Politics: Parliamentary Democracy, and they currently have a coalition government with the Liberals and Conservatives. They have this government that is currently leading their country. The government currently is "not living up to promises". They separated from the UK on December 6, 1921 and were - and still are- named the Republic of Ireland. They first adopted their constitution on July 1st, 1937.

Prime Minister: Enda Kenny

Population: 4.595 Million People

Language: Irish Gaelic, Gaelic, English

History: See Section "What will you be doing in Ireland?" In addition to that, nationalists created a secret organization, the IRA, which was the Irish Republican Army. This secret organization originally fought for Irish Independence from Britain.

Festivals, Holidays: Festivals of the Seasons, Winter Festivals, St. Patrick's Day (March 17) - The biggest day for Irish culture as it began as a day of feast for religious purposes. It now is an international day of festivals, and such showcasing Irish culture. (Info Please)

Music: Harp, U2; Genres include: Folk and Celtic

Instruments: include the accordion, fiddle, tin whistle, flute and Uilleann pipes

Art: Bronze age Artifacts, Gold Coloured art

Clothing: Kilts, Patchwork, Long Tunic Dress, but it is common for Irish people to style many modern European outfits, and outfits that may reflect on North American culture, too. It is best to dress in layers, as the temperatures fluctuate, and the weather changes rapidly.

Weather: Mild Winters and Cool Summers, humid, Maritime temperature, Moderate rain; sun is strong in the Summer. Summer is the high time to travel, however all times of the year are promising for visitors. In the summer, there is 18 hours in a day where it is light out. There are no major weather threats, only hurricanes that occur on Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK and Eastern Ireland, which backs onto the Atlantic Ocean.

Religion: Roman Catholic (87.4%)

5 Major Landforms: Coastline - land bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Mountains - high pieces of land, Rivers - small flowing water bodies that empty towards a large body of water, Plateaus - highland; a high piece of land, Lakes - large bodies of freshwater (loughs, too, which are bodies of water that open to the sea). In addition, beach access is offered on the coastline throughout Ireland. (Info Please) (Info Please: Used for all information)

No Vaccinations

Normal Safety Risk; Europe is in a threat for terrorism, however Ireland is in the list of countries not impacted by the threat directly

Since you are driving: Since you are a Canadian driving in Ireland, you do not need a different license.  

Tips: Avoid secluded parks, unlit areas; keep documents and items safe (Government of Canada)

Time Zone: Irish Time Zone (0:00 UTC)

Eastern Time Zone (-5:00 UTC)

Ireland is 5 hours ahead of Toronto

http://gmttimedate.com/country2/ireland/

Flights (round trip):

Aer Lingus - $981 (non stop)

Air Canada - $742 (non stop)

Delta - $744 (One stop - JFK airport, NY) (Google Flights)

Cars vs. taxi vs. bus vs. Public Transit: For 8 days

Cars: €142.86 +mileage+gas (park at hotel) (estimate cost for gas and covering mileage would be about 120 Euros (Budget)

Taxi: Initial charge: €4.45 fixed + €1.37 per km or €0.48 per minute (The Journal)

Bus: (Freedom Pass) 3 days, 72 hours: €30.00 adult (€14.00 child) One would have to buy 3 of these to cover the 8 days there which turns out to be €90.00.

Transit Pass: Dublin DART Train Trekker four day: €110.00 One would have to buy two to cover the 8 days there which turns out to be €220.00 (Ireland Rail Transportation) This source gave both, information on the bus and transit.

Cultural (historical significance) – There is a lot of history in Ireland due to it being part of the beginning of Western Civilization. They also exercise Celtic culture. In addition, ancestry may motivate one to come and see their roots.

Prestige (tour and unique experience) – One will have the ability to tour the area and experience new activities, and experience a tour to see the different physical features of Ireland.  This one-of-a-kind experience is definitely prestigious.

Type of Destination: 

Foreign Culture – One will be able to see the Irish culture, and experience the events and landmarks in Dublin about it. It will be a full experience for anyone who books this trip.

Urban - One will be able to experience the urban culture of Dublin, Ireland, as majority of the trip will be centred around that bustling city.

Travel Variables: Money – Because this experience offered many opportunities, it is fairly high, which may limit or be a problem for people

Free Time -  One must have free time to truly appreciate and fulfill the 8 day getaway.

Responsibilities – One must consider their responsibilities in their life before choosing to getaway.

Barriers: 

Money – One may not have sufficient finances to support themselves to go on the vacation, as it does require sufficient funds to go on as it offers many experiences.

Family Obligations – One may have many responsibilities or may have obligations that may be a barrier when trying to get away.  Although children are able to come, it may cause costs to run too high, which may be a limitation. 

(Info Please) Info Please offered information, whereby I formulated these motivators, variables, type of destination, and barriers to travel.

All in Euros:

Transportation: 886.86

Activities: 195.80

Food: 197.20

Accommodations: 518.22

Total: 1798.08

Exchange Rate: 1 Euro = 1.51 Canadian Dollar

1 000 Euros = 1 510 CAD

Cost of Trip in CAD = $2715.10 per person

Plus lunch and mileage and gas, and parking for rental car (Expected to be about $440.00 CAD [$120 for gas;mileage, $140 for car parking, and $180 for lunch]) on top for necessities not included. You may require more money if you buy souvenirs, etc.

Family of 4: 5209.08 Euros = 7865.71 (This cost is only the cost for one room, and cost of only one car, which would accommodate for 4 people, and does not include mileage and gas on car, lunch for any people) 

Basic calculation- No citation necessary

Maldron Hotel Dublin Airport (4 star) (€87.89) It is a hotel that offers a pool, new, and recently updated rooms, and it is close to major highways. 2 nights.

Portmarnock Hotel (€65.00 per night) (4 star) It is a hotel that has a spa onsite, a competition golf course and high rated hotel and restaurant. 3 nights.

Dublin Citi Hotel (€73.72) (3 star) This hotel is located in the 19th century Temple Bar district in the heart of Dublin. There are many amenities offered. 2 nights.

Food

In the itinerary, the food locations are listed. There is a good balance between expensive and inexpensive; fancy and casual. This balance allows for there to be different opportunities for people to try new foods, like Celtic traditional foods from Brewer's Dining Hall in the Guinness Storehouse, and traditional foods from the Artisan in Galway City. Judging from the costs, one can analyze whether it is a fancy or casual eating spot. For dinner, if it the meal average is 10 Euros and below, it is 1 star; from 10-15 Euros, it is 2 stars. 3 stars is from 15-20 Euros. 4 stars is 20-25 Euros for a person, and 25 and above is 5 stars. Judging from that, you can analyze the itinerary and the places that one eats. For breakfast, 0-5 Euros is 1 to 2 stars; 5-10 Euros is 3 stars; 10-15 Euros is 4 Stars and 15 and above Euros is 5 stars. (Trip Advisor)