Ireland

ireland.ie

discoverireland.com

Organised Tours

http://www.shamrocker.com/ 
http://www.tirnanogtours.com/  
http://celticconnectiontours.com/   
http://www.paddywagontours.com/

Things to Do

There aren't too many tourists around in the Winter so it is actually a nice time to go and see those places that you might have skipped during the summer because they were too 'touristy'.  Beyond that, you could try picking up an instrument or learning a couple of party pieces for local music sessions. It's a good time for sitting in, drinking by the fire, and playing music.

You could also find some Football matches to go to or Rugby or even more interesting, Gaelic Football matches. You could also look into fishing. Ireland has some world-class fishing rivers.

Golf is always an option if you're interested but it's not for the faint of heart. Golfing in Ireland can be very...um...adventurous.

And you should always ask around. You'll find out more from people than you ever could from a guide book. Hostel staff are usually very knowledgeable too.  

I travelled around Ireland for 4 late winter weeks playing music in 20 different sessions. One of the best was in Kilkenny at Ana Conda's if you've ever got the chance to go there. I even won a Bodhran out at the uni in Limerick. They were giving it away to whoever would come up to the stage and play it the best. Then I lived in Derry for the next 4 months and played in a session every Wednesday and Sunday. A group of us also traveled to other towns when a Ceili was on. Every time I return to Derry I pick up where I left off with the Sunday group.

I did go to the Harvest Festival in Lisdoonvarna and ended up playing a lot of music there too. The associated matchmaking made for a good party.

Deciding where to Go

Galway City is a fun town.  We stayed in a village outside of Galway City and daytripped around the west coast. I highly recommend Galway City for a few days at least, it's a fun university town with a nice vibe.  It's a good base for regional travel.  You can get a ferry or boat to the outlying Aran Islands and do a day trip or stay in a hostel there.

The people in Co. Clare were really cool, and there's a number of good sights, including the Burren (some of the strangest scenery in Europe), Ennis, the Cliffs of Moher and Doolin.   The Burren has astrange landscape, ancient tombs, piles of stones and is kinda eerie.

Head to the Crane for good music...it's in an older part of town. I know a few fellas that play there and they're VERY good. There's good music elsewhere but those pubs tend to be packed with tourists.  

Ennis is one of the nicest small towns in Ireland. Lots of buildings made out of grey stone, very old-looking.  There's also an old monastery in or near Ennis.  It is the capital of Clare.

Alternatievely, Doolin can also be a good base for seeing the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.

If you're into Yeats, go to Sligo. I thought it was a neat little town but a lot of people find it boring.  Some Yeats history there if you're into his work and a hard-working yet sadly crappy football team. Go Rovers!  

Glendalough is a cool place.Very atmospheric.  

You might make a trip to Donegal if any snow falls, the white snow provides a pretty amazing contrast to the lush greens up in the Northwest.
 
People, for some reason, still think that the North is a warzone. That's not the case. Derry is, the oldest walled city in Europe. There is a lot of history there and, of course, you've got the political history.  It isn't exactly a tourist resort but it's something I'd recommend for at least ONE day  Don't miss the Ulster Museum

If you're interested at all in 'the troubles' Derry is a worthwhile visit. There are trials into things like Bloody Sunday that switch between Derry and are quite interesting to watch.

Derry is also on the way to some interesting touristy places like the Giant's Causeway. There are the political murals that everyone seems to like taking pictures of and you've got quite a mish mash of people in the city really.

The stretch of land between Portrush and Portstewart is absolutely breathtaking.
You should make time to at least take a trip along the North Coast of Ireland. You can start off in Larne and follow the road all the way up to Portrush.  It's the most spectacular coastline in all of Ireland,eclipses Galway etc. You have all the old castles along the route and you eventually end up at the Giants Causeway.  If you don't stop you can cover it in a couple of hours

It really is one of the better trips you can take in Ireland. It takes in the seven Glens and it's an easy drive.  If you take the Coast Road on a clear day you can see across to the West Coast of Scotland on your way up to the Causeway as the Western Isles of Scotland are just across the channel.  Islay is only something like 12 miles away at it's closest point.

Hey, if you're there in July maybe you could all experience the 660 mile one day road Ireland road trip just bring an airline sick bag and some valium if you're a nervous passenger. Maybe a blindfold for the Motorway sections.

The drive around Inishowen (see: Malin) is very nice as well. You could do that and easily hit the Buncrana Festival...it would tack on nicely to the coastal drive.

Festivals

Fiddlers Green Festival

Dundrum Festival

Ulster Cinema Festival

Buncrana Festival

Trip Report - Brandi

Both the Irish and Scots were friendly and helpful and just fun to talk to.    
If you have a car in Ireland (which is the best way to see the country), definitely go to Doolin which is near the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. We stayed one night there in a B&B and the next morning went to the nearby sights. Doolin is a small town, but soooo wonderful and beautiful.

Also, check out Bunratty Castle in Limerick, near the Shannon airport. At night, the castle throws a midlevel feast, and there is wonderful live music, singing and dancing. They really put on a fun show. Totally worth it!

Blarney Castle is pretty awesome. It was probably my favorite castle there.

We drove through so many small towns, but each one was remarkable and we always found something fascinating in each (in Ballybunion, they have a bronze statue of former Pres. Clinton golfing, it was to commemorate his golfing visit there in the 1990's. Crazy Irishmen).

We drove the Dingle Peninsula which was very nerve-wracking at times (some parts, the roads were SUPER narrow), but stopped along the way to tour some beehive huts that are privately owned (you pay the farmer a euro or two). Now that was awesome! Also, the town of Dingle is beautiful, and you might even run into a super friendly black cat while you're there who likes to destroy hats! We stayed in a lovely B&B in Castlegregory and had a cool ocean view.

The only tour we took was through the Ring of Kerry. We are glad we did, it was a bit more relaxing for us. Our driver was awesome, he picked us up and another couple who were on their honeymoon first (we were at the same B&B), so we got the front row seats which was the best view. Every stop we made, the driver downed a few Guinness's, which freaked me out at first, but we figured Guinness is like soda to him by now (damn drunk Irishmen). But he was a ton of fun, and made the bus tour memorable.

Ireland is the most beautiful place I have ever been to, real green and soooo much room to breath! It was a nice break from Newark, NJ. At the end of next year, my then husband and I are taking my parents there. I could go on about Ireland, but don't want to ramble anymore. But seriously, we took the most amazing pics there, and you'll see the most amazing things. So many castles, cathedrals, and old ruins. And thatched roof houses! I truly hope to retire there.

One word of caution: ALL the drivers (except the tourists) drive like they are in the Indianapolis 500. I thought that in the country, people would be relaxed and take their sweet time, but definitely NOT the case!

Trip Report - DC Mom

My recent trip to Northern Ireland with 60 distant cousins was unique because we visited many sites related to our ancestors who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1700s. Most of the members of our group had never met each other, but by the end of our five days together we were bonded together in a special way that I don't think would have been possible under any other circumstances.

Our tour was handled by CIE Tours, and I want to give them a "Bravo!" because their bus driver/tour guides went out of their way to please us and were excellent sources of information about local history and sights.

After arriving separately at Dublin Airport, we drove north to Belfast, stopping on the way at Monasterboice to see the Celtic high crosses, monastery ruins, and a round tower. The crosses there are supposed to be the best examples in all of Ireland.

Before delivering us to our base in Belfast, Jurys Inn, our guides drove us around the city for some sightseeing. We traveled down the Falls Road (Republican neighborhood) and Springfield Road and through the "peace line" to Shankill Road (Loyalist neighborhood). Since our visit took place about ten days after the Loyalist celebrations of the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, the Shankill area was full of Union Jacks and red, white, and blue pennants flying as well as signs of support for the Loyalist position. For me, it was fascinating and in some ways reminded me of my 1989 trip to West and East Berlin where the demarcation between two opposing political positions was vivid. We drove all around Belfast, past the Albert Memorial, Queen's University, the City Hall, and other sights and on to our hotel which was very near the Opera House and the famous Crown Liquor Saloon, which is where I had dinner that night.

The next day our bus traveled north and west of Belfast around Lough Neagh to the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone. This park was particularly interesting to me since it's been constructed around the original homestead of Thomas Mellon who emigrated as a child with his parents to western Pennsylvania where I live and where the Mellon name is well-known. Many of the buildings have docents inside to explain aspects of life in the 1700s and the history of the time, and some of the buildings were brought to the site from Pennsylvania. The docents answered our many questions and were just interesting people to talk to, apart from their jobs at the park.

From the Folk Park we headed to Armagh where we toured both of the St. Patrick's Cathedrals, one for the Protestant Church of Ireland and the other for the Roman Catholic faith. One thing we learned is not to use the term "Anglican" when talking about the Church of Ireland because that term is seen as "English" and they want to be known as a separate Irish church. For dinner that night some of us went to Speranza's in Belfast for pizza and other Italian dishes. The food portions were huge and delicious.

On our third day in Ireland we visited the Irish Linen Centre and Museum because some of our Irish ancestors were linen weavers who brought their skills to the New World and made their living selling fine linens in the colonies and to England. It was interesting to us because of that connection and the tour guide and people who demonstrated aspects of linen making were excellent, and we had the chance to buy some Irish linens in their gift shop. It was market day in Lisburn so I walked down the main street, people watching and soaking up the local atmosphere as I went along, and the pedestrian area was crowded with shoppers and people out for a walkabout.

Our afternoon was spent visiting two Quaker meeting houses and burial grounds because our ancestors were Quakers who were associated with these locations, and we were treated to lunch at one of the meetings and tea at the other. I can't say enough about the warmth and hospitality shown to our group by the Quakers we met. There are so few of them, maybe 30 - 50 members total with 15 - 20 showing up for meeting on a given Sunday, and yet they fed our large group with china plates, bowls, and cups and real silverware that would need to be washed afterward by a mere 6 - 10 people and the food they prepared for us was homemade and fresh. Nothing was store-bought, nothing was catered, no food was processed, and there were no paper plates and cups and no plastic silverware like one would typically find at an American church's pot-luck lunch or dinner. We were overwhelmed by the Quakers' kindness and generosity. After returning to Belfast, some of us ate dinner at Bourbon, a lovely restaurant with very good food and service.

The fourth day of our trip was a Sunday, and we connected with more of our Quaker roots by attending a Quaker meeting worship service. Since almost none of our group were Quakers, the meeting leaders explained to us in advance about what to expect, and then we began to sit in silence and meditate or pray. From time to time people from the meeting and some people in our group would rise and pray aloud, read from the Bible and offer their interpretations of the readings, or simply express their thoughts about their faith. After about an hour the meeting ended, and once again we were treated to a delicious lunch with china, silver, and homemade food, including desserts made with fresh cream - no Cool Whip for these folks  . Many of the meeting's members joined us afterward on our tour buses as we drove into the nearby countryside and down narrow Irish roads hardly wide enough for a car, let alone two big tour buses.

Our first stop was the cemetery, formerly owned by a Quaker meeting but now privately owned, where our ancestors were buried. It was in the middle of apple orchards which was important to me since I still have family members in the orchard business in PA, and this industry is another one that my ancestors brought with them to the New World.

From there we went to the site of the old Quaker meeting house where our ancestors worshiped. The building is gone now since it was made of mud, but the stone stairs and pillars remain and some of us thought it would be cool to do an archeological dig there someday.

Our next stop was kind of incongruous with the rest of our trip, the Dan Winter Cottage owned by Hilda Winter and its next-door counterpart/rival, the Dan Winter House owned by Colin Winter, for which I couldn't find a URL so unfortunately I can't give them "equal time." One of these buildings - and really both of them - was at the center of the Battle of the Diamond, after which the Orange Order was established. Now we were traveling with local Quakers and our family group was descended from Quakers, yet here we were at a place with a history of violence and in whose rooms can be seen regalia from the Orange Order. It was kind of surreal, but the reason why we went there was that our ancestor who emigrated from Ireland to America was married to a woman who was a widow of one of the Winter men so we were connected in a tangential way. Both Hilda and Colin were great hosts, and it was interesting to see this bit of Irish history along with all the others we'd already seen.

Our last historic site for the day was the very pretty town of Loughgall, a place I'd like to see someday when the apple orchards are in bloom. Our Irish ancestor who emigrated to America lived in this town with his family prior to emigrating so it's kind of our Irish "home town." We returned our local Quaker friends to their meeting house and headed back to Belfast.

Dinner that night was at Maggie May's, 50 Botanic Avenue in Belfast, which I understand is popular with university students and a great place for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. It helps that it's also inexpensive. You can bring your own wine, and they'll uncork it for you without a fee.

Our final day in Ireland was the only truly touristy one with a drive up the coast past the Glens of Antrim and on to the Giant's Causeway. The towns, coast, and scenery on this route are simply beautiful, and it's strange to see palm trees growing so far north of the equator. (Many thanks to murloch for suggesting that we take this route!)

We passed by the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and while we didn't go down to it, we could see people walking on it and had the chance to take some pictures. The Giant's Causeway is amazing, and we climbed on the rocks and walked all around.

From there we headed for the town of Bushmills and the Bushmills Distillery. We began with lunch in their cafeteria, and I can highly recommend the whiskey cheesecake! We toured the distillery, but it was a bit disappointing since July is their official vacation month so rather than seeing actual operations, we saw the equipment and were shown videos of the process. Afterward we had a free whiskey tasting, and I chose the 12-year-old whiskey that can only be tasted and purchased at the distillery. I was no whiskey drinker before the tour, and I haven't converted since  . Everyone who drank the 12-year-old said it was very smooth and liked it so I would say to go by their recommendation since my only impression was a bitter taste and extreme heat rising from my throat and tummy up through my ears!

Before returning to Belfast we drove past the ruins of Dunluce Castle which are especially evocative on a misty, cloudy day like the one we had.

Most of our family group went to the Crown Liquor Saloon for dinner that evening, and since it was a Monday and one of their slower nights, the management seemed pretty happy for our business. The food was excellent and the service was great, and we pretty much took over their dining room with just a few locals seated at tables on the fringes of the room near the bar.

Some of us capped the night with drinks next door at Fibber Magees, a bar in the back of Robinson's which is two doors away from the Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street. It was packed, and our group of crazy Americans enjoyed traditional Irish music as well as singing and dancing with the locals. It was a great way to end our trip, even if I only got 3.5 hours of sleep that night  .

Finally, I want to say thank you to the people of Ireland. This was my first visit to this island, and the people's affinity for and friendliness to Americans is almost legendary in the U.S. I've never known anyone who visited there who didn't come back with the same story ... "you can't imagine how friendly and kind the Irish were to us." I agree completely. I felt overwhelmed with kindness, generosity, and hospitality everywhere. The clerks at SPAR, the young man managing the Internet cafe, the girls in the shop in the Belfast train station, the check-out lady in the Dublin Airport, the staff at Jurys, our tour guide/bus drivers who get a special thank you and "we love you, Billy and Robert," everyone, everywhere ... they were amazingly friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. I can't wait to go back and see more of such a lovely country.  
Speranza's was packed with mostly a young crowd, and the desk staff at Jurys had recommended it highly to us. We weren't disappointed.