1. The Giant's Causeway
© 2007 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.
Stretching northwards into the sea from the Antrim coast, the regular basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway seem almost man-made. That's why their creation was attributed to legendary giant Finn McCool, wanting to cross over to Scotland. But the Giant's Causeway is all natural. And certainly a wonder.
- Guide Review of the Giant's Causeway.
- Giant's Causeway Image Gallery.
2. Slieve League
© 2007 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.
Imagine driving up a steep hillside ... and suddenly facing a sheer drop of a few hundred feet down into the ocean. Not an uncommon occurrence in the Irish west. But the steepest drop of them all is in Donegal. The cliffs of Slieve League tower feet above the Atlantic. Watch your step!
- Guide Review of Slieve League.
- The Cliffs of Moher - more accessible and much more expensive.
3. The Burren
© 2007 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.
Bleak, bleak, bleak ... the Burren is certainly not easy on the eye. Its grey limestone plateau is scarred by ages of rain and constant erosion. Less dusty than the moon, mainly due to lots of wind, but called a lunar landscape nonetheless. And strangely compelling - even though there seems nothing to be worth looking at first, you can’t look away.
- Guide Review of the Burren.
4. Shannon and Erne
© 2007 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.
Both the mighty Shannon and the great Erne have their humble origins in County Cavan, but soon proceed to run radically different courses. Not only as rivers, but also as loughs (lakes). And both are a paradise for anglers, boaters, bird-watchers and all other outdoor-sy folk.
- Cruising on Ireland's Inland Waterways.
- Clonmacmoise - a Jewel on the Shannon.
- Touring Lower Lough Erne by Car.
- Enniskillen - the Town Straddling the Erne.
5. Basking Sharks
You think "Jaws" was scary? Try meeting a basking shark in Irish waters! Fortunately these giants are quite gentle, feeding on small fry only and not at all dangerous to humans. Unless the latter die of a heart attack while snorkeling across the big beasts peaceful path.
- Basking sharks are hard to spot, but you may try the Cliffs of Moher or Slieve League as a good vantage point.
- The Natural History Museum in Dublin has a preserved basking shark on show.
6. The Bog of Allen
Ireland's boglands are numerous and vast, but the Bog of Allen northeast of Kildare Town is one of the easiest to find. And quite spectacular, with endless flat lands suddenly interrupted by hills breaking through the monotonous bogland. Rising from the bog like an island from the sea.
7. Rainbows and Nightskies
© 2007 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.
I have lived in Ireland for what seems like ages now. But these celestial wonders never cease to amaze me. Rainbows are often seen and of extraordinary brightness, though the proverbial pot of gold still eludes me. And the sky at night (outside the urban areas, naturally) is often so clear that you seem to fall into it.
