|
|
| .. |
Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
|
|
|
IRELAND
I traveled to Ireland in February of 2006, as part of a trip to visit my cousin in England. I traveled solo to Dublin area, Limerick, and Galway, and then met my mother and cousin in Belfast. The Republic of Ireland (Éire) is a country in Europe. Yes, I know that 'Northern Ireland' is part of the United Kingdom but for my travelogue, I am treating Ireland as the single united country that I wish it was. Ireland is made up of four provinces, each containing several counties: Leinster contains 12 counties in south-east Ireland; Munster contains 6 counties in south-west Ireland; Connacht contains 5 counties along Ireland's west coast; and Ulster contains 9 counties in the North of Ireland, including 6 in Northern Ireland. One of Ireland's most famous exports - and my FAVORITE export - is stout, a dark, dry beer. The most famous variety is Guinness, brewed in Dublin and available throughout the country. Murphy's and Beamish's stout are brewed in Cork and available mainly in the south of the country. Several micro-breweries are now producing their own interesting varieties of stout, including O'Hara's, the Porter House in Dublin and the Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork. Ales such as Smithwick's are also popular, particularly in rural areas. |
Currency: Euro (EUR) Population: 4,130,000 Language: English is the language generally used; Irish (Gaelic) is spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard Religion: Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% |
|||||||||||||||
