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IrelandCountry
The Republic of Ireland is located on the island of Ireland covering five-sixths of its total area and sharing the island with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. One fact, which is known almost world-wide about Ireland and the Irish, is the celebration of their patron saint on St. Patrick’ s day, 17 March. According to legend, St. Patrick came to Ireland in A.D. 432, introducing Christianity and converting people. The resulting Catholicism and the continuous struggle with Anglican Protestantism of England for independence has shaped their history throughout the centuries, bringing political conflict and extreme violence to the country.
People/Society
The Irish have been described as easygoing, lighthearted, good-humored, polite and cheerful. They are people who have the ability to laugh at themselves. One attitude that is often displayed communicates the belief that, at the end of the day, things will work out. Traditional values of the society include having a good education and a secure job, owning a home and having a good sense of humor. Individualism is a trait that is highly valued, but aggressiveness, arrogance and fanaticism are not.
Religion
About 88 percent of Ireland’s population (4 million people), are Roman Catholic. Close to 3 percent belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, and 9 percent are adherents of various other beliefs, both Christian and non-Christian. Although there is no state church, the Catholic Church has played an important role in the country’s cultural and political history, and it continues to shape the values of the people and the laws of the land.
History
The work of the Church of the Nazarene in Ireland began in the 1960's but was discontinued in the early `80s. It was revived in 1987 with the establishment of the Greystones church.
The Church Today
Today the Church of the Nazarene has one church in Greystones, just south of Dublin.
In 2005 the church reported 65 members with an average worship attendance of 85 people.
Other countries in the Northern Europe Field: Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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