Visiting Ireland Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Visiting Ireland - Research Paper Example At the moment, I am going to convince you to visit Ireland instead of another country by elaborating on the Irish geography, ancient attractions, the magnificent natural environment, excellent infrastructure, and the vibrancy of the country’s multicultural background. Geography Let us begin with the unique Irish geography. For a country covering about 70,000 square kilometres of land surface, Ireland is approximately the size of West Virginia in United States (Kockel, 1994). However, in spite of its small size, Ireland has more than its fair share of major attractions, for everyone who values and appreciates the beauty of nature, blend with a touch of human ingenuity. For a country with ancient history and civilisation that rivals Mesopotamia, the beauty of visiting Ireland is that you get that rare opportunity of experiencing the lives of ancient Mesolithic stone age inhabitants and modern exuberant lifestyle in urban centres at the same time. Ireland is the home of scenic la ndscapes, with rich history and multicultural setting that spreads from the capital city Dublin to the smallest hamlet in the countryside (Irishtourism.com 2012). Ancient heritage To appreciate the progress that humanity has made up to the contemporary society, it is important to look back to the ancient civilisations, which have left an indelible mark on the Irish landscape. You should visit Ireland because it offers you the opportunity of seeing and experiencing the cradle of human civilisation in Europe. Ireland has historical artefacts, buildings and structures that have resisted the powerful forces of nature and they continue eliciting awe and admiration from harshest critics and sceptics. The Blarney Castle, Boyne Valley, Cahir Castle, Ceide Fields and Christ Church Cathedral are just a few of the must see historic sights and buildings in Ireland. Others include Hill of Tara, Clonmacnoise, Dublin castle, Glendalough and Newgrange (Cronin, 2003). The Blarney castle was build be fore AD 1200 and the King Muster Cormac McCarthy rebuilt the imposing building after its destruction in 1446(Irishtourism.com, 2012). The Blarney Castle houses the Blarney Stone, a mysterious artefact that is shrouded with mythical and legendary tales. The most popular myths surrounding the existence of the Blarney stone is that Biblical Jacob used it as a pillow. Prophet Jeremiah according to the myth brought the stone to Ireland. The stone is an important Christian artefact because it is believed that Blarney Stone existed during the exodus of Jews from Egypt and Moses struck it with his staff to produce clean water for the thirsty Israelites in the wilderness. Thus, Blarney Stone is a valued medieval artefact and is said to possess mysterious powers (Irishtourism.com 2012). Boyne Valley is a must see for anyone with interests of ancient technology and history. The valley contains valuable information about the â€Å"burial tombs of Knowth and Newgrange† (Irishtourism.com 2 012). These tombs are over 5,000 years old, exceeding the great pyramids of Egypt and the Stonehenge of England in age (Peillon and Slater, 1998). Build during the medieval neolith age, Boyne Valley is recognized world heritage site. For tourists interested in ancient agrarian practices, the Ceide Fields is the place to visit. Ceide fields are the oldest farming systems in the world, dating back to over 5,000 years ago.