Cork

Puck Fair takes place in Killorglan, Country Kerry, on 10, 11 and 12 August. The event started in pre-Christian times as a celebration for a good harvest and it is thought that the star of the show, a wild goat, may represent the pagan god, Pan.

Today, people go to the Himalayas to meditate with Buddhist monks. Irish Christian monks were meditating 1,200 years ago in equally impressive surroundings, as a visit to Skellig Michael, off the west coast of Kerry, shows.

It's late on a December evening. The dark clouds are full of rain. Suddenly, the sun appears in the west. An unusual pink light appears over Ballyhoura Country, and the landscape is covered in shades of green one cannot find anywhere else in the world. That's Ireland.

Dublin Lawyer is lobster cooked in whiskey and cream. If you'd prefer something lighter, try oysters. They're often served with Guinness. Oyster festivals take place around the Irish coast all summer, with the most famous in Galway in September.

In 1997, British writer comedian Tony Hawks made a drunken bet that he could "hitchhike round Ireland, with a fridge, in one calendar month". The result was an unexpectedly wonderful adventure that led to a book, which is now leading to a film.

Visitors to the Baltimore Fiddle Fair in west Cork in 2008 could see actor Jeremy Irons in an unusual role.