Ireland

The capital of Ireland is Dublin and the country’s population is about 5 million (2022). The dominant religion is Roman Catholicism and the official languages are Irish Gaelic and English. Ireland is 4 hours ahead of EST.

A must-see site in Ireland are the cliffs of Moher; travelers can come out on a beautiful day and have a spectacular view of the cliffside and of the historic O’Brien’s Tower, a serene castle by the sea. Ireland has no shortage of historic sites, parks, and gardens, making the country a great place to visit for seeing elements of nature and history blended together.

Ireland has no shortage of pubs, boasting to have 1 pub for every 100 people. Another fun fact is that the longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia; try saying that five times fast!

Jim’s Perspectives:

On my journey around the world, I delayed traveling to certain countries because I wanted my family to join me. Ireland was one of those places. I planned a family tour to the UK and Ireland (and surrounding countries) however aligning busy academic and schedules made that trip difficult. In 2019 I took a father-son trip to Ireland … those trips with family are so special and meaningful.

We spent a couple days in Belfast, then toured around this country’s spectacular countryside, and went to see the spectacular Cliffs (at Moher). Can’t wait to visit here again, next time with the entire family in tow, and definitely want to go to Northern Ireland.

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