Travel Directory - Ireland

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe, located to the northwest of Continental Europe. It 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 Republic of Ireland covers five sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, covering the remainder in the northeast. On the island, a ring of coastal mountains surrounds low central plains. The island's lush vegetation, a product of its mild (oceanic) climate and frequent but soft rainfall, earns it the sobriquet "Emerald Isle" title. Chief city conurbations are the capital Dublin on the east coast, Cork in the south, Limerick in the mid-west, Galway on the west coast, and Waterford on the south east coast. Places of interest include a great variety of romantic castles and parks.