Frommer's Ireland 2008
Chapter One
The Best of Ireland
At first glance, Ireland presents a familiar face to American visitors. The language is
the same, only more lyrical, the faces are familiar, the food recognizable, and even the
beer is well known. Many visitors, notably Irish-Americans, experience it as a kind of
homecoming. It takes awhile for this superficial impression to wear off, but it will,
because this is a unique country in its own right, a fact that becomes clearer the longer
you stay here. The impenetrable Gaelic language is increasingly prevalent, and in some
counties, road signs are exclusively in that language. This creates a kind of distance, a
feeling of foreignness, that it seems many Irish do not mind cultivating. Once you
overcome that feeling, though, you'll find so much to love here. The sheer number of
sights, villages, charming pubs, and adorable restaurants and shops is overwhelming-you
always feel that you might be missing something.
For visitors this is an ideal country to traverse, and with its varied and extensive
offerings within a compact fram ... read full excerpt from Frommer's Ireland 2008 ebook
