Ireland Hotels

‘Tis a fine country with a friendly people, lovely landscapes and welcoming towns and cities. The coastline and countryside are magnificent. It is an island of two, unequal, halves: Northern Ireland with its capital Belfast and Eire with its capital of Dublin. Both have much to offer but their characters and recent histories are very different. It is a strange observation, but in places where conflict is in the news, you often find the friendliest people out there on the ground.

As an island as a whole, Ireland is not densely populated. It has almost 3,000km of coastline and an undulating landscape of great beauty. Ireland has had a huge impact on western culture through its art, culture, literature and, particularly, poets.

It remains as a place much cherished by US citizens whose ancestors left from there in the past, often during times of great poverty. The ancient history of Ireland lives on today in standing stones and artefacts, and its Celtic roots are as alive as they have ever been. And who is the most famous of patron saints? Why, St Patrick of course, whose saint’s day is always celebrated, never forgotten.

Though Ireland is on the western margin of mainland Europe, it has had many invaders, and throughout the centuries this has all added to the diversity of the place, its peoples, architecture and landscape. It has been riven by religious divide, but things have improved greatly in Northern Ireland in recent times and there has been a resurgence of peace and prosperity there. The coastal mountains and inland plains and lochs, the lush vegetation and kind climate, all contribute to Ireland’s unique attraction.