Ireland Adventure Guide articles

Recent articles from Ireland Adventure Guide

Cork & Kerry.
January 1, 2004... Cork is the largest county in Ireland, covering roughly 3,000 square miles (7,800 square km), and within its borders there is a great variety of landscape, from the inlets and beaches of its western coast to the wooded valleys of the River...

Clare & Limerick.
January 1, 2004... You can fly directly to this region from North America to Shannon Airport in Co. Clare, which is exactly halfway between Ennis and Limerick City, 10 miles (16 km) to either destination. There are regular buses from the airport to both Limerick...

County Tipperary.(The Southeast)
January 1, 2004... Tipperary is the largest inland county in the Republic and lies in one of the most fertile parts of the island, its land mainly devoted to dairy farming. Its central limestone plain is called the Golden Vale, and is surrounded by mountain...

County Wexford.(The Southeast)
January 1, 2004... The county takes its name from the Norse Weissefiord, meaning "the ford of the flats" and when the Normans invaded Ireland in 1169 they landed here. Like its neighbor Waterford, Wexford has a varied and attractive landscape with mountains and a...

County Waterford.(The Southeast)
January 1, 2004... Much of the north and middle of Co. Waterford is mountainous, with the Comeragh, Knockmealdown and Monavullagh ranges. Its coastline is a mixture of rugged cliffs and sandy bays. It really does have some of the most varied and beautiful scenery...

County Kilkenny.(The Southeast)
January 1, 2004... This inland county is called Cill Chainnigh in Irish--meaning Cainneach's or Saint Canice's church, which is the name of the cathedral in its capital. It has a very fertile central plain with higher ground to its northeast, northwest and south,...

County Carlow.(The Southeast)
January 1, 2004... Carlow has an undulating and fertile landscape, with many picturesque towns and villages. The second smallest county (after Leitrim), it is bounded on the east by the granite Blackstairs Mountains. It's little known, even among the Irish, as it...

The Southeast.
January 1, 2004... The Southeast takes in the two inland counties of Carlow and Kilkenny, and the coastal counties of Waterford and Wexford, joined here by Tipperary. Anyone visiting the area cannot fail to appreciate the wonderful and varied scenery and the many...

County Longford.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... Longford is an inland county lying in the basin of the River Shannon, which, with Lough Ree, forms its western boundary. It's one of the smallest counties on the island, ranking 30th out of 32, and its landscape is flat with rolling bogland,...

Northern Ireland.
January 1, 2004... Although covering only 5,500 square miles (14,300 square km), Northern Ireland has a fascinating variety of landscapes. It's divided into areas by the Tourist Board that correspond roughly to the Six Counties that make up the North: the drama...

Belfast.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is on the River Lagan in the southeastern corner of County Antrim, with a small portion of the city edging into County Down. About a third of the population of Northern Ireland--about half a million...

Causeway Coast & Glens.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... County Antrim is absolutely beautiful. Its coast, from the busy port of Larne to the resorts of Portrush and Portstewart, is dotted with beaches and rocky inlets. Inland, between Glenarm and Ballycastle, there are nine steep-sided glens, which...

Derry City & County Londonderry.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... * Derry City Named after the Irish "doire" meaning "oak grove," Derry is the second largest city in Northern Ireland, and is delightful, standing on a hill on the estuary of the river Foyle, which divides it in two. The area called...

The Sperrins.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... The Sperrins region is right in the center of Northern Ireland, stretching from the western shores of Lough Neagh to the border with Donegal, taking in most of Co. Tyrone and the southern portion of Co. Londonderry. Its main towns are Omagh,...

The Kingdoms of Down.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... County Down is surrounded on three sides by water, with more than 200 miles (320 km) of coastline, and is also the home of the Mountains of Mourne, made famous in song. Not only is its land more fertile than many other parts of the island, it's...

County Armagh.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... It's also at the head of "the Gap of the North," a pass between two hills where in ancient times the men of Ulster swept through to attack the tribes of Leinster in the days of the Fianna (see pages 182-83). Its location has had disadvantages,...

Fermanagh-Lakeland.(Northern Ireland)
January 1, 2004... Fermanagh is dominated by Lough Erne, which is 50 miles (80 km) long f rom one end to the other and is divided in two. Lough Erne is actually two lakes--Lower and Upper--joined by the meandering River Erne. The county capital, Enniskillen,...

County Westmeath.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... While it's an inland county, Westmeath is great for fishing and other water-based activities, as its central area is flat, with bogland and plenty of lakes. The largest lake is Lough Ree in the west, which is dotted with little islands, and in...

County Laois.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... Laois is an inland county, one of the smallest at 664 square miles (1,726 square km), and is surrounded by Kildare, Offaly, Tipperary and Kilkenny. It's picturesque, especially when you get away from main roads. Its landscape includes the...

County Offaly.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... Offaly is a county of contrasting landscapes, from flat boglands to mountains. The longest river in the country, the Shannon, forms its western border, and the Grand Canal links it to Edenderry in the east, passing through Tullamore, its main...

The Inland Counties County Kildare.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... Kildare is home to the National Stud and three racecourses, at Curragh, Naas and Punchestown. This inland county has areas of low-lying bogs on its western boundary. To the east, the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains meet its unique fertile...

County Meath.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... County Meath is one of the most fertile areas in the country, lying on a limestone plain watered by the rivers Boyne and Blackwater and their tributaries. A small part of the county is on the coast, with sandy beaches at Laytown and Bettystown....

County Wicklow.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... Known as "the Garden of Ireland," Wicklow has wonderful scenery, with mountains, wooded valleys and lakes. It is fringed on the east by golden sandy beaches. Major routes to the east and west go through two of the highest passes in the...

The Coastal Counties County Louth.(East Coast & Midlands)
January 1, 2004... Louth, the smallest county on the island, is on the east coast, on the border halfway between Dublin and Belfast. It's named after Lugh, the great god of the Celts, and its Cooley peninsula was the legendary home of the giant, Finn McCool, and...

East Coast & Midlands.
January 1, 2004... This region brings together eight of the Republic's 32 counties--Wicklow, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Longford, Louth--each unique and with a lot to offer visitors. It stretches from the beaches of the east coast and the mountains...

Dublin.
January 1, 2004... Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's capital and largest city, named from the Irish "dubh linn" meaning black pool. The name comes from the fact that the site of the city was formerly a black, slimy expanse of mud, through which the River Liffey...

Tracing your ancestors.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... There is a very useful free booklet published jointly by Bord Failte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. It's full of advice and contact details, and also tells you about clan gatherings. [telephone] 1-850-230-330 in Ireland or...

Adventures.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... * Cycling Cycling routes are mentioned throughout this text and often driving routes are suitable for bikes. The Sustrans National Cycle Network in the North (www. sustrans.org.uk; its name comes from "sustainable transport") is a UK...

Special interest trips.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... Trips devoted to a particular activity, including writing, painting and cooking, are available. You'll find some of them on the tourist board websites. Or contact one of the following. Contact The IrishWriters' Centre about writing...

Accommodations.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... All types of accommodations are available, from five-star hotels to hostels, castles to camping parks, apartments and houses for rent, or you can spend all or part of your holiday cruising the waterways, or in a horse-drawn caravan, gently...

Public Holidays.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... In both parts of Ireland the following are public holidays when banks and most shops are closed, public transport has a limited service, and some museums and heritage centers change opening times. * January 1. * March 17--St. Patrick's...

Orientation.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... * When to Visit Ireland makes a great holiday destination at any time of the year, but the countryside is at its most attractive from April to the end of September when there are leaves on deciduous trees, the fields are at their greenest,...

Just the Facts.(Travel Information)
January 1, 2004... Electrical Current The standard electricity supply is 220 volts AC in the Republic and 240 volts AC in Northern Ireland (50 cycles), so you'll need a transformer and a plug adapter. Travel adapters, to convert two-pin plugs to the standard...

Introduction.
January 1, 2004... Ireland has a lot to offer--unforgettable scenery, friendly people, and opportunities to enjoy a huge range of sports, entertainment of all kinds, and historic sites to explore. Whether it's attending the theater, listening to talented...

Ireland West.
January 1, 2004... County Galway Galway is the second largest county in the country (after Cork) and is almost divided in two by Lough Corrib. Between it and the Atlantic is the wild and beautiful Connemara. To the east is a fertile limestone plain...

The Northwest.
January 1, 2004... Five counties make up this region, and there's a delightful variety of landscapes, from the rolling hills and lakes of Cavan and Monaghan in the east to the valleys of Leitrim and Sligo and the wild and wonderful Donegal in the west. Donegal...

County Donegal.(The Northwest)
January 1, 2004... Donegal is the fourth-largest county on the island and one of the most sparsely populated. It's also one of the most beautiful, with a coastline 400 miles (644 km) long, and many lakes and rivers, mountains and moors. Because of its lack of...

County Sligo.(The Northwest)
January 1, 2004... Sligo is one of the Republic's smaller counties, and has a spectacular Atlantic coastline stretching from the seaside village of Mullaghmore in the north to Enniscrone in the west, with beautiful beaches, and dramatic seas, which are popular...

County Cavan.(The Northwest)
January 1, 2004... The inland county of Cavan is quite small, its area only 730 square miles (1,898 square km). Its name comes from the Irish word cabhan, meaning "a hollow," which is appropriate, as it is set between highlands in the east and the Erne Valley and...

County Leitrim.(The Northwest)
January 1, 2004... Don't be put off by its Irish name, Liathdroim, which means "the grey hill-ridge," as this county is much more enticing than that sounds. The smallest of the 26 counties that make up the Republic, it lies mostly inland, with only a tiny...

County Monaghan.(The Northwest)
January 1, 2004... Monaghan is an inland county and one of the smallest, only covering 500 square miles (1,300 square km). It's often described as "drumlin country" from the small hills dotting the landscape, which were left behind when the glaciers...