DRIVE IRELAND
CAR HIRE CENTRAL
RESERVATIONS
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The most northwesterly
country in Europe, the island of Ireland is 300 miles long
and 190 miles wide. It is battered from the west by the Atlantic
Ocean and lapped from the east by the choppy Irish Sea. Ireland
is divided into 32 counties, including the six British-controlled
counties in Northern Ireland, and four provinces - Ulster,
Leinster, Connacht, and Munster. The centre of the country,
or midland area, is dominated by limestone lowland, while
the coasts are generally more mountainous. Glaciation has
shaped the landscape, with a resultant smoothing of the coastal
mountains and the deposit of large volumes of clay and sand
in the central plain. Flowing from north to south is the
Shannon, the longest river in Ireland and Britain. Nearly
half of the Shannon above the estuary comprises three lakes;
Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg. All Ireland's principal
rivers flow from the plain and an interior canal system facilitates
transportation.
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The highest mountain
in Ireland, Carrantuohill in the MacGillicuddy's Reeks range,
stands at 1,041 metres (3,419 ft) and is located in the southwestern
county of Kerry. Other prominent mountain ranges are the
Nephin Beg range in the west with Mount Nephin at 719m (2,359
ft), the Caha Mountains, in the South-west where Mount Knockboy,
707m (2,321 ft), is situated; the Boggaragh Mountains in
the South, rising to 640m (2,100 ft), and the Wicklow Mountains
in the east, reaching more than 915m (more than 3,000 ft).
Among the many wonders of the Irish landscape is the Burren,
Co Clare, in the South-west of the country. Geologists describe
the Burren, meaning ‘great rock’, as 'Karst', after a similar
Slovenian formation. It is a strange lunar-like region of
bare carboniferous limestone, occupying 100 square miles
northwest of Lisdoonvarna. The Burren is known for its rare
alpine flowers and spectacular caves, streams, potholes and
'turloughs' (seasonal lakes). Dublin city is located midway
between north and south on the east coast of Ireland, in
Leinster. As the Dublin metropolitan area increases in density
on the approach to the coast, it is split by the River Liffey,
which creates a natural north/south division; the subject
of much Dublin snobbery from those who perceive the southside
to be more affluent. The city centre's perimeter is traced
by the Royal Canal to the north and the Grand Canal to the
south, while the Liffey, Dodder and Tolka are the rivers
of note.
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WHERE TO STAY
We have a choice
of hotels that can be booked
On-Line 24 hours
a day 7 days a week
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