Country Guides: Ireland

Ireland’s beauty and spirit has justly inspired the monikers of Emerald Isle and, more recently, Celtic Tiger. With a turbulent history beset with civil war, famine and threats to its identity far behind, it has managed to hold onto its Celtic language and culture while becoming a major commercial player and an attractive option for corporate investors and migrant workers. The country that inspired the wit and imagery of such literary greats as Oscar Wilde and James Joyce is diverse, but still retains its breadth of fresh air appeal. Dublin has enjoyed the development afforded to countries in the midst of an economic boom with its new shopping centres and upscale hotels, but rolling green hills and the footprints of history are never too far away.