Introduction
Mossy castles, glossy museums and all the green you can handle. Religion has always been Ireland's meat and drink, and there are an abundance of sacred sites, from stone circles and dolmens to 1000-year-old early Christian churches.
Castles, forts, museums and mansions, many with exquisite gardens, dot the countryside.
There are fifty shades of green, and none of them are jaded. It's said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blarney rings true. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country's history is almost tangible, and its people seem put on earth expressly to restore faith in humanity.
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The weather may sometimes give you the impression that you're swimming through an airborne ocean, but the truly luminous greens, luxuriant wildflowers, and afternoons spent holed up in riotous pubs will more than console you for the webbed feet you'll need to grow.
Geography:
Small-beaked and wing-clipped, Ireland is an island in the Atlantic Ocean which appears about to alight on the coast of Britain 80km (50mi) to the west across the Irish Sea. Its cities are small, so it's never far to isolated sweeps of mountain or bogland. Much of Ireland's elevated ground is close to the coast, and almost the entire Atlantic seaboard is a bulwark of cliffs, hills and mountains, with few safe anchorages. Most of the centre of the island is composed of flat farmland or raised bogs. This area is drained by the 260km (161mi) long Shannon, which enters the sea west of Limerick.
Destination Facts
Capital: Dublin
President (Republic): Mary McAleese
Prime Minister (Republic): Brian Cowen
Government: democracy
Time zone: GMT 0
Area: 70300
Population: 3969000
People: Irish; small immigrant populations
Languages: Although English is the main language of Ireland, it's spoken with a mellifluous lilt and a peculiar way of structuring sentences, to be sure.There remain areas of western and southern Ireland, known as the Gaeltacht, where Irish (Gaelic) is the native language - they include parts of Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Donegal and the Aran Islands. There are around 83,000 native speakers. Since Independence in 1921, the Republic of Ireland has declared itself to be bilingual, and many documents and road signs are printed in both Gaelic and English.
90% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant
Currency: Euro (€)
GDP: Approx. €113700000000
Major industries: Computer software, information technology, food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, pharmaceuticals, tourism
Major Trading Partners: EU (esp. UK, Germany, France, Netherlands), US
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 353
Getting there and away
Most international visitors to Ireland travel via England, although both Dublin and Shannon airports have flights directly from the USA. There are flights between Dublin and London's four international airports, as well as flights from British provincial cities. Many European cities offer direct flights to Ireland. Airport departure taxes are built into the cost of your ticket. Ferry services between Ireland and Britain operate between Dublin and Holyhead in Wales, and between Rosslare and Fishguard and Pembroke, also in Wales. Services also link Cork with St Malo, Cherbourg and Le Havre in France.
Getting around
The best way to see Ireland is by car, especially as many sights of interest are not served by public transport. However, car rental is expensive; in the high season it can often make good sense to arrange a package deal before you leave home. The Irish, like the British, drive on the left. Don't be fooled by Ireland's size: getting around by public transport is not as easy as you might like to think. Distances may be short, but in Ireland getting from A to B never follows a straight line. Rail fares are particularly expensive, there are notable gaps in the routes, and the frequency of both bus and train services can leave a lot to be desired. Apart from Ireland's wealth of walking and hiking opportunities, cycling is a great way to get around - if you can ignore the hills, poor road surfaces and wet weather. Tourist offices all have regional cycling maps to help you plan your tour; West Cork in particular is ideal.
Weather
Despite its northern latitude, Ireland's climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream, bringing the dregs of Caribbean balminess, as well as turtles and triggerfish. The temperature only drops below freezing intermittently during the winter and snow is scarce. Summers aren't really that hot, rarely hitting 30 ° C (86 ° F), but it stays light until around 23:00. Whatever the time of year, be prepared for rain because Ireland is wet. The heaviest rain usually falls where the scenery is best: luscious County Kerry can be drizzle-bound on as many as 270 days of the year. If you do find the rain getting you down you might find some comfort in the Irish saying: 'It doesn't rain in the pub'!
Mossy castles, glossy museums and all the green you can handle. Religion has always been Ireland's meat and drink, and there are an abundance of sacred sites, from stone circles and dolmens to 1000-year-old early Christian churches.
Castles, forts, museums and mansions, many with exquisite gardens, dot the countryside.
Small-beaked and wing-clipped, Ireland is an island in the Atlantic Ocean which appears about to alight on the coast of Britain 80km (50mi) to the west across the Irish Sea. Its cities are small, so it's never far to isolated sweeps of mountain or bogland. Much of Ireland's elevated ground is close to the coast, and almost the entire Atlantic seaboard is a bulwark of cliffs, hills and mountains, with few safe anchorages. Most of the centre of the island is composed of flat farmland or raised bogs. This area is drained by the 260km (161mi) long Shannon, which enters the sea west of Limerick.
Capital: Dublin
President (Republic): Mary McAleese
Prime Minister (Republic): Brian Cowen
Government: democracy
Time zone: GMT 0
Area: 70300
Population: 3969000
People: Irish; small immigrant populations
Languages: Although English is the main language of Ireland, it's spoken with a mellifluous lilt and a peculiar way of structuring sentences, to be sure.There remain areas of western and southern Ireland, known as the Gaeltacht, where Irish (Gaelic) is the native language - they include parts of Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Donegal and the Aran Islands. There are around 83,000 native speakers. Since Independence in 1921, the Republic of Ireland has declared itself to be bilingual, and many documents and road signs are printed in both Gaelic and English.
90% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant
Currency: Euro (€)
GDP: Approx. €113700000000
Major industries: Computer software, information technology, food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, pharmaceuticals, tourism
Major Trading Partners: EU (esp. UK, Germany, France, Netherlands), US
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Country Dialing Code: 353
Most international visitors to Ireland travel via England, although both Dublin and Shannon airports have flights directly from the USA. There are flights between Dublin and London's four international airports, as well as flights from British provincial cities. Many European cities offer direct flights to Ireland. Airport departure taxes are built into the cost of your ticket. Ferry services between Ireland and Britain operate between Dublin and Holyhead in Wales, and between Rosslare and Fishguard and Pembroke, also in Wales. Services also link Cork with St Malo, Cherbourg and Le Havre in France.
The best way to see Ireland is by car, especially as many sights of interest are not served by public transport. However, car rental is expensive; in the high season it can often make good sense to arrange a package deal before you leave home. The Irish, like the British, drive on the left. Don't be fooled by Ireland's size: getting around by public transport is not as easy as you might like to think. Distances may be short, but in Ireland getting from A to B never follows a straight line. Rail fares are particularly expensive, there are notable gaps in the routes, and the frequency of both bus and train services can leave a lot to be desired. Apart from Ireland's wealth of walking and hiking opportunities, cycling is a great way to get around - if you can ignore the hills, poor road surfaces and wet weather. Tourist offices all have regional cycling maps to help you plan your tour; West Cork in particular is ideal.
Despite its northern latitude, Ireland's climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream, bringing the dregs of Caribbean balminess, as well as turtles and triggerfish. The temperature only drops below freezing intermittently during the winter and snow is scarce. Summers aren't really that hot, rarely hitting 30 ° C (86 ° F), but it stays light until around 23:00. Whatever the time of year, be prepared for rain because Ireland is wet. The heaviest rain usually falls where the scenery is best: luscious County Kerry can be drizzle-bound on as many as 270 days of the year. If you do find the rain getting you down you might find some comfort in the Irish saying: 'It doesn't rain in the pub'!
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