Off the Beaten Track....
 

I am taking my first trip to Ireland from September 23- Oct 8. My Fiance and I will be going on our honeymoon there for 2 weeks.<BR><BR>I have a few basic questions:<BR>1) What will the weather be like? - What clothes should I pack?<BR><BR>2) Where are some unique places to visit? - I am really into seeing some of the Megalithic and Pre-Christian sites.<BR><BR>3) What are some of the most romantic places in Ireland? - towns, cities, b&b's, restaurants, etc.<BR><BR>My Fiance goes to the North of Ireland every year, but we'd like to visit the Midlands, South and West as well. Any and all suggestions welcome.<BR><BR>Thanks!

We were just in Ireland and visited a wonderful stone circle about an hour+ from Kinsale in the south west. It is referenced in the Michelin guide and located near Glanmore. The Drumbeg (or Druombeag) circle I think is one of the most complete in the country and is definitely off the beaten track. There are also the remains of a stone "teepee" and a fascinating ruin where they cooked deer at a natural well. I loved this place as you can probably tell. We were there at about 4 pm and there were only 3 or 4 other people on and off. Have a great trip.

There's a lovely small inn in Connemara called the Cashel House Hotel. My husband and I just went there for our 10th anniversary. It's remote, so it's nice and quite, but you can still drive to see the sites without much hassle. Not sure of the website, but you can do a search and you should come up with it pretty quickly. It's not prohibitively expensive (get a garden suite), and the food is excellent, so have dinner there at least one night.<BR><BR>The Connemara region is very wild and beautiful. Just driving around it is fun. Also, depending on the weather, you could take a ferry over to Inishboffin. You can either spend the night (or two) or take the ferry back the same day. If the weather's rough, the ferry won't go, and some stop operating at the end of the summer. Your hotel or B&B can help you with arrangements.<BR><BR>Most of the off-the-beaten track places I know of are in Northern Ireland. But I noticed that most good guide books do list the kind of thing you're interested in--many people don't want to both traipsing through farmer's fields to find some of the prehistoric sites.<BR><BR>The time of year you're going is, as your fiance no doubt knows, is your best chance for good weather. Obviously, it could rain the entire time, but you're likely to get temps in the 50-60 region, with a fair amount of sun. Dress for fall.<BR><BR>For the Midlands, I like Kilkenny. It is a popular spot, so not really off-the-beaten track, but it's a fun town.

you would like this !<BR>http://indigo.ie/~lavelles/

Jenn, there are lots of very good web sites that will help you plan your honeymoon. I have a book that has a packing list in it for Ireland but I will have to find it and post the title later. <BR><BR>These are some web sites i liked:<BR><BR>www.ireland.travel.ie<BR>www.townand country.ie<BR>www.irelandhotels.com<BR>www.ireland expert.com<BR>www.irelandyes.com<BR><BR>The last site has some good links to megalithic and pre-christian sites. Two of the sites have their own travel boards. Also, look at the FAQ section on each site as it will offer tips and answer the questions you posted here.<BR><BR>The next to the last site has a good Ireland guide. The last site listed has a weather page that I like to look at occasionally since I have relatives that live in Cork. I also like the news page so I can keep up to date on what's happening across the pond.<BR><BR>One place that I thought was romantic was Kenmare. And I loved the little town of Roundstone in Connemarra. Dingle is wonderful if the weather is nice. I suppose it depends on what you think is romantic. My idea of romantic is camping out but my wife has other ideas entirely!<BR><BR>Newgrange will probably be a must for you. My best advice (and I have been to Ireland 4 times) is get yourself some guide books and read, read, read. Look at photos of Ireland on web sites and books to see what you think is romantic. Don't think you can do and see everything in 2 weeks because you just can't. You will be on your honeymoon so stay at certain towns for several days and then you can either relax and enjoy the immediate area or head off and do longer trips. Returning to the same room, bed and hosts makes the trip much more relaxing.<BR><BR>Most of all enjoy yourselves, explore, take time to savor the experience and don't rush.<BR><BR>

Thanks so much for all of your replies so far!<BR><BR>Drumberg Circle and Connemara sound really lovely.<BR><BR>We just spent Saturday night with friends of ours that just came back from Ireland, and they stocked us full of great information on the Hill of Uisneach, Lough Crew and Newgrange. I am getting very very excited.<BR><BR>So how should I be packing? I have a feeling our first week is going to be checking out all of these sites - some of which are pretty rugged from the sounds of it (lots of hiking/walking). The second week will probably be spent in Galway, the Aryan Islands and whatever else we can get into.<BR><BR>I don't want to be loaded down with bags, but I do think I should have a bit of variety.<BR><BR>Do they have clothes washing machines at B&B's?<BR><BR>I'm off to check out those websites Trent posted. Thanks!

Usually, you can't wash clothes at B&Bs, although once we were able to. The the landlady took pity on us, as we were part way through a long-distance hike, and I injured my foot, so we were stuck at the same B&B for a few days.<BR><BR>A large town will have a laundrette. Usually, you can pay to have them do your clothes, and it's usually not too expensive. But it can take awhile-no "in by 9, out by 5". <BR><BR>Unless you plan to spend much time in places where you have to dress up (nice restaurants, theater, etc.), then just pack what you normally would wear at home--for me, that's jeans and sweaters, lighter shirts to wear in the pub. I throw in my hiking boots (which are waterproof), running shoes, waterproof jacket and another jacket, lots of socks, etc. If you spend much time in pubs, your clothes will stink, so either douse them in Febreeze, or plan to do some washing.<BR><BR>My husband and I normally check one bag each, and have a small carry-on between us. Shoes take up the most room and are the heaviest, but with pub muck and the rain, you'll want a few pairs with you.<BR><BR>Roundstone is a nice little town, and there's a good restaurant right on the main street. Can't remember the name, but there's a hotel attached.

Jenn,<BR><BR>Would second your friends recommendations for Loughcrew, Hill of Uisneach and Newgrange, add in the Mountnugent area in Cavan for some wonderful lake scenery. With the exception of Newgrange all of these places are off the beaten track and there are some wonderful B&Bs and country homes in the region,<BR><BR>Have a great time and congratulations,<BR><BR>Cathy

Hi Jenn...in answer to your second question re megalithic Ireland go-http:indigo.ie/~jdem/ it is a wonderful website for Pre-Christian places...County Sligo has many of those sites, very easy to get to...Crevykeel court tomb, Knocknarea (Queen Maeve's cairn), Carrowkeel passage tombs, Carrowmore megalithic cemetary, and many more within a day's trip...also, try to find the book--Castles and Ancient Monuments of Ireland, put out by The Daily Telegrath of London...awesome book...hope this is of some help...will be in Ireland next May, and am already planning the trip...Helen

Jenn...that website is--Http://indigo.ie/~jdem/ forgot the // Helen

Another idea is anywhere you see and winding, dangerously narrow road, take it. We did that and found some wonderful places.<BR><BR>Bill

Anybody...am very curious about the Hill of Uisneach, apparently in Westmeath...can't seem to find any info regarding it...you all seem to know the area and history...HELP! Helen

The Hill of Uisneach is reputablely to be the centre of Ireland with the an ancient cat stone marking the spot - very spiritual and magival place, hidden in the fields off a main road,<BR><BR>Cathy

I also thought Kenmare was a great town - rather small and quaint but there are about 20-30 restaurants and pubs. We were there last month and it seemed that all the visitors were Irish or British. A knockout bakery in town (Jams) and there is a stone circle right on the edge of town. Kenmare is also well located to explore the Beara Peninsula, which is also a bit off the beaten track.

You can't get much more off the beaten path than Skellig Michael ( http://indigo.ie/~lavelles/ )<BR>

Hello. As regards pre-Christian sites, the Slea Head region, located on the Kerry coast, is chock-full of these sites. Pick up a good guide book, such as the Rough Guide, and take it with you to this most fascinating and strikingly beautiful part of Eire. (Keep your fingers crossed for favorable weather, though, as Ireland's west coast is very unpredictable regarding weather.) Another area to consider- and one that is off the beaten path - is Lough Gur, in County Limerick. It's lakeside setting is lovely and serene and there are several pre-Christian sites of interest that are worthy of your attention. Safe travels to you and yours.