One week in Ireland?
 

I'm a pretty quick traveller and would rather cover more ground than see everything in each city. At the end of May I will fly into Dublin and spend a week to 10 days in Ireland before heading to Scottland. What should I see and do and in which cities? I enjoy sports, scenery, pubs, festivals and wildlife more than museums, but the occasional 1 or 2 is good.
Thanx!
Linzy

Also, any suggestions for 5-7 days in Scottland?

You're in luck! The Fleadh Nua, an annual national traditional music and dance festival, will be held in Ennis May 21-29. (See www.fleadhnua.com.) Ennis is a great spot for traditional music sessions in several pubs year-round and the festival just adds more choices to the mix. It's also a good jumping off point for exploring the Burren and seeing the Cliffs of Moher.

As a "quick traveller," will you be renting a car or relying on the train and/or bus? Your answer will have a bearing on what people suggest you see. There is limited train service in Ireland and, while bus service is more extensive, many of the best places can only be reached by car.

We planned on only going by train because that is how I travelled through Europe for 6 weeks and it went really well and it was quite easy. I would like to still go by train but if it's simply too difficult then I don't know what to do. My friend nor I don't trust ourselves driving on the left side of the roads so I don't think a car is a good option. What do you suggest we do? Is going by bus not too bad as long as we aren't expecting to go smaller towns?
Thanx for your help,
Linzy

You and your friend can see a lot Ireland by bus. Visit www.buseireann.ie to download and print timetables and to use the Journey Planner. Check out the Open Road pass to see if it will fit your needs. Even if you don't drive, a detailed map is handy to have. I recommend the Michelin Ireland map. It's available from amazon.com.

One more thing. Go to a public library and read some Ireland guidebooks. Take some notes on places that interest you. Then check the Irish bus site to see if buses go there.