Ireland

Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. Politically, the state Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, covering the remainder in the north-east.

The island operates as a single entity in a number of areas which transcend constitutional divisions. With a few notable exceptions, the island operates as a single unit in all major religious denominations, in many economic fields despite using two different currencies, and in sports such as hurling, Gaelic football, rugby, golf, cricket and hockey. An exception to this is soccer.

The Republic of Ireland and Britain undoubtedly have notable similarities, but Irish people generally take pride in the cultural differences that exist between Ireland and Britain, and can be quite offended by tourists who do not acknowledge or show respect to these differences. Indeed it is not uncommon for foreigners (both before and after arrival into the country) to foolishly assume that Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom like Scotland or Wales; this incorrect assumption will generally cause strong offense to locals in the Republic of Ireland who take pride in Ireland's status as a state independent of the United Kingdom.

Though the strife of its political conflict over the last half-century might suggest otherwise, Irish hospitality is warm and inviting, providing an excellent framework for touring the nation's many attractions. Pubs occupy many a street corner, and the merry atmosphere is often accented by someone playing the fiddle, accordion or singing. Old-style houses line the streets in Dublin, but here the fundamental irony of modern-day Ireland is best exemplified: often inside these historical houses, operate thriving computer and telecommunications industries. The simultaneous actions of treasuring the past and latching onto the current day's competitive international market create an interesting tension, one which for the most part has not done Ireland any harm.

By 2007 Ireland had become the fifth richest country (in terms of GDP per capita) in the world, and the second richest in the European Union. Of course, the booming economy has pushed the standard of living up, with one negative side effect for the traveler: Ireland's not a cheap destination.

Since March 2004 almost all enclosed places of work, including bars, restaurants, cafés, etc., in Ireland have been designated as smoke-free. Even though they are not obliged to enforce the ban, owners of most hotels have designated some bedrooms or floors as smoking and some as non-smoking, so you should specify at the time of booking if you have a preference either way. The smoking ban also applies to common areas within buildings. This means for example that corridors, lobby areas and reception areas of buildings such as apartment blocks and hotels are also covered under the law. An any person found guilty of breaching the ban on smoking in the workplace may be subject to a fine of up to 3,000 euros.