Ireland - Ιρλανδία

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H Ireland is her country Of Europe.

This article does not include North Ireland, which is part of United Kingdom.

At a glance

Appropriate visit period

Languages

English is the main spoken language in Ireland. However, Irish is the state's first official language. Irish is a member of the coyote branch of the Celtic language family.

Most Irish people have some fluency in Irish, but it is the mother tongue of only about 30,000 people, most of whom live in rural areas in the west and south of the country called Gaeltacht ("Gaeltacht").

Because the Geltocht areas are admirable they are very likely tourist destinations. Tourists do not have to speak Irish but road signs etc will be written in this language. This will not cause you any problems, as the new maps have the names of the villages in both languages ​​in the Geltocht area.

Areas

Important cities

• Dublin (Baile hatha Cliath, Bolgia Oha Klia) - the capital and largest city of the country. With excellent pubs, great architecture and good shops and markets, Dublin is a very popular destination and is fourth on the list of European capitals.
• Cork (Corcaigh, Corking) - Ireland's second largest city on the Lee River. It was founded around 600 by St. Finnbar and is known for its good food, shops and festivals.
• Galway (Gaillimh, Goliv) - a town on the Corribe River off the west coast of Ireland. Known as the 'City of Tribes', the summer in Galway is full of music festivals, food, Irish language and culture. Galway hosts over fifty festivals each year. Galway has two very different types of landscapes: the beautiful mountains to the west of the city and the rural valleys to the east.
• It weighs Until recently, the most popular destination in Ireland. Beautiful village and beginning of the famous Curry Ring.
• Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh, Kil Henning) - a beautiful medieval town, known as the City of Marble.
• Letterkenny - capital city of Dγnigol County, supposedly the fastest growing city in Europe. Good base for a trip to Dongol.
• Limerick (Luimneach, Luvnoch) - a city strategically located where the Shannon River widens and becomes a river mouth in the southwestern part of the country. First city to become Irish National Culture City (2014).
• Sligo (Sligeach, Sligoch) - The hometown of the internationally acclaimed poet WB Yeats. Mountains, beaches and beautiful landscapes are generally the best features.
• Waterford (Port Láirge, Port Lΐrge) - The oldest city in Ireland. In the southeastern part of the country and quite close to the port of Rosslare. Waterford is a popular place for those who want to learn more about the history of ancient Ireland. It is probably one of the best cities because it is not very big and it is full of history. There are many festivals each year, such as Spraoi. The food is good and the Granary Museum is the best in ancient history. Don't forget to try a blaa before you leave.

Additional tourist destinations

• Aran Islands (Aran Islands) - located in the Gulf of Galway
• Brue to Boeing (Brú na Bóinne) - in the county of Mith, and is one of the best Neolithic monuments in the world, the oldest of which is the Newage (Newgrange), built in 3100 BC.
• Buren (Burren) and the Cliffs of Moher (Cliffs of Moher) - both in Claire Act
• Κοννεμάρα (Connemara) - an area in the western county of Galway where the Irish language is spoken
• Dτόnigol County (County Donegal / Contae Dhún na nGall) - the areas by the sea of ​​this prefecture have an impressive view and impeccable beaches

How to get there

By air

Ireland has 4 international airports, Dublin (IATA: DUB), Shannon (IATA: SNN) in Clare County, Cork (IATA: ORK) and Western Ireland Airport, Knock (IATA: NOC) in the prefecture of Meiou.

Dublin Airport (which is the 8th largest airport in Europe) is the largest and most connected airport, with flights to many cities in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and the Middle East. Shannon Airport, near Limerick, also has flights to the United States, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and Europe. Cork Airport has flights to most cities in the United Kingdom and to several cities in Europe. It is easily accessible from anywhere in central Europe, including all London airports. Knock Airport has scheduled daily flights to many UK cities as well as various charter flights to European holiday destinations.

There are smaller regional airports with domestic flights and flights to the UK, such as Dongol (IATA: CFN), Kerry (IATA: KIR), the Sligow (IATA: SXL) and Waterford (IATA: WAT).

Three airports located in North Ireland, Derry City Airport (IATA: LDY) and both Belfast airports (the International (IATA: BFS) and the City (IATA: BHD)) is a relatively short distance from the border with 'southern' Ireland.

The two largest airlines in Ireland, the Aer Lingus and the RyanairThis means that passengers are charged for every extra thing, eg ticket control (Ryanair only), luggage, food, etc. Ryanair also charges extra to get on board first. There is also a regional company, the Aer Arann offering domestic and international flights, mainly to the United Kingdom.

By train

The only cross-border train is the Enterprise service which consists of two companies, the Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways on the line from Belfast Central Station to Dublin Connolly Station.

By road

By boat

How to move

By road

There are many car rental companies in Ireland and you can pick up your car at cities or airports.

There are many roundabouts in Ireland. The vehicles that are already inside always have priority and not the ones that come in, unlike other countries like Greece.

Driving Rules

Are the driving rules similar to those in the United Kingdom? drive to the left and give priority to the right at the roundabouts. Unlike the UK, however, speed limits are written in kilometers per hour, not miles. For this reason, great care is needed when driving from Northern Ireland. The legal limit for blood alcohol is low, which is why it is best to abstain. It is perfectly legal to drive temporarily in the auxiliary lane for someone to overtake behind you, but this maneuver is not allowed on the highways. Drivers in Ireland often flash the alarm lights a little or shake hands to say 'thank you'.

There are four types of roads in Ireland:

signal	Signal Color	Prefix	Category	Normal Speed ​​Limit	Notes
	White on blue	M	Motorways
	White/Yellow in green	N	National Roads		Primary roads have number 1 - 50. Secondary roads have number 51.
	Black on white	R	Provincial roads
	Black on white	L	Local Roads		They rarely have a signal, but the situation is getting better.

Speed ​​limits are normal - if there is a signal for but on the road you are driving, you must respect it. In general, urban areas have speed limits of 50 km / h.

Ireland has an extensive motorway network based in Dublin. Most highways have tolls at some point. Are tolls quite cheap compared to those in France or Italy, from € 1.40 (M3) to € 3.10 (M50)? the price depends on which road you use. The charges are displayed on a sign a few kilometers from the toll booths. For the tourist, it is important to note that the only toll road that accepts credit card is the M4 between Kilkok and Kinegad. All other roads (except the M50) only accept euro cash, so be careful if you are coming from Northern Ireland by M1. The M50 has no barriers and does not accept cash. On this road, there are cameras that read the license plate, mounted on a steel frame between node 6 and 7. If you have previously registered online or by phone, you will be charged € 2.60 from your credit card. If you have not registered, you should go to a store that has the Payzone brand. There, you can pay in cash. With this means, the price is a little higher, € 3.10.

The main highways are:

Highway	Course	Fees
	Dublin to Northern Ireland, to Belfast	Drogheda bypass, € 1.90
	Dublin to Asbourne, to Derry	They do not exist
	Dublin to Cavan	Entire route, 2 tolls, € 1.40 each
	Dublin to Molingar, to Slaigo	Kilkok section to Kinegad, € 2.90
	Junction 11 with the M4 to Galway, although there is a gap in the middle of the route which is only a highway	Between node 15 (Ballinaslo West) and node 16 (Locrei), € 1.90
	Dublin to Limerick	Portlise section to Caseltown, € 1.90
	Node 19 with the M7 to Cork	Fermo Bypass, € 1.90
	Node 11 with the M7 to Waterford	They do not exist
	Dublin to Wexford along the east coast	They do not exist
	Limerick to Galway	They do not exist
	Limerick to Cork? only a small section next to the town of Limerick has been built	They do not exist
	Dublin Ring Road and Dublin Port Tunnel	€ 2.10 with eToll device, € 2.60 with video account and € 3.10 without account [1] Dublin Port Tunnel, € 10 (06: 00-10: 00 north, 16: 00-19: 00 south); € 3 (all other hours and public holidays) [2]

To drive on provincial and local roads, one needs kindness and strong nerves. Generally, the roads are narrow without auxiliary lane and there is no room for mistakes. You may not have good eyesight until you are in the middle of the road. You need to be careful when doing this, because after the next turn, there may be another vehicle driving similarly. This is especially true in rural areas. There may also be parked vehicles, farm animals or trucks and machinery.

What to see

Entertainment

Transactions and purchases

Cost

Ireland uses euro. It is one of the many European countries that use the single currency. All euro banknotes and coins are legal tender in all countries that use them.

Countries that have the euro as their official currency: EU members Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hellas, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain Countries outside the EU Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and Vatican These countries are called the "eurozone".

The euro is divided into 100 cents.

The official symbol of the euro is €, and the ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol of the euro cents.

• Banknotes: Euro banknotes have the same design in all countries.
• Regular coins: All euro countries issue euro coins with a typical national design on one side and a common design on the other. The coins can be used in any Eurozone country, regardless of the design they depict. (eg a one euro coin from Finland can be used in Portugal).
• Commemorative coins of two euros: These differ from regular two euro coins on their "national" side, and are legally traded. Each country can mint a certain number of them, and sometimes "pan-European" two-euro commemorative coins are minted for important events (eg the anniversary of an important treaty).
• Other commemorative coinsCommemorative coins of other denominations (eg ten euros or more) are rarer, and have a special design, often containing some gold, silver or platinum. While they are technically a legal medium of exchange, their collectible value is greater than their face value, and you are therefore unlikely to find them in the everyday market.

Local cuisine

Food is expensive in Ireland but the quality has greatly improved in recent years. Most small villages have supermarkets and many have a flea market every week. The cheapest choice for food is pubs or fast food. Many pubs offer lunch carvery (meat buffet - grilled meat, vegetables and potatoes) which is usually of good value. The choice for vegetarians is usually limited outside of large cities.

Kitchen

Irish cuisine can be called 'sufficient': almost all traditional dishes include meat (especially lamb and pork), potatoes and cabbage. They are usually cooked for a long time and the only spices are usually salt and pepper. Classic Irish dishes:

• Seafood Chowder (Oyster soup), a necessary dish, each restaurant has its own recipe, very tasty!
• Guinness Bread (Guinness Bread), as you hear it, a sweet dark bread.
• Oysters (Oysters), try the Atlantic and Pacific species.
• Boxty (Boxy), potato crepes.
• Champ (Bunch), puree with spring onion
• Coddle (Contl), stew with potatoes, pork sausages and bacon? Dublin specialties.
• Colcannon (Colcannon), mashed cabbage.
• Irish breakfast (Irish breakfast), famous heavy dish with bacon, eggs, beans in tomato sauce, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, hash brown, sausages and white (white) and / or black (black) pudding (pudding), a type of sausage made with blood (black) or without (white). Irish breakfast is commonly known as "fry" or "fry up", and is served in restaurants much later than the usual breakfast time.

Local drinks

Tourist infrastructure

Studies

Job opportunities

Ireland is a member of the European Union and the European Economic Area and therefore all citizens of EU / EEA countries and Switzerland have an automatic right to work. Citizens from other countries generally need a work permit and a visa. For more information, see this website.

Stay safe

The Irish Police Force is known as An Garda Síochána (On Garda Sijona, which literally means 'the guardians of peace') and the police simply Guarda the Guard (plural). Unofficially, the common people use the English term similarly Guard ('guardian'). The term 'Police' is rarely used but of course it is understandable. Whichever term you prefer, the police are generally polite and approachable. Uniformed police officers do not carry weapons, unlike Northern Ireland police officers. But detectives and some other specific police teams have firearms.

The crime rate is low compared to Europe. Late at night, city streets can be dangerous, as everywhere. If you need police, ambulance, fire brigade, coast guard or mountain rescue call 999 or 112? Both numbers work from landline and mobile.

Ireland is upgrading its roads but due to economic constraints, many potholes are not repaired in time.

Health and precautions

Smoking

Almost all closed workplaces (bars, restaurants, cafes, etc.) are defined as 'non-smoking'. Ireland was the first country to implement a ban on smoking in pubs. Ireland was the first country to implement a ban on smoking in pubs. Hotel and boarding rooms are not required by law to be non-smoking. The owners of these businesses, however, can appoint them as they wish. Most hotels have designated smoking and non-smoking floors, so it's a good idea to ask when booking to your liking. This prefecture also applies to common areas within buildings. This means that for example the corridors, the lobby area and the reception in apartments or hotels are also covered by law.

Most large bars and cafés have (covered) outdoor smoking areas, sometimes with radiators. This is a good way to meet local people. A new idea has been developed therefore - 'smirting', a combination of the words 'smoking' and 'flirting'. If there is no room for smokers, it is noteworthy that it is illegal in Ireland to drink alcohol in public and for this reason you may have to leave your drink at the bar inside.

Violators of the anti-smoking law are subject to a fine of up to € 3000.

Respect local customs

The Irish are generally very friendly and kind to all foreigners and will not hesitate to help you if you have questions or problems.

In smaller cities and small villages, it is very common for locals to greet you with the phrase "How are you?" even if they do not know you personally.

When driving on narrow country roads, especially if another driver has to drive to the side to overtake, it is common to raise your hand from the steering wheel as a token of gratitude.

The Irish are well known for their humor but their style of humor can be difficult for foreigners to understand. Although Irish people make jokes about other cultures or about themselves, and seem obviously tolerant of being mocked by non-nationals, they are often offended by this.

The Northern Ireland debate and all related issues need a lot of attention even now. Unless you have a good and deep knowledge of the subject, it would be best to avoid it altogether.

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) visitors will be happy to see that most Irish people accept gay couples, although open displays of love are rare outside Dublin. Ireland made it legal cohabitation agreement in 2011 and the people voted to legalize gay marriage in 2015. Conservative values ​​still exist in Ireland, especially among older people. As in other countries, the younger generation is generally more tolerant. In the 2015 referendum, 62.1% of Irish people voted to give gay people the right to marry.

Communications

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