We were just ready to book at three week trip to Ireland. We have heard from seasoned travelers that August is the worst time for crowds and long lines everywhere ? Is this true ? We have heard the tour buses are bumper to bumper trying to pass on the narrow roadways ????

In Dublin the weekends will be bad due to the stag and hen weekends,means you need to book restaurants in the morning.

The narrow roads will be tight but one of the tricks is to think the Iris h way, they say that there is no concept in irish for the urgency inherent in the spanish phrase on Manyana

Chose what you want to do and then do it slowly

We visited the west coast of Ireland in late July and early August and had the same fears, and they were totally unfounded. Crowds were never a problem, even at popular sites or on the road. We found the whole area beautiful and unspoiled. We did book ahead, though, and we heard that accommodations around the Cliffs of Moher were full. Now, we did not visit Dublin, so I don't know about that. But the west coast was no problem.

Apart from the Ring of Kerry, you should be safe in the West of Ireland in August. Consider renting bikes and cycling through parts of County Claire or County Mayo. Stunning scenery.
http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/West_Ireland_photos_1.htm

We spent 2 weeks last Aug, starting in Shannon and heading north to Galway, Clifden, Westport, Donegal, and the rural area south of Sligo (Tubbercurry and Gurteen) and there were no crowds anywhere in that area except for Westport, which was hosting a huge music festival. We chose NW Ireland specifically because we had learned that it was the least crowded area of Ireland to visit during the 1st and 2nd weeks of August. It was fabulous! Dan

The number of visitors to Ireland is way down this year so I doubt if you will have a problem with crowds anywhere except where some towns have festivals. Hotel prices are much lower than they were in the past few years.

You'll be fine, especially this year, as Sandylan said. Tourism has been down this year due to economy. I've been in August, and to be honest, I found June more crowded due to hordes of Italian school kids at the different sites.

Go and enjoy. It is never that crowded that you will not enjoy yourself. It is not Disney World with long lines. Dublin is a big city that gets busy, but it can handle crowds. The west is much quieter. When you go to the "must see" areas such as Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, etc. it will be more crowded than hiking in the Burren or driving through Connemara, but certainly not crowded enough to change your trip. It all depends on what your interests are.