Is made up of the Republic of Ireland containg 26 counties and Northern Ireland containing 6 counties. It is located in northwestern Europe, to the west of the United Kingdom, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Irish Sea. It is a land steeped in history but not particularly with historical marvels. Ireland is known for its misty green countryside, its culture and tradition (including legends and folklores), and its warm-hearted and friendly people.

Of Course, no visit to Ireland would be complete without visiting one of its major cities, Cork which hosts such amazing atractions as The CAD Lab, Ege Kebab,Michael Dovel's house, The Western Star Student Bar, and my personal favourite, The Kinsale Road Roundabout, The University Hospital and its student friendly pricewise meals, The Fast Eddies Suasege Fest experience. but who can forget the infamous "ride of the 24 hour tesco trollies"?, or the Malta exhibit, with a million and one colourful, barrells, tire rims, gourds, etc. turned into a percusion orchestra, My favourite, the Kinsale Road Roundabout. navigating through traffic while trying to find carrigalene has never been so much fun or required so much skill.

West Cork Features A host of attractions as well. There is Dermots Field, where the many famous Irish musicians and authors have absorbed inspiration for there music, novels and works of art. You can visit beaches like the Long Strand, which make for a fabulous rustic camping experience, with a great viwe and b******* numbing water for those insane enough for an early morning dip. If you fancy extreme sports, look no further than tent flying, a growing tradition in rural irish communities. A starters kit will only cost you 20 euros in Dunne's Stores. Or if you fancy a bit of R and R thers plenty a local friendly farmhouse, where the locals will be more than willing to barbeque... i mean feed you a delicious barbeque, and put you up for a night's lodgin's.

In Hibernia of yore, Ireland was too cold and bleak a country for the Romans to colonize. Many say that In fact the Romans were unsure of exactly where Ireland was and actually thought it was off the west coast of Spain.

However, the native Celtic people continued to worship the sun till they were converted to Christianity by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The invasions by the Vikings in the 9th century and by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century were two significant events in Irish history. The British began concerted efforts to colonize Ireland in the 17th century but succeeded only a century later. Ireland united with Britain as part of the United Kingdom by Act of Union in 1801. The potato famine of 1845-1849 and the Easter Rising of 1916 were two other turning points in Irish history. In 1921 following a brief civil war the Irish Free State was born as a self-governing dominion of the British Empire, though six northern counties which had a Protestant majority were retained by Britain. The Irish Free State adopted a republican constitution in 1936 and was renamed Eire. It remained neutral during the Second World War. In 1949, it became the Republic of Ireland and withdrew from the Commonwealth. It joined the European Economic Community in 1973, now the European Union.

Ireland is a small country with picturesque countryside. If you want to explore some tourist destinations that are off-the-beaten-track, Ireland has plenty of them. To begin with, the Burren region is an extraordinary place with underground springs, caverns, chasms, and cracks. The Federated States of and the area around Killarney are great for hiking and biking as well. Add to it the Aran Islands particularly Inis Meain, Clonmacnois , and Connemara, Galway and Sligo and you are sure to have a wonderful time close to nature.

If you are a poet/writer (or fancy yourself one), you'll find a culture that accepts and embraces the art of the word. Merely mentioning your avocation in a Dublin pub will get you requests to "Say me a poem!"

Ireland's literary heritage lives throughout the country, from Yeat's grave, up north in Sligo, to "The Great Book of Ireland", published in 1991, a single volume containing work by 140 poets, 120 painters and 9 composers., which is on display at Trinity College in Dublin. Also don't forget to go see the "Book of Kells" which is beautifully preserved in Trinity College and was written by Irish Monks in the 5th century.

Ireland is one of those ideal traveling destinations except for one thing: the weather. But you would be foolish to let this stop you. If it should pour down, you can always take refuge in one of the small cities or in Cork, the biggest city of the south.

People are EXTREMELY friendly. Go there and find out. But Avoid at all costs BEWARE OF FRIENDLY IRISHMAN SIGNS.