• Cavan and Monaghan
• County Clare
• County Cork
• County Donegal
• County Kerry
• Dublin
• Galway, Mayo and Roscommon
• Laois and Offaly
• Louth, Meath, Westmeath and Longford
• Northern Ireland
• Sligo and Leitrim
• Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick
• Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny
• Wicklow and Kildare
CAVAN AND MONAGHAN
Cavan and Monaghan sit side by side as if one were a physical
imprint of the other - Monaghan all small hills, Cavan all small lakes.
County Monaghan is renowned for being drumlin country - rashes of
rounded hills that diminish as you head west into Cavan where the land
breaks up into a crazy pattern of tiny lakes. Both landscapes have their
charms, both their practical difficulties. If you're walking or cycling
in either county, a compass can be very useful; although the terrain
isn't inaccessible or dangerous, you should be aware that there's such a
network of winding, crisscrossed roads - the minor ones often riddled
with potholes - that you can very easily get lost. In Monaghan, the
drumlin hills all look similar, while the myriad lakes of Cavan enforce
constant twists and turns. The lakes, however, now offer a more
leisurely means of travel; since the reopening in 1994 of an old canal
system, you can sail through Cavan along the Shannon-Erne Waterway.
Like County Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan share the peculiar identity of
being historically part of Ulster yet included in the Republic since
Partition in 1921. Not surprisingly, Cavan and Monaghan people (Protestant
and Catholic) still share a strong affinity with their northern
neighbours. As border counties, they have also sheltered Republican
activity during "the Troubles", and, despite the peace process, the
communities are still largely polarized along staunchly held political
lines.
Although the border has sharpened political and social definitions,
there is a sense in which it has also sheltered both of these counties.
You'll probably be struck by the old-fashioned feel of the countryside:
while slow, rural ways are as prevalent in other Irish counties, the
sharp contrast with the industrialization and development over the
border makes them more striking here. Uncertainty about the future has
left an unhurried rural ordinariness that constitutes much of these
counties' appeal. They are not gaily painted for tourists, nor visibly
quaint, and there's a dour Scottish severity in many of the villages,
particularly in Monaghan - clear evidence of the Ulster planters. But as
you explore, you'll find both counties have an understated and quiet
charm
COUNTRY CLARE
Physically, County Clare is clearly defined, with Galway Bay and the
Shannon estuary to the north and south, massive Lough Derg forming its
eastern boundary, and the Atlantic to the west. Strangely, although
plenty of people visit, the county is sometimes glossed over by
travellers as simply land between the magnificent scenery of Kerry and
Galway. It's true that it doesn't have the scenic splendour of either of
these, and for many, the north of the county is too bleak to be
attractive. Nonetheless, Clare has a subtle flavour that, once tasted,
can be addictive.
Clare has earned itself two epithets: "the banner county" and "the
singing county". It was called "the banner county" originally because of
the part played by its men in the battle of Ramilles and more recently
because of its courageous political history, particularly in the fight
for Catholic emancipation. The second epithet reflects the strong
musical traditions that are still very much alive in the county and
constitute a major reason for coming here. Throughout the summer you
will find sessions in pubs and in teach cheoils (pronounced chuck key
'ole ), the latter more sober entertainments, with tea and brown bread
rather than stout for refreshment, and very fine musicians too. To find
out what's going on, pick up a copy of the Shannon Region Traditional
Irish Music Pubs leaflet from any tourist office or check out The Clare
Champion , and, above all, ask around. Pub sessions very often start
late in the evening, so don't give up on a bar just because it's half
nine and still nothing is happening. A great session can seemingly
spring from nowhere, and is liable to prove a wholly memorable
experience. Don't underestimate the popularity and excitement of Clare's
festivals either. If you have yet to experience "the craic", you are
sure to find it here.
Both Clare's titles, "the banner county" and "the singing county" - the
strong and the gentle - suggest something of the character of the place
and are echoed in the contrasts of the landscape.The Burren heights in
the north are startlingly stark and barren, while Ennis , the county's
capital, is surrounded by low, rolling farmland. Fabulous cliff scenery
stretches for miles round Clare's southern extreme at Loop Head and is
spectacularly sheer at the Cliffs of Moher , further north. In between
are small seaside towns and villages and wonderful sandy beaches, most
dramatic at Lahinch - famous for surf. In the east, Lough Derg affords
opportunities for watersports, and there are panoramic views from the
slopes of the Slieve Bernagh and Slieve Aughtie mountains across to the
mountains of Tipperary.
This varied countryside holds plenty of specialist interest. The Burren
is a major attraction for geology and botany enthusiasts, and is also
rich in ring forts, dolmens and cairns in the north. The legacy of later
communities is found throughout the county, in the thickly sprinkled
medieval monastic remains and the tower houses of the O'Brien and
MacNamara clans
COUNTRY CORK
Cork , Ireland's largest county, is the perfect place to ease
yourself gently into the exhilarations of Ireland's west coast. Cork
city , the south's self-proclaimed cultural capital manages to be at one
and the same time a relaxed and a spirited place. There are no
spectacular sights, but Cork is one of Ireland's most pleasurable and
accessible cities. Always a port, and with an island at its core, Cork
nestles well inland on the estuary of the River Lee, which sustains the
city with that same clear, soothing atmosphere that characterizes most
of the county, and in particular its coast and rivers. In the east of
the county maritime history is still more richly distilled, in the small
ports of Cobh, Youghal and - most of all - Kinsale , all suggestive of a
prosperity that Ireland could have had throughout the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries were it not for the strangulation of its overseas
trade by Britain. On the other side of this coin are the riches of the
Anglo-Irish legacy, most in evidence at Bantry House with its
outrageously sumptuous art treasures.
In the main the charms of the Cork countryside are those of a gently
rural backwater, but as you head west along a fabulously indented
coastline of hidden bays and coves to the wild peninsulas of the extreme
southwest, or through the ravine of Gougane Barra high above Glengarriff
and Bantry Bay , the soft contours of a comfortable and easy prettiness
slip away to reveal beauty of a more elemental kind. There's not as much
of this as you might find in, say, Kerry, but in the Caha Mountains
careering north from Bantry Bay, the scintillating cliffs of Mizen Head
or the seascapes of Sherkin and Clear islands , teeming with birdlife,
Cork has scenery as exciting and dramatic as you'll find anywhere.
Public transport around the county is fairly extensive if infrequent.
Bus Éireann covers the whole of Cork except for the extreme west of
Mizen Head and the Beara Peninsula. Major towns have daily connections -
though there's only one bus a week along Sheep's Head and one linking
Kenmare with Castletownbere. Small towns and villages off the main roads
are served less frequently, so if you are relying on public transport
it's worth taking details of times and days of services you are likely
to want while in a major bus station. Ask about return fares - often
they are as cheap as single tickets if used on certain days. On certain
routes private buses provide the only transport. The intricate landscape
of west Cork, in particular, is best explored at a slow pace, making it
ideal country for touring by bike or hitching . The N71 is the main
coastal road, but it's much more rewarding to meander off along the
minor roads through remoter areas, past sandy coves and small
communities.
If you have a tent, you can camp almost anywhere along the coast if you
ask permission first, though the Beara Peninsula and the Caha Mountains
are very rocky. The few official campsites are listed in the text.
COUNTRY DONEGAL
Few would disagree with the assertion that County Donegal has the
richest scenery in the whole of Ireland. Second only in size to County
Cork, it has a spectacular two-hundred-mile coastline - an intoxicating
run of headlands, promontories and peninsulas - rising to the highest
sea-cliffs in Europe at Slieve League. Inland is a terrain of glens,
rivers and bogland hills, of which the best-known parts are the
Glencolmcille Peninsula and around Ardara and Glenties in the southern
part of the county. The Glencolmcille area attracts more visitors than
any other, yet the landscape of northern Donegal is, if anything, even
more satisfying, especially the Rosguill and Inishowen peninsulas and
the interior region - sometimes called the Donegal Highlands - around
Errigal Mountain, Lough Beagh and Lough Gartan. Other noteworthy areas
are the Rosses and the Bloody Foreland, which are reminiscent of the
more barren stretches of Connemara and make up the strongest Gaeltacht ,
or Irish-speaking districts, in the county.
Donegal's original name was Tír Chonaill , which translates as "the land
of Conal", who was one of the twelve sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages.
After the Flight of the Earls in the early seventeenth century, the
English changed the name to that of their main garrison Dún na nGall ("the
fort of the foreigner") which has a certain irony, because Donegal
always eluded the grip of English power, mainly owing to its wild and
untillable terrain. Donegal is the most northerly part of Ireland which
confuses some into believing that it is part of Northern Ireland. That
it is not was due to the Unionists' belief at the time of Partition in
1922 that Donegal's Catholic population would have threatened the
stability of the new statelet by voting the county and the whole of the
North back into the Republic at a later stage.
COUNTRY KERRY
If you've come to Ireland for the scenery and the remoteness, you'll
certainly find them in County Kerry : miles and miles of mountain-moorland
where the heather and the bracken are broken only by the occasional lake;
smooth hills whose fragrant, tussocky grass is covered with sea pinks,
speedwells, thrift and red campion, and that fragment into jagged rocks
as they reach the sea. The ocean looks enormous, and you can stand in
the sunshine and watch a storm coming in for miles before you have to
run for cover. The only catch is that a good part of the county is very
much on the tourist trail. However, the plus side of Kerry's long
tradition of welcoming tourists is that it's very easy country to travel
in, with plenty of accommodation and food in all price brackets, and,
during the summer at least, transport is pretty good - though with some
notable exceptions.
Broadly speaking, Kerry divides into four areas: the Dingle Peninsula;
the Iveragh Peninsula, encircled by the Ring of Kerry, with Killarney in
its hinterland; the Kenmare River, bordered to the north and south by
the Iveragh and Beara peninsulas; and northern Kerry, from Tralee to the
Shannon. Each section is quite distinct and has its partisans. By far
the most visited area - indeed the most visited in the whole of Ireland
- is Killarney and the Ring of Kerry . Deservedly famous for the beauty
of the adjacent lakes and mountains, this region is, predictably, geared
up for tourism, and the principal roads and sights are often
overburdened with visitors. Luckily, however, the real wilds are never
far away, and whether you head for the mountains or the sea you can soon
lose yourself and feel remote from modern civilization. The Dingle
Peninsula is on a smaller scale than Iveragh, but equally magical:
peppered with monastic remains, it has a contemplative atmosphere that
makes you understand why people talk about the mystic quality of the
west. Around Kenmare things are different again, with a tamed feeling
about the scenery; one half of the Beara Peninsula belongs to more
cultivated, genteel County Cork. To the north , flat, fertile farming
land makes for less exciting scenery, but in contrast to the rest of the
county there are many signs of Anglo-Norman settlement.
DUBLIN
Dubliners are fiercely proud of their city, and while DUBLIN is the
Republic of Ireland's capital it is quite apart from, and can be
dismissive of, the rest of the country - one Dublin wag once remarked
with characteristic caustic humour that "the only culture outside Dublin
is agriculture". Over the past decade, as young people from rural
Ireland and all over Europe, gravitate toward the city to share in the
wealth, not experienced since Dublin's much celebrated Georgian heyday,
this urban/rural divide has started to wane. As a result Dublin exudes
the style and confidence of any cosmopolitan European capital - most
apparent at night when Dubliners party with a panache verging on the
reckless. Dublin's economic upturn is impacting on the city's rapidly
changing urban landscape too, with restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs
opening in abundance, and Dublin's famous pub scene is now matched by an
equally celebrated club scene. On the downside, however, its reputation
as one of the party capitals of Europe has attracted droves of "alco-tourists"
who arrive in the city for booze-fuelled weekends; they have become such
a problem that some areas of the city, such as Temple Bar, have actually
banned stag and hen parties.
The spirit of Dublin is undergoing massive upheavals too, with youthful
enterprise set against a leaden traditionalism that harks back
nostalgically, as in the words of one popular folk song, to "Dublin city
in the rare old times". However, the collision of the old order and the
forward-looking younger generations is an essential part of the appeal
of this extrovert and dynamic city.
If you approach Dublin by sea, you'll have an opportunity to appreciate
its magnificent physical setting, with the fine sweep of Dublin Bay and
the weird, conical silhouettes of the Wicklow Mountains to the south
providing an exhilarating backdrop. Central Dublin is not big, and it's
easy to find your way around. One obvious axis is formed by the river,
the Liffey , which runs from west to east and acts not only as a
physical, but also a social and, at times, psychological dividing line.
The transformation to top of Europe's economic class has cast the city
economically and culturally into the heart of the continent. This new-found
cosmopolitan chic has its home in the vibrant Temple Bar area, "Dublin's
Left Bank", with its numerous pubs, clubs, galleries and restaurants.
However, for many visitors, the city's heart lies around the best of
what is left of Georgian Dublin - the grand set pieces of Fitzwilliam
and Merrion squares, and their graceful red-brick houses with ornate,
fan-lighted doors and immaculately kept central gardens, and the wide
but strangely decorous open space of St Stephen's Green. The elegant
southside is also the setting for Dublin's august seat of learning,
Trinity College and its famous library where you can see the exquisitely
ornate Book of Kells ; Grafton Street , the city's upmarket shopping
area; and most of the city's museums and art galleries.
North of the Liffey, the main thoroughfare is O'Connell Street , on
which stands the General Post Office , the scene of violent fighting in
the Easter Rising of 1916. Further north, among Georgian squares older
and seedier than the ones you'll see on the southside, are the Dublin
Writers' Museum and the Hugh Lane Gallery . West again, and you come to
Dublin's biggest open space - indeed, one of the world's largest city
parks - Phoenix Park , home of both the President's Residence and the
zoo.
The urban sprawl quickly gives way to the genteel villages which
punctuate the curve of Dublin Bay, from the fishing port of Howth in the
north, to the southern suburbs of Sandycove with its James Joyce
connections, Dalkey , made famous by the comic writer Flann O'Brien, and
salubrious Killiney , now colonized by the rich and famous. Added to
this is the fact that Dublin must be one of the easiest capitals to
escape from, making it a good base for exploring the hills and coastline
of Wicklow to the south and the gentler scenery to the north that leads
up to the megalithic monuments of the verdant Boyne Valley .
The City
Dublin is divided into north and south with the river Liffey acting as a
physical, social and at times psychological dividing line. Traditionally
the southside has been regarded as the wealthier end of town, and
certainly from a visitor's perspective it does possess the majority of
the city's historic sites as well as being the home of the newer, more
upmarket centres for shopping and socializing. The busy traffic
intersection, College Green , which is framed by the elegant exteriors
of Dublin's premier university Trinity College and the old eighteenth-century
parliament building, now housing the Bank of Ireland , was once the
central point of the old Viking city. Stretching south of here is the
pedestrianized Grafton Street, the city's commercial and social hub,
leading to the stylish Georgian streets that surround St. Stephen's
Green . Heading directly west of Trinity College, however, will bring
you to the narrow, cobbled lanes of the Temple Bar area, the centre for
the city's nightlife, overlooked by the imposing facade of Dublin Castle
, the seat of British rule until 1921. Further west still are Dublin's
most important cathedrals, Christchurch and St Patrick's , it's near
here that the rich smell of malting grain from the nearby Guinness
brewery begins to fill the air.
On the northside of the river from the brewery is the historic
Smithfield area, scene of the famous horse sales and home to the Jameson
Whiskey distillery, east of which is the city's main thoroughfare,
O'Connell Street from which the rebellion was launched that resulted in
Irish independence.
GALWAY, MAYO AND ROSCOMMON
Galway, Mayo and Roscommon mark a distinct change in the west of
Ireland scene. Coming from the south, County Galway may at first seem a
continuation of what has gone before in Clare and Kerry. And Galway city
is in some ways the west coast town par excellence - an exceptionally
enjoyable, free-spirited sort of place, and a gathering point for young
travellers. But once you get beyond the city things start to change. The
landscape is dramatically harsher and far less populous, and there are
fewer visitors, too.
Lough Corrib , which divides Galway in two, delineates another dramatic
split in the landscape of the county, this time between east and west,
inland and coast. To the east of the lake lies tame, fertile land which
people have farmed for centuries, while to the west lies Connemara , a
magnificently wild terrain of wind and rock and water. The Aran Islands
, in the mouth of Galway Bay, resemble Connemara both in their elemental
beauty and in their culture; the Galway Gaeltacht - areas where Irish is
still spoken - comprises the islands, Iar-Chonnacht and some scattered
communities in north Connemara and Joyce country (north of Lough Corrib).
While it can't compete with the rest of the county, east Galway 's
medieval monastic sites are well worth taking in as you pass through.
Again, Galway city straddles the divide. A bridging point both
physically and culturally, it's a fishing port, an historic city and the
focus of an energetic social and artistic scene.
Further up the coast is County Mayo , where the landscape softens
somewhat but is still relatively free of tourists. The pilgrimage centre
of Knock and the attractions of historic towns like Westport aside, it's
the coast which is once again the main draw. Physically, it's as
exciting and rugged as any in the Republic, and far less exploited,
though the downside is that facilities for travellers are relatively
thin on the ground. An exception is Achill , the largest Irish offshore
island and popular holiday resort, which provides both some of the most
spectacular cliffs in the country and caters well for travellers.
County Roscommon is entirely landlocked and less visited still. There
are few real excitements, and the land is for the most part flat and low
lying; nevertheless, the fine detail of this landscape, scattered with
small lakes and large houses, has a slow charm. There are places that
merit a look as you pass through, and in the extreme north, around Lough
Key , there's some very attractive scenery indeed.
LAOIS AND OFFALY
If you've come to Ireland for the scenery, the wild remote places,
or the romance of the far west, then the central counties of Laois and
Offaly probably don't hold a great deal to entice you. But this quiet
and unremarkable part of the country between Dublin and the Shannon is
an excellent place to get to know another Ireland, one not yet much
hyped by the tourist authorities. Its gentle, verdant farming land bears
the marks of a complex pattern of settlement: the Celtic Church, Viking
invaders, the arrival of the Anglo-Normans and, very strongly in these
twin counties, the planted settlements with which the British sought to
keep their base in the Pale secure. It's a subtle, detailed, rural
landscape which, as a result of the Act of Union in 1801 and the
subsequent destruction of Ireland's foreign trade, remained untouched by
the Industrial Revolution and thus virtually unchanged over the past two
hundred years.
Getting around Laios and Offaly is straightforward - the main N7 trunk
road and the main railway line to Limerick slice straight through Laois,
while the industrial centre of Tullamore makes an obvious transport
centre, by both road and rail, for Offaly. There's an increasing number
of accommodation possibilities - some comfortable, mid-price hotels and
even the odd hostel - but, with the exception of the Celtic monastery at
Clonmacnois, the area remains lightly touristed, and it's wise to plan
overnight stops in advance.
LOUTH, MEATH, WESTMEATH AND LONGFORD
Stretching from the borders of County Dublin to the frontier with
the North, and from the coast to the heart of Ireland, the four counties
of Meath, Louth, Westmeath and Longford epitomize green and rural
Ireland, yet provide a total contrast to the west of the country. It's a
region neglected by most visitors, whose impression is one of
monotonously similar countryside. Pass through at speed, as most people
do, and you'll probably share that impression. But if you slow down and
target a small area for more detailed exploration, you'll discover far
more. In the east there's a wealth of remains of an exceptionally long,
rich history, including the great ritual landscapes flanking the River
Boyne, and one or two great beaches on the coast. Further west, you're
into the lush, green, agricultural heart of Ireland; it's not
spectacular country, but as dense in historical resonance as anywhere
else, and largely untouristed, with a slow pace and plain style of
living that have a steady charm of their own.
In practical terms, you'll find it easy enough to get about, with most
of the sites conveniently strung along major roads well served by public
transport. Accommodation is less easy, with only a handful of hostels
throughout the four counties, and B&Bs only in the major centres. Still,
if you base yourself strategically you'll find that a surprising amount
can be seen in a short time.
County Louth , the smallest of the Republic's 26 counties stretches
northwards along the coast. Here you'll find the only two towns of any
real size in this area, Drogheda and Dundalk . Inland, hilly drumlin
country hardens in the northeast to real mountains. Here, on the Cooley
Peninsula , lies the most exciting part of the coast between Dublin and
the border. The peninsula is also the setting of one of the richest and
oldest legendary tales of Irish literature, the Ttel in Bó Cúailnge (Cattle
Raid of Cooley).
Although it does touch the coast (with a couple of excellent beaches),
County Meath ( Midhe , middle) is primarily an inland county, whose
exceptionally rich farmland unfurls lazily around its major river, the
Boyne , and its tributaries. To discover the place you simply follow
these waterways - above all the Boyne itself and the Blackwater - as
thousands of years of civilization have done before. Along its rivers,
Meath can boast by far the richest bounty of historical remains in
Ireland. This history starts in the Stone Age, with some of the oldest
buildings in the world at Brú na Bóinne and Sliabh Na Caillighe , and
other important Neolithic remains still being discovered. Celtic Ireland
was ruled from Tara , in Meath, and from Uisneach in Westmeath.
Christian Ireland has left a wealth of early monastic remains,
magnificent tenth-century high crosses, and the celebrated illuminated
manuscript known as the Book of Kells . The largest Norman fortress in
Ireland can be seen at Trim , and later castles and mansions - from the
Plantation period when the county was wholly confiscated and extensively
developed - are everywhere, though only a few (notably Dunsany Castle )
are open to the public.
County Westmeath is characterized by its lakes - Lough Sheelin , Lough
Lene , Lough Derravaragh , Lough Owel and Lough Ennel cut down through
its heart - which go a long way to compensate for the falling off in
historical or scenic splendour. In the south it becomes increasingly
flat, easing into the bogland of northern Offaly, while in the west the
border is defined by Lough Ree and the River Shannon .
The Shannon also forms the western border of County Longford , which is
about all the county has going for it. There's nothing wrong with the
place in a dull and placid sort of way, but placid and dull is what it
is, and you're unlikely to want to stay long.
NORTHEM IRELAND
On May 22, 1998, the people of Northern Ireland turned out in
unprecedented numbers to vote on what had become known as the Good
Friday agreement , the latest inter-governmental attempt to create a
political solution to the violence that has afflicted the North since
the late 1960s. When the results were declared the following day (which,
significantly, was the bicentenary of the 1798 Rebellion), 71.12 per
cent had voted in favour of the settlement. Interpretations differed,
but most analysts agreed that a majority of both Nationalist/Republican
and, more remarkably, Unionist/Loyalist communities had given their
support. Simultaneously, electors in the Republic overwhelmingly
endorsed the agreement, thus mandating their government to renounce the
Irish constitutional claim to the six counties that make up the North.
This bilateral ratification was an undoubted triumph for all the
agreement's signatories, but, much more momentously, only one possible
conclusion could be drawn from the results of the referenda: after
almost thirty years of the " Troubles ", the people of Northern Ireland
had unequivocally expressed their desire for peace .
A month later saw the election of the new Assembly , the first
organization to have (albeit limited) legislative and executive
authority over the province since the Stormont Parliament was dissolved
in 1972. David Trimble , leader of the Ulster Unionists, was appointed
First Minister, a position since jeopardized by anti-Agreement factions
within his own party, and Seamus Mallon of the Nationalist SDLP became
Deputy Minister. However, dissident Republican hardliners expressed
their opposition by a series of town centre bombings during the first
half of 1998 culminating in a massive explosion in the centre of Omagh
on August 15 which killed 29 people - the worst single atrocity in the
whole history of the Troubles. Frantic and, subsequently, successful
efforts were made to deter any Loyalist reprisal and, two weeks later,
the dissident Republican faction declared a ceasefire.
Since then three issues have threatened the maintenance of peace. The
Patten Commission's proposed disbandment of the Royal Ulster
Constabulary (RUC) outraged Unionists whose concerns were only partly
assuaged by the British government. The contentious issue of Orange
marches through Nationalist areas has continued to hit the headlines and
although the IRA has maintained its ceasefire, its refusal to
decommission its weaponry exposed the precariousness of support for the
Agreement and saw the Unionists withdraw from the Assembly in February
2000. The British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter
Mandelson, suspended the Assembly and resumed power a mere two months
after its inauguration. However, in a surprising development, on May 6,
2000, the IRA declared its intention to put its weaponry beyond use and
allow inspection of some of its arms dumps by independent observers.
Eventually, the Assembly was reinstated, but the fragility of the peace
process remains exposed, most notably by an ongoing feud between
Loyalist paramilitary groups. Nevertheless, whatever the outcome, there
is no doubt that the political landscape of Northern Ireland has been
irrevocably transformed and, despite all the problems, many people
remain cautiously optimistic.
Despite this undoubted political progress, Northern Ireland is still a
deeply polarized society. Church attendance has significantly declined,
but the population continues to define and divide itself along broadly
religious lines between Catholics and Protestants - though this, for
many, is now more a matter of heritage and political allegiance than
faith. This process is reinforced by a system of separate schooling (there
are few integrated schools in the North), which strengthens already
tightknit communities, and by demographic shifts which have seen many
once 'mixed' areas becoming predominantly Protestant or Catholic.
Painting kerbstones red, white and blue (the colours of the British
Union Flag) or flying the Irish Republic's tricolour from the telegraph
poles are explicit ways by which communities express their allegiance.
Others include the very language used to describe Northern Ireland. The
word ' Ulster ' is favoured by Unionists and Loyalists, a term which,
while geographically inaccurate - three of the counties of the old Irish
province of Ulster are not part of Northern Ireland - essentially
retains an historical connection with the Plantation , the process of
immigration by which Protestants became the majority population.
Conversely, Nationalists and Republicans may utilize the term "the Six
Counties " to express their separation from the remaining 26 counties
enshrined in the Partition of Ireland , and their consequent rejection
of the province of Northern Ireland which Partition created. The term "
The North " is widely used to avoid such political connotations. The
Glossary , gives an explanation of some of this political terminology.
SLIGO AND LEITRIM
Counties Sligo and Leitrim pair up well, offering a luscious and
gentle scenery that contrasts with the wilder streaks of Donegal and
Mayo, yet is equally far removed from the dullness of Longford and Cavan
to the east. Leitrim, one of the most neglected counties in the country,
is an area of lakelets and low mounds, and presents a singularly
withdrawn face to the outside world. Sligo, also underrated, is the more
enticing of the two, containing the beautiful mountains of Benbulben and
Knocknarea, the lion's share of the enchanting Gill and Glencar loughs,
as well as an array of standing stones and other megalithic monuments as
dramatic as any in Ireland. Much of the terrain is gently undulating
farm land, allowing long cross-country views to the higher outcrops in
the county's far corners: the Ox Mountains range to the west, the
Bricklieve to the south and the Dartry to the north. At Streedagh and
Mullaghmore you'll find some of the country's finest beaches; at Easky
and Strandhill some of its finest surf.
WATERFORD, TIPPERARY AND LIMERICK
Fertile, rolling farmland typifies the landscapes of Waterford,
Tipperary and Limerick generating prosperity, but offering a fairly
bland experience for the visitor. There are, however, a handful of
notable exceptions and these, along with some exceptional historic sites,
are well worth making time to explore. Arrive in Ireland at Shannon
Airport and Limerick city makes a good first stopover; arrive via
Rosslare Harbour in the south east of the country and you are likely to
pass through County Waterford if you are heading for the scenic
splendours of Cork and Kerry, and through all three of the counties if
you're making your way to the music of Clare.
County Waterford has a great deal more to offer than it is generally
given credit for. All along the Waterford coast, rolling green hills
spread down to a fine shore of cliffs interspersed with expansive bays
and secluded beaches. Inland rich farming country gives way to the
desolate, boggy Comeragh and Knockmealdown mountains, offering good
opportunities for easy scenic walking. The county even boasts its own
tiny Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) community at Ring , one of the best
areas on the south coast to hear traditional Irish music. Waterford city
is perhaps most famous for the high quality crystal that is made there,
but the city's prime draw has to be Waterford Treasures, a superb new
museum with a wealth of Viking and medieval artefacts.
Straddling Waterford's border with County Tipperary , the Knockmealdown
Mountains offer attractive walking opportunities, as do the Galtees ,
and the landscape reaches its most sumptuous in the velvety slopes of
the Glen of Aherlow . Scenery aside, Tipperary's farming towns have
little to offer the visitor. At the very heart of the county, though, is
a site of outstanding interest - the Rock of Cashel . A spectacular
natural formation topped with Christian buildings from virtually every
period, it's effectively a primer in the development of Irish
ecclesiastical architecture. The historic sites at Cahir and Carrick-on-Suir
are also well worth taking in.
In Limerick you've arrived in the west of Ireland, but the county still
has relatively little to tempt you. Industrial and depressed, Limerick
city has a luckless reputation. Nonetheless, recent efforts to
regenerate the city do seem to be teasing out strands of elegance and
interest in its weather-worn Georgian streets and there's a renewed
vibrancy to its cultural life. More importantly, Limerick is home to the
Hunt Museum , arguably Ireland's most important collection outside
Dublin, and the town is notable too as the setting for the international
bestselling novel, Angela's Ashes . Inland, the rich pasture of
Tipperary continues into County Limerick, and perhaps its greatest
attraction is the exceptional number of medieval castles and towers that
dot the landscape; immaculately preserved Castle Matrix in the west is
one of the finest in the country. There's also an extremely important
Neolithic site at Lough Gur , in the heart of the county, and the
famously quaint village of Adare . In the end, though, Limerick is
somewhere you go through to get to counties Clare and Kerry.
WEXFORD, CARLOW AND KILKENNY
The southeast of Ireland is not the most obvious of areas to visit,
especially if this is your first time in the country. There are none of
the wild wastes of rock, bog and water, nor the accompanying abandoned
cottages that tell of famine, eviction and emigration, so appealing to
romantic tastes. It is, however, Ireland's sunniest and driest corner,
and what the region does have to offer - whether you're spending a
couple of days passing through, or if you simply haven't the time for
more distant wanderings - is worth savouring. On the whole, the region's
attractions are frustratingly widely scattered, but its medieval and
Anglo-Norman history is richly concentrated in the ancient city of
Kilkenny - the region's only heavily touristed town - and the lush
countryside around it shelters some powerful medieval ruins. Wexford
town's conviviality makes up for its disappointingly scant traces of a
vigorous Viking and Norman past; Carlow town, sadly, doesn't. While the
extreme east is dull and low-lying, and the Blackstairs Mountains open
and empty, the southeast is characterized overall by a quality of rich
cultivation, as much to do with its history as its natural fertility.
Inland, the region is shaped by three majestic rivers: the Nore, the
Barrow and the Slaney, and by the empty Blackstairs Mountains which form
a rough natural boundary between the counties of Wexford and Carlow. The
rivers roll through rich, lush pastures and pretty wooded valleys, past
medieval Christian ruins and little towns and villages, whose history
belongs to the trade these waterways brought inland. This landscape is
at its prettiest in the hills and valleys of the Nore and Barrow , just
north of New Ross, and south of Kilkenny town, perfect countryside for
leisurely cycling and easy walking - an option made all the more
attractive by the hostels at New Ross and Kilkenny. The signposted South
Leinster Way meanders through the heart of this countryside to some of
the choicest spots, before heading northeast to the less intimate
country of Carlow and the Blackstairs Mountains.
Head for the coast and, to the east, superb sandy beaches stretch
practically the entire length of County Wexford. While the south coast
is less suitable for swimming, its sand banks, shallow lagoons and
silted rivers offer great opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts: prime
spots for birdwatching include the Wexford Slobs (around the town itself),
the lakes of Lady's Island and Tacumshane, the Saltee Islands off
Kilmore Quay and the Hook Head Peninsula. This low-lying southern
coastal region also provides an excellent quick route west to Waterford,
since there's a car ferry from Ballyhack across to Passage East on the
other side of Waterford Harbour.
WICKLOW AND KILDARE
Kildare and Wicklow, close to Dublin, provide a welcome respite from
the capital's urban bustle. As central counties of the Pale region (the
area of land around Dublin most successfully controlled by the Anglo-Normans
and then the British ), each is heavily resonant with the presence of
the Anglo-Irish, yet scenically they are in complete contrast. County
Wicklow has some of the wildest, most spectacular mountain scenery in
Ireland, as well as some impressive monuments: the early Celtic
monastery of Glendalough and the Neoclassical splendours of the great
houses of Russborough and the ruined Powerscourt. County Kildare 's
charms are more understated: a gently undulating landscape of farmland
punctuated only by the great horse-racing plain of the Curragh, where
the National Stud and adjacent ornamental gardens are well worth making
time to see. Here, too, there are signs of the shifting patterns of
settlement and land ownership - Celtic high crosses and pedimented
buildings - written into the landscape for you to read as you travel.
Their proximity to Dublin makes transport very easy in both counties.
The Dublin inner-city railway network, or DART, will take you southwards
as far as the seaside resort of Bray on the Wicklow coast; the main line
continues to the bustling small towns of Wicklow and Arklow. The major
tourist centres in inland County Wicklow are served, albeit
infrequently, by buses. In County Kildare the major N7 road and the
railway line to Limerick offer ready access to most sites. The scenic
beauties of County Wicklow attract a lot of visitors and the positive
spin-off is that a good range of accommodation is on offer, as well as
an increasing number of excellent restaurants . It's worth bearing in
mind, however, that hostels and B&Bs tend to be concentrated in just a
handful of villages - especially in mountainous areas - and advanced
booking is advisable during the summer months and over bank holiday
weekends. Kildare is less visited, although here too a few pioneers
offer good food and accommodation in beautiful surroundings;
nevertheless, you'll generally find yourself relying on the standard B&B
trade.
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