Long gone are the days when Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Europe and its natives fled to all corners of the globe in search of refuge.

Today, it is cool to be Irish and, thanks to the likes of The Corrs, Boyzone and U2, evocative images of Ireland now pervade popular culture across the globe.

The Ireland of the new millennium is a modern, progressive European nation whose ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy is booming, but it is not only Irish eyes that are smiling as more and more tourists discover Ireland for themselves.

Landscape and people are what bring most visitors to Ireland. Once there, few are disappointed by the reality of the stock Irish images - the green, rain-hazed loughs and wild, bluff coastlines, the inspired talent for talk and conversation, the easy pace and rhythms of life. What is perhaps more of a surprise is how much variety this very small land packs into its countryside.

Since March 2004 almost all places of work, including bars, restaurants, cafés etc, in Ireland have been smoke-free. Hotels and Bed&Breakfast are not required by law to be smoke-free, but many are.

Related Pages: Northern Ireland Guide

	Location:	Northern Europe, off west coast of the UK
	Size:	27,097 sq miles
	Population:	3,883,159
	Capital City:	Dublin
	Language:	English mainly; Irish (Gaelic) spoken along the western seaboard
	Currency:	Euro (€)
	Country Code:	+ 353
	Time Zone:	GMT
	Electricity:	220 volts AC, 50Hz, 3 pin plugs
	Ferry Ports:	Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, Rosslare, Cork
	Airports:	Dublin, Shannon, Cork, Knock International
	Size:	www.tourismireland.com

By Car: Out of the main cities Ireland’s roads remain relatively congestion free, making driving a good option. The national speed limit is 55mph/88kph, except where posted otherwise.

By Bus: Bus Éireann operates throughout Ireland and its services are reliable, if infrequent. It's possible to travel by bus between all major towns, but routings can be complex, involving several connections, and hence very slow. Buses are generally twenty to fifty percent cheaper than trains, with the best value given by private local companies which operate in most Irish counties.

By Rail: Irish Rail operate trains to the main cities and towns; on direct lines it's by far the fastest way of covering long distances, but the network is by no means comprehensive - Donegal, for instance, has no service at all. Generally, train lines fan out from Dublin.

By Ferry: Ireland is served by numerous services to and from Great Britain and France. Daily services run between Ireland, Swansea, Holyhead, Pembroke, Fishguard, Liverpool, and Roscoff and Cherbourg in France.

By Air: The Republic of Ireland is served by two large international airports - Dublin and Shannon. Services from London are frequent and moderately priced. There is also wide range of options from main cities in the UK, with ever-increasing number of airlines connecting regional UK airports with Ireland.

Guinness Storehouse (Dublin)

Opened in December 2000, the Guinness Storehouse is a whole museum dedicated to Ireland’s most famous export, Guinness stout.

Saint Patrick's Day (March 17)

With celebrations all over Ireland, including a national festival in Dublin and major events in all the larger towns and cities, it’s a great time to visit.

National Gallery of Ireland

Founded in 1854 and houses the national collection of Irish art, the national collection of European Old Masters including works by Caravaggio and Rubens, the National Portrait Collection and the Yeats Collection.

Killarney National Park

Ireland’s first national park, founded in 1932 covers over 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of woodland, lakes, mountains, parks and gardens in the far southwest.

Ring of Kerry

Take in some of southwest of Ireland’s most spectacular sights along the Iveragh Peninsula.

Dublin is undoubtedly the spiritual and cultural heart of the Emerald Isle. Crowding around the banks of the murky River Liffey, the city, like the country, is bound in rich layers of history, back to the days when Celtic tribes wandered the peat bogs, to the present that sees the city overflowing with trendy bars and nightclubs.

Elsewhere, the cities of Cork, Galway and Limerick boast their own charms, but it is out in the rolling countryside that you can unearth the idyllic Ireland of the movies. Here, in the atmospheric old pubs, you can experience the legendary craic where music and song lead the course of an evening.

Alternatively, ramble over the hills of Glenmalure or sail through the mist-shrouded Pater-Noster Lakes; places that seem a million miles away from the tourist maelstrom of Dublin.