Country of Ireland

Ireland is an island on the western edge of Europe, 480 km long and 240 km wide, with a population of a little over five million. The capital city of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin. Ireland is a constitutional democracy and a member of the United Nations and the European Union.

The beauty of Ireland is legendary. Ireland is known as the "Emerald Isle", offering rich green landscapes and over 5500 km of largely unspoiled coastline. In Ireland, the climate is mild year round. One is never more than 110 km from the sea, making it possible to take a day trip to the coast even from the most centrally located inland town.

Ireland is also known as "The Land of Saints and Scholars", since throughout the middle ages, it was the monks of Ireland which kept much of European education alive. This commitment to scholarship has continued down through the centuries; Ireland is now renowned for its focus on high-quality third-level education in training future leaders in the sciences, business and the arts. Ireland's long-term investment in education has given a good return, as evidenced by its exceptionally strong economy (dubbed the "Celtic Tiger"), due to multinational companies looking to the well-trained young Irish workforce to fill their needs.

irish tourist board www.ireland.ie
entertainment.ie www.entertainment.ie
irish times newspaper www.ireland.com

City of Dublin

Dublin began as a Viking settlement founded over one thousand years ago on the banks of the River Liffey and situated on a majestic broad sweeping bay. Dublin is now Ireland's largest city, with over a million inhabitants. It is one of Europe's finest capital cities, with a beautiful coastal location enhanced by some of the world's handsomest architecture including magnificent squares and stately public buildings.

Dublin today is a thriving commercial and social centre. Multinational software companies rest beside 500 year-old pubs where traditional music still flourishes. Dublin has a rich literary history, with natives Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, making Dublin the only city to host three Pulitzer Prize-winning writers. Dublin is a city where old and new styles and attitudes to life mix happily together and a city where half of the population is under 25 years old. In Dublin, one can look forward to an excellent range of activities and famously friendly people.

dublin tourist board www.visitdublin.com

City of Cork

Located on the beautiful south coast, Cork is the second largest city of the state of Ireland. A vibrant city centre, Cork has the amenities of large department stores, modern shopping malls and many excellent and affordable restaurants.

The surrounding environment is as varied as it is beautiful. Cork is ideally situated at the head of the inlet of Cork Harbour with the sea just to the south, and with mountains, hills and river valleys to the north and east.

Cork people are noted for their friendliness and their passion for all sports. Among Cork's cultural offerings are an art school with public painting and sculpture galleries, an Opera House, two theatres and a city museum. The city has an active social life and is a centre each year for International Film, Choral and Jazz festivals.

cork city council www.corkcorp.ie
corkguide www.cork-guide.ie

City of Galway

Galway City is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and is now the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland. It is nestled at the mouth of the Galway River on the western coast of Ireland.

Galway City is unique among Irish cities because of the strength of its Irish language, music, song and dancing traditions. The city is well known for its 'Irishness', and is in close proximity to the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area). The language is visible on bilingual signage in shops and road signs, and can be heard by some of the locals around the city.

Galway City has a wealth of cutural offerings, including festivals in literature, music, and the visual arts.

galway city council www.galwaycity.ie
ireland west tourism board www.irelandwest.ie

City of Limerick

Limerick is the Republic of Ireland's fourth largest city, and is capital of the country's Midwest region. The city is built around the country's longest river, the River Shannon.

Limerick has grown from its original viking settlement roots to a modern metropolis. High-rise Dell Computer skyscapers neighbour centuries-old churches and pubs.

Limerick has a strong and vibrant arts community, ranging from producing bands such as The Cranberries, to being the setting for the novel/film Angela's Ashes.

limerick tourism board www.visitlimerick.com