Tourism in the Republic of Ireland

[1][2] Each year about €5.2bn in revenue is made from economic activities directly related to tourists, accounting for nearly 2% of GNP and employing over 200,000 people.

Ireland's national flag carrier is Aer Lingus, which services Europe, North America and North Africa, but the vast majority of flights originating from continental Europe come from another Irish company, Ryanair, the biggest low-cost airline in the world.

For travellers from mainland Europe and the UK, another way to enter the country is by sea, with connections by ferry to Roscoff and Cherbourg in France, Liverpool in England and Pembroke, Fishguard and Holyhead in Wales, Douglas on the Isle of Man and Santander in Spain.

In recent years the quality of Irish roads has improved dramatically with the advent of the Celtic Tiger and significant European Union funding, although outside the main routes, roads can be quite unpredictable in terms of quality and upkeep, especially in rural areas such as County Kerry and County Donegal.

Among the main attractions in Dublin are Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922, Phoenix Park, one of the largest inner-city parks in the world,[15] The General Post Office, one of Ireland's most famous buildings due to the 1916 Easter rising, Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison turned museum that held and executed the rebels of the 1916 Rising and Trinity College, where the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow are held.

Another historic attraction from this time is Cork City Gaol which opened in 1824 and was redeveloped as a visitor centre in the 1990s.

Other attractions Situated on the mouth of the River Shannon, Limerick has been an important gateway city for over 800 years.

Artists' works in the museum include Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jack B. Yeats and Henry Moore.

Situated in the southeast, the city has one of the warmest climates in Ireland, getting on average an extra hour of sunshine each day.

[34] The seaside town of Tramore is located just south of the city and has 5 km long beach, and is also a surfing spot.

As the west of the country faces the stormy Atlantic, it has become synonymous with surfing, particularly in counties Donegal, Sligo and Clare.

[42][43] Unlike the Wild Atlantic Way, the touring region doesn't have a set driving route,[citation needed] and instead highlights various sights throughout counties Westmeath, Offaly, Roscommon, Longford, Cavan, Leitrim, and parts of Tipperary, Clare and Galway.

[45][46] Taking its name from the MacGillycuddy Reeks, the area was voted as one of the "top 6 to visit" globally by Rough Guides in 2019.

The most famous by far is the St Patrick's Festival which takes place in every county all over Ireland and celebrates Irish culture the world over.

These matches, normally held around the middle of September, are normally fully sold out, with well over 80,000 people packed into Croke Park, the largest stadium in Europe not used primarily for Soccer.

This international competition, which is celebrated among the Irish communities all over the world, is held annually in the town of Tralee in County Kerry.

The winner is picked based on her personality and her ability to be a good role model for the festival and for Ireland during her travels around the world.

[49] The Galway Races is an Irish horse-racing festival that starts on the last Monday of July every year.

Held over the month of September every year, the festival attracts between 20,000 and 40,000 romantic hopefuls, coming from all over the world to take part in the events.

The two most famous geologically important destinations in the Republic are both situated in County Clare; the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren.

When a tropical sea flooded the south of the country, a buildup of coral (Limestone) began, covering many places in Ireland.

The Burren is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe and is one of the few places in the country where the limestone is visible above ground.

These mountains, formed between 400 and 250 million years ago, would have been the same height as the Alps, but due to weathering, have become much smaller over time.