Ireland's great paradox is its perpetually sunny people and relentlessly miserable weather.

Hundreds of years of foreign domination, famine, internal strife and mass emigration have done nothing to sully this island's reputation as an attractive holiday destination.

Irish tourism authorities have done an excellent job of marketing the place as a land of shiny happy people with lovely lilting accents and a fondness for talking utter blarney. On the surface at least, the cliche rings true.