Planning a Trip to Ireland, Need Ideas

[Irish in Tacoma]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Ireland next year. So far, we have no set agenda. I've been there once back in 1991 on a super low budget (hitchhiking) trip, where I hit the County Mayo/Westport area where the ancestors came from.

We're from the Seattle area, so crappy, rainy, overcast, cold, miserable weather is the norm for us and we don't mind traveling in it if it means hitting better events. Generally, we like to avoid peak travel times.

I'm looking for any suggestions on places to go or events not to miss. Last time I visited Ashford Castle, went to Cong to tour the Quiet Man filming location, and took a sailboat tour of Clew Bay. It was a great trip, and we can't wait to get back. Last year I took up playing the fiddle, and have been working mainly on Irish tunes, so I hope to incorporate some playing at a session if the opportunity presents itself (and my playing improves).

Any help would be appreciated.

Mike and Sherri

[Phil]

It might be difficult finding events for next year. I take it you have looked at this site and many of the events probably go from year to year - http://www.tourismireland.com/
It also depends when you are going and whether you are just restricting yourself to one or two areas. I toured a couple of years back but I would warn you it is very pricey compared with the rest of the UK. One of the best places I stayed in was this hotel in Connemara, and I got a deal on the room which was even better - http://www.abbeyglen.ie/
Hope someone with a bit more info. can help you but I don't know if there are any Irish members here. Don't rule out the North either. It is peaceful again and some wonderful scenery.

[Mael Coluim]

In 2003, I visited Ireland in participating in a re-enactment of St. Columba's exile to Scotland. When I returned the boat back to Ireland, our skipper Robin Ruddock loaned me his touring bicycle. I traveled to many of the St. Columba sites. I loved it.

After returning the bike to Robin,I stayed a week end in Dublin before my departure home to the US. I went to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and other ancient Celtic Holy manuscripts. I especially enjoyed the Irish History Museum where I saw the real sixth century shoe (preserved in a bog) that I wore a replicate that I got from Medieval Moccasins.

The fellow, Donald McCallum who organized that trip died this June. I have started a blog re-counting the 2003 Voyage of St. Columba and the 2004 Journey of St. Columba (journey from Iona Abbey to King Brude's fort outside Inverness). You may want to follow the blog as I will be re-counting those Irish wanderings!



Off the Irish Causeway Coast


Leaving Ballycastle, Ireland on St. Columba's Day June 9, 2003 for Scotland!

[Big Mikey]

I don't know if the following are sights you would be interested in but they are on my list of "must do"s when I eventually get to Ireland.

1) Guinness brewery
2) Bushmills distillery
3) Belleek china works
4) Waterford crystal factory
5) as many small, local pubs as possible

Check a local bookstore for Irish tourism guides. There are a number of very good ones available.

[Frank McGrath]

Fly, don't drive.

[irishrob]

We spent 2 weeks in the south and west mostly in County Kerry in October last year...rented a car in Dublin and just headed out. We found the B&B's, particularly those in farm houses, were the best bets for using as bases to explore the countryside. Pubs were the best places for eating as we found that a lot of places have formal dining while the pub areas have the same food without the tablecloth or the price.

Have a good trip
Rob

[McClef]

I'm going to Ireland next month with my male voice choir to Carlow, an area I haven't been to before so can't recommend it yet.

However Ireland's capital Dublin is well worth a visit as is its second city Cork.

[Irish in Tacoma]

Thanks for the input. It will probably be late summer/early fall of 2008, so we have a bit of time to put it together. I'll definitely check out some of those websites you've recommended.

[apack]

Funny you brought this up, as we have just been thinking about organizing a trip to Ireland as well. We like to visit ancient sites. The first thing I always check when planning a trip is the UNESCO world heritage list:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list

There are two historical sites listed in Ireland: Skellig Michael (in Kerry) and Brú na Bóinne (just north of Dublin). The ancient fort of Dún Aengus on Inishmore (the largest Aran island) is supposed to be really nice as well.

Besides that, pubs can be found everywhere Though I would definitely visit the Guiness brewery on any trip to Dublin. It'd be like drinking from the font of all wisdom...

BTW, there is also a ferry between Ireland and Scotland...runs from Larne in Northern Ireland to Troon, and it's not expensive. Link here:

http://www.poirishsea.com/passenger/Larne_Troon.htm

I, for one, would be hard pressed to avoid making my Irish holiday into and Irish AND Scottish holiday!

Cheers

[Colin]

Here are the places I really enjoyed:

1. Belfast - so much better than NA media made it out to be. Thanks goodness other travellers convinced us to give it a go.

2. Galway - get a b&b in Claddagh (yes where the ring is from). It's a 5 minute walk to central Galway, a cool university town where you can plan many day trips (Doolin, Cliffs of Mohr, The burren, etc) and some overnight trips (arran islands)

3. Innishmoor (arran Islands) - a few ferry and hotel packages available in Galway's tourist office. It's a great little island, with about 350 residents. You can cycle the whle island in no time, or take a horse and buggy to Don Angeus (and old fort). At night go to the pub outside of town, it's where the locals go and they have trad music sessions almost nightly.

4. Dingle - great town. Where else but in Ireland could you find a town with 1500 people and 56 pubs. A personal fav was Dick Mac's pub. One side is a pub (though snug describes it better) and the other is a leather shop. See if Brian is still running the sleeping Giant B&B in the town, he was a nice guy. Dingle is across the bay from the ring of Kerry and was more impressive according to a few sources. The coach tour to the other side Dingle (it's a small town where it's all still gaelic) was cool. You can even see where Tom Cruise had his house in that stinker of a film Far and Away.

5. Cork - cool town, and it's just a coach ride to Blarney, home of some castle apparently.. The town of Blarney is pretty nice, and if you decide to kiss the stone, remember that the locals pee on it....maybe it's better to just pretend to kiss the stone

6. Dublin - our first night there I didn't care for Dublin. It's full of tourists and it was a pain after 3 days in Belfast. Avoid the Guinness Brewery tour (sorry Mike it was a total waste of cash to do the tour, just hit the pub downstairs for the best guinness around) and if the book of kells is not too high on the list, it is a very long line of tourists trying to read the one open page (no it is not in english). There is a great hop on hop off double decker bus tour that will take you to the brewery, St. Patrick's cathedral, Trinity university, etc. The old post office is neat to see, St. Stephen's green is a nic epark to get a sandwich from one of the loacl delis and to walk around. You will find the old homes of many of Ireland's greatest writters on the border of the park. Dublin is generally pretty cool. We ended our Ireland trip in Dublin and had a great time staying in a hostil right in temple bar. Temple bar has a lot of great pubs with trad nightly. Try an davoid the Harley Bar unless you are home sick, as it's full of Americans eating burgers and such. You can get that at home for a lot cheaper.

I hope these help a bit. Have a great trip. Skip the car and take the caoches. They have a great bus system in Ireland, and it really allows you to see alot of the country you would miss in when trying to learn to navigate driving on the opposite side of the road, on some of the smallest roadways I have ever seen. Rent the odd car for the out of the way trips.