10 days in Ireland - photos and travel log
May 30th, 2007, 09:22 PM
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10 days in Ireland - photos and travel log
Hello all,
It's been a while since I asked for help on my Ireland trip in April, but I finally got my pictures up and documented. You can view them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hexadec...7600202855727/
The trip was a wonderful adventure. Your recommendations were spot on. My itinerary turned out like this:
Days 1 & 2
Dublin - Stayed at Lyndon Guesthouse. I think it was a good value at a standard room for 40 euros. The only drawbacks were the very strange shower/tub in the shared bath (it was raised awfully high) and the neighborhood is bordering on a sketchy one. I had no problems though and it is on a well-lit street of hotels.
The second day was mostly spent on Mary Gibbon's tour to Newgrange. It's a great tour, though I wish I had seen Knowth as well.
Day 3
Picked up car and drove to Boyle in County Roscommon. I stayed at Abbey House and it was lovely. It took me longer to get there than I thought (that was true pretty much all throughout the trip) but the owner made sure I had a nice cup of tea to enjoy in front of the fire.
Before getting to Boyle I had to first: have my one and only minor car accident and second: stop by Cruachan Ai. While driving through the little town of Longford I scraped someone's car with my rearview mirror. It wasn't severe, but we exchanged info anyway and it turned out there were people from Longford running a bar in Manhattan called the Pig and the Whistle. I have to stop by one of these days and mention I was there.
Anyone interested in Celtic/Iron Age history should stop by the Cruachan Ai visitor center. The sites they describe are spread out around the countryside, so it really helps to get their introduction. After getting a short tour around the exhibit by the woman at the front desk and watching a video it was almost closing time. I found out that it was this guide's very first day working there - very impressive! From the photos you can see I made it to two sites before moving on.
It's been a while since I asked for help on my Ireland trip in April, but I finally got my pictures up and documented. You can view them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hexadec...7600202855727/
The trip was a wonderful adventure. Your recommendations were spot on. My itinerary turned out like this:
Days 1 & 2
Dublin - Stayed at Lyndon Guesthouse. I think it was a good value at a standard room for 40 euros. The only drawbacks were the very strange shower/tub in the shared bath (it was raised awfully high) and the neighborhood is bordering on a sketchy one. I had no problems though and it is on a well-lit street of hotels.
The second day was mostly spent on Mary Gibbon's tour to Newgrange. It's a great tour, though I wish I had seen Knowth as well.
Day 3
Picked up car and drove to Boyle in County Roscommon. I stayed at Abbey House and it was lovely. It took me longer to get there than I thought (that was true pretty much all throughout the trip) but the owner made sure I had a nice cup of tea to enjoy in front of the fire.
Before getting to Boyle I had to first: have my one and only minor car accident and second: stop by Cruachan Ai. While driving through the little town of Longford I scraped someone's car with my rearview mirror. It wasn't severe, but we exchanged info anyway and it turned out there were people from Longford running a bar in Manhattan called the Pig and the Whistle. I have to stop by one of these days and mention I was there.
Anyone interested in Celtic/Iron Age history should stop by the Cruachan Ai visitor center. The sites they describe are spread out around the countryside, so it really helps to get their introduction. After getting a short tour around the exhibit by the woman at the front desk and watching a video it was almost closing time. I found out that it was this guide's very first day working there - very impressive! From the photos you can see I made it to two sites before moving on.
May 30th, 2007, 09:24 PM
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Day 4
I walked around Abbey House and Boyle Abbey that morning taking pictures. It was damp but not actually raining by the time I left for Carrowkeel and gradually got heavier as the day wore on. Still, I enjoyed Carrowkeel so much I decided to go to Sligo Town so I could visit Carrowmore the next day. Pearse Lodge was one of the more comfortable places I stayed and the owners were so nice to me.
Day 5
Drove to Carrowmore - it was raining pretty steadily, but cleared by the time I got to my next stop, Céide Fields. It *was* extremely windy. After that, I had sunny warm weather for the rest of the trip. I think it was the two black cats that crossed my path, one in Boyle and one in Westport, my next stop. I went to Matt Molloys for drinks after dinner and had a blast. The kindly bartender did have to corral a very drunk man from "trying to chat you up." At least that's what I think he said. I found that if I found a nice couple or group to chat with, the drunks usually left me alone.
Day 6
Lots of driving again. I may have done a little too much driving, but the west coast was so beautiful I wanted to see it all. My stops were Croagh Patrick ( did not try to attempt a full climb) the Doolough Valley and a short lunch break at Killery Bay. One of my favorite meals was at the cafe there. The man at the counter seemed a little surprised when I asked for the smoked haddock chowder but it was absolutely delicious with a dollop of fresh cream and brown bread on the side.
That evening I made it to Spiddal (with only a few wrong turns) and stayed at Tuar Beag. I have to say that was one of my favorite places to stay. The owners are so hospitable and they really encourage their guests to meet and hang out in the TV lounge. I ended up watching the Milan/Manchester United game with a group of travelers from Milan and then going down to Hughes Pub with them after it was over.
I walked around Abbey House and Boyle Abbey that morning taking pictures. It was damp but not actually raining by the time I left for Carrowkeel and gradually got heavier as the day wore on. Still, I enjoyed Carrowkeel so much I decided to go to Sligo Town so I could visit Carrowmore the next day. Pearse Lodge was one of the more comfortable places I stayed and the owners were so nice to me.
Day 5
Drove to Carrowmore - it was raining pretty steadily, but cleared by the time I got to my next stop, Céide Fields. It *was* extremely windy. After that, I had sunny warm weather for the rest of the trip. I think it was the two black cats that crossed my path, one in Boyle and one in Westport, my next stop. I went to Matt Molloys for drinks after dinner and had a blast. The kindly bartender did have to corral a very drunk man from "trying to chat you up." At least that's what I think he said. I found that if I found a nice couple or group to chat with, the drunks usually left me alone.
Day 6
Lots of driving again. I may have done a little too much driving, but the west coast was so beautiful I wanted to see it all. My stops were Croagh Patrick ( did not try to attempt a full climb) the Doolough Valley and a short lunch break at Killery Bay. One of my favorite meals was at the cafe there. The man at the counter seemed a little surprised when I asked for the smoked haddock chowder but it was absolutely delicious with a dollop of fresh cream and brown bread on the side.
That evening I made it to Spiddal (with only a few wrong turns) and stayed at Tuar Beag. I have to say that was one of my favorite places to stay. The owners are so hospitable and they really encourage their guests to meet and hang out in the TV lounge. I ended up watching the Milan/Manchester United game with a group of travelers from Milan and then going down to Hughes Pub with them after it was over.
May 30th, 2007, 09:25 PM
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Day 7
I managed to make the ferry to Inishmore that morning. Feeling brave, I decided to bicycle around the island as much as possible. Let me tell you, riding a bike after 20 years is not so easy. Despite have to walk the bike up hills, I made it to Dún Aonghasa fort and back to the Kilronen Hostel. That was the most I'd pushed myself physically in a long time, and after sitting for a little while drinking water and taking a shower, I felt great. The next day however... Actually I wasn't too sore as long as I didn't try to ride that bike again!
That night I had some well-earned Guinness at the bar next door and chatted with the regulars, most of whom worked in tourism on the island and came from as close as Galway and as far away as Australia.
Day 8
Took the ferry back to Rosseval and along the way made friends with two fellow travelers that were also planning to go to the Cliffs of Moher. I was driving, so they came along with me. It was an amazingly gorgeous day. We picnicked at a lookout point over the hills of the Burren then climbed around the cliffs for hours.
My idea of spending the night in Ennis turned out maybe to not be the best one. My companions didn't want to spend a lot of money and the only hostel we found was hosting refugees. We split a suite at a place called the Banner Lodge next to the parking lot. It may not have been a great deal, but I was exhausted and hungry and didn't want to hunt around any longer. We did find a great place to have a pint though: the Old Ground Hotel where they had Bulmer's cider on tap. That really hit the spot after a long day.
I managed to make the ferry to Inishmore that morning. Feeling brave, I decided to bicycle around the island as much as possible. Let me tell you, riding a bike after 20 years is not so easy. Despite have to walk the bike up hills, I made it to Dún Aonghasa fort and back to the Kilronen Hostel. That was the most I'd pushed myself physically in a long time, and after sitting for a little while drinking water and taking a shower, I felt great. The next day however... Actually I wasn't too sore as long as I didn't try to ride that bike again!
That night I had some well-earned Guinness at the bar next door and chatted with the regulars, most of whom worked in tourism on the island and came from as close as Galway and as far away as Australia.
Day 8
Took the ferry back to Rosseval and along the way made friends with two fellow travelers that were also planning to go to the Cliffs of Moher. I was driving, so they came along with me. It was an amazingly gorgeous day. We picnicked at a lookout point over the hills of the Burren then climbed around the cliffs for hours.
My idea of spending the night in Ennis turned out maybe to not be the best one. My companions didn't want to spend a lot of money and the only hostel we found was hosting refugees. We split a suite at a place called the Banner Lodge next to the parking lot. It may not have been a great deal, but I was exhausted and hungry and didn't want to hunt around any longer. We did find a great place to have a pint though: the Old Ground Hotel where they had Bulmer's cider on tap. That really hit the spot after a long day.
May 30th, 2007, 09:26 PM
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Day 9
I woke up to check on the car (the sign on the lot said they started charging at 9:30) and found instead that it was boxed in by a little farmer's market. The woman at the Lodge said absolutely nothing about that going on the previous night. I had to come back in a couple of hours when someone was leaving then I was able to get out. I then waited for my companions to get back to the car so I could take them to the train station. All in all, I didn't leave Ennis until after noon and I was supposed to drive to Kilkenny. On the bright side, it was a very nice little market and I found a cute little pottery candle lamp at a stand watched over by a very friendly woman who appeared to have a developmental delay of some sort. She needed help to count the money, but she said she had learned to make pottery.
I did stop at the Rock of Cashel along the way as you can see from the pictures. Along the way, I was reminded of the best way to find your way around Ireland - go to a busy gas station and ask whoever is working there. They will probably not know, but one of the customer's there to buy gas will, and he/she will give you the best directions.
I got to Kilkenny without lodging booked, but there was a room available at my second choice place, Bregagh Guesthouse. It was very convenient to the "main drag." The bathroom was a little musty and the shower cut out on me the next morning, but it was clean and comfortable otherwise. I was happy to leave my car in the lot and walk down to the famous Kyteler's Inn for some dinner.
While eating dinner, I overheard two groups of diners introducing themselves to each other as being "from New York." So of course I had to pipe up and say hello. Since there was a band coming in soon, I decided to hang out there and chat. I forget the band's name, but I liked them a lot. It wasn't straight traditional Irish music; they mixed some folk and country in there too. I left after the first set though it was tempting to stay.
Day 10 - the last day
My plan was to get to Kilkenny Castle to fit in a visit before going back to Dublin. Unfortunately, I didn't get there early enough to sign up for the first inside tour, so I walked around the grounds and then crossed over to the Artisan's shop across the street and found a pretty pair of earrings.
The drive back to the airport was swift and fairly traffic-free. Europcar did charge me for the scrape, but only the $100 Euro deductible. I'm so glad I got the more extensive insurance! There was plenty of time for last minute souvenir shopping and checking in before boarding the plane. It was so hard to leave - I felt like I'd finally gotten into the Irish flow of things and then it was time to go.
In retrospect, I tried to fit too much into too little time, considering that I'm not the earliest riser when *not* on vacation. On the other hand, I can't imagine what I would have cut out. All I can say is - there will be more visits to Ireland in the future!
Thanks for all the helpful info!
I woke up to check on the car (the sign on the lot said they started charging at 9:30) and found instead that it was boxed in by a little farmer's market. The woman at the Lodge said absolutely nothing about that going on the previous night. I had to come back in a couple of hours when someone was leaving then I was able to get out. I then waited for my companions to get back to the car so I could take them to the train station. All in all, I didn't leave Ennis until after noon and I was supposed to drive to Kilkenny. On the bright side, it was a very nice little market and I found a cute little pottery candle lamp at a stand watched over by a very friendly woman who appeared to have a developmental delay of some sort. She needed help to count the money, but she said she had learned to make pottery.
I did stop at the Rock of Cashel along the way as you can see from the pictures. Along the way, I was reminded of the best way to find your way around Ireland - go to a busy gas station and ask whoever is working there. They will probably not know, but one of the customer's there to buy gas will, and he/she will give you the best directions.
I got to Kilkenny without lodging booked, but there was a room available at my second choice place, Bregagh Guesthouse. It was very convenient to the "main drag." The bathroom was a little musty and the shower cut out on me the next morning, but it was clean and comfortable otherwise. I was happy to leave my car in the lot and walk down to the famous Kyteler's Inn for some dinner.
While eating dinner, I overheard two groups of diners introducing themselves to each other as being "from New York." So of course I had to pipe up and say hello. Since there was a band coming in soon, I decided to hang out there and chat. I forget the band's name, but I liked them a lot. It wasn't straight traditional Irish music; they mixed some folk and country in there too. I left after the first set though it was tempting to stay.
Day 10 - the last day
My plan was to get to Kilkenny Castle to fit in a visit before going back to Dublin. Unfortunately, I didn't get there early enough to sign up for the first inside tour, so I walked around the grounds and then crossed over to the Artisan's shop across the street and found a pretty pair of earrings.
The drive back to the airport was swift and fairly traffic-free. Europcar did charge me for the scrape, but only the $100 Euro deductible. I'm so glad I got the more extensive insurance! There was plenty of time for last minute souvenir shopping and checking in before boarding the plane. It was so hard to leave - I felt like I'd finally gotten into the Irish flow of things and then it was time to go.
In retrospect, I tried to fit too much into too little time, considering that I'm not the earliest riser when *not* on vacation. On the other hand, I can't imagine what I would have cut out. All I can say is - there will be more visits to Ireland in the future!
Thanks for all the helpful info!
Jun 1st, 2007, 12:32 AM
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Really enjoyed your trip report and was glad you made it to Carrowkeel (we missed it due to the ONLY day of rain in April!)
Like you, our first visit covered alot and we decided to go back...even a second visit wasn't enough!
Thanks for the fun read & great pictures too.
Dawn
Like you, our first visit covered alot and we decided to go back...even a second visit wasn't enough!
Thanks for the fun read & great pictures too.
Dawn
