Rent a Car Ireland

Geography Ireland

Europe’s western-most outpost, Ireland is a mere 310 miles north to south and 186 miles east to west, and separated from the UK by 50 miles of Irish sea.

Mostly rural, there are only two significant-sized cities, and due to the inordinate amount of Atlantic rain it receives it’s rightly known as the Emerald Isle, covered in lush green pastures, lakes and bogland.

Almost the entire Atlantic seaboard, from Cork to Donegal, is a bulwark of cliffs, hills and mountains, with few safe anchorages. There are several hilly ranges in the northwest, namely the Connemara and Donegal mountains. Most of the centre of the island is composed of flat farmland or raised bogs. The river Shannon, the country’s main waterway, flows 260km westwards towards the Atlantic.

Kerry, in the southwest, receives the most rain and is consequently the prettiest, while the ‘sunny south east’ is a relative term for the seaside towns of Cork. Northern Island is dotted with Lakeland areas and interesting coastal formations along its northern shore.

Ireland’s coastline is also seldom boring, often impossibly contorted with inlets, bays and rugged cliffs.

Driving through the countryside is always pleasant in Ireland, with rolling green hills and quaint villages. Most of the countryside has been farmed, though nature areas are plentiful. Only 1% of the native oak forests which once covered Ireland remain, much of it now replaced by dull columns of plantation pine, but small wild animals still inhabit these and proliferate.