Meg

Hello, <BR> <BR>I'm traveling to Ireland in the spring with my extended family. I'd like to buy a few different travel books to give as christmas gifts in preparation of our trip. Anyone have any favorites?

carol

I really liked the Lonely Planet guide to Ireland. It was very helpful. I've heard that Rick Steve's is also very good.

Judy

Hello Meg, I have "Karen Browns Ireland-Inns and Itineraries",(I ordered her book on line from her site) and "Eyewitness guides: Ireland". Both are very good, and the illustrations in the Eyewitness guides are superb.

Meg

Thanks! Anyone else have any suggestions. We are renting a house in Glengarrif, co. Cork so we'll be more focused on the south, but plan to take a few extra days for driving around at the end of our week.

Annie

Hi Meg: <BR>These are not travel books per se but they were given to me before I went on my first trip to Ireland. <BR>Nora Roberts: <BR>Born in Fire <BR>Born in Ice <BR>Born in Shame <BR>Three sisters lives in Galway and Dublin <BR>Jewels of the Sun <BR>Tears of the Moon <BR>Heart of the Sea <BR>Three stories of the same family in Ardemore County Waterford <BR>Nora Roberts bring Ireland to life in her stories. After I read them I felyt like I had been there and could hear the ocean and smell the peat fires! <BR>If anyone on your list likes Romance novels, I highly recommend these!!

Debbie

Hi Meg - <BR> I just got back from Ireland, just before turkey day. <BR> <BR> I used the following 2 books, both were extremely helpful ( and small enough to take along) <BR> Frommers - Irelands best loved driving tours (25 different tours with maps and really good directions) <BR> Eyewitness - IRELAND - great pictures and details. <BR> <BR> I have a post further down that I will bring to the top for you - all my notes on my trip . <BR> <BR>have fun <BR>Debbie

debbie

Meg - <BR> one more thing - for more ideas - check out WWW.IRELANDEXPERT.COM - Pat has a great forum for individual Q&A where I got a lot of the info I used for my trip. <BR> <BR>Debbie

Shannon

Meg, I highly recommend the book Best Little Guide to Ireland. I took it to Ireland in August and couldn't have done without it. It was great for planning, was filled with lovely B&Bs, delicious restauranst, fun pubs and lots of sightseeing. I got it online at: http://www.irelandyes.com . Good info on that site too. Do yourself a favor and get that book!!! Shannon

Ruth

Shannon, thanks for your information&gt;i received my copy of the Best Little Guide and have devoured it several times already&gt;can't believe all the info packed into it & cant wait till my trip&gt;will be taking full advantage of the travel forum after xmas too&gt;I really, really do appreciate this&gt;check it out everyone&gt; http://www.irelandyes.com &gt; you wont be sory&gt;Ruth

Lisa

Meg and Ruth and Shannon, <BR> <BR>Do remember that the irelandyes site expert seems to have worked on the goireland site and that goireland has a bad reptution on this board with many complaints. <BR> <BR>There are several good posts on this board if you want to do a search, <BR> <BR>Lisa <BR> <BR>I found the bets site for correct information was the Irish Tourist Board site. I cann't remember the exact url but I think it was ireland.travel.com perhaps,

Meme

Hey Lisa, You seem to really be putting down Michelle at the irelandyes.com site on many different travel forums. Is this just because you don't like GoIreland? Did you have any direct dealings with Michelle and did she dissapoint you in any way? I emailed Michelle recently about your postings and she said that she never "worked" for Go Ireland...was just a volunteer on their BB and answered thousands of questions for free. Said that GoIreland never compensated her in any way & never so much as bought her a cup of tea! She always gave me great advise on cuplafocal.com and since quitting GoIreland, is still giving it on her own forum and at allexperts. I suggest that people make up their own minds. Look at http://www.allexperts.com, go to the ireland section and look at Michelle's ratings. Then look at her forum to see what kind of info shes giving out http://www.irelandyes.com/forum . If you've got an axe to grind at least tell the details instead of just dissing everyone from the cleaning lady to the computer repair guy at goIreland. <BR> <BR>I also asked Michelle if she takes money to reccomend hotels and B&Bs and she said not because she wants to remain objective. Get a grip Lisa!

Shannon

Lisa James, <BR> <BR>You should be ashamed of yourself for condeming someone that has given freely of herself and time to help so many people plan their trips to Ireland. You are passing on incorrect information and I think that everyone should email you at [email protected] to voice their personal opinions to you. My personal opinion is that you don't know what you're talking about. Or you have a screw loose. <BR> <BR>An informed poster, Shannon <BR> <BR>ps. Meme, You go girl!

Meme

Shannon, I'm keeping going! I think you might have hit on Lisa's problem...bats in the belfry. she probably hates Suzanne Barett at Ireland for visitors too since she is placed prominently on GoIrelands home page http://goireland.about.com/travel/goireland/ Lisa hates everyone except the Irish Tourism Board. Bad cess to her!!! (learned that one on my last trip to Ireland) What an obnoxious person...I wouldn't trust her opinion of ANYTHING!! <BR> <BR>TO LISA: Careful Lisa...as the saying goes "what goes around comes around"...it could just boomerang and hit you in your (batty) head. Meme

George

Lighten up ladies!! The truth always comes out in the end. You are ganging up on poor little Lisa. I don't happen to agree with poor little Lisa at all but no need to gang up even if she is telling a few fibs. Whats the fun of being on the web if you can't get in a some tall tales? guess I should be calling her naughty little Lisa and send her for a time out!! Anyway I had a great, wonderful, fabulous, fantastic trip to Ireland and can't wait to get back there. My best book...guess what...I have to agree with Meme & Ruth & Shannon. Michelle's book gets a thumbs up from me...way, way up!! Too much typing...must find myself a Guiness. Cheers, ladies!!

Webbie

WOW! Interesting thing going on.

Gina

Zoinks! Enough of this. Meg, for an absolutely wonderful read about life in Ireland's west country (County Clare, mostly), I'd recommend a series of books by Christine Breen and Niall Williams. The first is O Come Ye Back to Ireland; there's also When Summer's in the Meadow and a couple of others I'm blanking on. Anyway, Breen and Williams are two former NY media professionals who chucked it all to move to a farm near the village of Kiltumper, in Clare, which Christine inherited. The story of their lives there really gives you a sense of how people live in that part of Ireland today, both the beautiful and the difficult.

Patti Suttle

Gina-the next book by Niall Williams and Christine Breen is "The Pipes are Calling" and then "The Luck of the Irish-Our Life in County Clare". I have read all 4 books and they are wonderful. <BR>Patti

Meme

Patti, I agree about the books you mentioned. Excellent reads. They are recommended at Michelle Erdvigs site--thats where I first found them http://www.irelandyes.com/shopping.html I enjoyed the illustrations and the commentary and the difficulty of moving back to Ireland. They are heartwarming books.

Meg

Gina, Patti & Meme, thanks for your help! Are these a series or can you read them out of order? Gina, I think you siad "O Come Ye Back to Ireland..." is the first book. Is that right? I did also find them on Amazon.

Patti Suttle

Meg; yes, they are a series. I would recommend reading them in order. The first is "O Come ye back" then "When Summer's in the Meadow" then "The pipes are calling" then "When Summer's in the Meadow". I wonder if they have written any more? I'd love to hear how they are doing and what is new with them. Loved those books! I leave in 4 months for Ireland!! Yeah. <BR>Patti