IrelandYes : Michele Erdvig
IrelandExpert : Pat Preston
Karen Brown
All of these ladies give good information. They have web sites and books which you can buy from their web-sites. I have two of Michele Erdvigs, she keeps them up to date. I have looked at IrelandExpert many times. She has a good list on her web-site for everything.
Karen Brown I bought many times but a few times her lodging recommandations were not up to par. I'd notice the next year these places would not be listed. The other two ladies concentrate on Ireland.

The B&B that I had my "Bates Hotel" experience at was the Yellow Rose B&B.

Both Michele at irelandyes.com and Pat Preston at irelandexpert.com have wonderful guide books and very helpful forums.

I am not familiar with the Bush Hotel. You could also stop in to the tourist information centre in Carrick -On-Shannon and they will help you locate lodging that day. May is still off-season so finding an availble B&B that is well suited shouldn't be difficult.

Slan Agus Beannacht,

Bit Devine
www.cowboycraic.com

If the intention is to stay in Carrick then I can offer some advice - 15 years holidaying there. There are 2 main hotels - Landmark & Bush. The Bush is the oldest & the Landmark, occupying the riverside frontage, was built about 6 years ago. Both hotels are in the higher price bands. The food is hit & miss - one year it is great the next it is poor but the Bush has been consistently better for dinners. The Boardwalk at the Landmark is excellent for afternoon teas or a quiet evening drink. Hartley Lodge boasted its Egon Ronay awards but that was some years ago. Its location is really good but I have never stayed there. There are only a couple of B&B's in the town & if none of them appeal you might consider Jamestown.

We did a very similar trip --- did a 10 day Northwest trip, heading from Dublin to County Meath to Fermanagh to Donegal to Galway to Clare and had a wonderful time. For your first night, if you haven't been to Newgrange, that is a very easy drive (about 45 minutes) and an amazing site. We liked Navan a lot, it is a very cute town but I think if we stayed in that area again, we would probably try to stay in Trim. My trip report is on the site. You can get to it if you click on my name.

Has anyone considered that Dublin to Carrick on Shannon is a pretty long drive afetr an overseas flight. I know it's gotten quicker because of the M4, but still, after that, it's not particularly fast. I'm still in my 40's and I wouldn't really want to drive that far on the 1st day.
Bill

We are not looking to make time or drive a long distance. We just do not want to spend the rest of day (arriving in the am) and the night at the airport. We were hoping for an interesting nearby town with a good restaurant, B&B or hotel. Whether it is 5 miles or 50 makes no matter. I agree, after an all night flight we do not want to drive a long distance. Thank you everyone for your interest and replies.

An interesting nearby town would be Malahide village. It has good places to stay, nice restaurants and walks along the beach. There is a castle to visit. It could be what you are looking for. If you prefer to get a head start on driving you could stay in Maynooth or Mullingar.