Republic of Ireland
Few places on the planet are as crammed with history as Ireland. Everywhere you look there are castles, houses and monuments,
some even older than the Pyramids. In Ireland the past is part
of the present, part of the people and part of its vibrant culture.
Literary imaginations have immortalized Ireland's natural scenery
since ancient times, and travellers who come with their heads
filled with poetic imagery will not be disappointed: this largely
agricultural and sparsely populated island still looks very
much the same as it did when Celtic bards roamed the land. Windswept
scenery wraps around the coast, and mountain chains ripple the
interior expanses of bog land. The landscape is punctuated with
pockets of civilization, ranging in size from one-street villages
to small market towns to urbane cities. Dublin is a cosmopolitan
city centre, radiating sophistication into its immediate surroundings.
While some fear that international influence threatens its native
culture, the survival of traditional music, dance, and storytelling
in rural and urban areas proves otherwise.
 You
might want to try Cork in the southwest, and see Cobh (formerly
Queenstown), last port of call of the Titanic, and the spectacular
Head of Kinsale, or try Kerry, and tour the Ring of Kerry or
swim with the now famous Fungi the Dolphin. From there you could
head north, hitting Limerick along the way, following with Ireland's
most bohemian and laid back city, Galway. There you can choose
between kicking up your heels and supping back a pint or two
in a snug of the many pubs at your disposal, or opting to brave
the elements and take the ferry out to see the storm-ravaged
beauty of the Aran Islands.
The Irish language lives on in small, secluded areas known as
gaeltachts, as well as on road signs, in national publications,
and in a growing body of modern literary works. Today's Ireland
promises her visitors an old-world welcome with just the right
amount of urban edge counterculture.
Northern Ireland
 A small, friendly country, Northern Ireland feels a lot bigger
when you take into consideration the sheer variety of its landscape.
Mountains, lakes, forested glens, thousands of drumlins, strange
whale-backed ridges unique to the northern part of Ireland,
an inland sea, wild peaty moors - everything so neatly packed
together you'd think it was done on purpose. At the dramatic
and. spectacular north Antrim coast you can see the fascinating
geological anomaly, the Giant's Causeway (said to be have been
built by giant Finn McCool to bring a lady giant with whom he
was in love from the Island of Staffa to Ulster) and the dramatic
ruins of Dunluce Castle. Londonderry, full of festivals and
artists, is a great place to go and enjoy the craic in Northern
Ireland, with a fascinating history to boot. Belfast is a bustling,
diverse city with entertainment for any taste or whim that you
may have.
Outside the Greater Belfast conurbation, there
is a vast countryside, with farms and villages linked by a network
of minor roads wriggling into every nook and cranny. Even a
hamlet may have half a dozen ways in and out. When driving off
the beaten track, look out for the towers and steeples of parish
churches marking the high ground beyond trimmed thorn hedges.
Keep an eye open for Celtic crosses in village high streets
and standing stones in farmers' fields. A dolmen or two, neolithic
tombs that look like shaky three-legged stools, pop up when
you're least expecting them. Traffic free cycle routes and waymarked
walks have opened up enchanting country areas and getting around
by bike or on foot are smart ways to slow down and appreciate
what you see around you. The best way to enjoy the country is
to keep a flexible plan - schedules can slip, especially if
you get into a conversation with someone or succumb to the extreme
relaxation that travelling Northern Ireland can afford.
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