Lovely country - and the Guinness does taste even better. Don't know if its in my head or a difference in the brewing. One thing, though - I found the smoke in the clubs quite difficult, and I've spent a lot of time in a lot of clubs over the years, so I'm pretty realistic about what to expect. One place (can't remember the name), highly recommended for the music, I was at the bar no more than 2-3 minutes, had to leave.
People are wonderful. A real talent for conversation, they can turn the most conventional incident into a story, and there's almost a musical quality to the speech, too.
Last time I was there (3|PLS| years ago), their growth rate economically was in the 7% range, and many of the young people who had emigrated were returning. Walk down Trafton Street in Dublin, the lines at the ATM went around the corner. Very prosperous, at least in the city.
The North is different, of course. It was quite cold when I got to Belfast, and I'd packed my winter running gear. Woke up around 5 AM, started to get dressed, discovered I'd brought an orange wind jacket and green tights. Not smart. Ran that day in shorts and a t-shirt.
Scotland is more taciturn. Hard to get to know the people - they're somewhat stand-offish. They can be talking in accented but understandable English, but when a non-native approaches, they lapse into an indecipherable local dialect. Beautiful country for walking and hiking. Also good local ales.
HTH