IRELAND

Ireland holds a special place in people’s hearts—even for many who haven’t been there. To some the appeal is its natural beauty, to others it’s the history; to some it’s the country’s strong folk tradition, to others it feels like a mystical place. This beautiful guide celebrates the island’s most evocative and beautiful places, whether in nature or man-made, from the miles of near-empty beaches to the Mourne Mountains in County Down, from the pretty fishing towns of County Cork to Dublin’s elegant Georgian streets. Featuring images from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Ireland ranges widely across landscapes and history, from rugged cliffs and rolling hills to mysterious stone circles, magnificent cathedrals and ruined abbeys; and from medieval forts and castles to grand Victorian follies and villages abandoned during the Potato Famine. While some images such as the striking basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway may be familiar, others you may know only from Game of Thrones and the Star Wars films but never realized that they, too, are in Ireland.

Martin J. Dougherty is a freelance writer specializing in military and defense topics. He is the author of Medieval Warrior, SAS and Elite Forces Guide Extreme Unarmed Combat, SAS and Elite Forces Guide Sniper, Small Arms: From the Civil War to the Present Day, and books on personal self-defense.