My friend and I are getting ready to go to Ireland and are not going to be renting a car. We were considering buying a rail pass, but first wanted to see if anyone has used Ireland's buses? We are looking to see which form of transportation is better to tour the southern part of the country. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

there isn't much rail service in the s/SW to the sceninc areas. You will be better off using mostly buses. Just buy point-to-point train tickets when they fit in your itinerary.

For some journeys like Dublin-Cork or Dublin-Galway, trains are quicker and more comfortable than buses, but many places can only be reached by bus.
As well as rail passes, there are passes which cover both trains and buses. These can be bought in Ireland.
www.irishrail.ie
www.buseireann.ie

janisj is right. Explore http://www.irishrail.ie/home/ and http://www.buseireann.ie/site/home/ and you might get the picture.

In season, BusEireann runs several day tours from Cork City and some from the Galway Bus/Rail station. They vary depending on day-of-the-week. If your port of entry is Shannon, both Cities are easily accessible from the sirport. For Cork City you probably have to go via Limerick.

There's a BusEireann counter at the end of the car rental counters at Shannon.

Is it better to book ahead on the Bus Eireann website or just buy the ticket there? We're planning to take Bus Eireann from Cork to Killarney. Also, where does one purchase the 3 day bus/rail combination tickets? Is there a ticket office at Dublin Airport?

Sandy