Hello everybody…this is my very first post so be gentle.
The girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Ireland this fall and I’m looking for any and all suggestions. Where to stay, what to do, what to see…we need all the help we can get.
A little info about our plans…we’ll be there about a week, we’d like to stay away from the more tourist-centered areas (I could care less about the Blarney Stone) and she’s all about the shopping.
I really appreciate any help or advice. Thanks and I look foward to posting on this board.
Tagging along to the OP on this one as well. My girlfriend leaves for Ireland in a month for a Study Abroad trip in which she’ll have a few days of free time. I’ll be directing her to this thread.
What school is she going to? I did a study abroad in Ireland and loved it. I would tell her though that I hope you meant she’ll have a few days before she starts school to explore. For her I would suggest getting a student card, don’t remember what they called them, so that she can get reduced tickets on trains and buses. Then every weekend or every other weekend see a different part of the country. That’s what I did when I went and it was great. She should be able to stay cheap in hostels and I remember the trains being really cheap.
As for the OP, what kinds of things do you want to see? I don’t know much about shopping since I don’t do that now, except for books and music. Grafton Street in Dublin would be good for shopping though. There are plenty of things to do in Ireland, it depends on what you want to see. I don’t think going in the fall you will see too many tourists. Even so, many of the tourist spots are that way for a reason.
Go to the west coast - Galway is a charming little town, and Doolin (a village in County Clare) had live music at the pubs and plenty of colorful locals to keep things interesting. You can visit the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islans from Doolin as well. Plus the scenery is beautiful. Not much shopping though (there’s a bit in Galway, but Doolin is a tiny village). If you want to stay near Dublin, Glendaloch is pretty close by and there are plenty of small bus tours that run between Glendaloch and Dublin. It’s an absolutely beautiful valley, and the way there is full of interesting stuff (like the Guinness lake!).
I recently told an Irish acquaintance what we did in Ireland, thinking we had avoided the obvious tourist traps, only to be told that we did very touristy things. On the other hand, if it’s interesting, you will of course see things that tiorists see, even if they’re not heavily patronized.
Some things really worth seeing: Newgrange – Prehistoric burial mound that’s supposed to be older than the pyramids. The outside has been reconstructed, and the entranceway aligns with Midsummer sunrise. You get to go inside. Definitely worth it.
Glendalough – huge monastery site with many extant buildings and tombs. Definitely worth the visit.
Russborough House – gorgeous architecturre and art collection. Off the beaten path:
Dingle Peninsula – less visted than the similar Ring of Kerry. See the stone huts, Dunbeg Fort, and the fabulous Gallarus Oratory, a 1000 year old stone church put together without mortar and still in perfect condition.
Rock of Cashel – ancient capital in Ireland, with huge stone castle and church and other structures on a hilltop.
We also saw numerous trilithons, standing stones, wells, and stone circles, but I don’t recall the names and could direct you to them. Look or them on maps, and you’ll find plenty.
We also saw plenty in Dublin, including the Book of Kells, the George Bernard Shaw House, and city sites, and we visited the factory at Waterford, but that’s pretty definitely “touristy”
Shopping? Temple Bar in Dublin. We then wandered across the river and poked around what I think might be more like real Dublin and found some really amazing shops. Also tattoo parlors, traffic jams, working people, and construction sites, so it was hit or miss.
I was not impressed with Killarney - Walmart sized parking lots chock full of tour buses and the only place in Ireland I received a warm Guinness. Kilkenny was neat, a castle and some local arts and crafts shopping.
Been 5 or so years, but that’s what I remember.
I also enjoyed Brú na Boinne (Newgrange and Knowth). Kind of touristy, but not the kind of thing the average Yank is going to be visiting. Just a short drive north of Dublin.
You need to spend time in pubs to appreciate Ireland properly. And not just “a drink” in a pub, but “an entire evening” in one, drinking and chatting and if you’re lucky, singing. Best performed in the West. Dingle is particularly recommended.
[nitpick]It’s the winter solstice sunrise.[/nitpick] The place is a great place to visit. Wiki page Knowth may or may not be open depending on the time of year. I was there last November and it wasn’t. You can ask to get off the bus and walk to Dowth as well, which hasn’t been restored.
This is also a nice place to visit. I didn’t get a chance to visit the last time, but if you have a car and the time it’s well worth it.
I heard that in September is the National Hurling Championship or something along those lines…I was thinking about checking that out…it seems like a good time. I have never seen or know anything about hurling, but it could be a good way to spend a day. What do you guys and gals think?
Personally I’d much rather check out the greyhound races (the Irish Derby takes place in the fall), but if you think hurling will be interesting, why not check it out? It would be a good idea to educate yourself a little on how the game works before you go though, so people won’t laugh at you (happened to me at a rugby game in London - my husband used to play rugby so he was trying to explain what was going on but it all looked a big mess to me and I think it showed).
I’d love to take a riding holiday in Ireland. Help my jumping, maybe try a little fox hunting. Or time it so I’d be there for the National Horse Show. However, I don’t foresee having the money to do such a thing.
I’d agree with everything suggested already but put a vote in for a trip to West Cork, spefically Skibbereen, Castletownshend, Clonakilty (though a little touristic for my tastes), Schull etc (Skib and Castletownshend get my vote every time).
There’s is nowhere in the world as wonderful as that - to me it is pure and utter heaven and, hopefully, I’ll be living there at some point in my life.
My wife and I are living in Dublin right now (and for the foreseeable future). She grew up here too, so we’d be happy to give some recommendations. I haven’t seen much of the country beyond the Howth Peninsula myself, but my wife is always telling me about the wonderful things to see when we have some vacation time.
Powerscourt Gardens is breathtaking, I’m told, and Glendalough is lovely as well. Dalkey is a very nice little town to visit, with castles and parks and so on. Great fun can be had venturing off the beaten track a bit and spending time in some of the town centers outside Dublin 1 or 2. Dalkey is one of those areas, but even Rathmines (where we live!) has a fair selection of fun little cafes, shops and pubs to keep you busy for a bit.
As for shopping, in and around Grafton Street there are some great shops for clothing, jewelry, etc. etc. My wife tells me that if anyone would like her to show them around the shops in town, she’d be more than happy to oblige.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a visit to Ireland without going to a few pubs! Just the other night we went to a pub called Ron Black’s, reputedly the smallest pub in Dublin. Amusingly, they’ve hired possibly the tallest barman in Dublin to work there. Ah, good times…
