12perfectdays:Ireland report from Mizen to Sligo...8 Peninsulas, a wedding and a funeral
Jul 27th, 2007, 03:37 PM
#41
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Dawn,
We’re going to try to get the Nissan Micra – I was just kidding about the Mercedes, too. Well, kinda…
We are not going to do the Bunratty banquet, so thanks for the restaurant recommendation.
As for dinner at the Shores…we’ll be there for 3 nights in the middle of the week, so we might have dinner there more than once
I hope. I’ll tell you all about it!
We’re going to try to get the Nissan Micra – I was just kidding about the Mercedes, too. Well, kinda…
We are not going to do the Bunratty banquet, so thanks for the restaurant recommendation.
As for dinner at the Shores…we’ll be there for 3 nights in the middle of the week, so we might have dinner there more than once
I hope. I’ll tell you all about it!
Aug 3rd, 2007, 12:35 AM
#44
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<b>Day 11</b>
<u>Oughterard to Westport (Cong, Killary and the Doo Lough Pass)- 80 miles/ 3.5 hours drive time </u>
<u>The Boulevard Guesthouse </u><i> 35Euro pp</i>
South Mall, Westport, County Mayo www.boulevardguesthouse.com
353 98 25138 pps: Sadie and John Moran (wonderful assistant: Noreen)
THANK YOU MELISSA 5!!!
We enjoyed the Boulevard so much that we stayed an extra day! Sadie and Noreen were a delight and we had a perfect time there. We stayed in the top floor room (yep, 3 flights up…36 steps!) The most comfortable double bed in a big room with a single bed on each side, slanted ceilings and a big bathroom, all spotlessly clean.
Breakfast was lovely traditional Irish and when I switched to boiled eggs- not a prob! When Sadie found out that the fancy self press French roast was killing my insides she was sure to give me and DH regular coffee each morning & when she noticed that it was disappearing faster then she could bring it to us we were served in big, huge mugs- YUM! Lingered over breakfast each morning enjoying the music & chatting with Sadie!
I do believe that the room would have been refreshed each day- but we were all getting along so easily and I felt so at home I told ‘em not to bother- I’d just bring down my towels for new ones. By the time we left it was hugs and kisses all around and I would highly recommend The Boulevard to anyone!
<u>Day 11</u>
Was FINALLY overcast misty and cold as we headed over to Cong. I had been there on my first visit and really enjoyed it- so much so that we almost booked a stay rather than Oughterard.
<u>Cong & Guinness Bowling</u>
Cong seemed to be a little quieter and I was sad to see that the big Super-Valu that had been there just 18 months before had closed down. Our intention was to walk Ashford Castle gardens so I could see it in bloom but neither of us really felt up to the walk that day and were content to wander about town. Ran into a photographer selling Quiet Man pics to local businesses and ended up playing “guess the scene” for a while- I so love meeting people in Ireland!
On our way up the street toward Danagher’s Pub we came across what we have dubbed “Guinness Bowling” and were practically on the ground from laughing so hard. Kegs of Guinness were rolling by in front of us, 20 mph straight toward the front outside planters at Danagher’s & the driver’s assistant!
<<Swear words sound so melodious in an Irish brogue>>
We snuck up and peeked around the corner and there was the Guinness truck – too big to get any closer and parked askew up the small incline in front of Pat Cohan’s- with the big burly driver hefting the kegs off the truck and rolling them down, fast and furious, to the little guy below running back and forth like a duck in a shooting gallery trying to save himself and the entire front of the Pub from demolition by keg. Alas, no pictures to be had of this as DH and I did not want to have a keg headed our way!
<u>Doo Lough Pass- don’t miss it!</u>
We guessed & took some sort of small bypass road out of Cong & back to the R335 to the R336 to the N59 in Leenane to the R335 to Killary, a spot of shopping, a few pics of Aasleagh Falls (fight scene from The Field was filmed here), through Delphi and on to the Doo Lough Pass. Passing the memorial markers dedicated to the people of the famine was a poignant and somber experience and the misty rain, high fog and no traffic made for an eerily quiet drive that seemed to bring the past alive.
<u>Crough Patrick & Westport</u>
The R335 to Louisburg and then heading East toward Croagh Patrick which I was so busy looking for I completely missed the main famine monument I had wanted to see at Murrisk. Croagh Patrick, even shrouded in fog seemed very impressive- a 2510 ft. climb that some people make a yearly pilgrimage to and walk up barefoot. Wandered up the lane a tad, watched a few people dragging themselves back down, gave ‘em our best wishes and and decided that we could just buy the t-shirt but alas we could not find one that said something like “I ain’t no fool, I watch someone else climb Croagh Patrick” & headed on to Westport.
<u>Westport</u>
We arrived earlier then planned, stopped at the TI (tourist info.) to get our bearings, watched agog as whole troops of people were cleaning, even using paintbrushes to get between the cracks in the pavement. I had heard this was a tidy town award winner but jeez! (Then we found out that the President would be there the next day to present the 2007 award in the town square- ah-ha!)
Heaven awaited around the corner as we spotted O’Cees coffee shop (connected to the Super-Valu) and went in to have a fresh coffee or three whilst I caught up on my journal and just relaxed until it was time to head over to The Boulevard for our room.
Dinner that night was at the Clew Bay Hotel –Madden’s Bistro (recommended by Noreen at The Boulevard) and was a huge and delish fish&chips special- with the usual salads, a pint for himself and some tea for me, again about 30E
<b>Day 12 (Saturday)
Westport</b>
<u>Achill, The Atlantic Drive & The Museum of Country Life (92 miles/4 hours drive time)</u>
A cold, windy and overcast day (yes!) saw us on our way to Achill Island. The Atlantic Drive was awesome (we did it clockwise) and by the time we reached the top the wind was so strong I could barely stand. Luckily it was blowing away from the cliffs so I did get out and push my way toward the edge for some great pictures while DH sat in the car and took some pics of the crazy lady weaving through the tornado. Due to the weather we decided to skip the Deserted Village at Slievemore and the Kildavnet Tower and headed to Turlough and the Museum Of Country Life.
The Museum of Country Life (off of the N5 East of Castlebar) was fascinating and we enjoyed spending about 3 hours there, learned a lot, enjoyed it all- but be prepared for quite a bit of reading!
The end of the day had us back in Westport for a cheapie dinner of burgers at Dunning’s Bar (20E). We then squeezed into The Porterhouse Pub and met a great group of people from Dublin that were visiting for the weekend- drinks passed, the music got loud and a grand time was had by all!
<b>Day 13 </b>
<u>Westport-a lazy Sunday</u>
A beautiful and sunny day that per DH’s request had me asking Sadie if we could add on another day and our wishes were granted. We did not drive anywhere and just “hung out”, relaxing and doing nothing. I had not made any reservations for Sligo and had told DH that this was the one part of our vacation that was up in the air. We were both enjoying the relaxing atmosphere and comfy beds at The Boulevard that we did not regret adding on here and shortening Sligo to one day until we arrived at Carrowkeel
<b>Day 14 </b>
<u>Westport to Sligo via: Carrowkeel, Carrowmore and Strandhill (100 miles/3.5 hours drive time) </u>
<font color="red"><u>Carbury House</u>
Teeson, Donegal Road, Sligo
We called and were told that they are no longer operating a B&B at all. Since the website is STILL in existence I thought I would let you know what we were told on the phone by the owners </font>
(ever prepared…)
<u>Yeats Lodge</u><i> 25Euro pp</i>
Drumcliffe, County Sligo www.yeatslodge.com
353 71 91 73787 pps: Geraldine Gibbons
Beautiful house in a beautiful setting. This is most certainly a built-for B&B and Geraldine was most accommodating. Everything is fresh and again we had a second floor room over the breakfast room. The room was very large and spotlessly decorated in blonde woods. The chifforobe had shelves and a hanging area and our queen bed was comfortable. The room did seem a little loud with all of that wood and an area rug to cushion the sound would not be remiss here. A seating area in front of a window overlooking the front and another single bed adourned the room. The bathroom was nice and had a slanted window that overlooked the backyard parking and sheep farm with a picturesque view of Benbulben Mountain. A glass enclosed shower, ceramic tile- perfectly appointed. There were a couple of seating nooks upstairs and the breakfast room was adorable. Breakfast had choices and was very good. The disappointment here was that Sligo deserved a longer stay and that we were in and out so fast that our stay felt a little cold.
<u>Carrowkeel</u>
Cold rain had us on our way to Carrowkeel, well armed with all handwritten directions from Wojazz’s report in my handy-dandy travel notebook. We found our way to Castlebaldwin and from there past the Donkey Rest Home through a gated field as a huge storm was boiling overhead.
A Deluge! The weather was too bad to take the car around the bend 1km to the next lot and we stopped at the sign. We tried to wait it out and parked next to one other lone car. A group of 4 seniors from England came walking back and we ran out to help them and find out more info. Amidst handing out paper towels we found out that the next lot was 1 MILE and Carrowkeel was well beyond that and they just couldn’t make it- apparently just past the big bend up the big hill the wind kicked up and made it more miserable. Being alone in the middle of nowhere we decided not to risk sinking the tyres into the muddy path. I was so close I could taste it and deserve honors for not mentioning right then and there how wonderful the weather had been the day before…when we were <i>supposed</i> to have been there.
<u>Carrowmore</u>
<i>2.10E pp </i>
Shrugging off the disappointment- we headed to Carrowmore where (of course) the weather cleared right up and we had some wonderful scenery. A few Euro deposit gave us a laminated card to carry with step-by-step instructions of walking the sights and what we were seeing (be sure to do that if you go).
<u>Sligo enchantment</u>
Of all of the places we have been on this trip Sligo really was enchanting. The perfect 40 shades of green were really out in full force here and both of us kept remarking that this seemed to be the greenest part we had seen, Benbulben is a very interesting formation and all of it was gorgeous! Our entire surroundings were stunning and we could not move around fast enough to catch it all! This is where DH turned to me and told me to mark it down- we were coming back to Sligo as soon as we could!
We were off toward Sligo via a loop of Strandhill to check out where we would be dropping off the car the next day- great views of Knocknarea! Passed through Sligo about 5 miles into Drumcliff and down a small road to Yeats Lodge. Dropped our things and decided we had too much light to waste and took a drive around Glencar Lake to the Glencar Waterfall. A wonderful place to spend time and we lingered for quite a while walking up all of the paths.
Back toward Drumcliff it was still so light that we stopped at the Drumcliff Church to see Yeats grave and stare at the sky and surroundings before we headed on up to Grange for dinner at Lang’s Bar- a very traditional place that was all at once an off-license, Bar, Grocery and restaurant. Delicious bacon and onion stuffed chicken in garlic sauce, chips about 26E.
<i>The last 3 perfect days, a train to Dublin, a tour of N.I., Wild Wicklow and a great hotel coming soon! </i>
<u>Oughterard to Westport (Cong, Killary and the Doo Lough Pass)- 80 miles/ 3.5 hours drive time </u>
<u>The Boulevard Guesthouse </u><i> 35Euro pp</i>
South Mall, Westport, County Mayo www.boulevardguesthouse.com
353 98 25138 pps: Sadie and John Moran (wonderful assistant: Noreen)
THANK YOU MELISSA 5!!!
We enjoyed the Boulevard so much that we stayed an extra day! Sadie and Noreen were a delight and we had a perfect time there. We stayed in the top floor room (yep, 3 flights up…36 steps!) The most comfortable double bed in a big room with a single bed on each side, slanted ceilings and a big bathroom, all spotlessly clean.
Breakfast was lovely traditional Irish and when I switched to boiled eggs- not a prob! When Sadie found out that the fancy self press French roast was killing my insides she was sure to give me and DH regular coffee each morning & when she noticed that it was disappearing faster then she could bring it to us we were served in big, huge mugs- YUM! Lingered over breakfast each morning enjoying the music & chatting with Sadie!
I do believe that the room would have been refreshed each day- but we were all getting along so easily and I felt so at home I told ‘em not to bother- I’d just bring down my towels for new ones. By the time we left it was hugs and kisses all around and I would highly recommend The Boulevard to anyone!
<u>Day 11</u>
Was FINALLY overcast misty and cold as we headed over to Cong. I had been there on my first visit and really enjoyed it- so much so that we almost booked a stay rather than Oughterard.
<u>Cong & Guinness Bowling</u>
Cong seemed to be a little quieter and I was sad to see that the big Super-Valu that had been there just 18 months before had closed down. Our intention was to walk Ashford Castle gardens so I could see it in bloom but neither of us really felt up to the walk that day and were content to wander about town. Ran into a photographer selling Quiet Man pics to local businesses and ended up playing “guess the scene” for a while- I so love meeting people in Ireland!
On our way up the street toward Danagher’s Pub we came across what we have dubbed “Guinness Bowling” and were practically on the ground from laughing so hard. Kegs of Guinness were rolling by in front of us, 20 mph straight toward the front outside planters at Danagher’s & the driver’s assistant!
<<Swear words sound so melodious in an Irish brogue>>
We snuck up and peeked around the corner and there was the Guinness truck – too big to get any closer and parked askew up the small incline in front of Pat Cohan’s- with the big burly driver hefting the kegs off the truck and rolling them down, fast and furious, to the little guy below running back and forth like a duck in a shooting gallery trying to save himself and the entire front of the Pub from demolition by keg. Alas, no pictures to be had of this as DH and I did not want to have a keg headed our way!
<u>Doo Lough Pass- don’t miss it!</u>
We guessed & took some sort of small bypass road out of Cong & back to the R335 to the R336 to the N59 in Leenane to the R335 to Killary, a spot of shopping, a few pics of Aasleagh Falls (fight scene from The Field was filmed here), through Delphi and on to the Doo Lough Pass. Passing the memorial markers dedicated to the people of the famine was a poignant and somber experience and the misty rain, high fog and no traffic made for an eerily quiet drive that seemed to bring the past alive.
<u>Crough Patrick & Westport</u>
The R335 to Louisburg and then heading East toward Croagh Patrick which I was so busy looking for I completely missed the main famine monument I had wanted to see at Murrisk. Croagh Patrick, even shrouded in fog seemed very impressive- a 2510 ft. climb that some people make a yearly pilgrimage to and walk up barefoot. Wandered up the lane a tad, watched a few people dragging themselves back down, gave ‘em our best wishes and and decided that we could just buy the t-shirt but alas we could not find one that said something like “I ain’t no fool, I watch someone else climb Croagh Patrick”
& headed on to Westport.<u>Westport</u>
We arrived earlier then planned, stopped at the TI (tourist info.) to get our bearings, watched agog as whole troops of people were cleaning, even using paintbrushes to get between the cracks in the pavement. I had heard this was a tidy town award winner but jeez! (Then we found out that the President would be there the next day to present the 2007 award in the town square- ah-ha!)
Heaven awaited around the corner as we spotted O’Cees coffee shop (connected to the Super-Valu) and went in to have a fresh coffee or three whilst I caught up on my journal and just relaxed until it was time to head over to The Boulevard for our room.
Dinner that night was at the Clew Bay Hotel –Madden’s Bistro (recommended by Noreen at The Boulevard) and was a huge and delish fish&chips special- with the usual salads, a pint for himself and some tea for me, again about 30E
<b>Day 12 (Saturday)
Westport</b>
<u>Achill, The Atlantic Drive & The Museum of Country Life (92 miles/4 hours drive time)</u>
A cold, windy and overcast day (yes!) saw us on our way to Achill Island. The Atlantic Drive was awesome (we did it clockwise) and by the time we reached the top the wind was so strong I could barely stand. Luckily it was blowing away from the cliffs so I did get out and push my way toward the edge for some great pictures while DH sat in the car and took some pics of the crazy lady weaving through the tornado. Due to the weather we decided to skip the Deserted Village at Slievemore and the Kildavnet Tower and headed to Turlough and the Museum Of Country Life.
The Museum of Country Life (off of the N5 East of Castlebar) was fascinating and we enjoyed spending about 3 hours there, learned a lot, enjoyed it all- but be prepared for quite a bit of reading!
The end of the day had us back in Westport for a cheapie dinner of burgers at Dunning’s Bar (20E). We then squeezed into The Porterhouse Pub and met a great group of people from Dublin that were visiting for the weekend- drinks passed, the music got loud and a grand time was had by all!
<b>Day 13 </b>
<u>Westport-a lazy Sunday</u>
A beautiful and sunny day that per DH’s request had me asking Sadie if we could add on another day and our wishes were granted. We did not drive anywhere and just “hung out”, relaxing and doing nothing. I had not made any reservations for Sligo and had told DH that this was the one part of our vacation that was up in the air. We were both enjoying the relaxing atmosphere and comfy beds at The Boulevard that we did not regret adding on here and shortening Sligo to one day until we arrived at Carrowkeel
<b>Day 14 </b>
<u>Westport to Sligo via: Carrowkeel, Carrowmore and Strandhill (100 miles/3.5 hours drive time) </u>
<font color="red"><u>Carbury House</u>
Teeson, Donegal Road, Sligo
We called and were told that they are no longer operating a B&B at all. Since the website is STILL in existence I thought I would let you know what we were told on the phone by the owners </font>
(ever prepared…)
<u>Yeats Lodge</u><i> 25Euro pp</i>
Drumcliffe, County Sligo www.yeatslodge.com
353 71 91 73787 pps: Geraldine Gibbons
Beautiful house in a beautiful setting. This is most certainly a built-for B&B and Geraldine was most accommodating. Everything is fresh and again we had a second floor room over the breakfast room. The room was very large and spotlessly decorated in blonde woods. The chifforobe had shelves and a hanging area and our queen bed was comfortable. The room did seem a little loud with all of that wood and an area rug to cushion the sound would not be remiss here. A seating area in front of a window overlooking the front and another single bed adourned the room. The bathroom was nice and had a slanted window that overlooked the backyard parking and sheep farm with a picturesque view of Benbulben Mountain. A glass enclosed shower, ceramic tile- perfectly appointed. There were a couple of seating nooks upstairs and the breakfast room was adorable. Breakfast had choices and was very good. The disappointment here was that Sligo deserved a longer stay and that we were in and out so fast that our stay felt a little cold.
<u>Carrowkeel</u>
Cold rain had us on our way to Carrowkeel, well armed with all handwritten directions from Wojazz’s report in my handy-dandy travel notebook. We found our way to Castlebaldwin and from there past the Donkey Rest Home through a gated field as a huge storm was boiling overhead.
A Deluge! The weather was too bad to take the car around the bend 1km to the next lot and we stopped at the sign. We tried to wait it out and parked next to one other lone car. A group of 4 seniors from England came walking back and we ran out to help them and find out more info. Amidst handing out paper towels we found out that the next lot was 1 MILE and Carrowkeel was well beyond that and they just couldn’t make it- apparently just past the big bend up the big hill the wind kicked up and made it more miserable. Being alone in the middle of nowhere we decided not to risk sinking the tyres into the muddy path. I was so close I could taste it and deserve honors for not mentioning right then and there how wonderful the weather had been the day before…when we were <i>supposed</i> to have been there.
<u>Carrowmore</u>
<i>2.10E pp </i>
Shrugging off the disappointment- we headed to Carrowmore where (of course) the weather cleared right up and we had some wonderful scenery. A few Euro deposit gave us a laminated card to carry with step-by-step instructions of walking the sights and what we were seeing (be sure to do that if you go).
<u>Sligo enchantment</u>
Of all of the places we have been on this trip Sligo really was enchanting. The perfect 40 shades of green were really out in full force here and both of us kept remarking that this seemed to be the greenest part we had seen, Benbulben is a very interesting formation and all of it was gorgeous! Our entire surroundings were stunning and we could not move around fast enough to catch it all! This is where DH turned to me and told me to mark it down- we were coming back to Sligo as soon as we could!
We were off toward Sligo via a loop of Strandhill to check out where we would be dropping off the car the next day- great views of Knocknarea! Passed through Sligo about 5 miles into Drumcliff and down a small road to Yeats Lodge. Dropped our things and decided we had too much light to waste and took a drive around Glencar Lake to the Glencar Waterfall. A wonderful place to spend time and we lingered for quite a while walking up all of the paths.
Back toward Drumcliff it was still so light that we stopped at the Drumcliff Church to see Yeats grave and stare at the sky and surroundings before we headed on up to Grange for dinner at Lang’s Bar- a very traditional place that was all at once an off-license, Bar, Grocery and restaurant. Delicious bacon and onion stuffed chicken in garlic sauce, chips about 26E.
<i>The last 3 perfect days, a train to Dublin, a tour of N.I., Wild Wicklow and a great hotel coming soon! </i>
Sep 12th, 2007, 12:40 AM
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<b>Day 15</b>
<u>Sligo to Dublin by train</u>
A slightly overcast morning turns beautiful once again as we headed the 9 miles from Yeats Lodge to the Sligo airport in Strandhill to drop off our beautiful Mercedes and catch a bus to the train station. My info. told me there was a 10:40 bus and thank heaven we decided to check. YES, there is a regular bus, but only if the airport cust. svc calls and let them know someone is waiting. We found this quite amusing and were kept company by a supervisor from the airport who came to tell us that she would drive us herself if the bus ran late <<<I so love Ireland!>>>
We find the trains in Ireland to be a very relaxing way to travel and this leg of our journey was no exception. Clean trains and a very relaxing journey.
<i>2.90E pp bus from Sligo Airport to Train station
25.50E pp Train Sligo to Dublin (roundtrip is same as one way- go figure?)
1.40E Luas from Connolly station to closest drop off to Temple Bar</i>
<b> <font color="green"> <u>Our Great Hotel- We really liked it! </u></font></b>
Day 15 had us checking in at-
<u>Paramount Hotel </u> <i>3 days/$309.00 USD </i>
Parliament Street & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
353 1 417 9900 www.paramounthotel.ie
I searched about and found it on www.visitdublin.com, short-listed my top 5 choices and researched ‘em all (I love Tripadvisor!) Someone wrote that they got a great deal on hotels.com and I ended up pre-paying there with a book 2 nights- 3rd night free- breakfast wasn’t included & we felt that the 10euro to add it in per person per day was NOT worth it.
Yes, it is loud- bring earplugs and/or request the 5th floor. As I can (and have) slept through re-roofing over my bedroom the noise did not bother me. We had the 2nd floor and although there may have been a 5th floor room available the next night we were to settled to move. As stated in some of the reviews there are 2 other things that you may be concerned about. The rooms can get a little too warm & lighting is dim, noticeably dim (bathroom had the best light, but hey, I was happy lookin’ 10 years younger in that lighting)! Since noise was not an issue we just kept the windows open a few inches and were completely fine.
The rooms have all undergone a remodel and were lovely and looked JUST like the website picture. The bathroom and tub/shower area are extremely large. The queen bed, long desk with drawers, chifforobe, chair and night tables did not overwhelm the room and there was plenty of space to walk around. All in all- city centre Dublin for what amounts to 75Euros per night was a fantastic deal and we were very happy with the Paramount!
<u>Temple Bar walk about</u>
Walking around Temple Bar is confusing and no matter how well my sense of direction is anywhere else in the world- I CANNOT seem to make heads or tales of Dublin city centre and most especially Temple Bar. So every area we were in we had an “if lost” spot as if I were 5 yrs old again-Sheesh! So what if it took me four tries to guess the direction of the Liffey when we left Gallagher’s. Of course, we were agog at how many people were milling about and after 16 days of quiet and un-crowded views it was almost an overload to be in the city. An early nite back to the Paramount as we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow!
We decided to eat at (cliché
Gallagher’s Boxty House since we saw a coupon at our hotel for a free pint of Murphy’s each with dinner and I wanted to give ‘em another try. The Corned Beef and Champ was a HUGE success (and much better than the somewhat bland Boxty I had tried on my 1st visit). We really enjoyed ourselves, sitting with a wonderful couple from Australia and exchanging travel stories.
<b>Day 16</b>
Is not a day for the faint of heart since it started at 5am and ended at 11pm- but I must explain that we knew we were doing this ahead of time. DH and I live in a huge city (Los Angeles). We saw Dublin on our first visit and everyone should see it, but in Ireland we absolutely love the quiet little places, so different from the normal hustle & bustle of our daily life. Knowing we were going to end our vacation with two full days in Dublin (so DH could have a rest from driving before he gets back to his job…of driving) he kindly agreed that I could fill our days with tours out of the city- and boy howdy- did I fill ‘em up!
<i>I promise to be back this week with more on our tour of N.I. (The Glens, Carrick-A-Rede, Bushmills and the Causeway Coast), and our Wild Wicklow tour too!</i>
<u>Sligo to Dublin by train</u>
A slightly overcast morning turns beautiful once again as we headed the 9 miles from Yeats Lodge to the Sligo airport in Strandhill to drop off our beautiful Mercedes and catch a bus to the train station. My info. told me there was a 10:40 bus and thank heaven we decided to check. YES, there is a regular bus, but only if the airport cust. svc calls and let them know someone is waiting. We found this quite amusing and were kept company by a supervisor from the airport who came to tell us that she would drive us herself if the bus ran late <<<I so love Ireland!>>>
We find the trains in Ireland to be a very relaxing way to travel and this leg of our journey was no exception. Clean trains and a very relaxing journey.
<i>2.90E pp bus from Sligo Airport to Train station
25.50E pp Train Sligo to Dublin (roundtrip is same as one way- go figure?)
1.40E Luas from Connolly station to closest drop off to Temple Bar</i>
<b> <font color="green"> <u>Our Great Hotel- We really liked it! </u></font></b>
Day 15 had us checking in at-
<u>Paramount Hotel </u> <i>3 days/$309.00 USD </i>
Parliament Street & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
353 1 417 9900 www.paramounthotel.ie
I searched about and found it on www.visitdublin.com, short-listed my top 5 choices and researched ‘em all (I love Tripadvisor!) Someone wrote that they got a great deal on hotels.com and I ended up pre-paying there with a book 2 nights- 3rd night free- breakfast wasn’t included & we felt that the 10euro to add it in per person per day was NOT worth it.
Yes, it is loud- bring earplugs and/or request the 5th floor. As I can (and have) slept through re-roofing over my bedroom the noise did not bother me. We had the 2nd floor and although there may have been a 5th floor room available the next night we were to settled to move. As stated in some of the reviews there are 2 other things that you may be concerned about. The rooms can get a little too warm & lighting is dim, noticeably dim (bathroom had the best light, but hey, I was happy lookin’ 10 years younger in that lighting)! Since noise was not an issue we just kept the windows open a few inches and were completely fine.
The rooms have all undergone a remodel and were lovely and looked JUST like the website picture. The bathroom and tub/shower area are extremely large. The queen bed, long desk with drawers, chifforobe, chair and night tables did not overwhelm the room and there was plenty of space to walk around. All in all- city centre Dublin for what amounts to 75Euros per night was a fantastic deal and we were very happy with the Paramount!
<u>Temple Bar walk about</u>
Walking around Temple Bar is confusing and no matter how well my sense of direction is anywhere else in the world- I CANNOT seem to make heads or tales of Dublin city centre and most especially Temple Bar. So every area we were in we had an “if lost” spot as if I were 5 yrs old again-Sheesh! So what if it took me four tries to guess the direction of the Liffey when we left Gallagher’s. Of course, we were agog at how many people were milling about and after 16 days of quiet and un-crowded views it was almost an overload to be in the city. An early nite back to the Paramount as we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow!
We decided to eat at (cliché
Gallagher’s Boxty House since we saw a coupon at our hotel for a free pint of Murphy’s each with dinner and I wanted to give ‘em another try. The Corned Beef and Champ was a HUGE success (and much better than the somewhat bland Boxty I had tried on my 1st visit). We really enjoyed ourselves, sitting with a wonderful couple from Australia and exchanging travel stories.<b>Day 16</b>
Is not a day for the faint of heart since it started at 5am and ended at 11pm- but I must explain that we knew we were doing this ahead of time. DH and I live in a huge city (Los Angeles). We saw Dublin on our first visit and everyone should see it, but in Ireland we absolutely love the quiet little places, so different from the normal hustle & bustle of our daily life. Knowing we were going to end our vacation with two full days in Dublin (so DH could have a rest from driving before he gets back to his job…of driving) he kindly agreed that I could fill our days with tours out of the city- and boy howdy- did I fill ‘em up!
<i>I promise to be back this week with more on our tour of N.I. (The Glens, Carrick-A-Rede, Bushmills and the Causeway Coast), and our Wild Wicklow tour too!</i>
Sep 13th, 2007, 09:55 AM
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Thank you, Perfect,
I think I remember some one else post about The Paramount. I spent 3 sleepless nights at Principal Hotel on Fleet St. After that experience I stayed out of Dublin. I always pay for 2 or 3 rooms, so it's way too expensive for me in a better hotel in Dublin proper. I would love to go back and stay a week just Dublin.
I too like Boxty. Thanks again for your great report.
Joan
I think I remember some one else post about The Paramount. I spent 3 sleepless nights at Principal Hotel on Fleet St. After that experience I stayed out of Dublin. I always pay for 2 or 3 rooms, so it's way too expensive for me in a better hotel in Dublin proper. I would love to go back and stay a week just Dublin.
I too like Boxty. Thanks again for your great report.
Joan
Oct 22nd, 2007, 01:35 AM
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Dawn, what a great trip report! I just skimmed through it and look forward to a thorough read this week. I'm delighted you enjoyed The Bouelevard Guesthouse in Westport...yes, yes, doesn't Westport invite you to slow down and hang out? You have mentioned places I'd like to mark for our second trip to Ireland someday! (Not sure when but I'll be back.)
Melissa5
Melissa5
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Sep 27th, 2007 08:18 AM
