Book cheap holidays and city breaks to Ireland
The land of shamrocks and St Patrick's Day, Ireland captures the imagination with its lilting charm. Though it's a relatively small country, Ireland's countryside includes an impressive range of landscapes: towering mountains, magical woodlands, rolling pastures, rocky coastlines, and shadowy peat bogs. Sleepy villages dot the countryside as cosmopolitan cities dominate the cultural landscape: urban centres like Dublin, Cork and Galway have thousand-year histories that proudly entwine with their more modern faces.
While its reputation may be riddled with clichés, a holiday in Ireland is full of pleasures and surprises, and the country's appeal has little to do with leprechauns and shillelaghs. Ireland's culture has permeated the global consciousness, particularly through literature and music: celebrated writers like James Joyce, WB Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift called the Emerald Isle home; and Irish music and dance has circled the globe with breakout acts like Riverdance and U2.
A holiday in Ireland offers myriad possibilities: outdoor enthusiasts can hike scenic routes like the Ring of Kerry and explore the beauty of Killarney National Park; history buffs will marvel at ancient buildings like St Patrick's Cathedral and Blarney Castle; and avid readers won't want to miss the James Joyce Museum and Trinity College Dublin; while those simply looking for a good time can find one in Dublin's lively Temple Bar District, or in almost any pub in this lively and sociable society.
Best time to visit Ireland
The best time to visit Ireland is from May to September. The weather in Ireland can be cold and damp all year long, but the months from late spring to early autumn are the best for sunny and warm weather.
What to see in Ireland
- Take a guided tour of the Guinness Storehouse.
- Drive the scenic Ring of Kerry route on the Iveragh Peninsula.
- View the majestic Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.
- See the Book of Kells at Trinity College Dublin.
What to do in Ireland
- Trace your Irish ancestry at the National Library of Ireland.
- Enjoy the music and nightlife of Dublin's Temple Bar District.
- Go hiking in Killarney National Park.
- Tour Blarney Castle and kiss the famous Blarney Stone.
Getting to Ireland
There are plenty of direct cheap flights to Ireland on budget carriers like easyJet and Ryanair, so getting to Ireland from the UK is a breeze. Getting to Ireland from the US isn't as quick, but there are direct flights from the US to Dublin and Shannon airports.