Quite aside from offering countless superb golf courses, Ireland is
without doubt one of the finest destinations for the visitor in the
world. Though continuous days of sunshine cannot always be guaranteed,
in terms of culture, history, friendliness, countryside and coastline,
Ireland is simply without parallel.
The island of Ireland comprises the Irish Republic (26 counties) and
Northern Ireland (6 counties), which is governed by the United Kingdom.
In golfing and tourist terms however, the entire country is perceived
as one and visitors are free to travel without restriction. Past troubles
in Northern Ireland have been well documented but talks are perpetually
progressing in order to resolve the remaining difficulties and peace
currently exists throughout the North.
Known universally as the Emerald Isle due to its lush greenness, Ireland
sits in the Atlantic Ocean, separated from the United Kingdom by approximately
50 miles and some 3,000 miles from the east coast of America. And
while the island of Ireland may only be of similar size to Lake Superior,
the Irish people and in particular the hoards of Irish emigrants,
have profoundly influenced the cultural, political, historical, architectural
and economical environs of the world today.
In terms of industry, agriculture has historically been the mainstay
of the Irish economy and while the importance of agriculture is reducing
relative to other sectors today, it remains a hugely important industry.
Recent years have seen tourism grow in importance to the Irish economy
and today is Ireland’s single largest industry. Technology too,
has played an important role in the ever-increasing roar of what has
become known as the Celtic Tiger, with Ireland ideally situated to
act as a gateway between the US and mainland Europe.
It is said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten and for
once the blarney rings true. And if Ireland isn’t quite the land
of the little people, fairy forts and leprechauns (which some still
insist it is by the way), there is still something magical about the
place. Perhaps it’s the ghostly presence of castle ruins and
ancient Celtic graves, perhaps it’s due to the impossibly lush
countryside and magical coastline or maybe it’s the inherent
gregarious nature of the people. Whatever the reason, Ireland remains
a beauty to behold and a treasure to be remembered forever.
