Vacations in Ireland

Things to do in Ireland – Ireland has many fascinating cultural and historical places and events; to name just a few St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Waterford Crystal, Blarney Castle, Hill of Tara, Rings of Kerry and Dingle, Dublin’s Temple Bar district, Galway’s artisan community, the Aran Islands, the Guiness Brewery, Croke Park, gaelic music and pub crawls.

Best time to visit Ireland – Most tourists enjoy the warmer and drier summer weather in Ireland from June through September, however visiting in the Autumn and/or Spring enables you to miss the crowds while enjoying still very mild weather.  Regardless of season it is best to carry raingear.

What is Ireland known for – pleasant company, good cheer, theatre, poetry, a lively cocktail hour with authentic irish music, beautiful countryside, castles, monastic ruins and dramatic coastlines.

Saint Patrick and Ireland /snakes and Ireland – St. Patrick is best known for driving the snakes out of Ireland (this was likely achieved by the end of the last ice age submerging the land bridge to Europe and keeping snakes off the island entirely), however his conversion of Ireland to Christianity during the fifth century – and supposedly using a cloverleaf symbolically to invoke the Holy Trinity – was his true connection with the Irish history and culture.  The cloverleaf remains one of Ireland enduring cultural symbols.

What type of government does Ireland have – Ireland is a parliamentary democracy and a republic.

Who is the political leader in Ireland – The office of President is largely ceremonial and governing power resides with the Prime Minister or Taoiseach (pron. Tee-shock), as of this moment the Taoiseach is Brian Cowen, leader of the Fianna Fail party.

When did Britain conquer Ireland – the conquest began during the twelfth century and was completed during the seventeenth century.

When did Ireland gain independence – it depends on how you look at it.  Ireland gained the status of the Irish Free State (still a dominion within the United Kingdom) in 1921/1922, became Ireland with a new constitution in 1937, and then the Republic of Ireland in 1948.  Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom.

Languages spoken – English and Gaelic – English is the dominant language throughout most of Ireland.  There are areas in the west, the province of Connaught in particular, which are known as Gaeltacht – or gaelic speaking – and here you may occasionally meet only gaelic speaking people.

What is the population of the Republic of Ireland – the current estimated population of Ireland is 4.5 million.

What currency is used in Ireland – the Euro.

How do I get around Ireland/How big is Ireland – Ireland is a big island, but one which can be traversed at any bearing in just a few hours.  Ireland has a modern rail network (irishrail.ie) serving the major metropolitan areas as well as strong coverage of rural areas by bus (buseireann.ie) enabling travelers to see all of Ireland without having to rent a car or drive.

Where can I get the best deal on an Ireland Golf Vacation? You can play golf in Ireland on one of the over 400 sanctioned courses on the Emerald Isle. Great deals on golf and villa rentals on the west coast of Ireland. Visit Galway in Western Ireland, and play some of the coastal courses right on the Atlantic Ocean.

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