The Emerald Isle gets more than its fair share of tourists every year. That is mainly because the country just has so much to offer its visitors. Solo travelers, hen groups, stag groups, groups of friends, and families that visit Ireland can, essentially, find what they seek no matter what that is.
Ireland is the third largest island in Europe. Its northern region is considered part of the United Kingdom and the rest is considered the Republic of Ireland. In terms of culture though, the Irish folk from both regions do continue to have things in common.
Now, what can anyone expect from a country that has contributed a lot to literature, music, dance, architecture, and so many other things? Here are five of the things that travelers to the Emerald Isle can look forward to.
Man-Made Wonders
There are a lot of man-made structures worth seeing throughout Ireland. From megalithic sites, walled fortresses, and medieval structures to more modern buildings.
The Poulnabrone dolmen can still be seen in County Clare. This megalithic structure was built during the Neolithic period. Other similar structures exist in different degrees of preservation. Even if the Romans never really conquered the Irish folks, there are some Greco-Roman structures on the Emerald Isle as well.
Most of the popular tourist attractions in the country includes structures from the early medieval period. There are abbeys and castles that were built during that time. Some of those still exist today though most of the remains are just sections of the original structures.
Natural Wonders
Folks should not be surprised that Ireland is blessed with natural wonders. It is, in a way, literally an Emerald Isle. Images of the Irish countryside proves that to be true as is. Moreover, as an island, the country has a lot of famous blue flag beaches in addition to its beautiful lakes and other bodies of water.
Ireland’s border region is considered a haven for outdoor adventurers as this area has a little of everything in one region. There are hills, mountains, waterfalls, islands, beaches, and more that are perfect for various outdoor recreational activities.
Irish Cuisine
Traditionally, Irish cuisine consists of a lot of meat and dairy which is supplemented with seafood and vegetables. Almost all traditional Irish dishes include potato as well and that has been how they were made since the 16th century.
Irish cuisine is popular in some places especially those that happen to have Irish pubs in their area. Some of the more popular dishes include bacon and cabbage, stew, coddle, boxty, and colcannon. The famous full Irish breakfast is a treat as well which usually includes fried tomato, pudding, egg, bacon, and sausage.
As an island, anything that includes seafood will certainly taste good as well. A lot of towns and cities in Ireland have an abundant source of fresh seafood due to their geographic location.
The Irish usually drink tea and coffee, but everyone knows that there are certain alcoholic drinks that are associated with Ireland as well. That includes Poitin, good old Irish beer and whiskey. Irish whiskey comes in a lot of different forms as well like blended whiskey, single malt, and single grain.
Of course, the best places to sample Irish food and drinks would be Irish pubs. Though one cannot expect the usual pub grub to be at par with Michelin restaurants in Ireland. Still, if there is one place visitors should try hanging out at, it would be one of the local pubs in the area. In addition to being good place to dine, those are melting pots for locals as well. Travelers that seek information about tourist attractions or destinations in Ireland can learn a lot from locals that frequent those pubs.
Sabrina Mable is an author and recognized authority on planning hen parties. She currently works for Henit and specializes in creating hen party packages for fun and memorable hen parties in Ireland. She has succumbed and joined the world of social media. Follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Reply