Tourism in the Republic of Ireland


Tourism in the Republic of Ireland is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of Ireland, with 9.0 million people visiting the country in 2017, about 1.8 times Ireland's population. Each year, about €5.2bn in revenue is made from economic activities directly related to tourists, accounting for nearly 2% of GNP and employing over 200,000 people. In 2011 alone, Ireland was voted 'Favourite holiday destination in the World' by readers of Frommer's Guide, Lonely Planet listed Ireland as the world's friendliest country and Cork City as one of the top ten cities in the world and the Irish tourist boards website, DiscoverIreland.com, was named the best tourist board website in the world. Most tourists visiting Ireland come from the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and France.

History

In 1764, an English man named John Bush travelled to Ireland and wrote an account of his experience, giving impressions of the famous sights he saw as well as useful information to visitors who might come after him, regarding the sourcing of good-quality accommodation etc:

Every stranger, therefore, that proposes making any stay in Dublin, if it be but for a fortnight, I would advise to have immediate recourse to the public coffee-houses, of which he will find several in Essex-Street by the Custom-house, and there get directions to the private inhabitants of the town who furnish lodgings...

By the late 19th century, guidebooks to Ireland were still being produced by and for the British market, to which Ireland still belonged. In the introduction to "Ireland ", published in 1890 as part of the Thorough Guides series, the editors remarked that:

Ireland contains a number of tourist districts, not difficult to comprehend in one or two tours, but geographically detached and distinct in their kinds of scenery. The country may be likened to an oval dish, the rim of which represents the mountainous and rocky seaboard, and the centre the inland plain. The plain is in parts rough and broken, but hardly anywhere can it be said to rise to the character of first-class scenery.

Transport in Ireland

Ireland's national flag carrier is Aer Lingus, which services Europe, North America and North Africa, but the vast majority of flights originating from continental Europe come from another Irish company, Ryanair, the biggest low-cost airline in the world. These airlines, along with others, fly into all three of Ireland's international airports, Shannon Airport, Dublin Airport and Cork Airport. Dublin Airport is by far the busiest, accounting for over 80% of passengers entering and leaving Ireland in 2011. Along with these airports there are several other regional airports in the country including Ireland West Airport and Kerry Airport, which both operate international flights to Europe.
For travellers from mainland Europe and the UK, another way to enter the country is by sea, with connections by ferry to Roscoff and Cherbourg in France, Liverpool in England and Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead in Wales, Douglas on the Isle of Man and Santander in Spain. These routes are operated by Irish Ferries, Stena Line, P&O Ferries and Brittany Ferries.
Motorways link Dublin with all the major cities in the country and there are plans to extend the motorway system in the future. In recent years the quality of Irish roads has improved dramatically with the advent of the Celtic Tiger and significant European Union funding, although outside the main routes, roads can be quite unpredictable in terms of quality and upkeep, especially in rural areas such as County Kerry and County Donegal.
The rail and light rail network in Ireland is not as extensive as it once was, but it is still possible to get from city to city using the rail system, although many rural stations have closed along these lines. At the moment there is only one Light rail system in the country, the Luas in Dublin. This system opened in 2004 and due to the number of people availing of it, it was stated as being "Dublin's best public transport success story" by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar in 2011.

SailRail

, Iarnród Éireann, as well as Irish Ferries and Stena Line promote SailRail
SailRail tickets offer a discounted means of travelling from anywhere on the UK rail network to anywhere on the Irish rail network with one ticket. A bus connection from Dublin Port is required to reach Dublin's main train stations, Connolly or Heuston.

Cities

Dublin

The largest city in Ireland is Dublin. Due to its proximity to Britain, it was the most important city in Ireland during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and subsequent British Invasions until after 1922 when the Irish Free State was formed. As the British held a presence here for over 500 years, most of the historic buildings from the 1500s on were built by them. As Dublin Airport is located just outside the city, most international visitors to Ireland begin their stay here. Among the main attractions in Dublin are Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922, Phoenix Park, one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, The General Post Office, one of Ireland's most famous buildings due to the 1916 Easter rising, Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison turned museum that held and executed the rebels of the 1916 Rising and Trinity College, where the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow are held. In 2010, Dublin was awarded the title of UNESCO City of Literature, as many famous writers such as Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett are from the city.
Other attractions
  • Guinness Brewery, a brewery founded in 1759 that produces Guinness. As of 2018, it was most-visited fee-charging tourist attraction in Ireland.
  • Bloomsday, a festival of celebration into James Joyce's life, during which the events of his novel Ulysses are relived. It is held annually in Dublin on 16 June.
  • The Ha'penny Bridge, a famous Victorian bridge spanning the River Liffey.
  • Croke Park, one of Europe's biggest stadiums and principal stadium of the Gaelic Athletic Association.
  • Temple Bar, an area on the south side of the city that has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is now known for its nightlife.
  • St Stephen's Green, a city centre public park.
  • The buildings of Georgian Dublin, e.g. the Customs House and the houses at Fitzwilliam Square and Merrion Square, Mountjoy Square, Parnell Square, and Henrietta Street.
  • Samuel Beckett Bridge, a recent, 21st century landmark in the Docklands.
  • The "Millennium Spire" or Spire of Dublin, a recent, 21st century landmark on O'Connell Street.
  • The General Post Office, a late Georgian building on O'Connell Street that served as the headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
  • St. Patrick's Cathedral, a 12-th century cathedral serving as the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, largely rebuilt in the 19th century.
  • Christ Church Cathedral, an 11-th century cathedral, the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland, largely rebuilt in the 19th century.

    Cork

Situated on the southern coast of Ireland, Cork is the second biggest city in the country. Due to a population explosion in the 19th century, many of its public buildings are from this era. In this period two cathedrals were built, the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne and Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral. Another historic attraction from this time is Cork City Gaol which opened in 1824 and was redeveloped as a visitor centre in the 1990s. Cork's best known building and a symbol of the city, the Church of St. Anne in Shandon, is known for its clock tower dubbed the "four faced liar" on account of all four of the clocks showing slightly different times. Cork Airport is located just outside the city and connects Cork to several other European cities, although many direct flight routes are only available in the summer.
Other attractions
  • Fota Wildlife Park, a zoo located just outside the city on Fota Island, now one of the most popular visitor attractions in the country.
  • Elizabeth Fort, a 17th-century star fort just off Barrack Street, originally built as a defensive fortification outside the city walls, it is now a tourist attraction.
  • Cork Opera House, an opera house built in the 1850s.
  • The English Market, a food market that dates back to 1610. The market draws visitors from throughout the world, including a visit by Queen Elizabeth II during her 2011 state visit in 2011.
  • University College Cork, a National University of Ireland, the grounds are popular with visitors due to the fact the River Lee flows through it.
  • Blarney Castle, a medieval castle in Blarney, a town just west of Cork. The castle is now a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements and is the location of the Blarney Stone, a stone which is rumoured to give you the gift of eloquence when you kiss it.
  • Spike Island, a former prison island located in Cork harbour, just off the coast of Cobh. A 24-acre star-shaped fort was built in the late 1700s and this became the largest prison in the world in the 1850s, during the famine years. The island was converted into a visitor attraction in 2016 and won the title of 'Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction in 2017.

    Limerick

Situated on the mouth of the River Shannon, Limerick has been an important gateway city for over 800 years. Due to the city's location on the midpoint of the Atlantic Corridor, nearness to Shannon Airport and good supply of reasonably priced hotels it has become something of a base city for tourists travelling along the west coast of Ireland, although the city has many attractions in its own right. King John's Castle in the medieval quarter of the city is arguably the best-known attraction in the city, dating back to 922AD. The old city walls of Limerick surround a small bit of the site, although most of the walls have collapsed. St Marys cathedral also in the medieval quarter is a must see. It is a completely restored 12th-century cathedral with views over the city. The Hunt Museum in the city hosts one of the world's greatest private collections in the world, winning the Museum of the year award many times over the years. The museum has a wide collection of both ancient and medieval pieces of art and sculpture, originating from varied locations and civilisations around the world including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt and the Olmec Civilisation. Artists' works in the museum include Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jack B. Yeats and Henry Moore.
Other attractions
  • Foynes village and Museum, a small village outside Limerick City that was the last port of call for Seaplanes heading towards The Americas. This stretch of the River Shannon became one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe during World War II, and was where the drink Irish Coffee was first served.
  • St John's Cathedral, one of two cathedrals in the city, this one has been in continuous use since 1861 and its spire is the tallest in the country, topping out at 94m. Built in a Gothic Revival style, it is one of the few Irish buildings designed by Philip Charles Hardwick.
  • Adare, a tourist destination and heritage centre, many of the buildings in this village still bear their original thatched roofs or crafted stone exteriors.
  • Lough Gur, one of Ireland's most important archaeological sites, humans have lived at Lough Gur since about 3000BC and there are several megalithic remains there.