About Ireland...

Ireland has a rich history, dating back thousands of years. The island is about the size of West Virginia, with a population of nearly six million people, with 1.2 million living in or around the capital city of Dublin, located on the East Coast of Ireland. Dublin is a diverse, young, vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

For many years, Ireland was a conservative and poor country, strongly under the influence of the Catholic Church. Ireland joined the European Economic Comunity (ECC) in 1973, which brought prosperity and much influence from the rest of Europe. After going through a recession in the 1980's, Ireland had an unprecedented economic boom in the 1990's. With the economic outlook continuing to be positive, it is not uncommon to see building cranes all around, a proliferation of shops, restaurants and malls, along with a sharp drop in unemployment.

Ireland is politically divided into two parts: The Republic of Ireland, of which Dublin is the capital, and Northern Ireland, with Belfast as its capital. The Republic of Ireland achieved independence from Britain in 1922 after revolution and civil war, which resulted in the drawing of the border. Nearly four million people reside in the Republic of Ireland, 40% of whom are under the age of 25. Northern Ireland, with about 1 million residents, is administered as part of the United Kingdom.

The weather...
A common weather forecast tends to be... "periods of light rain with bright spells througout the day"... Tip: an umbrella comes quite handy! The dominant influence on Ireland's climate is the Atlantic Ocean. Consequently, temperatures below freezing are rare in winter and those above 70 degrees are rare in summer. The damp chilly air combined with frequent lashing wind makes it feel cold even though the temperatures may be in the 50's.

Overall, Ireland is a beautiful island, particularly the country side, with a very relaxed outlook on life -things tend to happen on "island time". A big adjustment for those of us coming from a fast paced environment. That being said, quality of life is a priority here and holidays are enjoyed at a maximum. Accessibility to continental Europe is a great benefit and travel is a way of enjoying the holidays.

Please visit soon!