sarantom

We are only two weeks away!!! I want to thank everyone who has given me their advice and tips over the last few weeks. I think these plans are pretty good but would care to hear any suggestions about hotels, pubs and resturants. Thanks again for all your help! The only part of the itinerary that I'm having trouble with is whether to stay in Dingle only two nights and spend a night in Westport. What do you think?

October 12, 2006
Arrive at Dublin 1:25 PM. Clear customs, pick-up car drive to Trim
Hotel: Highfield House, Trim
Dinner: Recommendation Needed
Pubs: James Griffin’s, David’s Lad

October 13, 2006
Bru na Boinne, Hill of Tara, Monasterboice, Trim Castle
Hotel: Highfield House
Dinner: Franzino O’Briens
Pubs: above

October 14, 2006
Early check-out to drive to Kilkenny. Stay in town. I estimate this drive at 3hours - is this close?
Hotel: Recommendation Needed
Dinner: Recommendation Needed
Pubs: Recommendation Needed

October 15, 16, 17, 2006
Rock of Cashel, drive to Dingle Town. I estimate this drive at 4 hours - is this close?
Hotel: Heaton’s Guesthouse/Greenmount House
Pubs: Small Bridge, McCarthy’s Murphy’s, Dick Macks

October 18, 2006
Ferry at Talbert, Cliffs of Moher, Burren, continue to Galway
Hotel: Lookin for a central located in town
Dinner: Recommendation needed (Dungaire??)
Pubs: Recommendations Needed

October 19, 2006
Connemara
Hotel: Ideas needed
Dinner:
Pubs:

October 20th, 2006
Late morning start if from Galway. Drive to Dublin airport. Turn-in car. Bus to Heuston Station
Hotel: Ashling Best Western Hotel
Dinner: Recomendations needed
Pubs: Recomendations needed

October 21st -22 , 2006
National Museum, Kilmainham Gaol, Books of Kells and Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Grafton Street, O’Connell Strret/Bridge, Guiness Storehouse
Hotel: Ashling Best Western
Dinner: recommendation needed
Pubs: recommendation needed

October 23rd Flight leaves at 11:30. How long does it take to get from Heuston Station to the airport via bus Monday mornings? Is there a better way?

Thanks
Tom

chatham

Kilkenny: Langton's would fit all three of your needs. I stayed there in 1997 but have read trip advisor recently and they are the #1. I loved it.
Dingle: I stayed at Greenmount and had a small room, my sons had one of the suites. It was great. Again, I loved my stay. Down the street is the Old SmokeHouse for dinner. I found it to have the best prices and very good food.
Connamara: So many great places to stay. I like Clifden. I've stayed at Mal Dua Guesthouse, Stationhouse Hotel, and one of my all time favorites, Ballynahinch Castle.
Hope this helps and have a great time, Joan

cailin

what kind of food do you like, and what kind of price range for Dublin?

youngblueeyes

Trim has about 5-6 restaurants so ask the hotel to recommend one of them to you. Franzino's is nice, make sure to book ahead as it gets pretty busy. The town is nice and small so you should be able to try all the pubs over 2 nights, why restrict yourselves to just 2? Ask the hotel for a local paper and see which pubs have music or just walk around the town, most pubs will advertise music on their windows.

3 hours is fine to Kilkenny. Langtons is gorgeous but expensive. If you are staying there ask for a room in the hotel rather than the chalets which they have built onto the back of the hotel. The Kilkenny River Court Hotel and the Ormonde Hotel are also great hotels and very central. If you're looking for something cheaper, try a B&B. Search this site for recommendations as Kilkenny is full of them. There's a lovely Italian, Rinuccini's opposite the Castle. Kilkenny has great pubs Kytler's, Langtons, Cleeres. Just wander around the town and see which one appeals to you. Kilkenny is quite compact and easy to walk around.

4 hrs to Dingle is fine, but this does not include the time looking around the castle, right ? just driving time.

In Dublin, walk along the quay towards the city center, cross the Ha'penny Bridge and you come to Temple Bar. There you have your choice of bars and restaurants.

You can get the Luas (tram) from Heuston Station to Bus Aras (bus station) and then get the airport bus.

GreenDragon

Kilkenny:

I was just there this July. Langtons is ok (decent food) for dinner, but I personally felt the decor was out of the 1970s I didn't stay there though - we stayed at a WONDERFUL B&B just a couple blocks north of city centre called Alcantra... if Bridget still has space, they are fabulous hosts.

We had dinner at Marble City, tucked away in an alley JUST south of the castle. FABULOUS baguette sandwiches there - I was wistful for them for days afterwards. We walked across the alley for pub music at Kyteler's Inn, est. 1342 and named after a local witch, Dame Alice Kyteler. The music band we heard (Caladh) was fantastic, and we bought their CD (listening to it now!)

wilkie

I second GreenDragon on recommendations in Kilkenny,Alcantra B&B was wonderful also walking tour from tourist centre was great. When in Trim will you be going to Newgrange? That was one of the most impressive places on our trip!
As for transport to Dublin airport we took the Air Coach for 7 euros each(nice ride) runs every 15 minutes, they suggested 45min from downtown.

sarantom

Thanks for all your posts. I haven't figured out yet how to respond to individual posts so I will reply to all of them:

Chatham: thanks for the insight. How was Ballynahinch ($$$$$)? It says the Greenmount is uphill out of town a bit. Since I'm sure I'll have a few pints - Is the hill real steep and long?.

Cailin: we really like italian, asian and pubgrub. Want to splurge one night and we eally dont have a budget.

Youngblueeyes: Trim sounds real fun and we will be trying more than 2 pubs nightly. Does Rinuccini's also have rooms? Sounds like to great place to eat and stay over to me. 4 hours is the drive time I was looking for. Is is possible to see the Rock of Cashal in 2 hours? IF not we'll drop it off the plan and spend more time in Dingle.

Green Dragon:
I will see if Alcantra has a website. thanks. If've been jamming on Irish pub song CDs for the last month daily at my office and my assistant if so happy that I'm leaving next week.

Wilkie: We will be at Newgrange on Oct 13th and am glad to hear your comments.

Thanks to all - keep the ideas coming

Tom

KTLou82

This past May my sister and I stayed at the Highfield House in Trim - we liked it. It has a great location, literally a 2 minute walk to Trim Castle. At night we took the short walk down the street and saw the castle lit up and got some pictures. For dinner in Trim we ate at Franzini O'Briens which is just right across the street from the castle. We enjoyed our meal there.

chatham

saratom, My son and I stayed in Ballynahinch mid-oct of 2004. We had gone one rainy day to eat in the pub and asked what kind deal we could get. My son treated me to 3 nights. We had two standard rooms, mine over looked the front door and a garden. It was small, but fine for me. My son's was hugh but over looked the service area. He didn't care. I wish I could remember the exact cost. We had a 3 night deal with one dinner. Why don't you give them a call. The rooms facing the river in the old part have great views. The suites in the newer part do also, but I think they are really expensive. There isn't an elevator so they but us on the 1st floor(our 2nd). I'd say our 3 nights, all our meals, 2 rooms ran between $1,000 to 1,500. Writing about it makes me want to be there again. We sat around a fire with other guests( mostly Irish) and talked well into the night, during the day we walked, sat and read, walked some more.
OK, Greenmount house is up a steep hill, but it's not too far. I'm in my seventies and not in great shape. I'd enjoy the stroll down the hill and when it was time to return one of my son's would get the car. I did go up it one afternoon and was proud of myself. It's really close to town. A five minute walk at the most or even less.
Sorry I've gone on and on, I just love that country and don't know if I'll get a chance to get back. I've moved from the east coast to the west and it's so much farther. You'll have a wonderful trip. Joan

Laoghaire

Hi KTLou82..Your post was what I am looking for! We are in Trim next June, and I am ready to book Highfield House, but have been looking for info on it. It's good to hear you enjoyed it. How were the rooms? Any certain one to request? Thanks..Helen