going to ireland next month

sda2mike
sda2mike Posts: 3,131
edited July 2011 in The Clubhouse
8/21 through 9/7!:biggrin: we're landing in dublin..probably stay a couple nights there...then..explore! i want to take the country roads..stay away from the touristy spots..do alot of trains, bikes and hiking...

any suggestions/experiences? btw, i love trad irish music...i envision my wife and i in the pubs all night...so if you have a spot i should check out, let me know..


thanks
mike
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited July 2011
    No suggestions other than to have a great time. I would love to see Ireland.
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    thanks joe;)
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  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,182
    edited July 2011
    sda2mike wrote: »
    8/21 through 9/7!:biggrin: we're landing in dublin..probably stay a couple nights there...then..explore! i want to take the country roads..stay away from the touristy spots..do alot of trains, bikes and hiking...

    any suggestions/experiences? btw, i love trad irish music...i envision my wife and i in the pubs all night...so if you have a spot i should check out, let me know..


    thanks
    mike

    I was there from May 7th to the 15th of this year. Awesome trip!! Very friendly people in Ireland. We rented cars and drove from Dublin (stayed one night) to Killarney, Killkenny, Cork, Waterford, Galway, then back to Dublin. We stayed at B and B's along the way. Check out the Cliffs of Mohr along the west coast! Wow! Also, I recommend taking the guided tour of the Ring of Kerry instead of driving it...very informative and there are points of interest along the way that you would never know about unless the guide told you.

    Shop street district in Galway Bay is great. There's a pub that's been there for about 300 years...actually there's a lot of pubs in Ireland, some better than others... Kilkenny Castle is great. Visit Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney stone!
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  • cubdog
    cubdog Posts: 835
    edited July 2011
    I'd never get past the golf courses. Have a great time.

    cubdog
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    michaeljhsda2 wrote: »
    . We rented cars and drove from Dublin (stayed one night) to Killarney, Killkenny, Cork, Waterford, Galway, then back to Dublin. We stayed at B and B's along the way.

    great info there, thanks! how much was gas going for? do the b/b's average around $20 a night?

    thanks!
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    cubdog wrote: »
    I'd never get past the golf courses. Have a great time.

    cubdog


    i'm feeling the pull already:wink: no playing for the past month for me...too much jungle heat in FL this time of year...but ireland in august? mid 60s temp? tradition? history? i'm all over it!
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  • brgman
    brgman Posts: 2,859
    edited July 2011
    Excellent man.Have a great trip.I always wanted to go to Ireland. And Alaska to see the lights.
    godspeed!
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  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
    edited July 2011
    Bring back all the Guinness! ADHD moment...has anyone ever had Guinness cupcakes? Frickin awsome!!!!
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    Lasareath wrote: »
    have fun!
    brgman wrote: »
    Excellent man.Have a great trip.I always wanted to go to Ireland. And Alaska to see the lights.
    godspeed!

    thanks guys!:cool:
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    deronb1 wrote: »
    Bring back all the Guinness! ADHD moment...has anyone ever had Guinness cupcakes? Frickin awsome!!!!

    i don't think i'll be bringing any guinness back with me, but those cupcakes will be hunted down and destroyed:biggrin:
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  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,182
    edited July 2011
    sda2mike wrote: »
    great info there, thanks! how much was gas going for? do the b/b's average around $20 a night?

    thanks!
    Seems like gas was about 1.48 euros per liter :eek: It can get expensive but I split the cost with my brother. Unfortunately there are no trains to tour the country. The B/B's averaged about 35 euros per night but keep in mind that it includes a full irish breakfast (eggs, sausage, black and white pudding, etc).

    You may want to check current B/B prices because it could vary by season. I can give you detailed info for each city that I visited if you want. Just shoot me a pm.
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  • Vette C6.r
    Vette C6.r Posts: 1,560
    edited July 2011
    I heard that the Guinness tastes alot different than it does in the States.

    Hard to believe it tasting better.

    Enjoy. Post some pics.
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    thanks..we'll be taking the roads-less-traveled...visiting rory gallagher's resting place is on the list...say a prayer to the lad, i think
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited July 2011
    michaeljhsda2 wrote: »
    Seems like gas was about 1.48 euros per liter :eek: It can get expensive but I split the cost with my brother. Unfortunately there are no trains to tour the country. The B/B's averaged about 35 euros per night but keep in mind that it includes a full irish breakfast (eggs, sausage, black and white pudding, etc).

    You may want to check current B/B prices because it could vary by season. I can give you detailed info for each city that I visited if you want. Just shoot me a pm.

    I did about the same trip a few years back. Food is expensive and it's hard to just get a cheap fast food lunch, so if you want to save some cash, do this: Bring peanut butter with you (can't buy it there); buy a loaf of bread; eat a ton at breakfast everyday; swipe some jelly packets at breakfast; PB&J for lunch, then blow your cash on a nice dinner. Otherwise, you'll be spending $20-30 at lunch every day.

    I did Dingle instead of Kerry. I'd add the Gap of Dunloe (you can drive through, if you're crazy enough) and that monastary on the island off the coast and ditch the blarney stone (it's lame).

    DO NOT miss the Cliffs of Mohr. Very cool.
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  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,182
    edited July 2011
    Vette C6.r wrote: »
    I heard that the Guinness tastes alot different than it does in the States.

    Hard to believe it tasting better.

    Enjoy. Post some pics.

    Guinness definitely tastes better in Ireland, no doubt about it...especially the free pint served in the 360 degree panoramic view pub at the top of the Guinness Brewery!
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  • janmike
    janmike Posts: 6,146
    edited July 2011
    Sounds like a great trip Mike. I have never been to Ireland, but the old countries are great with all the historic buildings. Fond memories of England years ago and Scotland is on the future trip list. Enjoy.
    Michael ;)
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  • polktiger
    polktiger Posts: 556
    edited July 2011
    We were there for about 10 days a couple years ago. Agree above, take a tour for the ring of kerry, it is not easy to drive, and the stone walls along the road would be too high to see over if in a car. Outside of Dublin, and some stops along the Ring of Kerry - it is not very touristy (no widespread t-shirt hawkers, and cheap china made trinkets). The country is beautiful. I understand time contraints, but you are missing some good places in the northwestern part of the republic and some really neat sites in nortthern ireland (bushmills, giants causway, crick a rick bridge)

    After the ring of kerry, take your rental car and drive the dingle penninsula. South of Dublin, go to Glendalough. In my opinion as a monastary ruin, it is far more interesting than Clonmacnoise.

    For lunnch - go in the grocery stores, they have deli sandwich counters (sandwich and bag of chips 5 euros) Breakfast is awsome (except for the pudding - in my opinion). And Guiness is available EVERYWHERE. (Well except one place where we ate in Blarney, I ended up getting a Heiniken - which I do not like, but that thing was great, turns out they have a brewery in Ireland, so it is actually fresh).

    Oh yeah - Get a the GPS maps for Ireland before you leave, you can rent the GPS, but it costs more than the maps - some of our best sight seeing was when the Garmin took us off the beaten path. There you get on the 2 way roads that are 1 lane wide with no shoulders and stone walls on either side!
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    polktiger wrote: »
    take a tour for the ring of kerry, it is not easy to drive, and the stone walls along the road would be too high to see over if in a car.

    great info! what is the best way to see the ring of kerry? hike/bike?

    btw, i'd like to venture up the donegal coast
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    janmike wrote: »
    Fond memories of England years ago and Scotland is on the future trip list. Enjoy.

    thanks...scotland is on my gotta do list...highlands:wink:
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    michaeljhsda2 wrote: »
    Guinness definitely tastes better in Ireland, no doubt about it...especially the free pint served in the 360 degree panoramic view pub at the top of the Guinness Brewery!

    i've been on the wagon for about a year and a half:eek: i believe i must visit me old friend guinness for a spell:tongue:
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited July 2011
    unc2701 wrote: »
    I did about the same trip a few years back. Food is expensive and it's hard to just get a cheap fast food lunch, so if you want to save some cash, do this: Bring peanut butter with you (can't buy it there); buy a loaf of bread; eat a ton at breakfast everyday; swipe some jelly packets at breakfast; PB&J for lunch, then blow your cash on a nice dinner. Otherwise, you'll be spending $20-30 at lunch every day.

    I did Dingle instead of Kerry. I'd add the Gap of Dunloe (you can drive through, if you're crazy enough) and that monastary on the island off the coast and ditch the blarney stone (it's lame).

    DO NOT miss the Cliffs of Mohr. Very cool.

    great advice, thanks:cool: cliffs of mohr made the list early on...
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  • polktiger
    polktiger Posts: 556
    edited July 2011
    sda2mike wrote: »
    great info! what is the best way to see the ring of kerry? hike/bike?

    btw, i'd like to venture up the donegal coast

    Between Galway and Donegal - lots to see, you will drive through - there is an old manor converted to a boarding school along the way. It is beautiful (building and gardens - its like going to a small Biltmore House, but you mostly view the grounds as most of the house is off limits becuase I think it is still used as a school. I can see it in my mind, but can't remember the name.) EDIT: I looked it up - Kylemore Abbey. Along the way there we drove "Sky road" Our B&B host mentioned it, and Garmin found it - beautiful drive along the ocean cliffs.

    When you get to Killarney, have your B&B person set up the ring of kerry tour. You will be on a bus (or Sprinter Van type tour vehicle) I doubt you want to bike or hike, I think it is about a 6 hour drive. Down there you will also find a national park, related to the Mucross estate, I think the grounds were a great sight, house was not over whelming.

    Blarney Castle was fun, but again, we enjoyed walking the castle grounds more.

    That was a great trip - we took over 1500 picture (love digital cameras!). I did use a travel agent that specialized in Ireland to set up the B&Bs for us. We used hotels in big cities like Dublin, Belfast and Derry.
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  • phocion
    phocion Posts: 157
    edited July 2011
    I had a great time in Ireland, a few weeks was not nearly enough :)

    If you like trad, take the musicians tour in temple bar, it is a good start. Outside of Dublin, ask around, most pubs have families or groups that come in and play. I really wish we had more of that in the states. Also hit up pubs in Galway and Derry for some of the best trad I put ears on in my travels.

    In Dublin, I really enjoyed the Killmainham Gaol (Jail), Jameson & Guinness factories, and Temple University Book of Kells. The hop off/on bus is an easy and cheap way to get around, because parking can be a pain.

    For the rest of the country, I say cliffs of Mohr, Killarney National Park, Giants Causeway, and Belfast. The blarney stone is *meh* but is almost mandatory.

    Also, don't drink Guinness exclusively. There are a lot of local stouts, ales, and ciders that are very good, and give you a flavor of the area. Drink Guinness in Dublin, and when you have exhausted your local taste buds.
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited July 2011
    +1 on kylemore. Forgot the name of it, too.
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