Ireland Country Guide

Traveller's Guide to Ireland

Ireland is a land steeped in history and known for its misty green countryside, its culture, its tradition (local legends and folklore) as well its warm-hearted and friendly people.

Its immensely livable capital, Dublin , with its superb cultural offerings (theatres, museums and bookstores) as well as its lovely parks, friendly pubs, interesting historical sites and vibrant street scenes is well worth a stay of a few days at the very least.

Ireland is a small country but with an abundance of picturesque countryside. If you want to explore some tourist destinations that are off-the-beaten-track, Ireland has plenty of them. The Burren region is an extraordinary place with underground springs, caverns, chasms, and cracks.

The areas around Killarney are great for hiking and biking. Add to it the Aran Islands particularly Inis Meain, Clonmacnois, Connemara, Galway and Sligo and you are sure to have a wonderful time up close to nature.

If you are a poet or writer (or fancy yourself as one), you'll find a culture that accepts and embraces the art of the word. Merely mentioning your avocation in a Dublin pub will get you requests to "Tell us a poem!"

Ireland's literary heritage lives throughout the country, from Yeat's grave, up north in Sligo, to the Book of Kells which is beautifully preserved in Trinity College and was written by Irish Monks in the 5th century.

Add to this the vibrancy of Cork and Limerick with the Shannon at it's core, the crystal of Waterford and the medieval beauty of Kilkenny and you can see for yourself that for a small country, Ireland sure does pack things in.

Ireland is one of those ideal traveling destinations except for one thing: the weather. But you would be foolish to let this stop you. If it should pour down, you can always drop into the nearest pub for a pint.

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Ireland Facts

  • Capital: Dublin
  • Population: 4,148,000
  • Currency: euro (EUR)
  • Religions: Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)
  • Government: parliamentary democracy
  • Languages: English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official) (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
  • Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
  • Phone Code: 353

Photos of Ireland

A Sheep Looking For Directions - County Donegal - County Donegal, Ireland A Rocky Path to the Top - County Donegal - County Donegal, Ireland A Sheep Taking in the View - County Donegal - County Donegal, Ireland Fluffy Clouds Crown a Rocky Peak - County Donegal - County Donegal, Ireland A Quaint Stream on the Road to Donegal Town - County Donegal, Ireland A Sheep on the Edge - County Donegal's Atlantic Coastline - County Donegal, Ireland Rolling Hills of County Donegal - County Donegal, Ireland

Festivals in Ireland

Arran Folk Festival (Isle of Arran, Ireland)
Festival Types: Celtic, Folk, Music - Folk
Month: June
Arran Folk Festival Website
Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival (Ballyshannon, Ireland)
Festival Types: Music - Folk, Celtic, Music - Traditional
Month: August
Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival Website
Cat Laughs Comedy Festival (Kilkenny, Ireland)
Festival Types: Comedy, Performing Art
Month: June
Cat Laughs Comedy Festival Website
Christmas - Ireland (All Areas, Ireland)
Festival Types: Christmas, Religious, Traditional
Month: December
Christmas - Ireland Article
Clarenbridge Oyster Festival (Clarenbridge, Ireland)
Festival Types: Food, Food and Drink, Community
Month: September
Clarenbridge Oyster Festival Snippet

Ireland Accommodation

Hotelopia has great prices on hotels in Ireland

Ireland Flights

Aer Lingus (Ireland) » Aer Lingus the flying clover, is Ireland's national carrier and flies to over 25 countries.
Aer Lingus

2camels has searched the web for airlines that fly to Ireland. We feature only hand picked links (like the one above to Aer Lingus) through to airline sites that feature flights to Ireland.

Ireland Tours