Ireland

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. Politically, the state called Ireland covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, covering the remainder in the north-east. Overall, Ireland has a mild, but changeable, Oceanic climate with few extremes. Inland areas are warmer in summer and colder in winter. Precipitation falls throughout the year, but is light overall, particularly in the east. English is spoken everywhere but Irish is the first official language. Most people have some understanding of this but it is used as a first language by only about 30,000 people, most of whom live in rural areas known as the Gaeltacht. As the Gaeltacht are generally scenic areas it is likely that visitors will go there. Tourists will not be expected to speak Irish but it will be noticeable on road signs, etc. The north coast of Northern Ireland has some of the best scenery in Europe and has to be seen to be believed. This coastline is of outstanding natural beauty where breathtaking and rugged coastline merge into the romantic landscape of deep silent glens and lush forest parks. There are also spectacular waterfalls, dramatic castles and mysterious ruins.