Visit Ireland

• Visit Antrim - County Antrim forms the north-east corner of Ireland, where a channel only 13 miles wide separates Torr Head from the Scottish coast. Lough Neagh (the largest lake in Ireland) and the fertile valley of the Bann occupy the western part of Antrim.

• Visit Burren - Where there are no trees to hang a man. Where there is not enough water to drown him. And if you finally succeeded in killing him, it's too rocky to bury him. The vast amount of stone works on the imagination of people. Not only 3000 years BC, but even today stones are piled up into nice shapes, maybe even with some (unknown) purpose.

• Visit Cavan - Cavan's meandering rivers, streams and tree-lined lakes provide the visitor with excellent opportunities for fishing, cruising and swimming. The county is said to have 365 lakes - one for each day of the year.

• Visit Connacht - Connacht is the smallest and most westerly of the four provinces. It includes counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim. The name of the province derives from the Connachta, the large tribal grouping which dominated the west and north of the island in the first few centuries A.D. They claimed descent from the mythical Conn, brother of Eogan, the ancestor of the rulers of Munster, the Eoghanachta.

• Visit Down - County Down is a maritime county located in Northern Ireland (Ulster). The county consists of 957 square miles, or 612,480 acres, of which about 514,000 are arable. Carlingford Bay separates it from Leinster on the south, and the Newry Canal and Lagan River form its boundaries on the west.

• Visit Fermanagh - The rivers and lakes of Fermanagh are heavy with fish and Lough Erne has claimed many world coarse angling match records. The trout and salmon fishing is good too - so good in fact, that the locals tend to ignore the coarser kind - and the whole region is highly developed for fishing.

• Visit Galway - Galway is the capital of the West of Ireland. The streets and buildings of this ancient town have many interesting features, and its position on the edge of the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) makes it the gateway to magnificent areas such as Connemara, Corrib country, and the Aran Islands. The city itself is a continuing centre of growth with its University, Institute of Technology, Theatres, Cathedral, Castle, Hotels, Docks, Industries as well as other interesting attractions.

• Visit Kildare - County Kildare takes its name from St. Brigid’s monastery beneath an oak tree; Cill Dara, the church of the oak tree. This 6th century saint is one of the three patrons of Ireland. Little factual evidence is known about the saint but it is traditionally believed that she founded a monastery at Kildare which was unique in that it was a mixed community of nuns and monks.

• Visit Laois - Surrounded by some wonderful rural tranquillity, Laois is nestled in the heart of Ireland and boasts a host of hidden charms. History and culture abound in the small county, combined with a fine selection of first class accommodation, sporting and recreational facilities.

• Visit Leinster - The only twelve county Province in Ireland is nestled on the eastern seaboard. Derived from the old Irish word Laigin, Leinster houses the most densely populated county of Ireland and indeed its capital city, Dublin. The population of Leinster now stands at over 1.8 million. Historically, county Meath, now part of Leinster, is the ancient seat of the high kings with its infamous capital of Tara and the early Celtic site of Newgrange.

• Visit Leitrim - The county boasts Ireland’s earliest salmon river – the Drowes at Tullaghan. There are lively riverside towns and cruise bases, with friendly pubs and impromptu music sessions. Visit Costello chapel , the smallest in Europe, the Glencar waterfall, or Parkes Castle. Leitrim is bound by water, which defines its character and supplies its recreation. The Shannon Erne Waterway, Europe’s longest inland navigable waterway, stretches through the county.

• Visit Longford - Longford possesses some of the countries best and totally unspoilt scenery. For many years it has been ignored by the tourist guide books which has resulted in these remote parts of Ireland being unaffected by the mass tourist market. If you want coach loads of tourists, gaming machines, chip shops, unsightly housing schemes etc, this is not the place for you, Longford remains unspoilt.

• Visit Louth - County Louth, affectionately known as "The Wee County" is ideally situated on the North East coast of Ireland enjoying simultaneous views of the mountains and sea alike. It is a vibrant county for Industry, Education, Agriculture, Tourism and Cultural Heritage. County Louth is well served with shops, restaurants, pubs, banks and a wide selection of tourist accommodation and recreational amenities.

• Visit Meath - County Meath consists almost entirely of a rich limestone plain, with occasional low hills. 'Royal Meath' was for centuries a separate province which included the area of County Westmeath. Meath was part of the Irish middle kingdom from the 2d century BC. It was chartered as a county in 1296. The Royal County…so called because it contained the seat of the High Kings of Ireland on Tara Hill.

• Visit Monaghan - County Monaghan is one of Ireland's best keep secrets! Unspoiled landscape, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and lots to do for both local and visitor alike. If your ideal holiday is fishing, walking, cycling, horse riding or playing golf then you will have too much to choose from. If you are interested in history, poetry, lace making, music and art there are many hours of entertainment in store.

• Visit Munster - It is the very essence of everything Irish, the soft purples of the mountains, the dazzling chess board maze of corn fields seen from the mountains on a sunny day, quaint white washed cottages, deep and magical forest glens, a rugged storm lashed coastline with rocky crags, sandy bays and bizarre windswept trees, and it is said to be the lushest of the four ancient provinces of Ireland.

• Visit Offaly - It is a County with a glorious past, and is symbolized by the monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise, burial place of Rory O'Connor the last High King of Ireland, and an internationally known place of learning from the 6th century A.D. The width of the county is crossed by the Grand Canal traversing the County from East to West, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful and tranquil waterways in Ireland.

• Visit Sligo - County Sligo is a county of extraordinary beauty and vivid contrast with its lakes and forests, mountains and rivers. It is a county for the lovers of nature and the wildlife enthusiast, the angler, sportsman, antiquarian or the person who simply wants to relax in peace and tranquillity. Immortalised by W.B.Yeats as the 'Land of Hearts Desire', Sligo has much to offer, and Ballymote makes an ideal centre for touring the whole region.

• Visit Tuam - Tuam lies 32km north of Galway City on the N17 major route. It owes its origin according to legend, to the broken chariot wheel which St. Jarlath took as a sign to found his monastic settlement here in the 5th century.

• Visit Tyrone - Northern Ireland's two main motorways strike out west from Belfast, skirting Lough Neagh 'that noble sheet of water' to the north and the south. To the north the M2 heads towards the Sperrins, while the M1 will bring you to the windswept moors of county Tyrone.

• Visit Waterford - Waterford City is the capital of the Sunny South East of Ireland. A natural playground for Golf, Equestrian, Walking, Angling, Water Sports and Cycling, enthusiasts, Waterford offers the complete holiday experience. The county offers a dazzling coastline, beautiful river valleys and two dramatic ranges of very accessible mountains.

• Visit Westmeath - Situated in the heart of Ireland, Westmeath is a county of remarkable beauty and diversity. Stretching from Lough Ree in the west to Lough Sheelin in the north-east, it is home to Tullynally, one of the largest castles in Ireland. North-east of Athlone lies 'Goldsmith County', an area associated with the 18th century writer Oliver Goldsmith. Glasson village inspired his poem The Deserted Village.

• Visit Wexford - County Wexford is located in the Southeast corner of Ireland. The County has four main towns, Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey and New Ross with a population of 116,596. County Wexford enjoys a rare mix of mountains, valleys, rivers, flora, fauna and breathtaking beaches spanning 200 km of coastline.

• Visit Wicklow - Known as the "Garden of Ireland", County Wicklow lies a mere 16 km from Wicklow and is blessed with beautiful scenery, a spectacular coastline and some of Ireland's best-preserved early Christian remains.