father's last and only trip
 

My father was diagnosed with cancer and his prognosis is poor. His one dream has always been to go to Ireland (last name Noonan). I am now coordinating a trip with my siblings and need help. We intend on flying into Shannon and I would love anyone's opinion on what we "must see" over the course of 6 days driving around the countryside. This will be all adults so please lend any advice on what to see, and any favorite places for lodging.

Repost this will the word Ireland in the title. That way those who know Ireland will be able to help you out. As it is, people don't know what this is about.

What a wonderful thing for you to do for your Dad. I hope he has a wonderful time.

If any of your father's family is still in Ireland, it would be tremendous to visit them. Even if your Dad only knows the place where his family came from, I'd recommend visiting there -- it's almost certain that someone at the local pub will have recollections and stories about the family.

ditto rizutto. Track down where the name Noonan is most prolific even if your father no longer has any connection to people in Ireland. Your local family history (genealogy) society should be able to help point you in the right direction for this.

Finding where other Noonan's live is a wonderful idea. The Irish tend to welcome you no matter who you are, but more so if there is the slightest possibility of relation.

I did a quick search of Noonan on www.familysearch.org, the LDS research page, and found some in Dublin, some in Limerick, and some in Cork. Here is a page on the history of the name:
http://www.goireland.com/genealogy/s...p?FamilyID=263


Looks like Cork might be a place to start!

I would recommend staying in the west, as there is plenty to do there. Driving one or more of the 'rings' would offer wonderful views of small villages and spectacular countryside/coastline. Ring of Kerry is the biggest, and most popular, but Beara and Dingle are just as beautiful (if not more so) and quieter.

Killarney National Park offers many places to explore. Cobh is a nice place to visit and research immigrations, as most Irish left from that port.

I am sure your dad will enjoy his trip of a lifetime. You are a very caring and considerate child for doing this for him.

What a wonderful thing to do for your Dad. Not having been to Ireland, I have nothing to add but my best wishes.

Yes - the suggestion to re-post is a good one. You want Ireland experts to see your thread.

Just a couple of quick comments - do you know which part of Ireland the family is from? If so, I would concentrate on that area and maybe one other. How many of you will be on the trip? Traveling around Ireland can be very slow so you probably don't want to try a mad dash all over the country.

Also - click on "Destinations" at the top of this page. It will give you a lot to start w/. As for what to see/where to stay -- we first need to know which part of Ireland you want to visit.

For a similar trip with my Mom in the late 90's we arranged a package that provided a driver and car along with reservations at castles and manors across Ireland. The cost was a bit more than self drive but well worth it in terms of freeing up time from driving and navigating, finding parking and gas stations. An added benefit was the driver was able to offer tips about what times to visit places to avoid the tour groups, and we were dropped as close as possible to the entrance at most places, minimizing the walking. Not sure if this would fit your budget, but I would highly recommend it if you can make it work. And when comparing costs, don't forget to add in what you will be paying for gas, parking, etc. We used http://www.destinations-ireland.com/...r_services.asp and were absolutely satisfied with their services.
In terms of itinerary, we started with a couple days in Dublin then headed out counterclockwise around the island. We visited Newgrange en route to Galway, headed south and cruised around the south and southwest, back across and up through Wicklow. Cork is a great place, a meaningful visit as it was the launching place for most immigrants.