• The term "honeymoon" comes from the days when mead -- a drink made from fermented honey -- was Ireland's favorite alcohol. According to tradition, newlyweds were given enough mead to toast each other until the next full moon...
  
• Ireland, with 180 golf courses, is a paradise for golfers. And there are few places in the world as pleasant as the Emerald Isle for walking. The countryside, the people one meets along the way, and the well-placed watering spots make hiking a pleasure...
  
• The former headquarters of the notorious pirate Grace O'Malley are on Clare Island. For 40 years she commanded fleets and armies, leading rebellions against Queen Elizabeth I of England. Defeated, O'Malley was sent to London to pay homage to the queen. The Irish say it was a meeting between equals...
  
• Boyle in northwestern Ireland is home to a ruined 12th-century Cistercian Abbey...
  
• The Rock of Cashel in Tipperary County is said to have come from the devil himself. He was flying about with the rock in his mouth, was astonished to see St. Patrick, and dropped the huge stone. Today, the Romanesque Chapel of St. Cormac, built atop the rock, commemorates the event..
  
• During a rebellion in 1580, an international brigade of Italian, Spanish and Basque soldiers landed in Ireland to help win back the country for Catholicism. They occupied the Dun An Oir Fort near Munster until they were defeated a few months later by English troops. Among the victorious soldiers were Sir Walter Raleigh, colonizer and promoter of the new world, and Edmund Spenser, author of the epic poem "Faerie Queene"...
  
• The best place to meet the locals is in an Irish pub (they're called -- the "living rooms of the nation")...
  
• Thousands of people make the pilgrimage to climb Croagh Patrick, the most sacred Irish mountain. The annual climb takes place on Garland Sunday (the last Sunday in July)...
  
• Sherkin and Cape Clear Islands, off the coast of County Cork (and reached by boat from Baltimore) are popular for those seeking peace and quiet...
  
• The U.S. ambassador's residence is in the center of Dublin's Phoenix Park...
  
• Kinsale was the site of a battle in 1601 between the Spanish and Irish on the one hand and the victorious English on the other...
  
• Ferries link Ireland with Brittany in France, which is also a Celtic region. There's a surprising amount of cultural interchange between these two places...
  
• There are nearly 3,000 mi/4,800 km of coastline in Ireland...
  
• Horses can be rented at more than 70 equestrian centers...
  
• Model-railway buffs will enjoy the new Fry Model Railway Museum in Malahide Castle (outside Dublin). More than 300 trains are on display...
  
• Attend the Galway Oyster Festival in late September for great food, eating contests and other events...
  
• The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is open and generally regarded as safe to cross, but contact your embassy for any advisories before venturing into Northern Ireland...
  
• The Dublin Horse Show is held in August in Dublin...
  
• The Irish National Surfing Championships are held in Sligo...
  
• Thomas Moore wrote The Meeting of the Waters in Avoca...
  
• County Kerry was the first part of Europe sighted by Charles Lindbergh in his flight across the Atlantic. Using a compass and dead reckoning, the aviator was less than 3 mi/5 km off course after his long ocean crossing!...
  
• George Bernard Shaw wrote Saint Joan in the town of Glengarriff in southern Ireland...
  
• There are other crystal factories besides Waterford. Almost all offer tours...
  
• Consider renting a boat and traveling down the River Shannon for a few days. One route starts in Carrick-on-Shannon and visits the scenic loughs (lakes), passes through locks and the enjoyable scenery between Lough Key and Killaloe...
  
• St. Patrick's Day lasts a week in Ireland, the climax coming on 17 March. It's a great time to visit: Attend concerts, the dancing on St. Stephen's Green, and take in horse racing, Gaelic football and hurling...
  
• You can trace your Irish heritage at The Clare Heritage Centre. Write ahead if you want the help of a genealogist...
  
• Find the "Money Tree," near Mountrath (County Laois) -- it is studded with thousands of coins...
  
• A popular way to visit Ireland is to rent a car and stay in B-and-Bs. Several travel companies offer packages that include car rental and vouchers for countryside accommodations. Contact the Irish Tourist Board for details...
  
• Holidays: Public holidays include 1 January, 17 March, Good Friday, Easter Monday, 2 June (June Holiday), 4 August (August Holiday), and 25-26 December....
  

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