Irish Members

Murfocakes said:
While touristy if you catch the Giant’s Causeway on a midweek day it is pretty empty and a stunning walk. On a half decent day it is breathtaking. While there the carrick a reel rope bridge is also nearby. Would advise these if you travel North.
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Giant's Causeway is definitely on my wife's list. Will check out the rope bridge, thx!
 
Murfocakes said:
The Bushmills distillery is up that direction too. You could have a nice day or two there
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Yeah I really enjoyed the Bushmills distillery tour when I was up that way. Funny story, I did once have drunk priest accost me at a bar when I ordered Bushmills with the line:

“Don’t be buying that, it’s a Protestant whiskey, he’ll have the Red Breast”
 
imtheocean said:
Hi friends - just booked a trip from July 5-15th to Dublin, but looking to do a self-guided driving tour around the island as much as possible. Just starting to figure out an itinerary and would appreciate any recommendations.

Already excited about a day trip to Arran islands and Cliffs of Mohler based on the recommendation above. Coming with my wife and 17 year old, would like to avoid the touristy things (although I think a Guiness and/or Whiskey tour would be necessary) and focus more on natural parks and well run historical sites. Recommendations for local music / nightlife in the big cities (Dublin, Belfast, Galway are on the shortlist) and advice for finding places to stay, bnbs would be appreciated as well.
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Galway is a fantastic city and even better county. Make sure to plan a couple of nights there, to get out and about at night and soak in the atmosphere. If you like seafood Oscar’s seafood bar is one of my favourites.

If you have time out that way a couple of days in Connemara is a must. Roundstone and Lenaun are well worth seeing and if going back to Galway you can detour via Cong in south mayo, it’s a beautiful village and Ashford castle is worth a walk around.

Accommodation in Ireland is, and there is no getting away from it, really expensive, there’s a shortage of hotels in the bigger cities and a huge amount of tourists visiting.
 
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My plans are starting to come together. We have a friend who lives in Killarney who we are going to stay with for a few days at the tail end of our trip, and gonna start with heading north and around. More to come as we settle things in the next week.

Question - Looking at the Liam Gallagher gig in Limerick the night before we leave. Google says its about a 2 1/2 hour drive back to Dublin from there, does that seem reasonable for a Monday? Our flight isn't till 1pm so I'm assuming we will be fine.

Any tips on Thomond Park? Good seats? Seats to avoid? Where to park or how to get to the gig?
 
imtheocean said:
My plans are starting to come together. We have a friend who lives in Killarney who we are going to stay with for a few days at the tail end of our trip, and gonna start with heading north and around. More to come as we settle things in the next week.

Question - Looking at the Liam Gallagher gig in Limerick the night before we leave. Google says its about a 2 1/2 hour drive back to Dublin from there, does that seem reasonable for a Monday? Our flight isn't till 1pm so I'm assuming we will be fine.

Any tips on Thomond Park? Good seats? Seats to avoid? Where to park or how to get to the gig?
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Two to two and half hours seems about right from Limerick so long as you’re not hitting Dublin and the M50 ring road after 3.30pm which it sounds like you’re aren’t.
 
Alright - rough plans include landing in Dublin at 7am on the 6th, and pretty much heading right into the city for Trinity College, Guinness Tour, and Jameson tour before picking up a car for the next day. Going to go North, then West, then South, then back to Dublin to fly out on the 15th.

Won't go through the full itinerary but thanks so much to everyone for the advice. Will post pics/comments when we get back.

We are hoping to do at least the following (apologies for any misspellings!).

  • Black Cab Tour in Belfast
  • Giants Causeway / Carrick a Reel Rope Bridge
  • Caves of Cash
  • Connemarra
  • Aaran Islands tour (probably the small island, Innisheer)
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Killarney National Park
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Rock of Cashel
  • Liam Gallagher in Limerick.
And pubs. Lots and lots of pubs with music playing is the hope.

Besides Dublin, accommodations haven't been so expensive so far via Airbnb. Most cities are one night, with the exception of Kerry where we have 3 nights w/ a friend.
 
imtheocean said:
Alright - rough plans include landing in Dublin at 7am on the 6th, and pretty much heading right into the city for Trinity College, Guinness Tour, and Jameson tour before picking up a car for the next day. Going to go North, then West, then South, then back to Dublin to fly out on the 15th.

Won't go through the full itinerary but thanks so much to everyone for the advice. Will post pics/comments when we get back.

We are hoping to do at least the following (apologies for any misspellings!).

  • Black Cab Tour in Belfast
  • Giants Causeway / Carrick a Reel Rope Bridge
  • Caves of Cash
  • Connemarra
  • Aaran Islands tour (probably the small island, Innisheer)
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Killarney National Park
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Rock of Cashel
  • Liam Gallagher in Limerick.
And pubs. Lots and lots of pubs with music playing is the hope.

Besides Dublin, accommodations haven't been so expensive so far via Airbnb. Most cities are one night, with the exception of Kerry where we have 3 nights w/ a friend.
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Where about in Dublin are you staying? You should go to the Cobblestone for a trad night if you are in and around the north city centre.

On the other side of the city centre O’Donoghues is the most likely to see a session but it does tend to be more impromptu in thre. Still it’s a great pub regardless, one of my favourites for a few pints!
 
Joe Mac said:
Where about in Dublin are you staying? You should go to the Cobblestone for a trad night if you are in and around the north city centre.

On the other side of the city centre O’Donoghues is the most likely to see a session but it does tend to be more impromptu in thre. Still it’s a great pub regardless, one of my favourites for a few pints!
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Staying out by the airport and taking a cab in/out. Figured it would be easier for dropping off bags after the flight and getting our car the next day. Will keep an eye out for those two though! Thank you !
 
Wanted to provide a summary of the trip, thanks to everyone for your assistance and letting me invade your thread for a bit.

Drove 1300 Miles / 2100 KM getting all around the island, except for the southeast.

Highlights of the trip were:

  • Newgrange (unexpected surprise, stopped on our way from Dublin to Belfast)
  • Black Taxi tour in Belfast, the guide was great
  • Bushmills tour - the town and the tour were gorgeous
  • Giants Causeway - I mean, Houses of the Holy!
  • Caves of Kaesh
  • Aran Islands / Cliffs of Moher from the sea
  • Driving around the Dingle Peninusla and Ring of Kerry
  • Watching the Euro Cup game on our first day at the Norseman, with Beatles covers in the background.
  • More euro cup games at Seven in Galway
  • Lots of fantastic Pubs & Music - Galway & Kenmare especially
  • Liam Gallagher / Mary Wallopers at Thomond Park
  • The people - everyone we interacted with were very welcoming. Can't wait to go back.
@Joe Mac didn't make it to the Cobblestone for trad night, but we did start our first day straight off the plane with a fry up at Brendan's Cafe, which was a few blocks from the Cobblestone / Jamesons. Recommended by our cabbie, excellent way to start the day.

A few of my favorite pics.

Bushmill Town

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Giants Causeway

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Seven in Galway. Gotta have a Guinness picture, right?

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Taffees in Galway with the family

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Cliffs of Moher

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Torc Waterfall / Ring of Kerry

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Thomond Park / Liam Gallagher

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THEEDADROCK.BLOG said:
In the planning process for a trip to the Emerald this summer for the Oasis show at Croke Park.

What's a couple can't-miss things to do in D.C.? Record shops, pubs, etc
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Record stores. So spindizzy is my local I buy everything from, great store, great people. Freebird Records in the secret book and record store is worth a visit. Tower is great too a big store but still an indie.

Pubs. Love the stags head. But Dublin is literally choc full of great pubs. Avoid temple bar and anything too fancy or modern looking and you just can’t go that far wrong. The cobblestone is well worth a visit for trad music sessions as is O’Donoghues. The Guinness storehouse is worth a visit too, as is the Jameson’s distillery.
 
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Jameson Distillery is a must. Really enjoyed the tour there and the guides were great. Guinness was a fun self-guided tour, and the view from the bar is expansive. We skipped Temple Bar itself, but did walk in the area for pictures and had a good meal / pint at the Norseman down the street. @THEEDADROCK.BLOG hit me up if you need any advice from a travelers perspective since we were just there last summer.
 
THEEDADROCK.BLOG said:
@Joe Mac and @imtheocean - you dudes rock. appreciate the recs. I'll have a 4 year old in tow, so some drinking activities will need to be postposed for a future visit, but rest assured many many pints of Guinness will be consumed at every opportunity :cool:
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The phoenix park is a great place to go with family. It’s the second biggest urban park in the world after Central Park and there are plenty of walks and play parks in it. My niece and nephew always love the zoo in there when they are over too.
 
@THEEDADROCK.BLOG we had a 17 year old in tow, not quite the same thing - but there were kids on the Jameson tour, and there are plenty of cool visualizations / installations in the Guinness Storehouse that I would imagine keep a 4 year old somehwat occupied. We also did the Trinity College / Book of Kells tour, but that would be pretty boring for a 4 year old.

If you happen to leave Dublin, Newgrange is about an hour to the north, and a fantastic archeological site with a great feel of the countryside.
 
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