Ireland’s culture was for centuries predominantly Gaelic, and it remains one of the six principal Celtic nations. Some Irish history has been very dark indeed, but it remains a land of poets, story-tellers, musicians, and marvellous scenery,
Dublin is the lively capital, the most cosmopolitan city of Ireland, with a great array of sights and visitor facilities. Cork (map) — the country’s second biggest city — on the banks of the River Lee, known for great food (especially seafood), pubs, shopping and festivals. Galway (map) – its historic centre is compact and colourful. It’s a party town, with live music and revellers spilling onto its pedestrianised central street, and it’s also a base for exploring the scenic surrounding county.
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Killarney (map) — Possibly, the most popular tourist destination. A pleasant town in its own right, it is also the start of most Ring of Kerry trips. The *Burren is a haunting, barren limestone upland in County Clare. It ends abruptly in the great Cliffs of Moher (map).
Regardless of when you visit, even in middle of the summer, you will more than likely experience rain.
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One of Ireland’s most famous exports is stout: a dark, creamy beer, the most popular being Guinness which is brewed in Dublin (St. James’s Gate Brewery, map). Murphy’s and Beamish stout are brewed in Cork.
TRANSPORT
Go-Ahead Ireland operate commuter routes between towns in Kildare and Dublin City. Bus Éireann operate an extensive network of regional bus services across Ireland. Local Link is the brand name for all services funded under the rural transport programme. There are over 1,000 rural bus routes serving nearly all corners of the country.
Ireland is served by 4 international airports, Dublin Airport, Shannon Airport, Cork Airport, Ireland West Airport Knock.
Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann). The only cross-border train is the Enterprise service jointly run by Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways from Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly. *Rail travel in Ireland
In the Dublin city area the electrified DART (acronym for Dublin Area Rapid Transit) coastal railway travels from Malahide (map) and the Howth peninsula in the North to Bray and Greystones in Co. Wicklow via Dún Laoghaire and Dublin city centre.