The godfather of European guidebooks says skip to Cork. But Rick Steves is wrong. Ireland’s second city, home to 200,000 residents and the world’s second-largest natural harbor, is having a second coming. It was a long time coming. In the 1700s, it launched the world’s first yacht club. In 1848, it became the departure point … Read more
It’s more than an hour southwest of Killarney, and roughly 2 hours west of Cork. If that doesn’t help, and you are only very vaguely familiar with Irish geography (go on, admit, it), call it 4.5 hours outside Dublin. However you locate it, there lies the Beara Peninsula, one of Ireland’s most rugged, remote and beautiful … Read more
There’s nothing wrong with the Aran Islands, a popular destination off the coast of Galway. But if you want to get off the beaten path in the land of leprechauns and Bono-haters, you’ll have to expand your horizons. Ireland is home to more than 80 islands, about 20 of which are inhabited. The most worthwhile … Read more
For over 1,000 years, Ireland’s verdant hills and misty moors have held a secret — and no, we aren’t talking about leprechauns. We are talking about a spirit that is more entwined with the Irish identity than all the whiskey and Guinness combined. For three centuries, poitín (pronounced pot-cheen), Érie’s rare mountain dew, was illegal, … Read more
The Republic of Ireland plans to introduce warning labels to all alcohol products, due to take effect in 2026, and dozens of countries have complained that the effect is “disproportionate.” “I welcome that we are the first country in the world to take this step and introduce comprehensive health labeling of alcohol products,” Irish Health Minister Stephen … Read more