Ireland is commonly known as the ‘Emerald Isle’, and with good reason. The neighboring country of Great Britain is scenically beautiful. If you like nature, you will love Ireland. There are also the many small monasteries, palaces and castles, the unique atmosphere and exciting cities and places like Dublin in the west or Dingle in the east. See Andyeducation for education in Ireland.
| Capital City | Dublin |
| Size | 70,273 km² |
| Resident | 4,757,976 |
| Official Language | Irish, English |
| Currency | Euro |
| Time Zone | UTC+0/+1 |
| Telephone Area Code | +353 |
Fast facts to know
- Ireland is the land of myths, elves and leprechauns.
- Ireland’s landscape is very much shaped by the grassy plains inland.
- More than half of the land area consists of meadows and pastures.
- Irish culture is based on the Celts.
- March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, the national holiday.
- Saint Patrick of Ireland was a Christian missionary from what was then Roman Scotland.
- Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. Northern Ireland has its own regional government but is part of the United Kingdom.
- Ireland’s largest internal political conflict escalated due to problems between the Catholic and Protestant faiths in Northern Ireland.
- The shamrock and harp are national symbols.
- Irish tap dancing is famous all over the world.
- Irish love rugby.
- Irish are hard drinkers and like their Guinness and Irish whiskey.
- Ireland has one of the highest birth rates in Europe.
- Sheep have the right of way in Ireland.
- Traffic drives on the left in the country.
Exciting cities in Ireland
- Dublin
- cork
- Galway
- Killarney
- Kilkenny
- dingle
- cobh
History of Ireland
- 7000 BC BC first settlement.
- Many kingdoms and principalities throughout history.
- Christianization at the beginning of the 5th century by slaves from the Roman province of Britain.
- 800 raids and conquests by the Vikings.
- 1169 Conquest by the Normans with subsequent dominance of England.
- 1845–1849 great famine.
- 1919–1921 bloody civil war.
- 1922 Establishment of the Irish Free State.
- 1949 left the Commonwealth.
Climate & travel weather in Ireland
- Mild temperatures all year round.
- Very mild winters, wet summers.
- April & June particularly dry.
- December & January particularly wet.
- Rainy days per year: approx. 150 days on the east and south-east coasts, up to 225 days in the west.
- Most rainfall in November through March.
- Recommended travel time:
- Accessible all year round, but less suitable in the winter months.
- Most pleasant between May and September.
- West coast in September & October unpleasant due to autumn storms.
Ideas for trips in Ireland
- Monasteries, palaces & castles, such as:
- Rock of Cashel
- Kylmore Abbey
- Bunratty Castle
- Kilkenny Castle
- Muckross House
- Blennerville Windmill
- Aillwee Cave
- Drombeg Stone Circle
- Mizen Head
- Menlo Castle
- Clonmacnoise
- Glendalough
- Bantry House
- Kilkee Cliff Walk
Food & Drink in Ireland
- Irish specialities: meat and fish.
- Angus beef or Irish lamb especially good.
- Rich classic Irish breakfast.
- Tea more popular than coffee.
- I like tea with milk and sugar.
- Traditionally very popular casseroles and stews.
- Potato main side dish.
- At lunchtime, the Irish often only have a light snack.
- Main meal in the evening between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Irish pub culture known worldwide.
- Most famous beer: Guinness.
- Famous and popular: Irish whiskey.
- Lots of breads and recipes.
- Typical dishes:
- Irish Stew (lamb, carrots, potatoes, onions, herbs).
- Shepherds’ s Pie (meat casserole with mashed potatoes).
- Smoked Salmon (smoked salmon).
- Black pudding (black pudding, grains like oats).
- White pudding (a lot of pork fat instead of blood).
- Coddle (traditional stew made with potatoes, sausage, onions and bacon).
- Crubeen (pig’s feet, heartily seasoned and smoked, also salted).
- Kippers (fried herring, a must for a full Irish breakfast).
- Porridge (warm oatmeal, usually served with cream or milk for breakfast).
Particularly scenic
- Cliffs of Moher
- Connemara
- The Burren
- Killarney National Park
- Ring of Beara
- Ring of Kerry
- Dingle Peninsula
