Ireland ( Eire in Irish) is a picturesque island in Western Europe
adjacent to UK between the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean. For most
people who think Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, let me
mention we are talking about the Republic of Ireland which
is not a part of the UK. However, Northern Ireland is a
part of the UK. Ireland was under British rule for about
eight hundred years; it was the nearest & the most troublesome
colony of England. Ireland was the first country to get independence
from British rule.
As you would have noticed by now, this review is about in general &
not restricted to a tourist’s point of view only.
The Irish-Indian connection
Most people are unaware of the fact that the first doctors &
teachers in India were Irish, the Indian constitution has a lot in
common with the Irish constitution because India gained independence
after Ireland. Indian & Irish flags have the same colours but the
stripes in Irish flag are vertical unlike the horizontal stripes of the
Indian flag. Lord Mountbatten the last Viceroy of India was also killed
in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army in 1979. There are still a few
anglo-Irish families in India.
History
It’s a small country with a lot of culture & history. People have
lived on this island for a few thousand years now; there some are
Mesolithic tombs all over the country. You may have heard of
Leprechauns in Ireland but there aren’t any :D
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland; he used Shamrock to explain
the trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit & that’s why
Shamrock is an important Irish symbol. There are no snakes in Ireland
& legendary stories give the credit for driving the snakes away to
St. Patrick (or Paddy as he is commonly called). Paddy’s day is
celebrated every year on the 17th of March, big colorful celebrations
take place in every Irish city as well as in many American cities, the
biggest Paddy’s day parade is held in New York every year because there
are more Irish people in the states than in Ireland.
The Irish Famine
In the middle of the 19th century a million people are said to
have died of hunger on the doorstep of the world’s richest nation. Some
two million emigrated in a period of a little more than a decade
(1845-55). Millions of Irish people immigrated to America until
recently, however with the economic developments in the last couple of
decades many Irish Americans are coming back, not only this, there are
a lot of immigrants coming in.
Recent Developments
Today Ireland has one of the best social support systems, one of the
best wages in Europe, I think the minimum wage is higher than the rest
of European Union (definitely higher than the UK & US) & a good
educational system too. The economy is thriving on the services
industry- mainly IT & financial services. The construction industry
has been booming here for a long time now. Per capita GDP is 10% above
that of the four big European economies & the second highest in the
EU.
It is the second most expensive country in the European Union,
the cost of living, food, housing etc is quite high as compared to UK
& the rest of Europe.
The capital- Dublin is a bustling cosmopolitan city with a lot of
population, crime is becoming a concern there specially due to migrants
coming in from Eastern Europe, Africa & Asia. It is still fairly
safe as compared to many other cities in Europe. Cork, Limerick &
Galway are other important cities but they are very small as compared
to Dublin, these are more laid back & quieter places with a lot of
character. Cork was the European Capital of Culture for the year 2005.
All over Ireland, pubs are probably the most important part of social
life . Though mostly associated with drinking, you could be going to
the pub just to socialise & have coffee or just to watch an
important match together. Its good craic! (As the Irish call it). With
so many pubs & clubs & a drinking culture the nightlife is
guaranteed to be quite happening in most Irish cities & towns.
Guinness is the most famous Irish drink (ale), though it isn’t the most
common amongst Irish people.
English is spoken with a slight twang. When they say ’how are you?’ it
sounds exactly like ’howareya?’ & the answer isn’t good or fine, an
Irishman’s reply is most likely to be ’Grand!’ this is just an example,
there are a lot of other minor differences. Surprisingly most people in
Ireland cannot read & write in Irish language; apparently
thelanguage was suppressed a lot during British rule.
Four seasons in a day
Here, you can experience all four seasons in one day, it rains pretty
much all the time, the Gulf stream keeps the cold under control,
otherwise Ireland would have had an Arctic climate. During winters the
temperature usually doesn’t go more than 5-6degrees Celsius below zero,
it snows occasionally in some places, & there are no heavy
snowfalls in Ireland. During summer the temperatures do not
go above thirty degrees Celsius. No matter what the season is, you
should be prepared for rain anytime. It doesn’t rain heavily, but it
rains pretty much everyday & the weather is always unpredictable.
The Countryside & places to visit
Roads in Ireland are not the best, but the countryside is beautiful to
look at, the beaches are good but quite cold pretty much throughout the
year except just two-three months. Donegal & Sligo are beautiful
counties in the North of the republic. But southwestern Ireland is
beautiful; counties Clare, Kerry & Cork are the most beautiful. In
Co. Cork is Cobh which was the last port of call for Titanic before it
sank. Beaches in W est Cork are excellent & very good for surfing.
Few years ago an Air India plane crashed into the Atlantic off Cobh,
memorial services are held for them every year, their family members of
some victims are known to visit Ireland every year in memory of the
crash.
Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, Lehinch & Spanish point are some
lovely places in county Clare. The ring of Kerry is a very scenic route
which beginsin Killarney, runs besides some beautiful lakes, mountains,
& coastline, it is the most scenic drive in Ireland. Gap of Dunloe
on the ring of Kerry is a nice place to see with rocks all around &
cycling, trekking tracks. Killarney national park is worth a visit
especially for the greenery, the lakes & waterfall. Inch strand is
the best beach in Ireland where you can drive right at the beach, the
scenery is simply amazing. Dingle is famous for its dolphin named
Fungi. there is a lot of fishing that happens around Dingle. If you
were planning a tourist visit to Ireland, I would suggest going to the
lesser known smaller towns & villages rather than the cities where
you’d meet very hospitable people, witness the real Irish culture, feel
the fresh air or just go horse riding, bicycling, fishing or angling,
surfing.