Ireland
Flung onto the foggy fringe of the Atlantic pond like a mossy millstone, Ireland drips with mystery, drawing you in for a closer look. The Irish culture — with its intricate art and mesmerizing music — is as intoxicating as a pint or two of Guinness. And today's Ireland is vibrant and cosmopolitan, yet warm and down to earth. You may not find the proverbial pot of gold, but you'll treasure your encounters with the Irish people, who've earned their worldwide reputation as witty, musical, moody romantics with a quick laugh and a ready smile. Come join them.
Places
At a Glance
Republic of Ireland
▲▲▲ Dublin Bustling Irish capital, with fascinating tours (historical, musical, and literary), passionate rebel history (Kilmainham Gaol), treasured Dark Age gospels (Book of Kells), intricate Celtic artifacts (at the National Museum of Archaeology), and a rambunctious pub district (Temple Bar).
▲▲▲ Dingle Peninsula My favorite fishing village (Dingle town, a traditional Irish-music pub paradise), which serves as a launchpad for the gorgeous Slea Head loop drive (or bike ride), featuring striking scenery and a wealth of Celtic and early Christian sites.
▲▲▲ Aran Islands Three windswept, treeless limestone islands in the Atlantic, ringed by cliffs, crowned by striking ruins, and home to sparse villages of hardy fisherfolk.
▲▲ Boyne Valley and Trim Area just north of Dublin with the ancient pre-Celtic burial mounds of Brú na Bóinne, and the majestic Norman castle in Trim.
▲▲ Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel Best two destinations in Ireland's interior: the medieval town of Kilkenny, with its narrow lanes, colorful facades, and stocky castle; and the Rock of Cashel, with its dramatic hilltop hodgepodge of church ruins overlooking the Plain of Tipperary.
▲▲ Kinsale and Cobh County Cork's two quaint harbor towns: Kinsale, beloved by foodies, fun for strolling, and guarded by squat Charles Fort; and the emigration hub of Cobh — the Titanic's last stop.
▲▲ Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry Colorful, tidy town and ideal base for side-stepping the throngs flocking to drive Ireland's most famous scenic loop route: around Kerry's fairy-fort-filled peninsula, with options for an excursion to the hermitage island of Skellig Michael.
▲▲ County Clare and the Burren Ireland's rugged western fringe, with the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, stony prehistoric landscape of the Burren, cozy trad music crossroads of cozy Doolin, and friendly town of Ennis.
▲▲ Westport and Connemara Lushly green region with hilly Irish outback of cottages, lakes, and holy peaks, dotted with photogenic settlements such as Cong, Kylemore Abbey, and the leafy riverside town of Westport.
▲ Waterford and County Wexford Gritty historic port town with famous Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre, and a hinterland marked by early Norman invasions, with a 12-century lighthouse, famine ship replica, the Irish National Irish Heritage park, and the Kennedy ancestral homestead.
▲ Galway Energetic university city with a thriving pedestrian street scene and great people-watching pubs — and the west coast's best base for reaching the Burren, Aran Islands, and Connemara.
▲ Wicklow Mountains Remote-feeling region just south of Dublin that's home to the graceful Gardens of Powerscourt and the evocative monastic ruins of Glendalough.
▲ Donegal and the Northwest Far-flung section of the Republic with a ruggedly beautiful landscape, and a striking castle in the main town of Donegal.
Northern Ireland
▲▲ Portrush and the Antrim Coast Unpretentious beach resort that makes a pleasant gateway to the geologic wonderland of the Giant's Causeway, the Old Bushmills Distillery, cliff-edge ruins of Dunluce Castle, and exhilarating Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
▲▲ Belfast No-nonsense capital of Northern Ireland with a walkable city center, stirring sectarian neighborhoods, the delightful riverside Titanic Quarter, and the charming nearby Victorian seaside retreat of Bangor.
▲ Derry Seventeenth-century British settlement encircled by stout town walls — and infamous as the powder keg that ignited Ireland's tragic modern "Troubles" — with an insightful city history museum that tells the tale.
Plan
Photos
Watch
- Belfast and the Best of Northern Ireland (episode)
- Dublin and Mystical Side Trips (episode)
- Dublin's Literary Life (clip)
- South Ireland: Waterford to the Ring of Kerry (episode)
- The Best of West Ireland: Dingle, Galway, and the Aran Islands (episode)
- Travel Talks: Ireland
- Western Ireland: Dingle and the Aran Islands (clip)
Read
- Go Left, Young Man: Driving in Great Britain and Ireland
- Irish Soul Music
- Lovely Day for a Guinness!
- My Favorite Beach Hideaways
- Pubs: Ireland’s Watering Holes
- South of Dublin Highlights: Gardens, Monastic Ruins, and Studs
- The Tale of Michael Fagan: He Came in Through the Bedroom Window
- Ireland’s Aran Islands: Bleak and Beautiful
- Biking in Europe’s Boonies
- Ireland’s Culinary Delights
- The Dingle Peninsula: Pure Ireland
- Tidy and Tiny: Top Towns of Coastal Ireland
- A Short Walk Through Ireland’s Long History
- Booking It Through Europe: Top Literary Stops
- Boyne Valley: A Dazzling Dublin Day Trip
- Dublin: Big-City Sights and Small-Town Smiles
- Dublin’s Urban Thrills
- Europe’s Emigration Museums: Remembering the Long Goodbye
- Europe’s Wide World of Traditional Sports
- Pubs, Parades, and St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin
- Visiting Europe’s Top University Sights
- Ring Around the Ring of Kerry
- A Day on the Antrim Coast, Ireland’s Scenic North
- Buoyant, Booming Belfast
- Delving into Derry
- Best of South Ireland
- The Amazing Life of Waterford’s Favorite Son
- Going to the Dogs (and Other Animals) in Europe
Ireland
Aran Islands
Dingle Peninsula
Dublin
Kenmare & the Ring of Kerry
Northern Ireland
Waterford & County Wexford
Westport & Connemara
Listen
- Ancient Ireland (15:22)
- Aran Islands (19:06)
- Arts of Ireland (25:30)
- A Week in Ireland (17:51)
- Beer in Europe (27:46)
- Belfast (17:58)
- Celtic Singing Cultures (19:34)
- County Cork (12:01)
- Day Hikes in Europe (12:27)
- Derry Celebrates (12:05)
- Dingle Peninsula: Pint-Size Beauty (18:32)
- Dublin, Ireland's Capital (47:17)
- European Business Customs (45:55)
- European Impressions of America (37:02)
- Exploring Ireland (35:24)
- Faeries of Ireland (18:13)
- Gaelic Sport (11:43)
- Galway and West Ireland (13:03)
- Getting Around Ireland (15:02)
- Heroes of Irish Folk Music (18:27)
- How to Be Irish (9:18)
- Ireland North and South (40:35)
- Ireland's County Cork (23:50)
- Ireland's W.B. Yeats (11:41)
- Ireland Trad and Mod (47:59)
- Irish Craic (16:39)
- Irish Cuisine (23:14)
- Irish Homecoming (17:39 min)
- Irish Roots (18:08)
- Irish Song (18:58)
- Irish Traditional Music (12:06)
- Irish Writers (17:06)
- Kinsale (18:39)
- Lord Alderdice on Peace (46:53)
- Lusitania (7:57)
- Michael Collins (10:42)
- North Ireland Insights (21:36 min)
- Running a Hostel in Europe (21:18)
- Speaking in Irish (11:36)
- Stroll Through Dublin (12:16)
- The Irish Music Session (17:43)
- The Irish Sea (30:51)
- The Ring of Kerry (18:10)
- The Titanic (12:11)
- The West of Ireland (29:42)
- Traditional Irish Music (19:38)
- Travel in Ireland Post-Brexit (36:07)
- Visiting Ireland (18:49)
- Walking Tour of Dublin (18:32)
- Wee County Louth (16:24)
Ireland Audio Tours
- Dublin City Walk 1: South Bank
Listen or Download | Download map - Dublin City Walk 2: O'Connell Street
Listen or Download | Download map