Ireland

When did vampires start eating vegetables and driving fast cars? When Stephenie Meyer began writing about them in her hugely successful Twilight series. But as every Dubliner knows, Bram Stoker is much older than Bella Swan.

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.

The events in Ulysses took place in Dublin on 16 June 1904. The day has since grown into "Bloomsday", a festival of everything to do with James Joyce. If you'd like a break from cappuccino and croissants, you'll love the Bloomsday breakfast.

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.

With its dramatic landscapes and historical churches, the Dingle Peninsula is one of the wildest and most interesting parts of south-west Ireland. Birgit Roberts returned from a visit with images of windswept beaches, exotic lichens and sheep.

In Ireland, the summer months are June, July and August. As the longest and warmest days of the year come to an end, they are marked by games, music and dancing. The Electric Picnic continues the tradition with modern music in a historical setting.

The Dublin Horse Show is a highlight of the Irish summer and a celebration of the country's love affair with the horse. The city welcomes tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world to watch 1,400 horses competing for €500,000 in prize money.

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.