Let not the size of the country fool you, Ireland abounds with enjoyable activities and breathtaking sights your days and nights would just be packed. From cultural tours to energetic nightly entertainment to outdoor activities set against majestic natural backdrops, Ireland promises a myriad of delightful experiences all worth sampling when you’re there.
Irish pubs are perhaps some of the best there is in the world and when you enter one of the numerous bars and pubs that litter the country it’s easy to see why. Friendly locals, lively “trad” sessions of music and dance and of course that popular heady brew of stout that Ireland is known for will make you forget the time from your comfortable perch. Head on out to Crosskey’s Inn on the old Belfast to Derry Road or try any one of the many pubs lining the Temple Bar, Dublin’s hip and happening place especially for the young crowd.
You’ll never run out of choices as well if museums and galleries are in your list of things to see. Fans of the written word should make a stop at the Dublin Writers Museum and the James Joyce Museum in South County Cove in Dublin where the great writer once lived. The Linen Hall Library in Belfast is the oldest and proudly boasts of a collection of books written by and about C.S. Lewis. For a visit into prehistory take the family to the National Museum of Natural History which houses over 2 million specimens from all over the world. And even when you’re outside the city, there’s still a host of galleries and museums for you to explore. Limerick offers the Hunt Museum where Ireland’s greatest collection of private art is kept. These include pieces from Renoir, Picasso and Yeats. And if local flavor is your cup of tea then head on out to any of the local museums such as the Galway City Museum, Kerry County Museum or the Cavan County Museum to discover more about the different places’ history and cultural heritage.
Sports and outdoor enthusiasts will find Ireland’s magnificent landscapes and coastlines perfect for their fancies. Excellent golf courses can be found in a lot of places around Ireland – try County Caven Golf Club, the Ballymascanlon Golf Course in County Loth or the K Club in Kildare where the 2006 Ryder Cup will be held. You can also book a trail ride through the Slieve Bloom Mountains or if horse racing is your passion, then make it a point to visit the Curragh Racehourse in Kildare, home to Ireland’s horse racing and the annual big horse racing event, the Curragh Irish Derby.
No visit to Ireland would be complete without being able to boast of kissing the Blarney Stone found at the top of the tower at the Blarney Castle. Legend has it that kissing the Blarney Stone, or the Stone of Eloquence gives you the gift of gab and everyone – world leaders and known personalities even have been said to have come to the Blarney Castle if only to capture the mythical prowess coming from the stone. The attractions found in and around the castle would be enough reasons though to make you stay.