epi

I have never reported on a trip before, but recently read a comment from someone who rightly suggested that it is nice to let people know how recommendations work out.
We took a 10 night driving trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland and had a wonderful time. We just returned yesterday so my memory should eb pretty good. I'll try this with bullet points to make it easier to read:
1. The people in Ireland and NI are by far the friendliest, nicest people we have met as tourists. We found this 16 years ago and it holds true (except for 1 b&b owner to be described later).
2. Information from aaroadwatch.ie for directions are wonderful except they underestimate driving time by about 25%.
3. There is an enormous economic difference in Ireland in 16 years. When we first went the country was in bad shape, now it is thriving and it is obvious.
4. We stayed in a wide range of hotels as you can see.
Hotels, b&bs, castle:
Ivyleigh House (b&b) in portlaoise was great. It had one of two best breakfasts, very comfortable rooms, easy parking and a very short walk to the centre. A two hour drive from Shanon, 1 hour from Dublin.
Harrington Hall in Dublin was just right. The room was nice, the people helpful, a short walk to Grafton St and st Stephens Square, and a private car park.
Radisson in Belfast was excellent. A very nice hotel, an easy walk to the centre and the university area, and the kind of helpful, friendly people at the desk you would expect at a bb instead of a major chain hotel.
Merchant's House in derry- this was our one disappointment. When i first contacted them, I mentioned we would like a quiet room. The response should have warned me - essentially annoyance that i wanted a quiet room - don't stay in a city. I decided to take it as a helpful suggestion and went ahead and booked their quietest room. I was told it didn't have an ensuite bathroom, but one for it's exclus ive use. When we arrived the owner made it very clear that Americans are a pain because they expect so much, and that people who come from reading Fodor's are a special pain. I wasn't reading between the lines - she said this. It turned out our bathroom was down a half flight of stairs which I had not been told. It all worked, but being greeted by that type of comment was unpleasant, so i plan to tell Fodors that Fodors readers are unwelcome at this place. We are really not demanding and didn't even complain when the shower had no hot water. If you still want to try it, it is inexpensive and is close to derry center, and we had some good conversations at breakfast.
Manor House Hotel in Enniskillen was very pretty. The lobby is a beautiful manor house, the rooms are nice motel. It was a fine place to stay, but not a highlight.
Markree Castle near Sligo was fun, in spite of a water problem. I had read very mixed reviews on trip advisor and they were all true. It is an incredible structure with beautiful public rooms and setting. We decided to go for broke, so to speak, and went for a superior room. This was partly because they told us only these rooms had king beds, which wasn't correct. Our first room was enormous and beautiful, but didn't have a king bed, They moved us to another beautiful room with a king bed, and we were happy until the water stopped working. We weren't annoyed with this - it happens - but were annoyed when they said the owner would come to check and he never did. After an hour we called and they said they had fixed it, which they hadn't. In the end, they traipsed us to 3 rooms to change to, and eneded up back in our original room without the king bed. The water did work, but was brown, so we took very quck showers. In spite of this we really enjoyed Markree, It is a bit rundown as tripadvisor people said, but quite beautiful and individual. The food was very good, the service pleasant and amusing (very amateur) and the dining room spectacular.
The Adare House in Galway was great. It is a b&b within a short walk of the center with some parking. The owner was very pleasant, the rooms as described, and the breakfast had the biggest choice of all the places. I had crepes which were outstanding.
Old Ground Hotel in Ennis was the perfect place to stay the night before flying home from Shannon. It is right in Ennis center which is a pretty county town, and is a 30 minute drive (conservatively) to the airport.
5. We enjoyed the sightseeing. Some high points, besides just walking around the cities and driving through the country were:
National Museum in Dublin
Black taxi tour in Belfast - a must for understanding some of what is ahppening there. the night after our tour there was a a parade, some violence and some arrests.
Carrowmore tombs in Sligo
Castle Coole in Enniskillen
The Burren area (r480)
5.Particularly Good restaurants:
Portlaoise- Lemon Tree
Dublin - Oliver St John Gogarty (I think)
This is definitely aimed at tourists but was the only place in Ireland we managed to get "traditional" Irish food, and it was excellent. It is in the temple Bar area.
Belfast - Nick's warehouse
Derry - Mange 2
Disappointing restaurant-
Galway - McDonagh's- We found the fish and chips not very good. The fish was fresh, but the fries were not good and the batter adequate.
This of course turned out longer than I expected. I've obviously not included everything, so please ask any questions you like.

Budman

epi, thanks for your trip report. We certainly won't stay at Merchant's House on a future trip, so if we spread the word, they won't have to worry about having any "pain in the ass" Fodorites stay with them.

Glad you had a nice trip, and thanks for the report.

12perfectdays

Hello Epi,
thank you for the trip report! I would love to know more about Carrowmore tombs. I had seen a paragraph or two on it in one of the travel books and a few other references, most mentioning that they were hard to find, but fascinating and well worth it.

I would love to know a little more detail about your visit there if you have the time.

Thanks!

epi

12perfectdays-The Carrowmore tombs are about a 15 minute drive from Sligo. We did not go to Newgrange which are somewhat later tombs, but far better preserved, from what I read. I love ancient sites, my husband is somewhat interested, so I try not to plan an overdose of tombs etc. The Carrowmore tombs are out in a field. There is a small visitor center. They have a printed guide to help you understand what you are seeing, but we were lucky enough to arrive just as they were about to give a tour to a busload of Germans. That meant we spent twice as long because the Carrowmore guide spoke in English, then the tour guide translated. I was very grateful to have a guide. He gave much more information than the printed guide. The earliest dolmen date from about 5000 BC. It is not an impressive site on it's own, but the story is incredibly impressive.
One of the many interesting pieces of information I heard was about a genetic marker which is present in 90% of males in western Ireland, with decreasing percents in Eastern Ireland, France, and other areas of Europe, but somehow present in 90% of Basque men also. They trace this marker back 6000 years, but I am not sure if it is from DNA extracted from remains at the Carrowmore tombs or not. One of the people in the info center there was talking about some evidence of this gene having come from Siberia 50,000 years ago, with the thought that there were perhaps two major migrations, possible in the interglacial period. They gave me a journal reference which I now have to try to find.
Another note on ireland - we found the guides at sights to be so pleasant and excited about what they are showing. Somehow they felt less slick and more enthusiastic than guides at sights in other countries.

beach_dweller

epi,

thanks very much for your trip report! We are visting Ireland (for the 2nd time) in August, staying in Donegal Town and Clifden, but plan on driving around quite a bit. You have given us a lot of ideas.

12perfectdays

epi,
thank you for the information! I was away for a few days and have just now had a few moments to check the board.

This is on my list of "...if time allows" and now, after reading more of the information on your post, I am certainly hoping that it will!

chatham

Epi: Thank you for your wonderful report. Another one I'll have to save for future travel.
Sincerely, Joan

Ann41

Glad you enjoyed your trip, and that you headed north.

I've always been a fan of Nick's Warehouse, but haven't been impressed the last few times I've gone. Glad to hear they have sorted things out.