The Republic of Ireland is a picturesque green island in northern Europe. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean next to Great Britain, from which Ireland is separated by two straits - North and St. George. The Irish coasts are an alternation of bays, peninsulas and islets, mountains and lowlands, while the central part of the island is occupied by flat terrain with separate small hills.
The area of the country is 70.2 thousand km². In the north it borders with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The capital of Ireland, Dublin, is the main cultural, administrative and industrial center of the country. Major cities: Cork and Dublin.
Ireland is part of the European Union and the Eurozone.
Time
Ireland is in the UTC + 0 time zone, so the local time lag behind Moscow is 3 hours in summer and 4 hours in winter. Along with most European countries, Ireland switches to daylight saving time: 1 hour ahead on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
In summer, the sun rises at 06:00 and sets at 21:30. In winter, the sun rises at 08:00 and sets at 17:00.
Climate
Foggy Albion is more famous abroad than its Irish neighbor, but fundamentally they are no different - the same dull disposition due to cloudy skies and rainy weather. Moreover, in the west of the country, precipitation for the year falls almost twice as much.
The temperate oceanic climate makes the weather in Ireland changeable throughout the day. Winter in Ireland is quite mild, but summers are not much warmer: the air temperature on the south coast warms up to only + 16-20 ° C. In winter, the temperature is around +5-8 °C.
It is best to plan a holiday in Ireland for the summer, when there is less rain and untouched nature is in full bloom.
Population
The population of Ireland is about 3.9 million people, of which more than 1 million live in the capital Dublin. 88.6% are Irish, part of the Celtic ethnic group. The rest of the population is represented by immigrants from Scotland, England, Asia and Africa.
Device
Ireland is a parliamentary republic led by a president.
There are 26 counties in the country: Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Carlow, Dublin (with the state capital of the same name in it), Kildare, Kilkenny, Laish, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, West Meath, Wicklow, Wexford, Kerry, Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tepperary, Waterford, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo.
Language
The official languages of the country are Irish and English. About 20% of Irish people speak French. And for the tourism sector, two international languages are enough.
English-speaking tourists will not need phrasebooks, since more than 90% of the population speak English as their first language, the rest are just very good. Irish is much less common, but the authorities are painstakingly working towards a complete replacement of English language Irish.
Money
Ireland is part of the eurozone, so the euro is recognized as the national currency here. The design of the coins uses national symbols, which distinguishes them from the monetary units of other EU member states.
It is most profitable to change money in banks (there is the most attractive exchange rate), it is also possible in travel agencies, hotels, exchange offices, you can withdraw euros from an ATM from a plastic card. They change both cash and Eurocheques.
Customs
You can bring any amount of foreign currency into Ireland, it must be declared regardless of the amount. You can take out no more than indicated in the entry declaration.
Information about the duty-free import of popular goods (subject to payment of the necessary duties in the EU countries):
Tobacco products: 800 cigarettes;
Alcohol: 25 liters of wine, 50 liters of beer;
Perfumes: 50 ml perfume, 250 ml eau de toilette.
Items for personal use up to 175 euros are also imported duty-free.
Visa
Ireland is not part of the Schengen area, so you cannot enter a country with a Schengen visa from another state. To cross the Irish border, you must have a passport and a national visa, which can be obtained from the Irish Embassy. After submitting the documents, the request is considered within 30 days.
The list of documents to be provided includes:
International passport,
Official invitation,
Extract from the place of work,
3 photos,
Check for payment of consular stamp duty.
Questionnaires are filled out only in English.
An Irish visa is only valid for entry into the Republic of Ireland and cannot be entered into Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom or Great Britain).
Comprehensive information about the required documents and conditions for obtaining an Irish visa can be obtained on the website of the Embassy of Ireland in Moscow: http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=87487
healthcare
Medical care is at a very high level, but with corresponding prices - they are much higher than the European average.
Having health insurance is not mandatory for issuing a visa, but visa officers can still insist on obtaining it. In addition, insurance will minimize the cost of hospitalization, which makes holidays in the country safer.
For assistance, you must contact the hospital. A visit to the doctor is carried out by appointment, where the time and place of arrival will be scheduled.
Residents of the UK and citizens of other countries of the European Union receive medical services under special conditions.
Rules of behavior
Patriotism is a national feature of the Irish, brought up by long centuries of not too joyful relations with England. The Irish people treat their traditions reverently and with due attention; in recent years, the Irish language has been actively promoted.
In dealing with foreigners, the Irish are quite cautious, but polite and always ready to help. Many Irish people are not indifferent to equestrian sports, horse racing, they can discuss horses for a long time and with pleasure, this is a great topic for conversation. What is not worth remembering is Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
In Ireland, there is a ban on smoking in restaurants, hotels, pubs, gaming halls and cinemas.
When visiting high-class restaurants, cafes and pubs, it is not necessary to leave a tip, as they are included in the cost of service. In other cases, it is customary to leave a tip in the amount of 10-12% of the order amount.
Most of the country's inhabitants are Christians, although this is not evident in the tourism sector. There are usually no restrictions on clothing, but in conversations it is better to avoid topics of other religions, atheism, abortion, and in general everything that does not fit into the circle of interests of a righteous Christian.
Attractions
Wonderful nature - emerald fields, meadows and mysterious forests - in combination with medieval castles, ancient cathedrals and fortresses enchant with their splendor and beauty. Walking in the fresh air along the Irish hills will allow you to admire natural landscapes and contemplate celestial sunsets. This is where you can experience the feeling of timelessness. There is no mass tourism in Ireland, but this is good - there are no crowds of tourists here, creating a characteristic background noise and preventing you from enjoying the pristine nature and ancient cultural monuments.
Due to the favorable climate in Ireland, there is an amazing combination of northern and southern types of vegetation. The coast of the island is indented by fjords and abounds in many picturesque bays. Great value for lovers active tourism and recreation are transparent lakes and fast-moving rivers teeming with trout and salmon. Spacious fields will please golf lovers with a great game.
Dublin, the oldest capital in northern Europe, immediately fascinates with its amazing 18th century architecture, wide streets, squares and magnificent mansions. The city breathes freely thanks to the many boulevards and squares. Fascinating and informative excursions will allow you to feel the life and customs of the Irish people.
Every serious travel guide will give you information about such Irish sights as St. Anne's Cathedral, Eilwea Caves, Adir Village, Bouil Abbey, Blarney Castle, Fort Don Yinis, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Museum of Heraldry, Dublin Cathedral, King John's Castle, Stone, Gardens Pourscourt, Cruise Ring of Kerry, Gline Castle, Slonmachois Monastery, Mountousher Gardens, Mount Scrabo, Westport Mansion, Giants Terrace, Carrick-a-Read Ropybridge, Cashel Rock, Fort Grainan Eilich, Marble Arch Caves, Knowth Burial, etc.
Holidays
Most holidays are associated with cultural events, religion and the history of the state. It is quite interesting to observe how the local population celebrates them. Each event is celebrated in its own way, each holiday has its own rules and customs. Cultural tourism in this country is a real holiday!
In Ireland, Christian and pagan holidays are celebrated, there are a lot of festivals and fairs, here are just a few of them. The Jazz Festival in February, the Early Music Festival in May, the Arts Festival in July, the Oyster Festival in September are all in County Galway. In June, you should look into County Kerry, where the literary festival "Authors Week" is held, and in parallel in Tralee - a beauty contest. In September, you can visit the Belfast Folk Music Festival and the Cork Film Festival, in October, the Irish Gourmet Festival and the Jazz Festival are held in the same Cork, and the Theater Festival in Dublin. November - Wexford Opera Festival. Races are held all year round, this small country has 25 hippodromes, and whenever a tourist comes to Ireland on vacation, he can always see this spectacle with his own eyes.
Brief information about public holidays and public holidays in Ireland:
Last Friday before Easter - Holy Friday
first Monday in May - Easter Monday
first Monday of June - June holiday
first Monday of August - August holiday
last Monday in October - October holiday
Traditional cuisine
Irish cuisine is famous for its talented use of potatoes, vegetables, meat and salted cod. Seafood - crabs, oysters, mussels and fish - give national dishes an exquisite taste. Pot roasts and stews are the hallmark and face of the national cuisine, which are definitely worth a try, no matter how short your stay in Ireland is.
Desserts include Irish coffee, apple pie, potato biscuits and delicious raisin muffins.
Fans of strong drinks are simply obliged to try the famous Irish whiskey, which surpasses other brands of this drink in the world in terms of taste. And, of course, brewing traditions are represented by the legendary Guinness brand.
Airports
International air traffic centers:
Dublin Airport is an airport in the capital of Ireland.
Ireland: a story about the features of tourism and leisure. Useful information about Ireland for the traveler.
- Hot tours to Ireland
- Tours for the New Year around the world
The fact that Ireland existed several thousand years before the birth of Christ is evidenced by numerous megalithic finds: the buildings of Poulnabron, Knowt, Glantein.
For several centuries, Ireland was divided into small kingdoms, the rulers of which constantly waged internecine wars. For a long time, the country suffered from Viking raids, which plundered many lands. To expand the territory of capture, the Vikings began to create shelters - cities. By the way, this is how Dublin, the current capital of Ireland, was formed. Only at the beginning of the 11th century did the Irish finally unite and drive the invaders from their land.
Later, the power of the English kings was established in the country. Numerous attempts by the Irish to free themselves from their oppression were in vain. As a result of the riots, about 800 thousand indigenous people were killed. The "Great Famine" in the 19th century claimed the lives of another 1 million people, about 1.5 million Irish people immigrated. Many fled to America in the hope of a better life.
But the Irish, who remained in the country, did not give up and continued to fight for independence. In 1921 they succeeded. England recognized Ireland as an independent state, although it retained six counties. Today this territory is called Northern Ireland, and to visit it you need to open an English visa.
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Ireland provides opportunities not only for sightseeing tourism, but also for agro- and ecotourism, and many opportunities for outdoor activities.
Ireland has many beautiful mansions and gardens open to the public. In order to make the right route, you should pay attention to:
The Heritage Services, Duchas- The Department of Arts and Cultural Heritage is responsible for the conservation of the island's nature and historical monuments, including prehistoric burial grounds or monasteries, medieval castles and national reserves. The list of this organization includes 65 monuments
Heritage Towns of Ireland— This organization unites cities and villages with valuable architectural monuments.
Houses, Castles and Gardens of Ireland— The association includes important architectural monuments.
Heritage Island— The consortium brings together monuments across Ireland - North and South.
National Trust- The trust was approved for the protection of the coast, the countryside. The trust list includes 600 miles of coast and more than 200 mansions and gardens. It is a charitable organization independent of the government, completely dependent on the donations of its members.
Northern Ireland Museum Council“It's a charitable organization sponsored by the Department of Culture. Supports museums in Northern Ireland.
Ireland has great fishing opportunities with a network of canals, lakes, rivers and coastal seas. Sea fishing is just as good as river fishing.
Other types of tourism in Ireland
Cruises
What could be better than a river cruise on the rivers and lakes of Ireland including Shannon, Barrow, Grand Canal, Erne? A cruise is a wonderful vacation for the whole family, for a friendly company or a couple in love. It does not matter that you have never sailed a yacht before, you will be taught on the spot, and you will go on an exciting voyage.
Cycling tourism
This is a very favorite sport of the Irish, many of them are famous athletes. A bicycle is a very good means of transportation if you appreciate the beauty of rural landscapes. You can always rent a bike from the operator or directly on the spot.
Horseback Riding
During the Middle Ages, according to Breton law, only noble people could ride a horse. Nowadays, more and more tourists are interested in horseback riding. Many programs include exciting rides on horseback.
horse racing
Horse racing is very popular in Ireland, with 25 races taking place annually across Ireland.
Celtic football. Rugby. Football
There are many sports competitions throughout Ireland.
Hiking
Ireland's landscapes make an ideal base for hiking.
Water tourism and sports
In Ireland, there are many types - rowing, sailing, kayaking. Surfing, windsurfing
Holidays and festivals
There are many fans of literature and music in Ireland, so cultural festivals are the favorite brainchild of the Irish. Plan your trip to Ireland to take part in the festival.
Travelers in Ireland are welcome guests, as tourism is an important sector of the country's economy. More than six million people come here every year to get to know the cultural heritage and way of life of the Irish. Thus, the number of tourists is sometimes much larger than the number of Irish citizens themselves.
Many rightly consider Ireland the best place for relaxation, and not by chance, because the island has a pleasant temperate climate, for which it is worth thanking the warm North Atlantic Current. Winters also do not scare away with Siberian frosts, although summer is not so hot and heat-loving here may not like it.
But not only the country's weather conditions attract tourists, because Ireland traces its history back to pre-Christian times and has a lot of surprises in store for curious travelers.
Firstly, these megaliths are the legacy of ancient, unknown and not always recognized civilizations. The famous Newgrange, Poulnabron, Glantein and Note still excite the minds of historians from different countries.
Newgrange is actually a huge mound, made of stones and covered with earth, which in the past, for unknown reasons, was covered with pebbles and surrounded by large boulders set vertically. It is clear that this was not a simple household building, but what? There are many versions and the most suitable of them is the space observatory. But as practice shows, historians often attribute all objects they do not understand to observatories, but is this true? 
The only thing that can be known for sure is that on the day of the winter solstice, a beam of light passes through a small hole in the mound, which illuminates a small chamber inside. Does it make sense to build a huge mound just for the sake of once a year to fill the container inside the structure with light - apparently there is. At least the fact that we do not know him is not yet evidence of his absence.
And every tourist can feel like a discoverer of the secrets of antiquity here. By the way, the famous Swiss scientist and Writer Eric Von Denickn came to Ireland more than once in order to see everything described above with his own eyes.
Ancient castles, a Celtic book written in amazing colors that have retained their brightness to this day, all this attracts travelers to Ireland
Americans, British, Russian Germans and French are happy to visit this amazing and mysterious country, and the growth of tourism in this direction indicates that people are satisfied with their travels.
General characteristics of the current state of the tourism industry.
contribution to the country's economy.
Tourism revenues (1 billion Irish pounds) are of great importance. Its contribution to the gross national product is 6.3%. The tourism industry employs 91,000 Irish people. In the sphere of various kinds of services, half of the gross national product is created; 60 of the entire labor force of the country is concentrated here.
Tourism specialization and specificity.
More and more tourists, especially from the USA, choose to travel to Ireland. The success of 2003 allows for a growth of 6.6% during 2004. This was announced during a briefing by professionals of the local tourism business, held recently in Dublin. In 2003, the growth of the tourist flow was 4%, the industry's income increased by 5%. 94% of all guests were very satisfied with the trip. In addition, the cost of accommodation in the hotels of the Irish capital should decrease slightly due to the increase in the hotel stock by 15%.
Type of tourism infrastructure.
Ireland offers travelers a wide range of excellent hotels. Across the country, a tourist can choose a luxury hotel located in a castle or a country house hotel with a beautiful garden, a cozy village inn or guesthouse, rent a room in a rural farmer's house or self-catering apartments, or use a campsite. In towns and cities alike, traditional and modern hotels (ranging from the luxurious to the more basic), guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, and self-catering apartments and lodges are available to tourists.
New hotels are opening not only in Dublin, but also in other parts of the country. The average hotel occupancy in the country is 66% (according to 1996-1997 data). At the same time, Dublin hotels were filled by 77%, and the loading of the most popular reaches 90%. Between 1990 and 2000, 1.5 billion Irish pounds were invested in the construction of new and modernization of existing hotels in Ireland in the period from 1990 to 2000.
Hotels in Ireland, even two- and three-star hotels, decorated in the traditional Irish style, are distinguished by the highest quality of service, personal attention to each tourist.
In "luxe" class hotels you will be offered not only accommodation and food, but also all possible amenities: leisure center (sauna, swimming pool, gym, tennis courts), banquet halls, halls for business seminars, babysitting services, children's playgrounds, golf, outdoor and indoor swimming pools and much more.
Tourists who settled in a B&B ("bed and breakfast" - "bed and breakfast") feel quite at home. These small private hotels offer the necessary hotel comfort (shower, bath, TV, telephone) in combination with a cozy atmosphere; the owners in such houses perceive the guests as family members and also feed them at home (“Irish breakfast”).
Location and characteristics of the main tourist centers.
The most significant objects of sightseeing and tourism activities are the Dublin Viking Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the building of the Georgian era and the Middle Ages, Malahide Castle, which is surrounded by 250 acres of parks, the casino in Marino, the villages of Malahide and Howth (from the top of Howth you can see Dublin Bay and the mountains Wicklow).
Migration of tourists.
Temporary migrations of tourists within the country are carried out on the following national holidays: the Dublin Film Festival in February, St. Patrick's Day in March and Bloomsday in June - an event dedicated to the character of the book "Ulysses" by James Joyce. Pan Fair in Killorglin, Rock Festival in Thurles, Dublin Horse Show and Writers' Week in Kerry take place in the summer. Autumn is the time for exhibitions and competitions: the International Film Festival takes place in Cork, Bolinaslow hosts the Farmers' Fair, Kinsale becomes the arena where the best cooks in Ireland compete in skill, and Wexford hosts the annual Opera Festival.
Prospects for the development of the tourism industry.
The situation with tourism in Ireland is such that it is enough for a tourist to have only money, a guidebook and documents with him. The friendliness of local residents, who perfectly understand the importance of tourism, a developed network of accommodation, food and transportation will do the rest for him. This indicator (can a traveler visit the country on his own, without the help of a tour operator) is the best way to characterize the level of tourism development in Ireland.
According to Bord Failte (Tourism Board of Ireland), leading Western tour operators are expanding their presence in the Irish market. If earlier the leadership in sales of tour packages belonged to sea and air carriers, today their positions are being squeezed by operators specializing in organizing city sightseeing tours.
Gresta Holidays is considered to be one of the leading operators selling tour packages together with transportation (inclusive tours). In 2000, it carried 30,000 passengers, and in 2001 it surpassed the 40,000 mark.
According to Jane Williams, the company's marketing manager, Dublin has become the third most visited European capital after Paris and Amsterdam. Gresta Holidays offers its clients accommodation in 25 Dublin hotels.
Tour operator Travelscene has released its new "Cities" and "Drivetime" brochures, with a significant focus on Ireland. The number of hotels he sells increased from nine to seventeen. Time Off has greatly expanded its intake capacity in Dublin and also offers programs outside of it.
According to Ashley Woods, program manager for the Irish Selection, self-guided tours of Ireland remain very popular.
The airline Aer Lingus offers tourists summer programs in conjunction with Drive Ireland, a well-known holiday operator in Ireland.
Ferry companies Stena Line and Iris Ferries sell tour packages in Dublin and in the southwest and southeast of the country along with transportation. In 2000 Iris Ferries published a brochure "Golf in Ireland". Other new program 2001 - bicycle safaris.
Grystal relies on the sale of holidays in villas and ancient castles. SeaCat offers boat trips and Blakes offers Irish canal excursions.
Large sums of money are also invested in facilities that attract tourists - parks, golf courses, water parks, etc. New attractions are described in a special brochure Update Ireland ("Renewed Ireland"), prepared by the Irish Tourist Board.
Half of the investment in Ireland's tourist industry comes from the private sector, while the rest of the money is invested by the country's government and the European Union. The largest of the newly opened hotels is the 246-room Camdem Court, which received its first visitors in April 2000. The Fitzwilliam Hotel in St. Stephen and Clarence, owned by the famous rock band U2, are distinguished by their original design.
People go to Ireland mainly for English and on excursions. Very little is known about Ireland in Russia. Unlike neighboring Great Britain, it is visited by no more than a thousand Russians a year. Among Western European countries, Ireland is probably the least visited. But this applies only to tourists from Russia, because several million tourists come to Ireland from other countries every year.
Most of all in Ireland are Englishmen who regularly spend weekends here. Many of them have real estate on the Emerald Isle. Unlike the prim and unfriendly British neighbors, the Irish are an open and cheerful people.
Unfortunately, some Russian travel agencies have curtailed their programs in Ireland and do not advertise it because of too little tourist flow. So, for a long time in Russia, Ireland will be considered an exotic and not mass, although a very interesting country.
The ease of obtaining a visa to Ireland (no need to go through an interview like, for example, at the British Embassy) and other important “little things” (free roads, duty-free shops) make Ireland a very promising country for further tourism development.
- 1. Its first promising type is tourism for the purpose of learning English. Ireland is in close proximity to the motherland of this language and has excellent educational institutions, such as the world-famous Trinity College.
- 2. Everything related to the Celts at the moment is very popular now. You can use this by organizing tours of a historical orientation, with appropriate routes, accommodations and with the support of animation programs.
- 3. Ireland is ahead of other countries in terms of the number of IT programmers. This makes congress tourism possible for specialists in the same field. There is also potential in educational programs.
It is difficult to offer anything else, due to the careful attitude to tourism in Ireland and the use of all imaginable resources.
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