Ireland Travel, Irish Gifts, Celtic Symbols, Irish Festivals and News

Located in the heart of Kerry County, approximately one hour driving time from the city of Limerick, is the Kerry County Airport, otherwise known as the Aerphort Chiarrai. It serves as a direct access route to national road networks, making is very accessible for air travelers.

Kerry County Airport now hosts a Wi-Fi area, money exchange, gift shop, bars, and restaurants to cater to travelers. Parents with small children have access to a baby changing station, as well. Long term and short term airport parking is provided within easy reach of the main terminal.

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The Aran islands are a group of three islands named from the Irish word ARA (meaning “a kidney”). The biggest island is Inishmore and the smallest Inisheer. Irish is the main language of the islands though most speak both it and English. Many famous writers have been inspired by these islands including Liam O’Flaherty.

Along with other noteworthy persons like filmmaker Robert O’Flaherty, the islands also are of archeological interest to the many that visit. Settlement activity has been found on the islands as early as 1500 BC. Also the islands are known for their world famous Aran sweaters.

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The Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is one of Dublin’s two Protestant cathedrals but is mainly known as the National Cathedral of the church of Ireland. It is said the site the church was built on was where Saint Patrick is said to had baptized the pagan Irish. The cathedral actually started as a college for priests. It later was converted to a cathedral around 1220 and later consecrated in 1254.

The cathedral was the largest church in medieval Ireland and had the author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift as its most famous dean from 1713 to 1745.

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Clifden, the capital of Connemara is a desolate looking town 2 hours journey from the west of Galway. Clifden is located between the Atlantic and the peaks of the Twelve Bens. This gives Clifden an almost alpine air. Two landmark buildings are found in this town: the Protestant Church built in 1820 and the Catholic Church, built in 1830. The Proestant Chruch has a silver copy of the Cross of Cong. Nearby the Catholic Church is an ancient Clochan from which Clifden takes its name.
Nearby in the area is the Ballynahinch Castle and County Galaway.

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Northern Ireland has many attractions jam packed into that part of the country. Places such as the Giants Causeway, Derry, Enniskillen Castle, and even Ulster American Folk Park can add to your vacation and tour of the Northern part of the Isle.

Giants Causeway is one of the top spots for tourists bolstering an incredible natural landscape of six sided basalt columns including the Giants Organ. Along side all this are castles , rugged cliffs , long sandy beaches , rolling hills and glens , and beautiful harbors and villages.

Derry otherwise known as Londonderry boasts the only unbroken fortifications in either Ireland or Britain.

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A once isolated island with a treacherous tidal barrier which sweeps between it and the mainland is now a mere 40 minute ferry ride. Rathlin Island is its own world with many attractions especially for those who enjoy walking journeys and bird watchers. Bull Point in mid summer is prime for bird watching having thousands of seabirds, including kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins and guillemots.

You could spend a long day’s walk on the mostly deserted roads through the areas bracing winds and later wind down in the local hostelry, and find suitable sleeping accommodations for the night.

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Mussenden Temple is one of the best known structures in Northern Ireland. It was built in the late eighteenth century by Frederick Augustus Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol (and the Church of Ireland’s Bishop of Derry). Because of its weather beaten location, the architecture of Mussenden (or “the Temple of the Winds”) was inspired by the temples of Vesta at Tivoli in Rome.

It was named in homage to Hervey’s young cousin Mrs. Mussenden – but she died before it was fully completed. The Temple boasts magnificent sea views which is now in the care of the National Trust.

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Deemed “one of the eight wonders of the world”, the Giants Causeway is a grouping of basalt columns and outcrops which were formed some 60 million years ago by the cooling of lava. But the sites namesake is based on the popular myth of the Irish giant Finn MacCool. MacCool was said to have created this Causeway as a route across the sea to do battle against his Scottish foe!

One specific part of the Causeway that attracts many visitors is Port Cuan (or Coon), a huge cave accessed by boat. The Giants Causeway is a major tourist attraction, but is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Known for celebrated personality Philip Sheridan (an American Civil War General) is the County Cavan. Cavan is an inland county and one of the three Ulster counties in the Republic of Ireland. Its capital, Cavan town is also the cathedral center of the diocese of Kilmore. The county boasts fertile, rolling hills and tidy towns in its southern areas, and 365 lakes lending to its agrarian feel.

The county boasts rugged mountains in the north. Cavan is also the source of the Erne, the river that produces the lovely lake country of Fermanagh.

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County Meath is located in eastern Ireland in the province of Leinster. It is a maritime county that is bordered on the east by Dublin and the Irish Sea. Sitting to its north is Louth, Monaghan, and Cavan. On its west is Westmeath, and on the south by Offaly and Kildare. This county is known as “the Royal County” due to that the high kings of Ireland were believed to have been crowned at the Hill of Tara.

The land is generally flat, apart from the hills of Loughcrew in the west of the county; the principal rivers in the county are the Boyne and the Blackwater.

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Planning that fateful first (or that next return trip!) to Ireland can be fraught with excitement. The Isle is full of great haunts, tradition, folklore, and many instances where modernity and the past meet and blend. But while you may have stars in your eyes, don’t forget the necessities and pre trip precautions. Following a few travel tips will insure that whether it is your first or hundredth trip out, that you will be aptly prepared.

Dress for the weather, and for what you least expect as the weather in Ireland varies from one moment to the next.

Driving in Ireland can be dangerous due to narrow and windy roads – so be sure you’ve planned your driving out in advance.

Take the road less traveled – hidden gems are to be found away from the tourist traps.

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County Antrim is a maritime county in the province of Ulster. It is located in the extreme northeast of Ireland and is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. Antrim is geographically important as it served as a conduit linking the Irish and the Scottish as it spans only twenty miles across the Irish Sea from Scotland at its closest point.

Belfast, Antrim’s and Northern Ireland’s capital and largest city, is located in the southern part of the county. The current day population of Antrim consists of persons of mainly Protestant and unionist views. The economy is more varied as the county has hands in agriculture, textile production, shipbuilding, as well as distilling – Bushmills distillery, in the village of Bushmills, produces a famous whiskey.

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Connacht is one of the four provinces of Ireland; it is the Northwestern most one, covering an area of 6838 square miles with a decent sized population of around 500,000. It’s not as arable as other provinces but is still counted as one of Ireland’s most beautiful. The province is devided up into five counties: Roscommon , Galway , Mayo , Leitrim , and Sligo. Its name derives from the Connachta , followers of Conn of the Hundred Battles , a branch of the Venii tribe in pre-christian Ireland.

Many tourist attractions are located here such as Galway Bay , Claddagh, the Irish-speaking Aran Islands , and Connemara.

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County Waterford is a maritime county boasting a population of over 110,000. The 716 square mile county is located in the province of Munster. Waterford has one big claim to fame – its world class quality glass.

Since 1783, Waterford has been a center for glass-making. Its handcrafted Waterford Crystal ranks among the most famous in the world. Other notable industries in the county are dairy farming and crop production, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

Although Waterford City’s population makes up almost half of the county’s total, the county capital is the much smaller town of Dungarvan. Waterford City also advertises an annual Light Opera Festival.

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The next conferring round of UNESCO World Heritage Sites is coming up and Four Northern Irish sites have been submitted: Malone and Stranmillis Historic Urban Landscape, a part of Belfast, Navan Fort in Co Armagh, Gracehill Conservation Area, and the Hill of Derry (otherwise known as the City Center of Belfast).

38 nominations were submitted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, recommending each site. The process of becoming an official UNESCO World Heritage site is a lengthy one; spanning over ten years to even get onto the tentative nomination list. The current Irish tentative list includes the famous Rock of Cashel, Killarney National Park, the Historic City of Dublin, and the Ceide Fields.

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County Galway is Ireland’s second largest county, with a population of over 208,000. The county capital, Galway City, straddles the divide between the barren Irish-speaking Connemara to the west and the fertile farmland of the east. It also contains with its vibrant city, the site of University College, a constituent college of the National University of Ireland. It is also a major artistic area for Ireland, with a thriving traditional music scene and two successful theater companies, Macnas and the Druid Theater.

A small fishing village, the Claddagh, existed long before the city proper and had its own laws, customs, and chieftains – this village is the place of origin for the famous Claddagh ring.

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Glendalough is a picturesque valley in the Wicklow Hills. According to its name Glendalough is a valley known for its two lakes, but it is also is known as the valley of two saints. The two saints in question are Saints Kevin and Laurence O’Toole.

Kevin was a hermit who died in 618. Around his grave a famous monastery was later built. Laurence O’Toole was an abbot who died in 1182 and was canonized in 1226. O’Toole may have erected some of the Roman~style buildings still surviving in Glendalough.

Glendalough was also known as one of Ireland’s greatest pilgrimage spots. Well until Cardinal Cullen banned them in 1862 because of too much “drink and debauchery” goings on!

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Apparently the Blarney Stone is not worth your time according to one travel writer. The famous site was placed on a list of worst sites in the world to visit in Catherine Price’s new book '101 Places Not to See Before You Die.’ The stone was deemed a terrible travel spot due to the unhygienic trace bits of spit on the stone that more than 300,000 visitors per year kiss.

Ironically the stone is already seeing a loss in visitors as visitor numbers are down from 400,000 to 338,000 last year and are expected to fall below 300,000 this year. But at least the Castle owner Sir Charles Colthurst has a sense of humor saying that the low number of visitors will reduce the amount of saliva that irks Price so.

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County Limerick is to host the 2010 Adare Village Festival next week. The event is to accommodate over 60,000 people as well as the many stars that will stop by including Hollywood actors and golfer Tiger Woods. ‘Ireland’s prettiest village’ will host the fourth annual festival of culture and heritage this coming week from July 2-5.

Events will include the JP McManus Pro Am Golf Tournament at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, the Adare Village Festival Raceday at Limerick Racecourse, live music, local and national art exhibitions, food and craft markets, street entertainment, and many history and heritage tours.

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Where many counties are known for having a thriving population, the landlocked county of Longford is not one of them. Longford is actually the second least populated county in Ireland (behind Leitrim), with barely 31,500 inhabitants. Longford is a mainly agricultural area, but it has some light industry and textile production as well.

The county has many landmarks such as the low hill of Slieve Calry. Slieve Calry is otherwise known as the Bri-Leith, the residence of Midir of the Tuatha De Danann tribe in ancient Irish mythology. Further down the foot of Slieve Calry is the village of Ardagh, containing an old church dedicated to St. Mel, Longford’s patron saint.

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County Louth is Ireland’s smallest county in the province of Leinster. Despite this it has a bigger population than larger counties due to it containing the major towns of Drogheda and Dundalk. Both Drogheda and Dundalk account for just over half the county’s population. Also found within the county is the strikingly beautiful Cooley Peninsula. On the Cooley Peninsula is found the active port of Greenore, a small whiskey distillery, and the historic town of Carlingford.

The legendary epic Tan Bo Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) is the true claim to fame of the Cooley Peninsula; this tale chronicles the attempts of Queen Maeve of Connacht to carry off a prized bull from Cooley so that her herd could equal that of her husband’s.

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County Limerick is known for more than five-line verses. The famous county has many fertile areas, especially in the “Golden Vale,” where dairy farming thrives. Cnoc Firinne and the Knockainey hills are ancient sites that were once associated with the Celtic other world. These are not the only spiritual sites to be found here – the Benedictine Abbey of Glenstal is one of the most vibrant spiritual centers in Ireland today and located in Limerick.

Limerick also has more surviving examples of ceremonial halls (in some of these castles) than any other county in Ireland. Also over time this area has produced many poets and artists such as Brian Merriman, Gerald Griffin, Kate O’Brien, Frank McCourt, Aubrey de Vere, Michael Hartnett, Dermod O’Brien and Sean Keating.

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Ireland’s second smallest county; County Carlow is an expanse of farmland surrounded by mountains and hills. The town of Carlow developed around a Norman motte-and-bailey fort built in 1180. This area is known for the ruins of many other castles that can be seen scattered around the county.

St. Patrick’s College was opened in Carlow in 1793 becoming one of the first colleges where Catholic priests went to train in their calling. Alongside this landmark is a Catholic cathedral, built in 1833. Carlow is also a major production center of Ireland’s sugar industry. Alongside sugar, dairy farming and crop production are what keep this county running.

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Kilkenny is an inland county in the province of Leinster, with a population of over 80,000 people. The area is full of historical tidbits: the Statute of Kilkenny (1366) originated here which prohibited Anglo-Normans from assimilating into Gaelic culture. The Confederation of Kilkenny held annual meetings here from 1642 to 1649.

Heavy on preserving its medieval past, the county has a number of interesting and picturesque towns and villages including the city of Kilkenny itself, known as “the Marble City”. The 13th century cathedral dedicated to St. Canice and Kilkenny Castle (along with its fine 19th century art gallery) are famous landmarks in this county.

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The County Roscommon is an inland county in the province of Connacht. The economy like many other counties around is agriculture – mostly cattle. The plains of Roscommon were the heart of ancient Ireland. The legendary Queen Maeve lived in these lands with her consort Ailill. From these lands she launched her cattle raid on Cooley in County Louth.

The history of these lands did not stop there: the Normans built castles in many Roscommon towns. The great Cistercian abbey in Boyle resides here; built between 1161 and 1220. Roscommon was badly affected by the Famine of the 1840s, and so hosts a Famine Museum in Stokestown in dedication of those troubling times.

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