Ireland or The Republic of Ireland as it is officially known, encompasses about five sixths of the island of Ireland. It is a sovereign state, and the capital of the country is Dublin which is located to the east. The population of Ireland is around 4.6 million people, and is just over 70,000 square kilometres in size.
To the north it shares its only border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. To the south, The Republic of Ireland is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Celtic Sea, in the east the Irish Sea, and in the south east by Saint George's Channel.
Back in 1922 The Republic of Ireland gained independence from the United Kingdom, following the Irish War of Independence, and then the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty. However, Northern Ireland chose to exercise their right according to the Ulster Month to remain part of the United Kingdom.
The country is its own parliamentary republic, with its own elected President who serves as the head of the state. Some of the other major cities and town in The Republic of Ireland include Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Drogheda, Dundalk, Swords, Bray and Navan.
The cuisine is traditionally meat and dairy, washed down with either a beer or a fine whiskey. Many of the world's finest whiskey's are made in the Republic of Ireland and include single malt, single grain and blended varieties.
The top must see attractions in The Republic of Ireland include the Killarney National Park, Newgrange, Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, the Blarney Stone, the Guinness Storehouse, Bunratty Castle, the Dingle Peninsula, The Burren, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Hill of Tara, the Blarney Castle, Croagh Park, the National Museum of Ireland, Valentia Island, Croke Park, Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, the Church of St Anne, Dublin Castle, the Dublin Zoo, Bru na Boinne, the Wicklow Mountains, Slieve League, Mizen Head, Carrowmore, Knockarea, the National Library of Dublin, Down Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol, Tintern Abbey, the Dromoland Castle plus about 1,000 more wonderful and exciting places.