Ireland is a land steeped in history, with some of the wildest countryside on the planet with people living in it, and with some of the richest lush farmland youll ever see. Its truly a wondrous place to visit, and any Irish vacation will definitely give you your moneys worth.
From the sweeping hills and bays on the east coast around Dublin, the capital, to the starkness of the Connemara plains in the west, its hard to understand how a people could have lived in this country and been subjected to a famine in the 1800s that decimated over a third of the population, forcing another third into emigration to the U.S.. Irish vacations have a great reputation worldwide, as the people themselves are so carefree, yet in a diligent way as no country in Europe has a stronger sense of self. With a burgeoning economy that even in todays financial climate continues to grow, Ireland has truly claimed its day in the sun.
Wherever you come from, no Irish vacation can happen without learning something of the countrys history. Whether your interests are more towards ancient history, which Ireland has in the oldest known man-made structures on the planet of Knowth and Dowth on the east coast near Drogheda, to more modern leanings like going to the city of Cork where Mr. McCourt of Angelas Ashes fame had his home, you really cant take a step without getting into something historical.
Sports of course play a huge part of life here, and a lot of Irish vacations now include things like golfing, going to a Gaelic football match or the crazily violent rugby thats so popular, you will see some sports action every pub has a TV, and the sound usually only comes on when a sport is on it. Of course, you cant vacation in Ireland without at least trying some Guiness, second only to Coca-Cola for brand recognition worldwide, and dont let anyone tell you that the food will be terrible. Irish cuisine now has more artisan brands and celebrated chefs than any other European country (remember, Gordon Ramsey is Scottish, not Irish!).
Fables and fairytales will be the standard on your Irish vacation, not the opposite, so expect to be regaled with some wild and wooly tales along those lines, but take them with a pinch of salt, as the Irish literary heritage is so strong Behan, Joyce, Lewis Carroll, Wordsworth are all Irish, balanced by the baser side of humanity with famous warriors such as Wellington coming from Ireland too.
Enjoy the time, as it passes quicker than you would imagine, as thats the way a great Irish vacation is enjoyed.