Posted on 07/14/2005 2:51:23 PM PDT by jrp5776
We plan to visit Ireland in October 2005. Can you make any suggestions to make our trip a pleasant one?
don't piss off the IRA
Fly, don't drive.
ping
Check into a nice B'n'B and ask where the "local" is (that's the neighborhood pub), then strike up a conversation with the natives and you're all set.
Personally, I enjoyed the far west: Galway and the Aran Islands; also Clare and Sligo. I also especially liked Donegal, it's very wild, and the resort towns there Bundoran and some others. Ride the trains, talk with the people.
There are castles all over the place, including the Rock of Cashel which I have not seen yet but it's near my ancestral town in Tipperary.
O'Ping!
DO NOT kiss the Blarney stone. A friend from college (Irish boy from that area) told me it is somewhat of a local custom to get drunk and go late at night and piss on the sacred stone, then laugh at the thought of tourists kissing it.
Don't plan on riding trains or buses unless you're willing to wait a while.
Don't picnic in completely deserted public parks in Dublin.
(Sorry I couldn't think of any "do's"..)
Can you provide a few more details about what you like to do?
Also, have you been a lurker? FR isn't exactly the site you sign up for and ask for travel advice on the same day.
When you get back to the US, read this book:
If you read it before you go, you won't get it. But once you've been there, you will be rolling on the floor laughing.
The natives speak the language! ;-)
I am born, bred, reared and living in this country. Tell me what you want to find out, what your hobbies are, what you like to experience...I'll help you.
But you aren't giving us much to go on.
good choice for a vacation! Ireland is a gorgeous and friendly country. My advice is to not spend much time in Dublin, especially if you will not be in Ireland long. Dublin has its charms, but as far as European cities go, it's just not that spectacular. If you are a big James Joyce fan or have some other strong interest in seeing Dublin, by all means go for it. But otherwise, IMO your time is better spent seeing the west of Ireland. In fact, you can even fly directly to western Ireland on AerLingus (on a kelly green plane too!). AerLingus offers direct flights from a few US destinations into Shannon Int'l Airport, which is very close to Limerick and about a two hour and very scenic drive from Galway. I don't know how the prices compare though to flying into Dublin. When I visited Ireland, we actually took British Airways from Chicago to London and then an AerLingus connecting flight to Shannon.
Yes, take me with you!
Although, this thread does allow me some gratuitous promotion of my home. Bord Fáilte (Irish Tourist Board) might give me a retainer! ;-)
I have to say, I interviewed this guy when he was hawking around Ireland with his fridge...and (as hilarious as he might like to say it was)...people really thought he was an a$$hole.
actually that makes it even funnier...
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