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IRELAND

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DISCOVER IRELAND

t Looking towards the Skellig Islands from Valentia Island, Kerry

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Welcome To

Ireland

t Mussenden Temple at sunset, perched on a cliff edge along Northern Ireland’s north coast.

Rugged coastlines and lush green landscapes. World-class museums and cosy pubs packed with locals only too happy to prove that their reputation for Celtic charm is well deserved. Culture and craic; the Emerald Isle provides both in spades. Whatever your dream trip to Ireland includes, this DK travel guide is the perfect companion.

Ireland is a small island, but a spectacular one. Divided since 1921 into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, there are dazzling locations aplenty across both countries, from the famed Cliffs of Moher to Antrim’s stunning Causeway Coastal Route, one of Europe’s most dramatic drives. Hollywood agrees, and visitors may recognize Ireland’s natural beauty from the sets of Star Wars and Game of Thrones.

The cities, too, will not disappoint. Once battle-scarred, Belfast today is a rejuvenated place, with a fast-developing food scene and Cathedral Quarter’s impressive array of quirky bars and nightlife. In Dublin, trace the footsteps of the city’s most famous literary sons, from James Joyce to Oscar Wilde, or spend an afternoon exploring the lush expanse of Phoenix Park. In the west, Galway’s colourful streets always offer a lively welcome, while Cork city counts picturesque waterways and the nearby Blarney Stone among its many attractions.

Small enough to travel easily around, Ireland can still overwhelm with the sheer number of unmissable sites on offer. We’ve broken the island down into easily navigable chapters, with detailed itineraries, expert local knowledge and colourful, comprehensive maps to help you plan the perfect visit. Whether you’re staying for a weekend, a week or longer, this DK travel guide will ensure that you see the very best Ireland has to offer. Céad míle fáilte – a hundred thousand welcomes from one of the friendliest islands on earth. Enjoy the book, and enjoy Ireland.

1 St Colman’s Cathedral rising above the colourful fishing boats moored in Cobh harbour, County Cork.

2 High Street in Galway’s lively city centre bustling with visitors.

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Reasons To Love

Ireland

Its scenery is spectacular. Its people are great craic. Its history is emotive. Ask anyone from Ireland and you’ll hear a different reason why they love their country. Here, we pick some of our favourites.

1 The craic

t Roughly translated as good times with friends, this is at the very root of Irish friendliness. An indefinable and irreverent humour, it prompts many a return visit to Ireland.

Discover Reasons to Love Ireland

2 Screen-worthy landscapes

t From Spielberg to Kubrick, and Star Wars to Game of Thrones, Ireland’s jaw-dropping landscapes have long been fertile ground for filmmakers.

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3 Newgrange

t Explore Newgrange, older than Egypt’s pyramids and just as mysterious. It's one of the world's most important prehistoric sites, and the oldest known solar observatory.

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4 The Giant’s Causeway

t Visit Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the surreally beautiful Giant’s Causeway, formed from thousands of interlocking basalt columns.

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5 Two capital cities

t Barely a two-hour drive apart, visitors to Ireland are easily able to experience the pleasures of both Dublin and Belfast – each offering their own rich history.

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6 Burgeoning local food scenes

t Once with a reputation for mainly meat and potatoes, Ireland is now in full culinary bloom. In both cities and villages you’ll find creative chefs and great local ingredients.

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7 Ancient castles

t The Irish countryside is littered with castles. Some are no more than rubble and ruin, while others remain as magnificent as when they were first built – with histories to match.

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8 Titanic Belfast

t This award-winning museum, housed in a striking modern building, is a triumph of innovation. It is located in Belfast, where the doomed ship was originally built.

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9 World-class distilleries

t Ireland is a whiskey-lover's paradise. Home to top distilleries like Bushmills and Jameson, it's the perfect place to sample the good stuff.

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10 trad sessions

t Traditional music is the life-blood of Ireland. Sessions can range from a full band belting out knee-slapping jigs to a single mournful singer bringing an entire pub to silence.

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11 Surfing the Sligo Coast

t Ireland’s Atlantic coast is world-renowned as a top surfing spot, and there’s no better place to experience this than the golden beaches and clean waves of Sligo.

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12 Celtic heritage

t Ireland’s rich tradition of storytelling embraces a heritage steeped in enchantment. Most tales originated over 2,000 years ago, and Irish mythology remains a link to the ancient past.

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explore

Ireland

This guide divides Ireland into eight colour-coded sightseeing areas, as shown on this map. Find out more about each area on the following pages.

n Double-tap image to read the labels

Discover Getting to Know Ireland

Dublin

Ireland’s capital has a wealth of attractions, most within walking distance of each other – from Trinity College to Christ Church Cathedral, there are historic sights at every turn. Southeast Dublin is home to Grafton Street’s attractive shops and much of Ireland’s cultural heritage, including the National Gallery and National Museum of Archaeology. Southwest Dublin juxtaposes the modern bustle of Temple Bar with stark reminders of the city’s past in Viking Dublin. North of the River Liffey are some of the capital’s finest Georgian streetscapes, jostling for attention alongside great museums and shops.

Best for World-class museums and vibrant nightlife

Home to Trinity College, National Gallery of Ireland and the National Library

Experience An evening of traditional music in lively Temple Bar

Go To: Dublin i

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t Exterior of the Oliver St. John Gogarty pub on the corner of Temple Bar

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Southeast Ireland

Blessed with the warmest climate in Ireland, the Southeast is one of the most beautiful regions in the country. County Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland, is home to breathtaking mountain scenery and several major historic sites, while the counties further south showcase gently rolling hills, lush farmland and imposing medieval castles. It’s also a golfer’s paradise, with multiple championship courses dotting the region.

Best for Magnificent manors and estates

Home to Castletown House, Kilkenny and Glendalough

Experience A stroll through the mystical monastic settlement at Glendalough

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t A medieval Celtic cross on the slopes of Glendalough

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Cork and Kerry

Comprising nearly half of the historic province of Munster, magnificent scenery has attracted visitors to this region since Victorian times. Rocky headlands jut dramatically into the Atlantic, and colourful fishing villages nestle in the shelter of the bays. County Kerry offers stunning landscapes and a wealth of prehistoric and early Christian sites, whereas Cork’s gentle charm and culinary heritage has enticed many a casual visitor into becoming a permanent resident. Both counties have some of the finest beaches in Ireland, from the white sand bays of West Cork to the wave-battered shores in Kerry.

Best for Picturesque seaside towns

Home to Cork, Skellig Islands and the Lakes of Killarney

Experience The culinary delights of West Cork

Go To: Cork and Kerry i

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t The most westerly tip of Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry

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The Lower Shannon

In the three counties that flank the lower reaches of the Shannon – Ireland’s longest river – the scenery ranges from the rolling farmland of Tipperary to the eerie limestone plateau of the Burren. Visitors flock here for medieval strongholds and atmospheric towns, or the bustling riverside resorts that promise a more laid-back stay. Along the west edge of the region lie the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s most-visited natural attraction. The area is also home to a thriving traditional music scene, particularly in the small villages of County Clare.

Best for Impromptu Irish trad sessions

Home to The Burren, Bunratty Castle and the Rock of Cashel

Experience A luxurious stay in the Neo-Gothic Adare Manor

Go To: The Lower Shannon i

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t Visitors looking out across the spectacular Cliffs of Moher

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The West of Ireland

This is the heart of Connaught, Ireland’s historic western province. The region lives up to its image as a traditional, sparsely populated land with windswept mountains and a countryside speckled with low stone walls and peat bogs. Yet it also encompasses Galway, a vibrant university city whose youthful population brings life to the medieval streets and snug pubs. At the mouth of Galway Bay lie the three Aran Islands, whose starkly beautiful landscapes, ancient churches, forts and monuments draw hordes of day-trippers.

Best for World-class horse racing

Home to Galway and the Aran Islands

Experience A pint of the black stuff in one of Galway’s cosy pubs

Go To: The West of Ireland i

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t The magnificent Kylemore Abbey in Connemara

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Northwest Ireland

Towering cliffs, deserted golden beaches and rocky headlands abound along the rugged coast of Donegal, which incorporates some of Ireland’s wildest scenery. The locals in this remote landscape are known for their unpretentious friendliness and lilting accents. To the south, Sligo is steeped in prehistory and Celtic myth, with its legacy of ancient monuments and natural beauty enriched by associations with the poet W B Yeats. By contrast, Leitrim is a quiet county of unruffled lakes and waterways.

Best for Long walks along unspoilt beaches

Home to Slieve League, one of Europe’s highest sea cliffs

Experience Monstrous waves off the coast of Sligo, a surfing hot spot

Go To: Northwest Ireland i

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t The Anvil cliff edge, jutting off the coast of Tory Island

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The Midlands

The cradle of Irish civilization and spiritual home of the Celts, the Midlands encompass some of Ireland’s most sacred and symbolic sites. Much of the region is little visited, but the ragged landscapes of lush pastures, lakes and bogland reveal ancient Celtic crosses, gracious Norman abbeys and Gothic Revival castles. There’s fun to be found indoors as well; the Midlands is home to a number of Ireland’s most renowned whiskey distilleries, including Kilbeggan in Westmeath and Tullamore in Offaly.

Best for Prehistoric sites

Home to Newgrange and the Boyne Valley

Experience Whiskey-tastings in the historic Kilbeggan Distillery, which dates back to 1757

Go To: The Midlands i

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t St Patrick’s Church by the Hill of Tara, now used as a heritage centre

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Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has sights from every era of Ireland’s history, as well as some magnificent natural scenery. The north coast offers the most striking examples of the latter, with the extraordinary volcanic landscape of the Giant’s Causeway, or Mussenden Temple’s serene clifftop location. Back in Belfast (the country’s lively capital), history – in the form of colourful political murals and the Titanic dockyard – sits neatly alongside a flourishing contemporary food scene and quirky nightlife options.

Best for Stunning coastal scenery and great local restaurants

Home to The Giant’s Causeway

Experience A pub crawl through the cobbled streets of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter

Go To: Northern Ireland i

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t The Titanic Belfast museum

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IRELAND ITINERARIES

t Fanad Head Lighthouse in Donegal.

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2 WEEKS

Across Ireland

Ireland is a treasure trove of things to see and do, and its relatively small size means that you can navigate the island easily. These itineraries will inspire you to make the most of your visit.

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t St Kieran’s Street, Kilkenny.

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7 days

On the Wild Atlantic Way

The Wild Atlantic Way is one of the world’s longest defined coastal touring routes, running from Ireland’s most northerly point in County Donegal to the most southerly point in County Cork. There are myriad ways to take on this extraordinary journey, and this suggested itinerary focuses on the southern half of the route.

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t Pedestrian street in the centre of Galway city.

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ireland for

Natural Beauty

Ireland’s scenery is one of the country’s greatest attractions, with the sheer variety on offer almost as impressive as the vistas themselves. The fabled emerald can be