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Introducing Ireland
If the regular polls of departing travellers are to be believed, it's Ireland's timeless traditional side that continues to hold the key to the country’s draw as a tourist destination. At the heart of it all is the often breathtaking scenery, still gorgeous enough to make your jaw drop despite the best efforts of developers to scar some of the most beautiful bits with roundabouts, brutal suburbs and summer bungalows. From the lonely, wind-lashed wilderness of the Beara Peninsula to the awe-inspiring landscapes of County Derry, Ireland is one of the world’s most beautiful countries, and worth every effort you make to explore it. The sometimes overwhelming popularity of the scenic superstars like Connemara and Killarney National Park has seen the emergence of quieter idylls as the preferred destination of the discerning traveller, who has discovered the beauty of the lakes of County Roscommon, the villages of County Waterford and the rarely visited County Westmeath. Here you can come into contact with a more genuine Ireland, the kind removed from the slick machinery of the tourist trail. Of course, this does not mean you should miss Dublin: the pulsating capital has a soul and sociability unrivalled by any other European city.
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The slow grind that resulted in the end of violence in Northern Ireland has meant that the province can finally go about showing to a much wider audience that it is just as beautiful and interesting as the rest of the island. In 2007, Lonely Planet’s Blue List put it in the world’s top 10 destinations to visit for good reason – the province has always had plenty to see, but the activity of paramilitary groups made the prospect of visiting a little daunting.
Given the troubled nature of its recent past, combined with all of the usual problems thrown up by any modern society, Ireland is no laid-back Utopia (that'd be boring anyway). But the fact remains that the Irish warmth and welcome is the real deal, and millions of visitors testify to the sheer ease with which they made friends here. Someone will stop and help you find your way when you’re standing on a corner gawking at a map; you will strike up a conversation if you’re sitting alone in a pub; and there is a very good chance that if you’re stuck somewhere a local will volunteer a lift to wherever you need to go. The Irish love complaining about their country – about the crappy weather, the horrible traffic, the unplanned construction, the venal corruption – and will swear to you that you’re the luckiest person on earth because you don’t have to live here, but they only do it because this is the greatest country on the planet. Make sense? Well, it does here.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
- experience on foot the history and natural beauty of Ireland's Dingle Peninsula
- take in the famous Kerry countryside and coastline walking the Iveragh Peninsula
- skip the lines and see all our Dublin tours
Like the sound of these tours? We've got more here.
Last updated: Oct 22, 2009
Tips & articles
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Top places to steal a kiss
30 September 2009
Like they say, it’s all in the lips – so pucker up for everything from passion to cinematic history at...
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Europe’s top 10 football stadiums
28 September 2009
Football (soccer) is Europe’s unofficial religion. And when summer turns to autumn, all over the...
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Dublin with kids
24 September 2009
Dublin is a great place to take the kids. Even if the weather isn’t so good, the welcome is always warm...
Ireland
Our Top Picks For Ireland
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1 Dublin
Drink a Guinness at the source in Ireland’s pulsating capital
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2 Connemara
Traverse its wild and barren hinterland and skirt its dramatic coast
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3 Aran Islands
Stroll or cycle these small magical islands
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4 Brú Na Bóinne
Walk the dark tunnel into prehistory at these magnificent Neolithic passage graves
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5 Derry
Ancient history, and terrific pubs in one of the country’s most fascinating cities
Fast Facts about Ireland
- Irish adults who have satellite TV
25%
- Mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland
4.3 million for 86% of the population
- Number of visiting tourists per year
7.3 million (more than there are residents)
- Territory size
70, 300 sq km
- Annual earnings from tourism
€5 billion
- Biggest no-no
Don’t say ‘begorrah’ – they’ll just laugh at you
- Inflation
4.5%
- Unemployment rate
4.3%
- Population
4.2 million (Republic), 1.7 million (Northern Ireland)
Related Groups
Our favourite Ireland Blogs (beta)
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What Does a Trip to Ireland Cost?
Blog: Irish Fireside - 20 November 2009
Every day I get emails asking that question. The only problem is people don’t tell me if they are flying to Ireland from London, New York or Fiji. They also don’t tell me whether they want to spend a week in Ireland or a month. Are they planning on an all-inclusive tour or a self-drive or will they [...]
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This Year’s Holiday Destination… Limerick
Blog: Irish Fireside - 17 November 2009
Christmas Lighting, originally uploaded by derhur. The city of Limerick is positioning itself as Ireland’s winter holiday destination. The place best known as the often grim setting of Frank McCourt’s “Angela’s Ashes” has come a long way since the late author’s boyhood days. In fact, I’ve found Limerick’s city centre constantly improving… significantly more pedestrian-friendly and [...]
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A little difficulty…Driving on the other side is hard!
Blog: A Little Adrift - A RTW Travelogue - 17 November 2009
“Umm, did you hear that sound?” I oh, so casually ask Laura as we drive out of minuscule town of Doolin, on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. Laura, partially deaf in one ear bless her heart, gives a definitive shake of her head and then re-launches into her story as I can’t shake the nagging feeling like something just happened to the car after the absolutely massive pot-hole I ploughed over at speedy 55 kilometers an hour. With an ear tuned toward Laura’s story I continue carefully navigating my puttering ...
