Exploring the Emerald isle is a carefree adventure of discovery for people of all persuasions that is sure to leave lifelong memories. The nation’s heritage and history have contributed to the recognition of three World Heritage Sites – Brú na Bóinne, Skellig Michael and the Giant’s Causeway – while numerous others are currently on the tentative list.
Croaghaun, one of the world’s tallest sea cliffs is a great location to spend the day if you are at all inclined towards nature. Really, large swathes of Ireland offer getaways that will bring you closer to the land and appreciate her beauty even more.
Castles and medieval structures abound, some maintained and others not. Either is an excellent opportunity to explore the nation’s past and to touch a part of the nation that has remained a witness to its progress for hundreds of years.
No trip to Ireland could or should be complete without a visit to Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse, where you should not give up the chance to quench your thirst at the seventh-floor Gravity Bar after a tour of the brewery.
Peer into Ireland’s artistic past with a visit to the Trinity College Library in the capital – it houses the renowned and priceless Book of Kells, painstakingly hand crafted by individual monks over decades.
Ireland is among the nations that are at the very vanguard of the fight for equal rights for people of all sexual inclinations and gender identities. While it was one of the most conservative countries in the postwar period, it is today quite the opposite, becoming the first in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by a popular national vote in 2015.
Typical of Western Europe, it has also introduced a slew of legislative changes that accommodate a wide range of same-sex and gender identity options. Transgender individuals are free to declare their gender of choice in official documents, sexual activity is universally unregulated, and there are specific laws dealing with anti-LGBT bias in its hate laws.
There is no discrimination in adoption, legal marriage, age of consent and in serving in the military. A 12-month deferral period for males who have had certain sexual relations with other males remains in effect.
