Munster

The southwestern Irish province of Munster covers an area of 9475 square miles including the counties of Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford. The largest province of Ireland, it has hundreds of miles of coast on the west and south, indented by many good harbors. The surface of the province is in great part mountainous, with peaks rising to 3000 feet. It was one of Ireland's five ancient kingdoms. Its original native people, known as Eoghanachta, fought off invaders from about 400 CE until the 10th century, when they surrendered their land to Vikings. After the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century, the clans of Fitzgerald and Butler ruled the area. A much fought-over region, it has an abundance of ruined and standing castles.