lodging options in dublin, galway and kenmare or dingle - your input please!
 

First, of all, Happy New Year to all of you! I am sitting at home in northern California, watching the flooding on the news and glad to be inside! I posted a message several weeks ago regarding a trip that I am researching for my 78 year old Dad (not 79, he reminded me) and 19 year old son - thanks for all of the responses. We now know that they will be going to 3 places as follows, in August of 2006: first 2 nights in Dublin, next 2 nights in Galway, next night in either Kenmare or Dingle, the final night (Friday) in Dublin to fly out the next day. Air travel is booked. We know they are taking bus or rail to these places - not a car. I would like your input on some lodging choices. I am looking for guesthouse/b&b lodging that is:

*close to Dublin Centre (area 1 or 2)
*100-140 Euros per night including breakfast
*non-smoking rooms
*twin room (two beds) with full bath
*known for frendly, helpful proprietors
*has either a lift or lower floor rooms
*full Irish breakfast
*not too noisy(although some noise is fine)
*has little chance of having a hen/stag party!

OK - so here are my final choices in no order (Dublin) - what do you think?

Charles Stewart B&B
Anchor Guesthouse
Eliza Lodge (this looks interesting)
Kilronan House
Camden Deluxe
Buswell's Hotel
Dergvale
Townhouse of Dublin (interesting also)

A good location is a high priority here - something within walking distance of Trinity College, Dublin Castle, etc.

Any restaurants/pubs that you can recommend that are good values for traditional food, not over-the-top touristy atmosphere, would also be appreciated. How about Irish music? My father comes from the Bing Crosby/John Gary school of Irish music, but I think will be fairly open when he experiences the real thing! Do "crooners" even exist? How about traditional music?

Would you recommend any particular tours, or "pub crawls"? I think they'd be interested in some historical narrative, with some "stories" as well. Walking tours?

Now for Galway:
Ardawn House (first choice)
Adare Guesthouse

If we go to Kenmare:
Virginia's Guesthouse
Ashberry Lodge
The Lodge
Rosegarden Guesthouse

Or instead to Dingle:
Bambury's Guesthouse
Cleevaun Country House
Heaton's Guesthouse
Pax House

If you were coming from Galway and only had one night before heading back to Dublin, would Kenmare or Dingle be best?

If you have information regarding sights to see, recommended touring companies for day or partial day tours in any of these places, I'd be interested. I know that Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry are beautiful (wish they were staying longer) - which place and tour would be the best use of their time?

Finally, the last night does not need to be in Dublin itself - just accessible to the airport. If you can recommend any place else on their last night outside of Dublin that would be a good "last place" - let me know!

Thanks in advance to all of you knowledgable people so willing to share!

Many happy returns to you sacasey. I have been watching Fox news from America and ye sure are getting a battering.
I was reading about your trip. As you are going to take bus and rail could I suggest a package tour that will include all the places you mention and you will not have to worry about a thing on your journey. Take a look at www.cietours.ie where you will find many tours commencing in Dublin and ending there. Let the professionals do the driving and the arranging.
www.tourismireland.com/us/index.clm is especially for our guests from the States.
Irish Toast:
In the New Year,may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.

If you want to view the B & B go to www.bedandbreakfastireland.net

I can recommend Ashberry Lodge in Kenmare, if Francie and Regina are still the owners. They are really nice people. When we had breakfast the first morning my husband said an American made this coffee! Sure enough, Regina is from NY. I even got to have pancakes. The house is about 5-10 minutes walk over to the main st.
We got to talking with Francie and Regina and my DH (chiropractor) adjusted Francie. We went to dinner at the Limetree(yummy) and the waitress said the Murphys had bought us a bottle of wine. By the time we left, we felt like family. One of our favorite memories of our trip.

We went to Heatons but didn't stay there because I felt it was overpriced. It is a bit out of the way if you wanted to be right in town. We stayed one night at I think, Coastline (b&b) and one night at Benners. Benners was nice and well located without being noisy.

In Dublin we had an excellent meal at Trocadero. This is a place frequented by the theater group. We went for the earlybird special around 6pm because everyone comes in after the theater gets out. Food was great.
good luck planning.

sacasey,
If you can wait a little while, I'll be staying at Adare Guesthouse in Galway and Benners in Dingle. I'll be posting my comments shortly after Valentine's day, 2006.

On a previous trip, I stayed at the Milltown House in Dingle. Very nice, good breakfasts, and a 1 minute drive into town if that!

This February trip, I chose Benners and Adare Guesthouse in Galway for location. In my opinion, the hotels in Galway were overpriced on the weekend we were going to be there. Adare was very close to Quay Street. Easier walks to restaurants and pubs in both towns. Hope this helps!

I stayed at Carraig Beag B&B in Galway and absolutely loved it. Catherine, the owner, was wonderful, and the place was very nice yet affordable. It's in Salthill, which is less than 10 minutes from Galway (more of a suburb, really). We had a car, so getting around was very easy.

Thanks for the responses so far!
To CU: Thanks for the suggestion about a tour, but I think they want a little more flexibility. Also, they don't have a lot of time - I wish their trip was 2 weeks, but it is what it is...but I appreciate your response.
To zaneyjaney: Yes, I'd be very interested in your opinion about Adare GH in Galway and Benner's in Dingle - I'll wait until February!
To Laurcelli: Thanks for the vote about Ashberry Lodge!
To kim80525: Carraig Beag in Salthill sounds nice, but I think they'll need a place closer to town, since they won't have a car.

After more researching today:

Does anyone have a comment about a B&B in Galway called St. Martin's? It got good reviews, but I can't find out much about it. How about Petra House?
And, I read about a vintage bus tour to Connemara from Galway by someone named Hugh Ryan that sounded sort of interesting, different than the boxy coach tours. Any input on this?
Still trying to decide about a night in Dingle or Kenmare sandwiched between Galway and Dublin.
And still trying to stay dry here in California...

Just a quickie: if you go to Kenmare, do consider Kilgarvan (10 minutes away.) There's a charming B&B called Birchwood, and the owners are just wonderful. They mapped out an incredible itinerary for us, so we stayed there for an extra couple of days! It's a great launching point for Dingle, the Ring of Baera and the Ring of Kerry. Ireland's wonderful.. have fun!

It just strikes me that you are trying to cover a lot of ground in a few days in Ireland. Dublin/Galway/Dingle/Dublin with five nights using public transportation? I have only driven in Ireland but it has always been my impression that the buses and trains take more time and are not as convenient as a car for touring Ireland. Dublin to Galway to Dingle to Dublin is alot of driving and I suspect alot of time of travel if you are taking trains and buses.
I do not know of most of your lodging choices but do like Heaton's in Dingle. Quite nice with a superb breakfast but a good 15 minute walk out of town if you do not have a car.

If I had to choose between Dingle and Kenmare, I'd choose Dingle. The peninsula is spectacular. I'd also recommend you spend one night in Galway and two in Dingle. It's a long bus ride from Galway to Dingle. You'll want a whole day to tour Slea Head, etc.

I'm in agreement with mjs and TimS. I know from experience. Six of my trips have been with public transportation and with a taxi now and then. I loved traveling by train, but they only go from larger town to larger town with a few stops along the way. NedsIreland travels by bus and hopefully he'll give you some info there. It's the time frame, you have so little of it. I'd think of them going from Dublin to Galway and back and take day tours from Galway. Or Dublin-Cork , Dublin-Killarney, Dublin-any larger town. One year I stayed on the east coast. Dublin down to WIicklow and from there up to Dundalk and a taxi over to Carlingford. If I can answer any questions, just email me. Joan

I forgot lodging. I'd stay at Buswell's in Dublin for the location and I've heard it is a nice, comfortable old hotel. In Dingle, Bambury's is closer to everything. The hotel Benner's is right in the center. Heaton's is about 15 minute walk, Cleevaun and Pax House are even further. When I was in Dingle I stayed at Greenmount House, but I hear they are closed for adding new rooms. If they are opened, close to town and lovely. Kenmare, I've stayed at The Lodge and it is very nice and comfortable. It's a 5 minute walk from town. Virginia's is right in town, I don't know about the accommodations.

Friends of mine recently stayed at Buswell's and voted it terrific! Good central location and great breakfast included.

They booked it through

www.hotel-ireland.com

which has very good discounted deals throughout Ireland.

Have a great trip.

I might recommend at the risk of being banned by the current Fodor's thought police, that you consult Pat Preston at her web site about your Ireland plans. I have found Pat to be quite helpful and very knowing about all things Irish. Sorta like Maribel is for Spain.
You might also consider cutting out Galway and just doing Dublin, the Ring of Kerry and Dingle.
Galway itself IMHO is not worth the lttle time you have and you do not have a car so exploring the
Connemara, Burrens etc is not easily in the cards.

mjs, how would they do the Ring without a car? Get the train to Killarney and take one of the tour buses? How would they get over to Dingle? I guess they could hire a car. I had mentioned Galway because they can get there by train and I thought they could do tours of Connemara from Galway. Pat Preston would give great advice and also IrelandYes. I love Dingle but feel it would be so hard to get there without a car. Now, I hope both of us don't get banned for mentioning names. Joan

deros tours does small bus tours of Dingle/ Slea Head out of their office in Killarney. Dunno what they charge, but they have a web sight. We used them this past summer for our Gap of Dunloe/Lakes of Killarney tour.

Bob

The Deros web SITE is:

www.derostours.com

Without a car, take the train to Galway and the train/bus to Killarney and base there, rather than Kenmare. Killarney is MUCH more condusive to not having a car.

Bob

Thanks for the continuing information. I can tell you that the elements of the trip that are not inclined to change will be:
the need to take public transportation, since one is too old and the other too young to either rent a car at all, or safely negotiate the roads if they could, and;
the trip to Galway - Dad has wanted to see Galway (Bay) for as long as I can remember, and it is a must see - would even be difficult to convince him not to stay 2 nights, although I could try, if you think I should, in favor of 2 nights south. However, they would not be able to see Connemara...
So for now, the night "at large" is the one night between Galway and Dublin - maybe not either Dingle or Kenmare, but a place closer to Dublin? He likes castles! Any ideas?
sacasey (pat)

It has stopped raining here in Northern California where I live but the ambience somewhat reminds me of Ireland. Should be sipping a Guinness but it does'nt taste the same here and I need all my facilities to trouble shoot a new hum in my stereo system.
In any case as your Dad wants to see Galway bay he should see Galway bay although IMHO the southwest part of Ireland is more interesting.
This makes things more simple as well for it is only about a 3 to 4 hour train ride from Dublin to Galway and you can take day bus tours to the Connemara and another to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher from Galway. So if you use two days to do two tours out of Galway and another day for Galway, you probably need to stay in Galway three nights.
I really do not think you have time for Dingle/Kerry if you do Galway for I believe it is around 7 hours by bus from Galway to Dingle and about 8 hours from Dingle to Dublin. You can rent a taxi to tour around Dingle and I would bet you could do the same for the Ring of Kerry or find a bus tour out of Killarney but I do not think you have the time for this. This is especially true given your father's age.
A bus tour that originates in Dublin for the same time period would also be a consideration. I would not try to do too many places in Ireland given your short time and the age of your parent.

If a second night in Dingle is out of the question, then it might be best to not go there at all. Perhaps in the summer there is an earlier bus, but for now the first bus leaves Galway at 09:15, arriving in Dingle at 15:10 (too late for any guided tours of the peninsula). Morning tours (2 1/2 hours)leave around 10:30 so they would be back in Dingle in time to catch the 14:15 bus which would get them to Tralee in time to catch the 15:55 train to Dublin. But it would be a hectic day. Instead, they could take the bus from Galway to Westport, spend the night, and then take either the bus or the train from Westport to Dublin.