What to do in Dublin/area for 4 days
 

Need suggestions for a dad with daughters 18 and 20 spending 4 days in Dublin and area. They may have a car. This is their first time to Ireland and may very well be the only one. I had recommended Shannon/Doolin/Cliffs of Moher but he chose Dublin -- now he needs help with plans for a mid-June visit. Since the girls are interested in horses, I have recommended the National Horse Farm near Kildare as one possibility.Are there any races/shows going on around the 20th of June? All suggestions for this trip will be appreciated.

I am not sure what the interests are of your husband and what other interests besides horses your daughters have but when we were in Dublin we enjoyed the following:
- Kilmohalin Goal - The old jail in Dublin
-Dublin Castle
-St. Patrick’s Cathedral
-Guinness Storehouse
-Dublinvia (I think spelt this way) cheesy but cute.

When I was planning I was recommended to check out the nearby areas by taking the train out to them but I don't remember what the towns were called. You might want to do a search on here for them.

Hope this helps.

There are a couple of statements in your post that raise some flags: 1) a car in Dublin-- bad, bad idea; 2) >>first time in Ireland and may very well be the only one<< ---YIKES! if they were 80 years old, maybe, but two young ladies, 18 and 20? Is Ireland going to Mars? are you daughters moving to Mars?, 3) day trip to Kildare to go to a Horse farm-- more of an overnight trip, really.

Other than horses, what else interest your daughters while on travel?

Thanks, Nuttela, for your helpful suggestions.

Viajero2, Your responses were not helpful at all -- very negative. About the "flags" you mention (1) these young ladies are not my children (2) car in Dublin a bad idea -- "may have a car" refers to picking up car at the airport for drives in the area, which is why I asked for suggestions there (3) when one is not privileged to travel a lot, going to Ireland might be like "going to Mars" so I'm trying to make suggestions in case they can't go again -- there ARE people in the world who cannot travel often (4) Kildare is about 30 miles from Dublin -- I've driven it and it does not require an overnight -- where are you coming from? Are YOU from Mars?

Obviously you think me stupid, un-traveled and not familiar with Ireland. I assure you, this is not the case. I have driven throughout Ireland on four separate trips and am familiar enough with the country to suggest sites to visit. (Since you seem to be a little confused about distances in Ireland, perhaps I could help you?) I posted, asking for suggestions for things that might interest young people with whom I have not traveled, such as music venues, horse-related activities, etc. I suggest you reply only when you have something helpful and pertinent to offer. You had neither.

Newgrange.

el

There are a number of daytrips available from Dublin via:
http://www.railtoursireland.com/
http://www.newgrangetours.com/tours.html
https://194.106.151.95/asp/TourList.asp

If they DO rent a car to visit the Curragh, the town of Kildare makes an excellent visit -- st Brigit's Well, a Round Tower, lunch at the Silken Thomas, and my favorite mid-lands "local" -- Cunningham's.

Johnney Fox's in the Dublin Mountains is meant to be a Fine, Fun, night out, as well.

Official Dublin Tourist Info Site:
http://www.visitdublin.com/

Probably The Best, all-time 'What To Do In Dublin' thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34656627

Bob

You may suggest the girls (whoever's daughters they may be) look into Dublin passes. They don't have to buy the passes, but check out the website for ideas on what to do. If enough of the ideas on the site are interesting to them then the passes may be a benefit.

One of my friends loved Howth, another Dun Laoghaire. Both may be accessibe by public transport from Dublin. Check the train and bus schedules if those are places they may enjoy.


Also, I honestly think Viajero2 was offering good comments for you. Many people don't realize that driving in Dublin is *usually* not a good idea for tourists, and they often vastly underestimate the time needed for getting around in Ireland. You only mentioned that there are two daughters, it was assumed they were also yours as you didn't say otherwise. You didn't mention that you've been to Ireland before so how would Viajero know? The comment about the girls being young enough that it doesn't need to be their last trip to the country came from many posts on these, and other, forums where people assume it's the only time they'll ever get to go and try to cram SO MUCH into a short period of time. They're so young, even if they can't travel again for 20 years there's still a very good chance they'll be able to travel again as adults.

The way I read it, Viajero was asking you to possibly re-examine a few assumptions, or clear them up, and then give more information on other things the girls enjoy so people could offer better advice.

It's often very hard to tell from text if someone is being snotty or sincere, give them the benefit of the doubt.

We did a short trip to Dublin in 2000. We stayed at Kilronan House near St. Stephen's Green and we did have a car. It took a little getting used to but we were glad to have it. We walked around the center but used the car a good part of everyday. We drove out to the Curragh to the races. What a fun experience; quite different, but much the same as races in the US. We drove south to Wicklow and onto Avoca the town where the show "Ballykissangel" was filmed. We had a pint in the pub. We even lucked out and saw Van Morrison at "The Point" a bit warehouse type of building on the river. Go to ticketmaster.ie for any shows available while there. They should have a great trip.

crckwc1-- your off-the wall reaction to my suggestions had me rolling on the floor laughing. If you can't see how your post wording (or lack of..) trigerred my response, then...oh, well. If you don't mind one more suggestion: chemistry does wonders for many conditions these days, it is after all chemistry helping chemistry. You can be helped.

IA Redhead-- you got my mark; thanks for been a voice of reason.

Viajero2, Rolling on the floor with laughter can be helped as well, either with chemicals or straight jacket. You can be helped.

No, you offered no suggestions -- just negative comments about everything I mentioned in my post. Since it's obvious you can't spell, perhaps you have a problem with reading as well.

To Iowa Redhead, I appreciate your helpful suggestions but take issue with your chastising me over my post. You need to get together with Viajero2 -- you were made for each other.

To all others -- el344, Italian_Chauffer, opaldog, Nuttela, many thanks for offering some concrete suggestions and websites to check out. These are the kind of responses one should expect from fodorites.

crckwc1 wrote: "Since it's obvious you can't spell, perhaps you have a problem with reading as well."

When you go down to that level, it's time you quit arguing.

You might not like what Viajero2 wrote but I, for one, do not see any malice in it.

Padraig -- I never suggested there was "malice" in viajero2's first post but I stand on what I said: this was a condesending, trite and negative response to my request for suggestions. In his/her second post, it was suggested that I might benefit from "chemicals." My alluding to the mispellings in viajero2's post was mild in comparison. I'm sure all of you are as weary of this as I am. Let's let it go.

Hmmmm...how do you spell cuckoo?

padraig-- thanks for your kind words. Done. Thanks for the laughs.

See what I mean???

What's it that Americans say: enough already?

You both escalated the dispute, and as you walk away from the fight, you shout back over your shoulders at one another.

We in Ireland (far later than we should have, I admit) have managed to work out a modus vivendi for the two communities in Northern Ireland. You two should be a piece of cake. Hush! Not another word; there is no need to prove either of you right or wrong.

Info on horse-related activities, in and around Dublin:

http://www.discoverireland.com/us/ir...tsod=432256426


Bob

I second the vote for New Grange. One of the 7 wonders of the world.. as amazing as Stonehenge and maybe the pyramids, though I haven't seen those..

My only comment on this topic concerns driving in Dublin.In a word DON'T!
Having grown up driving in both LA,and the San Francisco bay area,I thought I was prepared for any kind of traffic.Boy was I wrong.

I drove around Dublin earlier this week in what I would characterize as the worst traffic I have ever been in.

The M50 seemed to be in perpetual gridlock,and just exiting or entering this road involved long queues of cars,trucks and buses.

After one day of trying to get around with a car I gave up and reverted to just ridding the bus.

Millie64, Bob and Lovejoy -- I'm passing along this useful information and I thank you.

To be quite honest, I wasn't going to waste my time replying to you because of your bad attitude, but since it's Monday and I'm feeling generous, and Kildare is my neck of the woods....and
horses are my thang...

Here are the races for the period...none really suitable, unless they are still around on the 25th - they could go to Naas


http://www.goracing.ie/Content/HRI/hrifixtures.aspx

Fri 20 Jun 2008 Down Royal

Fri 20 Jun 2008 Limerick

Sat 21 Jun 2008 Down Royal

Sun 22 Jun 2008 Down Royal

Sun 22 Jun 2008 Gowran Park

Mon 23 Jun 2008 Kilbeggan

Tue 24 Jun 2008 Sligo

Wed 25 Jun 2008 Naas

Here is the link for the stud

http://www.irish-national-stud.ie/visitorstud.htm