california_claire

I have been meaning to report on my trip to Ireland since we returned 5 months ago--better late than never, I suppose!! I used the Fodor's board to do a lot of planning, so I hope my review will help anyone who is considering taking a trip to the beautiful Emerald Isle. It's an experience you'll never forget!

My husband and I flew from LAX directly to Dublin on Aer Lingus and met up with my parents who had flown to Dublin from South Africa and my brother who'd flown in from Belgium. The Dublin airport is fairly small and pretty easy to find your way around. After our happy reunion we took the airport bus (very comfortable) to the heart of the city. We got off at Trinity College and had about a 5 minute walk to our hotel, The Mercer-- just a block from St. Stephen's Green and Grafton Street. The location was simply perfect--we could not have asked for anything better. The hotel itself was lovely--nothing fancy--but clean, spacious, nicely decorated rooms, with very little street noise considering it's very central location, and helpful staff. Breakfast is included in the price (yogurt, cereal, fruit, toast), and I think it was an extra 3 or 4 euros for a cooked breakfast. I would definitely stay here again. The price was good too--130 euros per room per night. We booked through their Web site and got a discounted rate. (http://www.mercerhotel.ie/index.html)

We spent the first afternoon taking things easy and getting over our jetlag. In the evening we had dinner at the Oliver St. John Gogarty pub in the Temple Bar district. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very festive. We then went on the Musical Pub Crawl that started at Gogarty's pub. Although I'd read favorable reports on this pub crawl, it wasn't as good as we expected it to be. Maybe we were just there on a bad night. The two guys leading the tour had about as much personality as two cardboard boxes and although they played fairly good music, they never really got the crowd involved. Also, being a Saturday night, we had to sidestep throngs of drunken teenagers everywhere--I would advise to stay well away from Temple Bar on a weekend evening, unless you're 18-25 and your primary motivation is to drink as much as possible.

The next morning we took a city bus tour through Dublin (it started at St. Stephen's Green) which was very enjoyable. We got off at the Guinness Brewery and spent about 2-3 hours there. We had no idea there was so much to see at the Brewery and ended up practically running through the last 2 floors as we were running short on time. My advice is to spend less time on the first part (the beer making process) and concentrate more on the history of Guinness, its marketing, advertising, commercials, distribution channels. That's the part I found most interesting. The Gravity Bar at the top of the brewery is superb with glass windows from ceiling to floor all the way around. It offers fabulous views of Dublin and really gives you a bird's eye perspective of the city. Try to get there early so you can grab a table next to the window and enjoy the views while you sip your free pint! After the brewery, we got back on the city tour bus and headed to Kilmainhaim Jail. We did a tour of the jail which was very well presented and offers an excellent insight into Ireland's history and struggles.

The following day (Monday) we visited Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells and Trinity College Library. Both are fascinating and well worth seeing. In the evening we attended the Irish Cabaret at the Burlington Hotel on Upper Leeson Street. Although this event seems to draw busloads of tour groups, we had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the comedy, music and dancing. We much preferred this energetic, toe-tapping event over the very lack-luster Pub Crawl, and agreed that it was the perfect way to end our stay in Dublin.

The next day we took the bus back to the airport and picked up our rental car. My brother, by this stage, had flown back to Belgium, so it was just the four of us (Mom, Dad, my hubby and I). We rented an Opel Meriva (a combination of a car and a small minivan) that was the perfect size for us. There was enough room for the four of us, our suitcases, carry-on bags and a few other shopping bags (!!), and even though it was a manual, it was easy to drive. We booked the car through the Internet and got a very good rate (If I remember correctly, it was around $500 for 12 days). We booked through Irish Car Rentals (www.irishcarrentals.com) and found them very easy to deal with. We took a letter with us from Master Card to prove that we were covered for insurance in Ireland. They accepted that without any problems.

Once we'd picked up our car, we headed to Glendalough (a monastery dating back to the 8th century) in the Wicklow mountain region. We got lost along the way (this was the only time on our entire trip that we got lost--truly amazing!!), but after a few stops and inquiries we were on the right track. Glendalough is stunningly beautiful and has a serene tranquility about it. I highly recommend stopping here. We wish we could have taken a day-long hike around the lakes and hills (we will on our next visit). The misty valleys and ancient structures give you a wonderful sense of what it must have been like here in 900AD. After leaving Glendalough, we headed to Kilkenny, where we spent two nights.

In Kilkenny, we stayed at Alacntra B&B--a modern, comfortable house with bright, spacious, nicely appointed rooms. (http://homepage.eircom.net/~alcantra/index.htm) Hosts Liam and Bridget are the nicest people and couldn't do enough for us. They gave us maps of Kilkenny and highlighted restaurants and attractions for us. The B&B was only a short walk into the center of the town, so we often left the car behind and tried to walk off some of the calories from our huge breakfasts!! Kilkenny is an attractive medieval town that still retains much of its old world charm. We visited Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice's Cathedral and the Black Abbey -- all within an easy walk of each other. We also enjoyed dinner at Keytler's Inn, one of the oldest buildings in the city--and apparently the home of a witch around 1200!

The next day we set off for Kinsale, and visited the Waterford Crystal Factory along the way--an interesting tour that gives you a new appreciation for this Irish export.

The town of Kinsale was one of our favorites--it's a picture-postcard little place with storybook-like scenes everywhere. We stayed at The Old Presbytery (http://www.oldpres.com/) which was right in the heart of town. It was the most expensive B&B we stayed at during our visit, but it was worth the extra money. Our rooms were beautiful, with tasteful decor, crisp linens, lovely furniture and big bathrooms. The breakfasts here were out-of-this world--I particularly liked the homemade muesli and fruit crepes (a welcome change from all the egg and bacon!). One of Kinsale's many highlights is Dan Herlihy's walking tour. I think it runs every day and starts right outside of the Tourist Information office. The walking tour takes you through the oldest sections of the town and Dan provides plenty of insightful information, history lessons and anecdotes pertaining to Kinsale. We also drove across the harbor to Charles Fort that offers great views of Kinsale and its harbor. This charming little town is high on our list of places to return to on future visits to Ireland.

From Kinsale, we drove along the coast to Kenmare. We thought about staying in Killarney, but we are glad we didn't. Kenmare is a quaint, pretty little town with a lot of character. We took walks along the bay and through the countryside (fed horses blackberries along the way) and loved it's laid-back atmosphere. We drove part of the Ring of Kerry (started in Kenmare and drove to the Skellig Ring, then turned around and came back). The Skellig Ring at at the tip of the Ring of Kerry was our favorite part of the drive. We were lucky enough to have cloudless skies (quite amazing for October!) and the views across the green meadows, cliffs and sky-blue sea to the Skellig Islands was simply stunning. Definitely another highlight of our trip! Because it was a Sunday and we started out early (around 8.30am), we only encountered two tourist buses the whole time we were driving the Ring of Kerry. By the way, because the roads on the Skellig Ring are extra-narrow and steep, it is closed to tourist buses. This is a great way to escape them and to enjoy some of the the best views (IMHO) of the Ring. In Kenmare we stayed at the Hawthorn House (http://www.hawthornhousekenmare.com/), a very comfortable, well-kept establishment with warm, wood-paneled rooms. Mary O'Brien, the owner, is very friendly and will offer plenty of suggestions on what to see and do in the area.

From Kenmare we drove through the Killarney National Forest to DIngle. We stopped several times along the way to admire the gorgeous views across the lakes and hills, and also took a short hike to Torc Waterfall. Upon returning to our car from the waterfall, we came across Paddy, a jaunty cart driver and his horse (also Paddy!). He offered to take us on a ride to the Muckross House and back. We decided to do it and loved clip-clopping along the old winding lanes that led to the impressive manor house. Paddy provided plenty of information along the way--from the history of the house to detailed descriptions of the trees and flowers in the area. We didn't tour Muckross House or farms as we wanted to get to Dingle at a reasonable hour. The tour with Paddy was wonderful though, and a lot of fun.

In Dingle we stayed at Greenmount House, (http://www.hawthornhousekenmare.com/) for 3 nights, which I can't say enough good things about. It was our favorite B&B of our entire trip--we wish we could have moved in! The rooms are all beautifully decorated, and ours had a cute little bay window with a window seat that allowed us to sit and relax over a cup of tea or coffee, while admiring the views of the bay. John and Mary, the owners, are the most gracious hosts and didn't mind at all when we proceeded to rearrange their living room one evening so we could play cards. In fact, they seemed quite delighted that we'd made ourselves so at home! The breakfasts at Greenmount were the best we had in Ireland. There was so much to choose from, including homemade scones, muffins and mouth-watering cakes.

We drove the Dingle Peninsula which was spectacular. We found Rick Steve's guide to the Dingle Peninsula very helpful and full of good pointers and advice. We stopped at several places, including many of the scenic viewpoints and stone beehive huts which were fascinating. Once again we were lucky with the weather and had blue skies the entire day. The following day my husband and Dad visited the Dingle aquarium while my Mom and I did some shopping. We had a wonderful time, but the guys weren't impressed with the aquarium which they described as being rundown. That was the only complaint of our entire time in Dingle. We loved the town--it's very salt-of-the-earth-Ireland, and we felt connected to the way people live there. Because it was October, there were very few tourists.

One of our favorite restaurants in Dingle was The Old Smokehouse. It's at the bottom of the hill as you walk into town from Greenmount House--a pinkish colored building. We ate there two nights in a row because the food was so good. It's upscale, but warm and cozy, with excellent service and mouthwatering food that was the best we had our entire trip. I highly recommend a meal there. The owners are an English couple--the wife, Joanna, is both manager and waitress, while her husband does all the cooking. Our favorite pub was the The Small Bridge Pub (right across the road from the Old Smokehouse). We got to enjoy some traditional music there--it gets very festive and people in the pub join in with their own musical instruments from time to time.

After a wonderful 3 days in Dingle (we were sad to leave) we headed north to Doolin. We used the Tarbert ferry instead of driving through Limerick, which saved a lot of time. It was really easy, and the crossing only took about 20 minutes. We stopped at the Cliffs of Moher on our way to Doolin. Unfortunately, this was the one time that the weather did not cooperate with us. It was cold, windy and spitting with rain, so we didn't hang around too long. The cliffs, even in that kind of weather, are stunning. A must-see! We returned the next morning to get another look at them. The weather was fine for about the first five minutes, then all of a sudden the most brilliant rainbows appeared out of nowhere (I felt as if I could reach out and touch them!), and a few minutes later it was pouring! In Doolin, we stayed at Cullinan's Guesthouse (http://www.cullinansdoolin.com/), which was very comfortable with lovely views of the river and meadows, but the owners were not quite as personable as the other places we had stayed. Also, the walls were thin and we could hear my Dad snoring in the room next to us during the night!! (He is a loud snorer!!) We got to spend an evening at Gus O'Conner's which was fun. We ate there (very decent pub grub) and stayed for the traditional music.

The following day we traveled to our last stop, Bunratty. We were flying out of Shannon, so decided that it would be a convenient place to stay for our last night. It is only a 10-minute drive to the Shannon airport from Bunratty along excellent, highway-type roads. We spent part of the day at Bunratty Folk Park and castle. It's touristy, but gives you a good insight into the way of life in Ireland in years gone by and how different people lived in different regions of the country (farmers, fishermen, landowners, etc.). We stayed at the Dunaree B&B (http://www.dunaree.com/), run by Penny O'Conner, who made us feel right at home the minute we arrived. The rooms were bright, clean and nicely decorated and Penny was a very bubbly and entertaining host who couldn't do enough to help us. It was a great place to spend our last night in Ireland. In a nutshell, it was an amazingl, fun-filled, hassle-free trip, with memories that will last a lifetime. We can't wait to go back!!!

Sorry to ramble on and on, but I hope some of this will be useful to anyone planning a trip to Ireland. If you have any questions, feel free to post and I will answer.

dim

Thanks Claire, I am leaving Oz. in 2 days for London & Ireland. You have helped me enormously.
Dim Sydney

Shadow

Hey California_Claire great report!! Very well done! My husband and I just made our reservations (finally!) for my 8th trip to Ireland (his 5th) to see my mom who lives in Co. Roscommon. I just never get tired of going to Ireland. And, there are many places I have yet to see and some that I need to see again-things have changed so much over the years.
We are flying out of LAX to Dublin then on to Shannon. Did you fly Aer Lingus?
Since its been ages since I've flown AL are you happy with them? They sure have the best rates these days.
Again, thanks for the trip report!
Shadow

california_claire

Hi Shadow,

Yes, we flew Aer Lingus from LAX to Dublin and were happy with them. We found the flight attendents to be very pleasant, and liked feeling that we were having a bit of an Irish experience before we even arrived in the country. On the flight to Dublin we had our own video screens, but not on the way back. It's nice to be able to select your own movies, pause them, rewind, etc. It certainly helps pass the time when you can keep yourself entertained. The only negative regarding Aer Lingus is that you have to pay for any alcoholic drinks. I know British Airways doesn't do this. I enjoy a glass of wine with my meal and thought it was a bit of a "penny pinching" move to charge for this! Just be sure to have some spare cash in your purse in case you or your husband wants a glass of wine or a beer. That was our only complaint, though. We were happy with everything else.

rickmav

Your trip report is nicely presented. And is rich with advice. Well done.

jbyrdfl

Thanks for the details and the good information. I'm planning a trip for later this year, and your report was very valuable.

kraines

California Claire: Thank you so much for the indepth trip report. We are flying into Shannon for 7 days with another couple in early June and have just begun our planning. We are already wishing that we had booked for a longer stay, but that is the way it goes! We will just have to return. I wanted to know if you did any shopping and if so, would you mind sharing what you bought that was reasonable. I would love some Irish crystal, but wonder if I should just buy it here. Thank you for anything that you share. Kathy

chatham

Dear California, Thanks for the great report. I believe I read on Trip Advisor(or somewhere) your review of Greenmount House. It helped me decide to book 6 nights there in April of this year. I will try The Smokehouse in Dingle. Again, thanks for the report.

hopingtotravel

We were in Dingle in 2001 and I'm glad to see that Greenmount House is still serving those delicious breakfasts! We voted it best breakfast on our trip.

Budman

WOW! Greenmount House is 75 Euro per person per night in May/June/July/August. The Shores in Castlegregory is 35 Euro per person per night. You can buy one hell of a breakfast for 40 Euro per person per night.

Greenmount House has great reviews on Fodors, but for the money, I'll take the Shores and their wonderful breakfasts anytime.

california_claire

Hello Kraines,

Thank you for your message. Yes, I did do some shopping in Ireland, although I didn't buy any crystal. In hindsight, though, it would have been nice to bring home a crystal momento of our vacation. Although Waterford is lovely, you can get it at practically the same price back home. I liked the smaller crystal companies, like Dingle Crystal and Galway Irish Crystal. I've never seen any of their pieces in the US, and they are just as nice as Waterford. Louise Kennedy Tipperary Crystal is another one that I haven't seen over here--her pieces are more contemporary, but beautiful.

I bought myself a gorgeous Aran knit sweater in Ireland that I love. It is hand-knitted, incredibly soft and so comfortable. I've worn it so much this winter and always get compliments on it. You have to shop around as some places charge a lot more for their Aran knitwear than other places. I think we were lucky as it was October and the end of the tourist season, so a lot of places were having sales to clear out their merchandise. My husband and I also bought a lot of CDs of Irish music. We love listening to them as they evoke so many memories of our visit.

Oh, another thing I got in Ireland was a perfume called Inis that I've never seen in the US. I love it and wear it every day.

Have a wonderful trip--you'll love it!

12perfectdays

Thank You so much for the trip report. My husband & I will be traveling for the first time to Ireland for 13 days this October and I was really happy to see a report for that time of year and with quite a bit of my intended itinerary. (interestingly enough...also from LAX on Aer Lingus)Just a couple of questions...

Dusk is okay but the Mr. does not want to drive in the dark. What time would you say for total sunset?

In Dublin...bus back to airport for rental car...we are picking up city center (and have never driven Ireland) Mr. is a confident driver but...would you reccommend back to airport for rental car pick up?

Last question...I would really love to know the price of a hand knit Aran sweater. I want to come back with a piece of Ireland I can wear and would love to know what to expect on pricing.

SiobhanP

Handknits can be very pricey. Make sure you look at the tags as many hand knit looking sweaters are hand loomed or machine knit. They are just as knice but the handknits are VERY chunky in the Aran sweaters....I used to shovel snow in mine with out a coat back in my snow years of NJ! They are also pricey but I want to say off my head 150 euro but I will check in Blarney Wollen Mills at my lunch hour today and get back to you.

S

allisonm

We bought heavy, oiled hand knit sweaters in Donegal (Kilcar, I think) a couple of years ago for 104E each. My husband likes his, but it too heavy and itchy for me, so I have never worn it. (We live in the northeast where it can get pretty cold, but not cold enough for that sweater!) You can buy inexpensive machine woven sweaters in shops in most cities, and some of them are quite handsome.

california_claire

12perfectdays:

I hope you have as good a time in October as we did. If my memory serves me correctly, it started getting dark around 6.30 - 6.45pm. It stayed light later than we thought it would be. We were there from 1 - 16 October and before the clocks were turned back for winter.

With regards to getting your car from the city center vs. the airport, I would opt for the airport. It is pretty easy to get from the airport onto the major roads/highways that head out of the city, whereas I don't know how easy that would be from the center of Dublin. There are a lot of one-way streets and roundabouts, and if you are not familiar with driving in Ireland and on the left, it could be very confusing.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we were lucky enough to catch some of the end-of-the-tourist-season sales, and if I recall my Aran knit sweater was around 90 euros. We did see some that were 120 euros or more, so be sure to shop around.

12perfectdays

california claire-Thank You, Thank You! We are planning on the last 2 weeks and leaving on the day that time changes so I am sure sunset will be a few minutes earlier but still much better than I had been thinking.

GREAT! I was thinking an Aran sweater would be out of budget but if the end of season sales hold, I'll be able to treat myself.

I will need to rethink the car as I am concerned about the city center. Mr. 12 is a driver by trade and I do worry that with so much constant USA driving that the changeover will be more difficult for him, although this puts us a little backtracking to the airport. (I know your right...arm cross, wrinkled nose, sigh...) Hookay, I'll change it.

Thanks again!

wojazz3

Hi Claire: Thanks for the great trip report. It's nice to find someone who agrees with me that the RoK is really quite spectacular. It's certainly a "to each his own" issue but I love the southern coast. The Skellig ring certainly gets you away from the buses and it is very scenic.

It sounds like you had a fantastic time. Thanks for the great trip report.

Bill