Ireland

Photo: Tower on top of green cliff overlooking ocean

Atop the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, O'Brien's Tower overlooks Galway Bay.

Photograph by Ryan Donnell

An itinerant preacher named Patrick is said to have rid the rocky, rain-washed isle of snakes. • A gemlike land ruled by myth and fate—all spun together in an endlessly unreeling yarn to defy the ages. • The Celtic Tiger of just a few short years ago, its white-hot economy the brightest in Europe, promises to one day reclaim that honor. • A collision of faiths and cultures, north and south. • Never mind, though: The beauty of the ageless land prevails, and the mirth of its people knows no bottom.

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