Going to Ireland - Tips and Suggestions Welcomed

[corianderstem]

It's a cane of some sort, used by crafty leprechauns! (I think.)

 

[hardyharhar]

Ah, I see. My first guess would've been the skirt thing. But that's Scotland, right?


Anyways, my only advice is not to plan too much. Some of the best things that happen on a trip occur on days where you have time to explore on your own. Perhaps you'll find that pot 'o gold

 

[corianderstem]

Scottish skirt thing? You mean a kilt?

 

[hardyharhar]

I guess I do But isn't that the thing you bake ceramics in?

 

[corianderstem]

That's a kiln.

 

[hardyharhar]

Ok, enough of my snark. It's kiln me



I always like hanging around a place more than a day, if possible. Helps you relax and take things in.

 

[corianderstem]

That's what I'm planning on doing for all the cities I'm using as a base for the various things to see, other than Cork.

 

[MsPurrl]

You might need to borrow my noise cancellation headsets.

Now there's an excellent idea! We had a screaming child two rows in front of us on the six-hour flight from Chicago to Shannon--left Chicago at 4:30 p.m., arrived in Shannon at 10:30 p.m. Chicago time, 4:30 a.m. Shannon time. Didn't get much sleep on the flight, thanks to the demon child. Managed to stay awake until about 8:00 p.m. that night in Galway. Everyone in our 40-person tour group looked like shite by the time we packed it in that night, but the next day was much better--and worth it!!

 

[lauramullen]

I know everyone says this but it's totally true....the Guinness in Ireland is so much better than anywhere else. I generally only drink Guinness when I order beer so I'm fairly familiar with it and there was just such a different, smoother taste in Ireland. I really wish I would have tried it with cider but I was just too caught up in the moment of being there to even think about it. I always order a Guinness mix at the pubs here.

I completely agree. After having Guiness in Ireland, I have yet to have one here. It tasted so much better in there.


Go to the Octagon Bar in the Clarence Hotel and have a Cosmo too.

 

[corianderstem]

Yeah, even if I don't end up staying there, I'll pop in for a drink for sure.

 

[lauramullen]

Definitly. We didn't stay there, but we still went to the bar for a drink.

 

[corianderstem]

I keep freaking out about the car thing. (Yeah, I know it's a year away, but what can I say? I tend to freak out about stuff. )

I'm going to plan an alternate itinerary that involves trains and busses, and see how that might work out, if I'm based out of Galway for the first part of the trip, and out of Dublin for the second half. We'll see how much mileage I can get out of day trips.

I know the freedom and flexibility of having the car will likely win out in the end (despite the freaking out and the extra cost), but it'll be nice to have a second option to choose from.

I guess this is the danger of having too much time to plan - completely starting over!

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

You should try to go to Wicklow too. And this place called Muckross House, near Killarney/Killarney National Park. You can ride a jaunting car up to it and the gardens are incredible

I LOVED Galway-and also the little village of Claddagh where the claddagh ring began. You could buy yourself one there.

I've been to Ireland twice and I only spent a couple of days in Dublin. Honestly I couldn't wait to get back to the countryside, and I never saw or looked for any U2 related places.

 

[MsPurrl]

Also near Galway is the village of Cong. The 1951 John Wayne movie "The Quiet Man" was filmed there, and you can still see several areas that are recognizable from the movie. There's also the ruins of Cong Abbey from the 1100s, which I found fascinating, including the monks' fishing cottage. The face at the top of the gate to the forest trail is Rory O'Connor, the last high kind of Ireland, who died at Cong Abbey.

And a short one-mile walk away is Ashford Castle, which was once the Guiness estate but is now a fancy-schmancy hotel that you can walk around in.

 

[dazzlingamy]

Hi

Just got back from a week around Ireland except I went on a backpackers bus tour which would be a bit different. Don't spend too much time in Dublin its quite a boring city compared to Cork and Galway. We went through this great little village called Adare thatched cottages really cute.
The dingle pennisula is great, fantastic views, and I don't know if you mentioned Cliffs of Moher (i think you did) but they were amazing.
I think driving will be fine, there is not that much traffic on the road and we covered a fair bit of ground in a bus so car should be much more efficient!

Blarney Castle is very pretty and the grounds are huge. I didn't kiss te stone but walked around and saw the sites, very nice!

If you can get up to Donegal and Derry they are amazing and we saw some of the best irish music in Derry! fantastic!

Like i think Yolland said Ireland is CRAZY expensive. IF you can make your own sandwiches and have fruit, snacks to eat during the day it will cut down some costs as food and drink are terribly expensive!

In Dublin do visit the Guinness factory its really interesting and you get a free pint and great views of the city!

enjoy i loved it!

 

[corianderstem]

Thanks!

I'm pretty confident in the amount of time I have scheduled for Dublin, as two of those days will be mostly taken up by day trips (one up to Newgrange/Monasterboice, the other down to Wicklow/Glendalough). I'll have a full day to see what I want to see, and then just night-times for pub-going and fine dining.

... of course, my entire itinerary might change by the time I actually go to book things! If I end up adding another day earlier in the trip, it'll likely shave time off from the Dublin portion.

 

[u2kudu]

Isnt The U2 Wall in Dublin? Where people graffiti stuff on it about U2.

 

[corianderstem]

Yeah, @U2 has a Google map of U2 places of interest. I have that bookmarked. I want to try and see the former Windmill Lane studios and Hanover Quay, if I have time. It's not a priority, though.

 

[kellyahern]

Yeah, even if I don't end up staying there, I'll pop in for a drink for sure.

Picasa Web Albums - kelly

Photo is taken at a weird angle because the guy at the front desk said I couldn't take pictures

 

[MsPurrl]

I got a very fuzzy, no-flash picture of the entrance to the Octagon for exactlyt he same reason.

 

[Galeongirl]

Oh you're not allowed to take pics? I didn't know that. Took a pic with my phone anyway.

Though I don't get why everyone complains about the prices in Ireland. It wasn't that expensive, Switzerland was far worse. Prices are similar to that on mainland Europe...

 

[lauramullen]

I didn't take any pics inside the Clarence. I felt weird doing it.

 

[lauramullen]

Yeah, @U2 has a Google map of U2 places of interest. I have that bookmarked. I want to try and see the former Windmill Lane studios and Hanover Quay, if I have time. It's not a priority, though.

Windmill lane was a little tricky to find and this guy gave me and my friend the funniest directions.

 

[corianderstem]

Though I don't get why everyone complains about the prices in Ireland. It wasn't that expensive, Switzerland was far worse. Prices are similar to that on mainland Europe...

From my (admittedly limited) understanding, they're expensive compared to the States and (?) Canada. Most of us are aware that gas is a lot more expensive in Europe than here, but I've heard a lot about their being a huge sticker shock with food.

 

[MsPurrl]

From my (admittedly limited) understanding, they're expensive compared to the States and (?) Canada. Most of us are aware that gas is a lot more expensive in Europe than here, but I've heard a lot about their being a huge sticker shock with food.

I didn't find the prices for food in restaurants being all that exhorbitant. Of course, we didn't dine in fancy-schmancy places, either. Mostly pubs or small local restaurants (Conlon's Fish Market in Galway, Paddy's and Salvator's in Killarney, Jola's and The White House in Kinsale, The Bull and Castle and Sinnott's Pub in Dublin).

My friend Kevin and her hubby Mike went to a Burger King in Killarney. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[Jeannieco]

Cori, be sure to take a day and do the Wild Wicklow bus tour out of Dublin. They advertise it at all the hotel tour desks. Not only does the bus go down along Dublin Bay to the south through Killiney right past you know who's front gates, sit on left side of the bus... but it also takes you to the Wicklow Mountains and some of the most beautiful peaceful valley's I have ever seen. It really is a magical country. The bus driver will even give you a shot of Jameson whiskey at the stop above Lough Tay, the lake area that was featured in the movie Braveheart.
I love Ireland! I want to go back!! Galway if fun too! That's where my family roots are... County Cork too.

 

[corianderstem]

I think that's the tour I was looking at, because it went to Glendalough, with the monastic ruins, which is the thing I really want to see in that area.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Adare too-I loved that place. It's like a real life storybook village

 

[Carek1230]

Adare was the first place we stopped the first day of our Tour 2 years ago. It was lovely. My girlfriend and I had a really nice conversation with 2 ladies in a gift shop there. The Irish people were so inviting and so nice.

 

[MsPurrl]

That reminded me of the two old ladies in Cobh--we were trucking up this horrendous hill from water level to go to St. Coleman Cathedral (didn't know there was a switchback route further on down the harbor ); being old and out of shape, I was having to stop every so often because I couldn't breathe. Two little old ladies came up the hill behind me, arm in arm. As they passed by, one of them said, "Take your time, dearie--you'll get there!"