Things to do in Ireland

Ireland here means the Republic, which takes up most of an island in the Atlantic. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. Things to do in Ireland split between the capital and a coast that is much further away than it looks.

How the country is laid out

• Dublin and the east. The capital, the Wicklow Mountains south of it, and the Boyne Valley, where Newgrange was built around 3200 BC.
• The south. Cork, and the Kerry peninsulas: Dingle, and Iveragh with the Ring of Kerry route.
• The west. Galway, the limestone Burren, the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher, which rise to about 200 metres.
• The Midlands. Flat farmland, lakes and the River Shannon, with the monastery of Clonmacnoise, founded in the 6th century.
• The north-west. Donegal, with high sea cliffs and long empty beaches.

Distances

Galway is about two and a half hours from Dublin by motorway. Cork is about three. The Cliffs of Moher are over three hours each way, which makes them a long day out.

Roads outside the motorways are narrow, and traffic keeps left.

How the days are built

Tours in Ireland start in Dublin. They are guided walks, phone-guided quests and pub trails. The rest of the country is reached by rented car, coach or train.

Practical

• Weather. Mild and changeable in every season. Summer days run 17 to 21C and January days about 8C. Dublin gets around 750 mm of rain a year, the west coast well over a thousand.
• Daylight. In June it is light past ten at night. In December the sun sets before half past four.
• Season. May to September suits the west. Some island ferries and rural sights run reduced timetables in winter.
• Money. The Republic uses the euro, and sterling starts across the border. There is no checkpoint on the road.
• Driving. Distances and speed limits are in kilometres in the Republic, and in miles across the border.
• Language. English is spoken everywhere. Irish appears on road signs and is still an everyday language in parts of the west.
• Tipping. Ten to fifteen percent in restaurants where service is not included. Nobody expects it for a drink at a pub bar.