Waterfords, Wonderful, Winterval

Sommaire

• Leinster - The east coast province

  LLeinster is the most easterly of the four
  provinces of Ireland, and is the most
  populated with the city of Dublin at
  its heart. The province is made up of
  counties Dublin, Louth, Meath, Carlow, Kildare,
  Wicklow, Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath,
  Kilkenny and Wexford. These counties have a
  host of historic monuments, a picture perfect
  coastline and cities and villages thronged with
  things to do and see.

• The Leopardstown Racing Festival at Christmas

  Over the last few decades Ireland has
  established itself as one the most
  powerful forces in international
  horse racing.

• Newgrange

  Every year, a handful of
  lucky people gather
  at Newgrange, about
  40 minutes north of
  Dublin, for the Winter Solstice
  on December 21st. There they
  hope to see the sunlight seep into
  the chamber to illuminate the
  carefully positioned interior, just
  as they did 5,000 years ago when
  they were originally built.

• Rachel Murphy reports on the Wexford Winterland

  The curtain has
  just gone down
  on the stage
  of the newly
  appointed National
  Opera House of Ireland
  after another successful
  Wexford Festival Opera
  and already the town
  is gearing up to launch
  its inaugural Wexford
  Winterland event.

• St. Stephen’s Green

  Some cities like Venice are designed to confuse
  the unsuspecting visitor. Others seem to have
  formed so quickly it’s hard to know where
  you are when you wander around the centre.
  But some seem designed to draw you into their very
  centre.

• Christmas at Bunratty Castle

  Head out of Limerick on
  the Ennis road towards
  Galway, and before you
  reach Shannon Airport,
  you’ll find yourself in the vicinity
  of the charming village of Bunratty.

• The Christmas Market at the Milk Market in Limerick

  Limerick, it has to be
  admitted, has suffered
  from something of
  a bad reputation.
  Which is a little unfair, as
  it’s really not that much
  worse than most bustling
  cities. Part of the problem is
  simply where it is situated.

• Welcome To Connaught

  The province of Connaught lies in the
  West of Ireland with its coastline on the
  Atlantic Ocean.

• Winter Wonderland at the historic Westport House

  Westport House is found just to the West of Castlebar, where it
  looks out over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s one of the finest country
  houses you will find anywhere on the West coast, and since
  it opened to the public in the 1960s over four million visitors
  have passed through its doors.

• The All Ireland One Act Drama Finals in Donegal

  Ireland boasts one of the proudest literary
  traditions anywhere in the world, with a
  justly deserved reputation for producing
  novels and plays of outstanding and lasting
  value.

• Derry Joins in on the Christmas Fun

  Okay, well let’s first address
  the proverbial elephant
  in the room. Is it Derry,
  or Londonderry? Broadly
  speaking, nationalists call it Derry, and
  Unionists Londonderry.