Country guide
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. Abo...
Photograph · Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
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.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
19 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Kilmainham Jail Museum
Kilmainham Gaol is a decommissioned county prison on the western edge of Dublin 8, kept as a museum by the Office of Public Works and reached only on a guided tour.
Chester Beatty Library is a museum and library in Dublin, Ireland. It houses the collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, a mining magnate and collector.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is an interactive digital museum located in Dublin's Docklands, within the historic CHQ Building. It explores the stories of Irish emigration throughout history, examining why people left Ireland and how they influenced the world.
The Old Jameson Distillery is a visitor attraction located on Bow Street in Smithfield, Dublin. It occupies the site of the original Jameson whiskey distillery founded by John Jameson in 1780.
The Little Museum of Dublin
The Little Museum of Dublin is a small city-centre museum dedicated to the history of Ireland's capital in the twentieth century. Housed in a Georgian townhouse on St Stephen's Green, it presents a compact, idiosyncratic collection assembled through public donation.
Dublinia is a historical recreation museum in Dublin, Ireland, presenting the city's medieval and Viking heritage. Located near Christ Church Cathedral, the attraction uses interactive exhibits to explore Dublin's past from its Viking settlement origins through the medieval period.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Emergency services in Ireland answer 112 or 999. Type G sockets use 230 V, and mains tap water is recorded as safe.
