The water
Tap water is safe nationwide. Tap water: Drinkable.
Ireland
The Burren, a rare limestone karst where Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow side by side
RegionEuropeCurrencyEURPowerType C/F, 230VTap waterDrinkable
Good
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
Ireland is a major food exporter, especially grass-fed beef and dairy, so it is highly self-sufficient in animal products while importing most fruit, vegetables and cereals. Farming remains central to the rural economy.
Local staples
Potatoes, oats, dairy, cabbage and root vegetables, seafood
Markets
Weekend farmers' markets in most towns
In season
Autumn, for cereals and potatoes
Wildlife
As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Rewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but…Read more
As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Rewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but small.
Found nowhere else
Few endemics; the Irish hare and pollan fish are notable native forms
Natural phenomena
Mild, wet and green; the west coast weather changes hourly.
When to go
Late spring to early autumn
Getting around
Trains and intercity buses; a car is useful for the west and coast
Good to know
Cards everywhere; EUR. Pubs are the social network.
Safety
Solo female travel: Easy. LGBTQ+: High.
Only hereThe Burren, a rare limestone karst where Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow side by side
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
68/100
Good
The Eco Index: Ireland
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Burren, a rare limestone karst where Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow side by side
- Forest cover
- 11.5%%
- Land protected
- 14.2%%
- Sea protected
- 2.4%%
- Organic farmland
- 1.6%%
- Threatened species
- 62 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
- Found nowhere else
- Few endemics; the Irish hare and pollan fish are notable native forms
- Renewable power
- 37.2%%
- CO2 per person
- 6.3 t
- Air quality (AQI)
- 7.5 µg/m³ (PM2.5)
- Cleanest air
- The Atlantic west coast and uplands
- Water from
- Tap water is safe nationwide.
- Tap water
- Drinkable
- Safe drinking water
- 96.1%%
- Cleanest water
- Western spring-fed rivers and upland lakes
- Springs
- Holy wells; no significant geothermal hot springs
- In season
- Autumn, for cereals and potatoes
- Plastic ban
- Plastic bag levy since 2002; EU single-use plastic ban
- Watch out for
- Peat and turf extraction and intensive dairy expansion
- Solo female travel
- Easy
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- High
- Best months
- May to September
- Getting around
- Trains and intercity buses; a car is useful for the west and coast
- Power
- Type C/F, 230V
- Currency
- EUR
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 4/5 | Ireland has a wet maritime climate with abundant rainfall, rivers such as the Shannon and plentiful groundwater, and about 96% of people have safely managed drinking water (JMP, 2024). Full assessmentRecurring boil-water notices and ageing infrastructure under Uisce Éireann keep it below the top band. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 4/5 | Ireland is a major food exporter, especially grass-fed beef and dairy, so it is highly self-sufficient in animal products while importing most fruit, vegetables and cereals. Full assessmentFarming remains central to the rural economy. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 3/5 | Traditional Irish food is meat, dairy and potato heavy, but oats, root vegetables, brassicas and seafood are local, and plant-based options are now easy to find in towns. Full assessmentAn everyday whole-food vegetable culture is modest rather than strong. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 3/5 | Organic land was about 1.6% of agricultural area (FiBL, 2020 data), historically among the lowest in the EU, though national and CAP schemes have been expanding it since. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 3/5 | Protected areas cover about 14% of land and only 2.4% of the sea (World Bank, 2025), across six national parks and a network of designated sites. Full assessmentManagement is widely criticised, with the EU taking action over degraded special areas of conservation and drained, overgrazed peatlands, so effective protection is weaker than the coverage suggests. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 2/5 | As a long-isolated island Ireland has low endemism and lost its large mammals, though it holds internationally important seabird colonies, grey seals and salmon rivers. Full assessmentRewilding and native woodland projects are emerging but small. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 3/5 | Living natural-fibre traditions remain strong, above all Aran wool hand-knits and Donegal tweed, alongside Foxford and other woollen mills, with Irish linen now largely historic. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 4/5 | Air is clean by international standards at about 7.5 µg/m³ PM2.5 (World Bank, 2023), and Ireland pioneered the world's first plastic bag levy in 2002, followed by EU single-use plastic rules. Full assessmentWinter solid-fuel burning still causes local smoke, and litter is a persistent problem in places. |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 4/5 | Municipal recycling sits in the upper-middle range, near the EU 50% target under older counting rules (Eurostat, 2023), with kerbside separation widespread. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 3/5 | Ireland has cut power-sector emissions as wind has grown to about a third of electricity, with renewables reaching 40.7% of supply in 2023 (SEAI) and offshore wind planned to expand further. Full assessmentIts territorial CO2 emissions were around 6.3 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), while agriculture also makes the country's wider greenhouse-gas profile unusually high. The legally binding Climate Act 2021 sets net-zero by 2050 and a 51% cut by 2030. Natural gas still anchors the grid, placing Ireland in the middle band. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 4/5 | Ireland retains living rooted communities, including Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas and a strong traditional music and rural pub culture, and much tourism spend reaches local guesthouses, f… Full assessmentrms and small operators. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 4/5 | Ireland's traditional music is vividly alive, from fiddle and flute to the UNESCO-recognised uilleann piping and the informal session culture found across the country. Full assessmentSean-nos singing and dance, step and set dancing, and the Irish language remain in active use, supported by community and revival movements. Ancestral seasonal festivals rooted in the Celtic calendar, including Samhain, Bealtaine and Lughnasa, and holy-well pilgrimages continue to be observed. This is strong, everyday living heritage. |
Before you go
Cards everywhere; EUR. Pubs are the social network.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 — source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 — source
- World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 — source
- World Bank, Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 — source
- WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, People using safely managed drinking water services (% of population) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 — source
- World Bank, PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (µg/m³) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 — source
- FiBL & IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture 2022 (2020 data), organic share of agricultural land — source
- IUCN Red List via World Bank, threatened mammals, birds, fish and higher plants (summed), 2022 — source
- Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste, 2023 — source
- Food import share left blank: Ireland is a net food exporter, so a single import-dependency figure is not meaningful.
- Our World in Data (Global Carbon Project), CO2 emissions per capita, 2024. source
- SEAI, Renewable Energy in Ireland 2023 (40.7% of electricity; wind about 34%). source
- Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions 2023. source
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Ireland (uilleann piping). source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
Ireland's traditional music is vividly alive, from fiddle and flute to the UNESCO-recognised uilleann piping and the informal session culture found across the country. Sean-nos singing and dance, step and set dancing, and the Irish language remain in active use, supported by community and revival movements. Ancestral seasonal festivals rooted in the Celtic calendar, including Samhain, Bealtaine and Lughnasa, and holy-well pilgrimages continue to be observed. This is strong, everyday living heritage.
- Irish traditional music sessions (fiddle, flute, uilleann piping)
- sean-nos singing and dance
- step and set dancing
- the Irish language
- Samhain, Bealtaine and Lughnasa seasonal festivals and holy-well pilgrimages.
Sleep well, tread lightly
See all stays →