Ireland is a beautiful and rugged country with a mix of ancient villages and busy cities. It has a rich, fascinating and often sad history.
The Irish people are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality. And they love a party. One Irish word you will hear in your first week is craic. Where’s the craic? Which means where’s the fun or the party.
Dublin and Cork are bustling vibrant cities. They are young at heart and it’s easy to find the craic. Outside the big cities, you can explore the dramatic wild landscapes and villages and castles where time has stood still. And, of course, on the Emerald Isle the beer is black.
The Irish love their music and you can find live music in most cities and towns almost every night. They are informal and friendly and happy to talk. They are charming and have a way with words, just like one of their most famous sons, Oscar Wilde .
Here are some of his most famous quips:
- We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
- Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.
- The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
- To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
- There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
- To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
