One Week in Ireland

[Haven]

Hi, everyone!

We are *finally* going to Ireland. I''ve been waiting for this trip for so long, I''m so excited!

We''ll be going the end of May/beginning of June, and probably only for a week to ten days. DH and I will be going with my sister and her fiance.

Here comes the question:

- In which area would you recommend we stay? I''m not interested in bopping around from one place to another the entire time, I''d prefer to really get a feel for one or two places rather than to see a bunch of things for a short amount of time each. (I did this in Greece two summers ago and I feel like while I *saw* a lot of the country, I still don''t have much of an idea of what if *feels* like to really experience much of Greece. Does that make sense?)

I''ve spoken with one Ireland travel company who recommended staying in Fota Island, Co Cork. Any feedback?

Thanks!

 

[CasaBlanca]

I can''t offer any advice,

Just wanted to let you know I am turning the prettiest shade of Emerald Green, just thinking about your journey!

 

[decodelighted]

One word: DINGLE!!!! Okay - there are lots of words on my Ireland thread (TGal & others plotted out the perfect week for our Honeymoon). But Dingle is the place we liked *best*. In retrospect we'd have skipped Galway & spent more time in Dublin -- but we had the best time EVAH! You're going to LOVE it. Such friendly people, so scenic, charming, peaceful (you know - relatively speaking).

My thread even has hotel recs --Here is the link. YAY!

I'd concentrate on Dingle & Dublin -- and drive, seeing the stuff along the way. But you might not pass the Cliffs of Moher that way w/o going a bit out of your way. Have to refamiliarize myself w/the maps but I'm sure loads of folks will be along shortly to advise.

 

[lulu]

I have to second Dingle. It''s just beautiful. We rented a house right on the bay for two weeks and it was very inexpensive. In fact I remember that we payed more for the rental car.

 

[mousey]

Dingle is STUNNING! Actually a lot of Kerry is very pretty. You could try and see Funghi the dolphin. You could also do a walk in the Burren, its quite close. Actually I am the opposite of deco- I love Galway too (the countryside, not the city), and hate Dublin. Well I don t hate Dublin, but I reckon as cities go its not that interesting, and Ireland is best when viewed from the countryside.
One thing I d bear in mind- and this is the obvious thing, but a lot of visitors don t really get it- is that it will probably rain a lot while you are there! In fact it will probably be really grey, overcast and rainy. Not to rain on your parade, cos Ireland is stunning and fun, but the weather is absolutely depressing most of the time, so be prepared. Now it might be that when you get there Ireland is enjoying that rare week of stone breaking sunshine, but....
In any case- have a super duper time!!!!!

 

[mousey]

ps, if you are thinking of staying in that area I d try flying into Shannon.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 3/27/2010 12:20:36 PM
Author: decodelighted
One word: DINGLE!!!! Okay - there are lots of words on my Ireland thread (TGal & others plotted out the perfect week for our Honeymoon). But Dingle is the place we liked *best*. In retrospect we''d have skipped Galway & spent more time in Dublin -- but we had the best time EVAH! You''re going to LOVE it. Such friendly people, so scenic, charming, peaceful (you know - relatively speaking).

My thread even has hotel recs --Here is the link. YAY!

I''d concentrate on Dingle & Dublin -- and drive, seeing the stuff along the way. But you might not pass the Cliffs of Moher that way w/o going a bit out of your way. Have to refamiliarize myself w/the maps but I''m sure loads of folks will be along shortly to advise.

THIS!
My parents lived there when they were first married and DH and I visited it a few years ago. It was just amazing.

Of course, you could always try this:
http://www.irishhorsedrawncaravans.com/

DH and I did this for a week and it was blissful. We had a ball. You''re pretty much left to your own devices, so you''d need to be very comfortable around horses, but it was wonderful (and I am not fond of travelling, so if I liked it, it must have been good

)

 

[iheartscience]

My sister was just in Ireland in Dec./Jan. visiting a bunch of our Irish friends and she had a blast! I''ll ask her for her recommendations and get back to you!

 

[Haven]

Thank you so much for all the links and info, everyone!

I have to run now, but I wanted to pop in and say that I really appreciate all of the advice. I''m so excited that we''re finally going to make this happen that I could spend all day "researching" this vacation if left to my own devices!

Thank you! I look forward to hearing more!

 

[princesss]

Ack, Haven! You''re going a month before I am! Please post pictures!

I can''t remember where we''re going, but the book/movie nerd in me is super thrilled about going to see the Cliffs of Moher (aka the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride).

 

[bee*]

I agree with Deco in that if you're here for a week I'd do Dublin and Dingle. DH and I take the dog to dingle every year for her holidays. It's absolutely gorgeous there. Personally I wouldn't stay at Fota. There's an animal park there but it's not that great. I'm typing on my phone so will give you more recommendations tomorrow. When are you coming over? Apparently we're meant to have nice weather in July and august but I'll believe it when I see it!!

ETA - just saw when you're coming!!

 

[zoebartlett]

Hi Haven!

Ireland is GORGEOOUS! You and your husband will LOVE it. We went almost 5 (or 6?) years ago for a friend''s wedding, and we were gone for 11 days. We went through a travel agency in NY, one that specializes in trips to Ireland. We know the relatives of the guy we worked with, which is how we hooked up with him. We bought travel vouchers that we could use for any B&B I believe. It was great because we didn''t have to necessarily book our stays with each place too far in advance.

When we went, we arrived in Dublin, spent a few days in and around that area, and then we drove west to Galway. There wasn''t really anything we didn''t like, but our favorite place was probably Galway. It''s such a beautiful city. I''d recommend going there if you''re looking to spend most or all of your time in one area. Dublin was amazing too (really though, the whole country is magnificent), but we liked the slower paced, smaller city of Galway. There''s so mcuh to do, from listening to traditional Irish folk music, going to one of many festivals (we went during an arts festival), etc.

One day trip we did from Galway was a visit to Kylemore Abbey in Connemara. http://www.kylemoreabbey.com/. Definitely a must see! The grounds are beautiful.

The other area that was recommended to us (but we didn''t have enough time to see) was the Ring of Kerry. We''ll go back to Ireland some day, and that will definitely be where we go.

If we had to do it all over again, I think we would have stayed a few days in B&Bs AND hotels. The B&Bs we stayed in were quaint and everyone was so welcoming. The only thing about them is that there''s not a ton of privacy. We knew that going in, but it kind of surprised at how snug some of the places were. Most of the time we were basically in someone''s house, or all the guest rooms were kind of close to each other. We did spent a few nights in a hotel near the Cliffs of Mohr in Doolin. I''d HIGHLY recommend it. It''s called the Ballyvara House.

http://www.ballyvarahouse.ie/index.html

I''m so excited that you''re going! You''ll love it. I''ll let you know if there''s otehr recommendations I have.

 

[zoebartlett]

Oooh, Dingle! We didn''t go to Dingle, but that''s also on our must see list when we go back some day.

Random thoughts ahead:

I also wanted to mention that we went to the one of the Aran Islands, Inish Mor (Inis Mor?). It was a really fun trip. We actually met up with some friends who happened to be doing a walking tour of Ireland, and they were going to be on the island on the same day we were. Fun!

I completely agree with you by the way, about wanting to *see* the place you''re visiting , rather than spend the majority of your time traveling to as many spots as possible.

We didn''t go to Fota ISland, so I can''t say anything one way or another about it.

I can say that Blarney Castle was a bit too touristy and the authentic dinner we had at the castle was too hokey for my taste. By that point on our trip, we were pretty tired from traveling, so that might have had something to do with it. If I had to do it all over again, I would have skipped BC and stayed an extra night or two in Galway before heading toward Shannon (where we flew out to return home).

 

[decodelighted]

We went in May & got really lucky with the weather. Hope the same for you!!! You''ll want some sweaters though FYI. Chilly in the evenings and on those cliffy parts & by the water.

PRINCESS: I think there must be a better time of day to see the Cliffs than when we did. We saw them in complete shadow. Wasn''t quite like the pictures we''d seen. Maybe Trip Advisor or something will say the best time of day to go for optimal adoration.

Re: Galway ... yes, it is nice. I''d compare it to Boston in U.S. city terms. If Dublin is Ireland''s Manhattan. Basically we had more time than we needed in Galway & hardly any time in Dublin. If the situation had been reversed I might feel the opposite way. Bah: Dublin & Yea: Galway. One thing of note to PSers is that Galway did have some fun antique jewelry stores. The best *jewelry* I saw was in Galway.

We didn''t do the Ring of Kerry because we were driving and that is BUS-central on narrow roads. We did the possibly MORE SCENIC & much quieter Slea Head Drive -- which, honestly, was more breathtaking to me than the Cliffs of Moher.

 

[zoebartlett]

I had forgotten about the jewelry in Galway, Deco! You''re right -- really great pieces and shops.

We had heard about the Ring of Kerry being bus central too. The roads are narrow enough without having to worry about traveling too close to tour buses!

Okay, now some may not agree with me, but I thought the Cliffs of Moher were a little underwhelming. I mean, it is really pretty, but we got there, and I think my exact words were, "this is it? Huh." It could have been the mood I was in or something, but I''ve been more impressed at other places. My husband had a blast walking along the cliffs, while I sat and read and looked at the water.

 

[sunseeker101]

Haven,

I wouldn't bother with the island in Cork, the mainland is mostly where it's at!

Kerry is a great spot to get a good overall 'feel' of the place I think. I'd stick to the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas (Ring of Kerry) just south of it, and fly into Shannon. Google Earth is a great resource for figuring out what's on offer. Look out for old and abandoned churches, castle remnants, standing stone circles, Gallarus' oratory, the Conor pass and gap of Dunloe. For top-class food I'd head to the Park Hotel in Kenmare (South-east Iveragh), but there is usually lots of good food straight from fairly local farms knocking around anyway. Be prepared for more than 4 seasons in an average day

, and I'm sure sometimes the inertial/backwards-flowing internal logic of the place will drive you either to tears or laughter

 

[bee*]

ok finally got time to write a post. Personally I would pick three places if you're going for 7-10 days. I'd spend 2/3 nights in Dublin, a night in Galway and the rest of the time in Kerry, especially Dingle. You could always fly into Dublin and start there, then go to Kerry and spend your last night in Galway and fly out of Shannon. One thing to remember is that Ireland is small and with the new roads you can be down to Kerry in four hours from Dublin. Galway is about a two and a half hour drive from Dublin so it doesn't take long to travel to different counties.
. Wander around grafton street, get a butlers hot chocolate, visit Trinity College and the Book of Kells. Personally I didn't enjoy Dublinia at all so I'd probably avoid that. Take one of the Viking Splash tours-they are brilliant. We've been on it two or three times and the guides are hilarious and so well informed. Get a cocktail in the Shelbourne hotel. Visit the Guinness factory also-they have a great tour and you get your free pint of Guinness at the top.

Galway is a fabulous city and it's where we usually go with our group of friends if we're going for a weekend away. It's a very compact city and you can walk around it very easily. Great nightlife also.

Kerry is just beautiful. It's the most gorgeous scenic county, especially around Dingle. As someone else mentioned I'd avoid the ring of Kerry and instead do the Slea Head Drive. Conor Pass has the most amazing views of anywhere I've ever visited. It can be a little bit nerve wrecking in spots as the road narrows in certain areas so only one car can pass at a time but there are little pull ins everywhere so it's easy enough to pull in if someone is trying to get past. Go visit Brandon Pier. They have a tiny little pub on the pier and you can sit in with the locals and there is usually someone playing an instrument and having a sing song. There is a restaurant in Dingle called Into the blue that serves only the fish that it catches that day so if you like seafood go here. We go to this restaurant every summer and the food is absolutely delicious. You can get boat trips out from Dingle harbour which is a nice way to spend some time.
Better go to college now but if you have any questions just give me a shout.

ETA-think I might have the hooley night link wrong-here's the link to Johnny fox's jfp.ie

 

[Porridge]

Nothing to add to bee*''s post other than to ditto every word and to second the Galway suggestion! I just love Galway (even though it was the cause of yesterday''s hangover!) and of all cities, I think it is the most Irish, and definitely the most fun.

entertainment.ie is a good website if you''re looking for things to do.

 

[artdecogirl]

Haven, How exciting! We just got back from a 9 day trip to Ireland and had a great time, we were in Dublin for St. patricks day ( something I would not recomend!) We found Dublin to be a much more interesting town the Galway but I think we were missing something there. In Dublin they have a hop on / hop off bus that you pay a flat fee and can ride it all day and it goes to all the majer attractions, We stayed at Jurys inn christchurch and went to sleep with the church bells ringing, I liked it, others with us did not. The gaol, Trinity college and Powerscourt were great, I thought Guinness was boring but the view from the top was worth it. We also went to The Irish house party, its a revolving group of performers, irish music and dance with some comedy thrown in. along with a meal, well worth the 42Euro. We then went to Dingle and the Ring of Kerry, Dingle is the best We stayed mostly at B&Bs , it takes some getting used to as others have said but you meet awesome people! If you go to Doolin, it is close to the cliffs of Mohr, go to Oconners pub and order the Bacon and Cabbage (not much cabbage involved) Best food I had in Ireland and the ambiance is great! Also we did splurge and stay at Ballnahinch castle in Recess, close to Galway, The very best place we stayed, I loved it and will always think of it when I think of Ireland. I felt like Blarney was way too touristy, and just not that interesting. Also go to The rock of Cashel and Hoar abbey in Cashel, we stayed at a B&B at the base of the castle in a little pink house, The owner was a retired nurse and the most helpfull and friendly people you could meet. The people in Ireland were soooo nice. Enjoy!!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I am just seconding everybody''s opinion to spend time in Killarney/Dingle/Kerry as well as Galway. I am the type who loves bouncing from place to place and Ireland is the PERFECT place to do that--eveyrthing is so close, so you can drive for a few hours, stay at an adorable B&B and see so much in a week. I know that you said you would prefer to stay in one place, but I would definitely recommend driving around since each coast offers something different and everything is so close. I personally wish we hadn''t spent 2.5 days in Dublin (one would have been fine) and spent more time around Dingle. I felt that the southwest part of the island was the most cultural.

 

[Blackpaw]

how exciting, Haven

im very jealous!

I used Westport as a base when i visited last year. Its a picturesque little town with fun nightlife, not far from Galway. It was great for visiting Kylemore, Ashford Castle, The Cliffs of Moher etc. If you did a few days in Dublin it might be another spot to look into for your base for the rest of the trip - depending on what you want to see of course.

 

[TravelingGal]

Driving in Ireland is half the fun...so if you are going to wander in any country, this is the country to do it.

I''m all for slowtrav Haven, but in all honesty, it is possible to be pretty ready to move on from one place to another in Ireland. A week to 10 days is plenty to see 3 places. I was there for 11 nights I think and I stopped in Galway, Doolin, Dingle, Kinsale and Adare.

I haven''t been to Dublin, but I hear it''s worth a look.

I''m still a proponent of the fly into Shannon, do Galway (With a drive into the Connemara), Doolin/Cliifs of Moher/Conors pass/Dingle route. I also vote skip the ring and do Slea Head Drive first, but if you have time, why not do both? The towns on the ring look very cute, but just extra touristy.

There are some faster roads in Ireland. There are also some roads where it seems like it shouldn''t take as long as it does. That''s the charm of Ireland...just be laid back about it and all will be fine!

I''ll be honest...the Cliffs of Moher didn''t particularly impress me until I went back the next day because two guys I met said if you throw something off the cliff, it comes back to you. So we went back and I watched him throw his jacket and hat off and it flew back to him. Of course, you need to make sure you throw it UP and not down!!!

 

[artdecogirl]

I forgot to add a drive through Kilarney national park, lovely, it jsut glowed green and has a great waterfall.

 

[HollyS]

Completely jealous over here.

I could only be more Irish if I had actually been born there. Well, there''s that touch of Scotch, but it''s been pretty diluted by the ''Micks''.

Sigh. Someday, I''ll go.

 

[movie zombie]

dublin is a really big city with all the big city goodies and problems. personally, i was happier on the west coast of ireland......loved Sligo. The Burren is a must see if you''re driving from dingle to galway. i liked the isolation of mayo county.......

driving is easy. ireland is small. i drove from the west coast of ireland to dublin to attend the film festival for one day and it only took a little over two hours.

be prepared weather-wise for anything.

mz

 

[Harleigh]

I love this thread! DH wants to take his parents to Holland before they''re too old to go, so he said we might take some time and hit Ireland, too! (I''ll believe it when I see it, but I''m keeping my fingers crossed!)

Great advice, everyone!

 

[Haven]

Thank you for all of these great recommendations! Deco, I''ve spent a lot of time in your thread and it''s made me so excited for our trip!

I have a really difficult time creating itineraries when I''m not that familiar with the destination. SO, this is what I have so far:

Fly into Dublin
Day 1: Stay in Dublin
Day 2: Stay in Dublin
Day 3:Stay in Galway, Visit Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, Galway (1 hr, 14 min drive)
Day 4: Stay in Doolin (rec: Ballyvara House), visit Cliffs of Moher
Day 5: Stay in Dingle
Day 6: Stay in Dingle
Day 7: Stay in Dingle, Visit Killarney National Park
Day 8: Morning in Dingle, drive to Shannon Airport
Fly home out of Shannon

How does this look?

We''ll save some money by flying into Dublin and out of Shannon, instead of the other way around. I''m not sure why that is, but the flights are less expensive. I have a giant list of things to do in each spot, now we just have to figure out what we really want to do.

 

[zoebartlett]

Your itinerary sounds great Haven! I was going to recommend staying another night in Galway if you can squeeze it in but I don''t know if it''s possible and/or if you''d have any interest. There''s just so much to do around that area. Anyway, I think what you''ve planned sounds fabulous. I''d love to get to Dingle someday! I''m so glad you''re considering the Ballyvara House. It''s a great place! When we went a few years ago, they had just finished converting it from a B&B to a hotel.

 

[zoebartlett]

Also, if you''re interested in seeing a traditional Irish music show, a great one to go to is in Galway. The only problem is that I can''t remember the name of it. Ack! I was trying to looking it up for you the other night but I couldn''t find it.

If anyone who knows Galway well, this place is right on Claddagh Quay, across from all the very colorful houses. I know that''s probably an awful description but it''s all I''ve got! I''ll keep looking. Haven, it''s fabulous and definitely worth going to!

 

[Haven]

Thanks for the info, Zoe!

I''ve done some updating on the itinerary, but I think we have too many things going on here. AND, I have a lot of questions. (Thanks in advance to everyone for your help! I''m so excited about this trip, but the planning of it is really overwhelming me.)

1) What would you skip out on or change? Alternatively, are we really missing out on any *must sees* for our short trip?

2) Should we skip the Connemara National Park on Day 4, and then go straight from Galway on Day 3 to Dingle, and stop at the Cliffs of Moher on the way to Dingle? That would clear up Day 5 for some slow driving around Dingle.

3) If DH and I are flying out of Shannon, does it make sense for us to spend our last night in Dingle? What''s the best way to get from Dingle to Shannon Airport? Should we stay in Shannon our last night?

4) AND, my sister and her FI are flying to Tel Aviv out of Dublin, so would it make sense for them to drive back to Galway and stay there for their last night, and then take the rail from Galway to Dublin their last morning?

5) What do you think about us taking the rail from Dublin to Galway and skipping Kylemore Abbey altogether? Would we really be missing out? Would it be better to rent the car on our second (and last) day in Dublin and drive to the abbey on our way to Galway?

6) DH and sister''s FI *really* want to take in a sporting match while we''re there. It looks like there won''t be any hurling or gaelic football matches going on the first week of June--am I correct? Are there any other sports matches that we could take in?

7) Sister''s FI really wants to visit a castle. Recommendations?

Here''s the current tentative itinerary:

Arrive in Dublin from O''Hare (and Tel Aviv) early morning
Day 1: Dublin
- Stay in Dublin
Day 2: Dublin
- Stay in Dublin
Day 3: Kylemore Abbey & Galway at night
- Stay in Galway
- Dublin to Kylemore Abbey (174 km, 2 hrs/13 mins)
- Klymore Abbey to Galway (57 km, 1 hr/2 mins)
Day 4: Connemara National Park and Galway at night
- Stay in Galway
- Galway to Connemara National Park (83.4 km, 1 hr/20 mins)
Day 5: Cliffs of Moher and Dingle at night
- Stay in Dingle
- Galway to Cliffs of Moher (82.2 km, 1 hr/19 mins)
- Cliffs of Moher to Dingle (157 km, 3 hrs/4 mins)
Day 6: Killarney National Park and Dingle
- Stay in Dingle
- Dingle to Killarney National Park (78.2 km, 1 hr/20 mins)
Day 7: Slea Head Drive
- Stay in Dingle
Day 8: Dingle
- Morning in Dingle
DH and I fly out of Shannon to O''Hare; Sister and sister''s FI fly out of Dublin to Tel Aviv

There are too many things to see and do (and places to eat!) in Dublin that I can''t even tackle those details right now. (I''d love to GTG with any Irish PSers while we''re there, by the way!)

I''ve already contacted Greenmount House to book our stay in Dingle and I''m really excited that they are available and affordable. Thank you to Deco and TGal (I THINK!) for that rec from Deco''s honeymoon thread.

Thanks again everyone for all of your advice and information. I''m so, so, so excited to *finally* visit Ireland. This is the trip I''ve been waiting for for YEARS!