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Landscape and people are what bring most visitors to Ireland - the
Republic and the North. And once there, few are disappointed by the
reality of the stock Irish images: the green, rain-hazed loughs and wild,
bluff coastlines, the inspired talent for talk and conversation, the
easy pace and rhythms of life. What is perhaps more of a surprise is how
much variety this very small land packs into its countryside. The
limestone terraces of the stark, eerie Burren seem separated from the
fertile farmlands of Tipperary by hundreds rather than tens of miles,
and the primitive beauty of the west coast, with its cliffs, coves and
strands, seems to belong in another country altogether from the rolling
plains of the central cattle-rearing counties.
It's a place to explore slowly, roaming through agricultural landscapes
scattered with farmhouses, or along the endlessly indented coastline.
Spectacular seascapes unfold from rocky headlands, and the crash of the
sea against the cliffs and myriad islands is often the only sound. It is
perfect if you want space to walk, bike or (with a bit of bravado) swim;
if you want to fish, sail, or spend a week on inland waterways. In town,
too, the pleasures are unhurried: evenings over a Guinness or two in the
snug of a pub, listening to the chat around a blood-orange turf fire.
But there is another Ireland growing at a phenomenal pace alongside all
of this. The extraordinary economic boom enjoyed by the Republic since
the early 1990s has brought growth on an unprecedented scale. A country
notoriously blighted by emigration is, at last, drawing people home with
the lure of work. The conspicuous new wealth of many makes itself felt
in every quarter of Irish life, but most especially in cities like
Dublin and Galway where a proliferation of new bars, cafιs and
restaurants reveals a generation determined to enjoy life to the full.
The cosmopolitan flavour of these cities is informed, in part, by the
complex array of experiences brought home by returning ex-pats, more
familiar with the ways of Melbourne and San Francisco, London and New
York, than with those of the Aran Islands. The boom has its downsides -
notably, spiralling property prices and the tensions brought about by
increased immigration - but as a visitor you'll probably be most struck
by the tremendous energy and palpable sense of confidence in the future,
most especially in the young.
To act as a backdrop, there's a wealth of history. In every part of the
island are traces of a culture established long before the coming of
Christianity: sites such as Newgrange in County Meath or the clifftop
fortress of Dϊn Aengus on Inishmore (the biggest of the Aran Islands)
are among the most stupendous Neolithic remains in Europe, while in some
areas of Sligo almost every hill is capped by an ancient cairn. In the
depths of the so-called Dark Ages the Christian communities of Ireland
were great centres of learning, and the ruins of Clonmacnois in County
Offaly, the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary and a score of other monasteries
are evocative of a time when Ireland won its reputation as a land of
saints and scholars. Fortifications raised by the chieftains of the
Celtic clans and the Anglo-Norman barons bear witness to a period of
later turbulence, while the Ascendancy of the Protestant settlers has
left its mark in the form of vast mansions and estates.
But the richness of Irish culture is not a matter of monuments.
Especially in the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas, you'll be aware of the
strength and continuity of the island's oral and musical traditions.
Myth-making is for the Irish people their most ancient and fascinating
entertainment. The ancient classics are full of extraordinary stories -
Cϊchulainn the unbeatable hero in war, Medb the insatiable heroine in
bed, or Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn Mac Cool) chasing Diarmuid and Grαinne
up and down the country - and tall tales, superstition-stirring and "mouthing
off" (boasting) play as large a part in day-to-day life as they did in
the era of the Tαin Bσ Cuailngθ, Europe's oldest vernacular epic. As a
guileless foreigner enquiring about anything from a beautiful lake to a
pound of butter, you're ideally placed to trigger the most colourful
responses. And the speech of the country - moulded by the rhythms of the
ancient tongue - has fired such twentieth-century greats as Yeats, Joyce
and Beckett.
Music has always been at the centre of Irish community life. You'll find
traditional music sessions all around the touristed coasts and in the
cities, too - some of it might be of dubious pedigree, but the Gaeltacht
areas, and others, can be counted on to provide authentic renditions.
Side by side with the traditional circuit is a strong rock scene, that
has spawned Van Morrison, U2, Sinιad O'Connor and more recently The
Divine Comedy and Jack Lukeman. And ever-present are the balladeers,
fathoming and feeding the old Irish dreams of courting, emigrating and
striking it lucky; there's hardly a dry eye in the house when the
guitars are packed away.
The lakes and rivers of Ireland make it an angler's dream, but the
sports that raise the greatest enthusiasm amongst the Irish themselves
are speedier and more dangerous. Horse racing in Ireland has none of the
socially divisive connotations present on the other side of the Irish
Sea, and the country has bred some of the world's finest thoroughbreds.
While association football is as popular as in most parts of the world
now, Gaelic football, sharing elements of soccer and rugby (which itself
has its hotbeds, notably in Limerick), still commands a large following.
Hurling, the oldest team game played in Ireland, requires the most
delicate of ball skills and the sturdiest of bones.
No introduction can cope fully with the complexities of Ireland's
politics, especially the dramatic changes in Northern Ireland in recent
years. However, throughout the guide we have addressed the issues
wherever they arise and included pieces that give a general overview of
the current situation. Suffice it to say that, just about everywhere
hospitality is as warm as the brochures say, on both sides of the border
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