deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

Ireland. An island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George’s Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.

With a human history dating back to 10,500 BC, it has always had a contentious relationship with Britain. It has also had a geopolitical division for hundreds of years. Ireland is divided between the larger Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland which remains closely related to the United Kingdom.

The flag, which is a good representation of the division is known as the Irish Tricolor. The basic design has been in existence since 1848. It is the hoped for union of the Catholics and Protestants. The green represents the Roman Catholics with the orange standing for the followers of William of Orange, the Protestants. The white in the middle is meant to be the peace, the hand shake, the union of these two groups.

We took a wee trip to The Republic a few months ago. A real highlight was the time we spent at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.

It was a fascinating time to learn some of the history of Ireland

We visited Trinity College and learned more about the struggles and tensions in this important part of the British Isles. This is a photo inside the Library at Trinity College.

The original Proclamation of the Republic.

Trinity College is also the home to the Book of Kells.

And, Dublin is home to the most popular tourist attraction in Europe: The Guinness Brewery tour.