Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - BEST OF THE BEST IN IRELAND

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just don't ask what the priests get up to! it might discust you!

Take your bigotry and hatred somewhere else, o.k.?

What about Tunisia ? The desserts are much bigger than any you'll find in Ireland. And there are so many camels, much more than in Ireland.

Sure. Wherever. Anyways, back to the original topic-Even the "whitebread" is fantastic in IRL. I can't remember the brand name, but it comes in a yellow wrapper.

A fishing village on the NW coast- Killybeggs ... could have stayed there for a year.

Eating ice cream at sunset at Rosses' Point. Getting lost in the green, green hills outside Killarney. Hiking up Knocknarea and the view from the top! The Famine Museum. The Book of Kells. Seafood chowder at Monk's Pub in Ballyvaughn. Watching the dolphins at Ballybunion. Boat ride on Lough Corrib. The signs in Gaelic in Connemara. Taking photos of EVERYTHING!! Sky drive.

I recently spent a weekend with my husband in Dromoland Castle,near Shannon Airport.It is the ultimate in luxury and has appeared in the top hotels in the world in some reviews.Normally lots of Americans stay there but since Sept 11 demand has dropped off and the prices are more reasonable.Have a look at the web site at www.dromoland.ie.

Visiting Leenane was like a brief stay in Shangra-La! The setting on the fiord is magical, the ever-changing sun and shadows on the water and mountains, the hot soup and brown bread at the little pub, dinner and a lovely room at Portfinn Lodge. Can't wait to return....

to further the argument, i'd recomend the north pole instead of Ireland, there is more snow and penguins. The North Pole also doesn't support international terrorism.

My 4... The Aran Islands (can't believe it hasn't been mentioned!). There really are fairies there - a magical, mystical place. Staying at Marlfield House, County Gorey and riding horses on the beach where Saving Private Ryan was filmed. Riding on the Connemara Trail and/or fox hunting with the Galway Blazers. Photographing the doors in Dublin

Don't forget to try the apple tart at all of the pubs -- each a little different, but all delicious! And it's true - the guinness is better in Ireland than the USA, and it won't give you a hangover! Also, great souvenir tip -- waterford shot glass and a bottle of Jameson's. One stop shopping in Blarney woolen mills, they have everything you could possibly want, competetive prices and will ship as well. Get it all done at once so you have more time to enjoy the beautiful countryside and the wonderful Irish people. I'm going back in July -- can't wait!

Ring Of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula, which did you prefer? We'd like to take some time to see some of No. Ireland as well. Any favorite spots? Any areas there you'd avoid due to recent fighting? Have you done a Bus tour trip vs. self drive vacation there? We'd like to see as much as Ireland as possible and a car seems more flexible, but some talk a lot about getting lost. We'd like to cover the entire coastline in 10 days. Possible to do this or too much driving? Any thoughts appreciated!!! Thanks !!

I wrote about the 10 day idea on another thread to you. For me, Dingle over the Ring of Kerry. So much packed into a small area. Spectacular scenery. Consider the Ring of Beara also. If you are going up North, consider Donegal and then the Conemarra. If I were you though, with ten days, and having to be in Kenmare, save the North for your next trip. Hit Mizen, Dingle, Kerry, Doolin and at most, up to the Connemara. If you do go to the North (by the way) you'll be safer than you would be in almost every midsized and above US city. I hope the Scotland/Ireland contest is over. The best comment I heard was the husband who liked Scotland better but loved Ireland more. That was wonderful. Been to both, loved them both, but Ireland seems to call me....and yes, you'll always find people who hate a country, more often because of cultural bigotry than anything else. You'll have a great trip no matter where you go! Bill

Phyllis, I'm an eleven year old kid and when I went to Ireland, I was nine. One place I liked a lot was a Celtic fort ruin on the Dingle pinisula. Another thing I liked was the Connor Pass. It was a very, very small road on the edge of a cliff(almost too small for one car!). But one thing I liked the most was riding along the beach and through country roads. It was really pretty and there were sites along the way too. Sites like old castle ruins were just sitting there on the side of the road and they wern't even a big deal! They were just there. Some looked as if they were in someones backyard, (he he). Caroline

Anotherbigot-you made me laugh out loud. Thanks. MJB-if Guiness didn't give you a hangover, you obviously didn't drink enough of it. Kris-craic really is not traditional Irish music. It's fun and laughter and conversation and having a good time. So while music could be a part of this, it's just a part. BTW, the craic is ninety. Everyone-if you find a country without prejudice and bigotry, you'd better alert the world's media, because that's something that's not been discovered yet. Arguing about which is better, Scotland or Ireland, is like fighting with your spouse about which of your kids is your favorite. They're both great and have a lot to offer.

This is the first travel chat I've ever taken part in. Thanks so much Phyllis for this posting and to all for the great inspiration. My older kids read some of the postings and now they want to come though we still want to get away by ourselves this time!!! ***Bill Thanks especially for answering my thread at my "Ireland - getting around" posting. I didn't know how all this works and I probably should have posted my own ? there to begin with. I did respond at "Getting around" with a travel itinerary. I will keep cutting it down more with all the input from this site. All this info. has really helped us focus our travel choices.

One of the best things that I did in Ireland, and you won't find it in any guidebook - is a day trip to Murtagh's farm where you get to cut turf, learn how to play the bodhran and dance a few steps, bake brown bread, all that Irish stuff. The family is great, there's heaps of craic. It's called Being Irish for a Day or something like that - the tourist office in Dublin has contact info. I found it purely by chance and it was a hillarious day out.

I like the ancient ruined churches which you find all by themselves in the middle of fields all over Ireland.They were built around 500-800 years ago as a general rule and are still beautiful.Among the ones I have visited,sometimes by chance as I just passed by,are the Franciscan Abbey in Ardfert(near Tralee),Athassel Abbey near Cashel and the churches on Scattery Island near Kilrush.

Andrea, here's how I'd spend a few days in Northern Ireland. First off, I'd drive toward Newcastle. If money's not an object, stay at the Slieve Donard (last time I checked it was 115 GBP for a double room). It's a lovely hotel in a gorgeous stop, right on the Irish Sea, looking out toward the Mourne Mountains. Alternatively, I'd stay at the Slieve Croob Inn. You can either rent a room at the main hotel (it's really more like a small inn) or one of their cottages. It's tucked away up in the mountains. Unfortunately I can't tell you how to get there, but if you're really interested, check with the Northern Ireland tourist board. I stayed there for a wedding once. Beautiful, remote location. Good food, and good atmosphere in the pub. Then I'd spend the day at Tyrella Beach (outside Newcastle about 6 miles). No swimming unless you're immune to cold temperatures, but just a nice place to walk and relax. Then take a hike in the Mournes. There's a parking lot at the head of the main street through Newcastle. You can park there, and take a path from the edge of the parking lot all of the way to the top of the Slieve Donard. It's well marked and well traveled, so unless the weather's really bad it's a great hike. Take your camera. Some spectacular views. The next day, head to Belfast. Stay at the Jury's Inn. It's in the middle of the city, with easy access to everything. Head to the Crown bar just down the street. One of the most beautiful pubs you'll ever see. Dinner at Nick's Warehouse or Deane's if you feel like spending money. That night, check if the Rotterdam on Clarendon Dock has any music on. If not, check with Pat's Bar, next door to the Rotterdam. Take a cab there. It's not a dangerous walk down there, but can be really confusing if you don't know where you're going. The next day, do the Antrim Coast road drive. This will take you north of Belfast to Carrickfergus (nice castle there). Then continue on the road, which will take you to Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede bridge, Dunluce Castle, Bushmill's Distillery. There's a B&B in Bushmill's that gets good press.

Slieve League Cliffs a few miles from Carrick in South Donegal are reputed to be the highest in Europe at 2,000 feet.You can drive to the car park at the top.