SNIPPET: The Province of Leinster offers, uniquely in Ireland, the amenities of a capital city coupled with the quiet pleasures of the countryside, the one accessible to the other in minutes rather than in hours. The Republic is a very small country, and Dublin, by European standards, is no more than a medium-sized city. Dublin's pre-eminence has not only been in the area of increased population, however. In architecture, despite the ravages of time, it outshines all other urban areas; in music, the arts, medicine and science it has produced tremendous talent. In industry, Belfast left Dublin far behind, but the advent of computer technology has given Dublin a boost. But it has been in the field of literature that Dublin has made its greatest contribution, not only to Ireland but also to the world. What other city of its size has produced writers of the stature of Jonathan SWIFT, Sir Richard STEELE, Richard Brinsley SHERIDAN, Oscar WILDE, Bernard SHAW, William Butler YEATS, James JOYCE, Samuel BECKETT, Sean O'CASEY, Brendan BEHAN and, in the field of political letters, Edmund BURKE? Dublin, despite this, is not totally representative of Leinster. The great plains of Meath and Westmeath; the vast boglands of Offaly; the mountain fastnesses of Wicklow; the long stretch of the River Shannon to the west; the unique county of Wexford, the ancient town of Kilkenny, all have attractions of an entirely different nature from the Georgian streets and squares of Dublin. Leinster has what could be described as two coastlines, that of the Irish Sea to the east and of the Shannon to the west. The sea coast has long stretches of sandy shore from Clogherhead in County Louth all the way to the popular beaches of Wexford and Wicklow. The Shannon is by far the longest river in Ireland. Described by Edmund SPENSE as 'the spacious Shenan spreadeing like a sea,' it flows from north to south along the shores of Longford, Westmeath and Offaly, bursting forth at one point into the expanse of Lough Ree, where it takes little imagination to consider oneself out of touch with land. The remains of the ancient monastic settlement of Clonmacnois, founded by St. KIERAN, borders the river in County Offaly, rivalled only by St. KEVIN's foundation at Glendalough in County Wicklow. The Wicklow Mountains, clearly visible from Dublin, provide a stark contrast to the lush valleys and abundant woodlands that surround them. Despite quite extensive forestry plantations, this highland area remains wild and beautiful, much of it dotted with ancient clumps of Scots pine and covered with mile upon mile of rolling heather. There are other rivers of importance too. The Barrow and the Nore flow in a southeasterly direction and are navigable in parts. The Boyne runs from east to west reaching the Irish Sea at the ancient town of Drogheda, and few rivers in Ireland run by more historic sites. The significant Battle of the Boyne at Oldbridge, near Drogheda, where WILLIAM III defeated JAMES II, with the British monarchy at stake, changed the whole order of Ireland for centuries. Much earlier the banks of the Boyne were home to prehistoric man, as the burial grounds of Newgrange - older than the pyramids of Egypt - Knowth and Dowth, bear witness.