I will be spending a month in England this summer and am interested in spending a weekend (Friday to Sunday) in Ireland. I will be taking a ferry to Ireland from Holyhead.

I was wondering if anyone can give me some suggestions regarding what to do and see while in Ireland for the weekend.

I would most likely only use public transportation and would stay at hostels. I am interested in seeing as much "authentic" Ireland as possible. Any advice or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Well - if you are limited to Holyhead, the you are pretty much limited to Dublin and nearby areas.

If you have the option, you can catch flights with very low fares from a number of airports in the UK. Probably cheaper than getting to Holyhead and then catching the boat. You could fly to Crok, Shannon or Kerry from there.

Bill

I have decided to just stay in Dublin for the weekend and look at the sights. Would it be wise to purchase a "Dublin Pass" to get into the main attractions?

Also, are there any restaurants, pubs, etc. in Dublin that offer a more authentique Irish atmosphere than others in the city, that offer cheaper meals?

I just got back from backpacking, and Dublin was on my itenerary. There are a lot of things to do and see in Dublin. Some free things are St. Stephen's Green, the nearby National Museum of Archeology, and definetly check out O'Connell St for food and shopping. As for the bus, there are different fares. The cheapest being around 2 euros the most expensive being 5. As for hostels...well, that's another story. As much as I loved Dublin, its hostels were the worst I saw on my trip! Beware of Grafton St if possible. I stayed at the Citi backpakers AKA the Chelsea. No working lights in my room, 1 toilet for 3 buildings,3 buildings shared 1 shower, permanant residents,and rude reception. Absolute nightmare. Yeah it was cheap, but yuck.