Roavina

Country guide

Ireland

A photograph of Ireland
Photograph · Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ireland here means the state covering 26 of the island's 32 counties; the other six are Northern Ireland, and the two share the republic's only land border. About 5.4 million people live in the 26, more than 1.5 million of them in Dublin on the east coast, where most arrivals begin. Everything else is a direction away from the capital - the Atlantic west and its cliffs and harbour towns, the Celtic Sea to the south beyond Cork, the Irish Sea coast running north. The island is small enough to cross by car in a day, which regularly tempts people into trying it.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Irish and English
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+353
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112 or 999
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type G · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
Public supplies are monitored; follow any local boil-water notice

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Guinness Storehouse Guinness Storehouse
    02 2 hours

    Guinness Storehouse

    The Guinness Storehouse is the ticketed visitor experience inside the working St. James's Gate brewery, in the Liberties, about a mile west of Dublin's centre.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  2. Dublin Castle Dublin Castle
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Dublin Castle

    Dublin Castle occupies a walled block off Dame Street in the middle of the city, and it is not the moated fortress the name promises.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  3. Book of Kells Book of Kells
    04 45 min

    Book of Kells

    The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament. It is housed at Trinity College Dublin.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  4. Temple Bar Temple Bar
    05 2 hr 30 min

    Temple Bar

    Temple Bar is a neighbourhood rather than a building: about a dozen cobbled streets on the south bank of the River Liffey, bounded by the river to the north, Dame Street to the south, Westmoreland Street to the east and…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  5. General Post Office General Post Office
    06 45 min

    General Post Office

    The General Post Office stands on O'Connell Street in Dublin as one of Ireland's most recognisable civic buildings. Designed by Francis Johnston and completed in 1818, it serves as the headquarters of An Post, the Irish postal service.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  6. Ha'penny Bridge Ha'penny Bridge
    07 45 min

    Ha'penny Bridge

    Ha'penny Bridge is a historic pedestrian bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin city centre. Its local name and common name are identical: Ha'penny Bridge.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  7. Farmleigh Farmleigh
    08 45 min

    Farmleigh

    Farmleigh is a historic estate and official Irish State guest house located in the Phoenix Park area of Dublin. The property serves as a venue for state functions and is also open to public visitors.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  8. Casino at Marino Casino at Marino
    09 45 min

    Casino at Marino

    The Casino at Marino is a small pleasure house located in the northern suburbs of Dublin, Ireland.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  9. National Library of Ireland National Library of Ireland
    10 45 min

    National Library of Ireland

    The National Library of Ireland is a cultural institution on Kildare Street in Dublin. It serves as the country's principal repository for Irish documentary heritage, holding extensive collections of books, manuscripts, newspapers, and visual materials.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  10. Marsh's Library Marsh's Library
    11 45 min

    Marsh's Library

    Marsh’s Library is an early eighteenth-century library beside St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. Archbishop Narcissus Marsh founded it as the first public library in Ireland, intended to provide a place of study for anyone able to read.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  11. City Hall City Hall
    12 45 min

    City Hall

    Dublin City Hall

    Dublin City Hall is a civic building on Dame Street in Dublin, Ireland. Built in the late 18th century, it originally served as the Royal Exchange before becoming the seat of Dublin Corporation.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  12. National Leprechaun Museum National Leprechaun Museum
    13 45 min

    National Leprechaun Museum

    The National Leprechaun Museum is a visitor attraction in Dublin dedicated to Irish folklore and mythology, with particular emphasis on leprechaun legends.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  13. Ashtown Castle Ashtown Castle
    14 45 min

    Ashtown Castle

    Ashtown Castle is a tower house located within the grounds of the Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland. The structure represents a surviving example of medieval defensive architecture, characteristic of Irish tower houses built during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  14. Castleknock Castle Castleknock Castle
    15 45 min

    Castleknock Castle

    Castleknock Castle is a historic structure located in the Castleknock area of Dublin, Ireland. The castle stands as a remnant of medieval fortification within the broader Dublin region.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  15. Drimnagh Castle Drimnagh Castle
    16 45 min

    Drimnagh Castle

    Drimnagh Castle is a Norman castle located in the Drimnagh suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is the only remaining castle in Ireland still surrounded by a flooded moat.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  16. Grange Abbey Grange Abbey
    17 45 min

    Grange Abbey

    Grange Abbey is a historic religious site in Dublin, Ireland, connected with the country’s long ecclesiastical heritage. The place contributes to Dublin’s layered historical landscape and offers travelers an opportunity to encounter a site associated with medieval monastic settlement patterns.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  17. Magazine Fort Magazine Fort
    18 45 min

    Magazine Fort

    Magazine Fort is an eighteenth-century military fortification in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. The building served as a storage facility for gunpowder and ammunition, which explains its name and its defensive design.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  18. Dunsink Observatory Dunsink Observatory
    19 45 min

    Dunsink Observatory

    Dunsink Observatory is an astronomical observatory situated in the northern suburbs of Dublin, Ireland. Established in the eighteenth century, it holds historical significance as one of the oldest scientific institutions in the country.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  19. Teeling Distillery Teeling Distillery
    20 45 min

    Teeling Distillery

    Teeling Whiskey Company

    Teeling Distillery is a working whiskey distillery and visitor attraction in Dublin. It connects contemporary Irish whiskey production with the city's long distilling tradition, giving travelers a chance to encounter whiskey making in an active production setting.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  20. Father Mathew monument Father Mathew monument
    21 45 min

    Father Mathew monument

    Theobald Mathew

    The Father Mathew monument commemorates Theobald Mathew, an Irish Catholic temperance reformer who led the Total Abstinence Society in nineteenth-century Ireland. The statue stands as public sculpture in Dublin, representing Mathew's historical significance in Irish social history.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  21. O'Connell Monument O'Connell Monument
    22 45 min

    O'Connell Monument

    Daniel O'Connell

    The O'Connell Monument is a public memorial statue honouring Daniel O'Connell, the nineteenth-century Irish political leader known as The Liberator. Located on O'Connell Street in central Dublin, the monument stands as a prominent feature of the city's main thoroughfare.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  22. Parnell Monument Parnell Monument
    23 45 min

    Parnell Monument

    Charles Stewart Parnell Monument

    The Charles Stewart Parnell Monument is a public memorial located on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland. It commemorates Charles Stewart Parnell, a prominent nineteenth-century Irish nationalist politician who served as Member of Parliament and led the Irish Parliamentary Party.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  23. Sir John Gray monument Sir John Gray monument
    24 45 min

    Sir John Gray monument

    Sir John Gray Knt MD JP

    The Sir John Gray monument is Thomas Farrell’s 1879 memorial to the newspaper proprietor, parliamentarian and Dublin waterworks chairman.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  24. Wellington Monument Wellington Monument
    25 45 min

    Wellington Monument

    The Wellington Monument is a monumental obelisk in Dublin's Phoenix Park. It commemorates Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, an Anglo-Irish military and political figure associated with the victory at Waterloo.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  25. William Smith O'Brien monument William Smith O'Brien monument
    26 45 min

    William Smith O'Brien monument

    William Smith O'Brien Monument

    The William Smith O'Brien Monument is a public memorial in Dublin commemorating the 19th-century Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament. O'Brien was a leading figure in the Young Irelander movement and participated in the 1848 rebellion.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  26. Mill Street House Mill Street House
    27 45 min

    Mill Street House

    Mill Street House is a named visitor point in Dublin, on Mill Street south of the River Liffey. The listing places it within the central urban fabric, close to the Liberties and the wider historic city centre.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  27. St. Assam's Church St. Assam's Church
    28 45 min

    St. Assam's Church

    St Assam's Church

    St. Assam's Church is a named church in Dublin and a place of worship within the city. Its principal character is religious and community-oriented, so visitors should approach it as a sacred building rather than as a conventional museum attraction.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  28. Fusiliers' Arch Fusiliers' Arch
    29 45 min

    Fusiliers' Arch

    Fusiliers’ Arch is a sandstone memorial gateway at the Grafton Street entrance to St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. It commemorates members of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers who died in the Second Boer War.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin
  29. Convention Centre Dublin Convention Centre Dublin
    30 45 min

    Convention Centre Dublin

    The Convention Centre Dublin

    Convention Centre Dublin is a large conference and events venue on North Wall Quay beside the River Liffey in Dublin’s Docklands. The building opened in 2010 and was designed by architect Kevin Roche.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Dublin

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Ireland be?

Seven to ten days supports Dublin plus one coherent coastal or western circuit. A shorter trip should choose either the southwest, Galway and Connemara, or Northern Ireland connections rather than tracing the entire island.

What entry documents are needed for Ireland?

Irish Immigration explains the documents examined at the border. Visa need, passport validity and supporting evidence depend on nationality; Ireland is not part of Schengen, so a Schengen permission alone does not settle Irish entry.

What is the best way to travel around Ireland?

Dublin is the largest air gateway, with Shannon and Cork useful for western and southern routes. Intercity rail and coach links serve the main cities, while rural peninsulas and small settlements often require a car or planned bus connection.

When is a practical time to visit Ireland?

May to September offers longer daylight for road and coastal itineraries. Rain and wind remain possible throughout the year, so ferry crossings and exposed walks need a current forecast rather than a seasonal assumption.

What money and payment basics apply in Ireland?

Ireland uses the euro (EUR). The cited national tourism source does not record a universal payment rule; confirm card acceptance for rural transport, small accommodation and deposits, and retain an alternative.

What practical safety details should I save for Ireland?

Emergency services in Ireland answer 112 or 999. Type G sockets use 230 V, and mains tap water is recorded as safe.