tragically beautiful

Cold weather might scare away the masses and drive them to set up shop in the warmer areas concentrated closer to the globe's equatorial divide.  But for those relative few who either by chance or choice come to dwell in the colder regions closer to the Poles instead, there are some advantages such as the ability to enjoy four distinct seasons every year.  Take, for example, the island nation of Ireland. 

There's hardly a better place on the planet to see such brilliant shades of Autumn colors come to life.

A wonderfully rich history full of Celtic tales and modern-day noteworthies, the Emerald Isle is truly a gem of tourist and historical exploratory delight.

Despite these allures, recent buzz has put Ireland in the limelight with its  notoriety for economic woes and stories of mass emigration in search of work elsewhere.  Perhaps it's these very factors, however, which have helped shape its tragically beautiful charm. With a tiny population of just about 4 million residents, there's plenty of untouched, undeveloped land to roam about and think about the world from a different perspective.