IRELAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 311

IRELAND
Known as “the Emerald Isle,” Ireland is no doubt the greenest country of Europe.
According to legend, a true Irishman can recognize at least 40 shades of green.
The breeze that blows across the seas to Ireland drops its moisture from the time
it touches the Irish shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean until it's well out into the Irish
Sea. A raincoat or an umbrella—or both—is essential equipment for your visit, and
a sweater, even in summer. But the sun also shines a bountiful bit of the time, and
most of the time showers disappear as quickly as they come.
Today's tourists to Ireland are discovering a new Ireland. Tourism to Ireland is
growing rapidly. To accommodate these increases, Ireland has expanded all forms
of its public transportation. Even Ireland's five international airports—Dublin, Shan-
non, Cork, Knock, and Belfast (in Northern Ireland)—have undergone major expan-
sions, reflecting the increase of air traffic from all parts of the world.
With all the enhancements in Ireland, one thing remains unchanged—Irish friend-
liness. Its citizens still seem to have the time to be genuinely interested in you and
are wondrously literate when discussing almost any subject. Even if scurrying for
a bus, the Irish will stop to chat when they spy a friend—after all, there's always
another bus. In Gaelic céad mile fáilte means “one hundred thousand welcomes!”
You'll hear it frequently.
For more information, contact the Irish Tourist Board offices in North America:
www.discoverireland.com ; E-mail: info@irishtourist board.com.
New York: 345 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10154; Tel: (800)
223-6470 or [phone]; Fax: [phone]
Toronto: 2 Bloor Street West, Suite 3403, Toronto, ON M4W 3E2, Canada;
Tel: [phone] or [phone]; Fax: [phone]
Northern Ireland Tourist Board:
59 North Street, Belfast, Ireland, BT1 1NB, Tel: [phone], Fax: 028 902
40960; www.discovernorthernireland.com ; E-mail: [e-mail]