Ireland Trip Planning

[PhilO]

Next year our daughter will be off to college and we're planning a trip to Ireland, England and Scotland with her for next summer - hopefully about a month all told. My wife and I went to England and Scotland on our honeymoon in 1983 and want to share those places with our daughter. It has also been a lifelong dream of mine to go to Ireland and my daughter also wants so much to see it. We'll probably start by flying into Dublin. Yep - we're tourists all the way and proud of it.

Any general or specific suggestions would be greatly appreciated, like don't miss places, etc. As always, thanks.

Philo

[prw]

If you like old stuff, check out Glendalough in Ireland. Collection of old houses, churches and cemeteries very close to Dublin, and coach tours run there if you want to let someone else do the driving. The Abbeys at Tintern, Kylemore and Hore, the Kilmacduagh Monastery and Cashel Castle are all neat. Nice thing about Ireland is that it's not so big that you can't drive to lots of different places.

Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals are both nice if you like old-but-not-ruined architecture in England. If you're into ruins, then definitely go to Corfe Castle, in Dorset. Magnificent. Cardiff Castle, in Wales, looks very impressive but I haven't been there myself yet.

[Cayden]

Depends entirely on what you want Phil, there are plenty of sights to see but I'd suggest you try get away from the green cardboard image that it's up there for the tourists to see and wander off the beaten path occasionally and leave the aran sweater shops behind to see some of the hidden ireland.

[Tony McGinley]

Hi Phil -

I would have to agree with Peter,
it is all about what you are looking for.
But please don't get suckered in by the tourist hype.

You might consider staying in B&Bs instead of hotels
and thereby being closer to the ground, plus save a fortune!
With some of the saving you might consider car hire and
finding your own way around instead of taking tours
or public transport. Its more hassle but very rewarding.

If its history you might go to see



"Newgrange"
which leaves the pyramids looking relatively new buildings.
Or visit the "Book of Kells" in Trinity College in Dublin.

If its sheer beauty of the countryside you are after;
again Clare with the unique "Burren",


the fantastic coastline up to Ballyvaughan and the



Cliffs of Moher. Also West Clare go see Bridges of Ross
and the coast to Kill Baha.

Then go south to Killarney



and see the "Ring of Kerry"
There is plenty more after that
if you have time and energy.

For IT music try West Clare and Dingle
but get local knowledge on the best venues
and times to catch the sessions.
Also check out what concerts are around the country.

And yes, before you point it out,
I am highly prejudiced in favour of the
southwest of Ireland.

[BigDavy]

Hi PhilO

What time next summer?. The chiffers on this side of the pond could then point you to a few festivals/sessions that you can take in while you are here.

Welcome to Scotland when you come.

David

[Tyghress]

Peter's phrase 'hidden Ireland' was our take off point. We stayed in 'B&B's that were part of a group called Hidden Ireland, and the hospitality and history combined was wonderful. I'm particularly fond of Temple House in Co Sligo, and the touring there was excellent if you have a taste for the oldest of the prehistoric monuments. The music in the area was also wonderful.

In England, my best memories were of the Southwest...a lovely week touring the moors, and finding neat little fishing villages.

Haven't been to Scotland yet. Let me know if there are 'can't miss' spots!

[PhilO]

Thank you all so much - that is exactly what I was looking for, and the pictures - I may not be able to wait. My daughter so loves "old things" and will be studying art history in college; she's always loved ruins and old cemeteries and the like.

Yes Peter, it's the "hidden Ireland" we're primarily interested in, but also want to see Dublin. Our honeymoon was mapped for us by a wonderful friend who was from Scotland and he sent us places where they hadn't seen Americans in years. We spent a few days in London to do the touristy things like the Sherlock Holmes Pub, Fleet Street, Picadilly Circus, see a play, etc., but then rented a car and drove out into the countryside to stay in B&Bs all the way up into the Highlands, having a few real adventures along the way and meeting a cast of unforgettable people. But we also loved Edinburough, including the Castle and the walk to it. We were there at the end of August beginning of September around holiday festival time. The castle was amazing; I remember there were various areas for different clans and at each section was a family book that was being signed by family visitors while we were there. At midnight one night was tattoo as well. I believe I recall High Street was the street leading up to the Castle (after walking up many flights of stone stairs overlooking wellkept flower gardens).

So, we do like some of the touristy, but only a few days, after which well, a city is a city. But then we like to strike out on our own and experience the real world we're visiting.

Thank you all - you've managed to get me excited about this trip almost a year in advance (BTW, about 6 months too soon for my beloved to share the excitement she tells me).

Philo

[Montana]

Hi PhilO!
I'm off to Ireland in less than a month (17 days and counting). I've been twice before and have found that I like to pick an area and spend time seeing all the sites and getting to know just a small region. Last time I did County Meath (including Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Trim, Slane, and Kells). I came away much more satisfied than the time before when I tried to fit EVERYTHING in between Limerick and Dublin.
This time, I'm focusing on the West, Counties Clare and Galway. Lots and lots to see and hopefully lots of music to hear. And it's nice to walk into a pub two nights in a row and see people recognize you.
My main comment: get a good map and enjoy getting lost.

[Tom Dowling]

Hello Phil:

I would add a hearty amen to the Glendalough suggestion. I got to play a few notes in a very old chapel there. It was humbling. I think to get there around sun-up would be a joy to remember for a long time, not to mention, I would I would bet that dusk is pretty special too.

The next time you are over here, if you are lucky, I will NOT suggest that you look at the photos we took in 2000. Also, amen on that getting off the beaten path suggestion.

Let's get together soon. I've got a neat new Mack Hoover Black top with a two piece body. Taken together with the really fine hand-stitched case Mack made, it is an excellent 'traveller'. Also, if you still have that whistle you had in Ct. I may want to give it another trial. All of which is to say, COME ON OVER!! Starting shortly after Labor Day, the only nights that are taken on a regular basis are Mondays and Wednesdays.

Tom D.

[Whistling Willie]

Hi Phil,If you make it up to Belfast,I'd be happy to show you around some of the sights up here.

[Katta]

Personally, I really like London and the south-eastern part of England, especially Canterbury, the Cathedral is really breathtaking (and that even though I'm from Germany and am normally used to beautiful old cathedrals).
Plus the landscape is really beautiful, so green and yellow. I just love it.
The only other parts I've been to were Cambridge and Oxford and these are beautiful cities, too (plus the university buildings are amazing - especially compared to the buildings where I'm studying...).

Enjoy your trip!

Katta

[avanutria]

A couple of practical travel tips:

Contact your bank and credit card company and tell them the dates of your trip and your destination country, that way when you try to use your cards overseas they won't be cancelled.

Use ATMs rather than currency changing offices for a better rate.

When you arrive, use an ATM to get some euros and then buy a candy bar or something to get change - that way if you need to make a phone call or something you've got coins.

If you have a tri-band mobile phone you can use it in Europe. (Make sure you contact your phone company in the states for an "Unlock code" before you leave.) Go to a mobile phone shop (I use Vodafone in Ireland and Fresh in England) and buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card for your phone, this is much cheaper than using an international roaming plan from the states!

If you will be travelling by bus, go to a major bus station and buy a timetable book. Mine cost €6 for timetables covering the entire republic and part of Northern Ireland.

Have your daughter bring her student ID card and she may be elegible for student discounts on admissions and bus fares. If she hasn't got her student ID yet but she is under 26 then check out http://www.isic.org for their youth travel card (IYTC).

If you buy a lot of stuff while travelling you can post it home, you're allowed to send a certain dollar value home to yourself duty free, but I forget the exact values. I think it might be $100 as a gift to someone else and $200 to yourself but I'm not certain. Write the recipient's name as "[your name] - SELF". It worked for me anyway.

When buying things ask if the shop participates in the VAT rebate programme, if so they will give you a form to claim back a portion of your VAT tax paid on your purchases. You can get it back if you live in a non-EU country. Some shops require a minimum purchase amount before the rebate kicks in.

[tin tin]

A hearty second for Temple House in Ballymote. www.templehouse.ie
We found the northwest a wonderful area to explore and delightfully absent of the touristic hordes further south.
http://www.hiddenireland.com/

[Blaydo]

Hey Phil, I'm in a popular tourist spot just 12km outside Dublin city center on the main (Dart) train line. It's a lovely fishing village called Howth that has plenty of bars and restaurants. Theres always sessions going on though more so at the weekends and they love people joining in. The Abbey tavern is out here which was a starting place for many famous trad musicians including the Dubliners. Barney McKenna and his brother Sean (who's another excellent banjo player) live out here and used to play a lot in the local pubs, though I haven't seen much of them lately.

Anyway as has been advised, I wouldn't spend too much time in Dublin if I was you, definitely head towards Clare and Kerry. But if you do decide to pop out here, give me an email and I'd be glad to meet you and help with any arrangements in the area.

[Fishie]

Any general or specific suggestions would be greatly appreciated, like don't miss places, etc. As always, thanks.

Philo

My best suggestion is not to try and do too much. Depending on how much time you have, you may want to focus on one or two counties. The big attractions are nice, but don't be afraid to explore. I've got more pleasure out of stumbling across something obscur than from any of the major tourist spots. There is cool stuff everywhere, you just gotta keep your eyes open and talk to people.

That said, good places for music are Ennis and Milton Malbay. Custy's is a nice music store in Ennis that's worth a visit. Cruisebar is a nice pub in Ennis where you'll catch some good music.

:)