Visiting Ireland- Recommendations?

matt b

Indexing all opinion
(Top o the) Morning,

We plan to visit the Emerald Isle over half term- what would you lot say the the must see bits / bits to avoid (yeah, I know that's a stupid question)?
 

Brother Randy Hickey

formerly Dubversion
last time I did it I flew into Cork, hired a car and worked my way down the west coast. You can't go wrong really, it's just astonishing. Although Dingle Bay is probably one to avoid because of all the dolphin botherers.

Sheep's Head Peninsula in particular is just breathtaking. And we drove - entirely by mistake - right across the middle of the McGuillicuddy Reeks (sp?) mountain range, a perilous but exciting drive. Water pissing out of the rocks either side of the road, even the goats look anxious, but man it's beautiful.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
dolphin botherers? great insult.

fuck,now i'm jealous :eek:. was planning to go to belfast and derry last easter, but never happened - crazily, i've never even set foot on irish shores, so must go this summer...
 
D

droid

Guest
What do you want to do Matt? Walking/Outdoors stuff? Culture? Boozing? Food? Renting a car? Nerding it up in my studio? :D

If you fly into Shannon, West Cork is beautiful. Great food to be had in Kinsale. Killarney national park is gorgeous, and there's a beautiful bleakness to much of the West coast of Kerry (Dingle etc). Then there's the Burren, the Western wilds of Galway and Clare, even the Drumlins of Cavan are worthy of a look if you feel like looping round the country (Im assuming Donegal might be a bit too far).

If you're flying into Dublin, Wicklow is within an hours drive, plus there's Newgrange in the other direction. Also a good day trip to be had on either Howth or Bray, plus the museums, zoo etc... Its also entirely possible to head South to Wexford or Kilkenny for a day trip, plus there'll be no shortage of grand estates, burial mounds, sacred stones in fields etc... along the way.

Good news is you can get a double room in some (decent) hotels for about €40 a night these days...
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
have to second Droid on Killarney if you are on the rural walks southwest/west tip.

Kilkenny is a fine trip from say Dublin also, yes, agreed.

Derry or Belfast top city breaks, Galway gorgeous. Belfast to Derry on the train about £9 one way when i was last there, and it is a fine train trip. Causeway in that neck of the woods too.

Cork is an awesome city. Limerick has a fine museum and a decent array of nights thanks to all the students etc in my experience.
 

Sectionfive

bandwagon house
Is there any particular part of the country your heading for ?
Its a small place but the roads are shite so I wouldnt advise zig-zaging to far around the country.

Do you have any idea of the dates, Il see whats on.
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
What do you want to do Matt? Walking/Outdoors stuff? Culture? Boozing? Food? Renting a car? Nerding it up in my studio? :D

If you fly into Shannon, West Cork is beautiful. Great food to be had in Kinsale. Killarney national park is gorgeous, and there's a beautiful bleakness to much of the West coast of Kerry (Dingle etc). Then there's the Burren, the Western wilds of Galway and Clare, even the Drumlins of Cavan are worthy of a look if you feel like looping round the country (Im assuming Donegal might be a bit too far).

If you're flying into Dublin, Wicklow is within an hours drive, plus there's Newgrange in the other direction. Also a good day trip to be had on either Howth or Bray, plus the museums, zoo etc... Its also entirely possible to head South to Wexford or Kilkenny for a day trip, plus there'll be no shortage of grand estates, burial mounds, sacred stones in fields etc... along the way.

Good news is you can get a double room in some (decent) hotels for about €40 a night these days...

Well, the plan so far is to get a ferry to Dublin (we've booked a hotel for one night), then drive south round the coast, so a mixture of driving/walking/culture really.

Would like to avoid the main tourist traps if possible, but might have to get Cope's Megalithic European book for the stones etc.

My main worry is whether or not to book all accomodation ahead of time, or just wing it and see what happens (I've read that there are very few camping opportunities).

What you and Dubversion are saying links with our basic plans (although I doubt my better half would relish the studio time. She's a fucking idiot ;) ) Would be cool to meet up if possible, mind).
 
D

droid

Guest
Ah fuck, that's a shame. I'm supporting Elijah and Skilliam on the night of the 28th...

Plan sounds good though. I can be available that day you're in Dublin... Accommodation might be a bit tricky. We have hundreds of empty hotels, but the ash cloud might mean a lot more home holidaying. Tourism is down about 30% though.

This should be good for one night in Dublin: http://www.d4hotels.ie/ It might be worth staying the Sunday in the city as well...
 
D

droid

Guest
Yeah, let us know if you need anything at all... anything...




...except the English papers. ;)
 

Sectionfive

bandwagon house
Kerry is the place, but tourism is the main thing down there. Killarney, Dingle, Listowel and Tralee being the main spots. But it doesnt cost much to drive around and take it in yourself. Conor pass and molls gap are some of the best scenic drives in the country. The Skelligs are worth a look if you get the weather.

If you head up the west coast, check the Ailwee Cave and the Burran in Clare (which is close enough to Fr Ted's house if your interested). And then onto Galway city and Connemara.
 
D

droid

Guest
Kerry is the place, but tourism is the main thing down there. Killarney, Dingle, Listowel and Tralee being the main spots. But it doesnt cost much to drive around and take it in yourself. Conor pass and molls gap are some of the best scenic drives in the country. The Skelligs are worth a look if you get the weather.

And if you do decide to go down that way, Id recommend a climb up Mount Brandon... takes most of a day, but its not too tough and a great view if the weathers good.

Maurice.jpg


TBH though if Dublin is to be your arrivals/departure point, the drive up and down to Kerry might be a bit wasteful time-wise, you could easily spend 2 days exploring Wicklow alone...

Once you've got your itinerary planned mail me!
 

mucsavage

Member
If your trip south from Dublin brings you in around the SE area [Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford] then give us a bell. If it's a shoe string type affair then a free bed wouldn't be any hassle. The weekend of the 28th may have some session-ing going on down this way - we are throwing a fun raiser for our sound system van that got robbed by dickheads.

Not really considered as tourist friendly as other parts of the country but has its charms and is packed full of history if your into that. Also one of Europes most interesting geological setups apparently.
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
If your trip south from Dublin brings you in around the SE area [Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford] then give us a bell. If it's a shoe string type affair then a free bed wouldn't be any hassle. The weekend of the 28th may have some session-ing going on down this way - we are throwing a fun raiser for our sound system van that got robbed by dickheads.

Not really considered as tourist friendly as other parts of the country but has its charms and is packed full of history if your into that. Also one of Europes most interesting geological setups apparently.

^ Thanks for the offer!
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
Right, the plan of action is as follows...

Scott- pub advice appreciated

Anyone else- whatever you want to recommend.

Sat 29th: Dublin (Droid, are you about?)
Sun 30th: Kilkenny
Mon 31st- Weds 2nd: Kilarney/ Cork (not booked accomodation for these nights yet)
Thurs 3rd: Galway
Fri 4th: Galway
Sat 5th: Ferry home
 
D

droid

Guest
Yes - I should be about that day... tired, but about. Ill text u to check if this number I have is still right... U thinking city centre?

Id be wary of Mucsavage and his South Eastern charm - they're wild down there. He'll have you in a wickerman in 5 minutes flat if you're not careful. :D
 

scottdisco

rip this joint please
Right, the plan of action is as follows...

Scott- pub advice appreciated

Anyone else- whatever you want to recommend.

Sat 29th: Dublin (Droid, are you about?)
Sun 30th: Kilkenny
Mon 31st- Weds 2nd: Kilarney/ Cork (not booked accomodation for these nights yet)
Thurs 3rd: Galway
Fri 4th: Galway
Sat 5th: Ferry home

there now follows a completely useless post as i try and remember names as i write.

Dublin, oh wow. fill your boots as you'd expect. The Long Hall on Georges Street (south side, splendid old, slim interior) and the Brazen Head (good grub) on the south side of the Liffey just over the river from the Four Courts, and Mulligans on Poolbeg Street (again south side) three boozers which spring to mind. too many good nights in random bars and clubs to remember.
the Globe, near the Long Hall, is a decent bar, and Grogan's is another good south side boozer.

seemingly as many good bars and pubs as a city much, much larger, given the centre is probably 'only' about the size of say Manchester.

Temple Bar has a nice food market, interesting small galleries, etc, during the day and then bits at night are filled w lairy English boys.
and what i said earlier re the Porterhouse brewpubs.
i'd say the Porterhouses are better than Messrs Maguire, the other major local small brewer, and the Porterhouse opposite Trinity probably a little less hectic than the one in the middle of Temple Bar (though the interior in this one is a lot more interesting).

you can walk to the Guinness Storehouse from the centre (just a little west of centre of town), not far at all, or lots of buses/a tram.
i've been there, obligatory sure, but never been to the Jamesons distillery. i believe that's pricier. dunno. i was personally fascinated esp w the bits about coopering when you go through the Storehouse's museum features, but it is probably worth it for the view alone from the high-up bar - about six or eight stories up, which doesn't sound much, but it feels taller - and chance to have a drink, which happens at the end of the tour, Joyce quotes incised on the glass of the pretty much floor-ceiling windows. mountains one side, harbour in your gaze, cityscape and urban parks stretching away. i hope Droid's not reading this, i'll sound like such a tourist :D

there's a wee but perfectly formed sort of Chinatown on the northside, by Parnell Street, some Korean gaffs too IIRC, and the streets round here have decent, friendly local boozers IM experience. (though i guess you or i might not necessarily send a brief visitor to say Mcr or Leeds w locals' type recommendations, dunno.)

there's a small but interesting array of Italian caffs, eateries etc, clustered around the area near the posh Morrison hotel on the north bank of the Liffey incidentally, like an Italian quarter almost. not quite your Amalfi Coast tales, but still struck me when i first encountered.

i remember a good nite in i think it was Dice Bar, tho frankly i forget what they were playing and obv Droid would be the man to ask about nites...

going east out toward the coast where the small financial district is (Manhattan in miniature on the Liffey) could no doubt be a bit hauntological, certainly at dusk :cool:

the Chester Beatty Library is a fascinating museum of religions (and some others bits), quite near Christ Church cathedral.

there's so much lovely Georgian architecture (well i like it!) in some of the more affluent southside central bits that's a nice mooch around, nice parks etc.

and a lot of culture/institutions and history in the city centre if you go north (inc the surely obligatory photo opportunity at the GPO).

have a walk up the steps of the Wellington Monument in the rambling Phoenix Park.

Govinda's is good, filling veggie grub in a southside area blessed w decent outlets. Sultans is a top, top kebab gaff not too far away from the Long Bar.
i know Dublin has two-star Michelin restaurants but i'm just repping for the competition! (it's fairly upmarket compared to a lot of kebab shops, but i realise that's not saying too much.)

Kilkenny, again, bit blurry. i remember a good spread of boozers by the river, on the opposite side from the castle (nice grounds), nosying down streets, i remember striking gold (sorry no names!). a great smoking patio overlooking a river in some bar opposite my hostel. er, if i remember i'll re-post.

some mates and i were on our way to explore a church grounds one morning on the centre outskirts when we got waylaid by an Elvis impersonator, whose suitably authentic young Elvis-type-US motor was parked outside his house...

my booziest night ever in Cork actually involved being in a central sports bar for United-Liverpool one afternoon, falling in w two locals, and going off w them to some inner suburban pub and staying there all night, so that's not much use.

as for city centre, some fine bars whose name again escapes but others i do recall being worthwhile inc An Bodhran for tunes, Mutton Lane Inn down a side street worth seeking out IMO, the cool Sin e, and that Franciscan Well brewpub (vessels behind the bar), who definitely did some nice beers when i've stopped in.

The English Market (covered market) worth a look for food in the town. Cork has some lovely cobbled small streets. The Glucksman Gallery is a fine, sizeable gallery in the University College Cork grounds, and quite a distinctive building, w its long legs jutting out from a grass bank. (the Crawford Municipal in town is the main local gallery, and that might be worth a look if you're into vis art.)

the centre is very hilly in parts and everything falls away down to the river in the middle, an urban valley as it were.

Cork Butter Museum wins points as a very random tourist attraction. (well who doesn't like butter?!)

Kilarney dunno sorry, as for Galway pub/bar gold IMO, just stumbling on serendipity, modern gaffs, music places, old nook and cranny-type joints, too many again, even though it is only a small centre really.

there's some very good chippies in Galway (inc a famous one slap bang, near the Blu Bar pub IIRC, whose name of course escapes me), and some very good clam chowder. some very nice graffiti in Galway down some side streets.

the Long Walk (out to the harbour, etc, away from town) a very worthwhile head clearer. gaze out to the Atlantic, Aran Islands etc, pass a memorial to lost sailors, marvel at the multi-coloured harbourside houses, etc.

i will say if you see a pint of the locally brewed Galway Hooker - hoppy pale ale, so quite drinkable this time of year - steam right in...

...i know there's lots of suggestions here, but more suggestions the merrier i figure.
 

Sectionfive

bandwagon house
Blu is closed now I think. McDonagh's is the chipper, bottom of Quay St. Loved by the Soviets and yer man from Lost. They were voted best fish and chips in the country last year. That whole street is just pubs and restaurants. Id definitely recomend ard bia aswell. Like droid said Galway is pubs galore, a bottle of buck down the spanish arch is optional. For pints Naughton's or Tig Coili if your up town, Beirhaus or The Blue Note if your over the bridge. Bierhaus do loads of specialist beers and have great tunes.

Galway 'city' is really compact and easy to find everything. No more record shops im afraid, charity shops is your only refuge. There is plenty of independent Gallerys, Theatres and book shops left. I easily spend half a day in Charlie Byrnes on middle st rooting around.

Theres loads more, Il post whats happening around then closer to the date.
 
Top