The Emerald Isle is currently going through some pretty bad economic times. The bail out and even the economy before then, have tarnished the reputation of the country. If you think about it it was already a pretty bad reputation - with the drinking and wife beating and what not - so it has to be at new lows now. That is not to say there is not a glimmer of hope in this all - vacations to Ireland are the lowest in years.

If you don't mind taking advantage of the misfortune the current economic situation has thrown on the country, Ireland might make for a great place to take the family while saving yourself a ton of cash. When I was looking at tickets today you could get one from the west coast of the US to Ireland for less than $800 round trip. This does not include a hotel - but those are certainly going to be pretty low as well.

So, if your up for it, do yourself and your family some good by going on a vacation while at the same time doing the country of Ireland a favor and spending some of your cash in the struggling little island.