Ireland 2009

Éire, The Emerald Isle, green, rain, 39 more shades of green, shamrocks, potatoes, leprechauns, drunks, Guinness, poitín, bar fights, "Irish Time" (being 2 hours late for everything), Catholicism, Celts. Any other clichés go here.

Ireland is the second largest island in the British Isles archipelago. Renowned for its Celtic heritage and strong Catholic influence, it is divided into two separate countries; Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland (normally just called Ireland, though that confuses it with the name of the island). Northern Ireland is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, while the Republic of Ireland is an independent country. Both are divided into separate counties, which are as important to the Irish as states are to the United States of America, or countries are to the rest of us.

Ireland is a major tourist destination, with nearly twice as many tourists annually as there are residents. Most go to enjoy the lush greenery and the carefree, laid-back Irish attitude. I last visited Ireland 16 years ago, at the end of my time in school there. Given the lack of photos that accompany that stay, this gallery attempts to make up for it by reclaiming the memories and adding new ones, so ... it's ... erm ... large.

Most places in Ireland have old Gaelic names, and Anglicised versions of them. The Anglicised names usually try very hard to sound like their Gaelic counterparts, and the vast majority of Ireland is English-speaking (children learn Irish Gaelic in school, then forget it afterwards). Irish Gaelic is used by a mere 3% of the population, in isolated Gaeltacht areas. As a result, I shall use the Anglicised version of the names everywhere, as that is what the vast majority of the Irish population will use.

A note to visitors; drivers in Ireland have their flaws that are worth being aware of before attempting to drive there (this applies to Northern Ireland as well - convert to mph as appropriate):

They do not use their indicators - they are only things that need to be used to pass the driving test. This is a driving culture that affects virtually all drivers, including the police/garda. When they do use their indicators, it's typically for the wrong reasons, such as indicating left before turning right. Some use hazard warning lights to signify that a turn is going to happen.
Irish drivers have absolutely no concept of speed limits. The signs that give the current speed limit are totally ignored by all drivers, including the police/garda. Drivers will drive at 90-95 km/h, even if the speed limit says 25, 50, 60 or 100 km/h. If you obey the speed limits, other drivers will become frustrated with you. This includes the police/garda.
When drivers wish to drive faster, they will get caught behind someone doing 90-95. They prefer to tailgate instead of overtake.
Overtaking often happens with the slowest drivers (tractors) using a special lane to the left. Some other drivers may randomly use it for this purpose, but only to allow the tailgaters to get past. They will not normally allow you to also overtake unless you were also tailgating, though they may continue to indicate left while pulling back out of the lane in front of you.
Ireland has a lot of tiny lanes with hidden junctions. While you are driving at 90-95 (of course) down any road, you have to be prepared for someone to pull out of a hidden side road into that gap between you and the car in front, and accellerate to just 10 km/h, forcing you to make an emergency stop. This is normal, and is not something you should get annoyed about. Accept it, and drive on.
The smaller B roads on the Antrim Coast do not always have enough space per lane for a coach, but they have a lot of coach tours. They will use both lanes. You will be expected to get out of their way (just drive into a hedge, OK), and they will almost never thank you for it.