Irse means to leave or head out with no indication on where you are leaving from or where you are going to. The emphasis is on leaving. Salir de means to leave a specific place. It also means ot exit.
After working for years in the medical profession, I switched gears and became certified as an ESL instructor. Additionally, I have always been enchanted with the Spanish language and studied Spanish literature at the university level. I have a great curiosity about all languages and language learning. I am loving learning languages!