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Enjoying Ireland, The Enchanting Emerald Isle
By Rhiannon Davies

The lush and verdant island of Ireland has long been beloved of the British and American and now it is becoming a more popular European destination for travellers from further afield as well. Part of the popularity of the location lies in the fact that its people are so hospitable and the Irish way of life so laid back and easy to get used to!

If you're looking for a striking holiday location for all the family, where you can enjoy everything from castles to beaches and outdoor activities from hiking to mountain biking and you don't mind so much about the weather - visit Ireland.

Many American and British families can trace their ancestry back to Irish roots and so this may spawn the idea of travel to the Emerald Isle, as it is popularly called. And if you too have Irish heritage and Irish roots you can spend many enjoyable hours plotting your family's path across the Irish landscape. You can visit the libraries and public record offices in main towns from Clifden to Galway, Castleport to Dublin and trace your family tree.

On the other hand, if you're simply lured by all the tales you've heard about how stunningly beautiful the west Irish coastline is or how exciting Dublin's nightlife and how high-end its shops, why not fly in to the international airport on the outskirts of the capital city and then have a multiple destination stop on your itinerary.

In Dublin you can visit the historic centre, you can take in the university and even head out to the seaside, you can then head across country and enjoy the wild and rural interior, the breathtakingly dramatic mountains and some of the barren yet beautiful landscapes that have fuelled a thousand poets and a thousand novelists.

When you reach the west Irish coast you will again be struck by the majesty of the windswept vistas, the dramatic cliff formations, the pure sandy beaches and the green, green sea.

Ireland is a truly vibrant and passionate land that you will find it hard not to love. Many who have visited in recent years have found that a thriving real estate industry has made it an attractive place to buy a second home or an investment property. But now that the Irish housing market is being impacted by affordability issues and a strong euro situation, that may no longer be the case - at least for the short term. Despite this fact, nothing can detract from the appeal of Ireland on all levels, which is why many who visit vow to return and stay for longer.

If you want to take an extended vacation in the Emerald Isle what about living and working in Ireland for a year or more? Depending on the country you come from it can be a relatively painless process to expatriate to Ireland or to get a working visa for a fixed length of time.

There are plenty of employment opportunities, and because the native tongue is certainly English despite the presence of traditional Irish now being everywhere you turn, if you herald from the US, Canada, UK, Australia or New Zealand for example, you will find it easy to adapt.

Why not take a short trip first to determine whether you enjoy the nation enough to want to live there before enquiring at your nearest Irish embassy about your eligibility for a visa.

Rhiannon Davies writes about living and working abroad, to read more about living and property in Ireland as well as visiting Ireland, check out her site ShelterOffshore.com