Ireland

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. 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.

Politically, 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. Just under 4.8 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland

There are three World Heritage Sites on the island: the Brú na Bóinne, Skellig Michael and the Giant’s Causeway.

Ireland, the land of magic

When we think about Ireland, many things come to our minds: beer, St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks, good Celtic music and an incredible source of culture. Yes, you are right! There so much to explore and enjoy in a trip to Ireland.

Starting from Dublin, you can go on sightseeing and tours to Guinness and Jameson Irish Whiskey. If you like drinking and go as a local, there are many nice pubs like The Palace Bar, The Brazen Head and The Bleeding Horse. Exploring the city, you can’t miss the St. Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedrals, The Book of Kells in Trinity College, which there is the Long Room Library, one of Europe’s most magnificent libraries housing over 200,000 of Trinity’s oldest books. In Trinity College, you can also meet the Science and the Douglas Hyde galleries.

Continuing the Dublin’s sightseeing, Dublin Castle is a must see, such as the free museums, like the National Museum Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland, National Museum of Decorative Arts and History and the  Hugh Lane Gallery to see the world-renowned Francis Bacon Studio.

The city also has many beautiful parks such as Phoenix Park, one of Europe’s largest enclosed city parks; seek out the statue of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square; or take time out at Dubh Linn Gardens, tucked just behind Dublin Castle.

Leaving Dublin and going to Wild Atlantic Way, you can see breathtaking views as the Northern Headlands, Surf Coast, Bay Coast, Cliffs of Moher, Southern Peninsulas and Haven Coast. Close to these areas, in Galway, every July, there is the Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF), a multi-disciplinary arts festival that includes music, theatre, street, dance, opera, visual arts and talks, which was named by The Guardian as ‘One of the Top Five Summer Festivals in Europe’ in 2017. So, it’s a great trip including Galway for a summer vacation plan.

Another interesting option would be visiting the Ancient East and discovering their tales of inventions, inspiration, terror and the stones, if you are a curious person looking for unusual stories.

The Northern Ireland has so much more in store. Starting with Belfast, here are some must see places: Titanic Belfast museum that shows everything about the iconic ship – from dream to tragedy; St. George’s Market (there is free jazz on weekends), with lots of local and delicious Irish food; Ulster Museum, which offers international and local history and culture through costume and fashion, pottery, furniture and even jewellery; the Botanic Gardens, Belfast City Hall, Crumlin Road Gaol, voted one of Belfast’s top attractions by TripAdvisor; MAC – Metropolitan Arts Centre Belfast; and Cave Hill Country Park.

Also in the North, there is the Causeway Coastal Route, a coastline between Belfast and Derry~Londonderry: the Walled City. Certainly this route will take your breath away with small villages, clifftop walks and beautiful beaches. On the way, don’t miss the Giant’s Causeway, The Gobbins cliff path, Glenarm Castle and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

So, Ireland is a place you should spent some more time for exploring and you’ll never get bored. The fairy tales land is waiting for you for a long incredible vacation!