The Troubles are inevitably a factor in any decision to visit Northern Ireland. The ghastly incidents that periodically hit the headlines suggest that sectarian violence and random slaughter are rife. This isn't so. Northern Ireland is, most of the time, in most places, as tranquil as anywhere in the South - and that makes it pretty quiet. Statistically, tourists are much less likely to suffer misadventure than in many other holiday locations; street crime rates are low, personal violence rare.

     Wherever they come from, visitors receive a warm welcome. Local people are anxious to show outsiders the good side of the province and, whether Catholic orProtestant, are extraordinarily hospitable. Most of them are on perfectly good terms with their neighbours of whatever creed and it is often baffling to imagine where the tension lies. The vast majority of people are simply interested in getting on with their lives in peace. The scenery of Northern Ireland is its primary attraction and most tourism is concentrated in a few clearly defined rural areas: the Mountains of Mourne, the Glens of Antrim, the Causeway Coast, the Lakes Lough Neagh and the Wild Sperrin Mountains are becoming more popular destinations for walking, fishing, etc., and several forest parks have been created.

     But it is the cities of the North, especially Belfast and Derry, that give a complete picture of the province and these cannot be ignored if you want to see more than the surface prettiness. In many ways Northern Ireland's landscapes are similar to the Republic's, but the North is more intensively industrialised and the towns and villages seem generally more prosperous and tidy.

     Famine struck western Ireland particularly hard and emigration from Counties Galway, Clare and Mayo has been high. The Irishness shows through, in speech, music, crafts, sport and attitude. Now, it is the West's very distinctiveness that many visitors find appealing, and above all, its scenery. These three counties encompass a colossal variety of landscapes and sights. Scenic highlights are unquestionably the ghostly grey-white expanses of bare limestone in the Burren, and the wild coast and mountains of Connemara, where the Twelve Bens loom over flattering mirrors of water amid moorland and blanket bog. Achill island is one of its loveliest (and most visited) spots.

     Tourism, low-key at first, has boomed and become much more commercialised since the opening of Shannon Airport, near Limerick. Out of season (October-April) most of the West is quiet., with all but the busiest attractions closed and less choice of accommodation available. To tour the area in any depth, it is essential to have a car. If you don't drive, the best base is Galway city, which has plenty to do all year round and opportunities for nearby excursions. One of the most interesting trips is to the Aran Islands - stay a day or two, if you can, and see them all. For an activity holiday, golf, riding and fishing are all well provided in the West. The ideal time to visit the Burren is May or June when its fantastic variety of flowers are at their best.

     In any tourism league, Ireland's southwestern corner ranks high, and for many people the counties of Cork and Kerry represent the best that Ireland can offer the holiday-maker, for scenery, charming towns, mild climate and places of interest. There is a huge variety of things to do and see for just about anyone, young or old, active or sedentary.

     If you want a well-cushioned stay, the region has a fine collection of country house hotels (including a few stately homes) and a high proportion of excellent restaurants. Events such as Kinsale's annual gourmet festival raise both standards of cuisine and the region's popularity with continental visitors. Shannon Airport welcomes transatlantic visitors, who converge on Limerick and Killarney. Many foreigners from continental Europe approach via Cork and some have settled here permanently, adding new flavours to the area's restaurants and bringing fresh artistic talents with them.

     The Southwest has two of Ireland's largest cities, Cork and Limerick. These are certainly worth seeing, but the rural areas are far more appealing. The coastline is, in places, particularly beautiful, and generally more exciting than the lush inland scenery, cut by its great easterly flowing rivers. Few would argue that the islet-strewn peninsulas that trail westwards to the Atlantic are the places to visit for the best scenery, where the blue water of never-distant sea sets off the brilliant rain-washed emerald of fields and mountains. The influence of the Gulf Stream keeps frost permanently at bay and, though Atlantic storms can be severe, sheltered regions lend themselves to superb subtropical gardens and a great range of flora and fauna.

     Donegal's spectacular scenery is often considered the best in Ireland, though its location keeps it remote. All through the year clouds scud rapidly in from the Atlantic, bringing lashing horizontal squalls or drizzling sea-mists. Just as suddenly these are followed by shafts of sunlight and vivid rainbows which alchemise its glens, cliffs, mountains and beaches into the landscapes of Irish holiday brochures. Here, in these far-flung peninsulas, you will find that elusive rural idyll-softly domed ricks of hand-turned hay and whitewashed thatched cottages with scarlet doors. Further south, Leitrim has a much lower tourist profile than Donegal. Lough Allen thr first lake on the Shannon, virtually bisects the county and provides most of its recreational activities in the form of boating and fishing. Sligo on the other hand is rich in history. The distinctive shapes of Benbulben and Knocknarea loom above the town. The poet W.B. Yates had strong associations with the county.

     The counties immediately around Dublin constitute the Pale, the area most strongly influenced by English rule from Norman times onwards. The pull of the capital ensures these eastern counties still receive a steady flow of visitors.

     There are, though, a good many reasons to spend time here. They are enormously rich in history, layer upon layer of it from prehistoric to recent times. The famous passage graves at Newgrange are Ireland's best known neolithic site. Then there are Celtic High Crosses, the evocative monastic settlement of Glendalough, many later abbeys and churches, castles and several of Ireland's grandest houses and gardens. Horse-lovers will want to visit the Curragh at Kildare and the nearby National Stud. For walkers, the heather moors and wooded glens of the Wicklow Mountains bristle with opportunities. If you are thinking of a beach holiday in Ireland, the drier sunnier climate of the east makes a seaside stay a reasonable gamble instead of a long shot. The best beaches in this region are in County Wicklow.

     County Louth is the smallest of the 32 counties of Ireland. Inland, it echoes the drumlin county of those other border counties. County Meath, is a rich cluster of prehistoric and Celtic sites, great abbeys and castles, the Hills of Slane and Tara suffuesed with legends and national symbolism. The River Boyne is a place of pilgrimage for many tracing the progress of that famous battle of 1690 along alternate banks, though this was only one of numerous skirmishes between Jacobite and Williamite troops in those troubled years.

     In contrast to the wildness of Western Ireland, the Southeast is mostly low-lying and docile. Rich pastureland watered by brimming rivers extends gently to a quiet coastline of long sandy beaches, estuarial mudflats of wading birds and low cliffs fringing deep bays. Ireland's most fertile farmland lies in the Golden Vale, making Tipperary one of the most prosperous inland counties. There is a great deal to see and do, though to reach all its scattered attractions you will certainly need a car. The sunny, drier climate of the Southeast attracts both Irish and foreign visitors for summer holidays, and there is an excellent choice of beaches.

     Development here remains low-key; Tramore is the only significantly built-up resort. The Southeast's other resorts are all small and village-like, even the county town of Wexford. Waterford is the only 'towny' place, a thriving port and commercial centre where derricks unload cargoes on the quays and industrial complexes hum. Most famous is the crystal factory a couple of kilometres out of town. This is the largest of its kind in the world, and its annual turnover is mind-boggling. The other sizeable towns of the area are medieval Kilkenny, an up-market tourist town with enough attractions to act as an excellent base, and Tipperary's prosperous county town, Clonmel, where Georgian influences are more noticeable.