County Kerry has two beautiful peninsulas: Iveragh, to the north, is the larger one, while Dingle is the smallest. The neck of the peninsula is isolated by the impressive Slieve Mish Mountains, and the landscape is wild and picturesque. The coasts are dotted with small island and lined with rugged cliffs, but there are more than enough sandy beaches as well. You can find low hills in the north, rolling and incredibly green hills in the south, but the west is the most astounding part of the penin... [ read more ]
Guinness is maybe the most emblematic drink in Ireland, but whiskey is not far behind. Irish whiskey is drunk on rocks or in mixes (the famous Bailley's whiskey cream comes to mind), but in any form it is enjoyed by many people in Ireland and abroad. Irish whiskey comes in several types: single malt, single grain or blended, and it is distilled in many places all over the country. If you want to sample Irish whiskey, why not take a tour of the best distilleries in Ireland? As the Irish say, ... [ read more ]
Festivals are not only a great way to get to know the local customs when you're traveling, but also an opportunity to make new friends, to sample local delicacies, and just plain have fun when you don't feel like doing anything else. In Ireland, it seems like there's a festival for everything, so whatever your interests might be, chances are that there's a festival dedicated to that. Out of all the countless events, we've assembled a list of the top 5 festivals in Ireland.
Annual Slieve Blo... [ read more ]
Hiking is a great substitute for exercise, and it sure beats going to the gym. It's not just a way of making sure that your muscles do a bit of work - actually, the whole point is to do it someplace where you get to see some amazing landscapes, and preferably reach a destination that will make you feel like you've accomplished something. And what better place for this than the Green Island? Ireland has tons of hiking trails that will just take your breath away (and not only because of the ef... [ read more ]
Killarney is one lucky town, any way you look at it. It is a stone's throw away from Killarney National Park, an amazing nature reserve. It is also located on the scenic drive of the Ring of Kerry, so people will stop and visit Killarney even if only on principle. And finally, Killarney is really one of the most beautiful little towns in Ireland, with its 19th century style buildings and narrow lanes, where even plastic shop signs have been banned so as not to ruin to overall look of the town. S... [ read more ]
The Irish as famous for their craic, that is, the fun, the entertainment, and enjoyable conversation that you can find almost anywhere in Ireland, but especially in a good nightclub or lounge. The craic is so widespread in Ireland that no weekend, or even day should pass without having some craic. So if you want to have fun the Irish way, here's what you have to do: dress up, and visit one of the hottest nightclubs in Dublin, the bustling Irish capital.
Alchemy, Fleet Street
Many Dubliners wi... [ read more ]
Take a look at a satellite image of Ireland, and you'll see a patch of green crisscrossed by tendrils of blue, surrounded by seas and oceans. The blue lines, the rivers of Ireland, are quite a few, and where there's a river, there's a walk to be made on its banks. River walks are popular in Ireland, especially along rivers that cut through a town or city, and they offer a welcome respite from the traffic and crowds (not that these are especially bad in Ireland). Several of the major cities i... [ read more ]
Many countries in the world have a more or less official national sport - in the case of the US, there's American football, ice hockey in Canada or kabaddi in India. These sports are an integral part of the country's culture, and if you really want to know a culture well, then you have to check up on its national sport too. In Ireland, the national sport is hurling, a game that has an ancient Gaelic origin, and whose popularity in Ireland can hardly be surpassed by any other sport. Hurling i... [ read more ]
Since we've already extolled on the natural beauty of Northern Ireland, it's time to look what else lies in wait on the island of Eire. On both sides of the border, natural wonders abound, and it's easy to see why Ireland was thought to be the land of fairies in ancient times. The rolling green hills of the Irish countryside are dotted with so many amazing natural spots that it's hard to keep count. From proud, jagged cliffs to green expanses, there's more variety in Ireland than anywhere else o... [ read more ]
