The island on the edge of Europe might be small but it's a big hitter when it comes to music, literature, sport and its people's ability to find the craic in every situation.
The Celtic Tiger roared through the Republic in the 1990s and brought unprecedented wealth and immigrants on cheap flights to Ireland seeking work. The Ireland of traditional, small farms and industries went high-tech - at least in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, but it has not forgotten its roots. Traditional music sessions are a weekly event in many country pubs and Irish dancing is a popular pastime.
Buffeted by the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast and the calmer Irish Sea on the east, there is nowhere in Ireland that is more than 50km from the sea. The rolling hills are made for walking, climbing, biking and horse-riding and the many golf courses are lush and, of course, green.
The seas around Ireland give up plentiful and delicious seafood and its still largely family-run farms produce the meat and vegetables for Ireland's hearty cuisine.
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