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Ireland

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.

Geopolitically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. In 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.6 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. As of 2016, 4.8 million lived in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million in Northern Ireland.

Language

The two official languages of the Republic of Ireland are Irish and English. Each language has produced noteworthy literature. Irish, though now only the language of a minority, was the vernacular of the Irish people for thousands of years and was possibly introduced during the Iron Age. It began to be written down after Christianisation in the 5th century and spread to Scotland and the Isle of Man, where it evolved into the Scottish Gaelic and Manx languages respectively.

Phrases common in Ireland:

  • Oul fella & wan Dad & Mom
  • Donkeys Years Awful lot of years!
  • The Jacks The bathroom
  • A whale of a time A really good time!
  • I will yeah When a person has no intention
  • A bag of tayto Potato chips
  • I’m knackered I'm exhausted or tired
  • Great drying out Weather is nice to dry clothes
  • Will you have a mineral? Will you have a soft drink?
  • Happy Out Content in current surroundings

Attractions

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The Cliffs of Moher

So many superlatives have been used to describe the magnificent Cliffs of Moher that it's hard to find the right words. Vertigo-inducing and awe-inspiring spring to mind, and they are indeed both of these things, as well as being utterly wild and ruggedly beautiful. Yet no image can ever do them justice. This is one of the top tourist attractions in Ireland for good reason.

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Grafton Street, Dublin

So much more than just a great place to shop in Dublin, Grafton Street is alive with buskers, flower-sellers, and performance artists. You will also find countless places to stop off and simply watch the world meander by. Café culture has taken off in the capital, and on a sunny day, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in Barcelona or Lisbon.

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Blarney Castle

Possibly Ireland's best-known attraction and one it's must-see-castles, the Blarney Stone sits high on a tower of Blarney castle, not far from Cork. Reputed to endow the famed Irish eloquence to those who dare hang their head over the parapets to kiss it, the stone is not the only reason for visiting Blarney Castle.

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The Ring of Kerry

Also known as the Old River, the Belize River flows for 290 kilometers (180 miles) through the center of Belize. It served as the main trade arteries of the Maya Indians. It is still a vital source of drinking water and other domestic use for local people living along the river today.

Fun Facts

  1. A lad named Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have been responsible for bringing the potato crop from the Americas to Ireland many moons ago.
  2. The remains of St. Valentine can be found in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin City where they’ve been for many years.
  3. The festival of Halloween originated in ancient Ireland where the story begins with the pagan celebration of Samhain.
  4. Ireland officially has only five main cities: Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Kilkenny and Waterford.
  5. Ireland’s national symbol is the mighty harp! Not the shamrock.
  6. There have never been snakes in Ireland.
  7. It’s believed that the population of Ireland prior to the famine was around 8.2 million. After the famine, the population was recorded at 6.5 million people.
  8. The now-iconic Count Dracula is the main character in the Dracula novel. The book was written by Bram Stoker who was born in Clontarf in County Dublin.
  9. Ireland is home to one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world. Hook Lighthouse has been there for a whopping 848 years.
  10. Dating back to 900 AD, Sean’s Bar in Athlone town is the oldest pub in Ireland. It’s also widely believed that it’s the oldest pub in the world.

Travel Guidelines

Vaccines:
  • COVID-19
  • Chickenpox (Varicella)
  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (TDAP)
  • Flu (influenza)
  • Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
  • Polio
  • Hepatitis A & B
  • Rabies
  • Shingles