Missing Piece · Map quiz · Series
Missing Piece #9: name the country in 3 clues
Three clues, four options, one piece of the world: no snakes live here, a harp is its national symbol, and its cliffs drop 200 metres into the Atlantic. Watch the film and lock in your answer before the piece drops. The answer, and how to actually go there, is below. Spoilers from here on.
The places in this film
- 1
The answer: Ireland
Ireland has no native snakes, and never has had since the last ice age. The harp appears on its coins, its passports and its state seal, which makes Ireland the only country with a musical instrument as its national emblem. The cliffs are the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, which run for about eight kilometres along the west coast and rise to just over 200 metres. The piece in the film is the Republic of Ireland.
- 2
Cliffs of Moher
A walk along the cliff top from the visitor centre. Go early or in the evening, and stay on the marked path.
- 3
Dublin
The capital, on the east coast. Trinity College holds the Book of Kells, and Temple Bar is the old quarter of pubs and live music.
- 4
The west coast
A signed driving route called the Wild Atlantic Way follows the whole west coast, through Kerry, Clare, Galway and Donegal.
Plan it
- Best time
- May to September for the longest days and the mildest weather. Rain is possible in any month, so pack a waterproof whatever the season.
- How long
- A week covers Dublin and a loop of the west. Ten days to two weeks allows the full coast.
- Getting around
- A rental car is the practical way to see the west. Driving is on the left, and many rural roads are narrow.
Good to know
- Book the Book of Kells and other Dublin sights ahead in summer.
- Distances look short on the map. Country roads are slow, so plan fewer stops per day.
- Weather changes quickly on the coast. Carry layers.
Frequently asked
What is Missing Piece? +
Missing Piece is a short 3D map quiz by Drift Vistas. A country is lifted out of the globe, you get three clues and four options, and the piece drops back into place to reveal the answer. Then the film cuts to real footage of the country.
Is the map real? +
Yes. The globe and terrain are built from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and Copernicus elevation data, with borders from Natural Earth. The height of the mountains is exaggerated so the relief reads on a phone screen, but the shapes are the real ones.
Where can I watch the next one? +
New episodes go up on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at @driftvistas. Every episode also gets a page here with the answer and a short guide to visiting the country.
