In 1973, Ireland became a member of the European Union and adopted the Euro in 2002.

Besides a fantastic capital city, Dublin, bound in rich layers of history and now overflowing with trendy bars and nightclubs, are mountains, heather moors, coastline, valleys, waterfalls and lakes, dotted with prehistoric and religious sites and a wealth of dramatic castles. The Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings, is an historic site in  the province of Munster, located at Cashel, County Tipperary. Burren  is a unique karst landscape in northwest County Clare. The Céide Fields is the name given to an area situated on the north Mayo coast in the west of Ireland. The granite Mountains of Mourne are among the best known of the mountains on the island. Worth visiting is the Emain Macha an ancient monument in County Armagh and the Trim Castle which is the largest Norman castle in Europe.