Ireland - Jürgen Sorges

Gently rolling hills and golden sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, brown-red peat bogs and crystal clear lakes and rivers teeming with salmon and trout: The 84,079 km2 (32,599sq miles) Atlantic island in north-western Europe has immense attractions. It also justifiably bears the title "Emerald Isle": lush green fields and pastures characterize the landscape, with spots of color from yellow broom or red rhododendron setting accents. And yes, sometimes it even rains. In Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast, the famous rapid weather changes are taken with composure: "Just wait a minute!" Only a short time later, sunrays breaking through the clouds bathe the island in an even more fascinating, mystically beautiful light. The Republic of Ireland covers five sixths of the island, the rest being Northern Ireland, which has been separated again by the EU's external border since 2020. Ireland's accession to the EU in 1973 in particular brought prosperity to the Republic: even the economic crisis of 2008 only slowed down the "Celtic Tiger" decade of success. In 2018, per capita income made the Republic the second richest nation in Europe and the fifth richest in the world. And Northern Ireland also experienced a huge upswing despite the civil war-like troubles. Gone are the days of poverty and need. What remains are the Irish people's wistfulness and pride in their history: myths and romantic legends live on in literature and music, which resound in pubs with whiskey. And of course Gaelic is spoken again on the island: "Failte", "Welcome" to the Emerald Isle!