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Smaller islands dot the shores of Ireland, many of them barren rock piles supporting unique ecosystems – Skellig Michael is a breathtakingly jagged example just off the Kerry coast. The west of Ireland is also the country’s most mountainous area. Much of the west coast is a bulwark of cliffs, hills and mountains. The highest mountains are in the southwest; the tallest mountain in Ireland is Carrantuohil (1039m) in County Kerry’s Macgillycuddy’s Reeks.

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In 1821 the body of an Iron Age man was found in a bog in Galway with his cape, shoes and beard still intact.

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But topography in Ireland always leads back to the green. The Irish frequently lament the loss of their woodlands, much of which were cleared by the British (during the reign of Elizabeth I) to build ships for the Royal Navy. Little of the island’s once plentiful oak forests survive today, and much of what you’ll see is the result of relatively recent planting. Instead, the countryside largely comprises green fields divided by hedgerows and stone walls. Use of this land is divided between cultivated fields and pasture for cattle and sheep.

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WILDLIFE

Ireland’s flora and fauna is, by and large, shy and subtle, but as in any island environment, travellers who set out on foot will discover a countryside that is resplendent with interesting species.

Animals

Apart from the fox and badger, which tend to shy away from humans and are rarely seen, the wild mammals of Ireland are mostly of the ankle-high ‘critter’ category, such a rabbits, hedgehogs and shrews. Hikers often spot the Irish hare, or at least glimpse the blazing-fast blur of one running away. Red deer roam the hillsides in many of the wilder parts of the country, particularly the Wicklow Mountains, and in Killarney National Park, which holds the country’s largest herd.

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The illustrated pocket guide Animals of Ireland by Gordon D’Arcy is a handy, inexpensive introduction to Ireland’s varied fauna.

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For most visitors, the most commonly sighted mammals are those inhabiting the sea and waterways. The otter, rarely seen elsewhere in Europe, is thriving in Ireland. Seals are a common sight in rivers and along the shore, as are dolphins, which follow the warm waters of the Gulf Stream towards Ireland. Some colonise the coast of Ireland year-round, frequently swimming into the bays and inlets off the western coast.

Many travellers visit Ireland specifically for the birding. Ireland’s westerly location on the fringe of Europe makes it an ideal stopover point for birds migrating from North America and the Arctic. In autumn, the southern counties become a temporary home to the American waders (mainly sandpipers and plovers) and warblers. Migrants from Africa, such as shearwaters, petrels and auks, begin to arrive in spring in the southwestern counties.

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Irish Birds by David Cabot is a pocket guide describing birds and their habitats, and outlines the best places for serious birdwatching.

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The reasonably rare corncrake, which migrates from Africa, can be found in the western counties, in Donegal and around the Shannon Callows, and on islands such as Inishbofin in Galway. In late spring and early summer, the rugged coastlines, particularly cliff areas and islands, become a haven for breeding seabirds, mainly gannet, kittiwake, Manx shearwater, fulmar, cormorant and heron. Puffins, resembling penguins with their tuxedo colour scheme, nest in large colonies on coastal cliffs.

The lakes and low-lying wetlands attract large numbers of Arctic and northern European waterfowl and waders such as whooper swans, lapwing, barnacle geese, white-fronted geese and golden plovers. The important Wexford Wildfowl Reserve holds half the world’s population of Greenland white-fronted geese, and little tern breed on the beach there, protected by the dunes. Also found during the winter are teal, redshank and curlew. The main migration periods are April to May and September to October.

The magnificent peregrine falcon has been making