Ireland (Irish: Éire), also known as the Republic of Ireland (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann), has a rich culture that, along with its people, has been exported around the world. Gaelic culture is alive and well; one way to experience it is to go to a pub which has a traditional music session on. It can be worth your while to dig a little deeper before visiting Ireland to discover something about the older world that lies beneath. It is still living, though not always visible.
Some Irish history has been very dark indeed, but it remains a land of poets, story-tellers, and musicians, with marvellous scenery, an advanced knowledge economy, first-rate infrastructure, and leading industries, with a high gross domestic product and standard of living.