Come Visit Ireland!

Sunday, 9 January 2011

Links for More Information

There is plenty to see and do in Ireland, but if you are interested in finding out more about the country and wondering what new events are about to take place, here are some useful links:

Thank -you for reading this site, I hope you liked it!

Friday, 7 January 2011

Counties in Ireland

There are 32 counties in Ireland, namely:

County Antrim (Aontraim) in Ulster
County Armagh (Ard Mhacha) in Ulster
County Carlow (Ceatharlach) in Leinster
County Cavan (An Cabhán) in Ulster
County Clare (An Clár) in Munster
County Cork (Corcaigh) in Munster
County Derry/Londonderry (Doire) in Ulster
County Donegal (Dún na nGall) in Ulster
County Down (An Dún) in Ulster
County Dublin (Áth Cliath) in Leinster
County Fermanagh (Fear Manach) in Ulster
County Galway (Gaillimh) in Connaught
County Kerry (An Ciarraí) in Munster
County Kildare (Cill Dara) in Leinster
County Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh) in Leinster
County Laois (Laois) in Leinster
County Leitrim (Liatroim) in Connaught
County Limerick (Luimneach) in Munster
County Longford (An Longfort) in Leinster
County Louth (An Lú) in Leinster
County Mayo (Maigh Eo) in Connaught
County Meath (An Mhí) in Leinster
County Monaghan (Muineachán) in Ulster
County Offaly (Uíbh Fhailí) in Leinster
County Roscommon (Ros Comáin) in Connaught
County Sligo (Sligeach) in Connaught
County Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann) in Munster
County Tyrone (Tír Eoghain) in Ulster
County Waterford (Port Láirge) in Munster
County Westmeath (An Iarmhí) in Leinster
County Wexford (Loch Garman) in Leinster
County Wicklow (Cill Mhantáin) in Leinster

Irish cuisine often reflects traditional Irish life. Vegetables are practically the mainstay of Irish food, but meat and fish are also important. The day starts with the traditional breakfast, which included egg, rashers, sausages, black pudding, potatoes and, especially in Ulster, farl or soda bread. It is easy to spot from this that the Irish food variety is large. For main meals, meat and vegetables form a central part of Irish food. Popular meals include the Irish stew, Colcannon and Boxty. Being an island, fish is also important, and a particular favourite is smoked salmon. Desserts are usually similar to English puddings.
With Ireland's modernisation, new foods are being introduced into Ireland from around the world, especially American, French, Italian, Chinese, and Indian foods. In Dublin in particular, there is a huge variety of cuisine available.

Getting Around

There are 4 main international airports on the island. These include Belfast International, Dublin, Shannon (near Limerick) and Cork. There are three main Irish airlines, Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Aer Arann. These serve many destinations around the world. Ferries also connect Ireland with Britain and Continental Europe, but some of these are seasonal. There are no rail connections to Ireland from Britain.
The island is only small, and main roads are reasonably decent standard, so it is easy to travel between cities. However, rural roads can often pave through hilly areas, and so it is important to take care on these roads. Northern Ireland drives on the left, being part of the UK, and because of this, the Republic also drives on the left. It is also easy to get around by rail in Ireland, with stations in every major city, and an expanding rail network.
Bus Éireann is the main bus network in Ireland, running services nationwide, but Dublin also has its own unique Bus service, distinctly recognizable by its yellow and blue colours. Taxis are also available nationwide.

Landmarks

The island of Ireland is small in size, but certainly not small in character. There are countless landmarks across the country. Here are a few of them:

Blarney Castle (Blarney, Co. Cork)
The Giants Causeway (Near Ballycastle, Co. Antrim)
Skellig Michael (Off the coast of Co. Kerry)
Guiness Brewery (Dublin City)
Connemara (West Co. Galway)
Hill of Tara (Near Trim, Co. Meath)
Newgrange (Near Navan, Co. Meath)
Lough Neagh (County Antrim/Down/Tyrone/Armagh)
Killarney National Park (Co. Kerry)
Glendalough (Wicklow Mountains, Co. Wicklow)
Monasterboice (Near Drogheda, Co. Louth)
Temple Bar (Dublin City)
Cliffs of Moher (Co. Clare)
Gougane Barra (West Cork)
Lough Erne (Co. Fermanagh)
Aran Islands (Off coast of Co. Galway)
Mountains of Mourne (Co. Down)
Walls of Derry (Derry City)
Powerscourt Estate (Co. Wicklow)

Language

When you arrive in the Republic of Ireland, the main thought of most tourists is worrying. When one reads a road sign, they realize that it is bilingual (two languages). It is true, there is another language alongside English, known as Irish locally, and commonly as Gaelic outside Ireland to differentiate it from Irish English. But don't fret because almost everyone in Ireland is competent in English. Actually, as a result of language policies during the 18th and 19th centuries, Irish is now only spoken as a mother tongue only by a minority in the country, mainly in rural districts of the west and south. These Gaeltachtaí as they are known in Irish, are considered cultural areas in Ireland, and have often been regarded as the centre of Irish culture. However, the Republic of Ireland is officially bilingual, and all state documents and road signs are bilingual. In Northern Ireland, it is recognised as a minority language. Here is a run down of some phrases:

Dia Dhuit (Hello), pronounced: "Dia Wit"
Dia is Muire Dhuit (Hello in response), pronounced: "Dia is Mura Wit"
Conás atá tú? (How are you?), pronounced: "Conis ataw tu"
Tá me go maith (I am good), pronounced: "Taw mey gu maw"
Cá bhfuil... (Where is...), pronounced: "Caw will..."
Tá brón orm (I am sorry), pronounced: "Taw broun urim"

People

There are approximately 6 and a half million people living in Ireland. 4.5 million live in the Republic of Ireland, and just under 2 million live in Northern Ireland. The islands population is still less than 150 years ago, when before the terrible famines of the 1840s-50s, the population would have been above 8 million. Due to emigration, about 80 million people in the world claim Irish ancestry. However, in recent years, growth has returned to the island, and so the population has been steadily rising. Also, emigration has slowed to the point where it is vastly outnumbered by immigration into Ireland (10% of the population the Republic is foreign-born), mostly from Britain, Poland, China and Africa. In Dublin, the population overall is about 1.6 million, and in Belfast, it approaches 0.7 million. This makes the most densely populated part of the island the east (2.5 million) and north (2 million). In the west of Ireland population is below 0.5 million, and in the south about 1.2 million.