I'm going to Ireland! What should I see?

In My Humble Opinion
1

My brother-in-law is currently going to school in Belfast. He and my sister have been in Ireland since September, and I’m finally getting a chance to go visit them.

This will be the very first time I’ve ever been on an airplane. This will also be the very first time I’ve ever been farther outside the U.S. than a seedy border town in Mexico. (Don’t ask.)

I’m leaving in early January, during winter break from school. Although I’ll be completely sick of alcohol by the time I get over there (New Years, my 21st birthday, and leaving for Ireland all take place within the same week) I plan on visiting the Guiness brewery. That’s been a dream of mine for some time now, actually. :smiley:

What other things might I want to visit? Does anyone have any advice, both for being a polite visitor to Ireland specifically or just general travel advice for a newbie?

2

Harry Clarke stained glass. Get a book about him and see as much of it as you can.

3

Here’s a link.

As with any stained glass, a reproduction is NOTHING compared to the real thing.

http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/clarke.htm

4

Black Knight, I’ve always felt that Ireland’s appeal lies mostly in its social life, specifically the sport and pub scene. The other big draw is the countryside but days are short in January. So…

[ol]
[li]In Dublin, try to get to some of the traditional pubs. Mulligans on Poolbeg Street, Toners on Baggot Street and Ryans on Parkgate Street are all good examples. If you want, I’m sure myself and some other Dublin based dopers could accompany you (never pass up the chance of a session;)).[/li][li]Try to get to some sporting event. The national hunt season will be in full flight in January so racing at Leopardstown might be an option.[/li][li]Don’t feel too guilty about missing the ‘sights’. With some exceptions, you would usually get better galleries, museums etc. elsewhere.[/li][li]See if you can check out some live music. For traditional music, Galway, Clare etc. may be better than Dublin. Whatever you do, avoid anything that’s targetted at tourists (Riverdance rip-offs etc.)[/li][li]In Belfast, do the socio-political thing. Go to the Falls and Shankill Roads in West Belfast and look at the murals, cultural centres etc. Don’t worry, as a tourist you’re perfectly safe. It’s easiest to do it by car - friends of your sister may be able to help you out. I suspect the organised tours might be a bit iffy.[/li][li]If you want to see some scenery and you’re lucky with the weather, the most spectacular is on the west coast - pretty much all the way from Kerry to Donegal. If you don’t have time to get over there, try the Wicklow Mountains near Dublin or the Glens of Antrim near(ish) Belfast.[/li][/ol]

Let us know if there’s anything (other than Guinness) that you’re particularly interested in and we’ll dig you up some info.

5

My roomate just got back from a week in Ireland, so I’ve got a few of his stories fresh on my mind, and I spent 4 days in Dublin 8 months ago. Not exactly a expert on the topic, but I can share my tourist experince.

First, Ireland is pretty shallow on the typical ‘sights’. You probably won’t be amazed by architechture, museums, or cultural events.

The pubs in Dublin are pretty cool, however its become a little too cosmpolitan in the last year or so acording to friends. In the past it was what you envisioned Irish pubs to be from movies and TV commercials, now (especially on Temple Bar) its become trendy and somewhat Americanized. Still fun, but not really an awesome “tourist” experience.

The Guinness Brewery tour is very cool, they’ve completely redone it within the last year or so. The guy I went with had been to the old tour, and he liked it better before. He said it was much more of a traditional brewery tour less intended to dazzle you, all in all more interesting and steeped in history. The current one however is totally modernized, almost too sanitary. The new building is quite impressive, and the lobby is a giant pint glass (very cool) and the rooftop bar where you get your free pint is pretty spectacular for Ireland. Expect a combined Guinness commercial and self guided science/history class while you’re there though.

Everyone I’ve talked with who has spent a more substantial amount of time in the country says that Dublin sucks compared to the countryside. In Dublin once you’ve seen St. James Gate, Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Trinity College, and Dublin Castle (the latter two are entirely underwhelming) you’ve seen it all besides the inside of pubs. The countryside’s people and atmosphere is said to be extremely special, and worth savoring. The west coast (from north to south) is the most beautiful part of the country.

You definately should spend a day hiking in Kilarney National Park. My roomate said it was the most amazing hiking he’d ever done, and this was 3 weeks after we’d been hiking in the Swiss Alps.

6

And don’t miss everyone arguing about stuff!

7

I’m in … especially if it’s at Ryans :wink:

If you don’t have someone who knows the area well you’re better off doing the black taxi tour - the drivers know all the spots and besides, it’ll be a lot more obvious that you’re a tourist (hence it will be safer). If your car has Republic plates you definitely want to get a taxi to take you down the Shankill.

Kilmainham Jail and Glasnevin Cemetary are my Dublin recommendations if you’re interested in the historical aspect.

8

I’ve been down the Shankill in a southern registered car. It’s hard to see the sights at 50 mph though;)

9

The only thing I can add is, if in Dublin you should have a look at the “Literary Pub Crawl”. Two trained actors bring you around the centre of Dublin and act out clips from O’Casey, Beckett, Behan etc. It’s good fun and you get time to throw a couple of swift pints down your neck on the way.

Give us a shout if you’ve got any free time in Dublin. I’d/we’d be glad to show you some pubs…erm sights :wink:

10

Dublin is hoppin, but we cut our time short there, because
it is a lot like any other big city anywhere.
I don’t know if you’re renting a car, and we flew into Shannon, instead of the Belfast area. However, my
“don’t miss” sites would be

  1. Cliffs of Moher. Spectacular.
  2. Kilmore Quay. The only place we went that seemed virtually tourist-free; a sense of Irish life contained, so to speak. Tiny place, a neighborhood pub which our buddy Jimmy Kehoe’s family runs, a great, inexpensive bed and breakfast, cute little shops, a rough, wavy ride on the Irish sea, complete with views of little islands covered in
    puffins, etc. etc.
    We also really enjoyed the beauty, charm, and nightlife
    of Ennis (especially) and Tralee.
11

Oh-also the Dingle Peninsula is really charming and cool,
AND it has a funny name!

12

I also highly recommend the town of Dingle, and the entire peninsula. I was only scheduled to be there two days, but it was so great, I skipped some other parts of the trip, and ended up spending 5 days there, and I don’t regret a minute of it.

13

My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Ireland. See our pics here.

Lots of good ideas already…Ireland (the Republic) is essentially 2 countries…Dublin, and the rest. We also loved the Dingle peninsula…better than the Ring of Kerry IMHO. We also liked Kilkenny and the Wicklow area (Glendalough is a must see)…Galway is a nice town as well with a good mix of college kids …trad music…and location near other west coast sites.

We would have liked to have ventured north…but time and weather was against us. Next time I’d like to see Belfast and then Sligo/Donegal on the west coast.
A good travel guide is the Rough Guides book…especially if you like out of the way places. It’s not afraid to call a tourist trap a tourist trap… <cough> Blarney Castle <cough>

Jim Hinchee has put together a nice set of links for the newbie traveler to Ireland (and he’s smart enough to link to me :slight_smile: )…and of course there is the Irish Tourist Board.

14

i guess you’ll be in the north for a fair bit.

if you like the idea of the Guinness brewery, what about the Bushmill’s distillery? it’s up on the north coast in Bushmills, a handy stop off if you were planning to see the Giant’s causeway (which is worth a good look). and you can buy whiskey.

If your relatives have been in Belfast for a long time they’ll know the good pubs, but i can recommend Robinson’s and the Crown for good craic, the Globe, the Egg and the Bot are good studenty places. if you feel a bit more adventurous there are some good modern, trendy places near the docks, McHugh’s is probably your best bet.

Avoid the pubs on the Lisburn Road and the golden mile if a bar full of 16 year olds is not your idea of a good time.
the major drinking spots for the school age crowd (14-17, yes, i’m serious) are J F Hunters, Lavery’s Gin Palace, and the Parlour Bar. no bars are very strict about ID, and a US accent will probably get you through without hassle.

White’s Tavern off Rosemary street in the city centre is you genuine OLD trad bar…go in, sit down and soak it up…300 years of serving alcohol gives the place a certain ambience.

the rule of thumb in the north is different to the rest of ireland.
in Belfast if the joint looks a bit dodgy, it IS. stick to
central areas and well-kept places.
look at the clientele, tattoos and football (soccer) shirts are not a good sign!!

for a night out and some live music ( DJs or live pop/rock/indy) or stand-up comedy check out the Empire music hall beside Botanic railway station, just off Shaftesbury Square.

there are lots of old country houses with great grounds and interiors all over ireland, if that’s your thing. Powerscourt near Dublin, Fota in Cork and Mountstewart or Florence Court in the North.

one thing Dublin does VERY well compared to other cities is theatre. see what’s playing in the Gate or the Abbey, and if possible have a look. it’s usually reasonably priced and reviews of shows are in most newspapers.

if you get stuck anywhere, your best bet is to accost your friendly bartender and ask him where to go/what to see and how to get there. most will be more than happy to oblige.

oh yes, and pubs tend to close about 12pm unless they have a late licence. for later on in the evening go to a club.
listings magazines are your friend here.

15

I prefer to get away from the cities. My recommendations…

Cliffs of Moher
Ring of Kerry (a day of driving & sightseeing)

16

…so, uh, I guess we don’t have any other Harry Clarke stained glass fans on the boards, huh?

[sub]…Fucking Irishers…they have nearly ALL the Harry Clarke stained glass in the world, and they don’t appreciate it…[/sub]

17

I can’t really make any recommendations about what to see in Ireland. However, you may be interested to learn what to say in Ireland, especially when something impresses, stymies, or otherwise grabs you.

Whale oil beef hooked. Whale oil beef hooked. Repeat it aloud until you’re comfortable with the flow.

Whale oil beef hooked. That’s it, a quaint phrase indeed, perhaps with origins in ancient Celtic food preparation. Try sharing it with the locals. They’ll be pleased that you’ve taken the time to learn a cherished custom. :wink:

18

Gotta agree with beagledave – Pepper and I saw a lot of the things he mentions (see the Gallarus Oratory on Dingle!).
Go see Newgrange, to the northeast of Dublin. Ancient burial mounds aligned with the rising sun. Older than the pyramids!