Top 10 places to visit in Ireland

Trinity College is probably the best university in Ireland, as well as the most prestigious. The college was founded by England’s Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1592. The best time of year to visit is near the end of May when exams are just finishing. A popular destination for students is the Pavilion Bar.

The Ring of Kerry is full of ancient monuments, romantic castles, spectacular gardens and colorful towns and villages. The stunning scenery, dramatic coastline, charming locales and ancient archaeological treasures have been featured in postcards, film, poetry and song. Make sure to check out the sixth-century beehive huts and ruined monastery on Skellig Michael, the stone forts at Caherciveen and Castlecove, the Neolithic stone circle in Kenmare, the 15th-century Ballycarbery Castle, the magnificent O’Connell Memorial Church, Derrynane House and Gardens, and the pretty 19th-century town Kenmare.

No self-respecting visit to Dublin would be complete without a tour of the Guinness Storehouse to see how the beer is made. The building is shaped like a beer glass and topped with the Gravity Bar, where guests will receive a complimentary pint of Guinness after the tour.

The Giant’s Causeway is a coastal area of about 40,000 basalt columns near the town of Bushmills in County Antrim. Legend goes that an Irish giant named Finn MacCool once lived there, and across the sea, he could see a Scottish giant, Benandonner, his rival. Finn challenged Benandonner to come to Ireland to fight. Because no boat was big enough to carry the giant, Finn built a causeway of stones in the water so that Benandonner would be able to make it across. When Finn realized the Scottish giant was far bigger than he had expected, he fled to the hills where his wife disguised him as a baby. When Bennadonner saw the giant baby he was afraid because he thought that, if the child was that big, the father would be even bigger. Benandonner fled back to Scotland, ripping up the causeway behind him, so that Finn wouldn’t be able to follow him.

In reality, the Giant’s Causeway was created by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago.

Not only is the stadium the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association, but it is also where Ireland’s two national sports, hurling and Gaelic football, are played. The best time to get tickets is usually around May at the start of the season.

The Aran Islands seem frozen in time. There may be some electricity there these days, but the ways of the past are carefully preserved among locals who make their living much the same way their ancestors did. Celtic Spirit (www.irish-culture.ch) is an organization that runs cultural vacation experiences on the island every summer. Groups of eight to 14 people shuttle back and forth to classes and workshops held at the Creig-an-Cheirin Center in Inishmor, overlooking the sea and the mountains of Connemara.