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Full country name: Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland (part of the UK)
Area: 84,421 sq km/52,341 sq mi (70,282 sq km/43,575 sq mi in the Republic; 14,139 sq km/8,766 sq mi in the North)
Population: 5.2 million (3.6 million in the Republic; 1.6 million in Northern Ireland)
Capital city: Dublin (population 1.5 million)
People: Irish
Language: English, Irish (around 83,000 native speakers)
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 3.4% Protestant in the Republic; 60% Protestant, 40% Roman Catholic in the Northern Ireland
Government: Democracy
Head of state: Mary McAleese (Republic), Queen Elizabeth II (Northern Ireland)
Prime Minister: Bertie Ahern (Republic), Tony Blair (Northern Ireland)

Figures refer to Eire only

GDP: US$67 billion
GDP per head: US$18,600
Annual growth: 10%
Inflation: 2.4%
Major industries: Computer software, information technology, food products, brewing, textiles, clothing
Major trading partners: EU (esp. UK, Germany, France), US
Member of EU: yes

Traveling Guidelines

Visas:For citizens of the EU and most Western countries no visa is required. UK nationals born in Great Britain or Northern Ireland do not require a passport to visit the Republic
Health risks: None - the Catholic distaste for contraception does not prevent condoms being sold through pharmacies, although abortions can only be had (legally) in the North.
Time: GMT/UTC
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Imperial and metric
Tourism: More than 4 million visitors annually

Ideal time to visit

The weather is warmest in July and August and the daylight hours are long, but the crowds will be greatest, the costs the highest and accommodation harder to come by. In the quieter winter months, however, you may get miserable weather, the days are short and many tourist facilities will be shut. Visiting Ireland in June or September has a number of attractions: the weather can be better than at any other time of the year, it's less crowded and everything is open.

Events

Many diverse events and festivals take place around the country over the year. February sees the Dublin International Film Festival. St Patrick's Day, 17 March, is a public holiday. In Northern Ireland, Easter is the start of the Orange/Protestant marching season. June 16 is Bloomsday in Dublin, with re-enactments and readings throughout the city. Listowel in County Kerry holds a Writers' Week literary festival during June, and there's a Jazz & Blues Festival in Belfast. July is when marching really gets into its stride in Northern Ireland, and every Orangeman hits the streets on the Glorious 12th to celebrate the Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne.

August is horse-racing month, with the Dublin Horse Show and races in Tralee in County Kerry. In the same county, at Killorglin, the ancient Puck Fair heralds unrestricted drinking for days and nights. The first weekend in August is the date for Ireland's major annual rock festival, at Thurles in County Tipperary. In September Cork has its Film Festival and Belfast has a Folk Festival. In October, Dublin has its Theatre Festival, Ballinasloe in County Galway hosts the country's largest cattle and horse fair, and Kinsale in County Cork is home to Ireland's gourmet festival. In Wexford the November Opera Festival is an international event. Christmas is a quiet affair in the countryside though on 26 December the ancient practice of Wren Boys is reenacted, when groups of children dress up and expect money at the door after singing a few desultory hymns.

Money & Costs

Currency: Irish pound (or punt) IR£, euro ('paperless' until 2002)

Meals


• Budget: US$4-8

• Mid-range: US$8-20

• Top-end: US$30 and upwards
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: US$10-20

• Mid-range: US$20-65

• Top-end: US$65 and upwards

Ireland (especially Dublin) is expensive, but costs vary around the country. Assuming you stay at a hostel, eat a light pub lunch and cook your own meal in the evening, you could get by on US$25 a day. Once you factor in moving around the country, you'll need to increase your budget a bit. Added extras to watch out for include the awful practice of charging an extra pound or two for a bath and the more pleasurable ruin of buying the assembled company a round of expensive pints of Guinness.

Most major currencies and brands of travellers' cheques are readily accepted in Ireland, but carrying them in pounds sterling has the advantage that in Northern Ireland or Britain you can change them without exchange loss or commission. Banks generally give the best exchange rates, but change bureaus are open longer hours. Many post offices offer currency-exchange facilities and they're open on Saturday mornings. Credit cards are widely accepted, though many B&Bs and some smaller remote petrol stations will only take cash. There's quite a good spread of cash-spewing ATMs in the both the North and the South.

Fancy hotels and restaurants usually add a 10% or 12% service charge and no additional tip is required. Simpler places usually do not add service; if you decide to tip, just round up the bill or add at most 10%. Taxi drivers don't have to be tipped, but if you want to, 10% is fine. Tipping in bars is not expected.