We are planning our honeymoon trip for late Sept. of '07. We are flying into Dublin and then driving to our desination near Kilkenney (Mt. Juliet) Do you have any suggestions for day trips, must do's, places to eat, places to see some live music? Any suggestions would be helpful. I've not been to that part of Ireland before.

Kilkenny is a fantastic town! It is well situated for a myriad of day trips. You can use this site, http://www.kilkennytourism.ie/eng/, as a jumping in point. There are 7 driving routes laid out on this site.

From Kilkeeny, you can visit Waterford and tour the Crystal factory, should you wish, in an easy day trip. You can also go further south and visit the Hook's head Lighthouse, which I highly recommend. The Rock of Cashel is also an easy day trip and, in my opinion, much more interesting than the Blarney Castle.

Congratulations on your impending marriage. Have a fantastic Honeymoon!

Slan Agus Beannacht,

Bit Devine
www.cowboycraic.com

A fine walking tour of the city (Kilkenny) has been assembled by a contributor here. Give it a look. It's quite good.

http://tinyurl.com/w9dl9

Bill

Thank you very much. This is very helpful and not something I'm getting from my tour books!

We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has vacationed in the area and are also interested in food and music venues...we are looking to experience the "real" Ireland and we are really looking forward to our trip.

I have a Michelien map and an atlas that my sister sent to me so I'm working on driving routes...Thanks for sending me the link to the Kilkenny tourism site.

BTW, how are the roads? Interesting as the West coast? Any suggestions for a good car rental out of Dublin airport?

I was in Ireland about 10 years ago and cried all the way home...I hated to leave!

I use autoeurope.com. I have never had a problem with any vehicle I have rented from them. You pay half when you book and the rest about a month before you leave. If they find that the rate has decreased, they will adjust the rate and advise you. They will not increase your rate though.

Make sure that you have a day simply to explore Kilkenny. It deserves a day all to itself. You must stop for a drink at Kytelers Inn, http://www.kytelersinn.com/. It is is a fine example of a medieval tavern, dating back to the 14th century. Some of the memorabilia in Kyteler's is tied to Dame Alice Kyteler who was accused of being a witch. They usually have some excellent music there.

Cafe Sol is a great place to eat. If you are adventurous diners, try Fleva, known for its artwork and its creative menu offerings such as Kangaroo. Lacken House would be a good place to go for a special Honeymoon dinner.

Other than the motorways, all roads in Ireland can be considered "interesting". I wouldn't say that the roads around Kilkenny are any better or worse than those in the West.

Slan Go Foill,

Bit Devine
www.cowboycraic.com

Congratulations on your honeymoon. Mount Juliet is a beautiful place and they will take very good care of you there.

A few places closer to Kilkenny (they're mentioned in the walking tour) include Kells Priory (a fantastic, huge ruin), Jerpoint Abbey, Kilree (church ruin and round tower), Bennettsbridge (Nicholas Mosse Pottery and several other potters and craftsmen), Dunmore Cave.

I also enjoy the village of Inistioge between Kilkenny and New Ross. It's just a quaint village where Circle of Friends and Widow's Peak were filmed. They have a nice riverwalk hike and Woodstock Gardens are very enjoyable (it's a nice hike from town that takes an hour or so... on a sunny day it's great).

The Dunbrody famine ship in New Ross is an interesting stop as well.

A trip to the Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle and Swiss Cottage would make a great daytrip.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I'll continue to check back often for more suggestions.

These have been quite helpful.

ttt

One of my favorite places in Ireland is the village of Inistioge. It is a magical place.
I hope you have a long and happy marriage.

Is it going to be a real zoo picking up our car at the Dublin airport? I've seen comments on other threads that seem to indicate so. Any suggestions on how to alleviate some of that stress (other than just keeping the sense of humor we are known for?) We are overnight flying from Chicago and will arrive in Dublin around 8:30 a.m. then plan to drive directly to Thomastown and our hotel. To avoid jet lag I thought we would just putz around the grounds and look around the town and have a relatively early dinner. And TRY to stay up until 9 or so. It worked the last time for me but he's another matter. Loves his afternoon naps!