The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located on the west coast of Ireland in Galway Bay. They are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland.
The three Aran Islands are Inishmore (the largest island), Inishmaan and Inisheer.
You can get the ferry to the islands or the plane to Inishmore, which is a fantastic experience. We also suggest you perhaps get the ferry out and the plane back for visa versa as they are both fantastic experiences.
Ferries are also available to the Aran Islands from Doolin in County Clare (Seasonal April 1 – Oct 31st).
When you are on Inishmore why not rent a bike and cycle to an Iron Age fort called Dun Aengus. The fort sits on the edge of a 100 metre cliff with stunning views out into the Atlantic Ocean. Dun Aengus itself is a series of concentric circular walls, the innermost; the citadel encloses an area approximately 50 meters in diameter with 4m thick walls of stone.
It has to be said that the Aran Islands, famous for its native Irish speakers and cheesy Irish sweaters (aka jumpers), is a little touristy now but is still a stunning place to visit. The trick is to get out of the villages where you are constantly being sold something or other and enjoy the isolation of an island stuck out in the Atlantic. For less commerical islands there are plenty of other islands to visit. However no other island has the stunning view of Dun Aengus!
On the coast of county Antrim, the Giant’s Causeway is one of the most popular and unique tourist attractions in Ireland. Resulting from a volcanic eruption over 50 million years ago, the Giant’s Causeway is a forty thousand interlocking hexagonal basalt columns. That said some of the columns have four, five or even seven sides. It truly is the oddest natural site you have ever seen. So unique that the Giant’s Causeway was mentioned in ancient myths and legends.
Legend had it that the ancient Irish warrior Fionn Mac Cumhail built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish enemy Benandonner.
The Skellig Islands are called Na Scealaga in Gaelige. The islands are two small, steep and rocky islands lying about 10 miles west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. They are famous for their thriving wild bird populations including gannets and puffins, and also for an early Christian monastery that is now a world heritage site.
There are two Skellig Islands, Little Skeillg, known as Sceilig Bheig in Gaelige and Skellig Michael, known as Sceilig Mhichíl in Gaelige.
Little Skellig is unfortunately closed to the public, and holds Ireland’s largest and the world’s second-largest Northern Gannet colony, with almost 30,000 pairs.
Skellig Michael is the larger of the 2 islands, rising to over 230 m above sea level. With a sixth-century Christian monastery perched on a ledge close to the top.
The Cliffs of Moher are one of the top tourist attractions in Ireland. The cliffs are on the south-western edge of the Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland.
The cliffs rise 394 ft above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag’s Head. The area attracts close to one million visitors per year. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara.
The cliffs were recently made famous as the digital backdrop in a scene in a recent Harry Potter film.
Ben Bulben is probably the most stunning rock formation in Ireland. The pleateau formation, which is a part of the Dartry Mountains, overlooks Sligo Town in County Sligo, in the northwest of Ireland. For those interested in climbing up Ben Bulben it is a tough approximately 2.5 hour climb but on a clear day you have a stunning view of as far north as Donegal and as far south as Mayo.
If you make it to Ben Bulben you have to check out the famous Irish writer William Bulter Yeats’ grave which sits in a grave yard at the foot of Ben Bulben.
Whereas Galway and Connemara is well known outside of Ireland, County Sligo is less known but just as beautiful.
Also take a trip out to Rosses Point pennisula, about a 15 minute drive from Sligo town.
Dublin Fringe Festival from 11 September 2010 – 26 September 2010 Dublin City
The Dublin Fringe Festival is a 16-day and night, citywide, event. Unique as a festival, the Dublin Fringe Festival offers works from various disciplines, including music and theatre. It is a fun-filled, action-packed event with a little of everything – it is the Japanese meal of the festival form.
Hosted every year in Dublin city, the Dublin Fringe Festival is always a much-anticipated event; its schedule is always packed with the latest shows from the contemporary arts and music scenes; and much, much more.
The event is spread throughout various Dublin city venues, from car parks and theatres to warehouses, art galleries, and schools. Every year in the month of September, Dublin city is hijacked by the Fringe festival. Barely any area of the city is left vacant, with shows and events springing up across the capital. Audience participation is always encouraged; the Dublin Fringe Festival is a truly interactive event.
With both home grown and international artists showcasing their talents across the diversification of venues, there will definitely be something to satisfy even the most obscure of tastes. The Fringe festival is known in the industry for its avant-garde attitude, challenging the everyday and subverting norms. Autumn is an excellent time to visit Ireland, with its gentle temperament and winds that have been warmed up by the summer months. To get the most out of your trip, book your car hire in Dublin airport and take to the streets of Dublin during the Dublin Fringe Festival, a truly exciting time in Dublin’s calendar.
So, what can you expect to see exactly? Be prepared for snakes, hoopla, contortionists, lions and other exotic animals, music and theatre productions …, expect the unexpected! Each year of the Fringe is unique, visitors never know what will happen next, but one thing is for sure, it will be exhilarating, edgy, contemporary, and most of all FUN!
In 2010 The Cork City Marathon will be four years old, relatively new for this type of race, and is set to be a major event in the calendar of sports enthusiasts throughout the Europe.
For anybody with so much as a passing interest in Marathons then the Cork City Marathon is the place to begin, unique because alongside the normal 26.2 mile marathon, people can opt to run the race in a relay team whereby up to five individuals can share stages in the race, each person running from anywhere between 3.5 and 7.5 miles. That means even the most novice of runners will be able to participate in the event! Excellent news for those of you who have always wanted to run a marathon, but have not quite developed the stamina to do so yet. With the people of Cork pouring onto the street for the event, any participant can expect to be met with much enthusiasm.
If you decide to take part in this year’s marathon then you certainly won’t be disappointed by the views as Cork is nestled in a collection of valleys and hills that offer spectacular views of the Irish countryside. Clearly, this means that the race will be gruelling, with many hills to navigate and relatively few flat stretches, but of course, the event organisers will have stewards in place every step of the way to make the run as comfortable as possible.
Potential participants will need to register their entry to the race on either the fifth or the sixth of June at Cork City Hall where you will receive your complimentary race pack. Applicants must be aged at least 18 years old on the day of the marathon, and there is no upper age limit.
Once the race is over, take advantage of car hire in Cork, and explore the city, and surrounding areas, in more depth and certainly more comfort!
During the past year the tourism industry in Ireland experienced a downward slump that has left 2009 as one of the hardest years, economically, ever recorded. Many factors impacted on the reduction of foreign visitors to Irish shores; including difficult currency conditions, a lowering of consumer confidence, and of course, the global economic crisis.
It is estimated that in Ireland around 18,000 businesses are dedicated to the tourism industry, this includes Irish car hire firms, hotels, restaurants and various tourist attractions. The tourist industry is estimated to be worth a massive €1.5 billion to the Irish government; however, 2009 witnessed the demise of many such tourism oriented businesses.
Fáilte Ireland’s most recent figures reveal a downward turn in the tourist economy of up to 12%, with 2009 seeing 6.5 million tourists arrive on its shores, compared to the 7.4 million tourists who visited in 2008, and the 7.7 million visiting in 2007.
Additionally, the numbers of Irish citizens taking holidays in Ireland also decreased significantly, by 5% from 2008-2009, and total revenue from tourism was at its lowest level since 2004, at €5.2 billion.
Martin Cullen, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, has said that urgent action must be taken in 2010 in order to save the tourism industry from collapse. An increase of 2% of the department’s budget for tourism has been announced, the budget will total over €155 million in 2010.
Shaun Quinn, the chief executive of Fáilte Ireland has argued that it is ‘‘imperative that it does not neglect sectors such as tourism, which has delivered time and again’’ in view of the crisis currently facing Irelands tourist industry today and the government’s role in addressing the issue.
Tourism Ireland last month announced plans to increase tourist numbers to Ireland during 2010 by at least 3% on 2009; this means they are aiming to attract more than 7.5 million visitors.
As part of their marketing strategies, Tourism Ireland are planning to highlight Irelands value-for-money deals, and are even releasing a brochure called “Value in Ireland” that will advise tourists of the best deals going. The brochure will list the best car hire deals Ireland has to offer, as well as the best value hotels and restaurants, and the various discounts available at some of the country’s leading tourist attractions.
Republic of Ireland
January 1st: New Year’s day
March 17th: St.Patrick’s day
April 5th (2010) | April 25th (2011): Easter Monday
First Monday in May: Bank holiday
First Monday in June: Bank holiday
First Monday in August: Bank holiday
Last Monday in October: Bank holiday
December 25th: Christmas day
December 26th: St.Stephen’s day
Northern Ireland
January 1st: New Year’s day
March 17th: St.Patrick’s day
April 2nd (2010) | April 22nd (2011): Good Friday
April 5th (2010) | April 25th (2011): Easter Monday
First Monday in May: May bank holiday
Last Monday in May: Spring bank holiday
July 12th: Battle of the Boyne
Last Monday in August: Summer bank holiday
December 25th: Christmas day
December 26th: Boxing day
