Dejais

After a wonderful trip to Paris with my mother last year, I would like to plan a trip for us to Ireland as she has long wanted to visit this country. The problem is I have no idea where we would want to go and what we would want to see.

So this is a cry for direction, please, to start my research. Important things to know:

My mom and I are adventurous and love museums, touring historic places, and do not mind walking. Our budget is moderate. (She is a senior citizen and I save the first class stuff for traveling with hubby) We are considering just renting a car and driving to different B&Bs to see the countryside.

Here are my questions:

What would be the MUST SEES for a first timer to Ireland? (i.e. cities, landmarks)

Is there enough to see in any one city to warrant staying there (as with Paris)? Or would renting a car/taking the train to different cities be more practical?

Would 7 to 10 days be long enough to do the country justice?

And before any whacks me with a ruler, yes, I have read Ireland posts here, but being unfamiliar with the country and the cities I am stumbling with knowing where to begin.

Any direction or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

flanneruk

First: Ireland is one of Europe's dullest countries as far as museums are concerned. The Chester Barrie in Dublin is quite wonderful if you're a fan of ancient manuscripts, and the Book of Kells in Trinity College Dublin is OK, but otherwise there's no museum in Ireland that holds a penny candle to the Louvre, or the Musee de Cluny or most of the first-rank stuff in London, Paris, Florence or Amsterdam. Or Dijon or Siena. Or...

Ireland does have different kinds of museums, like the Ulster Folk Museum. But what it really has is countryside, a fanbleedingtastic coastline, pubs, people, music and a moderate (by French, English or Italian standards) number of historic places - many (like Newgrange) of immense historical importance, but rarely particularly interesting to look at.

Dublin's worth spending some time in - more for soaking in its atmosphere than anything else, which in my view means pubs and theatres - if you've got time. It's a hopeless place to use as a base for the rest of Ireland: travel - by whatever means - in Ireland is verrrry slowwww, and Dublin really isn't in the centre of what's most worthwhile anyway.

If I thought I, or a guest, was only going to see Ireland once in my lifetime, I'd first of all rearrange my priorities to make sure I did get back there a few times.

If that's really not possible, I'd might spend a day in Dublin, hire a car AFTER spending that day, and drive to about three major bits of the country, spending two days in each. I'd personally select West County Cork, County Galway and County Donegal, but others will certainly have other ideas.

But I'd be very tempted to dump Dublin altogether. In fact, I'd avoid all four of Ireland's major cities (Dublin, Cork, Belfast and Limerick), unless I had a special interest in them, and concentrate entirely on the island's countryside, villages and smaller towns.

If I were from North America, I'd get a a flight to Shannon, hire a car and do a circular drive up to Galway through Co Clare, SE to Cork and then back, through west Cork and Co Kerry, to Shannon.

Others will undoubtedly have different views. But, with limited time - unless you share my passion for manuscripts - I'd argue strongly against anyone suggesting including Dublin.

chatham

Dejais,
(She is a senior citizen and I save the first class stuff for traveling with hubby). I'm a senior and you are a wonderful child to travel with your Mom. I know she appreciates it. I do when one of my children take the time to so something with me. Could she have a night or two of that first class stuff? To me that would be staying at The Park Hotel in Kenmare with the view of Kenmare bay or any of the great guesthouses in Dingle with a view of Dingle bay. Another for me would be staying at Gregans Castle in The Burren. Again views of the Burren down to the sea. Ballynahinch Castle was a treat to me from my son and it is something I'll always remember. It's in Connemara and the grounds, view, rooms, pub is just outstanding.
I know you and your Mom will enjoy your trip. Joan

tuam

Hi Dejais,
I think some of the must sees are, Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Galway,Ring of Kerry,Killarney,Kinsale,Dublin,Belfast,Giants Causeway.You can put together a trip that takes in most of these.Land in Shannon, rent a car and travel toward Dublin. When you get to Dublin turn in your rental car, then enjoy the city on foot and on the hop-on hop-off tour bus.There is much to see and do.You could take a train to Belfast tour the city, take a black cab tour of "the troubles", stay over a night and return to Dublin for your flight home. Ireland is a great country with the most beautiful views around every corner and warm and friendly people. Do some research, buy a few good tour books, and put together a trip of a lifetime.

nbujic

agree about museum and art in Ireland - not that interesting.
Galway is not much of a place except to go to Aran - highly recommended.
The best thing about Dublin was taking DART - sort of city train to several spots on Dublin Bay. Monktown, Howt, Sandy Cove are only about 20 minutes away from Dublin
but a totally different world ( also very classy, the most elegant pubs and very good restaurants in all 3))

Barbara_in_FL

The easiest question first: no, 7 to 10 days is not enough to do the country justice, but it is enough to get a glimpse of two or three regions, IMO.

"Museums" and "historic places" could encompass a lot of things. I would suggest searching (on this forum or google) Killarney National Park, Muckross House, Glenveagh, Connemara Heritage Center, and Glencolumbkille to see if any of them are particularly appealing. We also enjoyed the Bunratty folk park when we were there.

As far as scenery goes, there isn't a place we saw that we didn't like, but we loved the Dingle peninsula. Connemara is beautiful as is Donegal.

It is impossible to see everything in a week and a half, so pick a few things that "grab" you and then build an itinerary around them. I agree with flanneruk that you might even skip Dublin altogether, or limit it to a day. It is not really a "base" for seeing the country.

You mentioned your mom has long wanted to visit -- does she have Irish roots? There are lots of genealogy sites for researching Irish ancestry -- not that you would necessarily turn the trip into a search for ancestors (you probably would have mentioned that if it were a passion of yours) but if you are having a hard time trying to narrow down areas, or had to choose between two equally appealing alternatives, you could choose the area where your family may have come from. Just a thought. Happy planning...

IrishEyes

Dejais, Wonderful info from all the replies so far. I agree with most of it. flanneruk is right about Ireland having no world class museums that can rival those in the rest of Europe. It does have some interesting and quirky little museums if you take time to search them out. The Museum of Country Life in Castlebar is a good place to wile away a few hours looking at the "everyday" items that made Ireland what it is today. The guides are most informative. You will find others all over the place, depending on your interests.

May I suggest you get a few books from the library? They will help determine what is of special interest to you both and narrow down your choices.

Tourism Ireland will send you a free info package: www.tourismireland.com or you may call them at this number from North America 1-800-223-6470.

I like Joan's suggestion of treating your mother to a nice stay once during your trip. It will be something you will both always remember. There are some wonderful manor houses, hotels or castles that won't bust your budget for only one night.

Do you have a date in mind for your trip?

Dejais

You have all been more than helpful with your suggestions and information. I may have been misleading when I said we enjoyed museums. What I was trying to convey is we are more into seeing "the place", learning about the area and the people than just having a fun time. (Not sure that is coming out right but anyway...)

Anyway, I am definitely going to invest in some books and some serious time doing research on this forum and the Net. You have all given me a place to start and I thank you.

Also, to answer the question of Irish roots, yes, we are Irish/English and that is definitely the reason Mom wants to go. Looking into our genealogy is a great idea. In fact, I am sure Mom may already have some ideas for that.

And as far splurging on a special night at some of the places mentioned we would probably do that. WHat we did on our last trip was budget for part and splurge for the rest. It was a nice mix. We went totally first class in London and then rented an apartment in Paris. It worked out great.

So, after I do some research, you can be sure I will be back for more. Thank you again.

Dejais

Also, as for when we plan to go, I have no date set. I usually take about a year to plan a trip like this so I would think perhaps Spring 2008. In the meantime, I am planning an upcoming trip for hubby and myself for later this year. So many places to go, so little planning time....

CowboyCraic

Dejas,

If you are looking to travel in the Spring of 2008. I would recommend the latter part of April or in May, as that is when all of the flora and fauna are in full bloom. Powerscourt Garden is simply unbelievable in full bloom. You and your mother will have a most delghtful time. I have never found another country that welcomes the visitor the way that Ireland and her people do.

You are wise to rent a car & head out on your own. Once you have an idea of an itinerary and the areas you wish to see, Everyone here will be happy to suggest the best B&Bs for your consideration. I always recommend to those traveling to Ireland for the first time that they plan on no less than twelve full days, which means thirteen to fourteen days including your travel time. This allows you to spend a minimum of two nights in each place and explore Ireland at a leisure pace.

To the list of things to see, I would add, Slieve League Cliffs, Achill Island, Inis Boffin, Skellig Michael, Derry Town, Beara Peninsula, Hook Lighthouse, all of County Donegal, Boyle Abbey, Strokestown House, both its Garden and the Famine Museum, and the Cavan Walk.

My splurge is usually either Castle Leslie in Monaghan or Castle Townshend in County Cork.

You and your mother will have a wonderful time, to be sure. Just remember that the best memories are made in the slow, simple things.

Slan Go Foill,

Bit Devine
Cowboy Craic

Dejais

Cowboy...Thnk you for your information. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the names and places, but you make it sound so inviting. Time to get some books and figure out where to go! Thank you again.

minto

I don't know how old (or young) yr mother is but plan to have an easy first day.

-open jaw ticket into Dublin and out of Shannon or vice versa.
- don't stay in too many different places- you can easily pick a base for a couple of night and tour from there knowing you do't have to unpack again that night.
-Ireland is expensive and don't rule out hotels. B&Bs aren't always hugely cheaper.
- book yourself a decent car- not the cheapest one. If you're travelling with an aged parent getting a tiny Nissan Micra will make the journeys seem longer and make you feel less confident on the road vs the other larger cars. Costs more, I know, but it will make it more comfortable.

Get your mother planning with you. Give her the books and a Michelin map of Ireland (they are the clearest IMHO) and let her scout of a route. If she's on the internet, she can come here and ask us . Seriously, it will make it more rewarding for her.

I brought my mother to NY from Ireland, and got her a guidebook before going and she got there and was saying "this is where the ferry is" and "we have to go to this place". It was much more fun than me taking her around.

flanneruk

On looking up Irish ancestors:

Although there are genealogical centres in a number of places in Ireland, they're mostly set up to deal with very local records, and often work best by correspondence anyway. The only place you can just walk in with a vague general request and get help is in the National Archives in Dublin.

Although their advisors bend over backwards to be helpful, all they'll do is direct you to the right registers (not necessarily in the same building) or help you with answers
to obscure complications. You've got to do 99% of the work yourself. That'll typically take days - and much of the work you'll be doing in Dublin you could have done back home, on the web, by email or through your nearest Mormon genealogy centre.

There's only one way to do this: working back, generation by generation, from those alive today. There's no shortcut (except paying someone - almost certainly someone in Ireland, where salaries are now among the world's highest): web sites are stuffed with forlorn, unanswered, "does anyone know anything about Paddy Murphy, who would have been in Dublin in the 19th century?" notices. Our ancestors had an ASTONISHINGLY narrow range of Christian names and surnames.

Browse the advice at www.familysearch.org, or buy a copy of John Grenham's "Tracing your Irish Ancestors". Armed with the information you and/or your mother can research before you go to Ireland, you can spend your time in Ireland profitably in visiting birthplaces, tracing the (few) records you can't get at home from the Mormons or the Irish General Register Office, and using the friendly advice available in Ireland to delve into knotty branches of your family tree that seem impenetrable at home.

But if you don't do the spadework at home (which I'd define as working back to all your ancestors' births and marriages in Ireland since 1864), you'll very likely make no more progress than seeing the town your last Irish-born ancestor grew up in.

Fine if, like me, you live an hour's flight from that town and can pop back anytime after doing the homework. But I've seen elderly people from Australia and North America deeply distresed on learning in Dublin that they simply hadn't done enough work at home to learn anything useful in Ireland about their forbears.

akila

Definitely agree on getting an open jaw flight --- start in Dublin, end in Shannon or vice versa. Since you will be in Dublin anyway, I would plan to spend two nights there at least. We really enjoyed Dublin --- it is a fun city with a unique character. The Book of Kells is beautiful, and in my opinion, worth a visit. I agree with flanner that Dublin is not a necessary spot in terms of great tourist attractions, but we enjoyed getting to see the city that most of the country lives in.

We did a first-timers northwest trip and definitely agree about County Donegal and the Connemara --- they are sights well worth visiting. However, in my mind, nothing really stood out as a MUST SEE (except possibly Slieve League Cliffs) because the best part of Ireland is driving through country side lanes, seeing sheep everywhere, wandering through tiny towns, eating at pubs, and talking to the Irish. I think that no matter what route you will take, you will have a wonderful journey, as long as you go slowly and drink it all in.

chatham

akila said it so well.

Dejais

flanneruk....Tracing ancestors is actually not a huge problem for me. My dad has always been a huge history buff and has journals and scrapbooks of not only family members names, but also pictures, birth and marriage records and places of birth. So I think he will be able to point us in the right direction.

Minot...Good suggestion to get Mom in on the planning but I tried that when I took her to Paris last year and she was like...."I am so busy when will I find time for that? You just do it and I will follow."

And for the record, Mom is retired and sews while I run three companies (two restaurants and another business) that my husband and I own. Find time? Ha, I say..... You gotta love those senior moments

Dejais

Akila...I think you hit the nail on the head. That is exactly what we have been talking about doing. Just seeing the countryside. In fact, we had talked about NOT planning so much and just exploring but was unsure how and where to head. I plan to read, read, read some before making any decisions.

Thanks for putting it so perfectly.

akila

Dejais -

Here is my suggestion as far as reading goes (and just one person's opinion, so take it for what it's worth):

Start by studying a map online --- I suggest the Frommers site for really good maps of Ireland (the best that I found online). They also have a "Suggested Itinerary" which is mapped out and you get a sense of where things are in the country.

Then start looking at the actual attractions themselves: as far as websites, I like Fodors and Frommers the best, with Rick Steves coming in after. From the book perspective, I am a huge fan of the DK Eyewitness guides because they have full color overview maps in the guidebooks and list the locations of the attractions on the maps (but I know that other people don't like them because their descriptions of restaurants/hotels aren't very good).

Once you have figured out approximately which direction you want to go (north, south, east, west), head to viamichelin.com or AA Ireland and check out driving times and where you may want to stop each night. This is where these forums and trip reports come in really handy, because you get a sense of each of the places where you are thinking about going and whether your itinerary is remotely doable.

bubblywine

Dejais,
As someone who loved Dublin when I was there, I would say it is just fine to skip it altogether. It is a fun place, but not Ireland.

As for some of the big places recommended I would also skip the Cliffs of Moher. They are a bit out of the way and not as impressive as some others on the west side.

I stayed with my family in Westport and fell in love with it. It was a great HQ for seeing Achill Island, Claire Island and Croagh Patrick. Also just a beautiful town. A pub to check out there is Matt Molloy's, owned by a member of the Chieftains. Some of my fondest Ireland memories are from that pub.

The Strokestown House was also really great, and the famine museum there was exceptional and the gardens beautiful. Gallway and Donegal were also great fun. One last place that never ceases to amaze is the Burren. It looks like a moonscape and is covered with Megalithic tombs.

Padraig

bubblywine wrote: "As someone who loved Dublin when I was there, I would say it is just fine to skip it altogether. It is a fun place, but not Ireland."

It is nonsense to say that Dublin is not Ireland and go on to suggest that a town like Westport is. Both, while different from one another, are equally Irish. Whether you prefer one over the other is down to yourself, but it is inappropriate to set oneself up as an arbiter of authenticity.