Fall has arrived on the island of Ireland! Our legendary green lands are deepening to become a sea of brilliant red, orange and yellow. City breaks in Belfast and Dublin, bountiful harvests filling market stalls, the unique atmosphere of a real Irish pub, and the soaring castles with their unbeatable views. All this with a backdrop of an island moving from deep greens to swathes of yellow, red and orange. This is fall on the island of Ireland – and we are here to tell you why it’s the perfect time of year to visit!
Here's a few fall facts about the island of Ireland:
– Halloween started in Ireland! This fall festival has its roots in Samhain, an ancient Celtic harvest festival. The largest Halloween festival on the island can be found in the city of Derry~Londonderry, at the Banks of the Foyle Halloween Festival.
– Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, was born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College. He's celebrated every year at the Bram Stoker Festival.
– The English Market in Cork has a long history, having opened in the 18th century. Since then, it has been rebuilt and refurbished many times to become the foodie haven it is today.
– That famous winter warmer, the Irish Coffee, was created in Limerick for a group of stranded tourists returning to Newfoundland – a glug of whiskey was added to a warm coffee, and voilá!
– Kilkenny Castle was sold for just £50! The castle was offered as a gift to the people of Kilkenny by the Butler family in the 1960s, and the £50 was a ceremonial payment for the estate.