Ireland
Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe.
Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest in the world. As of 2022, the population of the entire island is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain.
Getting to Ireland
Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland only require a valid national identity card or passport and don't need a visa. In most cases, they hold unlimited rights to employment and residence in Ireland.
Worth seeing
Scenery in Ireland is the stuff of knights' tales. It's best where you meet a contrast: a stern crag rearing up from green fields, or a plateau ending in sea-cliffs. Ireland's mountains are old and long-weathered so they're of no great height – the highest MacGillycuddy's Reeks only reach 1038 m but rise abruptly behind the lake at Killarney.
Things to do
Gaelic games are unique to Ireland and a growing number of diaspora communities beyond. It is played all over the island, not just in the Republic. Organised on a county basis, almost every local parish has a GAA club. Gaelic football is generally the more popular game, though both hurling and football have large and dedicated followings. Gaelic football resembles a cross between rugby and soccer...
Where to eat
Food is expensive in Ireland, although quality has improved enormously in the last ten years. Most small towns will have a supermarket and many have a weekly farmers' market. The cheapest option for eating out is either fast food or pubs. Many pubs offer a carvery lunch consisting of roasted meat, vegetables and the ubiquitous potatoes, which is usually good value.
Getting around Ireland the local way
- Get inCitizens of the "Common Travel Area" (CTA) in theory don't even need a passport to enter Ireland, but in practice they must show one to board a flight or ferry; there are no routine checks on the land border.
- Get inSee below for ferry routes; sailings to Rosslare connect with trains to Dublin Connolly.
- Get inFerries ply to Ireland from Great Britain, France and Spain.
- Get inBy public transport, always look for through-tickets by rail / bus and ferry, as these are considerably cheaper than separate tickets, and take care of the connection.
- Get inDublin has ferries from Holyhead in North Wales by Stena Line and Irish Ferries (3 hr 30 min), from Bootle near Liverpool by P&O (8 hr) and in summer from Douglas, Isle of Man by IOM Steam Packet Company (3 hr 30 min).
- Get inDirect ferries from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge are only for freight and their truckers.
- Get inRosslare has ferries from south Wales taking 3 hr 30 min: from Fishguard by Stena Line and from Pembroke by Irish Ferries.
- Get inIn summer, Brittany Ferries sail from Bilbao.
From Wikivoyage: Ireland, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-08.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Diliff (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.