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The horse and Ireland
Horses have been an integral part of Ireland’s cultural heritage for the last 2,000 years. They are at the heart of the Irish story, from mythical figures to modern day thoroughbred champions.
Legends tell of mythical warriors like Fionn Mac Cumhaill racing their horses across the Curragh plains while ancient manuscripts relate that chariot races took place on the Curragh in the third century AD. Horses feature prominently in traditional Irish music, literature, and art and are depicted in ancient Celtic designs, celebrated as an emblem of Irish heritage.
The Irish breeding industry is a global leader with thoroughbred vendors alone making public and private sales of €658m in 2022. There are over 6,500 thoroughbred breeders currently active in Ireland and over 14,800 thoroughbred broodmares.
When it comes to sport and leisure horses, Ireland leads the rest of Europe with numbers of animals per capita, with more than 130,000 sport horses populating the island and approximately 15,000 active breeders.
Although the Irish Thoroughbred and Irish Sport Horse are deservedly world renowned and sought after, Ireland is also well known for its distinctive native breeds, such as the Connemara pony and the Irish Draught horse. These breeds are highly valued for their versatility, strength and endurance and their particular importance to Irish history, especially in farming. They also command a vast international market when it comes to exports of progeny globally.
University College of Dublin, Ireland
The University College of Dublin (UCD) is ranked within the top 1% of institutions world-wide. UCD is also Ireland’s most globally engaged university with over 30,000 students from over 120 countries. The University College Dublin campus is located in the southern suburbs of Dublin and occupies an extensive parkland estate of more than 130 hectares and offers world leading facilities including the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science.
What's the weather like?
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Dublin’s weather is generally mild, which is due to the influence of the North Atlantic Drift, or Gulf Stream. |
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July and August are typically the warmest months of the year with temperatures ranging from 15° to 20°C. As the weather is mild, it is advisable to carry a light jacket or sweater as well as an umbrella. During the summer months, Dublin also enjoys longer days with up to 18 hours of daylight. |
Access
Dublin Airport
Getting to Ireland is easy for delegates of the ISER Symposium. Dublin Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports, with more than 55 airlines flying to over 170 destinations. Dublin Airport offers services to over 30 airports in the UK and the ever-expanding European network to more than 100 airports.
Dublin has an excellent transport system, which includes an urban rail system (DART), a tram network (Luas) and an extensive citywide and national bus service. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced by international standards. The Dublin bike scheme makes it easy to explore on two wheels and is compact enough to enjoy on foot. UCD is located 4km from the heart of Dublin City Centre. UCD is highly accessible by rail, bus and taxi 24 hours a day.
Other airports
Belfast International Airport
Belfast – Northern Ireland
Shannon Airport
Co. Clare – Ireland
Visas
In general, delegates who are not citizens of Ireland and who are not a national of one of the countries listed here, are required to have a valid Irish visa. Delegates are advised to apply for visas through the Irish Immigration Service at least three months ahead of travel to Ireland.
