Travel Agency: Beauty of Northern Ireland

My name is Ann Protashchuk and I want to tell you few words about such Olympic kind of sport as shooting. A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency (accuracy and speed) using various types of guns such as firearmsandairguns (see archery for more information on shooting sports that make use of bows and arrows).Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event (albeit only once, in 1900). The shooting sports are categorized by the type of firearm or target used.

Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles,shotguns or other projectile weapons such asbows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery,rocketsand missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman. Shooting can take place in a shooting range or in the field in hunting, in shooting sports or incombat.

During the London 2012 Games, nearly 400 competitors will be shooting for gold across 15 dramatic events. Having been practised competitively for centuries, the tense and demanding sport of Shooting is now popular all over the world. At Beijing, marksmen and women from more than 100 countries took part in the competition.

The basics

Olympic Shooting events fall broadly into three types: Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun events. In Pistol and Rifle events, competitors aim at a 10-ringed target from a set distance (10m, 25m or 50m).

Depending on the event, athletes are required to shoot from standing, kneeling or prone positions. In Shotgun events, meanwhile, competitors shoot at moving clay targets launched above and in front of them.

In the five Pistol events and the five Rifle events, shooters take part in two rounds, the qualification and the final. The scores in each round are added together to give a total score, which determines the winners of the medals. There are also two stages in the five Shotgun events, with the scores from the qualification and final stages added together to determine the rankings.

Olympic Shooting, past and present

With the exceptions of the 1904 and 1928 Games, Shooting has featured on every Olympic programme since the first modern Games in 1896. Women’s events were added to the schedule in 1984.

At London 2012, the Shooting competition will be held at a truly historic venue: The Royal Artillery Barracks. Its rich heritage dates back to 1716, when a Royal Warrant authorised the formation of two artillery companies at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. The current building was constructed between 1775 and 1802.

Jargon buster

· Double trap: A Shooting competition in which two clay targets are launched simultaneously in front of the shooter.

· Pistol: One of three firearms used in Olympic Shooting, and the only one to be shot with one hand.

· Shoot-off: A tiebreaker.

· Three positions: Rifle events in which competitors shoot in standing, kneeling and prone positions.

· Trap: The device used for launching clay targets into the air.

Get involved

In the UK, more than 350,000 people currently practice the sport, with equal numbers of boys and girls entering competitions. Find details of all the shooting clubs and facilities in your local area by visiting British Shooting, the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association and the National Small-bore Rifle Association. You can also find lots of information on the sport on the website of the International Shooting Sport Federation

Most famous sportsmen are: Anisa Sayyed, Anurag Singh, Virat Singh, Bapu Vanjare, Gagan Narang,Katerina Emmons, Corey Cogdell, Matt Emmons,Giovanni Pellielo, Michael Diamond, Hattie Johnson.

With the help of this links you can learn more:

www.london2012.com/shooting

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting

http://www.olympics-2012-tickets.com/olympic-game-Shooting.html

http://www.chiff.com/olympics/olympics-shooting.htm

My name is Nadya Demyanyuk and I want to tell a few words about fencing. Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing,[1] is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.
Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games. The sport of fencing is divided into three weapons:
Foil—a light thrusting weapon that targets the torso, including the back, but not the arms. Touches are scored only with the tip; hits with the side of the blade do not count, and do not halt the action. Touches that land outside of the target area (off-target) stop the action, and are not scored. Only a single hit can be scored by either fencer at one time. If both fencers hit at the same time, the referee uses the rules of right of way to determine which fencer gets the point.
Sabre—a light cutting and thrusting weapon that targets the entire body above the waist, excluding the off hand. Hits with the edges of the blade as well as the tip are valid. As in foil, touches which land outside of the target area are not scored. However, unlike foil, these off-target touches do not stop the action, and the fencing continues. In the case of both fencers landing a scoring touch, the referee determines which fencer receives the point for the action, again through the use of "right of way".
Épée—a heavier thrusting weapon that targets the entire body. All hits must be with the tip and not the sides of the blade. Touches hit by the side of the blade do not halt the action. Unlike foil and sabre, Épée does not use right of way, and allows simultaneous hits by both fencers. However, if the score is tied at the last point and a double touch is scored, nobody is awarded the point.
History

There was widespread before mostly aristocrats and military elite. Included in the program of Olympic Games. Among the many champions of the Soviet Ukrainian: T. Samusenko, V. Zhdanovich, J. Rylsky, S. Kosenko et al. In Ukraine vpravlyayutsya in fencing more than 10,000 athletes. In 2004 at the Olympic Games in Sydney Vladislav Tretiak won a bronze medal in individual competitions shablistiv. In 2008 the gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing, won the women's team with swords. The team included Olga Zhovnir, Olga Harlan, Elena and Galina Homrova Pundyk

Features Sports

Fight between two swordsman on any type of weapons carried on a special track width of 1.5 - 2 m and 14 m long, made of conductive material which is isolated from registering shots or blows apparatus.
Fight managed and evaluated arbitrator. Shots and strokes caused swordsman, registered lamps to electric apparatus. They are fixed on the basis of the electrical circuit through the weapon swordsman and his clothing associated with device wire system. Referee blows and shots estimates based on the evidence of registering apparatus in accounting rules of war in every form of fencing. Fighting in the types of weapons have their own specific rules that allow credited shots and blows, or declare them invalid.
There are several types of Fencing depending on the weapon:
Fencing in foil
Fencing swords
Saber
Fencing of heavy bladed weapon (historical)

Fencing in foil

Rapier - guns, stabbing, length 110 cm and weighing 500 g, round brush hands protected Guard diameter of 12 cm
Men and women compete in foil in some tournaments. Spring in puandare (tip foils) adjusted to the pressure of 500 g lighter injections machine does not register. The deposit only shots that deposited in the trunk. Shots in the hands, feet and mask are invalid.
The surface that is affected, the fencer closed metallized jacket, shot in color that is registered on the lamp unit. Injection in the area not covered metallized jacket, registered white lamp.
Fight in Fencing foil formed on the basis of the historical development of edged weapons. Martial Arts determined the need to prick and wound the enemy. At the same time, it was important to avoid getting stick.

Looking through these links you can learn more about fencing:

h ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencing

http://fencingforum.com/

http://www.fencing.net/forums/forum.php

Hello, my name is Nastya Kotusko and I want to tell you a few words about swimming.

Sport swimming

Swimmer crawl
Sport swimming - kind of sport , which is soon to float a specified distance, without violating the style of swimming technique used. Sport swimming started to gain popularity back in the XIX century. Nowadays, sport diving - is an Olympic sport .

Methods swimming sports (swimming style)

Krol - style swimming in the abdomen (belly down) in which the hands perform alternately strokes and leg exercise alternately continuous lifting / lowering while being deployed at an angle to the trunk . The fastest swimming style. Therefore, in principle, and is called freestyle if diving style is not defined, all chosen crawl as the fastest swimming style.
Butterfly - style swimming on his stomach, where the left and right body parts to make symmetrical and simultaneous movements. Hands by simultaneous powerful stroke a path that leads notably building fin above water , and legs by simultaneous undulating motion. The most difficult and energy-style swimming. Untrained swimmer is usually difficult to perform even simple movements that do not violate the rules of style. This style is considered second rate after the rabbit.

Commemorative Coin Bank - "swimming"
Bras - Style swimming on his stomach, which served both hands forward on the chest . Feet by simultaneous impulse , during which they bend in the knees , made a push and straighten at the end. The slowest method of swimming (as rotary movements of the hands performed mostly under water, and kicking movements carried out with interrupt) that this is also the most difficult from a technical point of view. Bras is of great practical importance: the ability to swim the greatest distance with the least power consumption , quiet swimming, swimming under water.
Kroll on the back (if you talk about "backstroke", it meant exactly the style) - style swimming on his back , which is visually similar to a crawl (hands perform strokes alternately, and the feet shall alternately continuous lifting / lowering), but has the following differences: one is swimming on his back, not pain, and diarrhea the water is carried out straight arm, not bent, as in rabbits. The third speed swimming style. The peculiarity of this method is that a person must not exhale into the water, since a person is on the surface.
Integrated swimming - competition for which the athlete must overcome 4 levels of each leg, using four different styles: on the back, butterfly, breaststroke and front crawl.
[ edit. ]Additional style swimming

Georgian swimming - a unique type of swimming. In this type of swimming movement of the limbs of man is not used. Travel by delfinoobraznnymi movements of the pelvis and tightly pressed to each other down.
Winter swimming - swimming in open water bodies that are not heated, with cold (4 to 16 degrees) and ice (4 ° C and below) water. Extreme form of swimming, Olympic sport is not.
Diving - snorkeling with scuba equipment.

Building a Peaceful and Better World in the Olympic Spirit

Olympism is a philosophy of life, where blending sport and culture with art and education aims to combine in a balanced whole the human qualities of body, will and mind.

Olympism is a way of life based on respect for human dignity and fundamental universal ethical principles, on the joy of effort and participation, on the educational role of good example, a way of life based on mutual understanding.

All started in ancient Greece where first Olympic Games took place. The idea of bringing people together was one of the main reasons of creating this sport event. What is more, they were held to bring about peace and encourage international sporting competition. One more idea was to show that all nations are equal and that sportsmen from all over the world can take part in sport contestant.

Even the emblem of Olympic games is five interlocking rings: red, yellow, blue, green and black, which symbolizes five continents of the world taking part in Olympics. Five continents cooperate with each other, that`s why five rungs are interlocked.

If you want to learn more about the most impressive sport competition in history, visit this link:

http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games

Education in Ukraine

Dear friends,
I would like to write a few words about education in Ukraine.On September 1, 2001. Ukraine in the transition to 12-year average general education, based on a three-stage principle: primary, incomplete and complete secondary osvita15. Accordingly, the general Schools are divided into: institutions and degree (elementary school; four years); II stage (primary school, five years); III degree (high school, three years). Upper School has function primarily as a professional, which independently of implemented in full general educationLegislation of Ukraine recognizes the pre-primary education element general structure of education in the state. However, this level of education not legally defined as required and provided to the child by the parents. Thus effectively removed the issue of state guarantees pre-school education, is called into question its role in lifelong learning, from the beginning created the preconditions uneven prepare children for school.
Secondary education in our country consists of three levels:

1) elementary school (from 6-7 years, 1-4 grades) - lay the foundations of scientific outlook of the child, to provide comprehensive uniform development of the individual, date of foundation of elementary knowledge;

2) Basic School (incomplete high school, 5-9 classes) - lay systematized scientific knowledge in basic sciences industry and to create preconditions for a conscious choice every direction for its further development,

3) high school (10-11 grades) - profiling, specialized further training to prepare for teaching in a high school.

The educational system of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian educational system is organised into five levels: preschool, primary, secondary, higher and postgraduate education.

Primary and secondary education is divided into "younger", "middle", and "senior" schools. Younger school comprises grades 1 to 4. Grades 5-9 are usually referred to as "middle school", while 10-11 are "senior school". Despite the names, students usually study in the same school building throughout their primary and secondary education. Primary schooling lasts 4 years and middle school 5. There are then 2 profile years.

The objective of general schooling is to give younger students knowledge of the arts and sciences, and teach them how to use it practically. The middle school curriculum includes classes in the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian Literature, a foreign language, world literature, Ukrainian History, world history, geography, algebra, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics,physical education, music and art. At some schools, students also take environment and civics classes. Students attend each class only once or twice a week, however. Part of the school day is also spent in activities such as chess, karate, putting on plays, learning folktales and folk songs, choir and band. After school, students might also have music lessons, soccer, hockey, or tennis.

During grades 9 and 11, which is usually around the age of 15 and 17, students take various exams. The current examination system is undergoing change. At grades 9 and 11 students take IGTs (Independent Government Tests), which allow eleventh graders to enter university without taking separate entrance exams.

Higher education is either state funded or private.

You can learn more about Ukrainian education visiting this link

http://www.ukrtravel.com/education_in_ukraine.htm

http://www.ukraine.com/education/

and this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Ukraine

Newspapers in Northern Ireland

Today we learn about nespapers and magasines of Northern Ireland. The first newspaper we wanted to tell you about is The Belfast Telegraph. The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media. It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird. Its first edition cost half a penny and ran to four pages covering the Franco-Prussian war and local news. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the paper still had an average daily circulation of 94,540 between June 2004 and January 2005. But since then sales have fallen steadily year on year, the average sales figure for the first six months of 2009 showing a large drop of 10.5% year on year to 68,024,then to to just over 66,000. There was a slight upturn in the first six months of 2010.

This is a link of this newspaper :

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/

The next newspaper is Andersonstown News. The Belfast Media Group's Andersonstown News (sometimes called The Andytown News) is twice-weekly published (Mondays and Thursdays) Belfast, Northern Ireland newspaper, which focuses on news and issues, in west Belfast. Its stablemates, the North Belfast News and South Belfast News, are published weekly. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the Andersonstown News has an average circulation of 8,457 for the Monday edition and 16,453 for the Thursday edition.

This is the link about this newspaper :

http://belfastmediagroup.com/tag/andersonstown-news/

The third newspaper is The Irish News. The Irish News is a compact-sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is perceived as being broadly Irish nationalist in outlook. It focuses primarily on Ulster content, though it is also available throughout Ireland. In the period December 2010-June 2011, it had an average daily circulation of 43,647. This is a link where you can read this newspaper:

http://www.irishnews.com/ or at this link :

http://www.independent.ie/.

Enjoy reading these newspapers!!!

Ann Protashchuk 10-B

Recommendation diet

Breakfast

· Half a cup of shredded wheat - 104 calories

· Four ounces of skim milk - 90 calories

· Medium-sized banana - 105 calories

Morning Snack

· Small bunch of grapes - 75 calories

· One piece Mini Babybel Light cheese - 50 calories

Lunch

· Two ounces of sliced ham - 59 calories

· One whole wheat wrap - 90 calories

· Large lettuce leaf - 1 calories

· Three slices tomato - 10 calories

· One slice cheddar cheese - 120 calories

· One teaspoon mustard - 3 calories

· One large apple - 80 calories

Dinner

· Four ounces Atlantic salmon, broiled - 165 calories

· One medium sweet potato, baked - 103 calories

· One cup fresh spinach, sauteed in olive oil – 134

Snack

· 1 cup of popcorn - 31 calories

Total for the day - 1,220

Your Daily Recommended Fat Intake should be304.6 gms.
Which includes the following

Saturated fats is 76. gms.

Monosaturated fats is 121.8 gms.

Polysaturated fats is 106.6 gms.

Nastia Kotysko 10B

Recommendation

Breacfast:
One slice whole wheat toast - 70 calories
One teaspoon butter - 33 calories
One egg, poached - 70 calories
One cup of orange juice - 103 calories

Morning snack:
Eight Kashi TLC crackers - 65 calories
One tablespoon peanut butter, natural - 100 calories

Lunch:
One cup salad greens - 22 calories
One medium tomato, sliced - 22 calories
Quarter cup chick peas, drained - 95 calories
Half a cup low fat cottage cheese - 100 calories

Dinner:
Three ounces of sirloin, broiled or grilled - 225 calories
One cup wild rice - 166 calories
Half a cup cooked carrots with butter - 50 calories

Snack:
One scoop vanilla ice cream - 100 calories

Snack:
One scoop vanilla ice cream - 100 calories

Your Daily Recommended Fat Intake should be 827.5 gms.
Which includes the following
Saturated fats is 206.8 gms.
Monosaturated fats is 331. gms.
Polysaturated fats is 289. gms.

Golubtsi – Meat Stuffed Cabbage rolls

Every person has it`s own tastes, but each Ukrainian likes Ukrainian food. Our favourite Ukrainian dish are golubtsy. This is common household dish in Russia and other Eastern European countries that goes back quite a while. As with most other household dishes, there are many different recipes having different fillings, sauces, etc. This recipe is the one that is prepared in my family and the results are quite good. The name of this dish reveals its symbolism. Live pigeons are spiritual beings and symbols of the creative forces at the birth of the world, a symbol of the fiery creative force, live fire.

Our Cook is Nastia Kotysko, our manager of advertising is Ann Protashchuk and our expert is Nadia Demyanyk.

If you try this dish you will feel Ukrainian urban smell in combination with peasant traditions.

Ingredients

1 large head of green cabbage,
2 pieces of meat (pork, beef, chicken, lamb, in any combination),
1 medium-large onion – chopped,
1 egg,
1 cup of white rice – washed,
6 cans of tomato paste,
Sour cream,
Mayonnaise,
Salt, Pepper, sugar and your favorite seasoning.

Directions

· Firstly, prepare the filling for the golubtsi. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and the seasoning (we used cayenne pepper and vegeta).

· Now you have to prepare the cabbage leaves by softening them in boiling water.

· Cut out as much of the core of the cabbage as you can. You won’t need this part, and it will make it easier to remove the leaves later.

· Bring a large pot, filled half way with water, to a boil (putting more water in will make the pot overflow).

· Use two forks to pierce the cabbage at the bottom, it will make handling the hot cabbage a lot easier. We used a special tool we made which is essentially a serrated, pointy stick. Place the cabbage into the pot and boil for about 10 minutes. You’ll be looking for the outer leaves to get soft.

· Carefully remove the cabbage from the pot (be very careful, it’ll be dripping with scolding hot water) and place in a large plate. Carefully remove all the soft leaves. Once you get down to the layers that are still hard, put the head of cabbage back in the boiling water. Repeat until you’ve removed all of the large usable leaves.

· After you’ve gotten enough soft leaves, you may need to cut out the hard parts of the leaves at their bases. Alternatively you can soften those parts using a meat mallet.

· Now, take about 1 of the filling and place inside the leaf. Wrap the filling such that you have only 1 layer of cabbage surrounding it, cut off the excess cabbage. Do this for the remaining golubtsi.

· In another large pot now, line the bottom of the pot with one large sheet of the cabbage. Stack the golubtsi inside this pot in layers. Coat each layer in a thin coat of mayonnaise.

· In the bowl you used for mixing the filling, combine the tomato paste and a table spoon of sour cream with 2-3 cups of water, 1 tea spoon of salt, and a table spoon of sugar (adjust to taste). Mix this until uniform and relatively thin. Pour over the golubtsi and add more water to the pot until the golubtsi are almost submerged.

· Cover the pot, and place on the stove on high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and cook for 1.5-2 hours. The filling should be cooked through and the cabbage leaves soft enough to melt in your mouth.

· And you’re done! Serve warm with the sauce they cooked in and a spoon of sour cream.

The taste of cabbage rolls is slightly brackish, but overall very tasty. They smell very nice, and of course you add some spices for a fine smell. They look presentable, of course you can add a little more greenery.)
Of course if I ordered these cabbage rolls in a restaurant I would be happy to eat them.

Enjoy!

Dear friend!

Our names are Ann, Nadia and Nastia. We are all 15 years old and we all live in Rivne. There is one which we do together: we study at the same school - the best one in Rivne - school № 15. Of course everyone has got it`s own charakteristics and hobbies, but we all like singing, dancing going for sports, making photoes and talking with our friends. What is more, we like listening music and watching interesting films.

But of course each of us is a personality. Ann likes playing the guitar, singing, dancing, playing tennis and she is fond of pets. She is really friendly, clever, funny, talkative and outgoing. Nastia likes playing billiards and volleyball. She is generous, kind and she has great sense of humour. Nadia likes making photoes, playing the piano and walking with her friends. She is funny, sincere, active.

And we want to tell some facts about interesting places in Ukraine. If you`ll be in Ukraine you must visit such places as :

Lviv:

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

One of the most happy holidays all over the world is Christmas. People all over the world celebrate it all over the world. At my lesson of country studies I learned a lot about Christmas holiday in USA.
I learned a lot with the help of this link
www.santas.net/americanchristmas.htm

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tomatoes with Cheese

At this link you can learn a lot about this tasty plate:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,154170-254196,00.html

I ate this dish in the winter with my family when it was New Year. I liked it very much, because it is very nutritious and tasty, suitable for the festive table, not salty and bitter, not sour, and its easy to prepare.

1.My favorite vegetable is cucumber.I like it because it is very appropriate, and with it you can do the most incredible culinary delights: and salads, and add to oatmeal, and the winterwind in different types.Cucumbers are very tasty, dietary and have some medicinal qualities. What is unusual, it is the only vegetable, fruit which we eat in the green kind, sour.The story of cucumber on our table itself is very interesting.

2.My favorite vegetable is banan.It is yellow vegetable, which come from Aziya.Ucountries with temperate climates bananas often perceived as a dessert product that is consumed in fresh form of cleared or used as additives to the confectionery andice cream. But in the tropics often are used plantains - bananas, which require the prior heat treatment.

3.My favorite kind of meat – hovyadyna.This meat is delicious, it is possible to make burgers, chops and much more. Hovyadyna is the meat from cows (bovine)

Nastia Kotusko

Meringue with chocolate-island

Lovely dessert, very simple in execution, as chocolate, the taste - very similar to the"Bird's milk".

At this link you can learn more information about my interesting plate:http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/ilc/0599/island.html#axzz1f7twHY3c

If you want to relax, you must try this dessert. I ate it this summer, my best friend cooked it and I was surprised by her abilities.

If you want to fill your body with a heat just try meringue with chocolate-island and you will not regret.

1. My favorite vegetable is tomato, because it is very juicy and tasty, and it can be eaten at any period of year, it contains many vitamins.

2.My favorite fruit is peach because it juicy, sweet and can be eaten in the summer at the seaside, where there are a lot of them.

3.My favorite type of meat is rabbit .In Ukrainian cuisine there are a lot of food made of rabbit which suit all tastes. You need only read the recipes and choose the one most like and enjoy it, salty, or bitter, sour or sweet.

Nadia Demyanyk

Roasted salmon with citrus

At this link you can find a recipe of this delicious plate: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/citrus-roasted-salmon-10000000479085/

I ate this plate two years ago when I was at the seaside with my family. It was something like local delicacy. Prepared fish is served wint vegetable salad.

And if you want to know about the taste of this food I can tell you that this dish was very tasty, a little sour, but perfectly suited for fine dining and by taste, and by it`s appearance.

1.My favorite vegetable is tomato, because it is extremely tasty,it make us no thirst very fast, it's red, visible, juicy. We use it for salads, sauces, juices and various othertasty things.

2.My favorite fruit is kiwi. It`s taste is something between gooseberry and strawberry. Fruit is very rich in vitaminies.We eat kiwi differently: prepare fruit salads, add to meat dishes.Or we may simply cut the fruit into two parts (not pre-clearing) and with the help of spoon eat his flesh without losing a drop of juice healing.

3.My favorite kind of meat is chicken. Everyone can prepare different dishes from it : cold and hot appetizers and use it for cooking even salads. It is quite delicious, useful and a lot of people like it.

Ann Protashchuk

Saturday, October 8, 2011

www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108101.html
There you can find information about history, geography and government of Northern ireland.

Today, at this great day I started blogging. I hope it will be successful!!!

Coat of arms of Northern Ireland

The coat of arms of Northern Ireland was granted to the government of Northern Ireland in 1924, after the Irish Free State had separated from the United Kingdom.

Neville Rodwell Wilkinson, Ulster King of Arms, had designed the great seal and flag of Northern Ireland in 1923. In January 1924, he held discussions with Northern Irish officials in London regarding the coat of arms. The final design was completed by Wilkinson's deputy Thomas Ulick Sadleir for approval by the Northern Ireland cabinet in April 1924. The artwork was approved and the Royal warrant signed by George V and issued through the Home Office on August 2, 1924 and registered in the Register of Arms in Dublin as follows:

Royal Warrant Government of Northern Ireland

Argent a cross gules, overall on a six pointed star of the field ensigned by an Imperial crown proper a dexter hand couped at the wrist of the second.

Given at our Court of St. James in the 15th year of our reign 2nd August 1924 by His Majesty's command.

This was the same design as the Ulster Banner which had been designed in the previous year.

The supporters were granted in 1925, and consist of a red lion supporting a blue banner bearing a gold harp and crown, and an Irish elk in proper colours, supporting a banner of the arms of the De Burgo Earls of Ulster, the basis for the Flag of Ulster.

The supporters were blazoned as follows:

Dexter a lion gules armed langued and collared or, supporting a flagstaff proper, therefrom flowing to the sinister a banner azure, charged with a harp or, stringed argent, surmounted by an imperial crown proper; Sinister an Irish elk proper, collared or, supporting a like staff, therefrom flowing to the dexter a banner or charged with a cross gules.

In 1971, the College of Arms in London added the compartment on which the supporters stand:

On a grassy mount two flax plants each with three flowers on stems proper.

When the government of Northern Ireland was prorogued in 1972 the arms went out of official use. The grant has not been rescinded, but the arms are considered historical, as the body to which the arms were granted no longer exists and so cannot be used unless regranted to another armiger. The current Northern Ireland Executive does not use a coat of arms.

Location of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. Northern Ireland is surrounded by sea to the north and east and by the Republician countries to the west and to the south. The Antrim Coast (to the east) is a remarkable stretch of the country. It`s geographical composition goes back 300 million years. The west coast of Northern Ireland is characterized by steep cliffs and hundreds of small islands torn from the mainland mass by the powerful forces of the atlantic Ocean.
At the time of the 2001 UK Census, its population was 1,685,000, constituting about 30% of the island's total population and about 3% of the population of the United Kingdom.

History and Ethnic Relations

Emergence of the Nation. Prior to 1920 the island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Government of Ireland Act of 1920 founded the Irish Free State and allowed six Ulster counties to remain part of the United Kingdom, becoming Northern Ireland. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) opposed the establishment of the Irish Free State. In 1925, an agreement among the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain partitioned Ireland and defined the borders. Catholic residents of Ulster did not want to see Ireland divided, but Protestant business leaders wished to remain linked to England. In 1936, the Irish Free State proclaimed its complete independence, and in 1949 it renamed itself the Republic of Ireland. Since 1974, the United Kingdom has ruled Northern Ireland directly.

National Identity. The Northern Irish see themselves as distinct from the English but connected to their compatriots in the Republic of Ireland. The Northern Irish see the British of Northern Ireland as interlopers and oppressors.

Ethnic Relations. Violent antagonism between Catholics and Protestants developed in the nineteenth century and resulted from history and religion. The influx of settlers from England and Scotland was not welcomed by the native Irish, since the newcomers were awarded the best parcels of land. At first, the minority Ulster Protestants could not dominate the Catholic majority, but after the victory of the Protestants supporting William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne, they prevailed.

If you want to learn more about the history of Northern Ireland,you can go to this link:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints.

Two authentic letters from him survive, from which come the only universally accepted details of his life. When he was about 16, he was captured from Wales by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the Church, he returned to Ireland as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked. By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland.

Most available details of his life are from later hagiographies from the seventh century onwards, and these are now not accepted without detailed criticism. Uncritical acceptance of the Annals of Ulster would imply that he lived from 340 to 440, and ministered in what is modern day Northern Ireland from 428 onwards. The dates of Patrick's life cannot be fixed with certainty, but on a widespread interpretation he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the second half of the 5th century.

Saint Patrick's Day is observed on March 17, the date of Patrick's death. It is celebrated both in and outside of Ireland, as both a liturgical and non-liturgical holiday. In the dioceses of Ireland it is both a solemnity and a holy day of obligation and outside of Ireland, it can be a celebration of Ireland itself.

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The shamrock

The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish seamróg, which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover (seamair).

It is sometimes of the variety Trifolium repens (white clover, Irish: seamair bhán) but today usually Trifolium dubium (lesser clover, Irish: seamair bhuí). However, other three-leafed plants — such as Medicago lupulina, Trifolium pratense, and Oxalis — are sometimes designated as shamrocks. The shamrock was traditionally used for its medical properties and was a popular motif in Victorian times.