Although modern tourism did not begin there, Ireland was among the first countries to be defined, at least in part, in terms of its scenic attractions. Between 1750 and 1800 the Lakes of Killarney, the Giant's Causeway and the Glens of Wicklow became internationally recognized tourist sites. By 1850, with the beginnings of the country's rail system, Ireland had developed a basic infrastructure required to support tourism. In fact, during the century following 1750, some 570 travel accounts about Ireland had been published, most of them produced by British and Anglo-Irish writers.

While these works take a variety of forms and reflect a multiplicity of interests on the part of their authors, many of them were shaped by the growing enthusiasm for sublime and picturesque scenery. While the already established British “Home Tour” influenced expectations among those who crossed the Irish Sea, the Irish Tour had its own attractions and challenges, providing a unique set of experiences for the British visitors. This study focuses on the emergence of tourism in Ireland and on the nature of the Irish tourist experience.

Irish tourism emerged on the cusp of significant changes in British travel and travel writing. These changes had already manifested themselves by the middle of the eighteenth century, as the Grand Tour was gradually overtaken by the picturesque “pleasure tour.” Not that the Grand Tour had lacked potential for pleasures—of almost every possible variety. However, pleasure was not supposed to have been its primary purpose.