Rick Steves' Ireland: More Feedback
If you've traveled with this guidebook, please help us improve it for future travelers. How can it be more helpful and accurate? Did any recommended hotels, eateries, or sights disappoint you? Do you have any new experiences or new places we should consider? Any warnings or tips for people traveling with existing edition?
Just got back from Ireland, May 2005
My son and I just got back from a one week trip to Ireland, starting at the Shannon Airport and working our way to Dublin. The RS Ireland book was extremely helpful. Here are some of our observations: We rented a car at Shannon, and spent some time before each day driving reviewing the maps. This is important because the back roads are very poorly marked. Towns aren't marked either, so sometimes we had to find the town name from a pub. The major "N" roads will go from four lane divided highways to narrow rural roads in an instant. You can, and should, bypass major towns like Limerick, but there are no "loops" like in the U.S. You have to find the back roads that bypass the cities. Otherwise, you find yourself in long traffic jams in the middle of the cities. We saw the Cliffs of Moher, very scenic, but the 45 deg temp and 15 mph winds made it very chilly. Suggest you pack warmly and carry an umbrella. We stayed at the Jury's Inn in Galway and wished we'd stayed in a B&B, even though it would have been a bit of a hike to "Galway's Latin Quarter." We left a little bumper paint on the tight (and expensive) parking garage next to Jury's. Found a great pub in Galway for traditional Irish music; "Tis Coili." We disagreed with the RS book about Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. This is a great place to see a restored medieval castle, attached "village," peat-cutting, country life, and enjoy good food in Mac's pub. Much less touristy than any similar site in the U.S. I recommend getting a 5 Euro calling card, even though you'll have to pay .50 to use it from a pay phone. We booked our B&Bs the day before, or sometimes that morning, and found that this saved us grief - they were pretty much full when we arrived. We had great experiences at the Limestone Lodge in Kenmare and the Rockhouse B&B in Cashel. The Guardwell in Kinsale was basic, but a good value. We stayed in the Clfden House in Dublin, another good value, but had one bad experience. The young man manning the desk our last night fell asleep and left several of us stranded outside the door until repeated knocking, ringing and phoning finally woke him up. Anya served us great breakfast at Clifden. She is one of thousands of kids from Eastern Europe doing service work in Ireland. We thoroughly enjoyed the Ring of Kerry, the town of Kenmare, Kinsale and the Herlihy historical walk, a picnic at Charles Fort, The Rock of Cashel, Glendalough, and the delightful city of Dublin. (fellow U.S. travelers called it an ugly city; they were completely wrong.) In Dublin, we recommend the hop-on buses, the musical pub tour, the Trinity tour with Book of Kells, the wonderful (and free) National Gallery and National Library. Guiness tour OK, but I give it a mild rec. Ireland is expensive, but food and drink are reasonable in pubs. A pint of Guiness is about 4.3 E in the country, and close to 5 E in Dublin. We highly recommend Hannigan's in Cashel -- two people can split one meal. We spent about 100 euros per day each, including car, tours, meals and lodging, but not including airfare. The internet cafes are very cheap, one Euro for 30 minutes, and are a good place to find a toilet when you need one. (McD's also) Most of these internet places also have booths where you can call the U.S. for 12 cents per minute. Ireland is delightful, but cool, rainy, and expensive compared to other parts of Europe. I'm thinking of taking a "Camelback" water carrier on my next trip. Traveling in Ireland (and Europe) is one long search for toilets and drinking water. The people are very friendly and pro-American. I have a "scavenger hunt list" I made up for my son and will send it if you want it. Enjoy
Robert Keeney <email>
Grapevine , TX USA Sun 05/29/2005
Trip To Ireland
My wife and I just returned from a recent trip to Ireland. Of the six B&B's that we stayed in, by far the best was Petra House in Galway. Frank and Joan run an immaculately clean B&B. The prices are very reasonable. The food is excellent and the hosts are most gracious. You could not ask for more in a B&B. Don't miss the rock (Petra) garden in the back of the house.Sheila and Pat Farmer
Pat Farmer <email>
Clearwater Fl.Florida, USA Fri 05/27/2005
Boat to Aran Isles
In Galway, O'Brien Shipping is no longer in business. They offered a ride from Galway harbor to the islands. If you call them, you will hear a tri-tone signal. The Doolin/Aran boats still run as before. In Galway, the only service is out of Rossaveel. Tickets for the boat can be had in Galway, and a bus- private service, not city buses, can be had in Galway as well. But you have to get the bus tickets in a separate place from the boat tickets. A little confusing, make sure you ask where each is. Price has gone up considerably since they are the only game in town. Twenty fiveEur/return; maybe higher in high season. Plus bus fare 6 to 8 eur. return. There is a couple - Thomas and Geraldine Faherty who run the Seacrest B&B in Kilronan: I highly recommend them. He is having a boat built in France and will start a service from Isl. to mainland and Island hopping. Give them a call about using their service instead. Great people. He a professional fisherman his whole life . They lived in the states for many years before going back to Ireland.
Bruce Robert <email>
Chicago, IL USA Fri 05/27/2005
Ireland trip
We recently returned from 15 days in Ireland.Since most people report on South Ireland Id like to comment on Northern Ireland.We drove from Galway to Belleek and visited the pottery there.Very nice place and if you use US currency they have exceptional deals.We stayed in Derry one night staying at Saddlers B&B.Nice place with good breakfast(shared Bath which was clean and close and they suppled thick bathrobes)We then drove to the Giants Causeway which was unusual.We then drove along the Antrim Coastalmost all the way to Belfast.It was a slow up and down trip but with spectacular scenery.We enjoyed it very much.We stayed in Belfast at Camera House which was a great B&B.Nice hostess and great breakfast.We took a black cab ride on sunday morning thruout Belfast.The cabby was a very nice man who stopped often and explained thins along with taking us into the formerly troubled areas.(cost 32 pounds for 4)Very worthwhile .Enroute to Dublin we visited the Vslley of the Boyne.Bru na Boinne turned out to be the highlight of our trip.Very interesting place that I would highly suggest people visit.We stayed in Kulkenny,Kinsale,Kenmare,Dingletown,Kinvarra and Galway and have great places to suggest if anyone is interested. Contact me if I can help.Incidentally we were in Ireland 15 days and it sprinkled 3-4 times,Never used our umbrellas or raincoats.happy travels and thanks Rick
John Theune <email>
Sheboygan, Wi USA Wed 05/25/2005
Ireland to run the Dublin marathon
I traveled to Ireland in October '04 and used many of Rick's recommendations. You can view my BLOG about my trip at http://travelingkaren.blogspot.com/I loved it all!!!
Karen <email>
Seal Beach, CA USA Tue 05/24/2005
B&B in Dingle
I just got back from Ireland, and I am homesick for Kenmare. I used RS book and it is very helpful, but of course, can't cover all the wonderful places to stay. I was not thrilled with the town of Dingle, but there is an excellent B&B not listed in the book. It is called "Harbour Nights". I met a couple from Sweden in Kinsale and they highly recommended it to me. It fully lived up to their recommendation. It is on Wood St. about 100 yards past ocean world on the left/opposite side of street with a sign out front. It is run by Kathleen and Sean, a young couple who have have put a lot of time and effort into their home. It has a panoramic view of Dingle Bay, Ventry House, the stone pointer, and the saddest looking dog I have ever seen. All rooms are ensuite - more like a charming hotel - with of course, a full breakfast. It has 4 T, 10 D, 7 with balconey and bay view. Price is 30/40(L/H)Euro PP. All rooms have TV and coffee/tea. About 5 minutes walk to town center, off street parking, and lots of friendly info about area. Phone number is: 066-915 2499. Website will be up around middle of June: www.harbournightsguesthouse.com Probably the best B&B I stayed at in Ireland. If only I could say the same for Dingle. However the Dingle peninsula is spectacular.
Bruce Robert <email>
Chicago, Il USA Mon 05/23/2005
Ireland
i would highly recommend carbury house just north of sligo and just south of yeats' grave. it is beautiful and charming. the hosts are peter and martha davey are very friendly and i met an assistant nancy, who is also great. also, we used a telephone card to phone home, we stayed at a beautiful hote near dromoland castle used the card, no charge for the use of the phone dublin different story crown plaza hotel, also lovely charged us 130 euros to use the card which you had to dial an 800 number many of our calls were busy i called holiday inn when i got home the hotel is affiliated with them, agreed to refund me 100 euros which they promptly did. this was my third trip. i took three daughters with me, two had never been there. we all loved it. last time i had won a trip to paris, went back. still lots i never got to see. ten minutes late for the tour at the waterford crystal factory
sheila bateman <email>
tempe, az USA Tue 05/17/2005
Killarney
Found your book to be very helpfull except for information on Killarney.I found this to be the most scenic area of all.Night life pubs music shows restaurants cinema more places to go than time to do it.The ring of kerry and Gap of Dunloe tours are two of the best in Ireland.As for accommodation we have stayed at Northwood House B&B and there new self catering property this time.Both where first class.Josephine was a wonderfull host.Check them out on there website www.northwoodhouse.com .
Harry Huntley
London, Harrow England Fri 05/06/2005
Killarney
Found your book to be very helpfull except for information on Killarney. I found this to be the most scenic area of all. Night life pubs music shows restaurants cinema more places to go than time to do it. The ring of kerry and Gap of Dunloe tours are two of the best in Ireland. As for accommodation we have stayed at Northwood House B&B and there new self catering property this time.Both where first class.Josephine was a wonderfull host.Check them out on there website www.northwoodhouse.com .
Harry Huntley
London, Harrow England Fri 05/06/2005
Great B&B's
We just returned home from a week long trip to Galway, Dingle, and the Ring of Kerry with our four teenage girls, and it was great. Even the girls had the best time. The Milestone B&B on Slea Head Drive in Dingle was a highlight. The girls had the family room overlooking Dingle Bay - a spectacular view! Michael and Barbara Carroll are great hosts and travel guides. When they recommend a site to see, a restaurant, a pub or a B&B in the next town on your agenda, don't ask any questions - just be confident that there are no better choices. In Kenmare, the Whispering Pines was also great - no views but a short walk to town and Mary and John Fitzgerald really make you feel at home.
Eileen and Tim McKeon <email>
Ridgefield, CT USA Tue 04/26/2005
The Dingle Peninsula
The information in the book about accommodation is very innaccurate. There are no mention of the excellent B&Bs in the Gaeltacht region at all !
Julie <email>
New York, NY USA Thu 04/21/2005
Ireland's Friendliest B&B (Dingle)
First and foremost my wife and I would like to thank our fellow travelers on this message board for making our recent trip to Ireland a much easier and pleasurable experience thanks to your invaluable advice. We had an awesome time!
All of our food and lodgings in Ireland were lovely but I would like to single out Dingle's Cill Bhreac House for a special mention. With so many complements written about Cill Bhreac House on this forum (& elsewhere) I felt compelled to check the place out for myself & I was not to be disappointed. The house itself is in a perfect location on the verge of Dingle town overlooking Dingle Bay, the price was reasonable, the breakfast was fantastic, our bay view room was most comfortable, however, it was the friendliness of Angela that really made Cill Bhreac House a real mind-sticker. We will return!
Check out Angela's web site at www.cillbhreachouse.com. Tell her Jerry from Boston sent you on!
P.S. Rick, this place is definitely worthy of an inclusion in the next edition of your guide book.
Jerry Smith <email>
Boston, MA USA Tue 04/12/2005
2005 Ireland
Our family (2 grandparents, 2 parents & 2 kids) just returned from 9 days in Ireland.We used the 2005 Ireland book.We bought the Heritage Card and The Heritage Island Guide which really supplements the card and saved a lot of money.Rented a manual Mini Bus and put 1000 + miles on it. Only filled the tank 3 times. We had an itinerary and printed up driving directions from www.aaireland.com before we left. These directions were a huge time saver because without these directions we would have been lost many times even with a good map. Prefered aaireland's directions over the ones from viamichilin.com. The directions were correct 99% of the time and we never got lost, turned around a couple of times but never lost. The drive times listed are accurate as well. Driving in towns was a little confusing because cars parked on the streets may be parked in any direction, sometimes making the street look like a one-way street. We learned to look for do not enter signs as well as "No Entry" written on the street. Also found that trucks, buses, and any large vehicle have the right of way by size in towns. In traffic, most did not stop or slow down trying to get around parked cars and cut us off.These same vehicles were much more courteous outside of towns. We were suprised to find that the speed limit on most roads outside of towns was 100 km, even on the narrrow, treacherous ones.
Kinsale was our favorite, we stayed in Friar's Lodge owned by Maureen Tierney who also owns another B&B in town recommended by Rick. Lovely modern rooms, great showers and helpful staff.
Dingle was our second favorite. The loop drive was easy, only had one problem finding Kilmakedar Church, drove around An Mhuirioch & gave up. We followed the sign back to Dingle "Au Daingean" and that's when we found it. Connor's Pass had great views of Dingle, and current road consturction is widening it in area's.
We really liked Ashford Castle and its gardens which we thought was well worth the stop. The kids liked Blarney Castle, they liked climbing up and down the circular staircase and got to run around the grounds.
Eating out cost us a lot more then anticipated, it cost us about $30-$40 per person a day not including beer or breakfast(which was included at the places we stayed). Also found that most B&B's & Bars use instant coffee and coffee refills are not free. In Dublin, all bars were closed on Good Friday. We followed Rick's recommended dining in most towns and have no complaints, Kysteler's Inn in Kilkenny was our favorite.
The only town I would have skipped is Waterford, we were not interested in the factory tour and there really wasn't much to see in the town.
Kelly Berg <email>
Glen Ellyn, IL USA Fri 04/08/2005
"Back Door" Museum Not in Rick's Book
Please add the NMI Decorative Arts and Sciences branch in Collins Barracks to your 2006 edition! The new LUAS train stops right in front (Museum stop, a few before Heuston Station), so it is no longer out of the way. It is a quite fascinating collection of silver, furniture, artwork, and similar works over the past 4 centuries. It was recommended to me by a local, and was well worth the trip. The brief guided tours can be quite interesting.
KPO'M
UK Wed 04/06/2005
Southwest Ireland
Just back from 9 days in Southwest Ireland- traveled with 8 year old daughter and husband. Used many useful tips from the graffiti wall- microfiber underwear was the best one.
Rental car: Hertz Ireland $207. for 9 days, unlimited mileage, Nissan Micro auto. trans. Great deal- cheaper than traveling by bus for 3 people and so much flexibility and comfort. Best B &B: Muxnaw Lodge in Kenmare- rooms newly redone, gorgeous place, great breakfast. 70 euros for 2 Adults and 1 child B &B.
Best pub: (tie) Baby Hannahs in Skibbereen- friendly locals, cozy place with warm peat fire on cold rainy day, and Bulman's Pub in Summercove between Kinsale and Charles Fort- cold pint sitting on wall overlooking harbor on sunny afternoon- fabulous.
Best scenery: Dingle peninsula and Ring of Kerry- spectacular. Recommend detour off Ring of Kerry to Valentia Island and lunch at Seabreeze Knightstown Cafe. Also recommend taking ferry from Glengarriff to Garinish Island if you're at all interested in beautiful gardens and scenery.
Disappointing: Adare- so far from the most beautiful village in Ireland, as advertised. Saw 1 pub, about 3 shops, and a wide, heavily trafficked main street. Had a great trip- no problems. The internet (and Rick's books, of course) make traveling so much easier and more predictable than it's ever been. Enjoy!
M. E. Duffy <email>
Readington, NJ USA Wed 04/06/2005
Ireland
My wife and I just returend from our 17th backdoor trip. This time we spent one month in Ireland using Rick's 2004 book as our base. Here are our suggestions, now, forty eight hours old.
For planning, buy and use Rick's book. It is the best guide we have seen on Ireland. Also on planning, when getting rental car quotes ask them their cost for insurance too. We got full insurance and we recommend it given Ireland's roads. But the company that gives you the cheapest daily rate often makes it up on the most expensive insurance rate. Buyer beware on this.
In Dingle we recommend the Cill Bhreac BB. It is well located and had discounted rates for the shoulder season. Angela is a great hostess with great rooms and breakfast. She will make other BB reservations for you and will negotiate the price at your future stays, email cbhreac@iol.ie. The Ring of Dingle was our best coastal tour in Ireland and much better than the Ring of Kerry. It has the best coastal views and the fewest tourists and tourist buses. We had our best dinner in Ireland at a great restaurant seven miles west of Dingle on the Ring road at The StoneHouse Resturant. The food, and the setting were fantastic. Buy one of their chocolate biscuits for your driving tour, info@stonehouseventry.com. Unfortunately the Midi restaurant in Dingle, recommended by many on this board is now closed. However, Rick's recommendation of the Out of The Blue for fine seafood is right on. Great lunches and dinners.
A hidden jewel of a coastal village is Roundstone north and west of Galway. We went for lunch and stayed for three days! A great pub is The Shamrock one of only two in the village. And the St Joseph's BB is located across the street email christianalowry@eircom.net. There is nice art in the village, great nearby beaches, a nice restaurant and more.
If you are headed way up north we recommend a visit to Buncrana. If you are into wool and are into Irish sweaters this is the place to visit. Stay at the Westbrook BB email mgwest@eircom.net for good rooms, good location, and helpful advice. The best eatery we found in the town was the Drift Inn Grill and Bar. It is built in the old rail station and serves great food and huge portions. Our highlight was a visit to the Irish Institute for Knitting. Here a retired school teacher will explain the entire history of the Irish Wool Industry. The Institute has many women knitting Irish sweaters for them which they then send to all the sweater shops in Ireland. You can buy the most beautiful wool from their warehouse too. They can be reached at cranaknits@eircom.net. This is not a tourist place. Just three women that love the history and are trying to preserve Irish knitting.
We did not enjoy much of the Ring of Kerry as so much of the drive was inland of the coastline. But if you stay in Kenmare as Rick recommends and do the trip clockwise and like a very rural experience then cut your drive in half on the north side of the tour. You will see a road that heads south on your map and goes through the mountains. This is rural Ireland at its best. We drove for over and hour and did not see a home, a human, a farmhouse. Only sheep and great "mountain" views. It was our best drive of the trip.
Kensale was recommended by Rick and we heartily agree. We recommend the Rivermount House BB. Clare is a great hostess and serves a great meal. It is a bit out of town but we like avoiding the city hassle, email rivermnt@iol.ie. We had a great Kensale dinner at Man Friday. It is located fifty meters west of The Spaniard. While in Kinsale we went to Balarney. I would skip this if you are limited for time. There are better old facilities to visit such as the Rock of Cashel.
We avoided Cork and stayed in nearby Tramore which is on the coast and only seven miles SW of Cork. We recommend the Glenorney BB. Great views, great breakfast and a perfect location, www.glenorney.com. From Tramore we drove to Hook Head which is worth the drive. We saw the largest waves in Ireland here. Check with locals and be there for high tide. It is quite exciting. From Tramore we also visited the Waterford factory. We are not big on tours but if Rick says go, we go. It was well worth the effort. They do a very good tour for all ages. It is informative and entertaining with no pressure to buy. From Tramore you can also go to the Jamison whiskey tour and tasting in Midleton. They show you how they used to make whiskey before the age of computers. At the end two people of each group can volunteer (raise you hand quickly) to taste six whiskies that have been diluted a bit. When you pick your favorite you get a large portion of it,uncut and free. Now lets don't see the same hands! A good eatery in Tramore is The Vic Cafe. It is relatively new in the upper town. The chef makes some great sauces to enliven Irish cuisine.
For your final night or two if you are flying out of Shannon we recommend the community of Kilrush. It is one hour from the airport, it is a coastal town, it has some great things to see, and the best asian restaurant we visited in Ireland. It is due west of Limerick on the north side of the River Shannon on the way to Loop Head. We recommend the Hillcrest View BB, www.hillcrestview.com with the best showers in all of Ireland! The Asian restaurant was downtown on the main north/south street called the Silver House. Their Duck is just fantastic. We took the coastal tour out to Loop Head via Kilkee. Here we had some of the best coastal vistas in Ireland, just beautiful with no tourists and few cars. Plan on a picnic at the lighthouse. Also have a Guiness at The Keatings pub just east of the Lighthouse. It is the last Pub until America.
Sorry about any typos. The jet lag is cathing up.
Stan Biles <email>
Blue River, Or USA Sat 04/02/2005
Signposts in Dingle are now all in Irish
In relation to the article below I am getting a lot of emails with differing views on the new policy which offically came in last Monday. As such on my Discussion Board I have created a new topic:
Very Important news for visitors coming to Dingle with the subheading:
All signposts will now be in Irish and not in English
You can dicuss the merits or cons of the new policy. Just keep the Discussion polite:)The link to the Dicussion Board is:
http://aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=629573
Western Ireland bans English
> Locals say Gaelic-only rule could hurt tourism
>>> San Mateo County Times - San Mateo,CA,USA
>> By Shawn Pogatchnik
> DUBLIN, Ireland - Tourists, beware: Your guide book may tell you the > way to Dingle in County Kerry, but all the road signs will be pointing > you toward An Daingean in Contae an Ciarrai instead.
>> In an age when many people bemoan English's growing global influence, > advocates of local languages scored a small victory Monday when > Ireland enacted a law outlawing English in road signs and official > maps on much of the nation's western coast, where many people speak > Gaelic.
>> Locals concede the switch will confuse foreigners in an area that > depends heavily on tourism, but they say it's the price of patriotism.
>> "The change is nice for the locals, but if a stranger's coming in > without one of the new Dingle maps, it can be quite difficult," said > Sarah Brosnan, assistant manager of the Dingle Bay Hotel, which - like > most things connected to the tourist trade - won't be changing its > name.
>> In all, more than 2,300 towns, villages, fields and crossroads that > traditionally had both English and Gaelic names have had their > previously bilingual road signs changed to Irish only. The change > chiefly affects three far-flung regions of the western seaboard called > the Gaeltacht, which long has been nation's last stand in the battle > against English dominance.
>> There, English place names no longer have legal standing and may not > be used in government documents or on official Ordnance Survey maps. > The switch also applies in a few official Gaelic-speaking pockets of > County Meath, northwest of Dublin, and County Waterford in the > southeast.
>> On the breathtakingly beautiful Dingle peninsula in northwest County > Kerry, signs with English spellings were taken down weeks ago, even in > cases where the English versions remain popular in local parlance. > Local villages still principally known as Ballydavid, Castlegregory > and Ventry are now called only Baile na nGall, Caislean Ghriaire and > Ceann Tra.
>> Gaelic enthusiasts say such place names are redolent of local history > and eventually will prove less confusing for visitors - as long as > they are armed with updated or Gaelic-friendly maps.
>> Locals such as Brosnan, who went to an all-Gaelic school but speaks > English as her first language, say promoting Gaelic is a point of > pride.
Ger <email>
Dingle, Ireland Tue 03/29/2005
B&B in Dingle
Just wanted to say what a wonderful experience we had at the Milestone B&B in the Dingle Peninsula. Hosts Barbara and Michael were absolutely wonderful. They made you feel at home the moment you walked into their home. My wife and I were actually sad when we had to leave, it was like visiting family. Barbara is so helpful by telling you about the city, where to eat what to see where to go for music. Michael is also very helpful on places to go and see throughout Ireland. His advice on traveling throughout Ireland and how to get there was just great. Wonderful breakfast in the morning, different juices, fresh fruit, fresh bread Michael bakes every moring is just awesome, different choices for hot breakfasts, also ceral, an absolute feast. Would highly recommend staying at this B&B we will definitely be back.
Lee Williams <email>
Bellflower, CA USA Mon 03/28/2005
Northern Ireland in 3 Days!
Northern Ireland Tips
Yes! It is possible to get a feel for Ireland in only 3 days if you carefully limit your choice of venues.
We flew into Belfast and spent St. Patrick's Day night with friends in Bangor. Take a day and tour the amazing and muchly worth it Ulster Folk and Transport Museum just east of Belfast in Holywood. Original and imitation old buildings well done showing Ireland's history. Wear comfortable walking shoes as the museum covers a great deal of land with buildings quite spread out.
We stayed our last night in The Hastings Culloden Hotel right next door to the museum. A gorgeous great house with top of the line amenities. A fun pub just down the hill a short walk away. Excellent hotel restaurant, work out room, spa, and pool with HOT TUB!!!
Bushmills also well worth the drive with Giant's Causeway, huge rock formations in octagonal and rectangular forms stretching for miles along the coast to Carrick-a-Rede, a rope bridge 30m above the sea which local fishermen and tourists take to reach a salmon migration rock island. Larrybane nearby is a limestone headland with an Iron Age fort. Be careful not to slip as all these sights are wave-washed regularly.Baby sheep in every field.
Dunluce Castle right near there too and under reconstruction, but still an interesting stop.
On to Londonderry. (Don't get confused as locals call the town, Derry.) Very old walled central city. The Tower Hotel right in the midst clean and complete with modern pub and excellent brunch in their restaurant.Three days? Not enough by any means, but driving mostly on good roads and drivers throughout the U.K. far more polite than in the U.S.A. Auto Europe wonderful too.
Kim Cavarretta <email>
Baytown, Tx USA Sat 03/26/2005
Ireland trip
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Ireland. We have both been several times. We used Rick's book more this time than previously. This time we were in Kinsale. We stayed at The Old Presbytery. Our experience there was fantastic. Our rooms were lovely and spacious. The breakfasts were delicious. The location is great and we had a water view. Nora and Philip were so helpful and friendly. We were the only guests for our last 3 days. We ate at Fishy Fishy 2 out of our 4 days there. The food was fantastic and the owners and servers were so friendly. We would just have soup in the evening at one of the many pubs in town. The walk out to the fort is great. The time there made both of us want to brush up on our history when we got home.Kinsale was wonderful. I'm sure it was alittle different for us since it was before tourist season, but we loved being there. Our weather was great--only one cloudy day. Rick's suggestions were very helpful. The town looks more European than Irish in the way it is tiered up the hills.We love the friendliness of the Irish. We've been to Dingle, Galway, Donegal, and of course, Dublin. Every trip has been wonderful and made us want to come back again. Rick's suggestions were especially helpful this time.
Pam Ryan <email>
Overland Park, Ks USA Tue 03/22/2005
A Week in Ireland
Bear in mind that we use public transportation exclusively so there may be a slight hike to places but not really more than fifteen minutes from a bus stop or train station.
Arrived Shannon airport on Sunday and caught bus to Limerick. A friend we met at the bus shed told us where to get off and instructed the driver to make sure he stopped there. He did and we walked up the short cul-de-sac to Glen Eagles (not that Glen Eagles, but very nice.) About 30 Euros pps ensuite. Helen and Patrick Daly
In Dingle on Monday we stayed at Dingle Heights. Ask for a front room overlooking the harbor. Bridie Fitzgerald was our hostess. Very nice view and about 30 Euros pps ensuite. We had our first, of many, bowl, of Irish stew at O'Grady's across from the tourist board along the waterfront. We lucked out and were able to attend a folk concert of harp, guitars, penny whistle at St. James Church. But we heard lots of music around town as we went back to our bnb after the concert. One place is a hardware store by day and a pub by night! We got cheated out of our tour to Slea Head by the well know local tour operator who renigged on our email reservation. So we will have to go back! And use someone else.
Stayed in Killarney at Cloghroe about 30 Euros pps ensuite, on Tuesday and did the Gap of Dunloe (three lakes by boat and through the Gap by jaunting car (otherwise a 7 mile walk) on Wednesday. Glad we didn't do the Ring of Kerry. Our hostess Margaret arranged the tour for us. Ate at Murphy's, known for it's pub grub.
Had to spend Wednesday night in Tralee since it is a long haul by bus from Killarney to Doolin. Stayed at The Willows, about five minutes from the bus station. About 30 Euros pps ensuite. On Mary's recommendation we went to the Grand Hotel and ate in the pub section. Excellent food. Next day we walked out (rode the bus back) to the Blennerville Windmill before having to catch our bus to Doolin.
On Thursday night in Doolin we stayed at Nellie Dees. The bus driver will drop you at the door if you ask and it is across the road from one of the hostels. Only about five years old, all wood floors, very nice. Jimmy and Loraine Spencer. About 30 Euros pps ensuite. It was a bit of a hike to downtown Doolin but there were two pubs (out of 3) very nearby where we spent the evening eating delicious Irish stew and listening to trad music at McDermott's.
The next morning we hiked into town ("just a wee walk and a right at the bridge"). We passed several bnbs on the way that looked nice. We caught the ferry to Inishoor. Had to ride a carrick out to the ferry because the tide was out. That was a neat experience, although my wife was not really keen on it but nobody fell overboard.
Arrived on Inishoor (Inishere) on Friday and headed to our bnb, Tigh Searraigh. About 25 Euros pps ensuite. Basic but clean and warm. Went for a tour around the island. It is only 2 km 2km so we knew we couldn't get too lost but the stone fences did start looking just like the last one. My wife got her Aran sweater made (supposedly) on the island. We went to pub (Fitzgerald's I think. There are only about 3 places to eat on the island) for supper and music. A bit of wait for the music but the food was great and the strawberry rhubarb pie was so good we ordered a second round. Bailey's ice cream on it was heavenly. I have never tasted such a delicious ice cream! Called it a night about 10 PM and was up the next day to catch the 9 AM ferry back to Doolin and 12 noon bus to Ennis for our last night before catching our flight out of Shannon.
Saturday night we stayed at Stonehaven in Ennis about 15 minute walk from bus station but Marie would have collected us if we had called. Very nice family, especially Joseph the 7 year old. About 30 Euros pps ensuite. Ennis is a market town and we were there Saturday, market day. Neat!
Back to the train/bus station for our bus to Shannon airport and on to Scotland..
Evan Jackson <email>
Virginia Beach, VA USA Wed 03/02/2005
Beach Cove B&B
Beach Cove B&B near Portmagee was wonderful. Owner Bridie was very pleasant. It was a very good price for the value. Our room was comfortable and it had a window overlooking St. Finan's Bay. Very nice!
keagle
Land O Lakes, FL USA Tue 02/22/2005
Beach Cove B&B
Beach Cove B&B near Portmagee was wonderful. The best B&B we stayed in while we were in Ireland. Owner Bridie was very pleasant. It was such a beautiful location and our room looked out directly onto St. Finan's Bay. All that for a great price.
keagle
Land O Lakes, FL USA Tue 02/22/2005
Waterford
Unless you just must see the crystal making factory, which was a good tour, avoid Waterford. The town itself was a disappointment and there are much more beautiful places in Ireland to spend your time. We should have taken the advise of some locals we met in Dublin that told us to skip it. If you just have to visit the crystal factory, do the tour and then keep on moving right out of Waterford.
keagle
Land O Lakes, FL USA Tue 02/22/2005
Ireland 2005 Feedback
We just used the 2005 book for our visit this January. We had a wonderful visit.
Accomodations, all were excellent.
Dublin hotel-Harding House has an excellent and historical location, with great rooms. Be sure to ask for rooms at the front of the hotel if you are a light sleeper. The hotel backs onto a hostel and the courtyard/smoking section is pretty noisy at night even in January. Dingle-The Alpine Guest House-Paul O'Shea is a wonderful host who knows and loves his town very much. The room was bright and comfortable with a great view of the harbor. Breakfast was enormous! Gray Gables in Ennis was lovely. Mary is very helpful and the room was comfortable. It is very well located as well. We'd stay at all of them again.
Food-We had very good, but bland food. Dublin-Leo Burdocks seemed closed for rennovation. Yamamori is good if you need a veggie fix but pretty bland. Dunnes department store is great for budget eaters who need a low price, low stress meal. Dingle-pub food at John Benny's was good-fish and chips with a salad. Warm fire on a cold rainy night. Pizza at Blue Zone was good, plus they have a good wine selection if you are tired of Guinness (is that possible?).
The frustrating-the Dingle circular tour drive was quite a frustrating event. Many places were hard to find due to several factors. First, signs were covered because they were 'closed' for the season. However, if you tried to see them, a man mysteriously appeared to tell you they were 'closed', yet he still got our 4Euros.. Secondly, Rick's tour is not very specific with directions. While we followed his directions to the last anal retentive detail, we still found our mileage off and missing several sights. Some things were not helpful like 'go through the kissing gate', which from the direction he sends you from, you cannot make out that it is a 'kissing gate', it just looks like part of the stone fence. Like that narrows it down! We really enjoyed the sights once we found them and would do it again, however, we'd take our GPS unit and write down exact coordinates for the next group of obsessive-compulsive people to follow us.
Dublin-should have allotted one more day here, we felt really rushed at the museums. They did a great job of tying together the many layers of Irish history. The National Museum, Dublin Castle and Kilmainham Gaol were especially good.
Dennis & Jew-Lee Goldsberry <email>
Jackson, MS USA Thu 01/27/2005
N. Ireland
Had a fantastic trip through Ireland, thanks to Rick's suggestions esp. regarding larger cities, like Dublin. We really enjoyed Northern Ireland (uncrowded, clean, warm welcomes from everyone!). I think Rick could really point out more in his book especially highlighting some of our new favorites towns: Hilsborough, Co. Down, Richhill and Loughhall, both in Co. Armagh which are extremely beautiful.
Between Dingle/Ring of Kerry we found Antrim Coast and Rathlin Island much more intriguing. Also easy to move onto Scotland from Larne. Didn't find much in his book regarding Strangford Lough area, in Co. Down, but we discovered many charming villages (Donaghadee, etc.) so we extended our stay.If you are planning a trip to Ireland GO NORTH! The Ulsterfolk are extremely proud of their heritage and are anxious to share it with visitors.
Gretschen Schatzheimer <email>
Cleveland, OH USA Sat 01/15/2005
BallyBeg B+B, Dingle.
Brillant B+B! Stayed at Ballybeg B+B and highly recommend it. Friendly & cosy and located at the foot of the Conor Pass road. Quiet & peacful, along the Dingle Way walk & close to the town & all it's amenities.
Angela
Colorado, USA Fri 01/14/2005
Milltown Cottages, Top class self-catering cottages in Dingle.
Excellent self-catering accommodation in Dingle town. First class! Cosy & charming cottages located near Milltown Bridge just a 6 minute walk from the town centre along the harbour. Sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, large spacious living/dining & kitchen area with an open fire. We made Dingle our base to tour the peninsula & near by towns like Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney etc. Spent nights relaxing by the fire after cooking dinner & sipping a glass of wind discussing our day and what we hoped to do the next. It was a perfect stay, we will be back! Thank you for our perfect stay at Milltown Cottages!
Rosie
Santa Cruz, CA USA Fri 01/14/2005
Ireland - Dingle Penninsula
PS. Also wanted to highly recommend the tour of the Dingle Penninsula that is in the guidebook. The monastic ruins, the "beehive huts", the cemetaries, the history of the Blasket Islanders, the views - all were ancient and mysterious and fascinating and deeply spiritual - and gorgeous. Well worth it....there is a reason that Rick raves so much about the Dingle Penninsula in his book. Can't think of a more fulfilling travel experience that we've had - yet!
Wendy Baldwin <email>
Nashville, TN USA Wed 01/12/2005
Ireland experiences
We actually travelled in June, 2003, but are still glowing from the trip. RS guidebook was tremendously helpful. Great advice to sleep off jet lag OUT of Dublin. We found a lovely, basic B and B called Lichfield House, on the perimeter of Kilkenny, where we spent the first two nights. We found this on the internet, not in the guidebook, but I'd strongly urge you to include it, Rick. The rooms are reasonably priced, and the proprietress, Marie Callan, is professional, responds quickly to requests, and offers helpful advice and warm hospitality when you're there.
We were in Waterford as it celebrated it's 2000 year old birthday. What a thrill. The crystal factory is touristy but a "when in Rome" experience.
The drive out to "Hook's Head" point and the story of the expression "by Hook or by Crook" was way cool. Worth the drive down there from Waterford.
Rock of Cashel was magnificent - worth the trip. Kinsale was hard to reach - Tried the Quayside House at Rick's recommendation. Nice place, but not the warmth of most of the others, in terms of hospitality. Also, lots of construction in Kinsale. Maybe it's done now, and is therefore quieter and more charming?
Dingle was the highlight. Captain's House has great location, lovely garden, warm hospitality, and great rooms. We felt we had many new friends by the time we left Dingle. Rent bikes and explore the area....it's thrilling.
The literary and music pub crawls in Dublin were really fun - a great way to explore and learn something. Jurys Inn there has lots of Americans and is expensive, but at the end of the trip, was OK to prepare us for "re-entry" to the U.S. We missed the country B and B's, though.
Our week in early June was sunny every day. We kept saying to locals that we couldn't believe it, and one said "neither can we!" I've travelled a lot, and the Irish people we met were by far the most friendly of anywhere I've been.
There is a spiritual connection, I think, between Irish and Americans. I was tremendously moved by the stories of immigration, the plights of poverty, the breaking apart of families and romances, the constant invasions by the British....these are a people that have really suffered. Yet their bouyancy and joie de vivre inspires us as American who usually have more, materially.
Can't wait to go back, and explore the north next time!Wendy BaldwinNashville, TN.
Wendy Baldwin <email>
Nashville, TN USA Wed 01/12/2005
Had a fantastic time in Ireland for nine days. Quick run-down and a few, hopefully, helpful tips. Started out in Trim at Marc & Anns place "Crannmor Guest House" and it was lovely. We did our first two nights there to catch our breath. Was quiet and Marc was very helpful and chatty - and he really does know everything about fishing so if you fish - he's the guy to go to in Ireland.
After Trim we stayed at Celtic House in Kilkenny. Nice enough and owners were sweet. Very quiet again but I would ask for back room as I suspect it could be a bit noisy when full. We paid winter rate everywhere but this place should have charged a bit less in my opinion.
After that we went to Dingle (our fave!) and stayed at Cill Bhreac with Angela. Not in the book but definitely on this message board. It's very close to town - you could walk but easier to drive. Lovely view of the bay and Angela truly was the most friendly woman we met in Ireland - just a sweetheart. The B&B is simple enough but clean and was also the lowest rate we paid. We also hit her on her last open night until Feb. 25th when she re-opens.
Doolin was next for one night - stayed at Doonmacflelim House and was clean and nice. Nothing spectacular but decent and great location.
After that we spent a night at Petra House in Galway. Really is five minutes from square. Was the most lovely B&B - just very classy and nice - very quiet. Had the front room with bay window which felt huge. Also was great value for what we paid. Frank indicated they are booked a year in advance for summers though so their reputation preceeds them.
Finally, book ahead for a night in Dublin as we didn't and was just too hard to walk around our last night to find a place - so we stayed in Swords at Travelodge! Was cheaper than anything in Dublin and very close to the airport and we were flying out in am. At first glance, I shuddered - but it really wasnt' that bad and once again, was surprisingly quiet and they appeared relatively full.
As far as fun times - Dublin was interesting and we found Kilmainon Jail fascinating. We gave that a definite "must do" rating. We wish we had read some more history before going.
The Guinness tour is kind of lame actually - and self-service, you walk yourself around - but definitely hit the Gravity Bar for a pint and an incredible view.
Getting around Dublin was easy - we did it on foot and asked directions for local bus and off we went. People were quite helpful on the streets and in pubs absolutely everywhere we went. Dingle was a blast. Went to Dick Macks pub and loved it. Was only a few locals the first night. Give it time and stick around - it got funner as the night went on and we did go back a second night and we WERE adopted locals by then and it was packed with singers and musicians and we had a ball. A memory making night to be sure. The wonderful restaurant people have mentioned "Out of the Blue" is closed for the season - but we met the owner, Tim, at the pub and he was a great guy. The locals said it really was the best fish around.
The peninsula drive - worth it and fun. Stop and enjoy scenery and walk around when you can. Went to Bunratty Castle but opted out of expensive tour - just isn't our thing. Headed to Cliffs of Moher instead and they are breathtaking. It was cold up there though! Be prepared for rain and when it's windy, it's chilly. Don't really need hiking books though unless you intend on doing some major trekking. I just brought really comfortable Skechers and I was fine. Doolin was okay and music was okay and pubs were full on the weekend - but Dingle set a high bar for us so we were a little disappointed in Doolin and it's tiny!! Really wanted to hit that crafts place everyone mentions but they are closed Sun/Mon. Wish we had time for more, in particular I would have loved to go north - but maybe next time!
Nit picky stuff: Driving was fine. My guy did it all and with a stick - but he's a pretty confident driver. We just drove around and got used to it and kept repeating "driver in the middle of the road" and all was well. In November didn't find traffic that bad at all. Yep, signs aren't great but they are mostly there if you are looking. Just take your time. It helped that we had no real itinerary and only booked those first nights in Trim ahead of time (maybe give your CC number as we didn't and almost didn't have a room due to a little snafu on their end)! Get the full insurance, yeah, it's more expensive but we ran into several people who needed it in the end! Pull over on the shoulder a bit, slow up when you can and let locals pass. They appreciate that. You just can't complain too much about the little roads, etc - that's half the charm of the place and it helps keep the ingrates out I'm sure!
Bring an umbrella, you'll be glad you did. I'm bummed that we missed Belfast and other northern sites - but next time! Enjoy and say hello to Martine the Bartender at Dick Macks (he only looks tough and sound gruff - turns out he's a sweetie)...maybe don't let him know someone is saying that about him. Relax, kick back - it's all good craic!
Kerry <email>
Saint Paul, MN USA Fri 12/03/2004
Beware of Irish Car Rentals & Sixt Rent a Car
If you are planning a trip to Ireland, stay away from Irish Car Rentals or locally know as Sixth Rent-A-Car. We are currently fighting an unauthorized charge for "damages" that appeared on my Visa statement when we arrived home from Ireland, after renting a car from Irish Car Rentals also locally know as Sixth Rent-A-Car.
To make a really long story short, the original car we picked up from the Dublin airport was seriously damaged, but the only evident problem was a few scratches that we reported. Once we were on our way, 15 minutes into the trip on the motorway, the front bumper separated from the car and part of the bumper and wires began dragging on the roadway. As you can imagine, after a delayed flight from San Francisco with a small toddler, this was a very stressful and scary situation. We feel that our safety was at risk.
Since it was a Saturday evening and dark at this point, we drove very slowly to our destination 30 minutes away. When we arrived at our destination, we immediately contacted the rental company and after multiple calls over the next two days, they delivered a new car and assured us that we would not be charged for any damages. When we returned the second car back at the Dublin Airport two weeks later, we requested a refund for the two days in which we were without a car at the beginning of our trip which they gladly accommodated--with no mention or receipt of the charges (750 Euro) they already made against my credit card when they delivered us the new car.
We then disputed the claim with our credit card company which they investigated and have claimed that the charge is valid. We just received a letter with a copy of the proposed sales slip for the work performed on the damages that they are claiming, which they indicate is the "back bumper."So if you are planning to rent a car in Ireland, stay away from Irish Car Rentals.
Michele MC <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Thu 12/02/2004
Just Back from Ireland
Just recently returned from 2 weeks in Ireland. I would recommend the off-season due to lower prices and no crowds. A few things were closed, but we felt we didn't miss anything we really wanted to see. I found the driving on the left to be fairly easy to get used to, but would definitely recommend automatic transmission, compact car, and full insurance. We had a Michelin map and had used the aaroadwatch.ie web site ahead of time to map out our itinerary. It proved to be very helpful, less missing of turns.
We started out at the Shannon Airport, went to Galway and the Connemara, down to Dingle and Ring of Kerry, through Cork and Cobh to Kinsale, through Waterford to Kilkenny, through Wicklow Mountains to Dublin, and then dropped off the car at Dublin before taking time there.
Some of our favorite things were: driving through the Connemara, slog on a bog, eating traditional Irish food, plenty of pubs and Guinness, Alpine House B&B in Dingle, the drive around Dingle Peninsula (much better and shorter than Ring of Kerry), Smokehouse Restaurant in Dingle town, Murphy's pub in Dingle, Midleton Distillery (I was chosen as an official taster), Sally's Gap in Wicklow Mountains, Newgrange (took Mary Gibbons tour from Dublin), Gogarty's Pub in Dublin, Literary Pub Crawl, Musical Pub Crawl (very interesting and entertaining), hop on bus tour and walking tour of Dublin (both tours covered different areas).
We found Jurys Inn Christchurch to be a good location and easy to get to from the Airlink bus to airport. We took the one day train trip to Belfast and found that to be plenty of time. By all means get a black cab tour of Belfast (www.blackcabtoursni.com). The driver we had (Billy) was fantastic and showed us all the Protestant and Catholic areas. I came away with a much better understanding of what has gone on there and why. We ate lunch at the Crown Tavern, definitely worth seeing.
Pat <email>
St. Louis, MO USA Tue 11/30/2004
Guinness Brewery
We recently went on the Guinness Brewery Tour. If you are interested in how beer is made then it might be worth the 20 euro charge. The restaurants at the top are good, the view is excellent. One pint of Guinness is given free. Not worth the money for just a view of the city and a pint.
Marvin Thomas <email>
Huntington Beach, CA USA Thu 11/25/2004
FISHING
The Aran Islands, went there once before, a boat from Doodlin. And in the middle of crossing the motor ran out of gas, the boat was stuck rocking side ways in the middle of Irish sea. Got there eventually. There were German tourist on board as well, and by they I puked up. The breakfast. Also went back there went out fishing, cod. A paddle boat, used fish nets.
PATRICIA <email>
toronto, ontario canada Thu 11/25/2004
New B&B
I found a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in Kenmare. It is called Driftwood and is walking distance to Kenmare. The B&B is new and the proprietors were fabulous. I was the there off season and was the only person there. They were very friendly, the home was very clean, and they even invited me to dinner!!! I highly recommend staying with them if you are in the area.
Marge Pearce <email>
Warrenton, VA USA Mon 11/15/2004
The Little Skillet, Kinsale - SOLD
The Little Skillet in Kinsale has recently been sold. What a loss! On two separate visits to Ireland I enjoyed my favorite meals of each trip. Dinner on both occasions was the best, melt in your mouth salmon I had in all of Ireland, followed by a berry crumble topped with ice cream AND double cream for dessert. All eaten in the warm, cozy dining room while Anne thoughtfuly looked after her guests.
Another note: the new proprietors will no longer offer bed and breakfast.
GCP
CO USA Sat 11/13/2004
SW Ireland
CAR - read the agreement closely, so you will be prepared. I had Super Collision Damage waiver. It did not cover tires or wheels. Which basically means if you get a flat tire or lose a wheel cover, you are on the hook to fix or replace it. I lost a wheel cover going through a pothole. Went to a Nissan dealer to have it replaced as it was cheaper than having the rental company bill me for it.
PATIENCE - you will get lost a lot of roads don't have signs. Don't get uptight, it's part of the charm. I saw a couple waving a map around and yelling at each other (sadly Americans making a scene).
PEOPLE - take the time to talk with them, there are some really wonderful folks who are happy to share. Don't make your trip just photos of places.
B&B - If you will be touring a good bit in the Cashel area (Rock, Holy Cross Abbey, Cahir Castle, Swiss Cottage, etc), you might want to consider a B&B in Bansha. It is between Tipperary & Cahir. It's called Bansha House. Mary's home is a lovely Georgian on a 100 horse farm. You are free to roam their property. Gorgeous views of mountains, steeples, horses etc. Washcloths are here for those who like 'em. Mary kindly welcomed us jetlagged souls after our first day in Ireland. She asked about our plans for the next day. She politely let us know our schedule might be a little too ambitious and we would not make it to the town we planned to stay in the next night until very late. She was right and we were very greatful we spent another night at Bansha House rather than trying to race to the next place. Breakfast was wonderful and dinner was a pleasure. We even spent part of the evening in front of the fireplace chatting with Mary. This was the first B&B my friend had experienced and at trip's end she said no place else we stayed measured up to Mary's, I agree!
Melody
USA Fri 11/12/2004
Just back from Ireland
A few more things for your future informed Ireland travel (from last week):
1. pay attention to Rick's words about the unmarked roads between Kinsale and Cobh, it's true. Stop and ask questions.
2. The Olde Bakery B&B in Kinsale (in Rick's book) was very warm and comfortable. Chrissey Quigley and her husband Tom were funny, friendly and informed. Good political dicussion.
3. Trim Castle was wonderful and evocative. Right in Trim along the river. Great walk and views around it.
4. Galway - Kennedy park is being refurbished. It's fenced off with no access.
5. The Burren is spectacular - and unlike anything we;d ever seen before. Great vistas, Dolmens and circular forts.
6. Ennis, Co. Clare is an interesting work-a-day town. Has a great medieval street lay-out and friendly folks,
7. We recommend Kilkenny as a great place to wander and enter the past. Castle tour is interesting and informative.
8. Adare is a bit overblown as a cute town.
9. Dun Laoghaire is a great place to stay when visiting Dublin (7 miles south). Rick is right when he says that it has plenty of places to eat and drink, plus it has the sea! Dart train is easy and fast, but know that the Tara street station is closed. Use the Pearce St. station instead.ENJOY!!
George Geanuleas <email>
Glenside, PA USA Fri 11/12/2004
Great Dingle B&B
We visited Dingle last week and had to stay in a non-Rick B&B. The B&B is called the First Cottage and it was great. It's on the street that runs along the water (great view from our room), called "An Choill". Joe and Julie Lynch treated us like family and gave us an incredible fruit salad for breakfast (with kiwi fruit). Their friendly and insightful conversation was one of the highlights of our trip. We highly recommend this wonderful place.
George Geanuleas <email>
Glenside, PA USA Thu 11/11/2004
The best of 19 days
After 19 days in Ireland from October 13th to October 31st here are the best of the bestB&Bs Lurgan House 2km from Westport-wonderful people stayed three nights and photographed in the area. I am a professional fine art photographer.
Springfield House near Clonakilty. This is a farm house B&B with Maureen who is helpful and full of fun. St. Bridgets near Rathdrum which is in the Avocal valley. Stayed two nights and visited Glendaloch and other place in the area. Highly recommend all three of these and they are not in Rick's book so check them out. Recommend you skip the ring of Kerry and do the Mizen head point instead. Great views of the raging North Atlantic.
As to the rest of the trip. Best place for pictures was Dingle and the area. Also Connemara along the coast. You will need an Ordnance Atlas to travel on your own and this can be ordered here before you leave. Driving was more difficult then we imagined due to narrow roads and being on the OTHER side.
Best food was the Half Door at Dingle. Best meal I have had in my life. That is in Rick's book. Had no trouble finding places to stay but the weather was cooler and rainier then we expected.
We flew in and out of Shannon which was no hastle and stayed at the Great Southern Hotel at the airport both going and coming. Jet lag took its toll and slowed us down the first day or so. Also recommend Clifden. Out of the way place but very nice. Ireland is green green and more green. I will be putting my images on my website at www.carolhaubner.com. This will not be for a month or so. For the photographers out there, I used a Canon EOS10D and was able do recharge the batteries with just the plug adapter. Had to do a lot of research to find the info on that. Email with questions if you have them. Carol
Carol Haubner <email>
New Brighton, MN USA Wed 11/10/2004
Ireland
I have so much to say about my trip to Ireland! I will be writing a travelogue for my Masters Thesis about my experiences! My fiance and I ran the Dublin marathon in conjunciton with our trip so that was a plus.
What I would like to add that was not in Rick's book was drive the Conner Pass on the way to Dingle. It was magnificant, really narrow roads but worth the effort! It is a bit tricky to find my but the locals can help you. It is on the way in from the Tralee end not the south end.
Also, we stayed on a farm with Sheep! I was so excited I wished we could have stayed andworked all day! It was called Springfield B&B in Rathmore on the way to Dublin.I will come back to this member's page when I have my entire travelogue completed and let you know wherer you can go to view it. I will have all the tips and wonderous places we stayed in and saw.Thank you! I read ALL the members' page prior to leaving and it gave us all kinds of ideas.Karen in California Krunz@adelphia.net
Karen <email>
Seal Beach, CA USA Tue 11/09/2004
stay in Bunratty
My husband and I just returned from two weeks in Ireland and had a fabulous time. We stayed in a few B&B's recommended by Rick and we were not disappointed. However, we decided to stay in Bunratty for our first two nights and found this amazing hotel, Bunratty Manor Hotel. It was a small, personal place a short drive from Shannon Airport. Our host (Noel) cooked us a huge breakfast every morning and treated us like family. He arranged for us to go horseback riding with a friend of his (we are experienced riders and did not want to just go pony trekking). He went out of his way to make our stay comfortable and we could not recommend his place enough. Toward the end of our stay in Ireland we changed out plans slightly and decided to spend our last night back at Bunratty Manor Hotel so we would be close to the airport. We had someone make a reservation for us and when we walked back in to the hotel we were greeted warmly. I know Rick says to stay away from the Bunratty area but even if someone was looking for a place close to the airport for first and last nights, Bunratty Manor Hotel is a great option.
Kelley Hoey <email>
West Concord, MN USA Tue 11/02/2004
A few helpful hints -- western Ireland
My husband and I just returned from 10 days in Ireland -- 3 in Connemara, 2 in Doolin, 2 in Dingle, 1 night in Kenmare and 1 night on the Shannon River (Bay) on the way to the airport.Here are some lifesavers that we'd like to pass on to other travellers:
1. HEAVY HIKING BOOTS. In our opinion, for any nature/outdoors lover in Ireland, a must! No matter how cumbersome and how crazy you feel, wear your thickest, warmest hiking boots on the plane ride over. In your carry-on, pack slippers and relax with your boots off on the plane. Our heavy boots were utterly invaluable as we spontaneously hiked through graveyards and hills in Connemara, visited the wood trails behind Ballynahinch Castle in southern Connemara, did a four-hour walk over the very rugged limestone Burren (even though the "brilliant" Shane Connolly provides walking sticks), and walked up and down the ruins scattered throughout the Dingle Peninsula. The ground is rugged, spongy, always wet and often cold.
2. CAR INSURANCE -- Get the smallest car you possibly can, make sure it's an automatic (you won't be able to shift left-handed, without a lot of angst) and buy the full coverage for piece of mind. Many roads are no more than alleyways and our rides over the top of the Ballyskelligs Road and Connors Pass were stunningly beautiful, but mind-boggling and terrifying.
3. BATHING HELPS -- If you're a bath nut like I am, our plastic bottle of liquid soap and our two dark washcloths (packed and repacked in a plastic large sandwich bag) allowed us to get clean fast -- whether in cramped showers or long, narrow bathtubs. I need a few amenities, and washcloths are rarely seen.
4. DRESS IN LAYERS, AS NEEDED -- We went to a wedding in Connemara, so we were forced to take more than one-third more than we needed for three nights of festivities and dress-up. But, for October, we brought exactly the right kind of clothes -- two turtlenecks, two fleece tops, one reversible windproof vest, two woolen sweaters. One pair blue jeans, one pair black jeans. That's really all you need. Waterproof jackets, scarf, hat, gloves, of course. If you want to go to a "posh" place or a medieval banquet, wear some crush-proof black pants, one of your sweaters and a scarf or wild jewelry. Keep it light and you'll be happy.
Doolin is fabulous. Do whatever you have to do to get there. Such a magical, quiet, little place on the edge of the Atlantic. Incredible traditional music in three pubs, two within easy walking distance of each other. We saw five 25-year-olds playing the boudrain (drum) elbow pipes, banjo, mandolin, flute, guitar, etc. So nice to know that everything is being passed on to the next generation. An older man said the young drum-player was a "grand master drummer and has a voice like an angel." We concur. Another man in the center pub sprang up to do a capella "laments" in front of the peat fire. A fiddler set the beat with one group in one pub on Sunday night and a different group in another bar on Monday night. Warm welcome and conversation in all. This is the real thing.
The Doolin Crafts store was the best we saw anywhere. Outstanding quality, more Celtic modern in scarves, sweaters and jewelry and even a sales room. Ballyvaughan, Lisdoonvarna, Kiffenora are all charming towns nearby and worth exploration (we didn't have the time, unfortunately, although we did manage to hit the Sunday afternoon local crafts festival in Ballyvaughan). Definitely do the Burren Walk with Shane O'Connolly. You'll love his "oh, cripes" remarks and his Socratic questioning method of teaching botany, history, archeology, geology, legend, etc. He believes "the older ones" were right about "the little people," I think.
We loved the Alpine Guest House in Dingle -- very spacious rooms and great breakfasts. Do Rick's Dingle Peninsula tour to the letter. Add the Kavanaugh Famine Cottage near the first fort. We spent an hour there -- great detailed explanation of the 1845-7 famine. Pottery left on the table, clothes left in the hutches, just as they were when family members were discovered dead. Among the red deer, goats, cattle and sheep in the Kavanaughs' fields high up on the hills, we swore we saw a unicorn -- small, stout, glisteningly-white, feathery, long white mane, and soul-searching blue eyes. (Where was she hiding her horn?) The Blasket Island Center deserves an hour of your time -- great exhibits, makes you fall in love with the last of the Islanders.
We had one of the best meals of our lives at "The Club" in Kenmare. It's on a side street, the one that leads to the beautifully-intact stone circle. It's very modern, red and black leather banquettes, placemats, and lamps, jazz murals and music, but awesomely inventive, with the freshest ingredients possible. The salad was full of huge clover and luscious greens. I ordered the haunch of venison. Many fabulous restaurants in Kenmare, but their menu was by far the most outlandish and creative. Also a much better value for your money than Packie's, according to our hosts at the Willow Lodge in Kenmare. Stay there, as Rick recommends. Greta is Irish and Edgar is English, with a wicked sense of humor and wit. You'll love them both.
I could go on and on about the massive, rugged, magnificent landscape on all the peninsulas, our 6-12 rainbows/day, small-town surprises and loveable people. Such a blessing to have experienced it all!
Robin R. Mueller <email>
House Springs, MO USA Tue 10/26/2004
Ireland trip 2
It appears that a few of my towns were accidentally missed from my message below....
Kenmare- Water's Edge B&B was newly built, clean, and the host was very friendly as well. Would definitely recommend this one as well. "An Leath Phingin" restaurant had great italian dishes at very reasonable prices. Very nice sunset on the river at either the bridge or the "safari" tour pier area.
Mizen head- This peninsula and Barley Cove beach (wouldn't miss) are very scenic and not far out of the way. I would recommend a visit for a couple of hours.
Kilkenny- Our first B&B had to cancel our reservation, but they recommended a great substitute, Cnoc Muire B&B. The house was nice, convenient, and the host was very helpful, giving us a list of things to do etc. Highly recommend. Kyteler's pub and Tynan's Bridge Bar are highly recommended as well. Restaurant Rinucinni has great italian food, but found some aspects to be a little snobby. The Kilkenny castle outside and park area were nice.
Shan <email>
USA Mon 10/25/2004
Ireland recommendations
I returned on thursday 10/21 from a 10 day ireland trip and found Rick Steve's 2004 and this board to be very helpful. We met many Rick Steve's travelers along the way as well. Hopefully my recommendations will be helpful to some as well.
Dromoland castle- great accomodations, treated like kings/queens.
Doolin- Stayed at Harbourview B&B, which was adequate. Ate at Mcgann's pub, which was very good and affordable. The other two pubs, oconnors and mcdermotts were fun too. Cliffs of Moher only a couple of miles a way were great.
Dingle- Cill Bhreac B&B was great! Anglea is probably the most friendly person in ireland, and was most helpful to us. I would definitely recommend staying here in Dingle. Rick's Dingle peninsula guide was great and probably my favorite part of the trip. The Old Smokehouse restaurant had great food. O'flaherty's pub is a great place for irish music.
Kinsale- Rivermount house has a great view of the river valley and friendly hosts. The house is clean and nicely decorated. Hoby's restaurant in town had the best salmon dish and other great food. The Spaniard pub had good atmosphere atop the town.
Dublin- Temple Bar Hotel is in a great location, within walking distance to the main parts of town such as temple bar, grafton street, etc. I would ask for a room not on the street side as it got a little loud with the bars & such on one night. If not, at least get the top floor as we had. The "hop on/hop off" bus tour is a great way to see the city and get taxied around as well. The Guinness tour is a bit lame except for the gravity bar at the end makes it worth it. The Stags head bar was a favorite for its decor and atmosphere.
Shan <email>
USA Sun 10/24/2004
Ireland Book
When planning a trip, the first thing I do is buy Rick's books on the country, or countries. Just bought one for my 3rd trip to Ireland. One great landmark is Gallorus Oratory, on the Dingle Peninsula. Remember driving, in Ireland, is slower than driving in the US. Shop for car rentals before going to Ireland. Don't ignore the major US car hires. Spend more time in the countryside than the towns and cities. Emjoy the cuisine that has improved tremendously in the past 12 years.
Barbara <email>
Seaford, DE USA Mon 10/11/2004
Driving in Ireland
A few of my thoights on driving in Ireland.A small car is essential. When driving through small towns the roads almost always run directly down the main street which will be quite narrow, have cars parked half on and half off the sidewalks,and pointed in all directions.(Wine St. Sligo)
If you drive on any of the smaller one lane roads the left side of your car will be scratched from all the bushes and rock walls,road signs are virtually non existant or hidden behind shrubs and some signs are in kilometers and some in miles.The nice wide two lane road with the paved shoulders you are driving on may suddenly turn into a narrow cow path with a bridge that is one lane. Traffic coming from one direction has to stop until there is no oncoming traffic.
You definitely do not need to worry about going to sleep while driving because the first day can border on sheer terror, especially if you are uncertain of directions and it is pouring down rain.
After about three days driving on the left seems normal and you begin to relax. I might add that I am 60 years old so someone who is younger may not have as much anxiety.
Allow yourself plenty of time and NEVER go into a pub and ask the locals when they are going to stop driving on the wrong side of the road.I heard this on more than one occasion from people who I am assuming were from the USA.
Pat Hogan <email>
Wichita, KS. USA Fri 10/08/2004
Driving in Ireland
We did a driving tour of Southern Ireland this past summer. While we agree completely with "don't drive in Dublin" we really think that Ireland is a great place to have a car. Many of the things we enjoyed were outdoor activities-hiking, exploring ruins in cow pastures, the Dingle Peninsula tour, not to mention the Ring of Beara. I'm not sure how we would have done these without a car. We also made good use of the scenic routes - picked up lunch ahead of time as we were on our way out of town, then drove a route (usually recommended by our b & b hosts) that would include a lunchtime stop. We had sandwiches at a stone circle overlooking the sea and at the top of The Vee (great scenic pass between Cashel & Blarney).
It is very important to have a good map (Michelin) and I did have to continually check to be sure we were on the right track. I do recommend the extra insurance on the car. The roads are quite narrow and we scratched up against a lot of bushes. And finally, take to heart the advice to double the amount of time you think it will take to get somewhere. We only misjudged one day and it meant missing something I wanted to see, but the other 2 weeks we were pretty well on target by allowing plent of time.
Karen <email>
Atlanta, GA USA Fri 10/08/2004
Shannon Hotel
Seeking suggestions for a reasonable hotel near Shannon Airport to sleep away the jetlag.
Melissa
Troy, MI USA Thu 10/07/2004
More tips on driving!
I posted my other comments on 8/9 but had some further advice when seeing some of the others bad driving comments. I'm very glad that we drove, but it is very nerve-wracking those first few days. And the signage is horrible -- often arrows pointing in a direction and they may be obscured by trees plan on getting lost a little, and enjoy it as much as you can (easier said than done).A GPS would be great, but my research led me to believe that Ireland won't sell their map information.
The www.ireland.ie can give you very good directions. I'd suggest to print those and then review those with the Ordnance Survey (if you are driving BUY this book/map). The times that website gives for driving are very optimistic. I could only manage those times on the major highways (very limited) or well into our two week trip when I was comfortable driving on that side of the road. When we passed signs my wife would consult the map to make sure we were still headed in the right direction. This allowed us to catch misturns quickly before losing a lot of time. My wife learned how to read a map and navigate on this trip as I drove.We never got to the town we were going too very early, but we had a cell phone to call innkeepers so they'd hold our room.
To give you an idea of how we organized it our driving days were:
1. Dublin - Powerscourt - Glendalough - Cashel
2. Cashel - Waterford
3. Waterford - Midleton - Cobh - Kinsale
4. Kinsale - Muckross (arrived too late to do much) - Kenmare
5. Ring of Kerry - Dingle
6. Dingle - Tralee - Cliffs of Moher - Burren Drive - Galway
7. Galway - Oughterrad - Cong - Leenaun - Kylemore Abbey - Murrisk - Westport
8. Westport - Stokestown - Belleek - Derry
9. Derry - Portrush
10. Portrush - Monsteraboice - Trim - Dublin
David
Allen, TX USA Thu 10/07/2004
Lynfield B&B in Galway
I would not recommend the Lynfield B&B in Galway. Bathroom was very moldy, bedside lamps broken, beds were just barely comfortable and the on-site manager did not speak enough English to answer any questions we might have.
CM <email>
Denton, TX USA Thu 10/07/2004
Driving in Ireland late Sept 2004
Don't drive in Ireland if you can avoid it! It is confusing and terrifying, there are no street signs, and it feels like the other drivers are aiming for you. Had to cut most of our planned stops and had to pay for a cancelled night at a B&B as a result. Took most of the fun out of the vacation. If you must drive, get the smallest car possible, and expect to get lost...a lot. Help from the locals is spotty and you will often feel you are on your own!The only good driving was in the Shannon and Limerick areas, where the streets are impeccably well-marked. Don't drive in Dublin unless you are insane!
Overrated: Dublin's Trinity College and Book of Kells. Tour guide was a snotty kid who didn't say much about the college. The Book was overrated, and given the way it's displayed you really only see the Page of Kells.
Underrated: Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Plenty to see, and easy on the travel-weary.
Dublin: Kilmainham Gaol was the highlight for us.
Cashel: Rock of Cashel was cool and TI in Cashel was GREAT!
In Kilkenny: Langton's is overpriced and the food is mediocre.
Budget: Used the 2003 guidebook and found that most prices had increased. Whatever your travel budget, increase it by 25% for the terrible exchange rate.
Camille Hooper <email>
Port St. Lucie, FL USA Sun 10/03/2004
Butler Court Kilkenny
We frequently travel to Kilkenny City and always stay at Bulter Court on Patrick Street. This accomodation is very central in this busy little city, yet it is peacefully quiet and secure.The proprietor, Yvonne Dalton is a delightfully friendly and helpful person who runs a fine establishment. The rooms are immaculatley clean, comfortable and bright. Butler Court has the best shower we have ever found in any place in Ireland. Absolutley great value for money spent.
You will receive a prompt response when you contact them through their website www.butlercourt.comPatricia MackayPrince Edward Island Canada
Patricia MacKay <email>
Charlottetown, PEI canada Thu 09/30/2004
Ireland
Rick:For your readers that fly into Shannon airport that wish to have a place either the day they arrive or the day before they leave I strongly recommend the small town ofAdere less than an hour from Shannon south on N21. Adare dates back to midievel times and has a castle, Abbey and church. There is an informative history museum of the area in the same building as the tourist office. A row of thatchc cottages still exist in which there are two very good restaurants.
A jewel of a B and B is The Adare Country House. It is only four years old, comfortably appointed,resonably priced, walking distance to town and run by Denis and Eileen Moroney and their two lovely daughters. They have ten en suite rooms. Phone 00353 61 395986,fax 00353 61 395986. I believe your readers would appreciate knowing about this town and B and B.Roger Hill
Roger Hill <email>
Berkeley, CA USA Thu 09/23/2004
Good Bad & Ugly
We visited Ireland Sept 11-17 for the first time and used Rick's guidebook.
The good: Dingle Peninsula drive following Rick's guide. Kinsale's ghost tour, shopping, and food. Foyle BnB in Kinsale was our favorite. The Midleton Distillery and pubs. Guinness tour in Dublin, and Trinity College / Book of Kells. I don't think we had a bad meal the whole trip.
The bad: Dingle pubs were disappointing with the exception of The Dingle Pub. Dingle locals were unfriendly, I think they were tired of tourist season. Not much music available, maybe because we were there on a Sunday night?
The Ugly: Road construction on N22 west of Cork, we lost a day messing with (lack of) detour signs and traffic. If driving in Dublin, a superior street map is a MUST, but the roads are marked so poorly it may not matter. Road markings are poor throughout the country so if you do see a sign, slow down and read it. If unsure, backtrack and read again! You may not see another sign for quite a while. Don't be in a hurry when you're driving, allow lots of time.
Overall we loved the country and plan on another trip. Even had sunny weather most of the time though didn't mind the rain either. Slea Head in storm was absolutely breathtaking.
Matt <email>
San Diego, CA USA Tue 09/21/2004
Wonderful Ireland
This was our third trip to Europe using Rick's book. It is invaluable! Ireland was wonderful. Our favorite towns were Doolin, Dingle and Kenmere. Favorite hotel was Heatons in Dingle. Mary O'Brien at the Hawthorn House was so accommmodating. Favorite pub was O'Conners in Doolin. Didn't find the driving as difficult as everyone warned. We rented an automatic.The people of Ireland go out of their way to be helpful and friendly.
Linda <email>
Sewell, NJ USA Fri 09/17/2004
Tips for first time visitors
Just came back from 2 weeks in Ireland, our first trip there. Wonderful! A few tips for first timers:
Rick's book says not to wear sneakers/tennis shoes/etc. or you'll look like a tourist. This may have been true once, but it sure isn't any longer. We saw folks in sneakers (white, grey, whatever) everywhere, even in small towns, and many were obviously locals (we could tell by their accent, or what they were doing, even several musicians in pubs). So don't worry about your shoes- just make sure they're comfortable.
Driving is going to take longer- a lot longer- than you think. It's quite nerve- racking, between driving on the other side, the very narrow & winding roads, and the lack of street & directional signs. We had to cut about 2 days worth of traveling out of our trip because it took so much longer to get anywhere than we had expected. It really helps to have both a compass & a magnifying glass (for reading tiny map print). Also, be aware that your nice wide, roomy national road (highway) will turn into a teeny-weeny, twisty side street at the drop of a town (which are everywhere along your way from one place to another). Charming, yes, but bound to slow your travel time.
We recommend NOT staying in Cobh- stay in or near Cork and take the train (about 30 minutes) into Cobh if you want to visit. We just didn't find much to do in Cobh, and we found Cork much more interesting.
If you're planning on staying in a Rick Steves' recommended accomodation- better book ahead! Everywhere we went, the places that were in the book were full, while other places had plenty of room. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Drinking fountains are virtually non-existent; you're better off filling a bottle at your B&B or buying bottled water & keeping it with you.
Payphones were quite hard to find outside of the cities; if you have a cell phone that you can use in Ireland (get the unlock codes before you go), that's best. If you get a phone card, try to make sure it's a good one- don't ask me how. We bought a 10 Euro card at the TI in Dublin, after being told it would work on any push button phone. Yes, true- but we only got 26 minutes of time out of it! Not a very good rate.
Caution: TI offices are often closed on weekends, at lunchtime, before 10 am or after 5 pm, especially after Sept. 1st. We had trouble finding open TIs when we needed them.
Internet cafes are everywhere, so make use of e-mail as much as you can to contact folks back home.
Overall, a great trip, can't wait to go back.
Jennifer
OR USA Tue 09/14/2004
Cashel-Dingle-Ennis
Derrynaflan B&B (Ballinure) near Cashel is not in Rick's book, but should be. Sheila makes their own cheese and jam, and a super breakfast. We even got to see a new litter of W. Highland pups! However, the B&B entrance is hard to spot at night. We did Cahir Castle and the Rock in one day; Davern's restaurant (Cashel) has excellent food.
Dingle's Wildflower Cottage was one of the best B&Bs (an apartment) we stayed in. Located next to Dingle pier with an incredible view, it has a wildflower patio and a friendly neighbor dog. Marianne (Seattle native) and Tom are very welcoming. Rick's Slea Head and Burren driving itineraries were great, so glad we brought them.
Old Ground Hotel (Ennis) was a great way to end the trip. Irish Arms pub (Lisdoonvarna) and Poets Corner pub (Old Ground) had good food at decent prices and friendly locals.
Robin <email>
Boston, MA USA Wed 09/01/2004
Driving time
Rick's Ireland guide was extremely beneficial- the BEST! - except for estimated travel times by car. Add 25% at a minimum to what he has posted - at least during high season, anywhere outside of the Dublin metro area.
Also, the national law resticting pub access to the under 18 crowd after 9pm made it impossible for our family to experience live Irish music in that venue (in Dingle, Kinsale, Cobh, Trailee, Galway City etc). We did find an alternative. Some hotels, like the Club House in Kilkenney, put on a traditional show in a room adjacent to the hotel bar. In Dublin, there were many options such as Taylors Irish Night (a tourist trap that rises well above the tour bus crowd environment because of the talented Merry Ploughboys,professional"Riverdance"look alikes, and surprisingly gourmet food)
Bill Kerekes <email>
Hempstead, NY USA Sat 08/28/2004
Ballyegan House, Dingle
A friend and I recently stayed in Ballyegan House in Dingle town, and were very unhappy with our stay. We found the proprietors unfriendly and we were uncomfortable because of it. When we cancelled our second night, we were yelled at and told to pay for the second night, which we refused. We had made our booking the day of, and felt that being a Saturday night in August they wouldn't have trouble filling the room. After that we were told very loudly to leave immediately and never stay there again, as well as being told repeatedly not to steal the room key. It's likely that they've probably had bad experiences in the past, but this behavior was completely uncalled for. We were not trouble makers. I've lived in Ireland for the last 2 years, and have never experienced anything like it.
Dingle is a lovely place, and there are many other B&Bs to choose from. Others I recommend from past experience are the Lantern Townhouse (very central); and I highly recommend the Blue Haven Lodge, which is a few miles west of Dingle. Reasonably priced, and a nice break from the typical Irish B&B experience if you're tired of the traditional fry and don't enjoy chatting with strangers first thing in the morning. Plus they have a hot tub...
Liz <email>
OR USA Wed 08/25/2004
Ireland Trip Reviw addition
Sorry-forgot to say the name of the B & B in Corofin (Burren) that was so great - Clifden House with Jim & Bernadette. Highly recommend it.
Karen <email>
atlanta, GA USA Fri 08/20/2004
Ireland Trip Review
Just back from Ireland - another great trip for our family of 4 (2 teens) using Rick and the graffiti board for planning purposes. We liked: Dublin - Kilronan House was a wonderful start - nice people, good location near St. Stephen's Green but away from the noisy center. Mary Gibbons tour of Newgrange was all it was said to be - a great introduction to Irish History. Kilmainham Jail was powerful.
Cashel - stayed at Legend's Guesthouse. Very gourmet dinner and you can't beat the view, they are at the foot of the Rock of Cashel. Loved walking to Hore Abbey (behind the Rock) at twilight.
Kinsale - this was our Farmhouse B & B experience. Maria at Raheen House is lovely - it is 10 minutes from Kinsale. Thanks to all who recommended Fishy Fishy Cafe, only open for lunch. It was fabulous. Stayed at Shelburne Lodge for only 1 night in Kenmare. Ate at their restaurant in town - Packies. Again the food was unbelievable. Wish we had a 2nd night in Kenmare.
Next up Dingle - stayed 3 nights and again, could have stayed more. Heaton's Guesthouse really does provide the warmest welcome. Nuala, Cameron and David made us feel like family, our rooms were huge and breakfast really was the best. Ate at two restaurants that I got from this board - Out of the Blue (seafood only) and Midi (pizza & other mediterranean food) as well as the Charthouse (upscale gourmet). There is a food revolution going on in Ireland and we had truly incredible meals. Great shopping here.
Connemara - time for a castle splurge at Ballynahinch. Hiked Mamean (where St. Patrick banished the snakes). Great scenery, nice art gallery in Roundstone.
Burren - for a really unique experience stay with Jim & Bernadette in their country home in Corofin. Ask Jim to point the way to the hike near Newquay. Eat at Linannes Lobster Bar in Newquay.
Finally, Drink Guinness!!!! I do not like it here at home and only meant to have one glass to say I had done so. Ended up drinking it everyday - as they say "Guinness for Strength".
Karen <email>
Atlanta, GA USA Fri 08/20/2004
Grove House &Courtyard Cottages Skibbereen
Grove house and courtyard cottages:
Date: Aug 16, 2004
we stayed at Grove house and courtyard cottages in Skibbereen west cork on the 3- 6 august 04.
It was everything it said in the literature and more.
The welcome from Anna and Peter Warburton was really wonderful.
The food was excellent, really first class.
We had breakfast and a 3 course meal every day.A different menu every night.
All of the meals were out of this world.
We were really sorry to leave at the end of our 3 day stay.
I can only praise Anna and Peter once again for their superb hospitality.
If your thinking of staying in the west cork area Grove house is a must. A real gem!!!!!!!
Fran & Mike Hourihane <email>
pontypool, torfaen wales U k Mon 08/16/2004
Student's version: Dublin, Cork, Galway
I was just in Ireland last week, so here are my tips, from a student's perspective and for other students and people in their 20s.
Dublin: Lots to do and see. Not to be missed. Try to get accomodations near Trinity College - this is the student area. I did both the City Tour and the Wicklow tour with the Grayline bus company. Got very helpful, friendly staff with a great sense of humor who were more than willing to point out what there was to see and do.
Hostel-wise, Avalon House was a great deal with really helpful staff. Christchurch House was the complete reverse, and also pretty out of the way.
Cork: Absolutely gorgeous city about the size of Berkeley, CA, with a great atmosphere in general and extraordinarily friendly people. Also not to be missed. Sheila's Budget Accomodation Hostel is a fabulous deal for the 14 Euro you pay per night. Also near St. Patrick's Street and a whole bunch of pubs.
Galway: Wait until about Spring 2005. Most of the attractions in Eyre Square are part of an area that's being torn up by construction right now. Hostels are few and far between, so book early. The only other real attraction besides Eyre Square is the Aran Islands.
Jessica <email>
Walnut Creek, CA USA Sat 08/14/2004
Two Weeks in Ireland, July/August
We used Rick's and Fodors during our two weeks in Ireland July 21-Aug 3. Here are some thoughts:
Rented car from Enterprise at Dublin Airport. Car pick up is a ways north of the airport, in Swords. Enterprise had no maps at the time. However, rates turned out to be wonderful, despite insurance charge tacked on with no notice. If you have a platinum Mastercard you can indeed get CDW insurance, automatically, for no charge, by using the card. However, you still need to purchase liability insurance.
First night, stayed in Trim, at Highfield House b/c of Rick's recommendation. It's great. Trim Castle, Newgrange, Knowth, Hill of Tara, all great, plus, definitely purchase the Heritage Card. Dinner at Franzini O'Brien's, also great.
2d-4th nights at Clareview House in Kinvara. Rick, add this to your book! It is simply great, the best B & B we stayed at. Dinner at Keogh's in Kinvara, also wonderful. Lots of discussion on the web about castle dinners: Bunratty, Dunguaire, or Knappogue. We picked Knappogue. My traveling companions liked it better than I did. They would do it again. I wouldn't--seemed like cheesy vaudeville to me. I like more history.
Dingle: we stayed at Emlagh Lodge, not House, not in your book but should be, it's great. Concert at church is great. Out of the Blue is a new restaurant, it's wonderful. Archaeological tour also wonderful. My companions tooks the eco-tour and were disappointed because the guide used no mike and was mostly inaudible.
Kinsale: we stayed at Landfall House, not in your book but also very good. (We would start with B & Bs in your book, but many of them were full months in advance, and also many of them did not have triple rooms, which we needed.) Your directions to the ferry to Cobh are wrong, you need to change them, the Queenstown Story is wonderful. Just outside of Cobh on the way up to Cork is a botanical garden and zoo, not in your book but a beautiful place to stop and picnic (I forget the name, sorry).
Cashel: Gort na Cloc is a great B & B north of town. A farm, so very peaceful.
Dublin: we returned our car as soon as we got there thanks to your advice, which was definitely the right thing to do. Stayed at the Harcourt Hotel, need earplugs because of incredibly noisy nightclub outside which apparently stays open all night. Viking Splash Tour is wonderful, highly recommend it, but the vikings are cagey and hard to find. The location of one departure point has changed. Best to call them and make a reservation. They sell out fast.
Driving: Just repeat this mantra to yourself: the driver needs to be at the middle of the road. Also, don't be afraid to drive slowly, especially around blind corners in the country.
Thanks, Rick! Our trip would not have been nearly so wonderful had we not used your book.
Lynn Foster <email>
Little Rock, AR USA Fri 08/13/2004
My Ireland Advice
Spent 16 days in Ireland from late June-July. Drove the ring of the island, you should probably count on covering 30-40 miles/hour. And be prepared for frequently heading in the wrong direction due to the poor signage.
My quad band GSM phone (v600) worked great. I unlocked it over here and picked up a Vodafone SIM card for 30euros, it had 15euros of usage. Very nice for calling ahead to tell the innkeeper you'll be late/lost or just for your peace of mind.
The bad:
Cashel - go to see the Rock then get out of town. The lodgings suggested by Rick (probably the best available) aren't very good, and the local Garda allow their young men to hang around and cause trouble. I was harrassed in doing some photography around the town, but being in shape just jogged away. This town is only huggable if you generally hug with your brass knuckles on.
Derry - Merchants House/Saddlers House, nice lodging; but in a very rundown area of town and dishonest owner (she overcharged us). The City Museum is closed for remodeling. My advice would be to drive-in, see the murals and drive on.
The good:
Ring of Skellig - if you have a car do this. Very small roads but the view is worth it.
Greenmount House - GREAT lodging and breakfast, definitely stay there again.
Petra House - very friendly, owner came out to find us and guide us in when we were a little lost
Connemara - beautiful countryside, I liked it better than the Ring's.
Burren - this area has to be seen to believe it. I figure Steven King would love this area, very bizarre.
Powerscourt - gorgeous, allow plenty of time to wander. You could do the circuit in the 30 min that Rick suggests, but that is without stopping in the various gardens to enjoy very much.
People - very friendly, at one point had some car trouble and had 38 people stop to check on us in 1.5 hours.
Enjoy your trip!
David
Allen, TX USA Mon 08/09/2004
Festivals Ireland 2004
If you like Irish music plan to attend the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival. It is Sept 24-26 in Longford Ireland. All styles of Irish and Traditional Music will be played. Not to be missed
Roger johns <email>
Broomfield, CO USA Fri 08/06/2004
Muckross Riding Stables B&B, Muckross, Killarney
I would not recommend Muckross Riding Stables. We made a reservation months in advance and
reconfirmed it a week before our
arrival. When we arrived, we found
that our rooms had be given away.
She had set up another B&B for us. When we arrived at the new place, the owner mentioned that Maureen is always having some kind of
trouble with reservations and she is always bailing her out. I would not recommend this B&B to anyone.
Kathy <email>
Santa Rosa, CA USA Mon 08/02/2004
SW Ireland: B&B's, etc.
Arrived in Shannon from Norway late in the evening, so we stayed at Oakwood Arms, maybe two miles from the airport. Worked well. Excellent b'fast.
Three days in Clifden staying at Mallmore House, just outside of town. Wonderful! Family run, great b'fasts, we had a beautiful room (huge - like a suite) bay window overlooking the entrance to the harbor. Driving around the area (Connemarra and Sky Road) is fascinating.
In Dingle we splurged at the Greenmount. Also had a suite here, and we were so happy we did, as one rainy day was spent mostly in our comfy quarters. Loved it. Took in the concert at the church - excellent. Lots of locals as well as lucky tourists. Best dinner was at 4xexons (pronounced "4 seasons"), run by a young transplanted Aussie. Wonderful. On Main St, up a flight of stairs.
Used Rick's precise guide to drive the peninsula -. Great! I'd add a bit more in Rick's guide book about the Kavanaugh Famine House west of town. Skip the fort across the road and visit this place. The family has owned the property for 7 generations, and has done a good job in presenting it to the public. 3 Euros.
Some words about driving: You'll drive with more comfort with total CWI. The narrow roads (including some "main arteries") are rough and lined with paint-gouging hedgerows. After our first experience, I got out and examined the left side of the car - it looked as if it had been "keyed" several times front to back! Luckily, we found a colored polish at a petrol station with which we were able to buff out the scratches so we passed the close inspection at Europcar.
In Kinsale we stayed at the funky Presbytery. Great b'fast and location. Nice dinner across the street at Crackpot Ceramic. Took Don Herlihy's interesting walk, leaving from the visitors' center at 11:00.
Heading to Dublin, we stayed two nights at Dunromin B&B (karenbrown.com/ireland/dunromin/html) in Kilkenny. Super b'fast, extremely helpful and friendly owners. This is where we borrowed some old towels to buff out the scratches. 60 euros cash per night.
For our last 4 nights, Harding Hotel was fine - across the street from Christchurch. Excellent brew-pub: Porter House, on Parliament near the river, just two blocks from the hotel. Great beers and ales, good food.
A few tips: We got rid of the rental car as soon as we arrived in Dublin - on a Sunday - little traffic.
Spend the euros for full CDW and/or remember the polish.
Three nights makes for relaxing stays in popular areas.
Choose different airports to fly in to and out from i.e. Shannon/Dublin.
Sorry so verbose, but this was a special two weeks!
Jack <email>
Pinole, CA USA Thu 07/29/2004
Mizen Head and Fastnet Rock
We just returned from 10 days in Ireland using Rick's book quite extensively.
We discovered a fabulous site however in West Cork that Rick fails to mention and we found it well worth the day trip to get there from Kinsale. It is "Mizen Head" - Ireland's most southwesternly point and "Fastnet Rock" - Ireland's lighthouse built into the side of a rock 8 miles offshore of Mizen Head. The day we went was very sunny and clear and we could see forever. However, just the cliffs and the coves and the Mizen Head Lighthouse Tour on a "regular Ireland summer day" would be well worth your while. The locals call it the "Grand Canyon of Ireland".
We stayed in Bridgeview Guesthouse in Kilbrittain - doing one day to Mizen Head and one day to Kinsale. Marion's hospitality on her dairy farm also made it worth the trip!!
Sue Payne <email>
Bel Air, MD USA Sat 07/24/2004
Ireland Honeymoon
Recently returned from Scotland and Ireland following Rick's guides. Wonderful! In Dun Laoghaire we ran into some unexpected changes from the book. The DART train from Dublin was not running on the weekends due to construction, which meant we had to take the hour long bus ride back and forth. The rail construction is supposed to be finished the end of July, but our B&B host pointed out it was originally supposed to be finished in May. Also, the launderette there has gone out of business with no alternatives nearby that we could find. REst of the trip was marvelous. We had an early morning flight from Shannon to London and spent our last 2 nights at the Beechgrove Farmhouse 10 minutes from the airport. Mrs Conheady went the extra bit leaving breakfast out for our 5:30 am departure.
Neil and Debby Krey <email>
Hurst, TX USA Thu 07/22/2004
Cill Bhreac House, Dingle
Just returned from a two-week vacation to Ireland with my wife. Dingle was definitely our favourite stop off. We followed Rick's guidebook throughout our travels and found it most helpful. One question though Rick - why isn't Dingle's Cill Bhreac House included in your book? Every night we stayed in B&B's that Rick recommended and they were all beautiful. However, in Dingle we decided to stay at Cill Bhreac House having read so many great reviews about it on this message board and having seen the lovely pictures of the house on their web site. Although not in the book, Cill Bhreac House was definitely the best B&B we stayed in while in Ireland. With its lovely views of Dingle Bay, it's extensive breakfast menu and the amazing hospitality that Angela and the rest of her family displayed they really ensured we had a most enjoyable stay.
Andrew Catherwood <email>
Boston, MA USA Thu 07/22/2004
Ireland/No.Ireland tour
We spent a day in Ireland, in June and used Neil Hogan of Roadrunners Kinsale Sightseeing Bus Tours info@westcorktours.com for a full day trip to Kinsale, Charles Fort, Blarney castle and the beautiful grounds here. He was an excellent guide and I highly recommend his tour.He gave us so much information about Ireland and drove us along many of the small roads in such beautiful areas. I think it is a shame to miss the grounds at Blarney Castle. They are so beautiful and Neil did a delightful tour here explaining the fables, and showing us the Witches kitchen, wishing steps etc. I'm not sure if Charles Fort is usually included in his day tour which leaves from Cork, but we hired his services and coach for the full day for our group and he was happy to add a stop at the fort. This also is not to be missed.
In Northern Ireland we hired mini-coach tours (www.minicoachni.co.uk)for a full day trip along the Antrim coast to the Giants Causeway, Dunlace Castle, Old Bushmills Distillery, and the Carrick a rede rope bridge. Again, this tour was just excellent and the beauty in this area is amazing. We stopped in a tiny town for a bathroom break and some children were playing on some outdoor toys. When they saw us they exclaimed "Are you Tourists??" It was like they had heard of tourists before but had never met any... It was so cute.
Lorrie
Lorrie <email>
Cincinnati, Ohio USA Tue 07/13/2004
Carrigeen Castle
We recently stayed (June 2004) at Carrigeen Castle in Cahir, County Tipperary, Ireland. It was a nightmare. We stayed in small bed and breakfast places all over Europe, sometimes for a week at a time, in Rome, Vernazza, Venice, Munich, Paris, London, Dublin, Doolin, Dingle, to name just a few. This was the worst experience of our trip. The owner, Peig Butler, was bizarre from the beginning, and only got worse as the stay went on. The final charge was not as agreed upon, even the full Irish breakfast was terrible. It was an awful experience, and not worth it to stay in a place that isn't a castle, rather an old gaol. I strongly recommend you skip Carrigeen "Castle".
John Evers <email>
Atlanta, GA USA Mon 07/12/2004
Ken Harper, Taxi Driver Belfast
Just returned from a brief stopover in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Used a referral from the Ireland Guide and hired taxi driver and guide Ken Harper. His 1 1/2 tour is outstanding and the whole experience is one of our most poignant memories.
Lorelei Redding <email>
Reno, NV USA Fri 07/09/2004
Great B&B Near Kinsale
We vacationed in Ireland from 5/16 to 5/26 using Rick's book as our guide. After using several guides to plan the trip, it was the only one we thought it would be worthwhile to pack. We feel like we soaked up Ireland while a avoiding some of the overly touristy stops (Blarney Castle). We loved the Dingle Penninsula, Powerscourt Castle, the Rock of Cashel and just taking our time along the way.
We must mention a B&B we came across by accident. It is right outside of Kinsale on Sandy Cove. The name is Waylunga and the owner is Mrs Myrtle Lewis. The house is situated on a hill that looks over fields that slope down to a secluded cove. She has an absolutely beautiful garden and breakdfast includes her homemade currant jam. Our hostess was the epitome of a B&B owner - helpful and interested in our plans for the day. Don't miss this if you are in the Kinsale area.
April & Bill <email>
Fishers, IN USA Sun 06/27/2004
Driving Tip Update
Sorry, that I forgot to mention that I was speaking of the steering wheel always being towards the center of the lanes where they meet.
Gretchen <email>
L.A., CA USA Fri 06/25/2004
Driving Tip
When I moved to Dublin and worked as a nanny I was forced to adapt quickly to driving on the "wrong" side of the road in a crazy city! One word of advice I was given as I learned to drive a manual in this environment was that the wheel is always in the middle of the road. I found this to be helful, and true advice. Not only did it help me to adapt back to driving in the states, but it got me through months of driving in both rural and urban, if you can call it that, Ireland!
Gretchen <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA Fri 06/25/2004
Ireland Vacation
I recently returned from a 2 week vacation in Ireland. May 27 through June 11. We used the 2003 version of Rick Steves' Ireland book, so some of the information in his book regarding prices had increased since that issue. We use his books mainly for what to see and do, and do not always use his places to stay. The book was very helpful in the various regions that we were in, such as Dublin, the Wicklow Mountains, Kilkenny, Cashel, Dingle, The Burren, Connemara, and the northern coast. Among others, his mile by mile tour of the Dingle Peninsula, and tour of Glendalough, were excellent.
In Portrush, we did stay in one of Rick's suggested B&B's, since there were very few listings in the Ireland B&B book for Northern Ireland. We stayed at the Belvedere Town House, and although the room was small, the B&B was in a quiet area overlooking the park and bay and was not too great a walk to the main part of town. This is one location where we met a couple that were also using Rick Steves book.
In Dublin we had dinner at one of Rick's suggestions, the Gallagher's Boxty House in the Temple Bar area, and found it to be very good. Like in most places we had dinner in Ireland, the portions were large, and well presented.
Although distances between towns and areas in Ireland seem short, it takes much longer to travel distances than in the USA or Canada since the roads are mostly narrow, winding, and lined with hedge rows. However, this is what makes Ireland so scenic. Do not try to do it all and plan to only do no more than about 150 miles a day. I believe that the times for driving that are given in Rick's book are on the low side, unless you plan to take the shortest route, go as fast as you can, and do not make any stops.
Gas and Diesel prices are between 2 and 3 times that in the USA or Canada. Everything in Ireland is very expensive. Ireland is now said to be the most expensive country in Europe, and I agree.
We have used Rick's books for the past 12 years or so, and have found them to be just what we need.
Rick Herbert <email>
Fort Erie, Ontario Canada Tue 06/22/2004
Wicklow Way WOW
Wicklow Way Lodge is a must stop for anyone who loves glorious sunrises and sunsets overlooking lush mountains. Marilyn and Shay and their charming son Tony were incredible hosts. We arrived late in the evening, tired and hugry. Our bags were stowed in our rooms and we were quickly directed to a wonderful Inn down the road for a tasty dinner. The rooms were beautiful, right out of a decorating magazine. The architecture of the house emphasizes the incredible views of the Wicklow Mountains....much like a cabin in the Rockies. The bed and shower were first class! I cannot say enough about our stay at this terrific B and B. For entertainment...you can watch the Wicklow Sheep Dogs at work, or head down the road to catch a soccer match or some music at 2 of the towns popular restaurants. If you have the good fortune to make this a stop, be sure to try Marilyn's outstanding oatmeal. This is could be a romantic get away, or a fun family stop before hiking The Way. Also...take the 4 mile trek to Lough Tay.........beautiful!
Stacey Walsh <email>
Cincinnati, OH USA Mon 06/21/2004
Mary Gibbons tour of Tara and Newgrange
Marry Gibbon's tour of Newgrange and the Hill of Tara was excellent, but I did not appreciate how I was treated as a customer. I called 2 days ahead to book myself and my sister on the tour. The woman on the phone confirmed the 35 euro price shown in Rick's book and the 6 euro discount for showing his book. When we arrived, three things happened. First, they didn't have my name. Second, they charged us 40 euro each. Third, they said they no longer give the discount for the Rick Steves book. I almost felt like telling them to jam it, but did not. It was still worth 40 euro but they have a lot to learn about treating customers.
Edward <email>
Tallahassee, FL USA Sun 06/20/2004
dublin to dingle
The distances and driving times in the 2003 Ireland book were unrealistically short given traffic, road conditions and road construction on N7 & N21. Book said 4 1/4 hrs. We booked into a B&B in Dingle for three nights thinking we could leave in the morning to make an early afternoon flight out of Dublin. The nearly 7 hr drive from Dublin to Dingle convinced us we had to cut our stay short by 1 night and stay closer to Dublin. We were charged at Kelliher's Ballyegan B&B for the night we didn't stay. Be aware if you change plans expect to be stuck. Kelliher's had small rooms but was clean. Luckily, for almost the same price we found a gorgeous
B&B 90 minutes outside of Dublin on N7 in Borris-in-Ossory, Ballaghmore House B&B, with large rooms well-appointed and a much better breakfast. A worthy destination -- not just a way point.
Wynne <email>
USA Thu 06/17/2004
Kenmare
Has anyone stayed at the Lansdowne Hotel in Kenmare? Please provide positive or negative experiences.
Maureen Broms <email>
Wollaston, MA USA Wed 06/16/2004
Ireland stuff, June 2004
Kilkenny - Rothe house not worth the time.
Kensale - O'Donovan's B&B was a delight. Tap Tavern tops for fun. The Ghost Walking tour was very entertaining. Don Hirley's tour was outstanding. Desmond "Castle" was a waste of time. Charles Fort is a must see.
Kilarney - Mucross House was mediocre, but the gardens were much more interesting.
Dingle - Captain's House B&B outstanding. The archaeological tour of the Dingle area overlaps a good deal with the tour described in detail in Rick's Ireland guide. Overall, the archaeology tour was a disappointment and not worth the time; you don't learn anything you couldn't get from a book. Aquarium was pretty good. The drive around the penninsula was astonishing. Take the time to go down the side roads on the penninsula drive. Avoid the 3 euro entry fee to the gallarus oratory by driving 100 yards past the official visitors center to a free parking lot linked directly to the gallarus oratory by a separate path. But honestly, save your time, too, because the oratory is a waste of time. The 30 minutes spent there would be better allocated to a pub.
Edward <email>
Tallahassee, FL USA Sat 06/12/2004
Just returned from Ireland-Tips and Corrections
We have used Rick's books and we consider them The Book. We just returned from two weeks in Ireland and I wanted to leave just a few corrections or tips for the Ireland travelers. First, Ireland is wonderful and we will return.
In Kinsale, the laundry listed went out of business in January. Never fear, a new laundry is open on Market street in a new location across from the Mad Monk Pub but not on Main Street. No problem.
In Waterford, Brown's Townhouse is up for sale. Les Brown is getting into another business, I think, and the place was a little run down and neglected. I talked with his staff and they fear it will be sold for a home and not a B/B. Beware...
Lastly, in Dun Laoghaire,the Wild Wicklow tours(they are still great) don't drop you off in Dun Laoghaire, they drop you off in Dublin at the nearest DART station to the route the tour takes back to the city. No real big deal, just a change. I love Rick Steves books and I love Ireland. P.S. We saw a Rick Steves tour in Dingle at St. James church for an early session of Trad. They got in but the concert was a complete sellout. We could not even get standing room only. Maybe those tours are not such a bad idea.
Don Carter
Tupelo, MS USA Thu 06/10/2004
Ireland
We think Rick Steves is the best guide book around and we have used it in several countries. Just a few recommendations to add. We enjoyed Bunratty Castle and Folk Park....good overall view of what life was like at that time. We also enjoyed Blarney Castle. There was no line to kiss the stone and even though it is very touristy, it is something that we have heard about for ages. The Lemon Tree restaurant across the street was very good for lunch.
In Dublin, the La Caverna restaurant was very good Italian food. It is across the street from Luigi Malone's in the Temple Bar area. It is under new management since the middle of April. If you go to Newgrange take a little extra time to go to Monasterboice. It is close by, very close to the motorway for easy access, and very impressive.
Ellen Lewchenko <email>
Thousand Oaks, CA USA Sun 06/06/2004
Ireland accommodations
For some reason, the email address in my entry below is inaccurate. So, if you would like to contact me, just leave me a message in the Traveler's Helpline, and I will get back to you.
Brent Walker
USA Mon 05/31/2004
Ireland accommodations
We spent 2 weeks in Ireland last summer (2003). We used Rick Steves' Ireland as our "bible," and found it to be an excellent resource, especially the driving tips and route suggestions. The only different recommendation that we would make is to rent the smallest car possible.
Here are the B&B's that we can definitely recommend: Heatons in Dingle --- splurge for the balcony room. Ardawn House in Galway --- be sure to wander downtown during the evening and eat at McDonagh's. Even though Rick doesn't recommend it, we actually enjoyed Bunratty Castle. Harbour Heights in Portrush ---- ask for a room overlooking the harbor.
In Kilkenny we stayed at the Club House Hotel, and the best music we heard in Ireland was at Kyteler's Inn. Also, there is an excellent restaurant directly across the street from Kyteler's (I believe it was called the Miracle Bar).
In Dublin we stayed at Jurys Christ Church Inn, which is an easy walk to most of the Dublin sights. We visited Dublin last and left our rental car at the airport on the way into town. I would definitely recommend not driving in Dublin. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me!
Brent Walker
Powell, WY USA Mon 05/31/2004
Accomodations
Just got back from 10 days in Ireland. We used the guide book for all of our accomodations except one which was a complete disaster. We're vegetarian and we found a veg. B&B called the Phoenix in Castlemaine. It was recommended in Lonley Planet, but we thought it was horrible. Not quite clean, the owners' kids running down the halls until midnight and a dead moth under the bed sheets. Plus it was more expensive then some of the nicer B&B's. (The food was good, though.) Rick to the rescue we found a great B&B in Tralee for the next night.
Here's a rundown of where we stayed.
Beachcove (outside Portmagee) - on beautiful St. Finian's Bay. Bridie is extremely nice and everything was just great. Spectacular views.
Dowlings Leeside (Tralee) - Very friendly, comfortable and nice. Probably the best value out of all of these.
Petra House (Galway) - an impeccable guest house. Great breakfast with homemade scones.
St. Brendan's (Aran Islands) - We were a little disappointed with this one. The people are very nice, but it is run down. There were some noisy birds nesting in the eves of the house and kids watching loud TV until late.
Harding Hotel (Dublin) - This was a great location and the room was decent.
Tricia
Salem, MA USA Sun 05/30/2004
Dublin restaurant
There are a lot of places to eat in Dublin, but this list recommended Kitty's Kaboudle Restaurant, 14 Merrion Row. It is under reconstruction so you can't eat there but there are a number of other excellent restaurants on the same street. We ate at Rubicon, 6 Merrion Row and had a great meal off the early bird menu.
Carla J
Minneapolis, MN USA Sat 05/29/2004
Heritage Sites and Tour Guides
The tour guides at Heritage sites in Ireland do an outstanding job. I don't usually go on guided tours at sites but all of the guides we heard were erudite, passionate, and genuine in their efforts to bring the site to life. Some outstanding ones were at Glendalough, Jerpoint Abbey, Fort Charles, Newgrange, and the amazing Kilmainham Gaol. Listening to these guides were some of the highlights of our trip.
Also, many of the museums were very well done including the Blasket Islands, Newgrange, and the Skelling Experience. Even if you are not as nerdy as we are when it comes to history and culture, you will appreciate the outstanding job done by these intelligent and dedicated guides.
Carla J.
Minneapolis, MN USA Sat 05/29/2004
Dingle
Follow Ric's recommendations and spend 3 nights in Dingle. We stayed at the Captain's House and can not say enough good things about it. Mary was an outstanding hostess and her breakfasts were amazing, including homemade scones, brown bread and fruit bread every morning! We met some wonderful fellow travelers there and we all met at the Wed. night folk music concert at St. James, which was also great.
If it is cloudy on one side of the Dingle peninsula, consider going to the other side. Take advantage of the mountains that can keep fog to one side or another. We went north and saw some outstanding scenery. Seek out the view of Smerwick Harbour from the ruins of Dun an Oir, which is really out of the way but the view was awesome and you may have it all to yourself. Also, find the beach at Clogher Head, which is dramatically beautiful and great for a picnic. Also, the Blasket Islands museum was outstanding; we highly recommend it
Carla J.
Minneapolis, MN USA Sat 05/29/2004
Kenmare
Kenmare is small, cute and prosperous. It was the perfect launching spot for the Ring of Kerry. Mary at the Hawthorne House is wonderful and our room and the breakfast was wonderful. The had a wonderful time finding the stone circle which we had all to ourselves. If coming from the east, consider driving around the less touted and less touristy Bear Peninsula and going over the Healy Pass which has different but dramatic beauty. It delayed our arrival in Kenmare for a couple of hours but was well worth it.
Carla J.
Minneapolis, MN USA Sat 05/29/2004
Kilkenny
We followed Rick's suggestion and stayed in Kilkenny our first nights upon arrival. We stayed 2 great nights at Butler Court, where we truly appreciated the excellent mattress and good, strong shower at Butler Court. The room was bright and in great condition and it is truly in the center of town, having been part of the Castle grounds in the past! Yvonne is a wonderful person to talk with and she showed us her photos of the restoration process. Also, eat at Pordylos. Yvonne recommended it and it was one of the best meals we had in Ireland! Rick, consider adding it to your book.
Carla J,
Minneapolis, MN USA Sat 05/29/2004
Ireland and driving
Just spend 2 weeks in Ireland using Rick's book. We had an awesome vacation thanks to Rick!! The weather in May was great and we had little rain. Everyone commented that we were there for a dry spell.
I definitely recommend renting a car with full insurance. The peace of mind was worth it and when we blew a tire hitting a rock on the side of the road, it was fully covered no questions asked. We used irishcarrentals.com and had a wonder experience with them, all booked over the internet. Get the Ornance Atlas at your first stop. It was our bible and we used it to discover many ruins, castles, megalithic tombs and other sites that were off the tourist track. We treated it like a scavenger hunt.let's find this or that and in the end found outstanding scenery, sites, and people.
I recommend going to Ireland for one's first European vacation. The Irish were so welcoming, helpful and genuine and it made our two weeks that it makes the cultural shock, jet lag and fatigues of travel disappear.
Carla J.
USA Sat 05/29/2004
Butler Court, Kilkenny
We stayed in Butler Court, kilkenny, breaking our journey from Dublin to Galway as we wanted to see Jerpoint Abbey in Thomastown which was quite stunning. The accommodation was quiet, despite being slap bang in the middle of town and of a very high standard. Great place to stay if you can get in! We booked through their website: www.butlercourt.com
Brian Collins
Birmingham, UK Fri 05/28/2004
Ireland highlights
I just returned from a week long trip to Ireland, my first but certainly not my last. The friendliest people in the world are there-just amazing! I would recomend flying into Shannon and staying in the west if you just have a short visit. We flew into Dublin and drove all over and the freedom of the car is great, but it will take you longer to drive anywhere they you initially think.
I loved Dingle and it is all you expect and more. We stayed at Cill Bhreac and it was the best time I had while there. She (Angela, the owner)is so helpful and the rooms are so clean and comfortable but still really affordable. I would not go back to Ireland unless I could get back there to see her-she is amazing.
M.C. Cross
Dallas, TX USA Wed 05/26/2004
A Students Perseptive
I just returned home from Five and a half months in Ireland and Ricks book was my bible for all my weekend trips around the island. I would be unable to go into all the stuff that I did and saw or it would go on for pages. Just a few comments about Ireland I would love to add from an "adopted Local"
* Smoke Free Ireland: I have to applaud the Irish for thanking such a new idea in strived, people have respected it in my own opinion better than residents of California and New York City, by just going outside. Although it has change pub culture, it has allowed myself as a non-smoker to enjoy the atmosphere a lot more after March 25.
*Favorite Cities in Ireland: I have loved Dingle, Galway, Aran Islands, Cork and Kinsale, but I would have to say my favorite two cities were Kilkenny and Maynooth (my home base)
*Although Ireland has a pretty good bus network with Bus Erinann, it is still a driving country and though it can be done seeing the country through a bus window (which I did) you miss the small little towns and village that really make up Ireland.
*Belfast was one of the biggest highlights of my whole trip, I found the whole Black cabs tours interesting and infomative, but because I was on a class feild trip I was able to go into Stormont and meet and question all the political parties for a day, and for a mondern history/Political Science double major person like me, it was like christmas for me.
*Well that all I can think of off the top of my head, but if anyone has any questions on Ireland, feel free to email me.
Janine
Bozeman, MT USA Wed 05/26/2004
May in Ireland
Wonderful time in Ireland with great weather. Agree that Dun Laoghaire is a good staying place instead of Dublin. We stayed at the Ferry House which was recommeneded by one of the owners of a B & B listed in the book as she was full. We thought that Ballyegan House in Dingle was not up to standards of other recommendations in the book. Rooms were cold, our friends room had a really strange odor, no tea pot in the room and very stiff towels. But we did think that the Grey Gables in Ennis was teriffic! All in all the guidebook is indispensible in planning and touring! Be sure and take advantage of free e-mail at the libraries.
Diane Palm
Winona, MN USA Tue 05/25/2004
Non smoking in Europe
The only non smoking country in the entire world is the Republic of Ireland.
I LOVE THE IRISH!!!!!!
Fred
Los Angeles, Ca USA Sat 05/22/2004
Ireland 1st week of May
Used Rick's book as a bible for our trip. The Brown's B& B in Waterford was wonderful, reccomended La Palma for dinner excellent. Took Rick's advice in Kinsale for the Old Bakery, wonderful inn keepers room small and no soap,a little noisey. In Killarney stayed at Ross Castle lodge it was one of the best inn's on our trip, and walkable to the castle. Did three rings Dingle, Kerry and Hook, loved them all, but dingle was preferred. Used Rick's book out on the Ring of Dingle to renew our vows with the old stone. Perfect directions I wished they were in the book for the ring of Kerry, could of used them. We drove a 1,000 miles in a week pushed a little hard, but ending in Dromoland was worth the entire trip. This is themost beautiful and romantic destination, if you budget allows for it make it a must. Weather was cold and windy with some rain, but nothing to complain about bought a hat and mittens as was perfect.
Rene B
Island Heights, NJ USA Sat 05/15/2004
Galway, Dingle, Kilkenny (ugh!) and Dublin
Just returned from 10 days in Ireland -- Galway, Dingle, Kilkenny and Dublin. Flew into Shannon, drove to Galway on the day of arrival. Worked well. Put more than 700 miles on a Nissan Micra, driving on the left. It's not easy driving. Most roads are two lane and sometimes the lanes are very narrow.
Enjoyed Galway and especially Dingle. Dublin is fair but don't spend too much time there -- there's not a lot to see (compared to, for example, Paris or Rome.)
I'd pass on Kilkenny. City Centre was filthy when we were there -- mostly from cigarette butts tossed on the sidewalk or in the gutter. The river is nice and there is a castle to photograph, though.
We had reservations at Club House Hotel, which Rick described in his 2003 book as "perfectly central." It is central but it's a dog. We were assigned room 7. On entering we smelled a strong odor of bug spray -- Black Flag or whatever. The odor was stronger behind the closed bathroom door. Inside the bathroom we found dead bugs that had been plastered against the wall with bug spray. The shelf above and behind the bath tub was littered with dead bugs and a black substance that looked like soot. We were offered another room but declined and asked the front desk clerk to call another hotel for us, which she did. She called Rivercourt. Rivercourt is much nicer and 70 percent more expensive but we were happy to have it, considering our options at the time (it was a bank holiday weekend.)
The first night, we ordered dinner (a pannini and a caesar salad) from room service because the restuarant was booked until 9:30 p.m. I became sick in the middle of the night and stayed that way for 24 hours. I blame it on the hotel food but my wife ate the same food and didn't get sick. Go figure. Hotel management was a little suspicious when I informed them of my illness on checkout (the woman who checked us out asked, "How was your stay," and I answered. They promised to "investigate" and write me a letter. We'll see. Anyhow, from what I saw of Kilkenny, I just wouldn't go there.
A positive word about Dingle: We stayed at Greenmount House, a B&B Rick recommended. Our room was small but adequate. The entire building was immaculate from what we saw. Breakfast was great. On the last day of our stay we had the special of the day -- Eggs Benedict. Delicious. John and Mary, who own and run the place (for more than 20 years according to John) were friendly and honest and entertaining. According to John, as we were leaving, Out-of-the-Blue is one of the best restuarants in Dingle. We enjoyed The Old Smokehouse.
In Dublin, we also enjoyed Boulevard Cafe, described in Rick's 2003 book.
In Galway, McDonough's is the best chippie in town, as Rick said.
George
Newport Beach, CA USA Sat 05/08/2004
recommendations
We just returned from a trip to Ireland. We thought the Ring of Kerry was overhyped but loved the Dingle peninsula. We stayed at two fantastic B and B's with great facilities and hosts: Cornton House, Killybegs, Co. Donegal and Octave House, Kentstown, Co. Meath. We also stayed at one to avoid: Cliff House, Tramore, Co. Waterford. While the facility was fine, the hostess has a barely concealed contempt for Americans that made things uncomfortable.
And, for a great meal, An Cistin Restaurant in Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Donegal is well worth the drive out there...aside from the beautiful scenery.
Linda Hall
Colville, wa USA Thu 05/06/2004
Western Ireland B&Bs
Returned from a lovely week in windy cool Western Ireland and made use of B&B accommodation recommendations. Everyone of my stops was great - Petra House in Galway, Hawthorn House in Kenmare, Captains House in Dingle and Grey Gables in Ennis. Very welcoming and hospitable surroundings and hosts in every B&B. One in Miltown Malbay that is not in your book is Berry Lodge. Worth a meal if nothing else!
Loved the roads and the driving - no issues at all.
Going by yourself is not an issue as everyone was very helpful.
Jeanette McGillicuddy
Chaska, MN USA Mon 05/03/2004
Poor Accommodations
My husband and I just returned from a 9 day trip to Ireland. We had a great time, and Rick's book was helpful for planning our activities. I read up on the guidebook and decided to try some of the accommodations Rick recommended. Rick said the Principal Hotel (Temple Bar) in Dublin rented "decent" rooms. Decent is a relative term, but we did not consider decent to be a dirty shower, a dark, hot room (it was warm in Dublin last week) and a bed that you could count the springs on. There was only a thinning sheet that was between us and the mattress, and that sheet was not properly cleaned when we arrived, as we found numerous hairs on it. We woke up with back and neck problems each night (we are 25 and in perfect health). When we travelled to Westport, we thought we would give Rick one more chance, and booked a room at the Clew Bay Hotel. Rick called the rooms "classy". Again, we would have to disagree. The twin beds that were pushed together were not the same height, the headboards were broken, and the mattresses were only a bit better than the ones in Dublin. The shower curtain rod was broken, so the curtain was constantly falling down mid-shower, soaking the floor, and the towels and sheets were covered with cigarette burns. Plus, there were hairs imbedded in the sheets here as well. The only redeeming feature of the room was that it overlooked a stream. We travel often, and know what to expect in Europe. We weren't expecting the Savoy, but we did expect rooms that weren't filthy. We weren't paying hostel prices, so we felt the rooms should have been nicer. We are very disappointed in Rick's recommedations, and hope that some of you will think twice before booking the "charming" rooms he pushes. Rick, you are right on with most of your info, but perhaps you should spend more time researching accommodations.
RG
Rachel
Lexington, KY USA Mon 05/03/2004
B&B's
I really like the book and I've been using two of the recommended B&B's for years and could not agree more that Annesgrove (Dun Laoghaire) and Four Seasons (Galway) are marvelous, particularly because of their hosts. Rick you've missed another amazing B&B though that deserves your consideration. It is Whitepark House in Ballintoy near the Giant's Causeway. Bob Isles, the host, is the only recipient of the "Landlady of the Year" Award for the entire UK and certainly deserves it. His home is amazing, as is he, and my party of six rated it at the very top of all the B&B's we used this trip - right there with Four Seasons and Annesgrove. Check this one out for future editions.
Jim McNally
Millersville, MD USA Fri 04/30/2004
Kenmare Lodging-O'Donnabahain's
Just returned from a 10 days in Ireland. Spent 3 nights in Kenmare at O'Donanahain's Guesthouse and Pub on Henry Street (www.odonnabhain-kenmare.com) Jer Foley runs a great operation with 10 rooms over his pub. Don't worry about noise--spacious rooms are at the back of the facility. Bar and food downstairs exceptional...enjoyed many a pint and some wonderful Guiness beef stew.
John and Kathy Hawkins <email>
Woodland Park, CO USA Tue 04/27/2004
Cill Bhreac, Dingle
Dingle B&B. We just got back from 10 days in Ireland. The #1 B&B was clearly Cill Bhreac House in Dingle. As we were there in early April, the electric blanket and plain old warmth of the house was the best. Angela McCarthy's warm welcome was tops. Only place to stay.
Gerry Gleckel
California, MD USA 04/18/04
Stone Ring in Kenmare
If you are trying to find the stone ring of Kenmare when starting from Henry street...
The Kenmare street map in the 2004 book is wrong in *one* detail. New street takes a 90 degree turn about 100 paces from henry street. It is not straight as shown on the map. If you follow the map as drawn, you end up in an unkempt, wooded area behind a large estate.
Tony
USA 04/15/04
Passing cars on Irish Highways
The Irish are a thrifty people. If there's asphalt available, they'll use it. Often, drivers on large, busy highways will use the center-line of the road as a third lane. Oncoming cars and trucks ease over to give the passer space, and it seems head-on crashes are barely averted.
Tony
USA 04/15/04
Driving in dublin
On main roads you'll only see one road sign before your turn. And it's usually about shortly before the turn. On streets, signs are posted somewhere around knee level on fences. You can't see them while driving! Don't drive in Dublin proper unless you absolutely have to.
tony
USA 04/15/04
Asking Questions in Rural Ireland
In rural Gaelic areas, instead of asking a yes or no question, tell a little story. To find out where the garage is, perhaps something like "I was driving down the lane, and ruined a tire when I came upon the pothole by the turn. Would I find a garage in town?" Instead of "Is there a garage in town?"
Tony
USA 04/15/04
Mens Haircut in Kenmare
Peter the Barber. Second story, on Henry Street. Hard to find. Inexpensive, good haircut, it may take persistance to get in. Variable hours.
Tony
USA 04/15/04
Rental Car Company
Budget has offices in many towns. A plus if you need to get service or change a car. Eurocar only has offices in Dublin and Shannon. Eurocar is honest, good cars, reasonable price but lack of offices was a problem for me.
Tony
USA 04/15/04
Kenmare tips
JAM coffee shop for AM coffee and scones. Packies for open face sandwiches. Atlantic Bar for traditional Irish breakfast. Twohy's Roughty Bar for best pint of guinness in town... NOT a tourist place. Golf course in early morning for bird chorus and watching sunrise. Kenmare Hostel is clean and well run.
Tony
USA 04/15/04
Driving on the left
If you are jet lagged upon arrival, consider getting a room close to the airport before driving on the left. I had a tendency to over-react when I saw cars hurling down the 'wrong' side of the road.
Be especially careful when turning onto a road, freeway, or lane. For some reason it's easy to forget which lane you are supposed to be in.
Also, be very careful about which lane you are in when you are stressed or tired. It's very, very easy to turn onto the wrong side of the road and into oncoming traffic.
No, i never got used to Driving on the left.
Tony Levelle
USA 04/15/04
Driving on rural roads
When renting a car for driving in narrow roads of rural western Ireland, get the full deductible insurance. The hedgerows are cut in winter and leave bramble branches sticking out. They scratch the paint. Potholes in the roads often damage tires and rims. Good reasons not to try to save money on deductible.
Tony Levelle
Lower Lake, CA USA 04/15/04
Bed and Breakfast in Dingle
I would like to recommend a bed and breakfast in Dingle, Ireland called the Milestone, and ironically, it has in its front yard the stone at which Rick begins histour of Slea Head Road on the Dingle Peninsulain his Ireland book.
Michael and Barbara Carrol were wonderful hosts. When we arrived, Barbara, a former travel agent, sat us down over a cup of tea and went over a map of the drive around the peninsula. She marked various sites that we would want to see and answered our many questions. The following morning at breakfast, both Barbara and Michael sat down with their guests in the breakfast room and we had a lovely chat about their lives, the Irish, and the Peninsula.
I would suggest that you try them out, because of all the b&b's that we stayed in while in Ireland, they were the most welcoming and willing to talk. While we have been used to that while staying in b&b's in America, we found that most of the owners in Ireland were not as helpful and fun as the Carrols.
Eric and Judy Schultz
Wauwatosa, WI USA 04/12/04
Dingle B&B
We stayed 3 days at Towerview B&B built in 2001
at the edge of Dingle town. Mary is a wonderful and helpful host. She has beautiful rooms, large ensuite bathrooms and large beds. The views from this new B&B are lovely and the rates are 30 euros p/p. www.towerviewdingle.com
J Straw <email>
Walnut Creek, ca USA 04/10/04
Ireland 2004 guidebook
Just back from 2 weeks in Ireland and Ricks book again was very accurate and invaluable as a guidebook for sights and for selecting B&B's. The only suggestion I might add is to allow more driving time from location to location than what is in the guidebook. We usually missed a turn ran into slow or chock a block traffic. Thank you Rick for your excellent work.
J Straw
Walnut Creek, Ca USA 04/10/04
flea markets
Ireland 2004 guidebook was quite helpful--returned last week from 8 days of train/bus travel around Ireland. The people of Ireland were so wonderful. In Dublin, discovered that Mother Redcap is no longer open. I spoke to a woman who informed me that it had been sold recently--would love to know if there are other flea markets in Ireland--antique shopping is somewhat uncommon--although I did happen upon a traveling antiques and collectibles show in Galway.
Also took along DK Eyewitness book
on Ireland for additional info.
Alex Knapp
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA USA 04/02/04
Shannon
I have your Ireland 03 book and wonder why you don't mention Shannon?
Our travel agent is suggesting flying into Shannon and out of Dublin 10 days later.
Mary
Evansville, IN USA 03/27/04
Dublin Restaurant Recommendation
The tourbook was great. Do suggest you add Kitty's Kaboudle Restaurant, 14 Merrion Row, Dublin to the book. We had a great meal there away from the Dublin crowd. Their Irish Stew was fabulous!
Joanne Parkes <email>
Geilenkirchen, Germany 03/26/04
Ireland Book Feedback
I'd give the Golden Fork award to The Wild Banks Restaurant in Dingle!
Owned by Paul & Laura Walker - thewildbanks@eirecom.net
My family agreed our meal here - the Spinach and goat cheese roulade was incredible - a very close second was the Little Skillet in Kinsale - owned by Richard & Anne Ennos - already in the book - Anne is fabulous and has a wealth of knowledge about the whole Kinsale area. She totally spoils you and brings heaping bowls of fragrant herbed buttery potatoes for you to "sample!"
Patti
Shawnee, KS USA 03/23/04
Dinsale
Michael O'Donovan is an excellent host at his B&B. We stayed with him "by accident", but it turned out to be one of the treasures of our trip. We had wonderful chats with him, genuinely warm and friendly.
Don't miss Dan O'Herlihy's walking tour, it is wonderful, rain or shine!
The laundry lady in Dinsale has retired after many years...no more laundry service anywhere in town as far as we can tell.
Gabe
Shawnee, KS USA 03/23/04
restaurant
Add to your book this restaurant in Dingletown. "Out of the Blue" has fantastic seafood. Sits right down on the harbor across the street from the fishing docks. Talk about fresh.....loved it.
Miles <email>
Buford, Ga USA 03/22/04
Ireland-Trim Castle
My girlfriend and I just got back from a fun-filled 5-day trip to Ireland. The Rick Steves Ireland guide was, as usual, very helpful, but we noted an mistake relevant to winter/offseason travelers regarding Trim Castle. In particular, the castle is open on weekends in the offseason. (The book says the castle/keep is closed October-April.) I'm glad I poked around some on the Internet and made a call or two; Trim Castle is a great site, well worth a half day.
Kevin McIntyre
Westminster, MD USA 03/16/04
All Ireland Busking Competition
The All Ireland Busking Competition included in the Dundrum Festival held annually since 2000. The All Ireland Busking Competition is now enjoying its fourth year in Dundrum, with being a great success in previous years it is expected to be another great event and a truly fantastic experience.
Dundrum Festival - "The home of the All Ireland Busking Competition"
Busking is defined as playing a musical instrument and/or singing, conjuring, juggling, mime, mimicry, dance, puppetry, performance art, recitation and other appropriate theatrical and visual forms.
Do you know how to perform one or more of the above in front of thousands of people? And possible win a big money prize !
Last year we had over £1500.00 in prizes and over 5000 people attended this great event, this year we hope to increase the prize money.
If you are interested in entering this FREE competition, drop by our website and register.
http://www.dundrumfestival.com or http://www.allirelandbuskingcompetition.com
Sponsors include: Down District Council, Awards for All, Mourne Heritage and more...
Nathan Clarke
Festival Organiser
Don't forget to spread the word...
Nathan Clarke
Dundrum, Co. Down N. Ireland, USA 03/10/04
Ireland
I just returned home from a 10-day trip to Ireland and want to go back. We used Rick's book extensively!
Dublin: Start off with a tour of the Kilmainham gaol if you don't know much about the Irish struggle for independence. The tour guides are informative and passionate. We stayed at O'Neill's guest house above the pub on Pearse Street. It was moderately noisy but easy to sleep after a few Guinness! A must do is Mary Gibbons tour to Newgrange.
Dingle: I highly recommend driving the peninsula using Rick's mile by mile guide. Beautiful and easy driving compared to the ring of Kerry. The Alpine Guesthouse was very friendly and the pub to visit is the Small bridge and the pub to eat at is Moriarty's.
And if you are planning on renting a car and driving the Ring of Kerry, get the most coverage you can get...I am glad we did after we blew out a tire!
Anne
Columbus, Oh USA 03/08/04
Car Rental
If renting a car in Ireland I recommend www.rentacarireland.com. They are partnered with Hertz so you get Hertz service but more than 1/2 the price including all applicable charges/taxes!!
Jorge Franceschi
FL USA 03/08/04
Ireland sights
If you have never driven in Ireland try to fly into Shannon. Quick and easy to get out of. Bunratty Castle can be skipped. We found a nice Inn--Carrigan House--in Lisdoonvarna which is geat for seeing Cliffs of Mohr and the Burren. Hope to spend a night on a sheep farm in the Burren next trip--there were many of those in the Burren. Dingle was a delight as well as Kinsale and Kenmare. I agreee three days at Dingle would be good. Muckross House is worth a stop for sure. Waterford is not pretty but if you love the crystal it is a good stop. Never drive any part of the Ring of Kerry going against the motor coaches--scary narrow roads. The ruins at Glendoughloch south of Dublin are worth seeing. A sign posted along the road to Blarney Castle showed a toy soldier factory but as we got closer we found it to be closed on Sun. Our las trip to Ireland was early June and it was COLD, rainy and windy. We most definitely were not prepared for the cold. Assume it will be cold in Ireland--but so beautiful and friendly!
Susan <email>
Atl, Ga USA 02/21/04
Ireland Guidebook
We were only going to be in Dublin and the surrounds for two full days and wanted to make the most of our time. The book recommended the Mary Gibbons Tour for the Hill of Tara and Newgrange. All we had to do was board the coach, show Mary the book, and we got the tour for 29 Euros each instead of the 35 Euros each advertised price! And it was an outstanding tour! I figure that we saved about $15 on that tour so we got the guidebook for a net price of $4! We'll go back to Ireland again when we have more time to see the countryside and the book will definitely be with us!
Linda Turner <email>
Frederick, MD USA 02/20/04
More Dingle Websites
In the 2003 edition of Rick's excellent Ireland book, www.dingle-peninsula.ie is listed as the offical website for tourism for this area. As such, this is not so. There are at least two other excellent websites promoting the area: www.dingle-region.com and www.dinglewest.com
Gerald Horgan <email>
Dingle, Ireland 02/12/04
Bed and Breakfast in the Dingle Peninsula
Just returned from our Ireland trip. Mount Eagle Lodge was the best B&B of our whole trip (www.dinglelodging.com). Breathtaking views with sea views, spacious, nice and clean rooms, a delicious breakfast and the most friendly and helpful hosts one can dream of. The Dingle area is the most lovely place on the whole Ireland. For anyone who's planning to stay in the Dingle area: allow a minimum stay of at least three nights. Once you've met Eric and Eleanor, you won't regret it. Wonderful dinner recommendation from Eric was the Out of the Blue Restaurant at Dingle Town Pier. We will definitely come back.
Mandy Smith <email>
Chicago, IL USA 02/12/04
B & B in Galway
The best B & B we found in Galway was St. Jude's (in Lower Salt Hill). Ita Johnstone is a lovely hostess, the rooms are spotless and luxurious, and the home is on the main bus line so you can spend an evening in the pubs and get home safely. A great value that exceeded all others.
Allison Ricks <email>
St. Louis, MO USA 02/11/04
Dublin Area Feedback
My partner and I just got back from spending 2 quick days in Dublin and
happily used the Dublin chapter from the Europe guidebook to plan our
trip!
Avalon House - We had booked two beds in a 12 bunk room at bargain prices. We checked in around 10 and left our bags in the bag room until returning around 4 to get access to our room. The hall we were in was very dirty and had three bathrooms for over 30 rooms. Two of the toilets were missing seats and none had toilet paper. The shower was filthy. Other hostels we have visited were much better. After trying to nap, we decided to consult the guidebook and find a B&B or small hotel for the night instead.
Innisfree B&B was a wonderful find, 40min by bus from the center of Dublin. We had a polite and friendly welcome, a nice room with beautiful furniture and comfortable beds, and a great breakfast the next morning. Highly recommended for 50Euro!
In Dublin, the castle is closed until July due to EU Presidency meetings. Also, the DART was shut down during the winter holidays and for the next few weeks, as far as we could tell.
The Porterhouse Brewing Company near Temple Bar was a fabulous place for lunch. They brew their own stouts, ales, and lagers; a good alternative to Guinness. The food was quite good and reasonably priced.
Don't miss the Kilmainham Gaol tour.
Our guide was passionate about Irish history and very interesting... BUT...
bundle up in winter as the tour is half outside, and even the indoors
portions are quite cold!
Amy <email>
Calgary, AB Canada 01/09/04
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
I 'd recommend a tour of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, as an addition to
visiting real villages and pubs, not as a replacement. The castle has authentic
furnishings and weapons and lovely docents who are happy to answer any question
about the history of the place. The folk park was an enjoyable look at Irish
village life from an earlier time. I can't speak for the feast as we didn't
stay for that, though it is expensive and you really do need to get reservations
well ahead.
Kate <email>
WA USA 01/03/04
Dublin, Temple Bar area
Most of the hotels in the Temple Bar area are in great locations but noise
can be a big problem, especially on week-ends. The pubs and clubs seem to
stay open until at least two a.m. and then all the drunks hit the streets
singing,yelling and vomiting. Unless you are young and enjoy this, it can
be a problem trying to sleep.
Pat Hogan <email>
Wichita, ks. USA 12/02/03
Weekend Closures of Dublin DART
For those wishing to visit or stay outside of Dublin along the DART line,
you need to be aware that except for the first 3 weekends of December 03,
the DART is closed on weekends south of downtown until at least June 04.
And when it opens on weekends in the south, it will be closed on weekend
to the north.
Sam Fain
Seattle, WA USA 11/25/03
Celtic Honeymoon 2002
Ireland was simply amazing. My wife and I honeymooned there from Nov. 18
- Dec. 2, 2002, and we wish so much we could be back there right now. We
have an web journal of our trip with photos and stories that you can see
at http://www.dmperez.com/travel/ireland
Rick's guidebook was essential to our trip, right from the very start. We modified his sample trip to fit our two-week schedule, including areas not covered by Rick, like Sligo, better known as Yeats Country. Going in November we were usually two of a handful of tourists, which means we got to see Ireland as the Irish see it, more or less, and we couldn't have loved it more. The Irish were all wonderful and welcoming; I can't even recall anyone being rude to us at all! Everywhere we went Ireland revealed its magic to us, from stone-age tombs and ring forts to rainbows by the dozen. It is said that in Ireland history and myth are one and the same, and up until our arrival it was just a catch phrase, but it is so true: to the Irish there is no difference between St. Patrick and Cuchulain; they were both as real as the other, both part of the very land of Ireland. You can guess we fell in love with the country.
Here's a rundown of all our B&Bs and how they rated:
Kilkenny: Hillgrove B&B - This was an excellent place to begin our honeymoon. Just outside of Kilkenny (what a charming little town), Hillgrove had a great room for us and a breakfast that was incredible (the B&B has won the Best Breakfast Award on various occasions!).
Dingle: Ballymore House - Found between Dingle and Ventry, and run by the incredible Maurice O'Shea, Ballymore was our home for 4 days, and by the time we left we felt we were leaving a relative's house. While it is outside of Dingle, Ballymore was excellent in all respects. Maurice was almost a father to us, making sure we were OK at all times, even drying our jeans when we came back soaked after we (intelligent that we are) decided to take a stroll to Ventry and got rained on. I would go back to Ballymore House in a heartbeat.
Galway: Cill Cuana - Just outside of central Galway, this was your typical B&B. Nothing special, just ok.
Sligo: Mountainview B&B - This was another great place, with a front-door view of Ben Bulben, and literally just 5 minutes away from Yeats' grave. Breakfast included homemade orange marmalade that was to die for.
Portrush: Belvedere Town House - Thanks to Rick for this listing! The Belvedere was really nice, the room comfy and welcoming, and our host quite friendly, especially considering we simply showed up at her doorstep at 6:00 pm.
Belfast: Camera Guesthouse - Also from Rick's book, this was a nice charming Victorian house in central Belfast with a great and very comfortable room, yummy cookies and coffe that seemed to be neverending, and an in-room stand-alone shower stall that was just cool.
Dublin: Mrs. Kane's Seaview B&B - Rick to the rescue once more. The only reason Mrs. Kane gave us a room was because of Rick's book, which I had in my hand when I knocked. Mrs. Kane was a world-class host, providing us with great food and charming accomodations, not to mention a little gift in honor of our honeymoon. She made our last days in Ireland the perfect ending to a perfect trip.
Except for the first two B&Bs, we booked all of them on-the-go, calling the night before or in the morning (or afternoon, or just showing up) for our next place. One of the advantages of off-season travel.
For food we had a tricky time. Since we keep kosher, food was limited to what we could buy at the supermarket (we had a well-stocked back-seat pantry in the car), fresh fish (the salmon in Dingle is excellent) and salads. In Dublin we finally ate something warm at Cornucopia, a vegetarian restaurant in Wicklow St. that served the most delicious soups (a must in the biting Irish cold) and food. Here's a food tip: take a baguette, spread some English mustard (spicy if you don't have English), and put sliced tomatoes and Dubliner cheese, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and drink with a Bulmers cider or your choice of beverage. That was our staple roadside lunch and it is delicious (still having it these days).
There is so much more I wish I could say about Ireland, but this is already
long as is it (which is why we created our website). Suffice to say that
we could not have picked a better place to spend our honeymoon (regardless
of the weird stares we got everytime we mentioned it). Forever Ireland
will live in our hearts as the place where we began our married life,
adding to the magic of the land.
Daniel M. Perez <email>
Miami, FL USA 11/19/03
Irish traditional music
The comments on your website about Irish music are so off-the-wall as to
beggar belief!
"Make yourself right at home. Even the shy visitor can join in, drumming the table or playing the ten-pence coins."
Well, apart from the fact that there haven't been any ten pence coins for some time, recommending such behaviour is likely to get the monetary percussionist or table drummer rapidly exiled from the pub.
Then there's this: "Occasionally, the fast-paced music will stop and one person will sing an a capella "lament." This is the one time when the entire pub will stop to listen as sad lyrics fill the smoke-stained room. A ceilidh (kay-lee) is an evening of music and dance...an Irish hoedown."
Apart from the impossibility of singing a solo song "a capella," the visitor to an Irish pub will extremely rarely hear a lament sung (unless it's a wake for someone recently deceased).
Ceilis (not ceilidh - a Scots spelling) rarely take place in pubs.
The best advice can be summarised as follows:
1) If the pub's packed and there are still empty seats, don't sit in them as they're reserved for the musicians.
2) The best way of showing your appreciation for what is, after all, a free concert, is to buy the musicians a drink.
3) Don't photograph the musicians without their permission and definitely
do not place a tape or minidisc recorder on the table in front of them
(otherwise you might end up with a machine full of Guinness).
Geoff Wallis <email>
London, - UK 11/10/03
Dingle
If the Corner House is booked, walk a few steps towards town to "The Mainstay"!
Extraordinary breakfast!
nancy heckler <email>
annandale, nj USA 11/02/03
Our revisions/comments
My husband and I just returned from an eight-day trip to Ireland planned
entirely using Rick's guidebook. In general, I felt Rick's advice was fabulous
(we did four weeks in Europe for our 5th anniversary and had an equally
fabulous time).
Galway: We stayed at the College Crest Guest House and did not notice any smells or fleas on the wall (contrary to another traveler's comments) and in fact, found it to be very pleasant, if a bit pricey (it was the most expensive B&B we stayed in). Great location in Galway, and free parking.
Dingle: The Dingle drive Rick recommends deserves at least 3/4s of a day. Try the Famine Museum near the Dunbeg Fort. We loved Dingle and were sorry we hadn't planned more time there. Stop by Brian de Staic's shop on the outskirts of town past the aquarium for really tasteful, beautiful jewelry incorporating many of the Christian and Celtic monuments in Ireland/Dingle.
Trim/Bru na Boinne: Allow at least two full days for this section if you're into historical monuments/archaeology/ancient sites. We did both Knowth and Newgrange and could have spent a whole day there. Also toured Mellifont Abbey with an incredibly interesting tour guide - well worth the trip. Note that if you're using the Blarney Woolen Mills map handed out by the car rental counters, the Hill of Tara is mismarked - it's off the N3, not the N2.
Dun Laoghere: We stayed at the Innisfree B&B near the DART station. It was cheap (52 euros) and quiet, but I can't really recommend it. The decor was beyond ancient and the stairs down to the breakfast room seemed ready to come away from the wall. The innkeepers were a bit spacey, too - in spite of a long conversation about our need to get to the airport early on Sunday, they neglected to mention the fall time change, which meant we arrived at the airport 4.5 hours early, rather than the 3.5 we'd planned. They were also unable to help us call Aer Lingus using their phone; the answer to our question of why doesn't the phone number in the telephone book work was "No one seems to want to talk to you any more; they want you to use the web."
Location was great - and the DART/buses are easy to use. Keep in mind that you can buy a 1 day family pass for 7.50 euros. Two adults can use this pass to board buses and if you have more than four bus rides planned (say to get to Kilmainham gaol from Dun L.) the pass saves you 5 euros. Buy them at the Centra near the DART station.
Dublin: Didn't much care for the city (expensive, crowded - I get that
at home in NYC), but the historical walking tour was a good one. Try Cafe
Irie, across the street from Rick's rec in Temple Bar, Luigi Malone's.
Cheap, tasty sandwiches, soup, and desserts served upstairs by dreadlocked,
hippie wait-staff. Best eats in Dublin, IMHO. Cheers!
Margaret <email>
The City (New York City), NY USA 10/27/03
Golf in Ireland
Six of us just returned from a ten day tour of Ireland and Rick's book was
very helpful to us much of the time. However, I would like to point out
that there are a large number of travellers who visit Ireland and Scotland
specifically to experience the excellent golf there. Unfortunately, Rick
has completely left out many areas of these countries that are destinations
for golfers (and their spouses who could use advice on something to do while
the boys are on the links). We found that there were always interesting
sights to see where we played, yet were puzzled by Rick's ommission of these
places. I would respectfully advise Rick to consider visiting these places
and including them in future editions. Portrush and Newcastle in Ireland
come to mind immediately. Just a thought.
Scott <email>
Pittsburgh, PA USA 10/23/03
[Editor's note: Portrush and the Antrim Coast are covered in Rick's current Ireland guidebook. All of Rick's books are designed to highlight what he feels to be the best three weeks in each country or region for the typical first-time visitor. The sample itinerary he lays out in each book's Introduction reflects his opinion on the best way to spend your time and money.]
County Kildare
Just came back from my 4th trip to Ireland. I want to HIGHLY recommend the
Mill Lane House on Mill Lane Road in Naas. It is run by Carmel Mather, the
most charming and adorable grandmother in Ireland. She runs a very tight
ship and will go to great lengths to make sure her guests are comfortable.
We had stayed at the Ballinagappa House in Clane on two previous trips and always found it just wonderful. However, on this trip, even though we had booked three (yes, 3) months in advance, we received a phone call from Mr Doyle THE DAY BEFORE WE WERE to arrive (!) saying that he and his family would be out of town for the first week of our three week stay.
Because it was too late for us to find other accomodations, Mr Doyle agreed to let us (my daughter and I) stay in one of the unattached cottages in their absence. We understood that someone would look in on us. Well, as it turned out, no one looked in on us and Mr Doyle never so much as knocked on our door.
We bought our own toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, can opener, and hair dryer at the local grocery store. By the time we left, there were three bags of trash stacked in the little kitchen because we didn't know where to put them and no one ever came to collect them. Our towels and sheets were not changed or washed at all during the entire ten days. (We moved out early because of the total neglect on the part of the innkeepers.)It was stunning and bewildering to be so neglected, especially after two previous stays that were delightful. We never saw Mr Doyle at all until the day we went to pay our bill and move to another inn.
We can HIGHLY recommend the Butt Mullins restaurant in Naas, as well as Casa Java (coffee shop), also in Naas. Also, the Lemongrass restaurant in Maynooth is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the world!
Also, if anyone is into cross-country horseback riding, contact Tony
and Mick O'Sullivan in Carbury at Harmony Cottage Stables. Two of the
best, most stand-up guys in the horse world! (harmonycottage@yahoo.com)
Jeanne Strout <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 10/20/03
College Crest Guesthouse
Just got back from a visit to Galway. We stayed at the College Crest Guesthouse,
partly due to recommendation from this website. We found it on our visit
to be unwelcoming and with a mildew odor permeating our room and fleas on
the walls. We were not happy to have chosen it and it definitely colored
our stay in Galway.
Cindy
Wales, MA USA 10/14/03
County Wexford, Ireland
We returned at the end of September from a two week trip to Ireland. Rick's
book was our trip "Bible". His comments were usually right on the money.
I did want to mention an experience in a part of Ireland that he really
doesn't deal with very much in the book. We visited County Wexford and had
a really great time. The coast there was very nice and our visit to New
Ross and the Dunbrody famine ship was very meaningful. The best part of
the stay was our B&B on a working farm called Clonard House. The owners,
the Hayes family, provide an above average experience for a B&B. The evening
that we arrived, Kathy Hayes provided the guests with Irish Coffee in the
sitting room of this 18th. Century manor. The visit with the other guests
that evening was one of the highlights of our trip. Breakfast the next morning
was wonderful with porridge with Irish Mist and Srambled Eggs with smoked
salmon on top. The cost of this wonderful experience was comparable with
any other B&B that we stayed in on the entire trip. If Rick is in the Wexford
area, try Clonard for a some real hospitality.
Mark McKibben <email>
Chesterton, IN USA 10/12/03
Great B&B in Portrush, N. Ireland
Check out Harbor Heights in Portrush, Northern Ireland. What a pleasant
surprise as it has been remodeled and ensuites are roomy, modern and fair
price. Must have changed since Rick made a visit. Ann R., owner and manager,
is a delight and the breakfasts are excellent. Have Ann share her story
about her visit to the Queen.
Elizabeth McManis
Spokane, WA USA 09/26/03
Northern Ireland
I found Rick's book to be an indispensable resource in my recent two-week
tour of Ireland. And while Kilkenny, Dingle, Galway, and Dublin were all
great places to visit - I would like to revisit each of them - I've found
myself, when asked about my experiences, spending most of my time talking
about the three days and nights I spent in Northern Ireland.
First, Derry. While it's probably better to go on to Portrush instead of spending a night in Derry, I was there for more than five hours and would have felt cheated with less. Having lunch on the top floor of Austins Department Store was a good way to have a brief sample of local life. The nearby Tower Museum was dense with information and not to be missed, but the visit only became complete with the walking tour from the TI, followed by a walk down to the Bogside to see the murals and monuments.
Following two nights and a day in Portrush (the Antrim Coast is beautiful; I have posted about it in the B&B section), I went to Belfast for a day and night. My most memorable experience there was the cab tour that Rick recommended, given by Ken Harper (you can call him a day or two early to set up a time), that included both sides of the long sectarian struggle - Falls Road and Shankill Road, separated physically only by a few hundred yards. Seeing the murals, plaques, and banners, one side memorializing Oliver Cromwell while the other remembers the hunger striker Bobby Sands, brought the entire situation to life for me. And seeing a plaque honoring the fallen soldiers of the IRA, and learning from Ken that some died when they were blown up by their own bomb on their way to an attack, brought me new thoughts about the nature of terrorism.
Derry and Belfast are not for everyone, but, for me, a trip to Ireland
would not have been complete without them.
Chet Kurpiel <email>
Roslindale, MA USA 09/09/03
Around the Emerald Isle
We went on our trip around the isle of Ireland following the Rick Steve's
guide pretty much to the letter. We traveled about 2500 miles starting,
as Rick suggests, in the southeast and following the coastline clockwise
up the west side, through Northern Ireland and back down to Dublin. Don't
be afraid to drive.
It was a great trip with nearly perfect weather. We had 18 days instead of the 21 in Rick's itinerary, so we had to leave out 1 of the days in Galway, the Aran Islands, the Blasket Islands, Connemara and one of the days in Dublin. That was all fine, except we think Dublin really does need the three days suggested by Rick.
We did not use any of the B&Bs suggested by Rick, so here are the ones we can strongly recommend: Brandon View near Graiguenamanagh in the southeast; Carrigeen in Kinsale; Castleview in Liscannor (near Cliffs of Moher); Beech Hill Country House Hotel in Derry; Aaranmore in Portrush; and, Silver Wings near Drogheda in the Boyne Valley. We had no reservations except at the first B&B. That seemed to work out fine, except it is difficult coming into the larger cities, i.e. Galway, Belfast and Dublin, not knowing where to find the B&Bs, so get there while the TI is open.
Further suggestions: definitely go to Northern Ireland, it is very interesting both for its history and its sights; emphasize the small villages and towns; go to Galvin's Pub in Lahinch on Friday night for folk dancing, singing, and of course, the Guinness; plan on travel-time in the countryside being a bit more than Rick says; in Dublin we stayed in Temple Bar and it was a bit noisy, but ok. We did not find the food all that expensive, there are certainly many eateries to choose from.
In general food is quite expensive in Ireland and eating pub food is
a good alternative, except for the smoking which will no longer be a problem
after January 1, 2004 when it will be banned in pubs and elsewhere; definitely
go to Kinsale and do the walking tour; when using your charge card make
sure you are paying in euros and that the merchant is not converting to
US dollars at their chosen conversion rate - the difference can be significant;
give yourself an opportunity to learn some Irish history (having a Duchas
Heritage pass and/or doing the walking tours is good); and take two guidebooks,
Rick's of course, and something more comprehensive like the Eyewitness
guide we used. If you have any questions about our trip, please feel free
to email me.
Gary Schultz <email>
McMinnville, OR USA 09/07/03
We used our Ireland book like a bible during our recent trip (honeymoon)
to Ireland. Many of the B&B's listed were sold out 3 months in advance (but
we went in August). We ended up finding a very quaint little town I hope
you will include in your next book: Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. Locals
shorten the name to Graigue. This is a small town on the River Barrow. The
best place to stay there is the Waterside Inn, a restored/converted corn
store. The owners are very accomodating and the restaraunt is very good.
Neat place.
Merleen Wyatt <email>
Gilbert, AZ USA 08/27/03
Went to Ireland in April as my niece was competing in the World Championship
of Irish Dance. Found Rick's book extremely helpful. We did wish there was
more on Cork. The people there are some of the nicest in the entire country.
Cobh was a nice little stop, and we found Cork an easy commute to Kinsale
and Clonakilty. Dingle was our next stop...BREATHTAKING. Be sure to stop
by Storm Beach for a ruin. It is inbetween Annascul and Dingle. We stayed
at Ashe's B & B neat the The Bridge Pub on Spa Road. the folks were very
nice, with the added plus for the history buff. The owner is a relative
of Thomas Ashe (there are 2 Ashes in Dingle; this is a yellow house that
sits back from the road). Our next stop was Killarney for the Dance Championships.
Muckross house and Ross Castle are very pretty. The last day was a trip
up the coast to the Cliffs of Mohrer (a MUST SEE!), as well as The Burren.
Be sure to check out local music, traditional and popular, some of the best
ever!
Stacey Walsh <email>
Cincinnati, OH USA 08/25/03
Ireland Trip Aug. 8-20, 03
1. Forget travelers checks or "buying" euros in advance. ATM's are everywhere
and function just like home.
2. Driving is tough, but the only way to get "into" the hidden gems of Ireland. Put on 1000 miles during our trip, and it was mind-bending on back roads and most roundabouts, but you can do it. Irish drivers are very patient but they do drive very fast. Get used to pulling over to let them pass -- they appreciate it.
3. The Euro is easy to work with, but everyone complains about the 8 coins below the $5 bill (1,2,5,10,20,50 cents and 1 & 2 dollars). You cannot get around Ireland without a huge pocketfull of heavy coins. The exchange rate stinks but that's just tough noogies.
4. Rented our car in advance through NOVA (www.rentacar-worldwide.com) a clearing house of car companies that takes a tiny fee for the service. They were always reachable, and upgraded our car when we mentioned our special needs -- long legs! (4 basketball players). Car was ready (National Car Rental) immediately when we landed in Shannon and dropoff was a cinch (in Dublin).
5. Rented a house (brand new) in Dingle for a week and then B&B'd our way to Galway. Excellent experiences, even with one non-ensuite accommodation. Rick seems to have a problem with the T1 offices, but we had 2 great experiences.
6. Dingle was great, but very hectic at this time of year. Lots of traffic, lots of people on weekends. "Old Smokehouse" restaurant was terrific. Pubs were great, Guinness there is extraordinary, music varied. Rick doesn't mention Dingle Pub for some reason and we liked it very much. Rick's pick is the Small Bridge, we found it dirty, dingy and the staff bored.
7. Dingle Races are wild. They mark a track out on a beautiful piece of property just above Dingle harbor. There is an old, rickety grandstand there, but most people hang around the infield. It is a true "people" event. It is not the Kentucky Derby crowd -- which was great. Salt of the earth. Craziest thing is watching the race from behind a thin piece of nylon webbing that marked the course while 11 horse and riders tear around the track. Dangerous but thrilling. Betting takes place in an gallery of bookmakers who constantly update their odds vs. the next bookmaker. Crazy.
8. Dingle Regatta. At the end of the week, 75 racing sailboats land in Dingle for the night. Beautiful to watch. And they add to the pub scene as well.
9. Conor Pass in Dingle. My personal highlight. Wow! Drive up and over and be sure to wear a diaper!
10. Kerry Ring. Overrated and a long day, but should be done none the less for the million dollar vistas in between streches of driving. But Rick's Dingle drive is better, and more concise.
11. Tralee: nice town, but not a destination. Kenmare: our favorite "picturesque" town. Killarney: too commercial, but drive to Kenmare is spectacular through the national park. Killorgin: yechh. Puck Fair a miss. Kilkee: interesting summer beach resort. Lehinch: premier summer beach resort 5 minutes from SPECTACULAR Cliffs of Moher. Galway: fun, energetic town. Eyre street fun, pubs around town square excellent. Athlone: tired, grey, dingy. Castle a bust. Pass through. And then there's Dublin...
12. Dublin. It's a city. It's busy. It has it's rough edges. But I loved it. High energy, lots of people, young people's paradise. Sidewalks very hectic. Temple Bar fun, pubs great, variety excellent BUT DON'T STAY IN A HOTEL IN OR NEAR THERE or you'll be up 'til 3 am every night of the week. Definitely take the open top bus tour to get your bearings.
As Rick suggests, pass on the Guinness Tour (they'd have you think they invented pennicillin) which is a self-guided modern presentation, with NO ONE around to ask a question of. Expensive and you get a beer at the very spectacular Gravity Bar Observation Area with a 360 degree view of Dublin. Trinity tour and Book of Kells worthwhile, but not terrific. Grafton Street for shopping, eat away from Temple Bar and around Trinity for better prices. At "carveries" at old pubs like O'Neils you get a big, hot meal for 9 euros.
13. Dublin airport busy but efficient. Aircoach buses to and from the airport every 8 minutes for 6 euros to downtown. Taxi to airport on the meter but averages 30 euros.
Lastly, these Graffiti pages and Rick's book (with assistance from Fodors book) made planning our trip a joy, and enabled us to separate the wheat from the chaff. That and freakishly great weather made it a memorable trip. Thanks!
PS: Food: We didn't have a bad meal anywhere. From restaurants to pubs,
they've worked very hard to appeal to traveler's tastes. Granted it's
a high-fat, protein intensive diet, but tha 's why they make yougurt and
salad when you get home!
John Sullivan <email>
crompond, ny USA 08/22/03
Ireland Book--Great Resource
Tremendous resource! Just back from 13 (perfect weather) days in Ireland.
This was our bible for our trips to Dingle, the trip through the Burren,
Galway and Dublin. Accurate and consise. B&B info was right on. Brief history
chapter and background info was perfect for our teenagers who weren't into
doing parent-level research. Thanks Rick!
john l. sullivan <email>
crompond, ny USA 08/22/03
We just returned Aug. 12 from Ireland and loved it. The weather everywhere
else in Europe was boiling, but in Ireland it was in the 70's and low 80's--perfect!
All of the B & B's from Rick's book proved to be the best. I want to heartily
recommend The Captain's House in Dingle. Mary couldn't do enough for us.
Her buffet breakfast was like a Holiday Inn Brunch. She had 5 juices, fruits,
cereals, breads, PLUS the eggs and bacon. She also lent us towels for our
beach trip to Slea Head. Who knew we would have 6 days of sunny skies and
perfect beach weather in Ireland? The beach at Slea Head is an easy climb
down to lovely sand and waves. Another B& B which is highly recommended
is Petra House in Galway. Frank was wonderful with directions and Joan's
scones were melt in the mouth. The house was like being in the 18th century
with the period furniture, carpet and wall decor. Such comfy beds too. The
Aran Islands were like being in the Caribbean with the azure blue seas.
We took the bike ride (4 hours) and it was good that we were in good shape.
Lots of hills. In Galway, the food at Busker Browne's was wonderful. It
is not the typical pub--very modern decor--but the food was inexpensive
and delicious. Only one tiny complaint--the breakfast served at the Gallery
in Kinsale was at 9:30 each morning--a little late for people on the move--however,
the food was good and diverse. We met people on Rick's tour who were having
a grand time.
Patty
Chicago, IL USA 08/18/03
Dingle was an unexpected pleasure and we stayed an extra day (3 total)
just to do some justice to Rick's Dingle Peninsula tour. We stayed at Tower
View B&B, (www.towerviewdingle.com) opened in 2001, which is just outside
of town by the roundabout but only a five minute walk to the harbor. It
has a view of the harbor and the 1847 tower that guides ships into the harbor.
The rooms (6 in all with 2 family rooms) were spacious and modern for $70
double. We stayed in Kenmare to explore the Beara Peninsula and Ring of
Kerry and found a delightful B&B, An Bruachan, (email: bruachan@iol.ie)
for $60 double.
Maxine Monaghan <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 07/23/03
I was surprised that Rick didn't include Clonmacnoise, a monestary
dating from 549 A.D. near the river Shannon, in the book. Most notably,
it is the site of three large Celtic High Crosses. They may not be the biggest
in Ireland, but they are mighty impressive. I really enjoyed them and the
exhibit in the visitor's center explaining their significance. (The actual
high crosses are in the visitor's center, and there are replicas in the
ruins). All in all, it is a *very* worthwhile stop.
Susan Lantz <email>
Morgantown, WV USA 07/19/03
Mary Gibbons and Jack Burtchaell Rock!
I just returned from Ireland, and, as usual, Rick didn't steer me wrong!
Most notably by the tour of Newgrange with Mary Gibbons (who gave me more
information about Irish history in six hours than my regular tour guide
gave me in six days) and Jack Burthaell's walking tour of Waterford. (I
wish I had had a chance to tour *all* of Ireland with him! He's a riot and
incredibly informative. The teenagers in our group adored him, too.) I usually
travel to Europe on organized tours booked in the states (by my mother who
pays for the whole thing) and use Rick's book as a supplement. Although
I'm not necessarily using the back door approach, I do get much more "bang
for my buck" than my companions. It was much agreed by the other folks in
my group that by ditching the "tour" of a whiskey distillery (in other words,
an organized whiskey shopping trip) and instead spending my day with Mary
Gibbons at Newgrange (and actually making it into the tomb) and seeing the
Hill of Tara, I had very much come out on top. Thanks, Rick! (and Mary,
and Jack!)
Susan Lantz <email>
Morgantown, WV USA 07/19/03
I have used Rick's guidebooks on two trips (am planning a third). I
have found it prudent to read his descriptions carefully. If he says "has
been known to overbook", this tells me that I will probably choose not to
stay there, since I would find that frustrating. If he says "creaks like
you expect a 700 year old building to", that tells me that it may not be
as soundproof as a newer building and there will be some noises through
out the night. I have found his descriptions to be fair, honest, and accurate.
I can honestly say that I would not hesitate to return to any place I stayed.
Also, if you have found problems with B&B's I suggest you try some of his
guesthouse listings. They do cost more, but tend to be a little fancier.
I have personally stayed at College Crest Guesthouse in Galway and The Alpine
Guesthouse in Dingle. They were both excellent. Happy Travels!
C. A. Adams <email>
Bothell, WA USA 07/13/03
Sleeping in Ireland and Other Notes
I was in Ireland in May, so there were fewer crowds than mentioned in
some other reviews. DUBLIN: Hotel St. George is on the "wrong" side of
the Liffey, but it is convenient to airport buses and city buses. Also
the walk to the south side of the Liffey is only about 10-15 minutes.
This is a good value for Dublin.
GLENDALOUGH: The youth hostel was comfortable and friendly. This is a good value for groups of 2 or 3 or more. I wouldn't recommend the drive over Sally Gap for people who are driving on the left for only their first or second day. Wicklow gap, however, should be OK.
KILKENNY: Bregagh Guesthouse was comfortable and friendly.
KINSALE: Chart House was comfortable and friendly. Try the porridge (oatmeal) with Irish Mist! If you become tired of the full Irish breakfasts, ask instead for only an omlete with sausage links or poached eggs with bacon, etc. At the Chart House you can also get scrambled eggs with salmon.
DINGLE TOWN: The Captain's House was one of the best B&Bs I stayed in.
ENNIS: Glencar Guesthouse was comfortable and friendly. GALWAY: The College Crest Guesthouse was very pleasant and friendly and a good value. If you drive into Galway, there are almost no street signs or road numbers once you are inside the city.
WESTPORT: The Helm has good rooms and apartments.
Mike Jones <email>
Sylva, NC USA 07/10/03
Mary Gibbons Newgrange Tour
My husband and I just returned from one week in Ireland. We highly recommend
the Mary Gibbons Tour to Newgrange and Hill of Tara as recommended in the
2003 book. We did not expect Mary Gibbons herself to lead the tour of 18
people! She is a walking history book, knowledgeable and very funny, too.
She takes a large bus so you can sit up high and see well over the hedgerows.
The lunch stop off is at Newgrange Farm, beautiful! We never would have
known about it if we had not gone on the tour! You will see a brochure at
the visitors center that has a picture of Newgrange and that is her tour.
It does not say Mary Gibbons on it. It is the only tour to go into the tomb!
Wonderful!
Vivian Rank <email>
Plymouth, MN USA 07/07/03
Ireland
Our family toured Ireland in mid-June. I highly recommend the Historical
Walking Tour of Dublin. Jurys Inn Christchurch was not fancy, but clean
and conveniently-located. Powerscourt and Glendalough both well worth seeing.
Kinsale was choked with tour groups. Although Gallery BnB was good and food
at the White House excellent, we fled Kinsale as soon as possible. I would
give it a miss in the future. Dingle, however, lived up entirely to its
top billing in Rick's book. Absolutely loved the town (heard some great
music in the pubs) and the drive around the peninsula. Greenmount House
stood out as our favorite BnB.
Estelle <email>
Chicago, IL USA 07/04/03
Ireland
Dublin - we enjoyed The Townhouse on Lower Gardiner Street. Our room was
clean, quiet and spacious (especially the bath - huge tub!) and had a little
balconey overlooking their courtyard. Breakfast was huge and offered lots
of choices. Near Dingle/Tralee - for a funky option, try The Phoenix B&B/hostel/organic
farm/restaurant in Castlemaine. Billy and Lorna are very friendly, as are
the dogs, cats, kittens and chickens that will greet you at the door. A
must if you are a vegetarian (their restaurant offers a small but delicious
selection of organic vegetarian options, including organic wines) - I'm
not a vegetarian but this was some of the best food I've tasted in some
time. Their location was ideal for seeing the Dingle peninsula, Killarney
and the Beara peninsula.
Vanessa
Halifax, NS Canada 06/19/03
ireland bed and breakfast
DINGLE Milestone House near town. Best Breakfast on our 10 day trip. New
owners are Michael a gourmet cook and Barbara. both are full time owners.
Very warm and interested in their guests. Really think you will like them
and their home. Bette and Tom 6/17/03
Bette and Tom Sheridan <email>
woodbury, ct IRE 06/17/03
Kinsale Delights
Best B&B: Danabel for reasonable rates, great location, and comfortable
rooms. The owners, Phil and Don Price are a lovely charming couple, who
warmly welcome you to their home and do their utmost to ensure that your
stay is most comfortable. Danabel is located in a quiet, peaceful residential
area overlooking the town and harbor yet is a five to ten minute walk to
all amenities. Danabel has five rooms, all with ensuite that provide gracious
comfortable elegance exclusively for their guests. The rooms are immaculate
with fresh towels and linen each day and excellent beds. Breakfasts are
individually cooked with the “Full Irish Breakfast and a range of
other choices (personal favorite is scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with
roast tomato). Breakfast is served in a cozy dining room overlooking a patio
area surrounded by pretty flowers and shrubbery. (www.danabel.com) Best
Hike: Scilly Walk from the Spaniard to the Bulman. Take the lower walk along
the river one way then come back on the high road. The lower walk is protected
by trees and the riverbank and overlooks the river and the boats. The upper
walk is along lovely homes overlooking the river and has a great view of
downtown Kinsale. For more exercise, carry on from the Bulman out to Charles
Fort and back. Best Pub: The Spaniard – a 300 year old pub loaded
with character and characters. It can provide a welcome reward for completing
the above hike. Best Inexpensive Dining: The Pub menu at Jimmy Edwards.
Paula, Jimmy, Sean and Kevin Edwards are your hosts. A very popular pub
with a small but excellent menu. Personal favorite is Cod Mornay. Best Mid
to Upper Range Dining: Man Friday & reservations suggested. Waterside
location with views of downtown Kinsale and a wonderful menu. Personal favorite
is a “Shrimp in Smoked Salmon Roll appetizer followed by the Black
Sole entrée – yummy. For Downtown Dining, Maxi s Wine Bar –
a cozy restaurant with an excellent menu and great service. Try the back
“garden room for more intimate dining.
Emmy and Ken
Toronto, ON Canada 06/16/03
Ireland
My husband and I just returned from 10 days in Ireland, and used your
2003 book. We really appreciated the detail, including maps of places
to see, sleep and eat. We headed north out of Dublin after arrival by
air. Construction near Drogheda was difficult, and the town itself was
cramped and impossible to negotiate by car. But, once parked, it was a
pleasure to walk about in. We found a B&B in Donore, just outside of Drogheda
that was incredible. Its called Daly's of Donore, owned and operated by
Michael and Pat Daly. It has a great restaurant and separate pub and wonderfulyy
clean and spacious rooms for 70 EU a night. It was close to Newgrange
and Tara and the Battle of the Boyne site. Best of all it was quiet and
very friendly.
In Dingle we stayed at Dingle Harbour Lodge, run by Kevin O-Shea and his wife Claire. It was within walking distance to town, but away from the noise of the streets, with a beautiful view of the bay. Also, the best breakfast we had anywhere in Ireland. Thanks for the Dingle Peninsula tour. It was perfect, even though the day we did it, it was rainy and foggy. This provided a perfect atmosphere for viewing the graveyard and churches. The tip about the stream fording was essential. People all over were polite and friendly, even the drivers.
I wasn't as impressed with Jury's in Galway as I expected to be. But
that was due to a lot of noise, as college exams had just finished, and
the students were relaxing. Prices at the shops in Galway were the cheapest
anywhere. But music in Kilarney was definitely the best. A pub called
the '98 Bar had traditional music every night. Every town was different
as to when the music would start. Most towns had the trad. music between
5-9, and more rock music later. Where in some towns, the trad. music didn't
start until 9:00. Just had to ask, and watch for signs. Everyone we asked
had good and helpful information about the most current music scene in
every town.
P. Egan <email>
Waldport, OR USA 06/16/03
Dublin Breakfast
Thank you Rick!!!! My husband and I just returned from a very memorable
journey to Ireland with your help. We found a great breakfast spot in Dublin,
only a few minutes walk from the Harding Hotel......Bagel Haven located
on Cow's Lane. We had great bagels, fresh fruit and museli all top quality,
best of all for a reasonable price. This shop had only recently opened,
and a very enjoyable place.
Janet Mehan <email>
Reston, VA USA 06/15/03
Ireland feedback
Ireland-We recently returned from 3.5 weeks touring Ireland. We can confirm
many tips found in the RS Guides. A few stood out. We flew in/out of Shannon
and since we were driving that allowed us to begin in an area of lighter
traffic. We stayed in twelve b&bs at an average cost of 119 Euros per night
for two, either two or three nights each, and they were all good-most were
excellent. Highlights of our trip were Dingle, the Antrim coast, and the
Burren. We would suggest; A)purchase the zero liability collision damage
wavier, B)purchase the Irish Heritage Pass-ours paid for itself several
times over, C) don't prepay your rental car. Although we had done so several
months in advance, Hertz still didn't have a car ready for us and having
prepaid,our options were limited D)we reserved our trip in advance and we
were able to get all the rooms and locations that we wanted E) we confirmed
our reservations with a Visa card number and the b&bs would have accepted
that for payment but there was no doubt that they preferred cash F)we had
travelers checks as a back-up but we didn't use them G)the easiest and cheapest
was to go was the ATM machines for cash. They were less expensive than the
Visa charge when converting the Euro into dollars H) Add more travel time
between destinations than you would at home because the Irish roads require
it I) we downloaded and copied route plans for our travel from the Michelin
and the AA websites. This was helpful. J) the Michelin map was good because
it included many of the place names in Irish as well as English-useful if
you are going into some of the less touristy areas K) we stayed in very
small b&bs. The owners are very helpful with local info that we needed.
They were happy to help us find the best of their locality. Enjoy Ireland-we
know you will.
George Coleman <email>
Philadelphia, PA USA 06/04/03
Killarney
Spent 2 weeks in May in Ireland using Rick Steve's 2003. We found it to
be very helpful, but we were upset with the lack of information on Killarney.
Killarney was one of our favorite spots with some very scenic areas like
the Gap of Dunloe. Yet, you seemed to breeze over the city and didn't include
any B&B info for it. Also, you mentioned Irish dancing on thursdays in Dingle
and we had problems finding it. We asked about the location and went the
the hotel it should have been at, but the hotel had closed down.
Christian <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 06/02/03
Possible guidebook additions for Co. Clare
Here are some recommendations for your book: Rockyview Farmhouse in Fanore
is a wonderful farmhouse B&B near Ballyvaughn. The family is friendly and
helpful, rooms are clean & pleasant with everything you need, and the setting
is lovely surrounded by pasture land on the edge of the Burren. And do you
list Shane Conolly, a fabulous guide for walks on the Burren? If I'd been
taking notes I'd have gotten writers cramp. But then I wouldn't have been
able to keep up with him. Shane is for people who like to walk and can keep
up a good pace. It was my first trip and I tried really hard to limit our
itinerary to see fewer places but see them better. Next time I'll cut out
even more. It really is not worth it to rush the pace of the trip to get
in one more city or sight. You just have to keep telling yourself you'll
be back, you can do that next time.
Kate <email>
WA USA 05/21/03
Southern coast of Ireland
Just got back from Ireland, and tips posted here by other travelers were
SO helpful! Thanks very much for the tip on Jim Edwards' pub in Kinsale
and the excellent Springfield House B&B http://www.irishfarmholidays.com/springfield-house.htmlnear
Rathbarry/Clonakilty (a working farm off the beaten path, with elegant
B&B home, that gave a "true taste of Ireland"). Go to Pike's pub in Rathbarry
for true Irish music!
Cities in which I most wanted to spend more time were Clonakilty and Kinsale; cities in which I least wanted to spend more time were Killarney (stay in Kenmare instead!) and Dublin ("NY with an Irish accent"---stay only one day to see the Book of Kells and shop, and stay outside the city to save money; take a bus in, there is NO PARKING). Crystal was NOT CHEAP at the Waterford factory (check out the Duiske factory in Graiguenamanagh instead) and Irish whiskies were MUCH CHEAPER at the duty-free store, so buy your whiskey at the airport. Glin Castle outside Limerick was an expensive splurge but wonderful stay to see "how the rich live"---far more intimate than a place like Dromoland, and less expensive too. Recommend holing up there (in the lap of luxury) for your first day if you fly into Shannon, to overcome jet lag in style.
"The Granary" interactive museum in Waterford is well worth a visit.
While in West Cork, DO take a detour to Mary Ann's pub in Castle Townshend
(and if you're very lucky, you'll meet Robert Townshend there). Best part
of our trip was barging on the River Barrow: rent from the excellent and
friendly Valley Boats (http://www.valleyboats.ie) for a true taste of
Ireland.
Stacia <email>
Alexandria, VA USA 05/19/03
Ireland-Dublin/Dingle
My husband Jim, college aged daughter,Amy and I just returned,(May 14,
2003),from a trip that ended with 6 days in Ireland.
Jurys Inn Christ Church was comfortable. The Temple Bar in the Temple
Bar District was lots of fun- listened to live music and song by "Breosla".
They performed traditional Irish music and added lots of humor.Even my
20 year old daughter enjoyed the music. In Dingle,we stayed at Cill Bhreac
House because of all the positive comments we read on the Grafitti Board.What
a wonderful experience we had. Angela McCarthy picked us up at the bus
stop when we arrived, dropped our luggage off there when we left and helped
us in so many ways- She and her husband John went way above and beyond.
We highly recommend Cill Bhreac House. Diana,Jim, and Amy Clark
Diana Clark <email>
Dearborn, MI USA 05/16/03
Kinsale and the Temple House, Ballymote
My son and I just got back from a great 10 days in Ireland. We are long
time Rick Steves guidebook users, and he did not disappoint with the 2003
Ireland. Kinsale--we found Kinsale to be a delightful place. The White House
was a super choice for dinner and music on a Friday night! Temple House
Others have suggested that Rick Steves might give more attention to the
area around Sligo. We found the Temple House, near Ballymote, to be a great
treat. It was a bargain with a huge room and a splendid estate to explore.
The sheep and lambs were great. The two donkeys made us feel welcome. The
great walks in the woods and around the castle by the lake really made you
know you were someplace special. Sandy shared some of the history of the
house when we let him know we were interested. We found it very hard to
leave this very special place and think it would be a welcome addition to
the next guidebook!
Althea Johnston <email>
Falls Church, VA USA 05/12/03
Kinsale restaurant
If you find yourself a bit tired of the pub fare, (and the dubious "full
Irish breakfast"), we recommend a wonderful new restaurant in Kinsale, Ireland.
Jean-Marc's Chow House serves up what we consider the finest Asian nouvelle
cuisine around. Located in the heart of downtown Kinsale at 7 Pearse St.
you can delight your palate at very reasonable prices. Take a pass on fish
and chips and give them a try.
Lester Appel <email>
Hood River, OR USA 04/24/03
kinsale
hello from ireland! we are from new zealand but we love rick's book, which
we inherited from a nice couple at the airport. Only one glitch, the bulman
pub in kinsale hasn't got a top-notch chef anymore and we found the food
very ordinary, although the location is nice. B&B stays are great, but allow
heaps of time to navigate the roads. People are so nice here, one lady let
us use her daughter's computer for e-mail checking. thanks for the great
guidebook, rick!
jenny murray <email>
wellington, NZ 04/15/03
Ireland - Waterford/Dungarven
Our family just got back from 10 days in Ireland. We went to Dungarven,
Waterford, Cahir, Carrick on Suir, Ardmore, Ring, Lismore, Rock of Cashel,
Glendalough, Arklow, and Avoca areas. This was our third trip using only
self-catering accomodations found via the web. Previously we have been in
Courtmacsherry in Co.Cork, Lisdoonvarna in Co. Clare, Renvyle and Crumlin
in Co. Galway.
I must say that we did not get the bad impression of Waterford that was given in the 2002 edition. It was busy and bustling with folks heading to work and shopping. No beggars and not gloomy. We think it is important to have our 2 teenagers see the 'real' Ireland, and know that it is not a theme park.
The cottage we stayed at in Bleantis Mountains in Dungarven was heavenly. It is run by 2 sisters who came for England 6 years ago. The had us over for hospitality by their fire, and took us for a once in a lifetime experience at a local, farming community pub. Hanrahan's pub near Commeraugh Mountain drive. Just wonderful.
Lovely day trip to Mahon Falls in Commeragh mountain drive area. The
town of Ardmore (in a Gaeltacht, an Irish speaking region) was lovely
with spectacular views. Ardmore pottery was delightful too. A hidden delight
was the Tipperary Crystal in Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary. It was founded
in the 1980's by former Waterford crystal workers. Same craftsmanship,
but LOW prices! Just lovely.
Katie Schwarzkopf <email>
Brooklyn Park, MN USA 04/04/03
Ireland was great!
We just returned from our 9-day trip to Ireland, and had an awesome time!
We used the Rick Steve's Ireland book and found it amazingly helpful. We
particularly liked the sections on Dingle, the town and peninsula were wonderful.
We even spotted Fungi the dolphin! The Galway information was great and
very helpful, especially the B&B recommmendations at every stop. We used
the section on Dublin to find the best places. We were there for St. Patrick's
Day and it did not disappoint! Thanks again, Rick!
Patrick <email>
Boston, MA USA 03/26/03
Dingle, Glendalough, Dun Laoghaire
My husband and I just returned from 9 days in Ireland and we wished we had
stayed longer! We stayed in B&Bs most of the time (except one night at Dromoland
Castle) and found them all to be charming.
DINGLE: We stayed at Cill Bhreac House. As others have said, this one is not in the book but should be. Angela was a terrific hostess. The house sits on the bay just outside of town. An upstairs sitting room with balcony is available for guests. The rooms have electric blankets between the mattress and sheets to warm up the bed while you are out to dinner. The breakfast was great. Price was 26 Euros per person. If you happen to be in Dingle on a Wednesday or Friday night, stop by the Small Bridge Bar in town and watch locals practice "set" dancing upstairs. If you need to laundry and the main full service laundry is closed, there is another full service laundry on the same street just up the hill from the church. The shop has bright pink window sills and a small sign advertising laundry services. Cost was 10 Euros per load (washed, dried and folded).
GLENDALOUGH: We arrived at about 5pm and the place was swarming with people. I can't imagine what it is like in the summer! We stayed at the first B&B we saw - Valeview House. Room was lovely but the heat goes off in the middle of the night and it was very cold. Price was 30 Euros pre person. We had a fabulous dinner at the Wicklow Heather Restaurant just down the road from Glendalough (heading toward Larrigh). Outstanding pasta and chicken for about 14 Euros each.
DUN LAOGHAIRE: This is a fabulous place to stay outside of Dublin (for
about half the cost). We stayed at the Windsor Lodge. Great location minutes
from the DART station and just down the road from a launderette and several
restaurants. Despite what Rick says, we had better food in Dublin. Do
not miss the Kilmainham Jail tour in Dublin. This was one of the highlights
of the trip. The National Museum is also worth a visit.
Beth <email>
San Diego, CA USA 03/21/03
Don Herlihy's Walks
The Ireland update states that Don Herlihy's walks in Kinsale started earlier
than April. On the web there are references to a 11:15 and a 2:15 walk.
The book only mentions the 11:15. Anyone know which is correct?
Nate
Austin, TX USA 03/07/03
Ireland
I spent a week in Ireland in January and was surprised to find that all
of the lodging prices were exactly as listed in the latest edition. My travel
partner and I had budgeted for the off-season, but everyone was charging
high-season rates. We stumbled across a wonderful B&B in Kilkenny, Celtic
House. Friends traveled to Ireland a week after our return and also had
fabulous stay with Angela and John at Celtic House. One word of warning:
as an African-American, I felt distinctly unwelcome in many spots we visited.
A few friendly Irish that I met confirmed that Ireland is having difficulty
adjusting to multiculturalism.
Dahlia McMillan <email>
New York, NY USA 02/26/03
West of Ireland
What a detailed guidebook your Ireland 2002 was for us. Pulling into Westport
and seeing the parking along the canal, just like you said we would, made
every member of our family of five look to your guidance at every turn.
We adored Dingle (the Smoke House, the Peninsula, the Pubs!). The new country
life museum in Castlebar is worth seeing. Our relations took us there for
a scrumptuous lunch & delightful afternoon. Grey Gables, an Ennis B & B
was a good tip ! Thanks!
Anne Marie Mc Donnell <email>
Oreland, PA USA 02/17/03
Ireland
I just returned from Ireland, used your books, again an excellent travel
tool, but did discover a mix up in the Dingle town map. I was using the
2002 book, so perhaps this has been corrected in 2003 version, but you have
put Murphy's pub where O'Flaherty's pub is, and vice versa. We stayed at
Kirrary House, and Eileen's daughter, Moira, was babysitting while Eileen
and husband were on holiday, and she says "hi, and thanks for the Dingle
program tape."
Also wanted to let folks know a shortcut from Dingle area to Cliffs of Moher if you are driving. We caught the ferry across the Shannon River at Tarbert, 13 euros one way, saved about 2 hrs driving around Limerick. Since we were losing daylight, this was very welcome!
Also, just across the river and heading toward the Cliffs, we found a very nice B&B in Kilrush called the Hillcrest House, big rooms en suite, wonderful hostess Ethna, and a dog out front named Whiskey. The place is only 3 years old, but quite charming.
In Trim, stayed at Cranmoor House, now finished with their upgrades and
additions, found Anne O Regan to be a big kick, and she says she's waiting
for her Dingle tape!! Dunderry Lodge excellent for Friday night dinner
and checking out the locals. Anyway, thanks for your invaluable book,
can't wait for my next trip.
Alison Peters <email>
Camino, ca USA 02/16/03
Charming Cottages in Dingle, Co. Kerry.
Milltown Cottages Dingle. Charming selfcatering cottages just a 5 minute
walk from the town centre. We spent a wonderful weeks vacation at the cottages
in December and boy what a treat! Charming, cosy, comfortable & clean,an
idyllic week. Dingle was quiet then but still plenty to see and do at a
more laid back pace. Simply a must for anyone who wishes to spend a week
or more enjoying Dingle and its Peninsula. www.irish-holiday-rentals.com/milltowncottages
or email; milltowncottages@eircom.net Well worth checking out.
Bobby Burke
Chicago, IL USA 02/01/03
Bangor, Ireland lodging
Pierview House, Mr & Mrs Watts were wonderful hosts. Would recommend the
room in the front with the water view.
Pat Bange <email>
Grants Pass, OR USA 01/12/03
Dingle lodging
Was unable to get into the recommended lodging in Dingle this last summer,
but were fortunate to stay at the Pax House. It was a little out-of-budget
but an enjoyable treat, excellent hospitality, spectacular view from the
dining room.
Pat Bange <email>
Grants Pass, OR USA 01/12/03
The Burren County Clare Ireland Europe
Each year I travel in Ireland during my holidays. My recommendation if you
have the time and are travelling here is for you to visit The Burren, in
County Clare. Accomodation is plentyful and good and all the people living
there are helpful and friendly.
Gerarde Dawe <email>
Belfast, N.I. U.K. 01/07/03
November in Ireland
The first week in Nov. is a good time to be in Ireland. Friendly people,
not so many tourists and only a bit of rain. We again found Rick's book
to be most helpful. Angela McCarthy at Cill Bhreac B &B is a dear and serves
a terrific breakfast. We were surprised to find the roads of the Dingle
Peninsula not as challenging as we'd expected. The roundabouts make great
sense! We would also recommend the Ballinagappa Country House (B&B/stable)
outside of Clane. Mr. Doyle is a charming host! From nearby Maynout we took
the train into Dublin. Don't miss the fish chowder at the Monks' Restaurant
near Murrough. All in all, a great trip. We're anxious to go back.
Penny B <email>
Mankat, MN USA 12/25/02
general hints
Just returned from 10 days in Ireland. Read Rick's books before we left
and here are a couple of small issues: NO ONE supplis wash clothes: not
hotels or B&B's. Take along a couple, cut em up and as you use them toss
them. EVERY lodging had a hair dryer, don't bother packing one! I took my
fully changed elec razor an dwas glad I did. I had my computer password
programed into my machine for a couple of years and FORGOT IT. There are
internet cafes everywhere so just bring your password.
Bill Clotere <email>
Albany, Or USA 11/23/02Ireland
Just did two weeks in Ireland. Loved Galway. Stayed at Carraig Beag
in Salthill, found it a bit overpriced and average. Seafood at Conlon's
was very nice. Connemara was beautiful. Next time we'll stay in Renvyle
(spelling?), a lovely little town on the coast. In Doolin, the music, mussels,
and salmon at O'Conners Pub were fantastic. We toured three SW peninsulas,
Dingle, Kerry, and Beara. All beautiful. Beara is primitive and not at all
touristy. We stayed in a tidy little twon called Eyeries, but next time
will try Allihies. More great salmon here. Great beer everywhere. Drink
as much beer as you can possibly stand. It's expected.
Pete Smith <email>
atlanta, ga USA 11/01/02
Ireland
Through a tale of woe, we arrived bedraggled in Newbridge, Ireland (about
45 minutes outside Dublin), and found the B&B: Curragh Plains Guest House.
It was after 9:00 pm, we were exhausted, and this warm, delightful Irish
woman, Anne, greeted us at the door and escorted us in with "You look tired,
my dears, how about a nice cup of tea?" She brought us tea and cookies.
The rooms were all beautifully appointed, spacious, ensuite, very clean,
and the breakfast was large and delicious. Anne was an angel, we cannot
say enough about her and her establishment. Please check into adding her
to future books. If you would like additional info, please feel free to
contact me or the proprietors direct:
Hugh & Anne Noone, Athgarvan, The Curragh, Co. Kildare; tel: 045 442015
(local #); email: hughn@gofree.indigo.ie
Claudia McCarley <email>
Redwood City, CA USA 10/26/02
Great Italian Food in Belfast
We asked a cabbie to take us to a good place to eat in Belfast. It was late
and we were tired from driving from Dingle (yes, it was a long, long drive).
He took us to an Italian place called Gigolo s. Funny name, but great food
and service. Ever see the movie Big Night? This was it. We were there for
like 2 hours. We tried to order off the menu, but the old, Italian expatriate
insisted on making us exactly what He wanted, even though it wasn't on the
menu. He even had a young Italian speaking assistant who bossed around,
just like in the movie. The food was fantastic and the experience of having
a chef come out, ask you the types of things you like, and then create a
custom dish was unparalleled. It wasn't Irish food, but if you want a good
meal in Belfast, you can't miss.
John Wolf <email>
Livermore, CA USA 10/09/02
Ireland Sept 2002.
Just back from 10 days in Ireland and your book was extremely helpful in
planning our excursions. We did the self drive B&B program. Prices seem
to be about 15% higher than expected, our hosts blamed the Euro conversion!
Blarney Castle is up to 7.50 Euro so only go if its a family tradition.
Driving is a challange, but a good one, however there really are no major
roads as we define them, so expect at least double the drive time that
you would have in the states. Roundabouts and reduced town speeds really
lower your average MPH. In Waterford, you have to take the walking tour.
Just wait till Jack gets on a tangent over the EU and the pitfalls of
the Celtic Tiger sucess in the south east!
Bill & Helen <email>
Bucks County, PA USA 09/26/02
Ireland Information
Just returned from 12 days in Ireland. Rick's book is wonderful and Galway
was a treat because of it. One change, Kay Davis walking tours are only
on Mon,Tue,Wed. this year. Thanks Rick for telling us about the Fishy-Fishy
resturant in Kinsale, it was the best eating experience of many great resturants.
We drove 890 miles and learned a new definition of narrow roads
George Brown <email>
Pocatello, Id USA 09/15/02
Ireland Golf
I just got back from my third Golf trip to Ireland and would be happy to
help anyone who wants to plan their own trip. Best Golf in the world!! Recommended
B&Bs include , The Arch, in Clifden; Park House, in Bunratty, for the night
before leaving from Shannon; Mulcarr House, in LaHinch; Tower Hotel in Sligo
has great multiple night packages that include dinners and breakfast or
Golf packages. Ireland is the easiest country to visit by car. By train
it is difficult.
Brian <email>
Pompano Beach, FL USA 09/13/02
Ireland-County Clare
On a recent cycle trip in County Clare, I did have occasion to take the
Burren tour with Shane Connolly. He was wonderful! Word of advice, my tour
was 4 1/2 hours. Be prepared with a small bottle of water and maybe a snack.
Excellent tour and well worth the time. You do not realize all the flora
in the Burren, till someone points it out. Ennis is a lovely town. Wandering
is good advice.
Lisa <email>
Mt. Gretna, PA USA 08/19/02
Family trip to Ireland
Just returned from an 11 day stay in Ireland with our family of 6. It's
our third time over and we will keep going back! Rick's book is very helpful.
Greenmount B & B in Dingle was our best stay with the best breakfast in
all of Ireland. A great town, Beginsh Restaurant was excellent as was Out
of the Blue down by the wharf. Great music in the pubs. Also enjoyed Kilkenny
where we got to spend time with D. J. Carey, the famed Kilkenny hurler in
a pub! Connemara is beautiful as are the towns of Clifden and Roundstone
and don't miss the Sky Drive in Clifden! Even though it was August, in Ireland
you definitely needed long pants, long sleeve shirts and a jacket. It was
a welcome relief from our summer. We were very surprised by the number of
tourists from all over Europe that were there. On our previous trips, we
only saw the Irish and other fellow Americans.
Marian McDevitt <email>
Malvern, Pa. USA 08/18/02
Southwestern Ireland Restaurants and Accommodations
What a personal touch! Not only did my husband and I spot your book nearly
everywhere we went in southwest Ireland, it seemed we encountered you and
your family around every corner too. We even ended up in one of the video
shoots. Lots of fun and good memories. A few comments on restaurants and
accommodations:
Kinsale: dinner at The Little SKillet (recommended) was a comprehensive treat. Owner Anne Ennos noticed us perusing the outside menu and came out to the sidewalk to invite us in. How can you refuse hospitality like that? Staff members were outstandingly gracious. Food was wonderful too, but the staff made it the best evening of our trip. The Blue Haven lacked the same kind of hospitality, but the food was excellent and reasonably priced.
Dingle: please, please consider adding Cill Bhreac to your recommended B&Bs [www.iol.ie/~cbhreac]. Angela McCarthy is a fine hostess who did everything she could to make our first wedding anniversary special for us (arranged a romantic table at a local restaurant for dinner, had chilled champagne waiting for us when we returned, etc.). The B&B itself is bright, spotless, freshly painted each year, and has an outstanding view of Dingle Harbor from right outside the town. The breakfast was quite extensive and tasty. Lots of other nice touches too--a great upstairs harborview sitting room, tea/biscuits in the room, and a sunny atrium entrance. It was the best B&B of our 2-week stay. Angela was the reason. She knows what welcome means. We had a perfect dinner at Beginish Restaurant in Dingle town (recommended)--elegant and a good place to celebrate anything.
Liscannor: not in your book but perhaps should be is Harbor Sunset Farmhouse (065 708 1039). It's tucked away in the country on Cliffs of Moher Road and is blissfully quiet, with a fine view of the distant beach at Anscul. Sheila the donkey and her sheep pals greeeted us only moments before the O'Gorman family did. When we visited, sisters Brid and Maura welcomed us to the parlor with a peat fire burning and served hot tea and pastries. Later that evening they entertained us with traditional Irish music. The O'Gorman family has produced award-winning musicians. Note the many, many trophies on the piano. The farmhouse breakfast provided here was so amazing that we're still pining for it. The house is full of antiques. We had a large, lovely, attic-like room straight out of a Victorian novel. In Liscannor proper on Main Street is the Zephyr ("Serving high quality food and drink since May 2002"), a newly opened restaurant with a beautiful and unhurried atmosphere. Dee and Dan Mullin (065 708 1732) have done an outstanding job here, both with the quality of service and the exquisite food. It was without question the best dinner we had in Ireland.
Newmarket-on-Fergus: The Beechgrove Farmhouse is great place to spend your first or last night (or more) if Shannon is your hub. It's less than 10 minutes from the airport and quiet, with a heavenly pastoral view. Breda Conheady (003353 (0) 61 368140) provides immaculate, modern rooms with bathrooms almost as large as the bedrooms. Two bottle-fed lambs were the welcoming sentries.
Rick, thanks for a wonderful job. The driving itineraries in particular
were superb.
Kathleen and Brent Heiser <email>
Durham, NC USA 08/17/02
Ireland
Just returned from 2 weeks in Ireland. Found the people very friendly, honest,
and helpful--good thing since we had to ask directions a millions times
while navigating those daarn roundabouts! But once you figure out how they
work, they make perfect sense. Found Irish drivers VERY patient and much
nicer than US drivers!
Stayed in a lovely B & B in Kilkenny called Hillgrove (3 km from town on the Castle Road). Excellent food, lovely garden, wonderful proprieters.
Loved the Dingle Peninisula and Rick's mile-by-mile guide to driving the Dingle was very good and helpful. Might have missed some worthwhile sights. However, the Dingle Aquarium was a must-NOT see--grey, dreary, murky exhibits, with sticky, grotty handrails--ugh.
Good tip on NOT taking the jaunting car drivers 2 miles from Muckross House--might have fallen for that if not for Rick's tip! But found the jaunting car drivers inside the park to be bandits--they wanted $30 for a 30 minute ride!
We LOVED Ennis--a bright, flower-bedecked town without a million tourists! Wished we had stayed there as a base for the Connemara and the Burren. The Burren Exposure exhibit was an EXCELLENT intro to the Burren-beautifully done video.
Found Galway grey and dreary and much-over-rated.
Overall, loved Ireland, except for the food, which was very expensive
and pretty awful in many places.
Chris Opie <email>
San Mateo, CA USA 08/17/02
Ireland
I have just returned from 3 weeks in Ireland. Loved it! I am recommending
Dunromin B@B in Kilkenny. Val is a very helpful hostess and even mapped
our route to Dublin by car. We had a bad experience with Harding Hotel in
Dublin- lost our reservation, were very rude and not helpful. We recieved
help from Jury's across the street to find accomodation. We used Rick's
recommendations for restaurants and b@b's and found the rest excellent and
helpful.
B. Selby <email>
Penticton, BC Canada 07/25/02
A Doolin recommendation
Rick's book was extremely helpful to us as we drove the west of Ireland.
Doolin was our first stop, and we had made arrangements at a B&B that's
not in the book -- though it should be!
The Island View B&B, located on the Cliffs of Moher road, was an absolute delight. To add to the wonderment, it was a day of off-and-on rain, and we had seen two rainbows on our way from Shannon to Doolin. As we arrived at the Island View B&B, our arrival was heralded by the appearance of a third rainbow -- a double one! -- in the field just across the road from the house. I had never actually seen the end of a rainbow, but that day, there it was, as plain as day, almost as if we could touch it! All the old leprechaun legends came to mind, for sure. Anne and John Sims run a sparking clean house with a wonderfully warm sitting room, and they welcome you with tea, scones and John's yummy homemade jam in front of the peat fireplace.
They know everyone in town and gave us great information about the music sessions at the pubs (most of the musicians are friends of theirs). John is a teacher and well-versed in the natural history of the Burren, so he gave lots of good pointers for our Burren walks, and there are many Burren guidebooks in the sitting room. We found the Island View (yes, you do get a nice view of the Arans from the dining room) to be a great jumping-off place for seeing the Burren sights by day (Poulnabrone Dolmen, Ailwee Cave, etc.) and just exploring all the little towns around the area. And, of course, for heading to the Doolin pubs at night for that great traditional music! And Anne makes a great breakfast burrito (that's what we called it -- it's a crepe wrapped around a delicious bacon, lettuce and tomato salad -- a nice change of pace from the tradtional Irish fried breakfast).
Rick, consider adding the Island View to your book -- of all the B&Bs
we stayed in in friendly Ireland, that one was the most friendly and memorable,
mostly because of the wonderful Sims!
Mary Platt <email>
Costa Mesa, CA USA 07/24/02
Ireland
We just spent our honeymoon in Ireland, and can attest to the friendliness
of the Irish people. They were always helpful and pleasant. One caveat-
we flew into Dublin and rented a car at the airport intending to drive south
through the Wicklow Mountains on our first day. However, I think that maybe
the Wicklow country roads were too much for first-timers driving on the
left hand side. The roads are extremely narrow, so much so that you have
to almost pull over to let a passing car go by. There are also no guardrails
on the mountains. That said, the mountains were beautiful, and I recommend
seeing them, but maybe wait a few days to get used to Irish roads first.
We stopped in Waterford for an afternoon, and found it very pleasant, not a gray work town, and didn't see anyone begging on the street.
We highly recommend Dingle, we stayed at O'Neill's B&B and liked it. Mary O'Neill is very friendly and helpful. We loved Rick's penninsula tour, don't miss it.
We also very highly recommend Carraig Beag B&B outside of Galway in Salthill...that was our favorite B&B, beautiful rooms, great breakfast, and very reasonable.
We liked the Aran Islands, especially Dun Aenghus, and the Connemara.
We also very highly recommend the tombs at Newgrange, fascinating!
In Dublin we stayed at Jury's Christchurch Inn, so-so rooms, but the staff was very helpful and the location was very convenient. We can't recommend highly enough the historical walking tour and Kilhainham Jail- both are well worth your time. You really get an appreciation of the struggles of the Irish for their freedom. Our guide on the Walking tour was extremely knowledgable. The National Museum is worth only a short amount of time. You get a better history lesson if you go on the Walking tour and see the Jail. The mummies are better in other museums, but the best thing is the exhibit on the strange ways historical artifacts were found.
We ate at the Bad Ass cafe and really liked it- touristy but fun. We loved Dublin and all of Ireland!
We saw many other Americans with Rick Steves books peeking out of their
backpacks. We really like how he stresses cultural appreciation. We saw
a few other tourists in the B&B's and restaurants being kind of picky,
(not Rick Steve's readers), asking for things to be like they would be
in the US, such as asking for more ice, a different kind of toast, etc.
One of the best things about traveling is learing about another culture,
not trying to live as though you'd never left the US. We treated everyone
with respect and friendliness, were never picky like that, and we were
always treated the same way in return. Have fun traveling!
Rebecca <email>
Kissimmee, FL USA 07/19/02
Ireland & older Great Britian/Ireland Books
I feel that Rick's Book on Ireland & the Older Great Britain / Ireland both
leave alot out on the SouthWest & SouthEast parts of Ireland. Is it possible
that Rick does not care for that area, like He has mentioned in the past
about the Cornish area of England? I feel that if you are doing books on
a country, that you should be fair to ALL areas.
Carolyn <email>
Hughson, CA USA 07/17/02
Ireland
Just completed 3 weeks in Ireland...including leading 22 people on a 10
day bike trip...the group spent 1/2 day with Shane Connolly of Ballyvaughn
up on the Burren...he is the most interesting well informed person I have
met in my travels...I can't emphasize too much how worthwhile it is to spend
time with him...by coincidence, he was to be interviewed by Rick Steves
later that afternoon he told me.
gerald h. itkin <email>
portland, or USA 07/13/02
The Waterside, Graigue, County Killkenny
My husband and I stayed at the Waterside on June 30th. It was such a wonderful
place to stay. Graigue is such a great village if you are looking for a
small local town with tons to see and do. Brian was extremely hospitable
and very knowledgeable about the area. The restaurant was one of the best
we ate at in all of Ireland. Definitely have dinner there!
Colleen <email>
Bedminster, NJ USA 07/10/02
Kinsale & Killarney B & B's
Upon Rick's Ireland Guidebook recommendation, my husband and I stayed at
the Chart House B & B on Quay St. in Kinsale. It is an excellent guest house
and was the most comfortable bed of our entire 2 week stay in Ireland. Their
breakfast set-up has all the guests sharing one large dining table, giving
way to communal conversation amongst the guests. Every morning there were
other "Rick Steves" readers staying there, too.
Our first night in Kinsale we ate dinner at "Annelie's", just around the corner from Chart House (the back yards are adjacent) and it was so good we returned there the next night.
Muckross House near Killarney is great, as Rick suggests. While there,
we stayed at the Chart House B & B guest house (www.killarney-earlscourt.ie)
and highly recommend it. We found it to be lovely, well decorated, comfortable
and an excellent value for the rate, which is comparable to the Chart
House in Kinsale. It is walking distance to downtown Killarney, 2 miles
from Ross Castle, and Chart House has a list of restaurants they recommend
based on their guests'feedback. It does not disappoint!
Doris W. <email>
Brentwood, TN USA 07/04/02
Ireland May 2002
We spent the last 3 weeks of May in Ireland and followed Ricks book for
a lot of our trip. This is our 4th trip but are still learning about the
country. In Dingle we stayed at Ard Na Greine B7B on the edge of town. Delightful
spacious rooms and wonderful breakfasts. Don't miss Doyle's for the best
dinner in Ireland! Don't forget to take Tim Collin's Sciuird Archaeology
Tour! with access to places you can't see on your own! Skip Cork City and
go right to Kinsale. Rick needs to check out Rivermount B&B just outside
of town. It is a 4* AA establishment. Beautifully decorated, magnificent
view of the river and mountains, warm hospitality and a wonderful breakfast.
Fresh flowers all over the house! I could go on and on but Rick says it
all so much better!
Judy Lamken <email>
Schaumburg, IL USA 06/26/02
Ireland Donegal
Very disappointed that your 2002 book did not include the Donegal area or
much of Sligo. While it's true these areas are difficult to reach without
a car, they are some of the most wild and beautiful areas of Ireland free
from tourist overrun.
Mary <email>
New York, NY USA 06/23/02
Ireland guidebook update
Hello from Ireland! We are still on holiday here but wanted to share some
info. Powerscourt: 6 Euro instead of the 3.25 listed in your new guidebook.
Trim Castle was a great destination for us and our 3 teenage sons. Yes,
even they liked it. From there we decided to drive to Monasterboice to see
the High Crosses and afer comments like, " This better be good after all
this driving," we couldn't get them away from exploring the aged cemetery
that the crosses are in. The friendly dog that followed us around also was
a plus. It is important to keep in mind as people wander through that cemetery
that it is a sacred place to the Irish and to respect it. It was wonderful
to meander through it at our own pace and we had it to ourselves the day
we were there. Looking forward to some more Rick Steves recommended sites
before we leave Wed. Thanks Steve!
Cindy
WI USA 06/17/02
June Holiday adventure
Dingle: I can't recommend the Alpine Guest House highly enough. With large,
elegant rooms, a superb breakfast, and super-friendly owners, I couldn't
have gotten a better value for my 46 Euro a night (single). On the other
hand, I can't really recommend the harbor walk out to the lighthouse. There
isn't a clear "path" to speak of, and the beach in that area is alarmingly
dirty. I had to trudge through some wet and muddy cattle fields and when
I got to the end, I found the view pretty unremarkable.
Blasket Island cruises turned out to be really "touch and go". Theoretically, they should be running 7 days a week, but they seem to get cancelled unless the weather for the afternoon is expected to be near-perfect, which unfortunately didn't happen until the day I had to leave.
The Mystic Celt restaurant has gone under and has been replaced by the Wild Banks restaurant, which I found to be excellent. Like their predecessor, they serve huge portions of very creative food at prices that are average for the area (17-25 Euro for entrees).
Galway: Another Hostel in the center worth mentioning is the Celtic Tourist Hostel. It's a bit noisy on the weekends, but it's well taken care of, and Robert, the guy who runs the place, is the ultimate in "good craic" when it comes to storytelling. Beds for June Bank Holiday/World Cup kickoff weekend ran 22.50 Euro.
Dublin: The O'Connell street stroll north of the Liffey that you recommend
has been completely destroyed by a huge amount of construction going on
right in the middle of the street for several blocks. Unfortunately, I
wasn't able to find out what was going on or when it was expected to end.
Tracey Seslen <email>
Watertown, MA USA 06/09/02
Connemara Trail and more
I've not had the chance to see the new Ireland book - but I'm headed to
Ireland soon, and was glad to see you had a fuller treatment of the country,
rather than an "add-on" to Britain. I will pick it up soon.
If there are any horseback riding fans, William Leahy's Connemara Trail is AMAZING! He has week-long treks (but ask about just doing a few days). You go places you'd swear only a goat could go - expect to cover 20-25 miles a DAY - from mountains to beaches. Expect to be sore but awed by the experience. There were excellent riders down to me and children - Willie looks after everyone! Those seeking challenges got them, those staying alive felt comfortable. Email them at tct@eirnet.com - you'll get Willie's secretary while he's "out on the trail." I always look for more details on riding opportunities than I can easily find.
Again, haven't seen the new book yet, but I think this is a general comment from books past. In the old book, I couldn't find how electrical plugs in Ireland differed from Britain - and I really looked! Hopefully that is included and easily accessible. [Editor's note: Electrical plugs in Ireland and Britain are basically the same; one style of plug adapter works in both.]
I love it when you highlight organic and vegetarian options! Man of Aran
is great! More, please!
Robin Bennett <email>
Chicago, IL USA 06/08/02
Just Back from Ireland
Hi Rick, I am a long time fan of yours, having used your guide books for
Europe, Scandinavia and now Ireland. The best thing you ever did was suggest
the bike ride around the Dingle Peninsula! We stayed at Kirrary House (by
the way, Eileen says hello - I know you'll be seeing her in a few weeks).
Rented bikes and headed out. A soft mist dampened the first 15 minutes of
the ride, but after that... beautiful partly cloudy skies. The scenery was
breathtaking! We had novice bikers and a mountain biker in our group and
we all managed. The most beautiful 30 miles in my life. All of Ireland is
beautiful and interesting, Dingle is a special place. Thank you for all
of your invaluable information.
Christine Burke <email>
Bethlehem, PA USA 06/07/02
Portrush, Northern Ireland
There is no longer a bicycle rental shop in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
Your best bet to see the Antrim Coast sights is to either rent a car (out
of Coleraine--no car rental agencies in Portrush, either) or go by local
bus. Also, Rick's book says that the Harbour Heights Guest House has "cramped" rooms, but they're in the process of remodeling and our room was the most
spacious one we stayed in during our two weeks in Britain and Ireland.
Rachel
Madison, WI USA 06/05/02
Mid May Trip to Ireland 2002
I found Rick Steve's guidebook most useful. In fact, just about everyone
we ran into from the U.S. had a copy of his book. It's simple, easy to read,
and light in weight. There are a few B&B's / Guesthouses that we found reasonable,
clean, and friendly, but were not listed in the guide.
The Woodfield House (Limerick). Location was great - 20 min from Shannon airport, and the pub/restaurant, which is located below the rooms, was full of local folks that had been coming there for years. All around good atmosphere and good food.
Hillhouse (Cashel). Carmel Purcell was a gracious host. The house is absolutely beautiful with it's spectacular view of the 'Rock'. Not to mention the wonderful 'fresh out of the oven' pie (yum). I would definately plan to stay there again! Dining in Cashel, check out Navan, delicious food and the service was excellent!
Cedar Lodge (Dublin). 5 min. from downtown. parking available at no extra cost! Nice size rooms and quiet. A must see in Dublin - Kilmainham Jail. Absolutely wonderful tour, and a great history lesson to boot!
Diamond Lodge (Letterfrack - near Kylemoore Abbey). Talk about peace and quiet. What a lovely retreat after all the driving we did. Our host, Pauline, was just a riot! Wonderful lady and I hope to see her again.
Doolin: Atlantic View. Breathtakingly beautiful. Fun little town. What more can I say.
Additional comments: If you're renting a car, pay the extra for an automatic! I drive a stick, but I don't use my left hand to shift. My poor shoulder was killing me by the end of the trip. Also, try not to get too frustrated with the lack of street signs. You can have a great map, but w/ no signs, well... Thank God the locals are more than happy to help with directions.
All in all we had a wonderful 11 day trip around Ireland, and I look
forward to taking another journey through the Emerald Isle.
Joann <email>
Menlo Park, CA USA 06/03/02
Milltown Cottages Dingle Co. Kerry Ireland
Just back from a wonderful visit to Ireland and most of all Dingle. We decided
to rent a cottage this visit and what a wonderful idea! Milltown Cottages
in Dingle town was a delightful experience. Just what we needed for a laid
back week. Cosy, clean & a peaceful location near the town,close to shops,
restaurants, pubs, cinema, golf course etc. www.irish-holiday-rentals.com/milltowncottages/index.html.
A very enjoyable week.
Michael
CA USA 05/22/02
We found Rick's 2002 book on Ireland do be most helpful. We based out of
Dublin and Cork. Rick's right about Blarney Castle! We took two daytours
out of Dublin with Railtours Ireland and thought they were excellent. One
tour was to Northern Ireland (Belfast, Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-rede,
and Bushmills Distillery). The other was to Cliffs of Moher, Burren and
Galway Bay. If you're using public transportation (sometimes a challenge)
in Ireland, these can actually be a bargain at 89 euros per person. The
guides were excellent. The tours were via train and minibus. Great all-day
tours!
Linda Wright <email>
Edmond, OK USA 05/21/02
Good news and bad news. Read your book before leaving and found personal
opinions very helpful. No other guide book supplied that information. Bad
news; the book fell apart and lost pages during the trip! Was not a happy
camper after paying $19; ever thought of a spiral book so it can lay flat?
Cormac's was the worst of all the places we stopped for lunch; Even with
these small incoveniences, the trip was great. Would suggest for people
renting a car that a automatic makes the trip much easier.
C. W. Rooker <email>
Naples, FL USA 05/20/02
Waterford
Dear Rick, I have come across your guide book to Ireland 2002 recently,
and being in the tourism industry and from Ireland, Waterford to be precise,
I was shocked to read your description of Waterford and it's people: "Waterford
is a plain, grey, work a day town, pubs outnumber cafes, kids beg on the
street corners, and when radio stations offer dinner at McDonalds as a prize,
people actually call in." In fact I believe the opposite to be the case.
Waterford is a thriving port city which I admit about 10 years ago was dull and grey, but since the Tour De France passed through here in 1998 the city has been totally cleaned up and painted. In fact, the city's council donated 6000 gallons of paint for the quays for renovation. There is a huge marina and new public decking along almost one mile of the quay now, with more to be built.
The town has numerous hotels of 3,4 and 5 star quality,including Waterford Castle, Faithlegg House, Jurys Hotels and Jurys Inns, and the Tower Hotel, to name but a few. Within 10 miles of the city there are numerous tourist and unspoilt beaches, fishing villiages and harbours. We also have 2 of the biggest mountain ranges in the country, The Knockmeldowns and The Commeraghs, both which have spectacular waterfalls, forest walks and natural wildness.
You neglected to mention the West of the County,Where we have round towers in Lismore, a very important monastic settlement and huge tourist attraction, Lismore Castle with its famous grounds and the Bay area. Now I feel you have more than enough there to keep you going for more than one day!!!!!
I also feel that in your guide where you describe the Irish as a friendly people, you should realise that not just Americans will read your books, and despite our friendly aura Irish people get just as insulted and angry as the next nation.
P.S. I will be photocopying the text of your book and forwarding it
to both The Irish Times and The Waterford News and Star for interest....
Daragh Carey <email>
Ennis, ce irl 05/15/02
Inishmore, Aran Islands
If you have the time, spend the night at the Aran Islands. We were there
in mid-April, 2002. Took the shuttle from Kinlay House Hostel in Galway
to tiny, friendly and accomodating Rossaveal Airport (a pretty drive).
Our 10:00m a.m. Aer Arann flight (this is a small 8 seater plane) was
delayed due to fog on the island. We were able to eat some snacks from
the vending machines while waiting. After several hours, they offered
to take us to the ferry boat 10 min. away, which we took to Inishmore.
We were able to fly back the next day, a 9 minute flight, not counting
the quick stop on Inishmaan.
Upon arrival in Kilronan we walked past the many drivers up to the sweater store. There we found a native horse-cart driver who waited while we shopped then took us to Man of Aran B&B on the far end of the island, stopping along the way to point out the sights (seals & whales, among them). It was well worth it, and very leisurely. This B&B was a great recommendation from the book. The website has pictures of this beautiful thatched cottage right on the ocean. I did have to send owners Joe & Maura a deposit in advance (no credit cards).
It's just a very short walk from the finest beach and the fabulous Dun
Aengus fort, with a beautiful, old cemetery along the way. The fort was
not crowded at all: besides us, only 2 others were there. The food at
the B&B is renowned, organic and pricey, but was the only place open on
that end of the island that time of year. After dinner, we wanted to hear
some music, so Maura called Peter McDonagh Taxi to take us back to Kilronan
to a 50th birthday party. Everyone on the island was there. We were the
only foreigners & were treated to an evening of fine Irish music and dancing.
Gayle Pritchard <email>
Bay Village, OH USA 05/13/02
Galway, Ireland
I recommend reading How the Irish Saved Civilization by Cahill before
heading out!
The bus station is right inside Shannon's small airport and is a quick, pretty route to Galway via Ennis (also a great place to visit) for only 11.90 Euro (one way). Left for Galway April 17, 2002 to visit my daughter studying at NUI. If you want to get out of center city to explore, the walk along the Corrib out by the university is beautiful with two castle ruins and wild horses. Petra House B&B was a great recommendation. Although no discounts were offered for multi-night stay or senior citizens, three of us shared a room with 2 twins & 1 double bed & bath en suite. Breakfast was great & selected from a menu. Owner Frank sweet, kind, funny and helpful. It was full every night we were there with natives. We were able to leave our luggage overnight, instead of taking it with us to the Aran Islands. It was further than a "five minute walk" from the square, but still close enough to walk into town. Stayed there 4 nights.
The Tourist Info. Bureau was useless & couldn't even provide a map. Found a great used bookstore, though, on the street at the back of Kenny's where we found plenty of maps & other great books and collage materials at "used" prices. Also found great new books at discount prices at the Dunnes which is just outside of the old shopping district (yes, there are two Dunnes). The "antique" market at the old city wall was a joke, but the SuperValu grocery in the basement of the shopping center had great prices & a free delivery service to your home (our B&B).
By the way, the public restrooms in the shopping center were great and handy. The ones in Eyre Square are also handy, but beware of the elevator doors which suddenly open onto the square when your time is up!
Happened upon great music at the songwriter's night at Pacino's on Prospect Hill just of the square. Great "carvery" (buffet) at the Quays Pub, and great atmosphere. For a fancier "meet the boyfriend" dinner, try The Malt House on High St. Best shopping of very high quality, original pieces was O'Maille's on High St. Their website tells much about their long history in promoting traditional Irish craft & sales people extremely knowledgeable. Great prices, as well, and all Irish-made goods.
FYI Rick: The shuttle to Rossaveal airport to fly to the Aran Islands
via Aer Arann left from Kinlay House Hostel, and was also an hour late!
Gayle Pritchard <email>
Bay Village, OH USA 05/13/02
Dingle, Ireland
Spent a wonderful April week in Ireland...including a lovely two days and
nights in Dingle staying at the Tower View Bed and Breakfast. Mary and Robbie
Griffin's b & b was perfect...conveniently located...great breakfasts. Mary
was gracious and made restaurant and activity suggestions that turned out
to be great. Had such a good time!
Maryann Pass <email>
St. Louis, MO USA 05/12/02
Ireland B&B's
Using Rick's suggestions, thought I would add my comments. Just returned
from southwest Ireland. Collegecrest Guesthouse in Galway was fair. Rooms
were relatively clean and the staff friendly but somehow felt there were
better choices for the money. The Gallery in Kinsale was an unpleasant experience.
The 90 euro for two was expensive for an attic room that needed dusting.
Breakfast was served at 10am and after we were falsely told that food would
be left out for our 8:30am departure and that our next stop, Bantry was
not very nice we felt slighted. By the way Bantry was wonderful and the
Atlantic Shores B&B was superb. The nearby Sheepshead Peninsula was spectacular
and the Bantry House had to be the funkiest museum/greathouse ever. In Dingle
the Greenmount House was outstanding. First class accom. and food at just
75 euro (for 2) a night. Overall Ireland was a treat.
Paul Shper <email>
Montpelier, VT USA 04/24/02
Ireland
I was in Ireland in October of last year. The Captain's House in Dingle
was absolutely wonderful, and the price was very reasonable. Breakfast in
the conservatory was delicious, with limitless culinary options. If you
are headed to Dublin, I would also recommend Stautons on the Green, a Georgian
guesthouse which overlooks St. Stephen's Green. It's reasonably priced,
and in a perfect Dublin location. Finally, for the ultimate splurge, Domorland
Castle cannot be surpassed. At least spend an afternoon enjoying the Castle
and walking its magnificant grounds .
Donna Morel <email>
san diego, ca USA 04/09/02
B&B reviews
For the most part, we stayed in lodging recommended in the Ireland guide.
Asbury House in Dublin was excellent for the first few nights. The privacy
and quiet was rejuvenating and set the tone for our trip. The Gallery in
Kinsale was very nice, though not very private (lots of noise, smaller rooms),
but the hosts are very friendly. They do close for the off season, reopening
in mid March. It has been remodeled. The Greenmount in Dingle lives up to
Rick's recommendations. Even the junior room is a very affordable luxury.
Large tub, very quiet and comfortable beds. It's location outside of town
affords a wonderful view of the stars at night.
Jonathan Parker <email>
Kansas City, MO USA 04/09/02
Kilmainham Jail bus directions wrong?
Rick - You might want to check the bus directions for leaving Kilmainham
Jail. We think it should read "leaving the prison, take three RIGHTS." As
you suggested, we took a taxi there and planned to take the bus to Guinness
afterwards. After going left and walking for seemingly forever before coming
to any real intersection at all (save for a few cul-de-sacs that obviously
led nowhere), all the while dragging along two small kids, we finally hailed
a taxi. He said he'd already passed us once as we left the jail so knew
how far we'd walked, and showed us as we drove where we should have come
to catch the bus. We could see the top of the jail from the bus stop, and
while we didn't drive up to check, it looks like a few quick right turns
would have gotten us there.
Circumstances of the ride aside, we took that and two other taxi rides
while in Dublin, and the drivers were all wonderfully friendly and informative
(and they all have relatives in the States!). Kilmainham Jail - despite
our problems leaving it- was one of the highlights of Dublin. The guided
tour was excellent and really gave us a better understanding of Irish
history and the "troubles". We weren't sure our 2- and 5-year-old would
make it through the hour and a quarter tour, but miraculously they did
and we were very grateful!
Deborah Dickerson <email>
Americans living in England, 04/04/02
Dingle, Ireland
Just spent three wonderful days in Dingle--the Old Mill House B&B was a
one minute walk from the bus, centrally located to the waterfront, shops,
and pubs(with traditional Irish music), and restaurants. Reasonable prices,
clean, homey rooms, TV, shower, and hairdryer provided with a great Irish
breakfast. Small and cozy, family run, friendly, and can help with any questions.
Karen Cuneo <email>
Bethany, CT USA 04/02/02
Ireland
As usual, your book was a great help. The Albany House in Dublin was wonderful.
The location next to St. Stephen's Green is beautiful and convenient. They
recommended Little Caesars restaurant down the street. It was terrific.
In Cobh, we stayed at Bella Vista. It was a beautiful Victorian Villa with
antique furnished rooms, very reasonably priced. It had a lounge with a
fireplace and a bar.
Miriam Logan <email>
Huntingdon Valley, PA USA 03/12/02
Ireland Guidebook
The new Ireland book is excellent. With this book and the AA route planner
web site, I think I've put together a really enjoyable driving trip for
my family. But, when you revise this book, consider removing the gratuitous
shot at Texans on page 70, which reads, "Spend the night in Killarney and
you'll know what I mean. The town is a sprawling line of green Holiday Inns
littered with drawling Texans looking for three-leaf clovers." This remark
might be taken to be the same sort of insulting stereotyping that you ask
your reading public to avoid.
Miff Mendoza <email>
Baytown, TX USA 02/28/02
Ireland
Great idea publishing a book on Ireland. I was in Ireland on sept. 11. The
outpouring of sympathy was unbelievable. Ironically, I was in belfast the
day of the attack on the wtc. Before my trip, family and friends warned
me of how dangerous a place belfast, but they were wrong. I wanted to see
falls road and the murals painted on the buildings there.
Gary Fullenkamp <email>
anna, oh USA 02/03/02
the south of Ireland and more
We spent 10 days in Ireland (used Rick's Great britain book for 99% of the
trip) But the Ireland info in the Great Britain book leaves out so much
of the South. We trained to the west from Dublin, did Ring of Kerry. From
Cork (where we stayed at the charming Achill House) we headed south to Cobh
(pronounced Cove). Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic. Interesting
museum, though in March, a wee bit chilly. In Waterford, the Waterford Crystal
Factory tour is great; you are on the factory floor and able to talk with
the craftspeople. Of course, there is a buying opportunity (no surprise
there) BUT great deals in the discount room downstairs.
We worked hard to find Irish Stew! But when we ended up in a "trendy" spot, the food was wonderful! We had a few extra unexpected days in Ireland due to an Aer Lingus strike so explored the area north of Dublin, stayed in Howth (pronounced oat)--a peninsula town, a back door spot. I agree that Dublin doesn't warrant more than a couple days, but high points were seeing the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol; a disappointment is the Guinness tour--sterilized tour and the costly entrance more than covers that free beer! The view from the sky top lounge is pretty cool.
We made the mistake of planning to pick up a car in Kilarney on a Sunday--very
difficult to arrange. Next trip I hope to have the new Ireland book and
explore more of this beautiful county.
Joan <email>
chicago, IL USA 01/22/02
B&B in Adare
A great place to enjoy some real Irish hospitality--Coatesland B&B in Adare,
County Limerick. Unbelievable breakfasts--light or traditional, innkeepers
who go the extra mile to make you feel welcome and spotlessly clean accommodations.
One mile from downtown and plenty of off street parking. http://indigo.ie/~coatesfd/
Located only 40 minutes from Shannon, it's an easy place to find.
Maureen <email>
Great Mills, MD USA 12/25/01
Ireland
A couple of suggestions on your trip to Ireland. A great place to eat in
Dublin is the Lord Edward. Great seafood across from Christ Church down
from Jury's Inn. One day and one night is enough for Dublin. Don't miss
Kinsale. Visit Charle's Fort for a bit of history and a great view of Kinsale
harbor.
The Old Presbetary on Cork St. is one of best B&B's in Ireland, and the Blue Haven is a great place to eat. Only a short distance from Cork Cith and Blarney Castle.
Do the Dingle Peninsula over the Ring of Kerry and go over Conner Pass. Be sure to see the Cliffs of Kilkee. As beautiful as the Cliffs of Moher and no tourists.
Lunch at Ashford Castle not to be missed. Reasonable and beautiful.
James Logan <email>
Chicago, IL USA 12/05/01
Accommodations in Dublin
Regretfully, I am posting a negative comment and word of warning to those
travelers who are heading to Dublin. Do yourself a favor and avoid booking
accommodations at the Aishling House in Clontarf, ten minutes north of Dublin's
city center and very convenient to Dublin Airport. We discovered this B&B
through Arthur Frommer's budget guide to Ireland, which we used to supplement
Rick's combo UK/Ireland book. The host, Robert English, hardly lived up
to his cheerful description of himself as listed on the inn's website. We
know of at least four telephone messages that he neglected to give us, including
one from Irish author Maeve Binchy. He also came up short on a fax that
had two pages, of which we received just one. And when I asked him if he
had the second page, he got very defensive and assured me that the sentence
that was cut off midstream was supposed to be like that!
Finally, the directions he provided on his website of how to reach the
inn were inaccurate. But as he pointed out, that was our fault because
clearly we didn't know the difference between a traffic light and a "pedestrian"
light. Hmmm.... Well, I don't want anyone to have to work as hard as we
did to be his customers. I will forward this to Frommer's as well, since
they actually recommend staying there.
Gwen Heller Tuason <email>
Richmond, VA USA 11/14/01
Best of Ireland '01
In the guidebook it refers to Christ Church and St. Patrick's in Dublin
as "hollow and are more famous than visit worthy." I totally disagree. I
personally love churches and these 2 are lovely. Any such comment about
a church is inappropriate. I had a great (free) tour at Christ Church and
had some extra famous Irish conversation. It was more meaningful than any
pub I visited!
Don't forget to tell Dublin visitors to pick up the free local events newspaper. There are a lot of theaters in Dublin. I saw Richard III at Trinity College -- it was a brilliant professional production. (Only 5 pounds for the 2pm Sat. matinee) Even a local dance troupe was offering a free show at a local self-service laundrette!
Please note in Kilkenny the "fun ladder climb" at St. Canice's Cathedral costs 1.50 not 1. I had to climb back down the iron outiside ladder to get an extra 50 pence! Had a great chat with the guide too. He really laughed when I asked him if you get a partial refund if you lose your nerve and don't make it to the top.
If you visit Kilronan on Inishmor (Aran Islands) please note most restaurants
close 4-6pm. I was trying to get a early dinner before the ferry ride
back and could only find ready to eat sandwiches at a small cafe (which,
like all food in Ireland, was great!). The big sweater shop offers a discount
to pay in U.S. cash (the sign said it was cheaper than paying with a credit
card).
B.Collier <email>
Lusby, MD USA 10/17/01
Cashel
We just completed a 3 week trip to Ireland. We highly recommend the B & B Hill House in Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Carmel Purcell has restored Hill
House to its original Georgian style furnished with antiques she and her
husband have collected throughout Ireland. Our beautifully appointed room
overlooked the nearby Rock of Cashel. The town and Rock are within walking
distance. Lovely gardens and sitting areas with the same view surround.
We only wish we had spent more time relaxing in Cashel and plan to return
for another visit. Email: hillhouse1@eircom.net
Paul and Michelle Quaintance <email>
Kirkland, WA USA 09/25/01
Dublin is not worth much time
We found Dublin to be not all that interesting, certainly not worth the
three nights recommended in Rick's guidebook. The people in Ireland are
wonderful everywhere, but we felt the sights were not that great, and that
one night would have been plenty. Dublin is in many ways, another large,
congested city and not that big a deal to visit. We loved Dingle and wished
we had spent more time in the small towns rather than in Dublin. This is
our only gripe about Rick's recommendations after having visited four countries
using Rick's books. The other countries visited in the past five years were
Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Don Rake <email>
West Sacramento, CA USA 09/21/01
I'd include Northern Ireland in a vacation to Ireland. The coastal
drive from Belfast to the Giants Causeway is very beautiful and different.
The view and experience of the carrick-a-rede rope bridge and the Giant's
Causeway itself were great. Don't forget your walking shoes! I'd stay in
Busmills before I'd spend any time in Portrush. Roads are in good conditions
and easy to navigate. The Republic is very beautiful and also worth the
drive. Maybe you can identify a decent map...I toggled four together and
still had trouble. The Cliffs of Moher are spectacular but no more so than
the Burren. I'd definitely visit the Burren again armed with a book on wildflowers!
It's very starkness makes it even more aluring. I wouldn't suggest anyone
drive in Dublin!
Dawn
MN USA 09/03/01
To reiterate what I stated in Heroic B& B friendliness, Please visit
Emlagh Lodge. It was by far one of the highlights of my trip. I would also
state that it is not a bad idea while visiting Dublin one could possibly
stay in Swords. We did and found it to be a great way to visit the Dublin
sites without the Dublin stress. While in Dublin stay away from the area
around the O'Connell Bus station if you can. We saw some true cruelness
while waiting for a light to change. A cyclist was set to go and as she
began to pedal Some boys threw a stick into the spokes of her front wheel
causing her to fly over her handle bars into the street. SHe was badly shaken
up and her bike was a mess. And for what?? My mother and I had been in Dublin
for about 20 minutes and wanted to turn around and go back to Kerry. If
you want a relaxed visit to Ireland I would suggest County Kerry. It was
grande!
Laurie LaPointe <email>
Nashville, TN USA 09/02/01
How about a reading list to supplement your excellent overviews? I
have read Trinity which I believe was recommended in one of your books.
Also, I found "The Great Hunger" and "The Intelligent Traveller's Guide
to Historic Ireland" in our local library. All three have enhanced my appreciation
of Irish history. You and your staff probably have a comprehensive list
for each country. I hope you will share them with your "students" - beginning
with your book on Ireland. Perhaps you could include a review for each book
as you do for guide books in ETBD. I find that preparation for a trip is
a worthwhile activity in and of itself, in addition to its ability to enhance
the travel experience.
Don
FL USA 08/09/01
The title of this topic is "Suggestions" and I therefore assume that
ETBD is asking for suggestions for an up-coming Ireland book. If that is
the case please consider this suggestion. I am no longer interested in the
interminable struggles between the two religions nor between the Irish and
the English. I am interested in the struggle only in a historical context
and only in sketchy form. This is to say that I find it boring at best to
listen to 5 minutes of history and 55 minutes of political screed. In the
words of Sgt. Friday, "Just the facts, Mam." I suggest then that ETBD offer
alternatives to some of the more shrill invective and tiresome religious
propaganda.
Charles M. Luther <email>
Katy, TX USA 07/27/01
In 3 weeks in England and Ireland we found only 2 places (the ruins
at Kell which may be opened by now and the areas at the Cliffs of Moher
outside the paved paths and viewpoint) closed because of foot and mouth.
It is a great time to travel as foot and mouth isn't a concern for travelers
and the number of people is down so the usual crowds of summer aren't present.
We spent a night with John and Rosemarie Hawkins in their Hill View Farm
B&B nr. Ironbridge Gorge (R.S.'s Great Britain and Ireland 2001 p. 159.)
Treat yourself to a stay with them and help them out during a financially
trying time for them. This is a great place with nice, quiet rooms, good
food, very accomodating hosts, easy parking and it is close to a number
of sights. Their donkey "Muffin" even keeps an eye on your car while hoping
you will bring him a piece of toast! The Hawkins are wonderful people but
are struggling because of the foot and mouth problem. Outside of the B&B,
they have had no income this year. John cannot sell any of their cattle,
nor can he move them across the street to his other fields, yet he must
continue to feed the herd and to pay his rent on the land.
Bob and Pat Wilshusen <email>
Bellevue, wa USA 07/23/01
Rick, I think you could add a few more stops in your Ireland guidebook.
Carlingford, County Louth, north of Dublin (about an hour) is a great little
village with beautiful scenery and welcoming people. We stayed at Ghan House
in Carlingford and it is a charming place. There are some wonderful local
artisans in Carlingford. I think it is a stop you would enjoy. We also enjoyed
County Monaghan. Again lots of lovely scenery and welcoming people. Both
of these counties are not as overwhelmed with American tourists so they
really go out of their way to show you a great time in their counties. Prices
at b&bs and restaurants are lower than the other more visited counties such
as Kerry, etc. But then anywhere in Ireland is always wonderful as far as
I am concerned! I love your guidebooks and PBS shows. You are the best "travel
agent" I know!
Patricia Klepinger <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 07/14/01