Galway (Cathair na Gaillimhe) is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the fifth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. The population of Galway’s Borough area is 75,414 according to the 2011 census. read more…
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Dublin is the largest and capital city of Ireland. The English name is derived from the Irish name Dubh Linn, meaning “black pool”. It is a primate city with an urban population of over 1 million, containing almost 25% of the country’s population. Dublin is situated near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey, and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island’s primary city following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century, and for a brief period was the second largest city within the British Empire and the fifth largest in Europe. After the Act of Union in 1800, Dublin entered a period of stagnation, but remained the economic centre for most of the island. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, the new parliament, the Oireachtas, was located in Leinster House. Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State and later of the Republic of Ireland. read more…
Limerick is the capital of County Limerick in the province of Munster in the southwest of Ireland and has 53,000 inhabitants. It is the historical center of the region and in some fields the center for the West of Ireland, particularly when it comes to tourism along the coast and the national parks in the West and South-East. Limerick is a good start and end point for the exploration of the widely spread national parks in the south. Because of the incredible landscape Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle. Visitors should catch the right season, because in this part of Ireland it sometimes rains in unbelievable quantities, even if the climate is generally mild. The largest river in Ireland, the Shannon, flows through the city and behind Limerick as Shannon Estuary in the Atlantic. The regional airport is the link to Dublin. Visitors who want to learn more about country, people and culture on the way to / from Dublin can catch an intercity bus. The trip by private or rental car can easily become an adventure. During the summer months the Limerick Region is the ideal terrain for motorcyclists who prefer Bed & Breakfast hostels. This allows the visitors to experience the origin of this part of Ireland best and in the truest sense. Limerick, despite the size, is the “second capital” of Ireland and in contrast to Dublin the much quieter but still vibrant representative. The city’s history goes back to a Viking settlement, by the way the only foreign forces, who ever succeeded in Ireland for a longer period of time. read more…
