Northern Europe · Europe

Ireland

Discover Ireland - an island nation of dramatic cliffs, ancient Celtic heritage, world-class literature, traditional music, and legendary hospitality.

Where Is Ireland?

Ireland is a country in Northern Europe. Its capital is Dublin.

Where Ireland isNorthern Europe · Capital Dublin

Plan a trip · 3 guides

Capital Dublin
Population 5.48M
Area 70,273 km²

Ireland is a country that's had an outsized influence on the world relative to its size. Four Nobel Prizes in Literature. A diaspora so enormous that 70 million people worldwide claim Irish descent compared to just 5 million living in Ireland. U2, Guinness, Oscar Wilde, and the entire concept of the modern pub - all Irish exports. The island is green for a reason (it rains a lot), but that lush landscape of rolling hills, stone walls, and dramatic coastline is genuinely spectacular.

Modern Ireland is a very different place from the poverty-stricken country that exported millions of its people during the Great Famine. The Celtic Tiger boom transformed it into one of Europe's wealthiest nations, Dublin became a European tech hub hosting the European headquarters of Google and Facebook, and the country went from conservative Catholic stronghold to legalizing same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2015. But for all the modernity, the old Ireland is still right there - in the trad sessions in pubs, in the crumbling monastic ruins, in the Gaeltacht regions where Irish is still spoken daily, and in the way that telling a good story remains a genuine art form.

At a glance

Language

Irish (Gaeilge), English

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Calling Code

+353

Drives On

Left

Internet

.ie

Timezone

GMT (UTC+0)

Script

Latin

Government

Parliamentary Republic

Independence

1922

Travel guides

Plan a trip to Ireland

The Long Walk in Galway, a row of colorful painted houses on the quay reflected in calm water under dark gray clouds

Ireland · 5 days

5 Days in Galway

Buskers on Shop Street, a session in every pub and the Atlantic at the end of the road. Five days in the west of Ireland.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

The white iron Ha'penny Bridge over the Liffey at dusk, with old red-brick and stone buildings and a church spire behind it reflected in the river

Ireland · 5 days

5 Days in Dublin

Georgian squares, rebel history, writers in every pub and a pint that tastes better here. Five days in Ireland's capital.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

The River Lee in Cork on a sunny day, with old buildings along the quay, a stone bridge and the twin spires of St Fin Barre's Cathedral behind

Ireland · 5 days

5 Days in Cork

A market, a harbor, two stouts that aren't Guinness and a city that calls itself the real capital. Five days in Ireland's south.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

By population

Largest cities in Ireland

Dublin

Capital and cultural heart, a literary city that produced Joyce, Wilde, and Beckett, now also a major European tech hub

1,263,000

Cork

Ireland's second city and self-proclaimed real capital, known for the English Market, food culture, and local pride

210,000

Galway

Bohemian arts city on the west coast, gateway to the Aran Islands and Connemara, known for street buskers and festivals

84,000

Limerick

City on the Shannon River with King John's Castle and a gritty creative spirit, yes it's where the poem form gets its name

102,000

Killarney

Gateway town to the Ring of Kerry and Killarney National Park, one of Ireland's most popular tourist destinations

15,000

People

Famous people from Ireland

James Joyce
Literature
Author of Ulysses and Dubliners, revolutionized the modern novel and is celebrated every Bloomsday on June 16
Oscar Wilde
Literature
Dublin-born playwright and wit, wrote The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray
Samuel Beckett
Literature
Nobel Prize-winning playwright, author of Waiting for Godot, one of the most influential works of the 20th century
U2 (Bono)
Music
Dublin band that became one of the world's biggest rock acts, with 22 Grammy Awards
Saoirse Ronan
Film
Four-time Oscar-nominated actress from Dublin, star of Lady Bird, Little Women, and Brooklyn
Katie Taylor
Sport
Olympic gold medalist and undisputed lightweight boxing champion, considered the greatest female boxer ever

Food

Traditional cuisine of Ireland

Irish Stew: Slow-cooked lamb or mutton with potatoes, carrots, and onions, the quintessential comfort food
Full Irish Breakfast: The works: bacon, sausages, eggs, black and white pudding, toast, beans, and tomatoes
Soda Bread: Dense, crusty bread leavened with buttermilk and baking soda, no yeast needed
Colcannon: Mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage or kale, butter, and milk, a beloved side dish
Boxty: Traditional potato pancake made from a mix of raw grated and mashed potato, fried until crispy
Guinness: Not just a drink but a cultural institution - Ireland's famous dry stout has been brewed at St. James's Gate since 1759

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Ireland

Cliffs of MoherCoast: Dramatic sea cliffs rising 214 meters on the Atlantic coast of County Clare, Ireland's most visited natural attraction
Ring of KerryCoast: 179 km scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula with mountain passes, coastal views, and colorful villages
Giant's CausewayLandmark: 40,000 interlocking basalt columns on the Antrim coast (Northern Ireland), formed by ancient volcanic activity
ConnemaraNational Park: Wild Atlantic region of bogs, mountains, and lakes in County Galway, one of Ireland's last Irish-speaking areas
BurrenLandmark: Unique lunar-like karst landscape in County Clare where Mediterranean and Arctic plants grow side by side
Killarney National ParkNational Park: Ireland's oldest national park with lakes, oak woodlands, red deer herds, and Victorian estates

Sport

Sports in Ireland

Gaelic Games: Gaelic football and hurling are Ireland's most popular sports, played by amateurs for the love of their county
Rugby: Ireland won Grand Slams in the Six Nations and reached the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals multiple times
Football: Memorable World Cup campaigns in 1990 and 1994 under Jack Charlton united the nation
Boxing: Katie Taylor and Barry McGuigan are among the greatest boxers in history
Horse Racing: Ireland punches above its weight in breeding and racing thoroughbreds, home to the Curragh racecourse

Facts

Did you know?

Ireland has won four Nobel Prizes in Literature, a remarkable haul for a country of about 5 million people
Halloween originated in Ireland from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain
The Irish diaspora is so large that about 70 million people worldwide claim Irish heritage
There are no snakes in Ireland - and haven't been since the Ice Age, despite the legend about St. Patrick
The Guinness Book of Records was invented by the Guinness brewery to settle pub arguments
Ireland was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2015
The Irish language has no words for 'yes' or 'no' - you repeat the verb of the question instead