# Ireland



## Gig103 (Sep 10, 2007)

Hey all,

I am heading to Ireland in July! This isn't ED related, but I'm posting because people here are well-traveled. I was wondering if anyone had any lodging recommendations?

We're flying into Shannon, driving the Ring of Kerry, then Cork, and then up to Dublin. We're also taking a trip up to Donegal in the north since that is where my grandmother was born. 

Lodging and dining recommendations in Cork or Dublin would be much appreciated, as well as anything that might be "do not miss"! I was in Ireland in 2002 and saw Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, and Waterford Crystal (which is now in receivership! )

Also, we will be renting a car, if someone has tips about the whole 'driving on the wrong side' thing, they would be helpful. I do drive an MT, and I'm lefthanded, so I'm not worried about the rental being a stickshift.


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

I can only comment on Dublin, where I testified in the High Court a few years ago. Easily the best meal was at Thornton's (128 St Stephen's Green). I thought Lord Edward, the famous old seafood restaurant, was over-rated.

If you get a chance, visit the courts building ("The Four Courts" at Inns Quay) and Trinity College, especially the library . The client put me up at the Burlington Hotel (then one of the Jury's chain and about 5 min S or SE of the city center). I'd rate it as "just OK". The better, and most expensive places are around St. Stephen's Green. Or you can stay at The Clarence (6 - 8 Wellington Quay), and give U2 the business. There was a busy pub scene in the Temple Bar district.

Traffic in and around Dublin is horrible. The route from the airport to center city was particularly bad. :thumbdwn:


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

You might enjoy staying at Tinakilly House, in Rathnew. It's between Cork and Dublin, right on the coast. Be sure to eat in their restaurant if you stay overnight. If you are staying in Co Cork and are interested in good food stop in Kinsale.

Dick


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## 335i Driver (Nov 29, 2006)

I was in Ireland in September, drove all over the country on the wrong side of the road in a manual shift Kia. Didn't take that long to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road.

Just be carerful on the east coast. The roads are very narrow and some of the country roads are only wide enough for 1 car. You could come around a blind corner and run smack into a tractor, and there's plenty of blind corners. Some of the roads are simply thrilling, but also dangerous. Also, be aware of the tour buses on the coast and in Kilarney National Park. They will smash you into the rocks.

Yes. Dublin has it's traffic, but I didn't think it was quite as bad as some major cities in the US. Also, I stayed at the Renaissance on St. Stevens Green. It's really in the perfect location for seeing sights in Dublin. It's a very nice place, but I think pretty pricey. It's in a beautiful old building that's been re-modeled recently.


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## JRZFresh (Dec 30, 2008)

335i Driver said:


> Just be carerful on the east coast. The roads are very narrow and some of the country roads are only wide enough for 1 car. You could come around a blind corner and run smack into a tractor, and there's plenty of blind corners. Some of the roads are simply thrilling, but also dangerous. Also, be aware of the tour buses on the coast and in Kilarney National Park. They will smash you into the rocks.


x2. Except, be careful everywhere, not just the east coast. Narrow roads are everywhere in Ireland, as are blind corners. We rented a diesel Kia Sportage and I was happy to have the AWD when we were forced to drop 2 of our wheels off the pavement to avoid oncoming traffic time after time.

Regarding hotels, just make sure you aren't the room directly above a pub/restaurant and get a room that does not face any main roads (especially in the city).


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## cruise_bone (Jun 6, 2007)

Cork - check out the Midletons factory and in Dublin the Guiness tour. If you play golf, you absolutley must play Portmarnock in Dublin. If you are a golf freak, you should look into playing Royal Dornoch. 
Other than that, Dublin is a nice town to chill in, have some great beer (smithwicks and guiness), see some museums, castles, etc., and just take in Irish life.


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## Eurobmw06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Gig103 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I am heading to Ireland in July! This isn't ED related, but I'm posting because people here are well-traveled. I was wondering if anyone had any lodging recommendations?
> 
> ...


I would recommend hitting the Ring of Kerry. From Tralee take the connor pass to Dingle. If the weather is nice you can hike one of the tallest mountains in ireland. The dingle penn. does not have the big tour buses like the ring of kerry. The town of dingle is full of unique pubs. The drive around the penn. is also very unique and beautiful, visiting the great blasket islands, beehive huts, etc.

While visiting the ring of kerry I would take a drive on to Valencia island, I took the n70 and then took the ferry across to valencia island and then drove across it, and also stayed on the island just across the bridge from portmagee. One of the most unique experiences of my life was a boat ride and tour of the Skellig Michael. I highly recommend this!! You can arrange for your trip at portmagee.

As far as places to stay, I recommend picking up the B & B book at the airport for $5. Really can't go wrong with most places.

hope this helps.


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## Gig103 (Sep 10, 2007)

Woah, some awesome recommendations so far! Thanks everyone 

We won't have the car in Dublin, so at least I won't have to worry about parking or traffic (aside from the traffic on the way to the drop-off). Then again, after driving in Paris last year, I can't imagine it being so bad. I can handle conjestion, I just hated those scooters with all my heart!


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## Ucla95 (Jul 23, 2004)

Adare Manor


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## drfred (Oct 10, 2004)

*Road to Dingle with a bus usually coming at you around the bend*


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## Gig103 (Sep 10, 2007)

Wow, that's quite the road *drfred* 
Thanks for sharing the picture!


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## Billd104 (Aug 30, 2006)

Get to Killarney and see Ross Castle










Stay at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa. This was the view from our balcony!!










and of course,


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## hhibmw (Nov 8, 2007)

You're a lucky guy. We were there last fall and had a wonderful time and are planning to go back again this fall. No place quite like it. Beautiful country, nice people, surprisingly good food. If you can fit it in, Blarney Castle and the Blarney stone are very worthwhile. We also loved the Cliffs of Mohrer and all the wind. This is a can't miss place and you're bound to have a great time. Enjoy.............


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

Two useful links with Dublin info:


Tourist info site: http://www.visitdublin.com/
ViaMichelin latest on Dublin.


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## Gig103 (Sep 10, 2007)

Thanks for the additional information! I need to start booking hotels (probably should have done so already)!


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

Let me know when you are in the Dublin area. Might meet for a pint.

In Dublin you have to try Burdock's fish and chips. Probably the best in the world. Only from their shop near Christ Church though...

Depending on your interests, there is a good bit to see, but a day or two will suffice.

Driving on the left is simple. Just remember that the steering wheel goes toward the middle of the road and you'll be fine. 

Be especially wary when starting off after making a U-turn or parking on the wrong side of the road. It is easy to get confused and motor off on the wrong side of the road then.

The speed limits have been reduced, but you will still find that they are quite fast for many of the roads. You aren't supposed to do 60mph on the one lane give and take roads anymore. The new limit is 80km/h. Of course you would have to be Colin McRae to keep up that pace!

The sightlines can be quite short due to the ditches and hedges. Some roads are like a bobbahn.

If you have somebody on your tail on a narow road, do pull over and let them by. Then try to stay with the. Lots of fun!

Ed


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

Take in the Wicklow Hills. Some amazing scenery and just outside of Dublin. You can follow some famous rally stages through Sally Gap, and ulike most places, you can see for miles and really have fun driving. If you are there on a weekday there will be very little traffic and you can really enjoy it. No speed traps either!

Start at Glendalough and end up at Johnny Fox's.


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## Gig103 (Sep 10, 2007)

Hey gang,
I thought I'd post an update that my trip went great. I was surprised how quickly I adjusted to the left-side driving and the clockwise roundabouts.
Here's a few fun photos of one of the really narrow roads I drove when I went off the beaten path of the Ring of Kerry

More photos from my trip


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## cinoh (May 15, 2007)

Took me a while to get used to the shift "pattern" in the MT rental:
- Accelerate in first gear.
- Depress the clutch.
- Whack my right hand into the door reaching for the shifter.
- Shift into 2nd with left hand
- Accelerate in 2nd gear
- Depress clutch and whack right hand into the door.
- Shift into 3rd with left hand.........
- Repeat until leaving Ireland.


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## dalekressin (Sep 3, 2008)

When in Dublin, Check out the Trinity College as well as Guinness tour.


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## boi222 (May 31, 2007)

Gig103 said:


> Hey gang,
> I thought I'd post an update that my trip went great. I was surprised how quickly I adjusted to the left-side driving and the clockwise roundabouts.
> Here's a few fun photos of one of the really narrow roads I drove when I went off the beaten path of the Ring of Kerry
> 
> More photos from my trip


Hi - i'm visting Dublin, Ireland next week... any recommendations on things to do from your trip or anyone else care to give some additional advice?

also, i just recently learned how to drive manual, should a newbie manual driver be concerned driving there? are there lots of hills?


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## Gluhwein (Aug 21, 2011)

If you drive the Ring of Kerry, go counter clockwise and you'll avoid oncoming bus traffic. 

Temple Bar district in Dublin is where it's happening at night, but very touristy even for Ireland.

Skip the Guinness "tour" and visit a whisky distillery instead. Guinness is a tourist rip-off while the distilleries let you get up close and sample.

I found that Killarney had more interesting and entertaining Irish folk music than Dublin.

If you see something you like at any of the many gift shops, don't count on finding it cheaper elsewhere. It seems like the Blarney Woolen Mills and Quills are in every town and they set the price on souvenirs and other things Irish. The good news is that if you forget to buy it in Dublin, you'll find the exact same sweater, hat or doilie in Kilkenny, Cork or Limerick.


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## Tanning machine (Feb 21, 2002)

How far from Dublin are you willing to go?

I was fine driving on the "wrong" side of the road in Ireland, because most of the time there is no side of the road. It's one lane, and a narrow one at that. It really doesn't matter which side you ditch to. The biggest challenge I've had in wrong-side driving is remembering which way to look and which way to go around the roundabouts.

As for stick, I have been driving stick for 20+ years, so found that not an issue. As a newbie it could be more challenging. You tend to do a lot more shifting than one might in the US because the engines on cars are small and the roads require a lot of changes in speed (it's not all motorways), so one shifts down approaching a small hill, and then up, and then down to avoid a sheep, and then reverse because the road doesn't have room for you and the motorscooter coming the other way. 

An added challenge is the signage--it's in English (and Gaelic), but was apparently put up so as to confuse any English-speaking invaders and send them in the wrong direction. It's a far better defense than the right-hand drive thing. Anyway, if you're driving in Dublin, try to get out quickly. And if you don't want to get out quickly, stick with taxis.


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## boi222 (May 31, 2007)

Gluhwein said:


> Temple Bar district in Dublin is where it's happening at night, but very touristy even for Ireland.
> 
> Skip the Guinness "tour" and visit a whisky distillery instead. Guinness is a tourist rip-off while the distilleries let you get up close and sample.


Thanks for the tips. For temple bar, i'm reading not to stay out too late there as it can get dangerous?

Also, do you have recommendations on specific whisky distillery tours?



Tanning machine said:


> How far from Dublin are you willing to go?


Lol..thanks. I am willing to go anywhere 2-3 hours from Dublin. I only had two lessons with the manual and i think i came out ok, i stalled only a few times. I have a DCT on my M3, so shifting times i am very comfortable with as i stay in manual mode 100% of the time... i know its not completely the same cause you have the added clutch ... that fact given, do you think i'm crazy for renting a manual?


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

I have a home in Co Cork near Kinsale. Stop in Rathnew for lunch and choose almost any restaurant for a great dinner around the Kinsale Harbor :thumbup:

Have a Murphy's in Cork and go the the Jameson distillery in Dublin


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## boi222 (May 31, 2007)

dkreidel said:


> I have a home in Co Cork near Kinsale. Stop in Rathnew for lunch and choose almost any restaurant for a great dinner around the Kinsale Harbor :thumbup:
> 
> Have a Murphy's in Cork and go the the Jameson distillery in Dublin


Great thanks!!!


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