Ireland is a country top on my must-visit bucket list, which is why I’ve enjoyed teaching my kids Ireland geography. I love it so much, I created a couple of resources that can have been used as one of our geography unit studies. And now you can use them for yours too! I’m also including some other information that you can use alongside these printable resources.
All About Ireland Geography
Ireland is an island in Northwestern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island lies on the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. The island’s main geographical features include low central plains surrounded by coastal mountains.
Although they are surrounded by coastal mountains, the area is known for its wide expanses of lush, green fields. In fact, its nickname is the Emerald Isle due to this beautiful landscape. But there are also large areas of rugged, rocky landscape.
The highest mountain peak (and highest point) is Carrauntoohil. The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole center of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford, and Carlow.
Some of the major rivers include River Shannon (the longest river), River Liffey, River Lee, and River Blackwater. Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Northern Ireland. When it comes to weather, the climate of Ireland is mild, humid, and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. The country receives generally warm summer months and mild winters. It is considerably warmer than other areas at the same latitude on the other side of the Atlantic, such as in Newfoundland, because it lies downwind of the Atlantic Ocean.
Political Geography of Ireland
Ireland is divided into 4 provinces and 32 counties. Six of the nine Ulster counties form Northern Ireland and the other 26 forms the state, Ireland. 21 of the counties in the Republic are units of local government. Electoral areas in Ireland (the state) are called constituencies in accordance with Irish law, mostly follow county boundaries. Maintaining links to the county system is a mandatory consideration in the re-organization of constituency boundaries by a Constituency Commission. This would be a neat side-lesson to compare and contrast to our state and national governments.
National Parks
There are six National Parks in Ireland, all of which are beautiful and definitely worth visiting in person, or even virtually. They are:
- Glenveagh
- Wild Nephin
- Connemara
- Burren
- Killarney
- Wicklow Mountains
Combined, there are hundreds of walking trails, diverse habitats, and visitor centers that provide historical and natural habitat information. You’ll get to experience vast mountain ranges, large lakes, Irish wildlife, and experience the culture of the Irish people.
Ireland Geography Fact Files & Unit Study
Even if visiting Ireland isn’t on your radar, teaching about Irish geography can be so much fun. Not to mention, it makes for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day lesson plan. Below are two of the Irish-related resources that I highly recommend using in your homeschool.
Ireland & N. Ireland Unit Study Combo
The Ireland Unit Study covers the alphabet and geography and includes fact files and notebooking pages. This is a great supplement to a world geography unit or alongside a St. Patrick’s Day study!
The Northern Ireland Unit Study covers the alphabet and geography and includes fact files and notebooking pages. This is a great supplement to a world geography unit!
Northern Ireland Unit Study
Make learning World Geography fun! This Northern Ireland Unit Study covers the alphabet and geography and includes fact files and notebooking pages. This is a great supplement to a world geography unit!
Ireland Fact Files
While this is not a complete unit study on the country, I think simply adding some additional reading resources and possibly a recipe or two and you will cover just about every subject. In this study, your students will be introduced to the native language (links and flashcards provided), different maps of the country to label waterways/rivers, counties, main cities, fact files, and notebooking pages for recording other geographical & government facts.
Final Thoughts
Use the information and resources above to teach your children all about Ireland. Also, if you’re looking for St. Patrick’s Day resources, I have several freebies I know you’ll enjoy. Click here to check them out.
Annette lived many years as an exhausted wife of 1 and mother of 6. Grab your fuzzy blanket, pour your favorite drink, and browse through our encouraging tips, printables, and curriculum options. Read more about me and the ministry here at In All You Do 
