Practical Information for Travelling to Ireland

Climate
Ireland is usually described as having a mild climate. It rarely enjoys any extreme temperatures - either hot or cold - mostly due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and its location in the path of the prevailing southwesterly winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean.

Generally speaking the coldest months are January and February with average daily temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees Celsius. The warmest months are July and August with temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees Celsius and the sunniest months are May and June, averaging five to seven hours of sunshine per day.

However, you always need to keep in mind that it rains A LOT in Ireland and can rain at any time of the year or day. Changeable is a term often attached to the weather and it's not unusual to have all four seasons in the one day!

Language
There are two official languages in Ireland - Irish or Gaelic and English.

Irish or Gaelic is a Celtic language and is the national language of Ireland but is spoken by only a minority of the population on a daily basis. Under British rule the language was almost totally eradicated but recent revival efforts have succeeded in keeping the language alive in at least some areas of the country. The places where Irish is spoken on a daily basis are called Gaeltacht areas and most are located in the west and south of the country.

The majority of the population speaks English however, and most major media is in English.

Currency
Irish currency is currently the Irish Punt but in 2002 the country will change over to the Euro.

Recommended Currency Converter: This easy to use currency converter will help you convert your money to Irish Punts or Euros in seconds.

Getting there
Most visitors will fly into Dublin International Airport. If you are visiting the west of the country you might want to get a flight to Shannon - either a direct one or a connection from Dublin. Aer Lingus is the national airline but many other airlines fly into Dublin like British Airways, Delta and many more.

Aer Lingus: Ireland's national airline - the official site.

Getting around
Ireland's national rail company is Iarnrod Eireann, operating comfortable and relatively inexpensive train travel between the large cities like Dublin, Galway and Cork.

Iarnrod Eireann: Ireland's national train company - official site.

The national bus company is Bus Eireann and it runs buses to and from the large cities as well as between smaller towns and villages. Buses are comfortable and inexpensive and can take you to just about anywhere you want to go - even the smallest village.

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