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Tourism is one of the biggest industries in Ireland, with 11 million people visiting in 2019.
A few things you should know before contemplating a trip to Ireland. First, Ireland is expensive. It’s ranked as the thirteenth most expensive country in the world, and the seventh in Europe. It is ever more so at peak holiday times such as around July and August, and St Patrick’s Day.
Secondly, you can’t rely on the weather. Go out in the morning sun, and you’ll come back soaked. Bring an umbrella and you’ll get sunstroke. There is good weather, unfortunately no one knows when it will come. Though May and June can be great months to visit. Best to come prepared. Peak temperatures in the summer are about 25 Celsius, while winter temperatures rarely drop below zero.
Third, Ireland makes up for that with its warm welcome. You’ll find that more common outside Dublin, and especially in Galway, recently ranked the friendliest place in the world. You will definitely find it in pubs, and the Irish scene ranks among the best in the world. The Guinness and the Craic are a worthy reason to visit Ireland.
Fourth, Ireland is generally considered safe. Some petty crime takes place especially in the cities, but violent crime against tourists is very rare.
Fifth, Ireland drives on the left, but has some of the safest roads in Europe. So while that switch may be daunting for those used to doing it right, there is some hope.
Ireland is located in the North-West of Europe. The island is divided into the Republic of Ireland and Northern island, the latter being part of the United Kingdom. They have populations of 4.9 million and 1.8 million respectively. It is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth largest in the world. It is bordered to the West, South and North by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the East by the Irish Sea and Great Britain.
Ireland’s landscape is defined by a flat central plain, and low lying mountain regions surrounding its coasts. The highest of these is found in Kerry, which has eight of its ten highest peaks. Carrauntoohil is the highest peak at 1038 metres. Ireland of course is known for its greenery and this particlarly seen in the lush central plain of Kildare and Kilkenny. The longest river in the country is the Shannon, which runs for 360 kilometres from County Cavan to its mouth at the Shannon estuary in Limerick.
There are two capitals on the island, Dublin with a population of 2 million in its greater area, and Belfast with 600,000. Since 2021 Northern Ireland is no longer part of the EU, but there are no border controls between the North and South of the country.
The Republic of Ireland has used the Euro since 2002, while Northern Ireland uses Pound Sterling. At present the exchange rate from Euro to pound is 1 Euro= 0.86 pounds, while 1 Euro= $1.19. Either currency is sometimes accepted on both sides of the border, but it is best to assume it isn’t. Credit and debit cards are mostly commonly used nowadays, and are accepted nearly everywhere, including most markets and food trucks.
English is spoken as a first language throughout the entire island. There are pockets known as the Gaeltacht where the Irish language still exists as the spoken language, but it in serious decline. Only 96,000 people still occupy pockets in Donegal, Cork, Mayo, Kerry, Galway, Meath and Waterford.
There are international airports in Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Belfast and Knock, with arrivals from 43 different countries. There are also ferry sailings from Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Rosslare in Wexford, to ports in the UK, France and Spain. The entire island is covered by a good quality road network, with several motorways linking the cities. Less reliable is the train service, which is rather inadequate, and entirely misses several parts of the country. Most of the lines are arterial links from Dublin, and connections don’t exist between other cities. Buses are more commonly used for these connections. Airport connections are exclusively through buses at present too. Dublin is serviced by a tram and suburban rail service which run north, south and west through the city, and in particular provide good links from the city centre to coastal locations.
There are only 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the island, and 3 UNESCO Geopark’s. The three World Heritage Sites are very unique in their own right and well worth visiting.
Giants Causeway The Giants Causeway is a natural phenomenon in County Antrim, with about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns creating a quite stunning landscape. A fine example of nature as an architect.
Skellig Michael An island some 11 kilometres off the coast of Kerry, it is famed for the monastery atop its peak. Reached by a stone trail, the settlement is a series of fully intact beehive cells dating from the 10th century.
Newgrange Newgrange is Ireland’s most impressive Neolithic monument, built 5200 years ago. The mound is believed to have been a temple, and its defining feature is the central chamber that lights up annually on the winter solstice.
Travel is widespread as an industry in Ireland with every region having its own distinct selling point. The Republic is divided into four areas, Dublin, the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, and the Hidden Heartlands. Northern Ireland is not so clearly defined, but the cities of Belfast and Derry are tourist hot spots, as are the Antrim and Causeway Coasts. Within each of these regions there are plenty of individual worthy tourist attractions and locations, which we will now focus one.
Dublin is Ireland’s capital and the home of Guinness. A vibrant and youthful city, its the perfect starting point for a trip around the country. Famed for its many great literary writers, the city pays homage to them. The capitals St Patrick’s Day Parade attracts half a million people each year.
Ireland’s Ancient East extends down the east coast of the country, taking in the counties of Louth, Cavan, Monaghan, Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Carlow, Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford, Offaly, Cork, and Laois. This is an area beset with Norman castles, neolithic tombs, monasteries, country estates, and some of the best gardens in the country. There is also some fine hiking, and great beaches in Wexford, the warmest part of the country.
Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands is a tourist incentive taking in the flood plains of the River Shannon and counties Cavan, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, Sligo, Leitrim, Offaly, Galway, and Limerick. River cruises, fishing, walking and watersports are the main pursuits here.
The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest defined coastal route in the world, and stretches from Donegal through Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Cork. It takes in many of the coastal and inland sights of those counties, and the spectacular coastline of the Atlantic. Most of Ireland’s best scenery is found on this route.
Northern Ireland’s principal tourism are in the cities of Belfast and Derry, and the Antrim and Causeway Coastal Routes. Throughout though there are many areas of natural beauty such as the Mourne Mountains, Slieve Guillon and Lough Erne. Special mention has to go the Game of Thrones trail that travels through the country.
This site has a strong Irish focus with content divided by specific sections of travel in Ireland. These are road trips, hiking, hotel stays, street art, castles and some general travel tips. To jump to this content click on any of the links below.
©CarpeDeimEire, 2021. No unauthorised use of photos or content without the expressed permission of the author.
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