Heading to Ireland in a month...any sightseeing suggestions?
My gf moved to Ireland back in May for a year (to Thomastown, County Kilkenny), and this is our conjugal visit lol. When we're not entwined and makin' sweet love we'll be out exploring the country. I've watched a shitload of travel vids and have a list of what looks interesting to me, and my gf of course has a list, too. I know there are a few Irish members here, so I'm looking for suggestions from you guys, and from anyone else here who's traveled there. We'll have a car the whole time so no worries about getting anywhere, and I'll be there for 2 weeks so there should be plenty of time to see/do a lot. Spent 3 weeks in Great Britain/Scotland/Wales a couple years ago, so I don't need or want to head that direction for anything.
Here's my list thus far of what I'm interested in doing/seeing. My gf laughed and said "you going to stay a year?" when I sent it to her. I know I won't be able to hit all of it, so tell me if some of these places aren't all they seem to be. Mostly interested in historical and natural sites, not so much staying in larger cities for too long. Glendalough Monastic Site/Wicklow mountains Co Kerry/Dingle Peninsula/Beehive huts/Conor Pass/Gallarus Oratory Glenveagh Gardens/Nat'l Park/Lough Veagh Marble Arch Caves Nat'l Geopark Skellig Michael Aran Islands Killarney Nat'l Park, sp. the woodlands Burren Newgrange Drink mass quantities of Beamish straight from the teat Garnish Island tropical garden Kinsale Cork/St Marys Church of Ireland/River Lee Tipperary/Rock of Cashel Kenmare Cobh Dublin |
I was 7 the last time I visited, but I remember there where some cool castles and old ruins to look at. Also, be sure to bring a camera.
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Been there twice and did pretty much all that stuff. Things you might want to add are checking out the Guinness factory and Waterford Castle. When at Waterford, load up on trinkets for your family, and glasses for yourself if desired. I overall found the country very pleasant, just not the food so much except for the potatoes.
Flights to London are pretty inexpensive from Dublin. Might be a good time to check out the UK if desired. Wherever you go, be sure to drive! It's a trip to be on the wrong side of the road. |
Will definitely be taking pics. In the 3 weeks I was in the UK I shot about 1800 lol.
My gf lives about 45 minutes from Waterford, so I'm sure I'll hit that place. And I'll skip the Guiness brewery for Beamish...I really miss being able to get that here at home. Checked out the UK a couple years ago so no need to go there again. And I drove all over that island when I was there, for sure a unique experience. Only drove into oncoming traffic once :D Now it's my gf's turn to drive me around. |
Dublin.
Notes:
Transportation:
Things to do during the day:
Nightlife: I'm not really sure how to go about this one. I'm sure it hasn't changed too much, but I'll try to give you the best recommendations I can. It will be very expensive everywhere you go. Don't be surprised when you have to pay 6 Euro for a pint of beer. Also, there's no tipping. Seriously, the barman will look at you funny if you tell him to keep the change. I'd really recommend that you guys just around Temple Bar and look for places playing good music. Most places will be three-story units with a pub setting on the bottom floor and club-like stuff upstairs.
Dining: Expect to pay ~10 Euro or more for a sit-down meal in a good restaurant. Irish food is generally terrible as a rule, but I'll try my best to recommend some places to eat. Don't be surprised to find a Subway that has corn as a topping option and doesn't take credit cards. Also, if you don't specifically say not to, people will put butter on a sandwich. It's kind of weird. There a thousand places, but I'll try to just give you the highlights. Don't be afraid to try somewhere new.
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1 Attachment(s)
Originally Posted by matthewdesigns
(Post 768330)
Dingle Peninsula
Attachment 187054 I've difficulty describing it, sometimes you just have to see. |
Thanks for the extensive Dublin list...that'll go a long way to keeping me busy there. And the general air of that photo above is one of the reasons my gf moved over. This month is going to drag by while waiting for that landscape to appear in person!
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I spent a long weekend on the Dingle Peninsula just before heading over here to Afghan-land. Definitely add Brandon Point to your list of things to see while you're in that area. The whole peninsula is pretty incredible, from the people to the scenery and everything in between. I can't wait to get back and take my 30 days and travel the rest of the country. Enjoy.
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Originally Posted by matthewdesigns
(Post 768650)
Thanks for the extensive Dublin list...that'll go a long way to keeping me busy there. And the general air of that photo above is one of the reasons my gf moved over. This month is going to drag by while waiting for that landscape to appear in person!
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Yeah, she's ready to come back but is obliged to stay til next May.
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Can you make it over to the UK? London had a bunch to see. You could take a couple of days. Lots of cheap flights from where you are.
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Did London/UK/Scotland/Wales 2 yrs ago. Thanks though!
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Have you thought about going to see London? There's quite a bit to do there.
...jk |
It's been over a decade since my visit, and even then it was a bit of a blur (thanks to lack of sleep, lack of food, and abundance of drink), but the two bits of Ireland that made the biggest impressions on me were Killarney Natl Park and the Cliffs of Moher. Killarney Natl Park was kind of like the platonic ideal of a fairytale landscape. It was absolutely stunning.
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I did the Glenveagh Gardens/Park/Castle/Lough about 5 years ago. It was very nice - we passed on the buses and walked(quite a lot).
Only drawback is that it's in Donegal, which is a surprising trek from the rest of the places you mention. It's a small country, but it seems to take forever to cover 100 miles - I think they measure distances as the crow flies, not as the roads twist. If you're going to spend some time up north there, I know a few places to go. The people in general are very cool, and the Guiness is far better than here. |
Is this a regular Irish weekend?
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Originally Posted by xturner
I did the Glenveagh Gardens/Park/Castle/Lough about 5 years ago. It was very nice - we passed on the buses and walked(quite a lot).
Only drawback is that it's in Donegal, which is a surprising trek from the rest of the places you mention. It's a small country, but it seems to take forever to cover 100 miles - I think they measure distances as the crow flies, not as the roads twist. If you're going to spend some time up north there, I know a few places to go. The people in general are very cool, and the Guiness is far better than here. "Fuck your Mitsubishi, I've a horse outside"...love that video lol. |
WTF is up with the Emerald Isle? |
Originally Posted by matthewdesigns
(Post 770227)
Funny, I was talking to my gf today, checking out a map of Ireland and where my to-see list falls in the country it seems like 90% of what I want to do is in the southern half, so I might pass on Donegal/Glenveagh/etc. And to back up what you are saying about getting around, while checking everything out on Google maps I said "that country is tiny, we can get anywhere in 3 hours". She laughed and said the roads are nowhere near the condition to get anywhere that quickly.
As far as travel goes, it's a huge pain in the ass but don't forget to visit Donegal. Trust me, give up Dingle for Donegal if anything. |
Originally Posted by RussellT94
(Post 770236)
WTF is up with the Emerald Isle?
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