Does anyone know of a good place to stay in or around Kanturk ? We'll be doing a 'see the old sod' trip, my husband's grandfather's village is just outside Kanturk, so we'd like to stay right there. Thinking of going in and out of Shannon and forgetting Dublin altogether. Just see the SW. Husband walked from Dublin to Westport in '62 and has memories of finding nothing to eat but blood pudding and tomatoes. Of course, Guiness was also considered a foodstuff. Evidently they served it in hospitals!!
With the new (awful) no smoking laws in pubs what provision for smoking do the landlords now make ?

Click on my screenname for my trip report of 11 day trip last June for info on smoking.
If you've never been, you will LOVE the Kanturk area. Dunno about any places IN Kanturk but, in nearby Banteer, is a WONDERFUL, nearly-new, purpose-built B&B named Agherton Lodge ( www.cocork.net ), or call Briege Buckley at 353 29 56388

Cost is around 35 euro per person, sharing. The rooms and bathrooms are ENORMOUS! We stayed there in 2000, with our (80's) parents and my mother-in-law (who is REALLY finicky about cleanliness, etc.) still raves about the place.

Thank you so much for your reply. I really enjoyed your 11 day trip post and intend to read your posts. I guess the Irish are trying to be like some of their relations in CA re smoking. When do you think they'll start rationing the whiskey ?

Dunno about that, but I do know they are REALLY getting serious about the whole DWI thing. If you are staying in the Kanturk area, make it a point to drop in to Millstreet and check out the little museum. They'll direct you to Knocknakilla (an amazingly DENSE collection of Standing Stones, Stone Rings and Stone Circles, and a view to die for. Have dinner atO'Connor's one night, as well.
For general info on the area,
www.millstreet.ie
When we were there in 2001, we parked the car and took the train into Killarney and just walked around town for a couple of hours.
Most B&B don't allow smoking in the rooms, and only a few even allow it in the building. If that's a big issue, consider a self-catering rental. Also in Banteer is a marvelously rustic looking Thatched Cottage (they have a web-site, I think, you can 'GOOGLE" them. Otherwise, do an accommodation search on the Bord Failta site:
www.ireland.ie
When are you planning to go?

This summer we're going to Russia (my side's old sod) for a couple of weeks, so Ireland will be after that - either at Christmas or next summer. May have husband's cousin come along, and then we'll take Ryan Air to Italy where she spent a few years. We lived in Europe for 20 yrs. and planned to retire there, but with the EU all has become too expensive, esp. the prospect of paying EU taxes. No wonder a lot of Europeans are thinking of opting out of the EU.