Travelling to Ireland
Home to the capital, Dublin, it holds a population of more than two million people with the main language, English, with close to 75% of the population speaking Irish which is very common on the western coast. Irish is a Celtic language with Indo-European roots, sometimes referred to as Gaelic- which refers to the Scottish language. It should correctly be defined as Irish Gaelic. The name Gaelic is derived from the word Gale, the name given to the Celts. The Irish word for the language is Gaelige.
This fairly beautiful country is endowed with people who love farming and is also best known for its good production of meat like bacon, poultry and dairy products. The surrounding sea, inland lakes and rivers offer some of the best seafood which includes the salmon, trout, lobster, mussels and periwinkles.
Dublin offers some of the best restaurants- like the Malt house, K.C.Blake’s, Kirwan’s Lane Creative Crusine, Mcdonagh’s Seafood House -and eating places to suit your pocket, and sample some of the specialities offered like the Dublin Bay prawns, Oysters, Irish stew, Crubeens, Colcannon, Soda bread and the Soufflé made with carrageen. Accompany these dishes with a toast from Dublin’s whiskeys; Jamesons, John Powers Gold Label, Hewitts, Paddy and Middleton just to mention a few.
Obviously you won’t claim to have travelled to Ireland without you having to visit some of the most fascinating attractions ever for a once-in-a lifetime experience. They include The Burren- which is wedged between the rough beauty of the Aran Islands and the bustling university city of Galway, with its near featureless desolation which has often been likened to a moonscape and the ancient monuments and bizarre rock formations abound- The Hill of Tara, Dublin City, Glendalough, The Giant’s causeway, the list is endless.
Dublin has some of the most frequently visited hotels to its name; Adare, Arklow, Belfast, Birr, Clong, Clifden, County Dongeal, Ballsbridge and many more that you have to visit and acknowledge them. Especially the Adre Manor hotel and golf resort which combines old world charm with the ultimate golf and beauty spa equestrian facilities branding it a luxury destination that offers you the perfect choice of accommodation.
The history of Ireland is littered with dates and names, heroes and villains, successes and grandiose failures. Learn the overview of the Irish Saints and how Christianity influenced Ireland and what transpired from The Battle of the Boyne- 1690, which involved two armies consisting of the Danish, French, Dutch, Huguenot, German, English and even the Irish. That is why every visitor to Ireland should have some background information on the history and culture of the island. This will not only help to make sense of it all, it will also lead to a much deeper appreciation and more enjoyment of the visit. Some amazing fact and attractions which simply have to be seen in their historical context don’t you think?
Now the transport and communication sector has adversely developed with the ever evolving global technology. Ireland has over 34 airports of which 15 are paved and some of the most important sea ports- Cork, Dublin and Shannon Foynes. You can preferably hire a car for individual tours or a bus if you are in a group and scatter yourself on this island.
As said, when in Rome do as Romans. So next time you think of going out for any vacation, think of Ireland and you will surely become part of it. 
For an island with a relatively small population, Ireland has made a large contribution to world literature in all its branches, mainly in English. Poetry in Irish represents the oldest vernacular poetry in Europe with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century. Jonathan Swift, still often called the foremost satirist in the English language, was wildly popular in his day for works such as Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal, and he remains so in modern times. More recently, Ireland has produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature: George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Although not a Nobel Prize winner, James Joyce is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century; Samuel Beckett himself refused to attend his own Nobel award ceremony, in protest of Joyce not having received the award. Joyce’s 1922 novel Ulysses is considered one of the most important works of Modernist literature, and his life is celebrated annually on 16 June in Dublin as the Bloomsday celebrations.
The story of art in Ireland begins with Stone Age carvings found at sites such as Newgrange. It is traced through Bronze age artifacts, particularly ornamental gold objects, and the religious carvings and illuminated manuscripts of the mediæval period. During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, a strong indigenous tradition of painting emerged, including such figures as John Butler Yeats, William Orpen, Jack Yeats and Louis le Brocquy.
Modern Irish literature is still often connected with its rural heritage, through writers like John McGahern and poets like Seamus Heaney.
You MUST see these cool photo galleries!
Tags: culture, dance, ireland, Travel, trip, visit
Relevant Articles
Ireland Train Stations in Past and Present
Aliwan Fiesta on Philippines
You do not need to travel across the Philippine archipelago to experience colorful festivals. You do not need to spend so much money to the world-renowned and highly appreciated Philippine fiestas. You get to experience different cultures and traditions and at their best at the same time in one place during the Aliwan Fiesta in Manila.
Dubbed as the “mother of all fiestas,” the Aliwan Fiesta showcases the richness of Philippine heritage, not only to its people but also to the rest of the world. It is a highly anticipated annual event, with prizes summing up to millions of pesos, whereby contingents from all over the country promote their respective regions, both economically and tourism-wise.
Started in 2003, the fiesta was organized as a visual cultural extravaganza during the Christmas season. It showcases more than two dozen festivals from north to south and has categories: the float parade, the Reynang Aliwan, and the street dance competition. Each region has the option to send two contingents to represent its cultural festival. Likewise, participating regions have the option to send contingents for the float parade and the beauty pageant. However, entries for the street dance competition are limited. As a result, festival organizers screen participants, thus giving the public only the best presentations and performances. Now on its sixth year, the fiesta was slated on May 1-3 and was sponsored by the Manila Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the City Governments of Pasay and Manila.
Float Parade
The float parade is one of the most important parts of the fiesta where participants are only allowed to use locally produced flowers, textiles, vegetables, handicrafts, and other products available in their respective regions to decorate their vehicles. Each float, portraying local folklore and indigenous tradition, is adorned by a muse who will join the search for the Reynang Aliwan. This year, the Pamulinawen Festival of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte was adjudged as the champion, while the Sinulog Festival of Cebu City in Cebu Province and the Boling Boling Festival of Catanauan in Quezon Province emerged as the first and the second runner-ups, respectively.
Pamulinawen, which means “Ilocano maiden,” is a festival celebrated on February 2-11, in time with the Feast day of Saint William the Hermit, Laoag City’s patron saint. Sinulog, from the Cebuano word sulog, which means “like water current movement,” is one of the most famous festivals in the archipelago celebrated during the third week of January in commemoration of the conversion of the Filipinos from being pagans to Christians and in celebration of the Feast Day of Santo Nino, Cebu’s patron saint.
Boling Boling, on the other hand, is celebrated from the Sunday to the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, which signals the start of the Lenten season.
Reynang Aliwan
Aside from being a parade of culture, tradition, and festivities of the regions in the country, the Aliwan Fiesta is also a showcase of wit, charm, and beauty of Filipinas as they compete for the Reyna ng Aliwan. The beautiful muses represent their respective regions, wearing their respective costume, either traditional or customized but made up of local materials.
This year, Miss Davao City brought home the crown, because of her intelligence, irresistible charm, and statuesque height that captivated the nods of the judges. Her runner-ups were the muses of Pasay City, Cotabato City, Carmen of Cebu, and Kanlaon City of Negros Occidental.
Street Dance
The street dance competition is the main event of the Aliwan Fiesta, where each group, composed of up to 100 dancers and hundreds of musicians and support staff, have to undergo rigorous elimination processes through their local festivals before competing in the grand fiesta. They then try to impress the people, and of course the judges, while parading for four kilometers along Roxas Boulevard, Manila, from the Quirino Grandstand to the Aliw Theater grounds, near the CCP Complex in the City of Pasay. This year’s champion was the Sinulog Festival of Cebu City in Cebu Province. It was tailed by the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City in Iloilo Province and the other version of the Sinulog Festival of the Municipality of Carmen in Cebu Province.
Like the Sinulog, the Dinagyang is also a celebration of the Christian conversion of the Filipinos and a celebration of the Feast Day of Santo Niño. However, the latter is celebrated every fourth week of January, coupled with prayers amid the drum-banging voices of tribe members shouting “Hala Bira” and “Viva Senor Santo Nino”.
You MUST see these cool photo galleries!
Tags: art, culture, festival, fiesta, Manila, Philippines
Relevant Articles
Weddings in style – Indian Ocean & Beyond
