For a small country, Ireland has made a big impact. The country has given the world saints and scholars, artists and entrepreneurs, scientists and sporting heroes. It has built a reputation for innovation, hard work and determination and has yet kept its heritage, culture and traditional identity intact. Ireland is unique. Find your Ireland. From breath-taking landscapes and rural idylls to buzzing urban hubs and amazing festivals, it’s all waiting to be discovered.
Priyanka Saxena Ray
Dublin City
Dublin is a UNESCO City of Literature, founded by Vikings, buzzing with traditional pubs and home to some of the friendliest locals on the planet. Dublin’s streets are a busy fusion of both past and present – a 1,000-year-old mix that has inspired writers, visitors and political firebrands alike. From the city’s Viking roots, to its atmospheric medieval churches along gracious Georgian streets, to the award-winning Guinness Storehouse, walk these streets and you’ll be taking a journey through history.
Belfast
Great restaurants, traditional pubs and a phenomenal Titanic history take Belfast to the next level – get set to experience one of Ireland’s most exciting cities. Culture, history and super-friendly people are what Belfast is all about. Visit here and you’ll experience a place unlike any other in Europe. This is a city that can trace its history back to the Bronze Age; a city that built Titanic; a city forging a unique food scene; and a city that dances to its own beat. From its mighty shipbuilding past to the dynamic arts scene that swirls around the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast likes to mix it up.
Filming locations of Star Wars on the Wild Atlantic Way
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens brought the Star Wars universe back with a bang. Its iconic final scene was filmed on Skellig Michael, a tiny island whose monastic settlement dates back to the sixth century. The monks lived austere lives on this wind-chilled island long before it became the home of everyone’s favourite Jedi knight. Known for its varied wildlife and the mysterious beehive huts the monks used for shelter, Skellig Michael is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here’s hoping it pops up again in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi!
Filming locations of Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland
Fabled castles, haunted forests and now a stunning, hand-woven tapestry – Game of Thrones® has become a part of Northern Ireland’s epic story. Since the very first series, some of Northern Ireland’s most stunning locations have doubled as the wild world of Westeros. But the most iconic stop off? It’s got to be Castle Ward, otherwise known as Winterfell, the ancestral home of the Stark family. Head there for the full Westeros experience – just keep an eye out for direwolves!
Wild Atlantic Way
From the wind-whipped tip of Malin Head to the safe haven of Kinsale Harbour, wrap yourself in the wilderness of the west coast of Ireland on the world’s longest defined coastal touring route. The Wild Atlantic Way is a sensational journey of soaring cliffs and buzzing towns and cities, of hidden beaches and epic bays. So whether you drive it from end-to-end, or dip into it as the mood strikes, it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Few road trips in the world pack as much in as the Wild Atlantic Way does. Iconic bucket list attractions like the Cliffs of Moher, the Skellig Islands and the Burren aside, the list of things to do is endless. One moment you could be spotting whales at sea, the next, listening to traditional music with locals in a quaint pub. You can explore centuries-old ruins or cute towns like Doolin and Dingle, ride horses on secluded beaches or bike through landscapes formed where land meets sea.
Causeway Coastal Route
Experience the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the World’s Great Road Journeys. Stretching from Belfast to Derry-Londonderry and taking in some of Ireland’s most incredible sights, the Causeway Coastal Route is a true legend. The route is a journey of stunning natural landscapes, from hills, mountain streams and waterfalls to a remarkable coastal road with majestic cliffs, golden sands and the Giant’s Causeway where six-sided basalt columns create an eerie landscape jutting into the ocean. There’s nowhere that blurs history and myth quite like County Antrim’s Giant’s Causeway. While experts think that this geological wonder was formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago, the myth that it was built by warring giants has persisted for hundreds of years. Whether you side with science or prefer a good story, one thing is sure: this is a place of mind-boggling beauty that you should not miss. Head to the Causeway in time to watch the sun set – it’s absolutely breath-taking.
Ireland’s Ancient East
When you explore Ireland’s Ancient East, you wander through 5,000 years of history. Peel back the layers of history and discover a story that unfolds in the vast green landscapes that seduced millennia of settlers from Ancient Man to Early-Christians and Medieval Lords to Colonial Settlers. On your journey immerse yourself in history as you are greeted by prehistoric wonders, monastic marvels, magnificent castles and grand estates at every turn. Encompassing 17 counties and 5,000 years of history, Ireland’s Ancient East features three unique areas. In the Land of 5,000 Dawns, you’ll find the whimsical woodland trails of Belvedere House and the exceptional passage tomb of Newgrange, built way back in 3200 BC. The Historic Heartlands is much more than cosy National Heritage Towns and sleepy mirrored lakes. This is where saints converted kings at the Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny Castle changed hands for a song and Iron Age victims were surrendered to Lough Boora Bog. Tales continue on the Celtic Coast, where Vikings looted holy treasures from the monastic city of Glendalough and the light of Europe’s oldest lighthouse sweeps across Ireland’s story-strewn maritime history.
Food and Drink
Experiencing food in Ireland is not just about fine-dining excellence in the city’s best restaurants. It’s about seafood on a beach, it’s about apple pie in a wild location, and it’s about picnicking on the very freshest fish you’ve just plucked from the ocean. Set out on a food trail of local specialties and gourmet treats across the island of Ireland, and prepare for a taste sensation. Traditional treats, pub seats and cutting-edge chefs combine to make eating and drinking in Ireland a peak pleasure. Ireland has long been famous for some of the world’s best known whiskeys, with Jameson’s and Bushmills being two of the best known whiskeys. Naturally, Guinness has made a name for itself everywhere and is made up of just four simple ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast. You can learn all about it up by St James’s Gate, at the Guinness Storehouse.
Shopping
Irish crafts aren’t just showpieces; in fact, most have been part of daily life for centuries. Around the island of Ireland, new design brands and fashion trailblazers are shaking things up with exquisite ceramics, quirky textiles, innovative glasswork, beautiful cashmeres and crisp linens, and the word is spreading. Creatively electric, milliner Philip Treacy and designers Jen Kelly, Orla Kiely, Louise Kennedy, JW Anderson, Paul Costelloe, and, more recently, Joanne Hynes have been heralded throughout the world. The beauty of Ireland’s shopping scene lies in its unique blend of vintage and contemporary styles. Take a risk, wander off the main promenades and tumble down the rabbit hole of Ireland’s shopping experience.
