Mystical Ireland

Discover Ireland

Fresh breezes whisper tales of old and new in a diverse and ancient setting surrounded by calm shores and rugged cliffs. Stories of people who are full of joy, mischief, and curiosity. As you step into Ireland you begin your journey to a land of adventure.

Ireland (Éire in Irish) is a small country with a big impact. Total Area: 68,466 (Sq Km), 26,435 (Sq Mi) Population: (2023 est.) 5,203,000 (projection by 2030 5,262,000)- Urban: (2016) 62.7% • Rural: (2016) 37.3%

Language: Two official languages are Irish and English. Gaelic language in Ireland – Gaeilge, or Irish is one of “the oldest and most historic written languages in the world”.  All street and road signs in the Republic of Ireland in both English and Irish. So welcome to Ireland or Fáilte go hÉireann.

• Dia dhuit (“God be with you”) means hello. Phonetically, it sounds like dee-ya-gwitch.
• Conas tá tú? (“How are you?”) can also be used as a greeting. Phonetically, it sounds like cunus-ataw-two.
• Sláinte! (“cheers” or “good health”) is usually used when raising a glass. Phonetically, it sounds like slawn-cha.

On the radio listen in to Raidió na Gaeltachta Or switch on the Irish language television station TG4. While everyone speaks English, Irish is also spoken by many including those living in Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) areas, and around 41% can speak at least some Irish as it has always been taught in schools. Hiberno-English blends the grammatical styling of Irish into the English language.

Here are a few phrases you might hear on your travels:

“C’mere till I tell you”

“You never asked if I’d a mouth on me”

“Do you see yer one/yer man?”

Visitors come to The Blarney Stone in Co. Cork to kiss the stone and gain the Irish gift of eloquence!

Ireland is an increasingly diverse society and is currently ranked highly across a range of quality of life indices. 1 in 6 born abroad living in a more cosmopolitan Ireland, in cities and towns, hear chatter in a variety of languages and accents from Polish to Japanese and Brazilian.

Currency: Euro (€) (The Republic of Ireland currency is the Euro (€) while Northern Ireland’s currency is the Pound Sterling (£).) Ireland is one of the world’s most dynamic economies. The value of goods exports from Ireland rose to €160.8bn in 2020, the highest level on record, and an increase of 5% over 2019.

Emblem: Harp

The only country to have an instrument as a national symbol graceful instruments with delicate sounds enriching the harmony of traditional tunes. hear the mellow sound at concerts and events throughout the year with Harp Ireland.

National Holidays:

St. Brigid’s Day on the first of February marks the beginning of Spring and the celebration of Lá Fhéile Bríde a exaltation of Irish women. St Brigid’s Day has roots in the Celtic festival of Imbolc and the renewal Spring promises. Brigid was a triple goddess – of healing, fire, and of poetry – and the saint who took her name, born in 450 AD. The patron saint of poets and midwives, by legend, she maintained a sacred fire by the monastery she founded in Kildare. Alongside St Patrick and St Columcille, she is also one of Ireland’s three patron saints.

Saint Patrick’s Day, 17 March

Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century and is celebrated globally each year with large parades and illuminations.

Climate: The topic of every opening line in conversation with people in Ireland. Four seasons in a day with the lush green promise of spring, endless summer evenings, a kaleidoscope of autumn leaves and the still beauty of a frosty winter’s morning. We love them all, so wear several layers of clothing and be prepared for changes in weather. Walking is a great pleasures in Ireland in a solid pair of walking boots or comfortable running shoes. Also consider a wild swimming opportunity. Join the locals, don a wetsuit or swimming costume, and experience the invigorating, refreshing and liberating experience of plunging into our waters.

Weather in Dublin Average temperature in Dublin per season.

Spring

8°C/46°F

Summer

15°C/59°F

Autumn

10°C/50°F

Winter

5°C/41°F

Flag: Tricolour of green, white and orange

Government: Republic, unitary multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate [60²]; House of Representatives [158])

Head of government: An Taoiseach/Prime Minister  Leo Varadkar/ Michéal Martin

Head of state: President Michael D Higgins, Michael D. Higgins

When the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in 1921, Ireland entered a new chapter in its history. The Treaty saw an end to the War of Independence, and the establishment of an Irish state made up of 26 counties, with six Ulster counties administered by a devolved Government within the United Kingdom. After the War of Independence in 1921, Northern Ireland had its own devolved government, controlled by the Unionist majority until 1972. Discrimination and repression led to led to civil unrest and was followed by the period of sustained conflict known as the Troubles. From the 1980s onwards, the Irish and British governments began to work more closely together to achieve peace, culminating in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The Agreement set out a framework for both communities in Northern Ireland to resolve their differences and ended decades of violence.

Northern Ireland is where you’ll hear the soft strains of Ullans (Ulster-Scots).a variant of Scots, the language brought to Ulster by Scottish settlers in the early 17th century. The a lovely lyrical tongue is heard in the lyrics of Robert Burns in that New Year’s Eve favourite: Auld Lang Syne, which translates as The Good Old Days. The Ulster Scots Agency is the first resource for Ulster-Scots language and culture.

The Republic of Ireland has been a member of the United Nations in 1955 and joined what is now the European Union in 1973. Ireland’s 50 years of EU membership has coincided with a radical economic and social transformation of our country. 2023 also marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Uniquely Irish things

– Thanking the Bus driver!

Crisp sandwich, featuring cheese and onion crisps in between buttered white slice pan bread. The only question is Tayto or Kings? Drink lots of Tea – Lyons, Barry’s, or Bewleys?

The basis of Irish cuisine: soda bread, oats, potato, seafood, meat and dairy

Irish soda bread made with no scales measured by hand and eye. Irish cheese is now world-class in quality, Oats in porridge overnights oats. Steaming fish pies or bowls of creamy chowder, a seafood soup with its generous chunks of fish and shellfish. Smoked salmon, mackerel, trout, glimmering oysters, sweet Dublin Bay prawns with Marie Rose sauce.