SatNav in Ireland; a cautionary tale or three...
 

Good morning from the windy mountains.
A news item reminded me of this. Apparently there has been chaos on the Ring of Kerry as drivers of heavy lorries etc have been relying on SatNav, which of course does not know that there is a one way sytem in operation since the 1880s, that coaches all go anticlockwise, ditto heavy vehicles as in so many places two cannot pass each other. Indeed the raod from Sneem to Moll's Gap is off limit to heavy lorries which have to go from Killarney onwards via Kenmare and then to Sneem. There have been several incidents of them getting stuck in eg the narrow tunnel on that road.
It reminded me of two other incidents; of a car full of Japanese tourists two winters ago using SatNav and it leading them along a road badly blocked by snow. Thankfully they had a mobile phone as they had to be rescued by Mountain Rescue Teams.
Then there was the time I was moving house and using a very experienced Man with a Van. I lived then as now in mountainous land albeit with a good road. When he did not arrive on time I called him and he had been driving around the area two hours as his SatNav told him there was no house etc.
I stood in the road and guided him in on the phone; thankfully it was still dark so I could see his lights... coming and going, red then white.."Please take care round the next bend as I am standing in the middle of the road.."
Ireland is somewhat unpredictable road wise which is a part of the charm, and lacking often in signposts and a good map is truly all that you need.... and of course stopping to ask directions eg oh there is no sign as we ran out of money , which jaja will remember well!

Marirose,

I would like to know if you could help with my itinerary. There will be 4 of us traveling from NYC (25-32 yrs) this March for St Patrick's Day. We plan on staying in Dublin for 3 nights (Sunday - Wednesday) and then drive to Galway, Cliffs and Burren (possibly Aran Islands) (2 nights) then drive south to Ring of Kerry & Killarney national park and to Blarney castle and spend our last night in Cork. Would you recommend Cork over Killarney or vice versa and why? Also, any hotel recommendations for Galway and Cork or Killarney? And any other recommendations on what to see? thanks so much!!

A good map and compass. I don't like meeting those lorries coming at you on a blind bend of the road. We folded our mirrors in on a golf once in Kerry. My friends live in the mountains and lost power for a week, hope you are doing ok, they still have no phone.

Marirose, thanks so much for your insight! I am constantly advising people that it's not necessary to have a GPS to get around Ireland and that a good map (and a willingness to ask directions when necessary) is all that's needed. It's nice to know that not only is GPS not required; it can also be a hindrance!

Hi Sk8rchiq1
Might I recommend the Imperial Hotel in Galway. I stayed there 2 yrs ago and loved it. It's right in the heart of the city and you can walk from there to all the best places.
As for Cork, I have stayed in The Imperial Hotel and it is very nice. The Clarion and Jury's Inn are also very nice, and a little cheaper, I think.

Where would one get a "good" map?

The official OSI atlas is a good one if you plan to travel the byways and local roads.
http://www.osi.ie/Products/Tourist-Leisure.aspx
As many motorways had been completed or extended during the last 5 years, I would not get any map published before 2013.

P.S. It's the last item of the "Ireland Series". Could not post the direct link, but you may also get it online elsewhere

Thank you!