Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland
 Ireland, a country with a lot of history

Ireland is located on an island in northwestern Europe. Not the whole island is part of Ireland, but one sixth belongs to the United Kingdom. The five-sixths that make up the country are called Southern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, while the last part is known as Northern Ireland, whose capital is Belfast.
Ireland is a member of the European Union and its capital is Dublin. It retains three of its four historical provinces: Leinster, Connacht and Munster. While the fourth, Ulster is in Northern Ireland

Total area of the island: 84,400 km 2 

Area of Southern Ireland: 70,200 km 2

Inhabitants of Southern Ireland: 4,500,000 inhabitants

Currency: Euro (€) since 1999

Ireland has a fascinating and spectacular landscape for its long meadows in which the clover predominates, a plant that represents the national symbol of the country, for the intense greenery that invades the landscape and that has given rise to the nickname of “The green Erin”, and by the rivers that cross the country like the Shannon, one of the most important, which in its path is leaving large and shallow lakes, although there are also Blackwater, Barrow and Bann.
This landscape is influenced by the climate of the country, which is very varied according to the different zones. The summers are not usually very hot, rainfall is frequent throughout the year and winters usually bring snow and hail, although this is not always the case.
All this panorama, together with the great variety of gardens and the heritage of the country, make traveling to Ireland not boring, since there are many things to see and experience like the ones shown below:
The castles
Ireland is well known for its castles, as many of them are preserved and in fairly good conditions. The infrastructure of some of them are as is, while that of others has been rebuilt so that their access is better, whether by building a private property, a hotel, a restaurant, a museum, etc. Some of the castles are:

The  Kilkenny Castle  is located in County Kilkenny, on high ground from which you can see the River Nore. It is over 800 years old and to improve visitor access a reconstruction was made. In the basement of the castle is the Butler Gallery, in which periodic exhibitions of Irish and international contemporary art are held, as well as a small restaurant open during the summer. It is open all year. In addition, it is well known for its park, for being a perfect and quiet place to walk and spend the day with family or friends.
The Leap Castle is in County Offaly, just outside the town of Roscrea. It is said to be the castle with the most ghosts in Ireland and that hides great mysteries, all because of the numerous murders that occurred in the previous centuries. Today it is a private residence that can be visited by contacting the owners, the Ryan family.

Another in Offaly County is Birr Castle , famous for the huge telescope built in 1825 and was the largest in the world until 1917. It is also well known for its wonderful gardens and the largest magnolia display in the country . At present, it is a private residence in which the seventh count of Rosse lives, therefore, much of the castle is closed to the public, although the gardens (over 300 years) can be visited.
The  Trim Castle  which is located in Meath County. It was the largest and most important in Ireland for several centuries. It is known as the impassable castle and was built as the administrative center of the conquerors to monitor the natives of the country. It is open to the public every day. The entrance to the interior is paid and includes a guided tour in English of about 45 minutes, although the outside areas can be visited freely.

The  Enniskillen Castle  belongs to County Fermanagh and was built almost 600 years ago to the side of the river Erne. It had a great strategic importance for its location. Today, there are two museums inside: the Fermanagh Country Museum and the Inniskillings Museum. It also houses many activities for children to learn about its history.
The museums
There are a lot of museums throughout Ireland, all of them interesting, whether to get to know the history of the country better or to observe works from around the world. Some of them are:

The National Museum of Ireland is the most important in the country. It is divided into four departments, three of them located in Dublin and another in Castlebar, in Mayo County. The first department is that of Archeology and History in which the objects and pieces of the Middle Ages, the Bronze Age and Christianity are found. The second department is that of Decorative Arts and History, which was founded in 1997. Temporary exhibitions are held there, although permanent objects such as furniture, ceramics, clothing, weapons, jewelry, etc. are also exhibited. The third department is Natural HistoryFounded in 1857 and showing all kinds of animals and insects, it is currently under reconstruction due to an accident in 2007. The last department, outside Dublin, is the one dedicated to the Life of Ireland. It opened its doors in 2001 and exposes everything related to agriculture, fishing, customs, festivals and crafts, among other aspects of Ireland.

The  National Gallery of Ireland  is the most appropriate place to learn about the history and current affairs of European art, since the artists are both Irish and international. The museum includes pieces of painting, sculpture, drawings and prints, among other objects from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. The museum is located in Dublin, admission is free and has 54 rooms.
In the Museum of Famine , the circumstances of the great Irish famine of the 1840s are shown and explained through original documents and images of the time. So if you want to learn more about the history of the Irish people, this museum shows us an important and tragic time in the country. The museum is open every day of the week from March 17 to October 31 and is located in Roscommon County.Other places to visit

In Ireland there are many parks and gardens to visit and where to spend the day. One of the most famous parks is the  Phoenix Park  (Phoenix Park) established in 1662. With an area of 712 hectares, is the largest urban park fenced in Europe. Located a few kilometers from Dublin, it has very diverse sectors such as its wooded areas that still serve as a lodging for deer families, the People's Garden which is the only landscaped and cultivated part of the park, the different monuments and the Dublin Zoo that opened in 1830
Guinness beer has become a symbol for Irish culture. That is why there is a “must” place if you want to know everything related to this black beer. The place is called Guinness Storehouse, the old factory / warehouse renovated as an exhibition of the history of this legendary beer. Inside you can see the signed contract of Arthur Guinness in 1759, an exhibition on the components of beer and the history of the factory, a tour of the brewing process and transport methods, in addition to seeing the different campaigns advertising and make interactive games related to visitors' knowledge about alcohol.

Another place to visit is Kilmainham Prison, home of many of the characters involved in the struggle for the independence of Ireland. Today, the jail is open to visitors, who can access the cells and common areas. The Kilmainham Prison occupies a special place in the Irish, since thanks to the brave ones who fought at that time, Ireland is an independent country.

One of the best-known and most important cathedrals  is  St. Patrick's Church along with the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Christ Church Cathedral). The first was rebuilt in the early thirteenth century although it suffered fires and dropouts, so it had to be restored in 1869 thanks to a donation. The interior of the cathedral reflects different historical moments of the country.