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.
30 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Mountpleasant Square Park
Mount Pleasant Square is a Georgian garden square located in the Ranelagh area of Dublin, Ireland. It forms part of the city's notable collection of 18th and 19th century residential squares, characteristic of Dublin's architectural heritage.
Pearse Square is a public urban square in Dublin, part of the city's Georgian streetscape.
Wolfe Tone Square is a public square in Dublin, named after Theobald Wolfe Tone, a leading figure in Irish republican history. The square functions as an open urban space, gathering point and pedestrian thoroughfare within the city centre.
Blessington Street Basin is a historic reservoir located in Dublin, Ireland. Constructed in the early nineteenth century as part of the city water supply system, it formed a crucial component of Dublin's municipal infrastructure.
Booterstown Marsh
Booterstown Marsh is a salt marsh nature reserve located in Booterstown, a coastal suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It sits alongside the DART railway line and the coast road between Blackrock and Booterstown.
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.
