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Situated on the very west of Europe, Ireland is one of the most prosperous countries in Europe. Ireland first joined the ECC in 1977 and since then has gone from strength to strength. During the late 1980s the country nearly went bankrupt. 15 years of economic growth has transformed Ireland from a country on the brink of bankruptcy to now being one of the richest countries in the world.

Ireland is divided up into four provinces or regions with each province containing several counties. Leinster (Counties: Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow), Munster (Counties: Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Clare, Limerick, Waterford), Connaught (Counties: Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo) and Ulster (Counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry and Tyrone).

Ireland is the third largest Island in Europe after Greenland and Great Britain, but more than any other member of the EU, Ireland's national identity revolves around Ireland being an Island. The Irish people are proud to be different from the rest of the world and of the impact that their tiny nation has had on the world.

The island of Ireland is very diverse as regards geography, climate and culture. Dublin is now a European city with a young wealthy population which areas of Kerry are still Irish Speaking and stay true to the Irish culture. The River Shannon is one of the biggest rivers in Europe and has over 500km of navigable waterways. The South of Ireland has a beautiful coastline while the North is divided between the Irish counties of Donegal, Fermanagh and Monaghan and Northern Ireland which is still loyal to the United Kingdom.

For whatever reason you decide to visit Ireland, there are so many things that are unique to this wonderful place that it is hard to decide what to see. Dublin is a major attraction, but to visit Ireland and not see the contrasts to Dublin that exist in the rest of the country is a shame. For information about car rental in Ireland please do not hesitate to contact us.