We can borrow our kids Tom Tom, thanks for the tip.
I bought two pairs of shoes tonight, dress and casual.It is new to me to have had this many shoes. I am one of those guys who discount youngsters with " I have shoes older than you" jk sorta.
The road from the city I work in, to where I live, which passes under the interstate, has had three roundabouts installed in the last few years. I love them when riding on my Buell, lean er over to the right, wear down the chicken strips, then lean er over to the left, never slowing down.
FYI chicken strips are the unworn portion of your motorcycle tires which should have been scuffed if you had the balls to lean the bike over as far as possible in a turn.
I’ve learned something new today.
Rick Steves recommends Dingle over Kerry. I went to Kerry and loved it, though.
Stay in B&Bs. It gives you a chance to talk to the locals, who are so lovely and friendly. Every single person I met was really nice.
Clarification: Kerry is the county, which has two large peninsulas, Iveragh and Dingle. The route round the periphery of the Iveragh peninsula is known as The Ring of Kerry. The Dingle peninsula also has a town called Dingle.
A few pub tips:
There is no queueing system. You stand at the bar and catch the barperson’s eye and wait to be served.
Irish barpeople are among the multitasking best in the world. It’s often feasible to reel off a very large order and have them merely nod in assent, and you get all your drinks served pefectly while they’re also pouring pints for other customers.
When asking for beer, a pint is the default unit: you ask for “a Guinness” or whatever. If you want a half-pint you ask for “a glass”.
When pouring Guinness, the pint is left to stand about 2/3 of the way through the pour. The barperson may at this point go and do something else, then return to serve it. Don’t, as an English friend of mine did his first time in Ireland, shout “oi, what about my drink?!” Sometimes if they’re not too busy, the barperson may say “I’ll drop it down to you”.
Most beers are around 5% alcohol.
Wine is usually sold in little bottles of ?250ml? (someone correct me).
Potato chips are called crisps but in rural areas they’re often referred to by the leading brand name “Tayto”.
A “toasted special” is a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato, onion and ham. Usually quite low quality.
In some pubs there’s table service, so just sit down and someone will come and take your order. A “keep the change” or at least “keep the coins” tip is good form for these people.
You don’t tip at the bar, though “and one for yourself” occasionally is a nice gesture.
Thank you.
That’s a new one on me, usually a cheese [plus other ingredients] toastie, or a toasted [ingredients] sandwich anywhere I’ve ordered. 
I have little to offer in this thread; I just wanted to thank all the Irish who posted here. One of my kids has been studying at Trinity this semester, and my wife, my daughter’s twin and I will visit her in a few weeks. While we’ve booked our nights in Dublin, we’ve left most of the rest flexible so we can be a bit spontaneous about how much time we spend where, and the touring tips are very useful.
It does sound like I should take a fair amount of cash, though. How much should I take for four people for 10 days, taking 2-3 trips multi-day trips out of Dublin?
How long is a piece of string?
Lunch:
If you buy a loaf of bread and packets of ham and cheese you can feed 4 people lunch for under 10euros.
Ready-made sandwiches from a supermarket or petrol station are around 3euros.
If you want soup and a roll or stew probably 5euros each, soup and a sandwich 7-9.
A Burger King meal with fries is about 7euros.
Hope that helps give a frame of reference you can compare with food prices at home.
You will be able to pay by credit card (Visa or Mastercard- AmEx is problematic) in most places if you don’t wish to carry large amounts of cash.
I second jjimm’s love for Irish barstaff- they can work multiple orders simultaneously, and are just amazing. Do be prepared that regulars and pretty girls might get served before you, even if you have been waiting longer!
There are plenty of things to do that won’t cost a lot- the national museums and galleries are free, the scenery is free and many of the things that are a little bit off the typical tourist track aren’t too pricey.
www.discoverireland.com is the offical Irish tourism site if you want more ideas.
Another great point about the B&Bs is that they give you such a hearty breakfast you’ll not eat again until dinner. (Which is Supper there, dinner=lunch.)
I’ve always picked up a mushroom pastie at a petrol station (think small 7/11) around 2:00pm to tide me over, and I’ve never had a bad one.
If someone offers you something, (esp. a cup of tea) and you say “No, thank you.” don’t expect to be taken at your word. The same will be offered at least three times, and pushed as if their lives depeneded upon your partaking. It’s really fine, just keep saying “No” and “Thanks for your hospitality, really, but No.” until the tea is poured and then sit a while. Whatever plans you had can wait. But do say “no” at least three times or you’ll be taken for a greediguts.
Ice. It cost an extra 5p and that gets you two cubes ceremoniously dropped in with a silver pair of tongs.
Water. Pick up a six pack of bottled water and carry it in your car, as you’ll be thirsty most of the time. Irish sodas are tiny, and the water glasses are even smaller. The only thing big is the teacup, and that will make you even thirstier.
::sigh:: Now I’m homesick. I think I’ll toddle off to Google Maps and take a walk to Uncle Eddie’s field.
This just isn’t true. Maybe it was in the past? If a place has ice to give you, you can get as much as you like and it doesn’t cost extra. I regularly drink Bulmer’s cider and get a pint glass full of ice that they don’t charge extra for.
:smack: Well, it was true at several places in/around Dublin and Newry in 2004. But I certainly don’t claim to speak for the whole country. It might be because I was largely at small clubs or pubs, not the chains or big restaurants.
Well, my girls are 21, and I think quite pretty, so I maybe I’ll able to get beer in short order. And if they’re unwilling, I don’t mind watching pretty girls get served, when it comes right down to it.
Thanks for the prices. When it comes to victuals that aren’t beer, my tastes are cheap. The three woman along are another matter…
Obviously I sure the Irish dopers would be happy to meet you as well 
I imagine your child would have copped this by now, but pubs differ markedly on price in Dublin - in the Temple Bar (a dirty tourist trap) a pint can be €7 (:eek:), but Dicey’s does €2 Tuesdays - make sure you look around.
Also, there are loads of places doing food deals at the moment, so you should be able to get a nice Early Bird for a relatively small outlay.
Never heard of a toasted special?! You, sir, are no true Irishman. Or too much of a Jackeen. Off the top of my head, try The Hut in Phibsboro for your nearest Dublin example.
Or buy one and refill it. Tap water is perfectly good to drink (unless there’s another cryptosporidium outbreak in Galway). Re. the ice thing, TruCelt in a decade of living in the Emerald Isle I never encountered the situation you describe. True, we use a lot less ice over this side of the pond, but if you make your desire known for half a ton of frozen water to dilute whatever nice drink you are imbibing, you will generally have your desires met.
Don’t bother taking cash - it leaves you vulnerable to loss or theft, and there isn’t really much of a point; just use ATMs as required. That’s what we Euros tend to do when travelling these days. You don’t even need to get cash before you leave: there’s an ATM at baggage reclaim in Dublin Airport, and plenty more ATMs in the departure hall upstairs.
Meh, anytime I get a toastie there I just ask for a toastie, that’s what the real regulars call it. 
Echoing the others to say, wut?
They must have seen you coming.
Re: Ice - it may just be the difference in expectations. Although truly, the silver tongs thing happened quite often. . .
We are accustomed to a 32oz. cup, filled to heaping with ice, and then the soda or tea poured over that.
I don’t usually carry much cash, but I was thinking of the toll roads, and the quick lunch. I don’t believe I saw a single ATM last year in Edinburgh, but then, I wasn’t looking for one. I can be pretty oblivious, especially when the streets are full of girls with pretty green eyes.