Lonely Planet's best in Travel 2009 names the Clare cycling route in Ireland among the greatest alongside similar routes in Vietnam, Cuba, New Zealand and Australia.

Niall O'Dowd: Steven Spielberg's trip to Ireland was a "life-changing experience" for the Oscar-winning director. Spielberg was transformed by his summer visit to Ireland, which included literally "hanging over the edge" of the Cliffs of Moher.

When one thinks of Stone Age archaeological sites, Stonehenge, Altamira and Newgrange may come to mind. Most likely The Céide Fields will not. But they should.

Someone special in your life? Then it's time to take advantage of the super cheap fares to Ireland and check out the Emerald Isle. We've done the hard work, now the romance is up to you! Here's Irish Central's Top 10 romantic places to go in Ireland.

Slideshow / The Top 10 Natural Wonders of Ireland / Click here Ireland - like the U.S. - has some seriously stunning natural

  Introduction Ireland is an island on the western fringe of Europe between latitude 51 1/2 and 55 1/2 degrees north, and longitude 5 1/2 to 10 1/2 degrees west. Its greatest length, from Malin Head in the north to Mizen Head in the south, is 486 km and its greatest width from east to west is approximately 275

The world-famous Guinness Storehouse in Dublin was Ireland’s most visited attraction last year, with over one million people entering through its doors.

It is quite an image... Maureen Dowd, scourge of every president since Poppy Bush and, arguably, the most powerful journalist in America thanks to her must-read column in The New York Times, talking of the road not taken, living a quiet life as a barkeep's wife back in Clare. Maybe that image isn’t so fanciful, though.

In tough recession times both here and overseas, Ireland’s tourism may have slowed down, but HeritageIsland.com is providing travelers with guides and discounts to some of Ireland’s best historic and cultural spots.

Been to Ireland lately and spent some time in the Shannon Region, or about to so? If you took some photos and have a favorite shot, why not enter the Shannon Development's photo competition and be in with a chance to win $1400!

Let’s set off on a journey through the Shannon region, a joyrney that will expose us to different eras of Irish history and different aspects of modern-day Irish culture in an area that encompasses counties Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary, South Offaly and North Kerry. In this feature we will explore the delights of County Clare. Don’t worry about the jet lag. Your sense of time is about to be scrambled as it is!

Looking to save money on your vacation this year? Heritage Island is here to help!

One of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions, the Cliffs of Moher in Country Clare, are on a shortlist of 28 finalists to be considered for the new seven wonders of the world.

How does one try and visit all of Ireland in just two weeks? By cramming in as much as possible and hardly stopping to sleep! One American girl's first-time sprint around Ireland.

CIE Tours is offering an Irish travel steal this winter. If you and a friend/spouse/family member want an Irish getaway, check out the latest deal CIE is offering: six nights in the West of Ireland, including airfare from New York, a Hertz rental car with unlimited mileage and all six nights at first class hotels – for $799.

Ireland, with 3,000 miles of open Atlantic to the West, offers some of the best surf conditions in the world. Sea Fever, a documentary, covers the history of Irish surfing from the early 1960s to the present.

To celebrate the March 15 launch of IrishCentral.com and to encourage people to visit the first global website "for everything Irish, for everyone Irish," we opened up the vault and held a big contest with a single grand prize - and a great one. Now, here's our winner...

Niall O'Dowd: Somewhere in Australia there's an Irish lad called Rowan McCormick who broke Maureen Dowd's heart. When she went back in the early 1970s to visit her homestead in County Clare, hard by the majestic Cliffs of Moher, she met him and fell madly in love.

Let's face it! Visitors to Ireland are spoiled for choice. From the windswept Cliffs of Moher to the misty Aran Islands, there are hundreds of must-see places on any tourist's itinerary. We've done our best to narrow it down to just 10 and we've got the pictures to prove it!

Ever thought about Ireland just for a weekend? Well, now you can. Especially if you live in the Boston area. On May 2, 2005, American Airlines began scheduled flights from Logan to Shannon, and in so doing opened up a gateway to a myriad of leisure possibilities in the Shannon region: Clare, Galway, Limerick, Tipperary and Offaly.

Having the good fortune to contribute photographs to Irish America, I would on occasion drop a not-so-subtle hint to editor Patricia Harty, that I was always available to travel to Ireland. As Irish luck would have it aided and abetted by Ms. Harty's generosity a spot was arranged for me on a very special trip: the Irish America/CIE Tour which took place this past October.

Dublin: The wind and rain lashed furiously on the tarmac at Dublin Airport, rocking our Aer Lingus Airbus like a gondola exposed to the elements on a mountaintop. We hadn't packed any sun block for this post-Christmas 2000 family trip to Ireland, but no one had told us we'd be landing in the monsoon season. It had proved impossible to land at Shannon Airport in the west, where the storm was said to be really raging.

MILTOWN MALBAY - The sun was declining into a calm Atlantic Ocean and level with the Cliffs of Moher as I made my way down the scenic west coast of Clare on a brilliant late spring Saturday night for a night of majestic uilleann piping.

Given that it was still April, it didn't have anything to do with the famous Willie Clancy Summer School that dominates these shores come the first week of July. Rather, it was the annual Doran Centenary Piping Tionol that was paying homage to the legacy of Johnny and Felix Doran, the pipers from the traveling community, or pavees, in another parlance.

When one thinks of Stone Age archaeological sites, Stonehenge, Altamira and Newgrange may come to mind. Most likely The Céide Fields will not. But it should.

What are your Irish roots? “I was born and raised in the Bronx. My grandparents were originally from Kilkenny and Galway. They both came to America in 1929 for a better way of life. I am the youngest of four children and a graduate of Christopher Columbus High School. It was in high school that I meet the love of my life, Stephen P. Driscoll.