I will be traveling to Ireland with my handicapped (almost completely blind) partner on Oct. 1. I have been to Ireland before and experienced all the "must do's," and in this case the only sightseeing we plan to do is to visit shops and pubs and just soak up our Irish surroundings. My partner has traced his background to County Cork so Cork City is a must stay for us. I really liked Killarney as well. I was also wondering if we should stop in Limerick or Galway. Right now I'm thinking land in Dublin, take train to Cork City for 2 nights, to Killarney for 3 nights, then Limerick or Galway for 2 nights before heading to Dublin for our last night. I have not taken the trains in Ireland so also need input into using them with 1 medium sized suitcase each, when dealing with someone who can walk well but cannot be hurried up and down stairs. And how about Limerick or Galway? Where's the best pub craic? Thanks!

Just wanted to share my experience in case it helps. The trains in Ireland are quite modern and comfortable, and they usually have bathrooms on board. They also have luggage compartments between carriages, so managing your suitcases shouldn’t be a problem.

If you book your tickets online in advance, you can choose your seat, and your name will appear on a screen above your assigned seat on the train. If you buy tickets at the station, your seat will be assigned randomly.

I recommend arriving at the station a bit early to find your platform. From my experience with trains in Dublin and Athlone, they usually arrive on time and give you a few minutes to board.

As long as you’re there a little early to be ready, make sure you’re on the correct platform before the train arrives, it should go smoothly. Hope this helps!

I know in other countries there is the equivalent of wheelchair assistance available at the train stations. I would ask for that kind of help and investigate if you actually need to use a wheelchair or can just request special assistance.

Good luck! It sounds like a great trip!

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/trave...onboard-trains

What is important (at least to me, and I would think for your partner) is that there are no big steps to get on the train. It's even with the platform.

We enjoyed a few days in Galway after spending 10 days in Killarney and Dingle. Killarney to Galway is a 4-5 hour train ride with at least one change. Taking a bus will cut the trip down to a little over 3 hours, but you'll still have a change in Limerick. Just a guess, but a bus may be easier. Tig Coili is a great, cozy pub in the pedestrian only area of Galway and had live music every time we visited.

There have also been some taxi services mentioned recently on this forum. That may be worth considering. Less stress although more expensive (probably).

If you want great pubs with great music, definitely Galway. Here are my favorites there, visited on 6 prior
trips with another coming up in September: Tig Coili, Taafes, (these two are quite near one another), The
Crane, An Pucan. These all have trad late afternoon/early evening, around 5-5:30, and often ballads around
10-10:30. The Quays is great for some top name Irish bands and they also have a house band, but trad is
not top priority there. Enjoy your trip to Ireland!

Let me talk Cork, since I just got back from there. We were only there for one full day and one night, but since our interests were primarily pubs with sessions, that's what I'll talk about.

First, as someone above said, trains can be reserved in advance (unlike in Northern Ireland) and show your name (unless you'd just prefer a reservation number) above your seat. There's plenty of space at the end of each car for bigger luggage; and smaller suitcases can easily go in the rack above the seat. There are plugs (at least in 1st class) to plug in your devices. You'll need a British plug with a portal (i.e. USB or "C" or other cord) that fits your device to charge it. Some have USB ports as well, but I didn't see that on the train between Dublin (which sets out at Heuston Station) and Cork (Kent Station).

Second, pubs. Sin E had, IMO the best trad music sessions, one starting around 5:30 (even though they say 6:30), and at later one around 9 p.m. It's a tiny bar, and popular, so get there early for a seat. Music is played on the other side of the bar, which is the middle of the pub. We sat in front at the bar, so we could hear the music, but not see the actual playing. Sin E is about a block north of the river at 8 Coburg Street, and an easy walk across the bridge from St. Patrick Street. We later went to An Spailpin Fanach, which is a long pub, and the musicians are in a room/area in the far back of the pub. So, you may not hear the music coming into the pub, just head to the back of it. An Spailpin Fanach is located at 29 Main St (nearly at the corner of Tuckey, which is at the west end of Oliver Plunkett St . . . changes names at Grand Parade). There are other places for sessions, right on Oliver Plunkett, but it depends on the day (meaning not every day).