The best time to visit Ireland is during the shoulder seasons, May to June or September to October. The weather is milder, tourist sites are quieter, and accommodation is easier to book than in the busier summer months. There are highlights year-round: St Patrick's Festival transforms Dublin every March, the Galway International Arts Festival fills the city's streets each July, Puck Fair sees a wild goat crowned king in Killorglin every August, and the Cork Jazz Festival draws musicians from across the world every October.

The best things to do in Ireland include exploring Dublin, hiking Killarney National Park, and visiting the Cliffs of Moher.

• Exploring Dublin's Trinity College, home to the Book of Kells, and the live music and literary history along the River Liffey

• Visiting the Aran Islands, known for their ancient stone forts, and the Cliffs of Moher, stretching along the west coast

• Hiking in Killarney National Park or the Wicklow Mountains

• Exploring the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland, home to the Giant's Causeway's basalt columns

• Browsing Cork's English Market, one of the oldest covered food markets in the world, and Galway's Latin Quarter, with its lively pubs

• Exploring Newgrange, a Neolithic passage tomb older than the pyramids

• Touring Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone

• Taking a ferry out to Skellig Michael or Achill Island, with chances to spot dolphins and seabirds along the way

Ireland is reachable by ferry from several UK ports. From Wales, services sail from Holyhead and Fishguard to Dublin and Rosslare. From Scotland, ferries run from Cairnryan to Belfast, and from England there is a Liverpool to Belfast route. Ferries from continental Europe also connect directly to some Irish ports. Within Ireland, an extensive rail and bus network connects Dublin with towns and cities across the country, including Belfast, Cork and Galway.