They’re sold in a store opposite the US embassy, so yes.
Mail me, and you might be pleasantly surprised.
I’m not Irish (well, maybe by bloodline, but not by residency). But here are the things that stand out in my mind from my trip to Ireland…
Number 1 item to remember…make sure your electrical converter is not just a plug converter. Unless your appliances all have a 120/220 (or whatever it is) switch on them, you need the big, bulky expensive thing. I assumed a plug converter would be fine (hey, I know nothing about these things…) and promptly melted my curling iron and electric razor. Just wanted to spare you the horror by sharing my stupidity 
Invest in a travel umbrella. Maybe two. You’ll need them. And just because it’s summer does not mean it will be warm. I went in June and July and I think the highest temp was 70 degrees F. Long sleeves and long pants are appropriate.
Dingle Bay is the most beautiful place I saw in Ireland. It’s along the ring of Kerry, which is down there around Cork, I think. My favorite places in Ireland ended up being the little towns all in that southern region. I had many experiences similar to irishgirl’s that I won’t rehash here. They were fascinated with us. I don’t know how many times I had to sing Rocky Top…bleh. But the majority of those towns were absolutely charming.
Limerick sucked. I probably just had built it up too much. It was rainy (when isn’t it?) and crowded and the people were mean. Unless you’re dying to see it, I don’t think it’s worth the transportation moolah you’ll spend to get there. Dublin was nice, it was clean and I felt safe wandering around and checking out the shops. There was a lot to see if you’re content to just check out the life of the people there. I’m sure there are big attractions and important landmarks, but I was happy just exploring the city. It’s worth spending some time there if you get a chance. And there are dopers there
Finally…Irish Guinness isn’t the same as American. It’s much more, umm, potent. I’m not a beer drinker either so it didn’t appeal much to me, either. However (and I’ll be kicked firmly in the arse for saying this, I’m sure) I thought Guinness lite was lovely. Truth be told, it’s one of the few beers-that-taste-like-beer that I really like. I can’t find it here in the states 
Enjoy your trip!
Dingle Bay is indeed beautiful but it’s not on the ring of Kerry - it’s probably the furthest bit of Kerry from Cork City. Still worth a visit though. Another thing, if you go to Kerry, try to walk up a few mountains - the likes of Brandon (near Dingle) are easy climbs and the views are amazing. It’s worth doing because it’s free and you get away from all the tourist bullshit you get in that part of the world in the summer months.
In Cork? No way. It’s Beamish.
Or Murphy’s.
manwithaplan: :smack: My apologies. Like I said, not from Ireland. I slept for most of the drive on the ring of Kerry, and when I woke up…Dingle Bay.
Now for some posts from the less geographically challenged…
No problem - you weren’t too far off the mark.
By the way, I like Cork city. It’s the only city in Ireland that has actually managed to sort out its infrastructure problems. The city centre isn’t beautiful, but it’s compact, clean, has good amenities, and some great pus and restaurants. The cost of living is low relative to Dublin. It’s near some lovely places. The people talk with the weirdest accent in the world. Not bad, apart from the atrocious weather.
jjimm, Dublin had its problems sortted out , they had a tram, remember? And then someone, somewhere, somehow thought it was good idea to get rid of it.
And nnow they’re bringing in the Luas (which means speed, in Irish…I kid you not).
greaterguy, if you’re not into beer, why not go for a Baileys? With real irish Whiskey? (in fect, Whiskey comes from uisce beatha, which means water of life)
I’ve never been to Cork, so I can’t help you there, but Cobh is nice, it has a very impressive church, towering over the village on top of a hill.
Worth a visit.
failte!
Guinness is GROSS! If you don’t like beer you’ll probably hate it but I guess you should try it seeing as so many people make such a big deal about it.
Go to the Wicklow Mountains if you can. Glendalough and Luggala Valley (Lough Dan) are beautiful.
Connemara is also lovely. A trip to the Aran Islands would be nice too. Also - make sure to visit Dublin. It’s quite different from the other cities/places in Ireland. Galway’s nice too.
Limerick does indeed suck as someone said earlier.
But most important of all DON’T rely on nice weather. Irish weather is the definition of unpredictable.
Regarding Reese’s Peanutbutter Cups:
They have them in the Spar opposite Trinity as well mmmm…
Mmm Corkonian pus, much better than the pus in Louth.
Does Luas not mean light?
If you are in Kerry, check out the Black Valley. There is a youth hostel in there that is cheap, clean and packed. It’s a beautiful place to be, incredibly relaxing. You might want to check out the Blaskets if you can’t get up to the Aran islands.
Hmm, on further investigation the Blaskets have their own website :eek: http://www.greatblasketisland.com/
Seems you can actually stay out there now? Crap, 30€ for the boat out… Last time I was out there it was a fiver for the boat, and I was able to buy a cup of tea in a house for 30 pence.
Screw that, check out the Cork islands, Garnish and Bear are lovely iirc. Here are some things to do in Cork.
http://www.cork-guide.ie/
If you never have, you should go to a hurling match while you are there.
Just on the Cork side of the Cork/Waterford border is a town called Middleton. Stop by and see the John Jameson Distillery Tour. Very educational on the different types of Irish Whiskey and the differences between Irish, Scotch and American blends. 100 times bettter than the dispointing Guiness tour in Dublin.
Raise your hand to be a taste tester too. Well worth it. Oh and bring me back a bottle of Jameson’s Middleton Rare. Actually, if you know anyone with a bottle they may still have the ticket for free admission to the tour. I think the bottle will run you about 60 or 70 euros. I haven’t been there since the conversion to the euro. In the states the bottle will run you about $120 (if you can find it). Look for the wooden crate it comes in.
You can then head over into Waterford Co. and see Waterford Crystal. I didn’t go on the tour but Waterford Crystal always makes a nice gift for your return trip (just be careful).
Enjoy and may I add that I am extremely jealous.
There are two roads that go to Dingle, one by the sea, one by Connor Pass. Take the pass, but before you do, shove a lump of coal up your…ahem. It’s a long narrow road with a drop off to one side that assures death, and water drizzling in from the other side assuring slipperyness. Add the locals whizzing by at .9c, and by the time you are done, you have a diamond. I really want to drive it again, and the road to the northeast is lush, green, and hilly.
I’d skip the ring of Kerry during the tourist season, unless you enjoy bus exhaust.
If you head up to Galway during the daytime, if it isn’t foggy, head through the Burren. It’s pretty surreal looking. A mossy moonscape.
Go north and east of Galway, to the Irish speaking country. Try out your gaelic. Stand inside my great great grandfather’s house. Be sure to say hi to my great aunt kate.
In Galway, swing by the Skeff. It’s just off the square. Kinda touristy due to their locale, but some locals still go. Tell my cousin to stop hitting on the Yanks.
If you suddenly come into money, spend a night in the Aren islands. And I do mean “spend”. But it’s worth it for how amazing it is.
Just wander. Somebody mentioned Limerick sucked, but it didn’t for me. Sure, it’s a big booming industrial town, so don’t expect a lot of touristy stuff, but I’ll be damned if those blue collar workers know how to have fun at pubs. Get shut in, stay til 3, and stumble back to the hostel.
Near the cliffs of Moher is a town called Doolin. World known for their pub music. You never know what you’ll get. One night you’ll be singing John Denver songs with the other tourists, the next night 20 people with instruments show up and take turns.
Dublin is nice. Dublin is a big city.
Goodies: Okay, so when I go, I must remember to bring peanut butter cups for Anahita and ruadh. Worst comes to worst, we never meet, I gorge myself. I can think of worse fates… Big ones or little ones? I like the big ones meself, but the little ones probably travel better.
When come back, bring cigarettes, whiskey, Mr Brain’s Faggots, and “something Irish.” I don’t smoke and do whiskey once in a blue moon, but if y’all want to send me a check or something, I’ll ship things when I get back to the US in August. But that pretty much takes up my excess luggage space, and anyone else is just going to have to bribe me or something. 
Weather: thanks for the tips. Was planning on long sleeves and long pants, as I’ve become somewhat acclimated to Florida and I knew that Ireland would be rather colder. Coming originally from Seattle, I’ll add that umbrellas are for wimps. But then, where I come from, when we say “rain,” we mean “drizzle.” Do y’all actually mean rain? If so, I’ll suck it up and become a wimp.
Hurling: do what? Would anyone care to give me a brief overview of what this exciting sporting event is all about? I know already that I’m definitely going to be missing my baseball, but if I can find something to sort of replace it while I’m there, life is beautifuller.
Places to visit: see, this is the problem. I’m accumulating so many! I’m going to have to sneak away for a week or two some time in the middle of this “working vacation” thing my advisor has planned. Really, had he expected me to actually do a working vacation, he should have sent me to some place like Arkansas. Silly, silly man.
Accents: am I going to have to practice my “confused American doesn’t get it and is staring blankly” face? I mean, I can get along fine in most places, but in one memorable experience I ran into someone from… shoot, Inverness, I think it was, and caught about every third word. I realize Inverness is northern Scotland and Cork is, well, not, but…
Thanks so far, everyone!
Reminder to self, exercise cautiom when GISing the word “hurling”…
http://www.hurling.de/781.jpg (a german site, no idea why…)
http://www.limerick-leader.ie/issues/19990703/sport01.jpg
Hurling is a buncha blokes, moving very quickly with big hard sticks. It also involves a very hard ball. I will put it this way, you see the metal band around the face of the stick? It’s cos they smash them. They are made of solid ash…
They speak very very VERY quickly in Cork city.
If you are in UCC, you will probably be surrounded by other foreigners, so maybe they will make allowances in your lab.
So I would say that once you get out into the world outside your lab, be prepared to use the “confused American doesn’t get it and is staring blankly” face.
This face will probably be on show a lot.
We have an office in Belfast and one of the new boys from up there was in our Dublin office, learning sales training. When one of our Cork reps came into the office and introduced himself, Belfastboy had the rabbit in the headlights look.
Total and utter incomprehension.
All you have to do is remember that to a Corkonian, a foreigner is anyone who is not from Cork, so don’t sweat it. It happens to all of us.
Apart from that, have a good time and may I just say that I had a FANTASTIC time in Limerick a week or so ago.
So don’t believe all you read on here!
Doh, I posted before I was finished
The official site is www.gaa.ie info on rules etc there.
Check it out, you will be glad you did Hurling is great.
Have tea and ham sandwiches for lunch in “The Long Valley” pub in Cork City and then go back in the evening and drink as much Beamish as you can.
Take me with you!!!
MJ O’Neills on the corner of Suffolk St in Dublin (beside the Big Ulster bank, opposite the tourist centre, at the bottom of Grafton St) does a mean club sandwich. Cornucopia on Wicklow St does wonderful Vegetarian lunches, or try cafe Deli on Georges St or the Hare krishna run Govinda’s for more veggie food.
Visit Belfast if you can. It’s fun, the drink is cheaper, the pubs stay open later, and the club scene is lively (especially the gay club scene, I’ll take the Kremlin in Belfast over the George in Dublin any day). As a tourist you’re very safe there. If you can, get someone local to show you around the city, as only the city centre is really “neutral”.
If you venture into the north, the glens of Antrim and the north east coast are also worth seeing. The Giant’s Causeway is spectacular, and nearby Ballycastle, Bushmills (home of the whisky), Portrush (home of Kelly’s nightclub, biggest in Ireland), and Portstewart have lots of affordable family run B&B accommodation.