The
name Ireland derives from the name Ériu (in modern Irish, Éire) with the addition of the Germanic word land. Most other western European names for Ireland derive from the same source, such as French Irlande, Spanish, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese Irlanda, German Irland and Dutch Ierland. (wikipedia)
The
Shamrock is the most well known symbol for Ireland; and seems to be regarded as the national flower.
Irish step dancing is what most people think of when they think about Ireland and dancing.
You may have heard of Lord of the Dance. It is very fast paced and fun. The music is wonderful and can get anyone up and dancing.
The
population of Ireland as of 2007 was
4,109,086.
The
currency in the Republic of Ireland is the Euro (ISO currency code EUR). There are 7 euro notes. In different colours and sizes they are denominated in 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. The notes are uniform throughout the euro area; unlike coins, they have no national side. The designs are symbolic for Europe's architectural heritage. They do not represent any existing monuments.
There are 8 euro coins denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. Every euro coin carries a common European face. On the reverse, each Member State has their own motif. In the case of Irish coins they have a harp, the date and the word "ire" - i.e. word for Ireland in the Irish language.
To see the current exchange rate,
click here.
Getting around is pretty easy in Ireland, they have many forms of transportation. Whether you want to rent a
car, take a tour
bus, ride the
train, or take a
bike tour. Find the way that will give you the experience you want.
If you really want the full experience of Ireland I would say to stay in
B&B's that way you can be around locals, and get to experience might than you might if you were in a ritzy hotel. Another perk is that they are usually cheaper also.
Here are a list of Hotels and B&B's to look at.
Did you know?
Ireland is thought to have been inhabited from around 6000BC by people of a mid-Stone Age culture. And about 4,000 years later, tribes from Southern Europe arrived and established a high Neolithic culture. The best-known Neolithic sites in Ireland are the megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth in County Meath. Both were built around 3200BC, making them older than Stonehenge in England, and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Ireland’s famous patron saint didn’t actually come from Ireland.Saint Patrick was taken prisoner from his family home in Britain by Irish raiders and was brought to Ireland to work as a shepherd. After Patrick escaped back to Britain, he had a vision from God telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Now credited with introducing Christianity to Ireland, relics of St Patrick’s time here can be seen all over Ireland. One of the best known is Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, where Patrick fasted for 40 days in 441AD. Today, pilgrims climb the mountain every year on the last Sunday in July. Saint Patrick’s remains are believed to be buried in the grounds of Downpatrick Cathedral, County Down.
The latter half of the 19th century was a period of tragedy in Irish history.Ireland was struck by the Great Famine caused by a potato blight that struck crops over a four-year period from 1845-49. Over a million of the population died from starvation, with many more falling prey to diseases such as typhus. Over two million people emigrated to countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and from 1848-1950 over six million Irish fled the land. Now the Irish diaspora is thought to contain over 80 million people scattered all over the globe. To learn more about the famine visit The Famine Museum in Strokestown Estate, The Cobh Heritage Centre and the Famine Commemoration Centre in Skibbereen.
There are an estimated 80 million people who claim Irish ancestry. Imagine tracing your ancestry and discovering your family history! The Irish Genealogical Project can help you find the answers to the questions you have about your Irish roots. Take yourself on a journey of discovery that may inspire you to visit the land of your ancestors.
The website that has given me the most information is Ireland's tourist website, it is
www.discoverireland.comIt has a wonderful vacation planner, and links, and tips to pretty much everything you'll need.
So, I officially started packing yesterday. My mom went through all of her kitchen cupboards and pulled out all of my stuff, and old stuff of hers that she is giving to me. It filled up about half the kitchen table. It was kind of a weird feeling for me, with the splitting of the kitchen it kind of felt like what some people go through in a divorce; not that it was a bad situation but that we were going through stuff trying to figure out who bought what. Because I've bought several things through Pampered Chef parties, and other things. One funny thing was that my mom gave me an old liquid measuring cup, which through excessive use has lost all of the lines. So, the resourceful person that I am grabbed a permanent marker and drew them back on. It looks pretty cute, and kind of eclectic. I might even start a new line of country chic measuring utensils. What do you think? 
But, even through the big pile I'm kind of excited. I kept imagining myself in my little kitchen making something for a friend. It'll be neat to find my own style, and way of doing things once I have the room to do it in. I'm looking forward to getting it all set up, and kind of wish it would get here sooner.
