 Ireland
Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
Author: Steve Ford Ellis (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)
The Republic of Ireland is a country in northwestern Europe. It shares the island of Ireland with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, known in Irish as Poblacht na hÉireann, was initially known as the Irish Free State when it was established in 1922. It took on the name Ireland in 1937, and changed it to the present name of Republic of Ireland in 1949, after severing formal links with the United Kingdom and leaving the British Commonwealth.
Guide to Ireland Hotels
Here's a list of hotels in Ireland that you can book online, listed by city, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites. This helps you to make your room booking with the site that offers the best price.
Cliff of Moher, Ireland
Author: Matpib (public domain)
More on Ireland
During British rule, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe. The Act of Union placed Ireland as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The country suffered greatly through the 19th century. Between 1845 and 1849, the Great Famine shaved off 30% of its 8 million population.
Today, Ireland has become the 31st biggest economy with the fifth highest GDP (ppp) per capita in the world, according to the World Bank report of 2008.
Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin
Author: William Murphy (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Fast Facts about Ireland
Official Name: Republic of Ireland
Capital: Dublin (506,000)
Population of Ireland: 4,016,000
Languages: English, Irish Gaelic
Currency: Euro
Religions: Roman Catholic (88%), others
Size: 70,280 sq km (27,135 sq miles)
Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Author: © Dl Florian Fuchs
Budget Travel to Ireland
By Plane
There are four international airports in Ireland, namely the Dublin International Airport (DUB), Shannon International Airport (SNN), Cork International Airport (ORK) and Knock International Airport (NOC). The biggest is the Dublin International Airport, which is also the 8th biggest in Europe. It receives the most number of flights from major cities in Europe, North America and the Middle East.
By Train
The Enterprise is a train service jointly run by Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways. It runs from Belfast Central railway station to Dublin Connolly railway station.
By Ferry
There are ferry services linking Ireland with Great Britain and France. The Norfolkline, Irish Sea Express and Steam Packet Sea Cat are some of the ferry operators plying the route between Liverpool and Dublin. Irish Ferries connect Holyhead in North Wales with Dublin, and Pembroke in South Wales with Rosslare. Fastnet Line offers ferry services between Swansea in South Wales and Cork.
Budget Travel within Ireland
To properly explore Ireland, the best way to go about it is by car. Car rental companies can be found at all the major airports.
Irish Rail operates an extensive network of rail lines across the country, radiating out of Dublin.
Useful Links
County Galway Vacation Rentals: With reviews and photos, find the best rental on TripAdvisor.
Upper Lake at Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland
Author: Sarah777 (public domain)
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Principal Cities of Ireland
- Dublin
The capital as well as largest city in Ireland. A major tourist destination, it is the fourth most visited European capital.
- Cork
Second largest city in the Republic of Ireland.
- Galway
Third largest and one of the fastest growing cities in Ireland, on the River Corrib.
- Kilkenny
Medieval town also known as Marble City.
- Killarney
Popular tourist town in the southwest of Ireland.
- Letterkenny
Town in County Donegal, on the River Swilly.
- Limerick
Fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland, located on the River Shannon.
- Tralee
Largest town in County Kerry, renowned as the venue of the Rose of Tralee International Festival.
- Waterford
Oldest city in Ireland.
Places of Interest in Ireland
- Cliffs of Moher
Picturesque cliffs rising out of the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Burren
Karst landscape in northwest County Clare.
- Brú Na Bóinne
One of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe.
- Aran Islands
Islands on the west coast of Ireland.
- Connemara
District with picturesque landscape.
- Ring of Kerry
Tourist trail with many scenic points.
- Skellig Michael
Rocky island in the Atlantic Ocean with ancient Irish monasteries.
- Dingle peninsula
The westernmost tip of Ireland, with fantastic seascapes.
- Glendalough
Glacial valley with Early Medieval monastic settlement.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland
- Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne
- Skellig Michael
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