Ireland

Quick Facts

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Local name

Éire

Capital

Dublin

Government

Republic

Nationality

Irish

Population

4,239,848 ^[1]

Languages

Irish (Gaelic), English

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Currency

Euro (EUR) €

Calling Code

+353

Time Zone

GMT (UTC)

Daylight Saving Time

BST (UTC+1)

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Introduction

old Dublin

© All Rights Reserved rafal

Though the strife of its political conflict over the last half-century might suggest otherwise, Irish hospitality is warm and inviting, providing an excellent framework for touring the nation's many attractions. Pubs occupy many a street corner, and the merry atmosphere is often accented by someone playing the fiddle, accordion or singing. Georgian-style houses line the streets in Dublin, but here the fundamental irony of modern-day Ireland is best exemplified: often, inside these historical houses, thriving computer and telecommunications industries operate. The simultaneous actions of treasuring the past and latching onto the current day's competitive international market create an interesting tension, one which for the most part has not done Ireland any harm. Of course, the booming economy has pushed the standard of living up, with one negative side effect for the traveller: Ireland's not a cheap destination.

Brief History

Geography

Ireland is part of the British Isles and shares international borders with the United Kingdom because of Northern Ireland.

Regions

Ireland is divided into four main provinces. These in turn house the 32 counties of the island of Ireland (26 of which belong to the Republic of Ireland while the remaining 6 fall under Northern Ireland). This divide is formed in the province of Ulster. For this purpose the counties of the Republic and of the North are divided in the Ulster section below.
The Gaeilge name for each county is given in brackets after the English.

Connaught

• Galway (Gaillimh)
• Leitrim (Liatroim)
• Mayo (Maigh Eo)
• Roscommon (Ros Comán)
• Sligo (Sligeach)

Leinster

• Carlow (Ceatharlach)
• Dublin (Baile Átha Cliath)
• Kildare (Cill Dara)
• Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh)
• Laois (Laois)
• Longford (Longfort)
• Louth (Lú)
• Meath (Mí)
• Offaly (Ua Fáilghe)
• Westmeath (Iarmhí)
• Wexford (Loch Garman)
• Wicklow (Cill Mhantáin)

Munster

• Clare (Clár)
• Cork (Corcaigh)
• Kerry (Ciarraí)
• Limerick (Luimneach)
• Tipperary (Tiobraid Arainn)
• Waterford (Port Lairge)

Ulster - Republic of Ireland

• Cavan (Cabhán)
• Donegal (Dún na nGall)
• Monaghan (Muineacháin)

Ulster - Northern Ireland

• Antrim (Aontroim)
• Armagh (Árd Mhacha)
• Down (Dún)
• Fermanagh (Fir Manach)
• Derry (Doire)
• Tyrone (Tir Eoghain)

Cities

• Dublin - The nation's capital
• Cork
• Galway
• Limerick
• Waterford

Sights and Activities

Ring of Kerry

Slea Head - Dingle Peninsula

© All Rights Reserved Cynthie

The Ring of Kerry probably is one the most scenic routes in Ireland, if not Europe. It is a route best done by car (or bike if you wish) in the County of Kerry in the southwestern corner of the country. Kerry has a dramatic landscape with beaches, cliffs, rolling green hills, rocky semi moutainous areas and some lovely colourful (fishing) villages. Although the route mostly runs along the coastline, it is worth getting more into the interior as well, as these areas are less visited and therefore much quieter. Although technically the route can be done in a day, it is best to spend the night somewhere in between.

Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher are located at the southwestern edge of The Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare. The cliffs are one of the most spectacular places to visit in the country and tower above the Atlantic Ocean, in some places above 200 metres above sea level. Together with the Ring of Kerry, they are probably the most visited tourist destination in the country, but still they never loose anything of their beautiful character. One of the best ways to view the awesome nature of these cliffs is from sea level. Several companies offer cruise trips out of Doolin.

Connemara

Connemara is another beautiful landscape in Ireland and can match itself with the two mentioned above. They barren landscape is located in the northwest of the County of Galway. The fantastic green rolling hills and (if you are lucky) the blue skies with grey and white clouds are a fantastic thing to see. Driving around Connemara is easily doable in a day but for some better idea of this magnificent landscape, try and visit for some more days and add a few of the small communities, one of the castles (Kylemore Abbey is of special interest) or just walk around at some beaches and soak up the atmosphere. It really feels as the western edge of Europe here.

Other sights and activities

The Burren

© All Rights Reserved Utrecht

• Irish pubs - of course
• Celtic music - again, of course
• Skelligs - including Skellig Michael, rocky islands off the coast of Kerry, on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Wicklow Mountains - near Dublin, popular weekend retreat with great walks and views.
• Aran Islands
• Blarney Castle - near Cork
• The Burren
• Dingle Peninsula - one of the lesser known peninsulas in the west, but maybe the most beautiful with spectacular rides, views and beaches.

Events and Festivals

• Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is Ireland's famous national holiday, celebrating one of Ireland's patron saints, Saint Patrick.
• The Willie Clancy Summer School and festival is a traditional Irish music summer school held in Miltown Malbay in Co Clare. It was set up in 1973 in memory of the famous local piper Willie Clancy and now attracts almost 1000 students from around the world. It is held during the first week of July, which is referred to as the Willie Week.

Weather

Getting There

Unless you're coming from Northern Ireland, the options for getting to Ireland are limited to air and sea.

By Plane

Dublin Airport (IATA: DUB, ICAO: EIDW), located 10 kilometres north of Dublin, remains the main gateway to Ireland despite the increasing number international flights flying into two other international airports, Shannon International Airport (IATA: SNN, ICAO: EINN) in Shannon and Cork Airport (IATA: ORK, ICAO: EICK) in Cork.

The national carrier, Aer Lingus, has flights to many European destinations; US cities such as New York, Boston and Los Angeles; Agadir, Morocco and Dubai. Ireland-based Ryanair is a main low-cost carrier in Europe with many connections across the region.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

My advice, as an Irish person, would be to come to Ireland for the sights, the people, the culture and the history, but NOT for the transport system.

TP member jessieanne in the forums

By Plane

Although Ireland is relatively small, there are several carriers offering domestic flights. These include Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Aer Arann. Airports that are served include Dublin, Cork, Galway, the Aran Islands, Sligo and Kerry.

By Train

Irish Rail runs a number of rail links across the country. There are two classes and sometimes there is a restaurant car. There is a so-called Expressway coach network which complements rail services.

By Car

With the public transport being somewhat limited regarding frequency and network, renting a car is a wise decision if you want to see a lot of the country in a short period of time and if you are with 2 or 3, the cost is reasonable as small cars can be rented from around €30 a day. There are many companies to choose from, but Hertz and Avis have the largest networks. Driving is on the left and renting an a car with automatic gearbox is recommended because of the winding roads in many parts of the country. You have to be 21 and have a national driver's licence. If you want to visit Northern Ireland, arrange this when renting the car in advance. If bringing your own car, be sure to have international insurance (green card).

By Bus

Bus Eireann offers a wide range of connections between Dublin and many major cities and towns, although frequencies to remote areas might be low. There is a so-called Expressway coach network which complements rail services.
There are several bus (sometimes combined with rail) passes.
The Irish Rambler offers unlimited travel for three, eight or 15 days. The Irish Explorer offers unlimited rail travel between cities and suburban rail networkds as well as unlimited use of the Bus Eireann Expressway and local and city services. The Emerald Card offers rail and expressway coach services in Northern Ireland as well as in the Republic of Ireland.

By Boat

There are several services to islands off the coast of Ireland. The most useful ferry link is with Aran Island Ferries from the mainland in the west of Ireland to the Aran Islands. There are also ferries to the Aran Islands from Doolin with Doolin Ferries.

Red Tape

The United Kingdom and Ireland maintain a Common Travel Area with no border controls, which effectively means that if you are coming in from the UK it means you do not need any visa to enter Ireland. However, photo identification document such as passport or National Identity Card (EU citizens only) is still required to board flights and ferry. If you're not a entering from the UK, you may need to obtain a visa.

Citizens from the following countries do not require a visa to enter Ireland. (Source: Department of Foreign Affairs - Who needs a visa?)

• Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau (Special Administrative Region), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom & Dependent Territories (* noted below), United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela

* British Dependent Territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory (South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands),
British Indian Ocean Territories (Chagos Archipelago, Peros Banos, Diego Garcia, Danger Island), Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands and Dependicies, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn (Henderson, Ducie And Oneno Islands), St. Helena and Dependicies (Ascension Island, Tristan Da Cunha), The Soverign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekila, Turks and Caicos Island, British Virgin Islands

Money

See also: Money Matters

Ireland has adopted the Euro (ISO code: EUR, symbol: €) as its official currency. One Euro is divided into 100 cents, which is sometimes referred to as eurocents, especially when distinguishing them with the US cents.

Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500. The highest three denominations are rarely used in everyday transactions. All Euro banknotes have a common design for each denomination on both sides throughout the Eurozone.

The Euro coins are 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Some countries in the Eurozone have law which requires cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. All Euro coins have a common design on the denomination (value) side, while the opposite side may have a different image from one country to another. Although the image side may be different, all Euro coins remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone.

The cost of living in Ireland is quite high. Dublin, in particular, is an expensive city, though cities and towns throughout the rest of Ireland are markedly cheaper. Within Dublin, prices also vary based on where you are. Areas such as Phibsborough and Dublin 15 are generally cheaper, for example.

Visa and Mastercard are generally accepted, though American Express can be a bit harder.

If you have an ATM card, bring it. It's much easier to withdraw money from the wall than to exchange currencies. Of course, chances are that your bank will charge a withdrawal fee, so it's generally advisable to withdraw larger sums of money at a time.

Work

Study

Language

Irish (Gaeilge) is a Celtic language of the Goidelic branch spoken in Ireland. Although once spoken across the whole of the island, it is presently a minority language. It is constitutionally upheld as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland, and it is an official language of the European Union. It is also an officially recognised minority language in Northern Ireland.

English would be the main language of the people however you will find in parts of Ireland, especially Gaeltacht Regions, that Irish is spoken as a traditional, native language.

Many English-speaking Irish people use small and simple phrases (known as the cúpla focal, "pair of words") in their everyday speech, e.g. Slán ("goodbye"), Slán abhaile ("get home safely"), Sláinte ("good health"; used when drinking like "bottoms up" or "cheers"), Go raibh maith agat - ("thank you"), Céad míle fáilte ("a hundred thousand welcomes", a tourist board saying), Conas atá tú? ("How are you?"). There are many more small sayings that have crept into Hiberno-English. The term craic has been popularised outside Ireland in its Gaelic spelling: "How's the craic?" or "What's the 'craic'?" ("how's the fun?"/"how is it going?").

Eat

In the 20th century the usual modern selection of foods common to Western culture has been adopted in Ireland. Europe's dishes have influenced the country, along with other world dishes introduced in a similar fashion to the rest of the western world. Common meals include pizza, curry, Chinese food, and lately, some West African dishes have been making an appearance. Supermarket shelves now contain ingredients for traditional, European, American (Mexican/Tex-Mex), Indian, Chinese, and other dishes.

The proliferation of fast food has led to increasing public health problems including obesity, and one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world. Traditional Irish food and diet is also somewhat to blame, with a large emphasis on meat and butter. Government efforts to combat this have included television advertising campaigns and education programmes in schools.

In tandem with these developments, the last quarter of the 20th century saw the emergence of a new Irish cuisine based on traditional ingredients handled in new ways. This cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish, especially salmon and trout, oysters, mussels and other shellfish, traditional soda bread, the wide range of hand-made cheeses that are now being made across the country, and, of course, the potato. Traditional dishes, such as the Irish stew, coddle, the Irish breakfast, and potato bread, have enjoyed a resurgence. Schools like the Ballymaloe Cookery School have emerged to cater for the associated increased interest in cooking.

All towns have a good variety of restaurants, cafés and takeaways to suit all budgets. A popular place to eat in Ireland would be the local pub, which usually does full dinners reasonably priced, normally around €10 to €12.

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

The police service (An Garda Síochána) and fire services can be contacted by dialling 999 or 112 on any phone or mobile phone throughout the country.

National Police Service - An Garda Síochána

The police force in the Republic of Ireland are called An Garda Síochána - more commonly referred to as "the Gardaí" or just simply "the Guards". Members of the force can be identified on the street usually by the green florescent jackets they wear with the word "GARDA" written on the back and front.

The Gardaí in Dublin police an area known as The Dublin Metropolitan Region which incorporates the city and County of Dublin as well as small portions of adjacent counties - Kildare (to the west) and Wicklow (to the South).

The current headquarters of An Garda Síochána is located in the Phoenix Park - the largest municipal park in the World, to the west of Dublin City.

In Northern Ireland the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are the national police force. The PSNI were formerly known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) prior to 2002.

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

There are currently four main mobile phone operators dominating the Irish market:

• Vodafone (prefix 087 - GSM900/1800 - 3G 2100)
• O2 (prefix 086 - GSM900/1800 - 3G 2100)
• Meteor (prefix 085 - GSM900/1800)
• Three (prefix 083 - GSM900/1800 - 3G 2100)

Most European phones and operators will allow you to roam on Irish networks, however you should ensure before arrival that your phone can operate on the GSM900/1800 network and that your service provider has set you up to allow roaming. This is especially true for visitors from outside the Eurozone.

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