Tourism Ireland

There has never been a better time to visit Ireland.

Air Travel – Air access is at an all-time high. There are new routes opening up all the time – the most recently announced being Dublin – Dallas and Dublin – Minneapolis.

Seasonality – The summer is a great time to visit Ireland but one shouldn’t forget the great year round experiences to be had throughout the island of Ireland. Competitive airfares, hotel availability and less feet on the ground, make Fall, Winter and Spring great periods to visit Ireland. Fabulous festivals during these months include Trad fest, the Dublin Theatre Festival and The St Patrick’s festival.

Regionality – Dublin is a fantastic and eclectic European capital and is not to be missed but many of the uniquely Irish experiences are to be found off the beaten path. The Wild Atlantic Way stretches from along our western seaboard from Donegal in the north to Cork in the south and affords visitors a wonderful glimpse into picture-postcard Ireland. Ireland’s Ancient East is a journey through 5000 years of European history in the eastern portion of the island. Northern Ireland is a special corner of the island which has its own distinct identity and cultural offering.

Unique Experiences

Titanic – Ireland is the home of Titanic. Built in the city of Belfast which now lays claim to the largest Titanic visitor experience in the world.

Traditional pubs – peppered around the country you will find an array of traditional pubs which offer fine food, drink and musical entertainment.

GAA – Our national games of Hurling and Gaelic football are unique to Ireland and as a cultural touchpoint they offer a perfect insight into what makes our communities tick.

UNESCO – we have stunning UNESCO world heritage sites at The Skellig islands in Co Kerry and at the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Guinness – Ireland is of course home to Guinness and hundreds of thousands flock every year to St James Gate in Dublin to see where it all began.

Literature – As home to great writers such as Joyce, Beckett, Shaw and Wilde Dublin is a UNESCO city of literature where you can visit the Dublin Writers Museum or go on a literary pub crawl.

Screen Tourism – Ireland is home to two of the world’s biggest screen productions in HBO’s award winning Game of Thrones and the Star Wars series. The most recent Start Wars episode was shot along the Wild Atlantic Way particularly in Co Kerry and Game of Thrones is shot in Northern Ireland in counties Down and Antrim.

Events – Ireland has a year round calendar of events that keeps visitors enthralled. Highlights include The Galway International Arts Festival, The Belfast Arts Festival, The St Patrick Festival and the Fleadh Ceoil. Next year’s highlight will be at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland which will host the 148th Open.

More than 1.8 million people made the trip last year from North America to Ireland, the fifth record year in a row. Their visits exceeded expectations with special reference given to the warmth of the welcome. 34 million people claim Irish heritage.

For more information visit Ireland.com