DUBLIN: a "MUST-SEE" or a WASTE of time?
Oct 7th, 2005, 06:56 PM
#81
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As to story telling, June is when the Listowel Writer's Workshop takes place. They usually incorporate a session on story telling and another on music.
Do a weg-search on Peig Sayers, perhaps one of Ireland's most famous.
Bob
Do a weg-search on Peig Sayers, perhaps one of Ireland's most famous.
Bob
Oct 8th, 2005, 10:10 AM
#82
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Bob, thanks for the list of books. Oh, oh, I want to go to the Listowel Writer's Workshop in Ireland! However, probably doesn't mesh well with the rest of the family's vacation needs!
But I'm curious so I'm going to look into it anyway. My 2 daughters write as well.
But I'm curious so I'm going to look into it anyway. My 2 daughters write as well.
Dec 30th, 2005, 08:10 AM
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I enjoyed Trinity College and the Book of Kells. Also St. Stephen's Green. The hop-on, hop-off bus tour was a good way to get around to everything and get a little explanation with it. Skip the Guinness tour. The beer is fabulous, but the tour is definitely NOT worth the $$.
Dec 30th, 2005, 11:54 PM
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kelleyf, : "Dublin: a Must-See or a Waste of time?" Actually it's an excellent question, designed to invite lots of responses, which is exactly what it did. Notice the 85 responses. Lots of good info and opinions on Dublin on this post, generously shared, which helped me, and will help anyone considering a visit to Dublin.
Writing a question for fodors is like writing a newspaper headline. If the headline doesn't catch your attention, nobody will read the newspaper story, and in this case, nobody will answer the question.
I designed the question to draw lots of responses from people who have been to Dublin, and to invite them to share their experiences, whether positive or negative. This kind of question gets a nice balance of responses.
Writing a question for fodors is like writing a newspaper headline. If the headline doesn't catch your attention, nobody will read the newspaper story, and in this case, nobody will answer the question.
I designed the question to draw lots of responses from people who have been to Dublin, and to invite them to share their experiences, whether positive or negative. This kind of question gets a nice balance of responses.
Dec 31st, 2005, 07:05 PM
#88
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Melissa,
This is just my personal opinion. If you are flying into and out of Shannon then Dublin is a waste of time. I have found that the West and Southwest (I'm including Donegal) are the best places to visit. But then again I tend to want to avoid cities, crowds, and traffic. However, even if I did want to visit a city in Ireland personally I'd take Galway over Dublin any day.
But it sounds like you're flying out of Dublin so spending your last two nights there is not a bad plan. I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Mark
This is just my personal opinion. If you are flying into and out of Shannon then Dublin is a waste of time. I have found that the West and Southwest (I'm including Donegal) are the best places to visit. But then again I tend to want to avoid cities, crowds, and traffic. However, even if I did want to visit a city in Ireland personally I'd take Galway over Dublin any day.
But it sounds like you're flying out of Dublin so spending your last two nights there is not a bad plan. I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Mark
Jan 1st, 2006, 01:53 AM
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One of the features of Dublin is that it is a vibrant theatrical city.On-line booking facilities are available for the National Concert Hall at www.nch.ie and for the Abbey Theatre at www.abbeytheatre.ie .Both of these are state subsidised and the prices are reasonable. See www.entertainment.ie for other ideas.
Jan 2nd, 2006, 07:51 AM
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Thanks for the history of Croppie's Acre...how fascinating! I have heard that it was in Ireland that the English perfected their harsh Colonial rule tactics. Also appreciated book suggestions...I have a few I've enjoyed, too.
The last post does remind me of our pleasure being in Dublin a few years back... including two theatre productions. One was a marvelous bit of Irish history, "Translations," at The Abbey about the British attempts to remake western Ireland. The other was a perplexing one man show at The Gate, "Krupp's Last Tape," but made special because it starred John Hurt.
Sadly just learned of the death of my close friend, one-half of a couple with whom we toured Ireland. Dave was the one who explained what the play at The Gate was all about.
And agreeing with Kim80505, skip the Guinness tour. Settle for a pint in some pub. I'd much rather take in Kilmainham Gaol on that side of the city, another exposure to history of the rebellious Irish people.
ozarksbill
The last post does remind me of our pleasure being in Dublin a few years back... including two theatre productions. One was a marvelous bit of Irish history, "Translations," at The Abbey about the British attempts to remake western Ireland. The other was a perplexing one man show at The Gate, "Krupp's Last Tape," but made special because it starred John Hurt.
Sadly just learned of the death of my close friend, one-half of a couple with whom we toured Ireland. Dave was the one who explained what the play at The Gate was all about.
And agreeing with Kim80505, skip the Guinness tour. Settle for a pint in some pub. I'd much rather take in Kilmainham Gaol on that side of the city, another exposure to history of the rebellious Irish people.
ozarksbill
Jan 4th, 2006, 01:00 PM
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If you like reading (and like historical stuff) I would recommend reading Princes of Ireland, by Edward Rutherford. It gives a history of Dublin, in novel style, throughout it's existence, from pre-Roman times to now. It helps a lot with the various places, the people in history, the events, etc., to attach them to a novel (at least, for me!) 
Jan 11th, 2006, 11:37 AM
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Me, too -- it gave a great history on the area, the country, and the people, without ever leaving the confines of the city. It was so cool to find out how things got their names -- neighborhoods, buildings, streets, etc.
Jan 23rd, 2006, 12:21 PM
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Italian_Chauffeur, I did get the wonderful book you e-mailed me by the way, and I peeked at it and plan to enjoy it as soon as I have completed the frenzied task of booking our accomodations, which I am almost finished with! Thanks very much!
I have really enjoyed chatting about Dublin with you all and feel like I have had a first trip to Dublin already. In fact I have finished planning our itinerary and have decided to save a Dublin visit for our second trip to Ireland, because we are seeing Belfast on this visit (because my grandmother grew up there before emigrating to America), and I would rather do one big city per trip. I think after everything you all have shared Dublin deserves at least 2 full days, which means a 3-night stay in Dublin. So we aren't going to Dublin on this trip, but we are going to include not only Belfast, but also all the way up to Giant's Causeway and the Coast of Antrim, and that way on our second trip to Ireland, everything I want to see will be Dublin plus places south of Dublin, making the second trip geographically easier to plan.
You might be hearing from a very nice lady who has been on www.IralandYes.com planning her family's first trip to Ireland, and they are going to Dublin. She might pop in here with some questions, I told her you all were great.
This is all printed out and saved in my paper files, which I keep eternally for current and future trips.
I have really enjoyed chatting about Dublin with you all and feel like I have had a first trip to Dublin already. In fact I have finished planning our itinerary and have decided to save a Dublin visit for our second trip to Ireland, because we are seeing Belfast on this visit (because my grandmother grew up there before emigrating to America), and I would rather do one big city per trip. I think after everything you all have shared Dublin deserves at least 2 full days, which means a 3-night stay in Dublin. So we aren't going to Dublin on this trip, but we are going to include not only Belfast, but also all the way up to Giant's Causeway and the Coast of Antrim, and that way on our second trip to Ireland, everything I want to see will be Dublin plus places south of Dublin, making the second trip geographically easier to plan.
You might be hearing from a very nice lady who has been on www.IralandYes.com planning her family's first trip to Ireland, and they are going to Dublin. She might pop in here with some questions, I told her you all were great.
This is all printed out and saved in my paper files, which I keep eternally for current and future trips.
Jan 23rd, 2006, 12:26 PM
#95
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Oopsie, typo above. I meant www.IrelandYes.com. I typed it wrong above. That's Michelle Erdvig's web-site on Ireland, my second home. I love you all here on fodors, and I also love IrelandYes, where people talk about only Ireland 24 hours a day on the forum. What could be more pleasant?
Jan 23rd, 2006, 04:21 PM
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And now, you see, why I said that you would need to make some difficult choices. Ah, well, now you'll HAVE to plan a RETURN trip.
And here, I was begining to think you didn't care for my little fable! Let me know IF/WHEN you would like to have the SECOND...
Bob
And here, I was begining to think you didn't care for my little fable! Let me know IF/WHEN you would like to have the SECOND...
Bob
Jan 23rd, 2006, 07:04 PM
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Bob, today I gave away my copy of Year of the French because I have the little booklet you sent me. I've been selling property, buying, packing to relocate and feel I don't have the time to enjoy it. It's coming with me. Thanks, Melissa, for letting me butt in. I'm going to the Seattle area and already thinking that is another 6 hours to get to Ireland. I'll be looking for your trip report, Melissa. My Best, Joan
Jan 24th, 2006, 11:57 AM
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Italian_Chauffeur, sorry I didn't mention sooner that am I really looking forward to reading your book, and had skimmed it for a delightful preview! I have just been using my spare time to polish up my itinerary and get all my accomodations booked, and then I will be able to relax and enjoy reading about Ireland. I have one last accomodations decision to make...where to stay in or near Belfast for 2 nights.
I will probably be wanting you to send your second fable as well, as I will need something to occupy my curious mind and keep it out of trouble. Boy did I get into trouble last night. I chanced upon a brief discussion on tripadvisor about safety and Belfast. It was from September 2005.
I then felt compelled, it being the middle of the night, to look up news stories on Belfast from September 2005. Yikes! Scared myself silly. I am now petrified. The troubles aren't over in Northern Ireland and unfortunately the Orangemen were not happy to be told they can't march down certain streets which are now mostly Catholic, and considered this an infringement on their rights, from what I can gather. Apparently, from what I gather from reading news stories in various papers, riots broke out in September 2005. You can look up news reports on www.nuzhound.com. Some people were injured. There were roadblocks. Violence spread to outlying towns like Bangor. Bus service was temporarily haulted to certain areas like to Bangor and Newtownards. "A 20-month old boy in Belfast suffered a fractured skull when gangs beset his family's car", this from a Washington Post story by Kevin Sullivan, dated Tuesday, September 13, 2005. There are a series of articles on nuzhound, the ones I read were dated around September 11, 12, 13, from the Washington Post, the BBC News, the Irish News, etc.
Needless to say I was quite dismayed and unable to sleep. I don't want to take my family into trouble, and need to settle on a b&b in a town where I feel we will all be peaceful and safe. Nobody can predict the future but I need to get some sleep at night!
I know this post is on Dublin but you are so full of knowledge and friendly and wise, and you know a lot of history, I just couldn't resist sharing this with you, Iallian_Chauffeur. Honestly I don't want to see Belfast badly enough to suffer sleepless nights over possible further problems similiar to the above.
I didn't see this news in September 2005, at that time I was helping my last baby prepare to move away to college (her school started late in September) and wasn't watching the news.
Interesting about my local paper, I looked in the Sunday paper and didn't see, on a quick skim, any news on Ireland anywhere.
Anyway as my grandmother was from Lurgan and Belfast areas, I was planning to spend 2 nights in either Belfast, Hillsborough or Dromore (little towns south of Belfast) or at Edenvale, a nice guesthouse near Newtownards.
As you can guess from my posts I am a bit obsessive and the best plan is for me to focus my obsessions on something positive, otherwise they will focus on something negative... Since you are a history buff maybe you understand obsession with details!
I guess I need to chat with some locals to figure out which village to stay in, which doesn't get riots, so that I can sleep and have something to look forward to, and besides I have my family to think about. Perhaps Hillsborough would be a good choice, there's a nice place called Fortwilliam where we can stay in the countryside near Hillsborough south of Belfast. Then, when we arrive, I can find out whether or not it's a good day to drive into Belfast for the day. Ahhhhh! Help. Thanks for listening, always, Itallian_Chauffeur.
Joan, I am glad you will read my trip report, and I hope I won't have any riots to report!
I will probably be wanting you to send your second fable as well, as I will need something to occupy my curious mind and keep it out of trouble. Boy did I get into trouble last night. I chanced upon a brief discussion on tripadvisor about safety and Belfast. It was from September 2005.
I then felt compelled, it being the middle of the night, to look up news stories on Belfast from September 2005. Yikes! Scared myself silly. I am now petrified. The troubles aren't over in Northern Ireland and unfortunately the Orangemen were not happy to be told they can't march down certain streets which are now mostly Catholic, and considered this an infringement on their rights, from what I can gather. Apparently, from what I gather from reading news stories in various papers, riots broke out in September 2005. You can look up news reports on www.nuzhound.com. Some people were injured. There were roadblocks. Violence spread to outlying towns like Bangor. Bus service was temporarily haulted to certain areas like to Bangor and Newtownards. "A 20-month old boy in Belfast suffered a fractured skull when gangs beset his family's car", this from a Washington Post story by Kevin Sullivan, dated Tuesday, September 13, 2005. There are a series of articles on nuzhound, the ones I read were dated around September 11, 12, 13, from the Washington Post, the BBC News, the Irish News, etc.
Needless to say I was quite dismayed and unable to sleep. I don't want to take my family into trouble, and need to settle on a b&b in a town where I feel we will all be peaceful and safe. Nobody can predict the future but I need to get some sleep at night!
I know this post is on Dublin but you are so full of knowledge and friendly and wise, and you know a lot of history, I just couldn't resist sharing this with you, Iallian_Chauffeur. Honestly I don't want to see Belfast badly enough to suffer sleepless nights over possible further problems similiar to the above.
I didn't see this news in September 2005, at that time I was helping my last baby prepare to move away to college (her school started late in September) and wasn't watching the news.
Interesting about my local paper, I looked in the Sunday paper and didn't see, on a quick skim, any news on Ireland anywhere.
Anyway as my grandmother was from Lurgan and Belfast areas, I was planning to spend 2 nights in either Belfast, Hillsborough or Dromore (little towns south of Belfast) or at Edenvale, a nice guesthouse near Newtownards.
As you can guess from my posts I am a bit obsessive and the best plan is for me to focus my obsessions on something positive, otherwise they will focus on something negative... Since you are a history buff maybe you understand obsession with details!
I guess I need to chat with some locals to figure out which village to stay in, which doesn't get riots, so that I can sleep and have something to look forward to, and besides I have my family to think about. Perhaps Hillsborough would be a good choice, there's a nice place called Fortwilliam where we can stay in the countryside near Hillsborough south of Belfast. Then, when we arrive, I can find out whether or not it's a good day to drive into Belfast for the day. Ahhhhh! Help. Thanks for listening, always, Itallian_Chauffeur.
Joan, I am glad you will read my trip report, and I hope I won't have any riots to report!
Jan 24th, 2006, 05:10 PM
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Melissa5,
I feel your pain and understand your concern, but ...
Here's my (admittedly)simplified take on your delemna:
While 'Marching Season' invariably stirs up much of the old hatreds and passion (on both sides), you should bear in mind that THAT IS THE INTENT AND PURPOSE. Outside of the traditional enclaves of Falls Church and Fishkill Road in Belfast (neither locale likely to draw an abundance of tourists)Belfast is no more dangerous, or unsettled than any number of cities through out the world. Doubtless, it is better AND safer than a goodly number. I once read two interesting facts about the 'Troubles':
NO TOURIST HAS EVER BEEN KILLED, during all those crazy years of bombings, riots and retalliation!
If you add up ALL of the death attributed to the above-mentioned events, since the '60's, it is still LESS than the number of murders that typically occurr in the city of San Francisco. Just as you would not go for a midnight stroll through Needle Park, you wouldn't want to frequent the parts of Belfast likely to experience the behaviour that you have read about.
You should trust Helen (Cambe). I doubt she would recommend any place she felt was unsafe or risky. Would you never go to Southern California, because of the incidence of "drive-by's" in South Central?
Now, only YOU can decide how important visiting your Grandmother's home is to you, but from what you have written on these forum pages, I have to believe that failing to do so would strip much of the joy from your visit.
Hope this helps,
Bob
I feel your pain and understand your concern, but ...
Here's my (admittedly)simplified take on your delemna:
While 'Marching Season' invariably stirs up much of the old hatreds and passion (on both sides), you should bear in mind that THAT IS THE INTENT AND PURPOSE. Outside of the traditional enclaves of Falls Church and Fishkill Road in Belfast (neither locale likely to draw an abundance of tourists)Belfast is no more dangerous, or unsettled than any number of cities through out the world. Doubtless, it is better AND safer than a goodly number. I once read two interesting facts about the 'Troubles':
NO TOURIST HAS EVER BEEN KILLED, during all those crazy years of bombings, riots and retalliation!
If you add up ALL of the death attributed to the above-mentioned events, since the '60's, it is still LESS than the number of murders that typically occurr in the city of San Francisco. Just as you would not go for a midnight stroll through Needle Park, you wouldn't want to frequent the parts of Belfast likely to experience the behaviour that you have read about.
You should trust Helen (Cambe). I doubt she would recommend any place she felt was unsafe or risky. Would you never go to Southern California, because of the incidence of "drive-by's" in South Central?
Now, only YOU can decide how important visiting your Grandmother's home is to you, but from what you have written on these forum pages, I have to believe that failing to do so would strip much of the joy from your visit.
Hope this helps,
Bob
Jan 24th, 2006, 07:08 PM
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Bob, southern California is indeed dangerous, and it's not because of the drive-by's...it's just the freeway traffic! (I live here as you may know.) I recommend nobody come here because of our earthquakes, which have killed me off many times over, and besides we have too many tourists.
I did hear that mysterious fact that no tourist has ever been killed in the Troubles, but wonder if it's a myth. What about the bombs? Easy for an innocent bystander to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Not to imply that only the tourists are innocent, most of the fine citizens of the Republic of Ireland are innocent as well!)
Most likely it is safer to be in Belfast than it was to be a tourist on September 11th in New York... Somehow I find that reasoning of little comfort, but thanks for giving it a shot, Bob! At least somebody is listening.
Yes, I do trust Helen (cambe). Isn't she great? Sometimes when I ask people questions I already know the answer but I trust them more than I do me!
I spoke to my hubby. We are a good pair because he believes nothing bad can ever happen to us while I believe if there is trouble anywhere it will find me. Put us together and you get a balanced viewpoint. Anyway hubby and I agree that the best solution, just to keep my peace of mind and still get to enjoy the trip, is to choose a guesthouse in the countryside, but close enough for a day-trip into Belfast. Then we we get there, as long as there isn't any bad news coming out of Belfast, we will drive into the city to see the Botanic Gardens and neighborhood where my gradmother grew up.
I am also looking forward to seeing the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, as I love places which are re-creations of historical places. Plus they actually took some real historical buildings and moved them there.
I did hear that mysterious fact that no tourist has ever been killed in the Troubles, but wonder if it's a myth. What about the bombs? Easy for an innocent bystander to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Not to imply that only the tourists are innocent, most of the fine citizens of the Republic of Ireland are innocent as well!)
Most likely it is safer to be in Belfast than it was to be a tourist on September 11th in New York... Somehow I find that reasoning of little comfort, but thanks for giving it a shot, Bob! At least somebody is listening.
Yes, I do trust Helen (cambe). Isn't she great? Sometimes when I ask people questions I already know the answer but I trust them more than I do me!
I spoke to my hubby. We are a good pair because he believes nothing bad can ever happen to us while I believe if there is trouble anywhere it will find me. Put us together and you get a balanced viewpoint. Anyway hubby and I agree that the best solution, just to keep my peace of mind and still get to enjoy the trip, is to choose a guesthouse in the countryside, but close enough for a day-trip into Belfast. Then we we get there, as long as there isn't any bad news coming out of Belfast, we will drive into the city to see the Botanic Gardens and neighborhood where my gradmother grew up.
I am also looking forward to seeing the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, as I love places which are re-creations of historical places. Plus they actually took some real historical buildings and moved them there.
