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Cheap Hotels in Ireland
Hotels in Ireland
The island of Ireland lies off the West Coast of Great Britain. It is in the Northern Hemisphere and has the Atlantic Ocean surrounding its West Coast and the Irish Sea on it's East Coast.
The island is divided into two parts: The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Ireland or 'Éire' are the official names of the Republic of Ireland in English and Irish respectivley. The Republic of Ireland is its official description. Ireland receives over 8 million visitors a year from all over the world, half of which visit the capital city, Dublin. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency system in 1999 along with ten other EU nations. The euro replaced the previous Irish pound.
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, and is sometimes referred to as 'The North' by those in the Republic of Ireland. The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. Northern Ireland's currency is the pound sterling.
The population is approximately 4¼ million in the Republic of Ireland and just under 2 million in Northern Ireland. The island's area is approximately 84,412 km² (32,591 square miles).
The landscape for the island has a mixture of mountainous regions and flatlands. The river Shannon which is 161 miles long, runs along a good length of the island and mountains curve around the coastal areas, mostly to the west and south west. The position just of the Atlantic Ocean creates a temperate climate and lots of rainfall, creating good agricultural conditions and lush green valleys and lowlands, thus earning the island the affectionate name of 'The Emerald Isle'. The island has quite mild summers and wet and cold winters.
History of Ireland
Up until 100 AD, the island had been home to a series of Celtic tribes who divided the land between themselves, the last of which were the Gaels. In ancient scripts from the Roman Empire, the island is mentioned as early as 900 AD although, referred to as Hibernia, which was the name, the island was given by the Romans.
In approximately 400 AD, St Patrick landed on the island and began his teaching of Christianity. The religion spread rapidly and monasteries and altars sprang up throughout the land. Skirmishes and conflicts between the locals and Viking raiders saw monasteries and towns burnt and pillaged and after some time the towns such as Dublin, Cork and Waterford were occupied and a peaceful period ensued. King Henry II of England, claimed some of the island through Pope Adrian IV and after a while English law was introduced. During the next few years, struggles between the remaining Gaelic societies existed and finally, during the Tudor period of England, the English took over the whole island.
In 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain united and became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, ruled by parliament from London, the capital of England. In 1922, an Anglo-Irish War took place, resulting in the 32 counties of the island, voting to split in two. The Northern Ireland part being made up with six of these counties and the remaining 26 counties, forming the Republic of Ireland. This has been the cause of civil unrest since that time and still is today, however a peaceful period has prevailed for the last several years.
Ireland Embassy
For your convenience we have listed Irish embassys below. Embassys can provide you with information regarding visas and other important travel information.
