"There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met."
(WB Yeats)
Blessed with delightful architecture and peaceful parks, Dublin boasts cool designer boutiques and a thriving nightlife. Sights include Trinity College, the illuminated book of Kells and Dublin Castle. See the presidential palace in Phoenix Park and visit the Guinness Storehouse to sample Ireland's favourite drink.
The province of Leinster encompasses the bleak Wicklow Mountains, the heathland of the Curragh, and the pastoral valleys known for horse breeding. In Munster, the southwest of Ireland, the pastures around the Rock of Cashel and the Shannon blend into the breathtaking coastal vistas of the Ring of Kerry, Dingle and the Cliffs of Moher. Near Cork and Limerick, Blarney and Bunratty Castles are iconic sites. In the northwest, Connaught is a stark and windswept province where Ashford Castle serves as the gateway to the wild landscapes of Connemara. If you're looking for something artsy and bohemian, head to Galway on the Atlantic west coast.
If traditional treats are tempting you, accompany your sightseeing with an Ulster Fry: black and white pudding, bacon, sausages, tomato and potato farls (potato bread). Or, if you wish to follow the spiritual path of Ireland’s greatest poet, discover the echoes of WB Yeats’s verse all over the island. The Irish are all about the craic (the fun, the gossip, the excitement), and there’s more than enough to go around when you visit.