What should I do on holiday in Ireland?

In My Humble Opinion
1

All of a sudden today, I thought, “I should go to Ireland.” I have no idea where that came from. But it sounds like a good idea for my next vacation.

When is the best time (weather-wise) to go to Ireland? Where should I go? What should I do?

Yes, I know: “What do you like to do?” Anything. I’d like to see the countryside. Be outside. That’s all I’ve got right now. Basically, I’m open to doing anything. Give me your suggestions. If I can’t sucker a friend into going with me, I’ll be going alone, so suggestions that involve fighting my way out of pubs or engaging in hand-to-hand combat are probably right out. :wink: Other than that, though, tell me what you would do or what you did in Ireland.

2

I’ll open with these basic things:

(1) Rent a car. Yep, you’ll be driving on the left side. You get used to it - and it really opens up the country. I recommend Enterprise (having used them in Ireland, and they were cheaper than everyone else). The only hairy traffic you will really have to navigate will be in Dublin.

(2) The Irish system of Bed & Breakfasts freaking rocks! You have to stay in these places - if you get a good one, it’s really cool. Meet interesting people and all that. Plus, if you’re adventuresome - you can just drive around until you find one with a vacancy.

(3) Go see the Giant’s Causeway. It’s in Northern Ireland and it is NOT to be missed. I think it may be one of the coolest outdoor things I’ve ever seen. While you’re in Northern Ireland remember that they used the English Pound. So you probably don’t want to end up staying there.

Good luck - I really enjoyed my vacation to Ireland, and I’m sure you will too.

  • Peter Wiggen
3

Stay at Doolin for the music at the pubs. The cliffs of moher are just a few miles south.

Avoid Kerry, go to the Dingle pennisula. Take the mountain road. Right as you get into town, you’ll see a yellowish B&B on the right, just before the petrol, just before the roundabout. Ocean views and kick ass breakfast. Off-season prices are awesome. Eat early, the resturants close pretty early.

Dublin is nice, but it’s another big city. Fly into Shannon.

4

Dingle*.

*This is not a verb.

5

Instead of starting your Irish experience in Ireland, start and end it at the airport.

You’ll find some of the best fares from Aer Lingus, the airline of Ireland.

6

PeterWiggen is right to suggest you head north, but wrong to suggest you turn around before nightfall :slight_smile:

Derry is worth a visit in its own right, as a city full of history (both very old and not-so-old). Donegal is my favourite part of the country (although I’m very biased :wink: ). It’s also a place you will very easily find traditional music being played. And that’s not a bunch of people gathered for the tourists, but genuine local music. Just ask around for which pubs are likely to have music that evening. It’s also fantastic for fishing, and for general out-in-the-wild walks. And, should you manage to see some sun, some huge and deserted golden beaches.

7

Drive though the Doo Lough Valley. Truly one of the more beautiful places in the world.

Be sure to catch as much music as you can. Surprisingly enough, the Music Pub Crawl in Dublin is actually pretty darn good and they can point you to other places to visit for music.

8

Ennis, near Limerick where Shannon Airport is, is a center for traditional music. There is a “folk park” at Bunratty Castle, again near Limerick City, that is sort of a low scale Colonial Williamsburg and ought to be visited. Just outside Bunratty is a pub called Dirty Nelly’s that is right up against the banks of the River Shannon. Galway City is a must. So is the Dingle Peninsula. Rent a car. Stay at B&Bs. Have a “Full Irish Breakfast” to include the blood sausage – you won’t need another big meal all day. Hit the little village pubs. Forget the big name whiskeys – go for Paddy’s Irish Whiskey. If Guinness is too stout for you cut it half and half with beer. Have a great time.

The mediaeval banquet thing is fun once but you will spend the evening with middle aged Canadian and American couples. :smiley:

9

It would probably ‘open up the country more’ if you drove on the right. :slight_smile:

NitPick- You will more probably be using Northern Irish bank notes than the ‘English Pound’. Confusingly some of the common ones are issued by the ‘Bank of Ireland’

10

To clear up confusion rather than gratutious nitpicking. The Dingle peninsula is in County Kerry so it’s not really possible to avoid Kerry yet go to Dingle*. I think you meant to say avoid the Ring of Kerry and go to the Dingle peninsula instead. Which I would agree with. Killarney, while it has some stunning scenery, has gotten to be too much of a tourist trap. Dingle town lies in similar scenery and while there’s a good bit of tourist shops and amenities, it hasn’t completely lost its character as a local town.

As for the music in Doolin. People who have a casual interest in music that go there are likely to have a great time. However, Spavined Gelding is right in saying that Ennis is the hot spot here. Well spotted! People often don’t. The difference being that Doolin music, though fairly high quality, is mainly put on for the tourists whereas in Ennis you have more of a chance of seeing musician playing for the craic (i.e. for fun) or for the locals. I would highly recommend that, wherever you do it, you try and catch at least one traditional Irish music session but then I would say that.

Hope to see you here.

Pookah - Ennis based Irish traditional muso type.

  • To further my nitpick you might also see the Irish name An Daingean. In fact there is a rather comical row going on about the name of Dingle/An Daingean but I let you find that out when/if you get there.
11

Changing money is not an issue, all banks, most travel agents and lots of Post Offices will do it for you. Alternatively you can pay with credit cards and take your money out of ATMs.

The North is also cheaper than the Republic. Food and drink, accommodation, all better value in the North. I second the Giant’s Causeway, and suggest a stop at the Bushmill’s Distillery nearby. If you want a recommendation for places to stay on the North Antrim coast, I can recommend the Causeway Hotel or the Downhill Hostel as good places.

Go to Dingle driving over the Conor Pass. My recommendation to stay is Crutchs Hillville House Hotel. It’s a bit mad, but it’s clean, not too expensive and the owner will cook you whatever you want for breakfast and dinner- oh yes, and he’s called Ronald MacDonald, so that’s a plus.

Connemara is a lovely part of the country- very wild, and not quite as touristy as Kerry. For a bit of a treat try Renvyle House. Currarevagh House is another option, my parents love staying there. Do bear in mind that my family like homely, slightly eccentric places where you can lie on a sofa and order food and drink all afternoon before going sightseeing, taking a bracing walk or playing a round of golf. We’re not big on “boutique” or “designer” hotels.

Galway is a great city, it’s small, fairly bohemian and has a nice atmosphere. Limerick and Cork are skippable.

Dublin is obviously going to be on your list. For somewhere nice to stay, try the Pembroke Townhouse, or for somewhere cheaper, choose one of the many hostels- Avalon House and the Isaacs Hostel are where my friends usually stay when they’re in town.
No time is guaranteed to be sunny, but June-August will be the most likely to give you some good weather. Bring everything from swimsuits to waterproof jackets and umbrellas. Dress in layers, because the weather is very changeable. It could be wet, dry, hot, cold, foggy, clear or any combination of the above in a single day.
It rarely drops below freezing, but you don’t want to be stuck halfway up Errigle, wearing only a t-shirt, when the heavens open and the wind starts up!

12

Thanks PookahMacPhellimey, it’s always good to learn more. I usually just end up staying with my cousins in beutiful scenic…Gort. No, really, it’s a nice town. what? what?.

13

Doesn’t matter. It will rain :).

14

I’ve been there twice; once in January and once in March/April and the latter trip had surprisingly good weather. It rained only a few times as opposed to January when it was mostly rain. I like Glendalough in County Wicklow, and Giants Causeway (and the drive there from Belfast) is awesome but otherwise I’d stay on the western part of the island. Connemara, Dingle, Galway, Donegal… places mentioned, are great. I really enjoyed the Aran Islands too - rent a bike and see the place at your own pace. Horseback riding on the beach (Kerry) was a highlight of my last trip there.

I love Ireland, it is such an interesting place to visit. If you get weary of sight seeing there is always a pub to drop into and pass the time.

15

Note to self: buy a map of Ireland and start plotting routes.

I haven’t figured out when I can go; fall seems a more likely option than summer or spring. Once I have a map, I’ll start looking at where everything is in relation to everything else. Thanks!

16

Agree, but just to note that outside Belfast (in my experience anyway) a lot of food in the North sucks.

By the way, if you don’t drink, you’re going to miss out on a lot of local colour. But you’ll be pleased not to be in a fug of cigarette smoke in the pubs, in the Republic anyway.

County Leitrim is a nice place too. Very poor and unsophisticated, and perhaps because of that it has a lot of charm. It also has a lot of native deciduous woodland, which is something a lot of the rest of Ireland lacks. The boat trip round the Lake Isle of Inishfree (which may or may not exist) is quite cute, and the Sligo coastline is dramatic, too, especially if you like Yeats.

17

County Fermanagh in NI is absolutely stunning.

18

Depending on the time of year, you might want to catch a game of (Gaelic) football or hurling, neither of which lasts much more than an hour and a half (including the half-time break).

I usually tell people to avoid Dublin at all costs - because it is just an awful place - but there are some very interesting things there, such as Trinity College and Kilmainham Gaol. Some of the stuff in the National Museum of Ireland, particularly the gold artefacts, are breathtaking.

As noted by others, do not be afraid to visit Northern Ireland. I find Belfast a little dull myself and much prefer Derry (as most of the locals call it).

The megalithic structures at Knowth & Newgrange should astonish you, not least because of their age.

The merits or otherwise of the Dingle Peninsula have already been discussed. But note its Antarctic connection - Tom Crean, who survived both Shackleton’s and Scott’s expeditions, was born at Annascaul.