Need help in planning a trip to Ireland

[A Cyrenian]

My family is considering a trip to Ireland in 2004. I'm looking for advice on who to book the trip with and any experiences anyone had on their trips.

[mamelukesabre]

Do *NOT* kiss the blarney stone.

[Rodney King]

Do it yourself at travelocity.com

[StriperSniper]

PING!

[krb]

I've heard that the employees there pee on it at night and laugh at the tourists all day...is that true?

[Lazy8]

I went there 7 years ago, I loved it! We spent time in Dublin and Cork but my favorite place was Dingle, yes Dingle. I wish I would have spent more time on the southwestern coast were Dingle is located. What ever you do try to spent most of your time on the western coast and bring rain gear! Yes the Blarney stone is a latrene!

[Deguello]

Pack and ship your own icechest of frozen meats. Offer the Tavern owner a steak for himself if he will cook it for you.

Yes, this can and is done. Check with Federal Express and UPS for shipping and exporting. They can take care of it.

[pasquale]

Have a great trip. Check out Newgrange near Drogheda in Co. Louth. It's a prehistoric religious site that outdates Stonehedge by a thousand years. Also, if you are planning a trip to the Aran Islands, go from Doolin in Claire near the Cliffs of Moher. Spend a night in Doolin listening to some great authentic Irish music. And don't neglect the North. Some of the prettiest sites are along the Antrim coast and in the glens up there.

But most of all, spend some time in the pubs and strike up a conversation with the locals.

[Savage Beast]

“Do *NOT* kiss the blarney stone.”

I kissed it, and I'm glad.

But do not miss Blarney Castle--what a history lesson--the brutality of life in the middle ages in stark reality. Go into the dungeon. The grounds surrounding it are beautiful.

Caire Castle is another history lesson. So is Kilkenny Castle, in a different way.

Like any place you've never been before, Ireland is full of surprises. The biggest surprises to me were: I couldn't find any shamrocks. Ireland is more like the U.S. than England is. Ireland was very cold, even in the summer.

You have to drive on the left side; that's hard. The Irish people tend to be very friendly and very likeable. Irish...uh...cuisine is not exactly French cuisine.

A wonderful mysticism suffuses Ireland.

[mamelukesabre]

I heard(from an irish immigrant) that the local drunks frequently walk to blarney stone after a long evening of heavy drinking and releive themselves on it. Apparently, it is a tradition of sorts.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Bump for reference, hubby wants to go there, too. Good suggestion about packing the frozen meat. We do that when we go to the Caribbean, freeze alot of food and check it as luggage. Not too sure where the beef and chicken comes from down there.

[Malesherbes]

Use Bed and Breakfast accomodations in private homes. The accomodations are first rate, the breakfasts are "full Irish," and you will get to know the warm, charming, and honest owners.

[diefree]

http://www.frommers.com/newsletters/europe/09-24-01/article1.html

go to above for some deals, it's dated 9/24/2001 though, also try www.sceptretours.com, my daughter just used their services a month ago.

[Bagehot]

But stay a while in Dublin. There's an area in Central Dublin called Temple Bar, and it's got some GREAT pubs.

Overall, you'll certainly enjoy Ireland, the Irish are very fond of Americans (unlike the French, and other Euro-ingrates).

[diefree]

Like "Jamaican Beef Patties", I don't think there are cows in Jamaica.

[Consort]

Fly in an easterly direction and practice getting into brawls.

[diefree]

My daughter just came back from Limerick and she says that the Irish in that town have a decidely anti-American attitude as far as our war against the terrorists is concerned. She used to love Ireland and now she doesn't want to go back anymore.

[Happygal]

OK...what do ye want to know? :-) Seeing as I'm living over here I'm not sure who you should book with, but best airlines in my opinion are probably Aer Lingus or Delta.

Where in Ireland do you want to go? If you are planning an east coast visit, fly into Dublin. But if you want to see the west fly directly to Shannon. (It's in Clare, the home of some of the best Irish traditional music, and some lovely sights on that coast). Of course, the country isn't that big, so if you hire a car you'll get around handily enough.

Accommodation wise, hotels can prove to be pricey (depending on the season), but B&B's are available in every hamlet in the country so they might be a more cost-effective option.

My advice is though...get out there and see the place. Try to avoid 'touristy' (rip off) spots. Go to old shebeen pubs off the beaten track and meet real characters.

Avoid Dublin (unless, you want to pay exhorbitant prices for everything). Cork is a nice city, as is Galway. Depending on the time of year you are coming there are also festivals in various parts of the country at different times.

Try get over to the east coast too. Wexford (where I live) has some beautiful beaches (when the weather allows you to visit). Kildare (in the Midlands) has terrific horse racing. There are also some of the finest links golf courses in Europe dotted around the coast.

~phew~ Have I done my bit for Bórd Fáilte (Irish tourist board).

If I can be of any further assistance, ping me or Freepmail me. I'd be happy to help. *S*

You can buy me a pint when you get here :-)

[Happygal]

"The Irish people tend to be very friendly and very likeable"

*blush*

[Happygal]

Pack and ship your own icechest of frozen meats.

I'd check this one out before I do it. Ireland has some strict meat importation regulations at the moment following recent Foot and Mouth scares.