We will be renting a car and driving from dublin to shannon via several towns (kilkenny, kildare, kinsale, dingle, etc) and I'm wondering if we should buy a map before we go or are the road signs in Ireland sufficient? If we get a map, is there one better than another? Thank you!

You need a map. And the best map to get it what's known as the Ordinance Map which you can buy in any book store in Dublin. The reason the Ordinance maps are recommended is because they are updated annually and the roads in Ireland are improving annually thus the map needing to be updated. We got our map at a bookstore on Grafton St. If you decide to get one before you leave the Michelin (Sp?) is your best bet. The road signs are quite good but if you decide to go off the trail to see somethng a map will come in handy. I wouldn't go without one.

I would DEFINITELY have a map and/or GPS. (You can rent a GPS or we brought our own from US). The road signs are pretty good (although you sometimes get distracted by the use of both Gaelic and English names, as the Gaelic name is usually on top) -- but there are LOTS of little side roads. I'm a bit compulsive, so I DO like to know where I am! We used AA book map, which didn't take up too much space in the suitcase; it was fine. Others use Ordnance Survey maps which are very detailed -- don't know how big they are.

You can buy Ordnance maps online at http://www.irishmaps.ie/ if you have enough time for it to get to you before you leave for Ireland. That way you can begin to work out your route before you get there.

The Ordnance Maps are pretty large and very detailed. But they fold down pretty well if not perfectly, just like most road maps The Ireland Touring Map is my favorite.

I've also found that most any Borders or Barnes & Noble will have at least one in stock in the Travel section. If yours doesn't, I'm sure they can order one for you. I think the one I bought in 2007 was $12.95, so with exchange and shipping, it was about the same as ordering online.

I think I had a Michelin map but I also printed out a couple of zoomed in city maps from Google, that helped when I needed something more detailed.

We used a Michelin 712 but that only helps with generalisation of roads and towns. You definitely need GPS (Garmin)!
The maps don't indicate round-a-bouts that have sometimes 4 different exits. Get on the wrong one and you go for miles before being able to turn back.

Another point is that you want to be looking at the scenery not have your eyes constantly glancing down at the map.

What on earth is the point of buying an Irish atlas abroad?

They practically give them away in Ireland (at any petrol, station, bookshop, paper shop or anywhere else), and you can do your big strategic planning before you go from Google.

To Flanneruk's point we had a Michelin map that we bought in Prague (for more than $10!), but to be honest, the freebie they handed us at Hertz Dublin airport was almost as good ( and better for cities). I don't think there are that many roads there that require much detail- the roads you should be on are pretty obvious.

Rick

skibumette: were did you get the AA road map? can I order it on line? Is this like a AAA Triptic in the US? My sister and her husband use them all the time on his business trips but unfortunately they don't make them for travel outside the US. I have been on AA's site and looked up directions from one town to the other and was wondering if that would be sufficent for our trip next month. Would appreciate anyone's help on this matter.

It's the AA Road Atlas for Ireland (3rd edition); my hubby got it for me at Christmas...he thinks he ordered it from Amazon. It's a reasonably sized book map -- but not a customized triptik like you get from AAA. Call me old-fashioned: I like having a map in hand while planning. It's easy to pack in your suitcase; no trying to refold a huge map in the car.

My 2 cents on GPS. (Only my opinion). We could have gotten by without it. There were times when it was helpful, one being in Galway. HOWEVER, the reason we got off the path to Galway was in part due to the GPS, (or perhaps faulty entry?) at other times the GPS took us very round about ways when directions from locals and the map were more direct. Most roads in Ireland are scenic, at least the ones we mapped out. We also found that many addresses we had weren't numbered, without the GPS coordinates it wasn't any more help the map. Finally, stopping at the TI when we arrived was just as handy as the desk folks always knew the best way to get to a hotel and would show us on the map if needed. They of course also gave us loads of information about the area to explore. If I were to go back, I wouldn't rent one. If I already owned one I load it with the European maps and bring it, but i wouldn't buy one especially for Ireland.

chevre - Same went for us but only because, as you said, Ireland is improving their roads constantly and the GPS we used was not the latest up-to-date version - even with the latest one it will still be behind, because there are some roads that do not appear like a freeway diversion or replaced road.
That didn't throw us too much. With the map we could see what was happening. I would never go without GPS though!

We took our GPS from home (loaded with Europe maps). At one point, on Valentia Island, we were not lost -- we'd just stopped by the side of the road while putting in a new destination. (DH just LOVES gadgets.) A fellow came by and said, "don't fool with those things, just ask a local!"

No doubt about it: the Irish are tremendously friendly and helpful, so basically he was right. But techies will be happy to have a GPS when no one else is around!

flanneruk, you asked "What on earth is the point of buying an Irish atlas abroad?
They practically give them away in Ireland (at any petrol, station, bookshop, paper shop or anywhere else), and you can do your big strategic planning before you go from Google."

Because getting the inked-in notes off of the screen after the trip is a pain

Seriously, though, I'm a huge computer geek and I HATE trying to use Google maps (or any sort of mapping site) for any serious sort of planning. Hard to see longer distances with enough detail to be useful in many instances. That, and some of us are just map nerds, too.

Having the map before I go lets me get familiar with it, and allows me to make notes that I can take with me, right on the map.