We are taking our second trip to Ireland. We will be using vouchers and we hoping that we could get some recommendations from the Fodorites out there who have stayed in B&Bs. Are there any in particular we should stay in and//or avoid? Here's our itinerary:

Arrive Shannon March 12th. Stayed in Rail View House in Ennis before but should we consider others?

Travel on to Tipperary/Cashel on March 13th. We've never been to this area so any recommendations are appreciated.

Travel to Wicklow on the 14th. Again, we have not been here before.

We have booked a hotel in Dublin for the rest of our journey and will leave Dublin in the afternoon on the 18th. Thank you for helping!

www.bedandbreakfasrireland.net
www.premierguesthouses.com
www.townandcountry.ie
All the guest houses listed above have passed a certain srandard.

The websites mentioned by CU do meet a "certain" standard, provided they have been inspected within the past decade or two. Generally, inspections in Ireland are few and far between.

You will get many recommendations here on Fodor's. You may also want to do a Google search using terms such as "where to stay in ireland" or "ireland personal recommendations for b&bs" without the quotes in the search. There are many websites that visit and review B&Bs on a continuing basis and are much more up to date than the antiquated inspection system in Ireland. A tiny bit of research will make your trip special.

My own favorite place to stay in Cashel is Rockside House: http://www.joyrockside.com/ I'm sure others will have their own favorites to recommend.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've got many possibilities but I am looking for B&Bs that individuals enjoy. Thanks for the idea with the search as well!

HI Rshersnow,

This past summer I stayed at Carrigeen Castle in Cahir: http://www.tipp.ie/butlerca.htm, which was fun. There's a lot to see in Cahir (Cahir Castle and Swiss Cottage) and it's just a short bus or car ride to Cashel.

The Wicklow area is gorgeous--I loved Glendalough. Also make sure you take a ride through the Sally Gap area.

Have fun!

Patti

Wicklow is beautiful, especially Powerscourt. I know you want a B&B but i have to say i stayed at the marriott druids glen, and it was so charming and beautiful. the food was great and the lounge was so romantic.

What time do you arrive Shannon? Why are you staying in Ennis the first night. Cashel is only an hour and 1/2 drive.

If you are arriving from the States in the AM, you won't be able to check into your B&B until the PM - Head to Cashel on your first day, do a pub lunch (lost of nice pubs in the area), check in to shower and quick nap, then head out for dinner & some pub music in the evening.

We are staying in Ennis for 1 night only we want to stick around in that area and see the Cliffs of Moher and some other places we didn't have time for on our last visit.

We are thinking of shooting to Kinsale and then back up to the Rock of Cashel on day 2. Our goal is to just enjoy ourselves a bit more rather than trying to see everything this time. Learning from our past mistakes!

For Cashel, I highly recommend Rockside House http://www.joyrockside.com/
It's located at the base of the Rock, park your car at the house and walk on up, walk to shops and restaurants, etc. The place is very clean and comfortable and a good value.

rshersnow,

You said you didn't want to repeat past mistakes so "shooting to Kinsale and then back up to the Rock of Cashel on day 2" should set off alarm bells! Don't you want to actually take time to see things?

Irish Eyes- thanks for the tip. Maybe I will revisit that idea. Thank you.

Agree with Irish Eyes. Ireland, as you probably know by now, is not made for shooting around. The Kinsale area is worth 1 or more days. A quick shot down hardly seems worth it. It's a nice place to spend a night or two especially in March when the crowds will not be there.

Bill

The Rockside B&B looks like it will be the place for the Cashel stop. Thanks Fodorites! Anyone have any suggestions for the Wicklow area?

Just a recommendation to make your reservations at Rockside ASAP. I wanted to stay there but they were all booked up - so I ended up staying at Legends Guesthouse, which I do not recommend!

Also, Glendalough is beautiful, but having stayed overnight there I don't think it was worth an overnight. You might consider staying in Dun Laoghaire and making the trip out. Powerscourt is FANTASTIC!! Don't forget to take the short side hike to the tower!

We've now made a reservation at Rockside. Thanks for all of your help with that.... I'm still looking for help with a place in the Wicklow area. It does not have to be in Wicklow itself necessarily. We are using vouchers so we would not be able to stay in Druid's Glen or Cahir Castle. Thanks again!