Ireland's capital curves around Dublin Bay, with the fishing port of Howth to the north and the mountains of Wicklow to the south.
The biggest and most cosmopolitan city in the country, Dublin has the oldest university in Ireland (Trinity College), the oldest theatre (the Gaiety) and the oldest park (St Stephen's Green). It also has the youngest population of any European capital (half are under 25 years old).
Despite its magnificent Georgian architecture, churches, world-class galleries and streets buzzing with tourists, Dublin's fair city doesn't feel like a capital. It's small, so it's easy to get around on foot, its citizens (the Dubs) are renowned for their friendliness and, unlike many capitals, it doesn't take itself too seriously. How could it, when a statue of Anna Livia (the personification of the River Liffey), placed on O'Connell Street to mark the city's millennium, was immediately and irreverently dubbed 'The Floozie in the Jacuzzi'?
Easily explored on foot, central Dublin presents a wealth of historic landmarks, from ancient cathedrals to gracious Georgian buildings that pay testimony to days gone by. There are several attractions on both sides of the Liffey, ranging from gaols and castles to the birthplaces of famous poets and writers and guided literary trails.
Not far from the city in County Wicklow are the Wicklow Mountains, where hills and glens, forests and waterfalls attract weekend walkers and nature-lovers. Dublin Bay, which lies between the mouth of the River Liffey and the Dalkey headland, is the site of several small coastal towns and the ferry port of Dun Laoghaire. County Kildare is a region of rich farmland and fine reputation for the breeding of thoroughbred horses, while the similar counties of Louth and Meath have evidence of early civilisations and a wealth of castles and monasteries.
There are pubs that have been serving pints of Guinness for 200 years and pubs where someone will pull out a fiddle and have the whole place jumping in two minutes. Dublin really does have something for everyone.
Population: 4.015.700 Languages: English, Irish (Gaelic) (both official) Currency: euro Currency code: EUR Local Times: Ireland - Dublin
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Ireland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea. Ireland occupies the entire island except for the six counties that make up Northern Ireland. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country's history is almost tangible. And while it may be small, Ireland packs a big holiday punch. There are windswept, deserted beaches to discover, a rugged coastline, mountains and lochs, the stark landscape of the Burren and lush countryside that dazzles the eye with so many shades of green you understand at once why the tourist brochures call this the Emerald Isle.
The lure of Ireland lies in its landscapes and its people, and it is through involvement with either, or both, that visitors get to experience the soul of this ancient land of saints and scholars.
Ireland's hills are a walker's paradise, not only because of the extensive network of trails, but because by being on foot one gets to appreciate the lakes and rivers, the coastal views and ever-changing sky-scapes that are so much part of the Irish landscape. Watersports such as angling, sailing and surfing are popular too, and many visitors come for the golf, but the real passion of the Irish is horses - there is a potential Derby winner in every valley and a packed betting shop in every high street.
The Irish weather is not the most predictable in the world, but then much of the beauty of the Irish landscape is due to its climate.and there has to be a price-tag on being nicknamed the 'Emerald Isle'. Poor weather has had positive influences on the Irish way of life. Music and song plays an integral part in daily life and visitors are able to experience this in the many pubs so characteristic of the social landscape of Ireland.
Over the years, Ireland has survived invasions, famine and civil war, but has recently come into its own, benefiting from peace in the North, support from the EU and a new vitality which has caused the country to be dubbed the 'Celtic Tiger'. There has never been a better time to visit.
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