Landscape and people are what bring most visitors to Ireland -
the Republic and the North. And once there, few are disappointed by
the reality of the stock Irish images: the green, rain-hazed loughs
and wild, bluff coastlines, the inspired talent for talk and
conversation, the easy pace and rhythms of life. What is perhaps
more of a surprise is how much variety this very small land packs
into its countryside. The limestone terraces of the stark, eerie
Burren seem separated from the fertile farmlands of Tipperary by
hundreds rather than tens of miles, and the primitive beauty of the
west coast, with its cliffs, coves and strands, seems to belong in
another country altogether from the rolling plains of the central
cattle-rearing counties.
It's a place to explore slowly, roaming through agricultural
landscapes scattered with farmhouses, or along the endlessly
indented coastline. Spectacular seascapes unfold from rocky
headlands, and the crash of the sea against the cliffs and myriad
islands is often the only sound. It is perfect if you want space to
walk, bike or (with a bit of bravado) swim; if you want to fish,
sail, or spend a week on inland waterways. In town, too, the
pleasures are unhurried: evenings over a Guinness or two in the
snug of a pub, listening to the chat around a blood-orange turf
fire.
But there is another Ireland growing at a phenomenal pace
alongside all of this. The extraordinary economic boom enjoyed by
the Republic since the early 1990s has brought growth on an
unprecedented scale. A country notoriously blighted by emigration
is, at last, drawing people home with the lure of work. The
conspicuous new wealth of many makes itself felt in every quarter
of Irish life, but most especially in cities like Dublin and Galway
where a proliferation of new bars, cafés and restaurants reveals a
generation determined to enjoy life to the full. The cosmopolitan
flavour of these cities is informed, in part, by the complex array
of experiences brought home by returning ex-pats, more familiar
with the ways of Melbourne and San Francisco, London and New York,
than with those of the Aran Islands. The boom has its downsides -
notably, spiralling property prices and the tensions brought about
by increased immigration - but as a visitor you'll probably be most
struck by the tremendous energy and palpable sense of confidence in
the future, most especially in the young.
To act as a backdrop, there's a wealth of history. In every part
of the island are traces of a culture established long before the
coming of Christianity: sites such as Newgrange in County Meath or
the clifftop fortress of Dún Aengus on Inishmore (the biggest of
the Aran Islands) are among the most stupendous Neolithic remains
in Europe, while in some areas of Sligo almost every hill is capped
by an ancient cairn. In the depths of the so-called Dark Ages the
Christian communities of Ireland were great centres of learning,
and the ruins of Clonmacnois in County Offaly, the Rock of Cashel
in Tipperary and a score of other monasteries are evocative of a
time when Ireland won its reputation as a land of saints and
scholars. Fortifications raised by the chieftains of the Celtic
clans and the Anglo-Norman barons bear witness to a period of later
turbulence, while the Ascendancy of the Protestant settlers has
left its mark in the form of vast mansions and estates.
But the richness of Irish culture is not a matter of monuments.
Especially in the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas, you'll be
aware of the strength and continuity of the island's oral and
musical traditions. Myth-making is for the Irish people their most
ancient and fascinating entertainment. The ancient classics are
full of extraordinary stories - Cúchulainn the unbeatable hero in
war, Medb the insatiable heroine in bed, or Fionn Mac Cumhaill
(Finn Mac Cool) chasing Diarmuid and Gráinne up and down the
country - and tall tales, superstition-stirring and "mouthing off"
(boasting) play as large a part in day-to-day life as they did in
the era of the Táin Bó Cuailngè, Europe's oldest vernacular epic.
As a guileless foreigner enquiring about anything from a beautiful
lake to a pound of butter, you're ideally placed to trigger the
most colourful responses. And the speech of the country - moulded
by the rhythms of the ancient tongue - has fired such
twentieth-century greats as Yeats, Joyce and Beckett.
Music has always been at the centre of Irish community life.
You'll find traditional music sessions all around the touristed
coasts and in the cities, too - some of it might be of dubious
pedigree, but the Gaeltacht areas, and others, can be
counted on to provide authentic renditions. Side by side with the
traditional circuit is a strong rock scene, that has spawned Van
Morrison, U2, Sinéad O'Connor and more recently The Divine Comedy
and Jack Lukeman. And ever-present are the balladeers, fathoming
and feeding the old Irish dreams of courting, emigrating and
striking it lucky; there's hardly a dry eye in the house when the
guitars are packed away.
The lakes and rivers of Ireland make it an angler's dream, but
the sports that raise the greatest enthusiasm amongst the Irish
themselves are speedier and more dangerous. Horse racing in Ireland
has none of the socially divisive connotations present on the other
side of the Irish Sea, and the country has bred some of the world's
finest thoroughbreds. While association football is as popular as
in most parts of the world now, Gaelic football, sharing elements
of soccer and rugby (which itself has its hotbeds, notably in
Limerick), still commands a large following. Hurling, the oldest
team game played in Ireland, requires the most delicate of ball
skills and the sturdiest of bones.
No introduction can cope fully with the complexities of
Ireland's politics, especially the dramatic changes in Northern
Ireland in recent years. However, throughout the guide we have
addressed the issues wherever they arise and included pieces that
give a general overview of the current situation. Suffice it to say
that, just about everywhere hospitality is as warm as the brochures
say, on both sides of the border