland but not Great Britain."
"Fauna of Ireland The fauna of Ireland comprises all the animal species inhabiting the island of Ireland and its surrounding waters. This table uses figures supplied by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Only 26 land mammal species are native to Ireland, because it has been isolated from the European mainland (by rising sea levels after the Midlandian Ice Age), since about 14,000 BC. Some species, such as the red fox, European hedgehog, stoat, otter, pygmy shrew, and badger are common, whereas others, like the Irish hare, red deer, and pine marten are less common and generally seen only in"
"The Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Its red, white and blue colours are the combination of the red cross of Saint George for England, the saltire of Saint Andrew for Scotland, and the red saltire of Saint Patrick to represent Ireland. Wales has never been represented on the Union Jack, with the Welsh flag incorporating the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, along with the Tudor colours of green and white. The patron saint of Ireland (St Patrick), England (St George), Wales (St David), and Scotland (St Andrew), are celebrated annually; Saint David's Day"
"the emblem of the Northern Ireland Assembly, referencing Ulster's linen industry. The national tree of the Republic is the sessile oak (""Quercus petraea""), declared as such in 1990 by Taoiseach Charlie Haughey. Other accounts give the strawberry tree (""Arbutus unedo"") as the national tree. Irish dance is Ireland's national dance. The Celtic harp (cláirseach), great Irish warpipes (píob mhór) and uilleann pipes have all been described as national musical instruments. ""Amhrán na bhFiann"" (""The Soldiers' Song"") is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland. Written in English by Peadar Kearney and set to music by Patrick Heeney in 1907,"
"2009. In 2015 Ireland became the second country in the world to introduce plain cigarette packaging. Despite the above measures to discourage tobacco use, smoking rates in Ireland remain above 20% of the adult population and above those in other developed countries. The state shares many symbols with the island of Ireland. These include the colours green and blue, animals such as the Irish wolfhound and stags, structures such as round towers and celtic crosses, and designs such as Celtic knots and spirals. The shamrock, a type of clover, has been a national symbol of Ireland since the 17th century"
"and was taken up by the British during their rule in Ireland. This made it unpopular as a national symbol and the Kerry Blue Terrier was adopted by Republicans such as Michael Collins.The Wolfhound has been adopted as a symbol by both rugby codes. The national rugby league team is nicknamed the Wolfhounds, and the Irish Rugby Football Union, which governs rugby union, changed the name of the country's A (second-level) national team in that code to the Ireland Wolfhounds in 2010. Considered by the American Kennel Club to be the tallest of all dog breeds, describing the breed as,"
"of birds have been recorded in Ireland. Many of these are migratory, including the barn swallow. 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."
"William Shakespeare. In 1198, King Richard the Lionheart introduced the coat of arms of England, depicting three lions. The three lions form the basis of several emblems of English national sports teams, such as the England national football team, and the English national cricket team (though in blue rather than gold). The English oak and the Tudor rose are also English symbols; a modernised version of the rose is used by the England national rugby union team. England has no official anthem; however, the United Kingdom's ""God Save the Queen"" is commonly used. Other songs are sometimes used, including ""Land"
"Flag of Ireland The national flag of Ireland () – frequently referred to as the Irish tricolour (""trídhathach na hÉireann"") – is the national flag and ensign of the Republic of Ireland. The flag itself is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange. The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is to say, flown horizontally, the flag is half as high as it is wide). Presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from a small group of French women sympathetic to the Irish cause, it was intended to symbolise the inclusion and"
"Flag of the United Kingdom The national flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Jack, also known as the Union Flag. The current design of the Union Jack dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801. It consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the Cross of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland). Wales is not represented in the Union Flag by Wales's patron saint, Saint David, as at the time the flag"
"marsh tit, nuthatch, and all woodpecker species except the recently established great spotted woodpecker. These are birds which do not move great distances and their absence may be due to Ireland's early isolation, but also Ireland's mild weather means early breeding and choice of best habitats which gives residents an advantage over visitors. Although Ireland has fewer breeding species than Britain and Continental Europe (because there are fewer habitat types, fewer deciduous woodlands, Scots pine forests, heaths, and high mountain ranges), there are important populations of species which are in decline elsewhere. Storm petrels (largest breeding numbers in the world),"
"since 2001. In 2007, the first golden eagle chick hatched in Ireland since re-introduction. In 2006, 30 red kite birds originally from Wales were released in the Wicklow Mountains. Six weeks later one was shot dead, it was found to have 8 shotgun pellets in it. The first red kite chick hatched in 2010. In 2007, the white-tailed eagle returned to Ireland with six young birds being released in Killarney National Park after an absence of over 200 years from Ireland. Fifteen of these birds have been released in total. There are plans for the common crane to also return"
"it was translated to Irish by Liam Ó Rinn in 1923; the Irish-language version is considered the official anthem. ""God Save Ireland"" was used from the 1870s until independence. ""God Save The Queen/King"" is commonly used by Northern Ireland, as is the Londonderry Air. ""Ireland's Call"" has been used by the Ireland national rugby union team and others since 1995. There are several national personifications, all female: Thomas Moore (1779–1852) and W. B. Yeats (1865–1939) are both considered the national poet. Irish breakfast tea is described as the national (non-alcoholic) drink. Among alcoholic drinks, Irish whiskey is the national spirit,"
"roseate tern, chough, and corncrake. Four species of bird have Irish subspecies. These are the coal tit (""Parus ater hibernicus""), dipper (""Cinclus cinclus hibernicus""), jay (""Garrulus glandarius hibernicus""), and red grouse ("" Lagopus lagopus hibernicus""). The wren, robin, blackbird, and common chaffinch are the most widespread species, occurring in 90% of the land area. These and the rook, starling, great tit, and blue tit are among the most numerous and commonly seen. Over the period 1997-2007, populations of pigeons, warblers, tits, finches, and buntings have remained stable or shown an increase (there were massive declines during the 1970s). Kestrel, common"
"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"
"and an ex-situ captive breeding population has been set up in partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Zoological Society of London, North of England Zoological Society, Parken Zoo and the Governments of Montserrat and Dominica. Releases from this programme have already taken place in a hope to increase the numbers of the frog and reduce extinction risk from Chytridiomycosis. The national bird is the endemic Montserrat oriole (""Icterus oberi""). The IUCN Red List classifies it as Vulnerable, having previously listed it as Critically Endangered. Captive populations are held in several zoos in the UK including: Chester Zoo, London Zoo, Jersey"
"Waterbirds"" (AEWA) applies. In Ireland, despite being extinct for over 200 years, the common crane plays a very important part in Irish culture and folklore and so thus recent efforts to encourage it back to Ireland are received with much enthusiasm. The Kranich Museum in Hessenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, is dedicated to art and folklore related to the common crane. The common crane is the sacred bird of the god Hephaestus, and it features heavily in the god's iconography. Common crane The common crane (""Grus grus""), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes."
"Ireland were united in 1603, they were integrated into the unified royal coat of arms Each of the four countries of the UK has a traditional floral emblem. The red rose is the national flower of England, and its use dates from the reign of Henry VII who chose a red rose, representing Lancaster, and a white rose, representing York. As a result, the English civil wars in the 15th century came to be called the Wars of the Roses. The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, of Northern Ireland is the flax flower and the shamrock, and of"
"the EU Birds Directive and a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive. It is also a National Special Amenity Area since 1995, one of 3 in the Republic of Ireland. This recognises both its outstanding beauty and nature conservation values. Bird species on the island include pale-bellied brent geese, Eurasian curlews, Eurasian oystercatchers, grey plovers, northern shovellers, little egrets, reed buntings and little terns. There are six terrestrial mammal species on the island: brown rats, red foxes, field mice, Irish hares, hedgehogs and European rabbits. The hare has been in decline for many years and is now"
"Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. The red grouse is also the emblem of the journal ""British Birds"". The red grouse is differentiated from the willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown, and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs. Birds in Ireland are"
"and pine. Beech and lime, though not native to Ireland, are also common there. Farmland hosts a variety of semi-natural vegetation of grasses and flowering plants. Woods, hedgerows, mountain slopes and marshes host heather, wild grasses, gorse and bracken. Many larger animals, such as wolf, bear and the European elk are today extinct. However, some species such as red deer are protected. Other small mammals, such as rabbits, foxes, badgers, hares, hedgehogs, and stoats, are very common and the European beaver has been reintroduced in parts of Scotland. Wild boar have also been reintroduced to parts of southern England, following"
"and legs, and then eat the body in a similar fashion. It is abundant, with populations of about 1.5–2 million birds in both North America and Europe, and also large but unknown numbers in eastern Siberia (HBW). A particularly famous colony of eiders lives on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, England. These birds were the subject of one of the first ever bird protection laws, established by Saint Cuthbert in the year 676. About 1,000 pairs still nest there every year. Because St. Cuthbert is the patron saint of Northumberland, it was natural that the eider should be chosen as"
"the Court of the Lord Lyon stated in 2012 that ""[that] would be speculation at this stage, and we could only cross that bridge if we came to it."" Flag of the United Kingdom The national flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Jack, also known as the Union Flag. The current design of the Union Jack dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801. It consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the Cross of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on"
"pelicans on their coats of arms. The medical faculties of Charles University in Prague also have a pelican as their emblem. The symbol of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service is a pelican, and for most of its existence the headquarters of the service was located at Pelican House in Dublin, Ireland. The heraldic pelican also ended up as a pub name and image, though sometimes with the image of the ship ""Golden Hind"". Sir Francis Drake's famous ship was initially called ""Pelican"", and adorned the British halfpenny coin. The great white pelican is the national bird of Romania. The brown"
"over-hunting. Red grouse in Ireland are now considered threatened. The corncrake, also once very common, is now almost never seen. Smaller birds—such as crows, swallows, robins, wrens and so on—are very common. The first magpies in Ireland were recorded by Robert Leigh, of Rosegarland, County Wexford, as having appeared in the County of Wexford about 1676. Land mammals include badger, rabbit, otter, hedgehog, red fox, mink, bats, squirrels (red and grey), rats (brown and black - both introduced species), and mice (wood (or field) and house). Two types of hare—the Irish (or mountain) hare and the less common brown (or"
"auk, the Irish elk, the brown bear, Eurasian lynx, grey whale and the wildcat. The last grey wolf in Ireland was killed by John Watson of Ballydarton on the slopes of Mount Leinster, County Carlow in 1786. Many bird of prey species including the golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, and red kite have been re-introduced to national parks after absences between 90–200 years. These are the Natural History Museum Dublin which opened in 1856 and the Ulster Museum in Belfast which opened in 1929. Ireland's universities hold smaller collections. Trinity College Dublin also has a Zoological museum that is open during"
"of other significant national and local events such as festivals and commemorations. The national flag is frequently flown at half-mast on the death of a national or international figure on all prominent government buildings equipped with a flag pole. The death of a prominent local figure may be marked locally by the national flag being flown at half-mast. Where the national flag is flown at half-mast no other flag should be half-masted. Flag of Ireland The national flag of Ireland () – frequently referred to as the Irish tricolour (""trídhathach na hÉireann"") – is the national flag and ensign of"
"birds depicted in the Bird Room of the Royal Palace in Oslo. Jethro Tull mentions the hooded crow on the song ""Jack Frost and the hooded crow"" as a bonus track on the digitally remastered version of ""Broadsword and the Beast"" and on their ""The Christmas Album"". Hooded crow The hooded crow (""Corvus cornix"") (also called hoodie) is a Eurasian bird species in the ""Corvus"" genus. Widely distributed, it is also known locally as Scotch crow and Danish crow. In Ireland, it is called ""caróg liath"" or grey crow, just as in the Slavic languages and in Danish. In German,"