Ireland Country Guide | 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