There is little vernacular architecture of note, however, thanks to centuries of subjugation as the laboratory for British colonialism. The poverty experienced by ordinary Irish people under foreign rule was not immediately righted by Independence in , and for most of the twentieth century the economy continued to stagnate. The North, though still blighted by sectarianism and gangsterism, received massive British and European investment and achieved far greater stability after the Good Friday Agreement. Many Irish people returned from abroad, too, bringing fresh ideas and vibrancy to commerce and culture, after the authoritarianism that followed Independence.
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However, the global economic crisis of hit Ireland particularly severely, bringing widespread economic hardship and drastic reductions in public spending, especially in the South. South of the city, the desolate Wicklow Mountains offer a breathtaking contrast to city life. County Kerry, south of Limerick, features dazzling scenery, an intoxicating brew of invigorating seascapes, looming mountains and sparkling lakes. Further north, Donegal offers a dramatic mix of rugged peninsulas and mountains, glistening beaches and magical lakes. Dotted around the west coast are numerous islands, providing a glimpse of the harsh way of life endured by remote Irish-speaking communities.
Numerous historic and archeological sites provide fine alternative attractions. Stunning early Christian monuments abound, too, including those located on Skellig Michael and the Rock of Cashel and atmospheric sites at Clonmacnois, Glendalough and Monasterboice.
In the southeast, Down offers the contrasting beauties of serene Strangford Lough and the brooding presence of the Mourne Mountains, while, to the west, Fermanagh has the peerless lake scenery of Lough Erne, a fabulous place for watersports, fishing and exploring island monastic remains.
Brief history
Evidence of the plantation is also provided by planned towns and various grand mansions, often set in sprawling, landscaped grounds. Hurling and Gaelic football are among the fastest and most physical sports in the world, and well worth catching on your travels, whether on TV or, preferably, live. Rugby and soccer are also widely followed, while going to the races is a great day out, with less of the snobbery sometimes found in Britain.
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Golf see Outdoor activities is also hugely popular north and south of the border. Details of all fixtures for hurling and Gaelic football can be obtained from the Gaelic Athletic Association wwww. Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary are the most successful counties, while Clare, Galway, Offaly and Wexford have emerged in the modern era.
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Dublin has won the most camogie All-Irelands, though the most successful teams in the modern era have been Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary. The round Gaelic ball, which is slightly smaller than a soccer ball, can be both kicked and caught. Rugby union and soccer are very popular in Ireland and tickets for international matches, especially for rugby, can be hard to come by. For the international rugby team, which is a joint Republic—Northern Ireland side, the main event of the year is the Six Nations Championship, a series of international games played in February and March against England, France, Wales, Scotland and Italy.
Soccer is played semi-professionally in both the North and the Republic, organized into the Carling Premiership and the Airtricity League respectively. Both international teams field most of their players from the English leagues; Manchester United and Liverpool are the most popular clubs among Irish fans. Glasgow Celtic are also popular both north and south, Rangers in the North, with support following Catholic and Protestant divisions, respectively. Going to the races is a hugely popular and enjoyable day out in Ireland. One local oddity worth mentioning is the meeting at Laytown in County Meath, the last remaining beach racing under Jockey Club rules, held once a year when the tides are at their lowest.
Ireland is a great place for getting out and about. Cycling is one of the best ways to appreciate the quiet pleasures of the Irish countryside, while walkers can take advantage of generally free access across much of the countryside and a number of waymarked trails. With over sailing and yacht clubs, plenty of lakes, rivers and sheltered coastline to explore and some great beaches for surfers, there are many opportunities for watersports enthusiasts, too. The North is covered bywwww. Trails in the North, however, are better documented and promoted: for detailed information on the many routes here, the best places to start are wwww.
They include the Kingfisher Trail wwww. Other cross-border routes include the recently signposted, kilometre North West Trail, mainly on quiet country roads through Donegal, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Sligo. For information on these trails in the Republic, go to wwww. In the North, wwww. Some councils and local tourist offices have produced helpful map guides for the main routes too, but you should always get hold of the relevant Ordnance Survey map and carry a compass.
Other walking highlights include the ascents of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo and of Carrauntoohil, for more experienced walkers, in County Kerry, the easily accessible Bray—Greystones walks in County Wicklow and just about anywhere in Connemara, notably the excellent, new Diamond Hill trail in the national park; not to mention walks in the Wicklow and Killarney national parks. Mountaineering Ireland, an organization that covers hill-walking and rambling, as well as climbing, maintains a compendious website wwww.
Other useful walking websites include wwww. Guided walking tour operators are available on wwww. If you need help in a real emergency on the mountains, call t or t and ask for mountain rescue wwww. With a wide variety of migrating flocks, including a large number of rare species, visiting its shores, Ireland is a great place for birdwatching; Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, Cape Clear and Castle Espie are especially fruitful hunting grounds.
The best general contacts are wwww. Horseriding, whether over the hills or along the beaches, is also a popular pastime, for both novices and experienced riders, who also have the option of multi-day trails rides. The Association of Irish Riding Establishments wwww. Golf, which was probably first brought to Ireland by the Ulster Scots, attracts huge numbers of visitors every year; the Golfing Union of Ireland, based in Kildare wwww. There are plenty of opportunities for sea angling and dozens of rivers and lakes for fly- and game-fishing.
For information, the best places to start are the tourist-board websites, wwww. Great Fishing Houses of Ireland wwww. The most popular areas for sailing are the relatively sheltered waters of the east coast, especially in Dublin Bay; Cork Harbour and west Cork; Lough Swilly on the north coast of Donegal; Strangford Lough in County Down; and some of the larger lakes, such as Lough Derg in County Clare. For further information contact the Irish Sailing Association wwww.
Inland waterways and sheltered coasts — notably in west Cork, Dingle and Waterford — also offer canoeing and kayaking opportunities, ranging from day-trips and touring to rough- and white-water racing. See also wwww. There are some superb beaches for surfing wwww. Right in the path of the warm North Atlantic Drift current, Ireland offers some of the best scuba diving in Europe, notably off the rocky west coast.
Information is available from the Irish Underwater Council wwww. When played at the highest level, Gaelic football is a fast, skilful and muscular sport, in which the strongest rivalry is between old adversaries Dublin and Kerry.
Inter-county matches grab the limelight, but the backbone of the Gaelic Athletic Association are parish clubs throughout the country, which are the heart and soul of many communities, with around , members. Obeying the siren call of the west coast, most foreign tourists, and indeed Irish holidaymakers, put their foot down to motor through the Midlands as quickly as possible. In the south of the county, the Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre gives a fascinating glimpse of a prestigious but ill-fated Iron Age road-building project. In the sixteenth century, however, this region was fairly comprehensively planted, when land was confiscated from native Irish owners and given to loyal English landlords.
Bypassed by the Industrial Revolution, many of the planned estate-towns that were attached to these landholdings remain to this day, along with the vestiges of a slow, steady rural style of living.
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The house stands in abundant gardens 5km south of Mullingar on the N In he falsely accused his wife Mary of having an affair with his brother Arthur and imprisoned her for the next 31 years at their nearby main residence, Gaulstown. It was only when the Earl died that she was released by their son, whom she no longer recognized. The house itself, which commands beautiful views of the lake, has been painstakingly restored and authentically refurbished by Westmeath County Council. It holds some gorgeous fireplaces of carved Irish oak with Italian marble insets, but is most notable for the exquisite craftsmanship of its rococo ceilings, the work of a French stuccodore, Barthelemij Cramillion.
Ogham can be read using a translation code which was discovered in medieval religious text. The script is read from bottom to top of the corner edges of quarried stone where the marks comprise a set of 20 or so letters of the Latin alphabet. Entry is free.
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Fulacht Fia or an ancient Cooking site in West Cork. West Cork is the area with the most stone circles with many to be found along the South West Coast, now referred to as the Wild Atlantic Way. The Drombeg Stone Circle is about 1. The stone circle is signposted and has a small carpark beside it. Drombeg is composed of 17 standing stones overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The field also has a Fulacht Fiadh Cooking Pit , made up of a hearth, trough and well. Small stones were heated on the hearth and rolled into the trough, this heated the water and meat was then added to be slowly cooked.
The sunsets beautifully to the west of this circle. The nearby village of Glandore is a great place for lunch overlooking the sea. Cross a narrow metal bridge shortly after Glandore to the village of Union Hall. There are many other stone circles in West Cork, but my favourite ones are at Kealkil or at Uragh in Co. Kerry on the Beara Peninsula.