No stay in Ireland is complete without sampling its magnificent language, first language to thousands across the island. A few common phrases are easy to pick up and go a long way in the pubs!
Some Useful Irish Phrases:
Please
Le do thoil Leh duh hullGoodbye
Slán SlawnHow are you?
Conas atá tú?/Cén chaoi ina bhfuil tú? cunas a taw two cane cwe in a vuill twoHello
Dia duit dee a gwitThank you
Go raibh maith agat guh rev mah agatTomorrow
Amárach a maw rockExcuse me
Gabh mo leithscéal Go muh leh scaylWhat's your name?
Cad is ainm duit? cod is an im dit(ch)Cheers!
Sláinte slawn chaIt is however important to note that the vast majority of Irish people do not speak, or in many cases understand, the Irish language with any degree of fluency.
You can learn many interesting facts about Ireland's history and culture. One of the things Ireland is most famous for is Irish dancing. Riverdance, a popular show centered on Irish step dancing, started in Ireland. Irish traditional music is also popular throughout.
Ireland has internationally-respected universities, including the venerable Trinity College Dublin the only college of the University of Dublin. The National University of Ireland has constituent colleges in Dublin, Galway, Cork and Maynooth. Other colleges/universities include Dublin City University DCU, University of Limerick UL, Institues of Technology in the larger towns/cities around the country and other higher education colleges.
Literature has many great Irish authors writing in both Irish and in English, including James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan and Oliver Goldsmith. The writer of Gulliver's Travels, Dean Jonathan Swift, was from Dublin, and poets W. B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh also hailed from Ireland. There are many literary tourist attractions and tours in Dublin, especially.
Ireland is part of the European Union/European Economic Area, and as such any EU/EEA or Swiss national has an automatic right to take up employment in Ireland. Non EU/EEA citizens will generally require a work permit and visa. Further information can be found on Citizens Information (http://www.citizensinform...), the Irish government's public services information website.