Hello,

I'm looking to plan a week trip to Ireland in late March 2008 for myself, my 85 year old Grandmother, and a few family members, some experienced travelers, some this will be the first trip out of USA. My Grandmother has always wanted to see where her ancestors came from, and see the countryside of Ireland. As intense travel would be cumbersome, I would like to find a base city where we could all rent an apartment or two and those that wish to take day trips could, and those who just want to enjoy a small town or village could stay put.

So for all of you Ireland experts-
1) Good base village or small town for a week (doesn't need to be the city we arrive in, just one we could take a bus to and then travel around and from)
2) Necessity of renting a car versus bus trips?
3) Easy day trips and sites to see?

Thank you in advance for any assistance. I'm a rather fly-by-seat-of-pants traveler type and want to plan a trip that will be memorable for the entire family.

All the best,
Emily

two questions first:

1) how many of you? A cottage/house may be better than an apartment(s)

2) Where is your Grandmother's family from?

Thank you so much for such a fast reply! As of now, there are 6 of us. I have a feeling that if I can plan an interesting itinerary, low-cost, I can rally more cousins/family to go. A cottage or house is an excellent suggestion, thank you.

We're actually not sure where (or if) Grandma's family is from Ireland. Grandma has mild to moderate Alzheimers, and in the past year has started remembering stories from distant relatives from Ireland that have since passed, and has said it is the one place in the world she wants to see, so we want to make it happen, no matter the actual history. Hence the time crunch for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. She just took her first international trip ever to Israel, and loved being overseas, but was overwhelmed by the massive tour group experience.

Sorry, more detail than probably needed... I'm just so thrilled to plan the trip for the family, and want to make it the best experience possible.

Well then - anywhere you choose will be her "Old Sod"

If were me - I'd fly into Shannon, stay in a hotel the first night somewhere near there -- in/near Ennis/Limerick. Just so everyone has a place to chill and get over the jet lag. Don't push getting farther away.

Then move on to your cottage maybe in County Kerry or County Cork. Either would be a good base for exploring all of the SW. In March you can get a large-ish cottage or house for very reasonable rates. Easter will boost the rates a bit but you should still be fine.

I would recommend cars - a car for every 4 people at least. That will give you flexibility for different interestes/energy levels/health. If some want to sleep or maybe just explore a nearby village for the days others can go farther and see other things.

Once you get a total number - then it is easy to find rentals that would work.

Hi Emily

I have travelled twice with large groups and stayed in a town named Killorglin. It sits in the middle of a triangle formed by the Dingle penninsula, the Ring of Kerry and Killarney. It is not a long drive from Shannon airport.

Last time we rented townhouses from Dream Ireland. They were not terribly Irish but they were large, nicely furnished, inexpensive and backed on to a lovely river.

You would need a car(s) however.

The larger your group gets the more cumbersome the whole trip becomes. If you decide to rent cottatges, with a larger group you will need 2 or more. With just 6 people you can get away with one. With a larger group you get more personalities involved and people that want to go their own way. Bickering can happen.

I suggest sticking with your current group of 6 people.

If you rent a car or van you will have maximum flexibility. You can go as you please. If you have to use public transportation you should choose your base very carefully. Not all places will have sufficient day trips, transportation and infrastructure for your needs. There are really only a handful of places that will suit you in that case and some will be crossed off the list because of time of year you are traveling.

March 2008 includes St. Patrick's Day and Easter. Best to move right along with your plans quickly. You really don't have all that much time for planning such a trip.

I disagree. There are many holiday rental that sleep more than 6 people. I've rented 4 and even 5 bdrm places.

Now, 2 and 3 bdrm are more common of course - but there are larger properties all over. I'd firm up the number and then you can start looking for appropriately sized properties.

Also - there are places where 2 or 3 cottages are rented out on the same property. Which can be even better if you don't want quite so much "togetherness"

Yes janisj there are 4 and 5 bedroom houses or even renting a castle or estate with dozens of rooms. The cottages sleeping around 6 or less are much more common and easier to come by.

Larger groups take more planning. I would hate to think of a family group that rents a castle and then half of them drop out. Ouch! That would leave the remaining ones to foot the very expensive bill. Things like that do happen with families. It is something to keep in mind when planning. People can be fickle.

IrishEyes: I have taken several groups of as many as 13 friends/relatives to places in the UK and Ireland. We always self-cater for at least part of every trip. Sure there can be complications. But to leave out family members who want to come because they cause a bit more planning -- it just takes trade offs.

If one plans correctly there are no issues re backing out. It must be made clear that there is a definite cut off date and once the tickets are paid for and cottage rented - if one changes their mind they are still responsible for their share of those costs.

I've never had anyone have to "foot the bill" for someone else.

If 6 is the number that want to come great - that is a nice size. But if there are 8 or 10 ot 12 - it can still be done.

Renting a castle would be a special treat of course. But renting a large house or two cottages works too - for a fraction the cost.

There isn't anywhere you can use as a base for travelling round Ireland.

Basing yourselves somewhere in County Cork or Kerry would give you a great place for pleasant trips round the area's wonderful countryside. But such a base would would be uncomfortable even for fit, car-loving 40 yo's to get to Dublin from, and downright useless if they wanted to see Ireland's north or northwest. Ireland's surprisingly big, its roads unbelievably slow abnd its public transport system - at any rate in the Republic - incomprehensibly mediocre, and getting round it takes forever.

Now a century ago, most of Ireland's population lived in or north of Dublin. Trying to explain to an Alzheimered elderly relative that she's come all the way to Ireland but it's just not possible to drive (or train, or fly) to the Ballygolightly she's just remembered (as, in my experience, Alzheimered elderly relatives always eventually do when it comes to Irish roots)three of her father's sisters used to tell stories about isn't something I'd like to do. Sweet reasonableness in the face of frustration isn't the first quality most of us associate with Alzheimers.

So in your shoes, I'd try to find out more about where her family's from before committing to one location. Practically everyone has more documentation about themselves than they realise, and a good browse in the help and advice sections of www.familysearch.org (especially the bits on Ireland) will help you find out a lot more about your greandmother than you probably think's possible.

It may seem an awful faff. But it's nothing to the faff you might all get into if you realise in Ireland you could just as easily have based yourself somewhere 10 mins' drive from where your great-grandmother got married, but that granny's just not up to the eight hour drive.

Emily-- first try to post on WHERE in Ireland is your Grandmother from, even if she can narrow it down only to County, that will help.

I definitely agree - it will help a lot if you can find out where the family roots are. But it sounds like that may be more work than planning the trip

In any case - IF you do learn the county - then it will make choosing a location that much easier.

I agree that no base will let you see all of Ireland - but w/o 4 or 5 weeks you won't see most of it anyway. So a base in a scenic area like the SW will let you see a LOT and still get back "home" every night.

Dublin really isn't a must for most visitors. But if you fly into Dublin instead of Shannon, you could stay there a day or two before traveling on to your rental cottage.

If you do discover the family's origin - then you may want to base near there. Otherwise - you really can't go wrong staying near the west/southwest coast.

Emily,

Another thing to consider is the weather -- in March I think you and your gang will be much happier in the south. I agree that the southwest, particularly west Cork and Kerry are the places to go. Lots there to see and experience. I personally love Kinsale. Killarney is a bit touristy, but quite central and could be a good base.

County Clare, particularly the coastal area, is also very interesting and home of the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and Shannon Airport. The seaside town of Lahinch is popular and offers several nice cottage colonies. The rent that time of year should be quite reasonable. Do any of your group play golf? There is a world class links course in the town.

There are several online sites that feature rental houses and cottages all over the country. In any case you will want to be near a fairly substantial town if self-catering.

Heritage Centers can be found in every county if you want to get into family research, but I doubt that it will mean that much to your Grandmother...

Good luck, and have agreat time!

Late March (i.e. after St. Patrick's day and after Easter (23 March) can be a good time to come to Ireland. Daylight Saving Time will end around that time and as we say "there will be a great stretch in the evenings".

It is still however, low season and weather prospects are entirely unknown. One complicating factor is school holidays which provide a mini-boost to prices at that time. They are generally the week after Easter itself, so the later in March you leave it the better.

In terms of location, the generally acknowledged centre of Ireland is the town of Athlone. It is well situated on the banks of the Shannon and within easy reach of both Dublin and Galway. It has good tourism facilities and the town caters to a lot of boaters who cruise up and down the Shannon. However it is not a heavily-touristed place and is handsome rather than pretty.

If being central is important, then it (or its hinterland) may be worth a look. The website http://www.westmeathtourism.com/ can help.

In terms of accommodation you will have a full choice in Ireland at that time. Self-catering has a lot of advantages (privacy, cost etc) but sometimes hotel/B&B accommodation may not be much more expensive and you get the benefit of better service, which may take some of the pressure of the carers.

Have a good trip.

Tim

Emily...A good suggestion would be to go to this website: www.irelandyes.com There is a wealth of info there, and lots of friendly travelers to help you.

Helen

flannerUK writes: << There isn't anywhere you can use as a base for travelling round Ireland. >>

<< Ireland's ... public transport system - at any rate in the Republic - incomprehensibly mediocre, and getting round it takes forever.>>

I disagree! BusEireann has service to most of the Irish Republic from Galway or Dublin and connects with UlsterBus for N.I. destinations.

<< So in your shoes, I'd try to find out more about where her family's from before committing to one location. >>

Agreed! Start with names - there are family names more prevalent in certain parts of Ireland and given names repeat from one generation to the next.
But the 'name' thing can also get you in trouble. There are five O'Connor branches. My Grandmother Eliza O'Connor lived on a farm on Barna hill (Limerick) - a family on a neighboring property was also O'Connor (no relation).

Hello all,

Thank you very much for all of the suggestions!

It sounds like the Southwest- County Cork and Kerry both would be lovely areas to base for a week. We want to be able to feel the culture of Ireland, see a castle or two, see the countryside, etc. We will most likely not venture to Dublin or far-and-away parts of the country. Certainly, we've tried to investigate the claim that we have family from Ireland, to no avail. (So perhaps just ignore that part of the question, that was probably too much detail to share).

I appreciate all of the leads, websites, and suggestions-

Happy travels to you all, Emily

if i wanted to get the most likely area of your grandmother's ancestry
I would look up her surname to get a bit of inspiration from counties that had a higher density from that particular clan.
I think it would be more exciting to know that you are potentially on the same ground as your ancestors, as Ireland is quite diverse.

Try these:

http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/

http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/irenames.htm

Although personally I would recommend Donegal, as it has some of the most beautiful scenery.

Hi all,

This is a really turning out to be a great thread for family history and geneology. I'm actually a geneology professional (I swear , so please be assured that we've made every effort, and highly doubt, that we have Ireland origins. I think we probably have family that moved around Europe during the Holocaust or someone visited Ireland at some point, so the exact location of where we may or may not be from really isn't the issue- its just my Grandma wants to see the countryside of Ireland, and we're going to make that dream come true.

I would love to explore some of the topics mentioned- public transport (bus options) and some of the smaller towns/villages in the west/Southwest area recommendations?

The websites are great, and we will definitely be looking at renting apartments. We're keeping this open to all of our family members- seeing Grandma this happy is an experience all should have the opportunity to enjoy!

Emily

EmilyMB, enjoy some special family time in Ireland while your grandmother is still lucid. My husband lost his father to Alzheimer's. As I'm sure you know, even if you find the exact house where your grandmother's relatives lived, there is no telling how much she will understand while she is there. There may be moments when she doesn't realize she is in Ireland. But that is okay. What is important is spending quality time together. You will remember more of this trip than your grandmother will remember.

I suggest you take into account the special circumstances of traveling with a family member with Alzheimer's, and make sure to plan a trip that is as stress-free as possible. I would suggest basing in a medium-sized town such as Westport, County Mayo. It is big enough to have lovely shops, fun pubs with music, and cafes and a chocolate shop...yet it isn't big and overwhelming like Belfast or Dublin might be... As Alzheimer's gets progressively worse, you won't know in advance how your grandmother will be in Ireland.

Dingle is also another great town. There are day-trips you can take from Dingle.

Have a trip full of special memories and love.