Dublin
The largest city in the Republic of Ireland is Dublin. Due to its proximity to Britain, it was the most important city in Ireland. As Dublin Airport is located just outside the city, most international visitors to Ireland begin their stay here. Among the main attractions in Dublin are Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922, Phoenix Park, one of the largest inner city parks in the world, The General Post Office, one of Ireland's most famous buildings due to the 1916 Easter rising, Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison turned museum that held and executed the rebels of the 1916 Rising and Trinity College, where the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow are held. In 2010, Dublin was awarded the title of UNESCO City of Literature, as many famous writers such as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett are from the city.
Other Attractions
St. James's Gate Brewery, a brewery founded in 1759 that produces Guinness. It is the second most visited tourist attraction in Ireland.
Bloomsday, a festival of celebration into James Joyce's life, during which the events of his novel Ulysses are relived. It is held annually in Dublin on 16 June.
The Ha'penny Bridge, a famous Victorian bridge spanning the River Liffey.
Croke Park, one of Europe's biggest stadiums and principal stadium of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Temple Bar, an area on the south side of the city that has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is now famous for its cultural and nightlife spots.
Saint Stephen's Green, a city centre public park.
Cork
Situated on the southern coast of Ireland, Cork is the second biggest city in the country. Due to a population explosion in the 1800s, many of its most famous buildings are from this era. In this period two cathedrals were built, Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne and Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral. Another historic attraction from this time is Cork City Gaol which opened in 1824, it is now a visitor centre for people to feel what it was like to live in the city, and imprisoned in the jail, 200 years ago. Cork's most famous building and the symbol of the city, The Church of St. Anne, is known for its clock tower dubbed "The Four Faced Liar" on account of all four of the clocks showing slightly different times. Cork Airport is located just outside the city and connects Cork to many European cities, although most flight routes are only available in the summer.
Other Attractions
Fota Wildlife Park, a zoo located just outside the city on Fota Island, now one of the most popular visitor attractions in the country.
Elizabeth Fort, a 17th-century star fort just off Barrack Street, originally built as a defensive fortification outside the city walls, it is now a tourist attraction.
Cork Opera House, an opera house built in the 1850s.
The English Market, a food market that dates back to 1610. The market draws visitors from throughout the world, including a visit by Queen Elizabeth II during her 2011 state visit in 2011.
University College Cork, a National University of Ireland, the grounds are popular with visitors due to the fact the River Lee flows through it.
Blarney Castle, a medieval castle in Blarney, a town just west of Cork. The castle is now a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements, and is the location of the Blarney Stone, a stone which is rumoured to give you the gift of eloquence when you kiss it.
Limerick
Situated on the mouth of the River Shannon, Limerick has been an important gateway city for over 800 years. Due to the city's location on the midpoint of the Atlantic Corridor, it has become something of a base city for tourists travelling along the west coast of Ireland, although the city has many attractions in its own right. King John's Castle in the medieval quarter of the city is arguably the best known attraction in the city, dating back to 922AD. The old city walls of Limerick surround a small bit of the site, although most of the walls have collapsed. The Hunt Museum in the city hosts one of the worlds greatest private collections in the world, winning the Museum of the year award many times over the years.The museum has a wide collection of both ancient and medieval pieces of art and sculpture, originating from varied locations and civilisations around the world including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt and the Olmec Civilisation. Artists' works in the museum include Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jack B. Yeats and Henry Moore.
Other Attractions
Foynes village and Museum, a small village outside Limerick City that was the last port of call for Seaplanes heading towards The Americas. This stretch of the River Shannon became one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe during World War II, and was where the drink Irish Coffee was first served.
St John's Cathedral, one of two cathedrals in the city, this one has been in continuous use since 1861 and its spire is the tallest in the country, topping out at 94m. Built in a Gothic Revival style, it is one of the few Irish buildings designed by Philip Charles Hardwick.
Adare, a tourist destination and heritage centre, this aged village is popular due to the fact many of its buildings still bear their original thatched roofs, or crafted stone exteriors.
Lough Gur, one of Ireland's most important archaeological sites, humans have lived at Lough Gur since about 3000BC and there are several megalithic remains there.
Galway
Achieving city status in 1484, Galway celebrated its quincentenary in 1984. Galway in itself is not particularly known for its attractions, but rather for its lively atmosphere and entertainment scene.This is partly because 25% of the population of Galway (75,529 in 2011) is made up of students primarily from NUI Galway and GMIT, two third level institutes in the city. Galway is particularly popular with American tourists as Galway is said to be the most 'Irish' of Ireland's cities, and is one of the few urban areas where you are likely to hear Irish spoken, due to the fact the Gaeltacht area of Connemara is only a few kilometres away. The biggest lake in the country, Lough Corrib, is situated north of the city.
The ferry to the Aran Islands is located about 40 minutes away and departs from the village of Rossaveal regularly. The Aran Islands are located in Galway Bay, and the Irish Language is by far the most used language on the islands, with the vast majority using the language regularly. As the islands are quite a bit from the mainland, cars are quite rare and the main form of transport is the bicycle.
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East region of Ireland. It is the smallest city in the country, with a population of just over 132,000 in 2011, although it is the oldest, being founded by Vikings in 324AD. Situated in the south east, the city has one of the warmest climates in Ireland, getting on average an extra hour of sunshine each day. The seaside town of Tramore is located just south of the city and has 5 km long beach, and is also a popular surfing spot.
Coastlines and resorts
As the Republic of Ireland occupies just over 80% of the Island of Ireland, the country has become famous for its scenic coastline and villages and towns by the shoreline. The most widely known of these are situated in the west of Ireland, mostly in Munster, but other areas of the country have their own individual resorts as well. The Cliffs of Moher are the most famous cliffs in Ireland, but the highest cliffs in Ireland and Great Britain are the Croaghaun, on the Atlantic coast of Achill Island off Co. Mayo, which rise to 688m, over three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher. The Slieve League cliffs in Co. Donegal are often incorrectly stated as being the highest, but at only 601m, they come in second.
The south and south west of Ireland is particularly known for its seaside resorts including Kilkee, Lahinch, Quilty, Spanish Point and Doonbeg in Co. Clare, Youghal, Ballycotton, Kinsale and Bantry in Co. Cork and Glenbeigh, Dingle, Castlegregory and Ballybunion in Co. Kerry. As the west of the country faces the stormy Atlantic, it has become synonymous with surfing, particularly in Co. Donegal, Co. Sligo and Co. Clare. A tourism driving route, the Wild Atlantic Way, extends for 2,500 km of roadway along the West coast.
Festivals and events
Women playing violin in the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade
Ireland has many festivals, most of which take place annually. The most famous by far is the St Patrick's Festival which takes place in every county all over Ireland and celebrates Irish culture the world over. Although St. Patrick's Day festivals are held all over the world on 17 March, the festival in Ireland lasts over a week, and includes the parades on the 17 as well as the Skyfest celebrations, a fireworks display held somewhere different in Ireland every year. Part of the celebrations include Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Week), which aims to promote the Irish language during the two weeks proceeding the festival. The parade in Dublin is the focal point of the festival, with over 500,000 people attending it in 2012.
Another festival which is known worldwide, particularly in Europe, is the Oxegen Music Festival. Although it wasn't held in 2012, it will be held in 2013. First held in 2004, the four-day festival has, for two consecutive years, been named as the Best European Festival in a poll which included festivals from France, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and other countries. Among the artists to have played at the festival include Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas, Afrojack, Eminem and Coldplay.
For Irish people, probably the most celebrated sporting events are the annual finals of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. These matches, normally held around the middle of September, are normally fully sold out, with well over 80,000 people packed into Croke Park, the largest stadium in Europe not used primarily for Soccer.
Another festival that celebrates the Irish Culture and Diaspora all over the world is the Rose of Tralee. This international competition, which is celebrated among the Irish communities all over the world, is held annually in the town of Tralee in Co. Kerry. The winner is picked based on her personality and her ability to be a good role model for the festival and for Ireland during her travels around the world. Unlike other pageants, the competitors are not judged on their appearance nor their body. One of the only rules of the competition is that the potential roses have to have an Irish ancestry.
The Galway Races is an Irish horse-racing festival that starts on the last Monday of July every year. Traditionally the busiest days of the races are the Thursday, when the Galway Hurdle and ladies day take place. It is famous throughout the world for being one of the world's biggest race meetings. It is estimated that over the week-long festival, 150,000 people attend the event. The Galway International Oyster Festival is another popular festival held in the City of Galway. Over the years it has won many prestigious awards and titles including 'one of the 12 greatest shows on earth' by the Sunday Times, and was listed in the AA Travel Guide as one of Europe's Seven Best Festivals, on par with the Munich Beer Festival.
Electric Picnic is another popular music festival held in Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois every year since 2004. It was voted Best Medium-Sized European Festival at the 2010 European Festival Awards, and has been voted Best Big Festival at each of the last four Irish Festival Awards since they began in 2007. Compared to other major music festivals, there is more emphasis on quality festival services such as food and sleeping arrangements. Rolling Stone Magazine stated it was one of the best festivals they had ever been to.
The Galway Arts Festival
The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is one of the oldest festivals in the country, originally started in 1892. Held over the month of September every year, the festival attracts between 20,000 and 40,000 romantic hopefuls, coming from all over the world to take part in the events. In recent years the festival has become particularly popular with tourists from the Far East. Willie Daly, the prime matchmaker, uses his notebook of love-seeking profiles to match potential couples, and the festival has evolved to become the biggest matchmaking festival in Europe.
The Galway Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place each July in Galway City. It is an international celebration of the performing and visual arts and an important showcase for the Irish arts. Every year around 150,000 people attend the event annually. Founded in 1978, the festival continues to grow as a major attraction for national and international visitors
Geological tourism
Ireland has many geological attractions, most being along the coastline of the country. The two most famous geologically important destinations are both in Co. Clare; the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren. The Cliffs of Moher are one of the most visited sites in the country, with the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs dated as being about 320 million years old, formed when Ireland was under water during the Carboniferous Period. The Burren was also created during this period. When a tropical sea flooded the south of the country, a buildup of coral (Limestone) began, covering many places in Ireland. When the sea shallowed, rocks such as Sandstone and Shale were deposited over the Limestone, effectively covering it over again. The Burren is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe and is one of the few places in the country where the limestone is visible above ground.
Many Irish mountains are also of geological distinction, most of them being formed in the Caledonian or Amorican era. These mountains, formed between 400 and 250 million years ago, would have been the same height as the Alps, but due to weathering, have become much smaller over time.
Conclusion
The United Kingdom has something to see for everyone. The most popular city with tourists is London. There are a lot of interesting sights to visit.
There are also numerous specially-designated National parks in Great Britain: the Lake District, Dartmoor, the Yorkshire Dales and the New Forest in England, Snowdonia, the Pembrokeshire Coast and the Brecon in Wales and the Loch Lomond and the Trossah in Scotland.
So, welcome to the UK!!! You will see many interesting places!!!
London
Stonehedge
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