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Traveling through IRELAND- any tips?
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Snap!
Jul 17, 08 15:04
Post #1 of 21 (227 views)
Traveling through IRELAND- any tips?
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we've got a week; Sunday to Sunday, landing in Dublin, traveling with a 9 and 11yr old boys and hub, car is rented, first night in Dublin reserved. Is driving North and then counter clockwise too much? how are the roads? what shouldn't be missed? we do want to stay away from the touristy stuff except for Blarney Castle. what's it like to "go for a run" there? any help is appreciated guys-thanks :)
MattinSF
Jul 17, 08 15:38
Post #2 of 21 (226 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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Do this loop.
Dublin across to Galway and start there and make your way around the south west corner of the Country.
Aran Islands....GO THERE!!! see Dun Aengus you will not regret it, and spend the night too.
Doolin
Dingle Peninsula
Ring of Kerry.
Kinsale
Kilkenny/Cashel
Back to Dublin
Spend as little time in Dublin as possible, its just another big city and you can see those anywhere.
Running can be a challenge because you're usually limited to country roads, and have to deal with Irish sheep dogs and irish drivers. Aran is a great place to run because there are only 2 cars on the island.
If you want to go North you could spend a whole week in Donegal alone and have a great time; Glencolumbcille is beautiful, Slieve League is where the highest cliffs in Ireland are to be found, Glenveagh National Park and castle are spectacular, Malin Head, and you can take the Ferry across the Foyle from Moville to Magilligan and from there its a short drive to see the Giants Causeway.
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HOPE is a plan that worked. CHANGE is a plan that worked. BELIEVE is a plan that worked.
lunchbox
Jul 17, 08 15:43
Post #3 of 21 (225 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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My father and uncle went last September. He said the small towns were awesome. They spent most of the time near Donegal, as that's where Grampa was from. They said the drive to Cook was really scenic, and enjoyed it a lot (Cook was where Grandma was from).
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damnilocano
Jul 17, 08 15:49
Post #4 of 21 (223 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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If you like Guinness beer.. you gotta make that trip! So much better from the source!!!
Cliffs of Moher are cool. Keep an eye on your kids because they just tell you that you shouldn't go over the 2ft wall to get closer to the edge of the cliff. I went over the wall and it was pretty scary close to the edge!
Why couldn't my bike stand up by itself? It was TOO TIRED!!!!
trackie clm
Jul 17, 08 15:54
Post #5 of 21 (219 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [MattinSF]
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Agree with Matt on this:
Dublin across to Galway and start there
Doolin
Dingle Peninsula
But then I'd go north to Sligo, Donegal and into the north of Ireland. I loved Sligo and Donegal. And I loved Dublin A LOT, but that may have been due to having a page of names of family and friends of SF-based Irish to call on and they took me out every night.
clm
http://ironclm.typepad.com
YaHey
Jul 17, 08 16:07
Post #6 of 21 (214 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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My favorite part of Ireland is Northern Ireland. Visiting Belfast is still my favorite site. I really like Dublin and the pubs there. The small towns in Ireland are scenic. But for me nothing beats visiting ground zero of the Troubles. I have a family picture standing next to the wall separating the catholics from the protestants. The police stations in the middle of the roads are great.
Also, bring gore tex jackets asd it rains a lot/often.
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Snap!
Jul 17, 08 16:09
Post #7 of 21 (213 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [MattinSF]
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thanks to everyone so far- I'm excited! great ideas- how fast can you drive? for instance, this is what I wanted to do: arrive Dublin, looksee around then drive to Belfast for the night, then over to Donegal and down to Sligo( can that be done in a day?), then Galway, the Aran Ils. and the cliffs of Moher would that be another night? then to ring of Kerry drive (stop in Killarney?) and on to Cork (4th night give or take), next day on to Cashel and then Killkenny and finish off back in Dublin?
we are all about the small towns and need to go to Sligo since that's where the McElroy's set sail for America! lol we've got to see where hubs people came from :). Of course the Guinness beer is a must, the Irish Whiskey (Jameson) is another must, it would be cool to see where the Titanic set off from and Belfast intrigues me- the whole country intrigues me. I heard it was the size of West Virginia but driving is another thing- it's not particularly fast? like the rest of Europe?
Again, we could head south first too but need to fit Sligo in there
it's amazing! the kids DON"T want to take the Nintendo Ds's- because they don't want to miss anything!!! yippee!!!!
trackie clm
Jul 17, 08 17:09
Post #8 of 21 (208 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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Too much driving. You'll be driving and not seeing. Might as well stay home and look at pictures. I was there for over 2 weeks and only saw about 1/3 of what you want to see.
>> but driving is another thing- it's not particularly fast?<<
Not fast. Some places out on the west coast, the road is about wide enough for 1.5 cars, so when there are two cars coming from opposite directions, well, you do the math.
Dub to Belfast in a day OK, then I'd stay 2 nights in Belfast (if you want to see anything in Belfast).
Belfast over to Donegal, stay in Donegal and see Slieve League. I'd stay in Bunbeg or Killybegs, or somewhere on the coast. You can do a few days in Dongal. I do admit a preference to Donegal as that's where my ex is from.
http://www.donegalcottageholidays.com/donegalmap/index.htm
Sligo would be another full day. Lots to see there. I think I stayed just outside Sligo Town. It was yet another very full day of driving to get from there through Co. Mayo and Co. Galway to Co. Clare (the Burren was great, but roads were NARROW and slow) to Lahinch where I stayed.
clm
http://ironclm.typepad.com
MattinSF
Jul 17, 08 17:22
Post #9 of 21 (204 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [trackie clm]
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You married a man from Donegal????
you have my sympathies!
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HOPE is a plan that worked. CHANGE is a plan that worked. BELIEVE is a plan that worked.
trackie clm
Jul 17, 08 17:37
Post #10 of 21 (198 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [MattinSF]
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No, smartened up before I married him. After staying with his parents in Donegal, I saw what I was in for. Someone would have killed someone. ;-)
clm
http://ironclm.typepad.com
corinwright
Jul 17, 08 17:39
Post #11 of 21 (197 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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Roads, except for around Dublin are quite primitive by western standards. you will not be going 65, 50 maybe... most are one lane each way, and busy enough not to pass. it will take much longer between towns than you would guess.
my advice, parse down the places and enjoy each one. we did essentially the trip that matt recommended in 10days and it was almost too much. dont try to do the whole country in one week, save the north (or south) for another trip...
the guiness tour is pretty good, jameson is average (and scotch whisky is better than irish whiskey). Cobh (titanic take off, across from Cork) has a nice, small, museum.
recommend a night of music in doolin and recommend B&Bs, but they book up in advance, so you should probably have some sort of itinerary before you land.
Brian in MA
Jul 17, 08 17:39
Post #12 of 21 (197 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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I was there in November 2006. Driving is a bit hairy, especially in the western part of the country. As someone else mentioned, the roads there are maybe about 1.5 car widths across and usually have a tall hedgerow on both sides, so it can be hard to see if anything is coming the other way.
That being said, Dingle was by far my favorite part of the country. Drive the loop of Slegh Head to see some awesome views and pretty cool ruins. Great little town to walk around with plenty of good shops, pubs and restaurants. Gaelic is still the primary language in that area, which is also pretty cool. I'll also chime in of the Cliffs of Moher as being a must-see during your trip.
If you do go to Killarney, check out Ross Castle a few miles outside of town. Dates back to the 13th century and the tour is pretty good, something that your kids might be interested in.
Dublin was great, Galway also. It is a beautiful country. Enjoy!
"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler
tri_bri2
Jul 17, 08 20:27
Post #13 of 21 (188 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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Yeah--watch the hell out for oil trucks, tour buses, and bicyclists! Oh, and there's a bridge on the Ring of Kerry that took my left front wheel and side view mirror off--watch out for that too.
JamieJ
Jul 18, 08 0:58
Post #14 of 21 (179 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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I ditto the route that MattinSF suggested. Stay in Dublin as little as possible. There is nothing to see there. Waste of time. If your tix weren't already purchased I would say to fly in/out of Shannon. I've done this trip 4x now (3 in car, 1 on bike). If you take only one piece of my advice take this:
when renting a car buy all the insurance you can. BUY THE EXTRA CDW. Do not try to skip the insurance by using a credit card. Take the pre-inspection of the car VERY seriously. I've rented with 3 different companies and one thing is the same. When you return the car they go over it with white gloves and a fine tooth comb. When this happens, you'll be glad you paid the extra. DON'T SKIMP ON THIS YOU WILL REGRET IT. If you have never driven on the left and in Ireland, chances are you will bump and scrape a little. I don't care if you are A.J. f'in Foyt.
Enjoy the trip. Ireland is great.....but REALLY expensive now with the euros. Stay in B&B's not hotels.
2009 Races:
TTT, Muncie Endurathon, IMoo
goobie
Jul 18, 08 3:36
Post #15 of 21 (175 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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I'm in Belfast. If you're flying in to Dublin you are about 2 or so hours drive from here.
The main road from Dublin up here is pretty good; in fact it might be a good road to get used to driving on! Once you're here you have a wide choice of all the usual hotels to stay in town. Belfast is quite small, you'll be able to walk around easily. For a starter, I recommend the bus tours. A few companies are doing them now, but I've only been on this one
http://www.belfastcitysightseeing.com/.
They'll show you all the things you need to see, and you can go back and walk to the things that interest you. It's a shame you weren't here last week - you missed the 11th night bonfires.
I would make a suggestion that you think about taking a train for a portion of your trip. You can go and see the north coast - You HAVE to do the Giants Causeway, Portrush, make sure you do the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, (weather permitting) - and you'll see more of the scenery without the hassle. Then when you are ready to west and south you will be fresh and raring to go.
Other ideas - the lakes around Fermanagh are beautiful. Ireland is a bit more of a closed book to me, so I'll defer to other visitors. We have been to Cork and that is nice, it was the last place the Titanic stopped before it set sail. It all depends what you want to see. the National Trust
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/
keeps lots of old houses in Northern Ireland that are interesting, though maybe not so much for the young ones!
Hope this helps. Get in touch if you want more information (or a tour guide for Belfast!)
Nick
MattinSF
Jul 18, 08 8:52
Post #16 of 21 (155 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [goobie]
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No harm to Nick, but Belfast is an armpit. Nothing worthwhile to see there unless you're into sectarian murals or tasteless murder tours in smelly black taxis.
And you're very lucky you missed the 12th of July hatefest, trust me. Thousands of Buckfast swilling teenagers in soccer shirts and nylon pants yelling f**k the Pope and burning anything they can find thats green. Its not pretty and is a relic of an ugly past that some people refuse to let go of.
If you have a week you should try to limit your driving as much as possible and try not to squeeze too much in. From Dublin its a day in the car to Donegal or Kerry and half a day to Belfast or Galway.
I have been to every county and travelled every corner of the island North and South, if you are looking for that "Quiet man" rural Ireland experience, do that South West corner loop or go North West to Donegal which is just as beautiful and less touristy...though longer to get to.
Good luck with the weather, I was there in early May and it was fantastic...hot and sunny every day for nearly 2 weeks...but I hear it hasn;t stopped raining since.
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HOPE is a plan that worked. CHANGE is a plan that worked. BELIEVE is a plan that worked.
MattinSF
Jul 18, 08 9:01
Post #17 of 21 (152 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [trackie clm]
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No, smartened up before I married him. After staying with his parents in Donegal, I saw what I was in for. Someone would have killed someone. ;-)
clm
My parents retired to Donegal. They are still getting accustomed to the locals and their strange ways. :-)
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HOPE is a plan that worked. CHANGE is a plan that worked. BELIEVE is a plan that worked.
trackie clm
Jul 18, 08 10:49
Post #18 of 21 (140 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [MattinSF]
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Where are they?
I was in Raphoe, just southeast of Letterkenny. 300 families in the parish, number of Protestants unknown. They weren't quite sure what to make of a Methodist.
clm
http://ironclm.typepad.com
MattinSF
Jul 18, 08 10:59
Post #19 of 21 (138 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [trackie clm]
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My folks are further north in Inishowen.
Raphoe is a nice little place, a very sleepy little backwater road to nowhere sort of town. I'd guess there are a few methodists running around town but mostly C of I, that part of east Donegal is about 50/50 Catholic/Protestant.
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HOPE is a plan that worked. CHANGE is a plan that worked. BELIEVE is a plan that worked.
Snap!
Jul 29, 08 5:30
Post #20 of 21 (82 views)
Re: Traveling through IRELAND- any tips? [Snap!]
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Thanks to everyone-it was a fantastic trip- I thought I'd update just a wee bit if anyone was interested.
First off- I HATE jet lag- lordy! didn't feel normal till 5 days out!
2nd- B and B's are the WAY TO GO-there are so many in all parts of the country EXCEPT northern Ireland that it was no trouble just dropping in
3rd-the driving was, well, YIKES! slow, twisty, at times very scenic but you had to keep your eyes on the road-split 2nds count!
4th-no place to really do any of my training plan except to run (and the bikes through Phoenix park in Dublin)
So, I LOVED Dublin- didn't think I would but I was suprised- loved the big park there- loved Temple bar Dist. area, LOVED the Guinness Beer tour, did the Jameson tour and liked that for the onsite tastings- the drinks were much better "fresh" we took off from there driving the rental car down to Kilkenny, skipped Waterford, on to Cork, Blarney, Bantry, a tiny bit of the Ring of Kerry drive that included the Nt'l Park drive, then, up to Killarney, Tralee, got a flat tire in Abbeyfeale whereupon I had THE NICEST old man help me change the tire,had to skip the Dingle area sadly, up to Limerick and then the Cliffs of Moher where I went over beyond the barrier and sat down on the edge to take photographs! YIKES I can't believe I did that now (got called "rude American" by 2 French women at the Cliffs for no apparent reason) on to the Burren which was eye popping, Galway, had to skip Connemara, but drove up to Ballina and then in along the coast to Sligo where my husbands people set sail for America- we couldn't find any McElroys there but we did find a family crest and name map whereupon we learned his people were from Fermanagh! so off we go into Northern Ireland where suddenly there were no more B and B's, the people were very snooty but the driving was better- we decided to get outa there and headed to Cavan where we spent the night back in the land of B &B's :), came in through Navan and back to Dublin for 2 days with plenty to do- it was a fantastic trip, a lot of driving and next time we'll do more train. I haven't even looked at my pics yet- need to do the download on those- I really appreciated all of ya'lls tips for a great trip; I used them all!
trackie clm
Jul 29, 08 10:07
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Sounds like an awesome trip!!!
clm
http://ironclm.typepad.com
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