Going to Ireland in March....
 

My husband and I, along with 2 of our friends (a married couple), are going to Ireland in March. They'll fly into Dublin, we'll fly into Shannon. After two days we'll meet up somewhere around Waterford or Cobh/Kinsale. We'd prefer to spend the time in the Southwest of Ireland, before flying out of Shannon 10 days later. What do you recommend we see? Thanks.

we spent 10 days in ireland last march...first of all the weather was quite nice...cool with a breeze most of the time... we also started and finished at shannon....we did our car through auto europe who booked us with hertz...

there was no traffic anywhere....we sailed through things that said they would take hours, like the ring of kerry...

we went south from shannon and worked our way down the west coast and then up the east coast a bit and then roughly across back to shannon....we stayed at great bed and breakfast places...

we had a room reservation for the first nite only...from there each morning we had the lady of the house call ahead for us for that nite (1 euro charge)..only once were we not able to get a room where we wanted....we stayed mostly in the top tier of B&B's...they tend to know each other and often suggested which one for us to stay in when we told them where we were heading....we were never disappointed...

request the b&b book from the irish national tourist office on madison ave in nyc...its invaluable...it was green last year...

we stayed at kilrush (west of shannon about 45 minutes) the first and last nites...the place was hillcrest view ([email protected])...the place was fabulous 4 diamond rating...newish and a fabulous breakfast---ask for the omlette that her husband makes....54 Euro for 2...very comfortable beds and great bathroom...

from there it is an easy drive to the ferry to take you south...

we went for two meals in ennis, which is not far from killrush....the place was hal pino's...the best food we had in ireland...2nd floor; 7 high st ennis--early bird specials...

other places we stayed:
shraheen house, killarney
hillside house, kinsale--our 2nd choice
cliff house, tramore, waterford--very nice
cnoc mhuire, kilkenny

cafe sol in kilkenny is very nice...on william street

enjoy

Well, lots of choices as the SW of Ireland is one of the most scenic areas you will ever visit. I won't give a weather prediction for you because Ireland is pretty iffy. It can be warm (by Irish standards) and in the 60s or cold and in the 40s.

Kinsale is March will be a nice place to meet up as it won't be packed with tourists. I tend to enjoy more out of the way places like the Mizen, Sheepshead and Beara Peninsulas though that is a great time to visit the more well known and also spectacular Dingle and Iveragh (ring of Kerry) Peninsulas.

The coastal ride between Kinsale and Mizen is fantastic and has a number of neat little towns. I highly recommend stopping at Mary Ann's in Castletowshend. It's a fabulous pub and you need to try the banoffee. But on;y get two for four of you. It's huge.

I've got a website that covers my trip in May and the beginning of it sounds close to what you will be doing. Take a look and if you have any questions, ask away.
http://www.geocities.com/obeirne_ireland_2003/

Bill

Hello,
I go to Ireland twice a year and mainly go to Cork and Kerry. I strongly recommend making your way to Dingle, Co. Kerry. There are plenty of fine pubs and restaurants in Dingle: expensive and very good - Lord Bakers, Global Village, less expenive but very good - John Benny Moriarity). For sightseeing, I highly recommend the Slea Head Drive if the day is nice - absolutely beautiful. From Tralee to Dingle there is a strand (beach) called Inch Strand - a movie called Ryan's Daughter was filmed there. In Dingle, you can take a boat ride to see Fungi - the Dingle Dolphin (most famous being in Dingle) or to the Blasket Islands. On the Slea Head Drive you may want to visit the Blasket Island Museum. There is an ancient church called the Gallurus Oratory in Gallurus - about 6 miles outside of Dingle - I believe this church is older than Stonehenge and is in perfect condition. There is another ancient church called Kilmacader (spelling could be off) - there you will find a marriage stone and I will told by an old Irish man that if you are able to pass through the "Eye of the Needle" a narrow opening in the back of the church, you will have years of "good luck".

I also love Kinsale - the gourmet capital of Ireland. I enjoy going to Old Head Golf Course - there you have a lovely view of the Atlantic Ocean and this is also where the Lusitania went down. Inside the golf club, there is a restaurant where you basically have a panoramic view of the Atlantic. I will be heading over to Ireland on February 27th and can't wait. I hope you enjoy your trip.

Rose

I would suggest another forum - the women who started it has gone on about 40 Ireland trips and will answer all your questions - as well as other travelers. www.Irelandyes.com
We started and ended in Shannon and stayed in Bunratty, going to the Ceili and the medievil dinner at the castle - was great ---i couldn't have done the trip without the people at Irelandyes