After reading most messages here I think I don't want to drive in Ireland. So, I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on sightseeing by train. That is, stay in one place and take day trips by train to see the different towns and sights.Is this doable? Is doable a word?

It would not really be great and it would not have access to the best sights. WHy not hire a driver if you are uncomfortable. You can do bus tours from Dublin to several places if you chooses to stay there but they do not go to the far countryside.

The train network in Ireland is extremely limited. For ideas of routes see www.irishrail.ie. Most of the smaller towns you probably want to visit won't be linked by rail. A better option would be travel by bus. Have a look at www.buseireann.ie. Driving here isn't really THAT bad. Around the major cities roads are generally OK. It's only the small country roads that would cause problems, but as long as you take them slowly it shouldn't be too bad.

The Irish rail system is limited, and services are infrequent, partly because it is a sparsely populated country. The lines radiate from Dublin and for many other journeys, you need to use buses. If you're staying in Dublin, it's easy to do day trips to, say, Athlone or Cork; the Irish main line trains have bars and, on some journeys, offer meals. Check routes and schedules on www.irishrail.ie.

Within Dublin City, you would be fine using public transport. After all, it's how a large number of us get around on a daily basis.

For getting out of the city, as the others have said, you'll be quite limited as to the areas you can get to. That said, the DART (light rail system) will bring you out as far as Greystones/Bray in the South, and Howth in the North - both of which are nice areas for a stroll and a meal, particularly if the weather is good.

-- Viola

Touring Ireland by train is not very realistic. Service is slow, few and far between - and you can;t really get to many places you want to go. (I made the mistake of doing this one trip because I was on my own - and after the first ride decided to switch to a car - which I couldn;t get on such short notice.)

I would definitely drive. It's acutally quite easy because there is minimal traffic and road/environmental conditions (wandering sheep etc) don;t allow you to build up much speed. Just be aware that you need to allow sufficient time between locations - its unlikely you can average more than about 35/40 even on "major" roads.

I would recommend using the bus rather than trains. But really, driving isn't that bad! It takes a little getting used to, but you can always rent an automatic to make it even easier. I do think driving in the best/easiest way to see Ireland, but second-best would be the bus.

Though I am a fan of train travel on the continent, when I tried to plan train based touring in Ireland it just wasn't the same. Intercity bus travel seems much more common. On one trip we hired a driver and found that to be an excellent way to get around. Costs a bit more than just rent and self-drive, but there are no hassles with additional insurance, driving on the other side of the road, finding parking, and you get dropped off close to the entrance of the sights you are visiting.

Ijust passed the train station this morning and there is a banner ooutside stating 10 euro return mid week off peak. I am not sure if it is same day return check out as mentioned above www.irishrail.ie This doesnot include trains that cross the boarder i.e. Belfast Train

I do most of my travel in Ireand by Bus Eireann, augmented by hitch-hiking to places Buses don't go (Dromcollaher for example). I am a 73-year-old man.

Larger towns/cities also have taxi service.

An example of my bus travel: Shannon airport to Galway (lunch in Galway); Bus Eireann Galway to Ballina (County Mayo). Elapsed time: 5-hrs incl. 2-hr layover in Galway.

There's also a CityLink (Private) bus service Dublin airport to Galway or Shannon airport direct to Galway.

I recommend Buses over trains because they run more frequently and direct. I checked out a trip Dublin - Ballina and it would have required 3-changes of trains and taken a full day. A direct Bus took 6-hours.

The previous response is nonsense. There are three train connections a day from Dublin to Ballina with a journey time of between 3 hrs 23 mins and 3 hrs 41 mins; there is just one change, at Manulla Junction (which sounds exotic, but probably isn't). If the alternative is a six-hour bus journey, I know which I'd prefer.

I would not be entirely negative about Irish trains and much prefer them to buses.The routes from Dublin to Cork and Belfast are of international standard.The route from Dublin to Killarney is so so but it takes only 3h 20min.Many trains have dining cars and others have bars.Most of the trains have 2 seats facing each other with a table in the centre and this can be quite convivial.The amount of cell phones in use though can be annoying.