I will be traveling in Ireland July with my 76yr mother & 2 sisters. Should we make reservations for B&B's before travel? If so where do you recommend? (we will NOT be in Dublin or northern Ireland)

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF B&B'S THROUGHOUT IRELAND . YOU WILL SEE THEM WHERE EVER YOU GO AND IDENTIFY THEM BY A GREEN SIGN WITH A SHAMROCK, BELIEVE ME !! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE. THE SHAMROCK TELLS YOU THAT THEY'RE GOVERNMENT INSPECTED & APPROVED.I HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS FINDING A PLACE WITHOUT RESERVATIONS AND DON'T THINK THEY'RE NECESSARY. "E" MAIL ME IF I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

Although I have always had luck in finding a place in Ireland, I would use extra caution since you are traveling with a 76 year old. I have
several books and I can look up phone numbers
of places. Better safe than sorry. Please write me: [email protected]

The best resource on the net I have found is Town and country homes at www.commerce.ie/towns_and_country/tips.html. I'm going in sept and this has been a big help on choosing where to stay. It shows many amenities offered at each location and is very complete. You might also contact the Irish tourist board for more info on their web site .

Found a website for B &B's in Europe: www.travel data.com--says it lists 3,000

I was planning a trip to Ireland this past spring (unfortunately, I didn't get to go). However, I found a terrific site for B&B's.

Go check out:

http://www.stilwell.co.uk/

My husband and I just returned from 2 weeks of traveling around Ireland by rental car. We stayed in B&B's and had great success once we started with the one that are also Town and Country Association Homes in addition to being certified by the Tourist Board. The first one we stayed at was one to stay away from..St. Clare's in Galway City and it was registered with the Tourist Board.. as a matter of fact they sent us there. In Castlebar, Hazelgrove House was delightful but all the rooms are upstairs so this may be a consideration with your 76 yr older and her ability to climb stairs. In Tullamore, try Canal View Country House owned by a delightful bernadette Keyes. In Killarney don't miss Mike and Kathy Lohan and their Lohan Lodge, by far the most wonderful B&B we encountered. I will be glad to share other tips we learned if you would like to email me at [email protected]
You are in for the experience of a lifetime!
Good luck and happy traveling.

I travelled by car through Ireland several years ago...in early July...there was no trouble finding B&B as we went along. If you are driving...it seems to take londer to get short distances than you would imagine...lots to see...sheep on the road, cows with herders, beautiful scenery and places that you will just want to stop and savor...my favorite B/B was called the Forge...it was along the Shannon River...not far from (pardon the spelling_ Clanamacnoise...my only suggestion is to skip the peat bog trip...the west, around Clifden is just wonderful...take casual clothes, rain gear and layers...the winds and rain can be cold...and then the sun and the rainbows arrive

Before my husband & I went to Ireland last year, I contacted the Irish tourist office in New York (you can get the phone # from directory assistance. They sent me two great guides - one was B&B's, the other was hotels. It had pictures of every property, # of stars, rates, amentities, etc. I used only these books - I made some reservations before we left and called ahead to others while we were there. If you really want to stay in a particular hotel or B&B, I recommend making a reservation especially if it's a touristy area like Killarney.