Ireland Trip Report - Sep 2004

I've included my trip report from our trip to Ireland in Sep 2004. We
traveled by ourselves using a rental car and staying in bed and
breakfasts. Hope this helps in your trip planning.

************************
Trip to Ireland
5-16 Sep 2004

Objective: Given eleven full days, tour Ireland by ourselves, at our
leisure and pace, seeing what we want to see, avoiding tourist crowds
and tour buses.

Plan: Fly to one side of Ireland; travel by rental car to the other
side of the island, staying at bed and breakfasts (B&B) as we go; fly
back. Use credit cards as much as possible to avoid carrying large
amounts of cash/travelers checks.

Background: We had wanted to tour Ireland, My wife's ancestral
homeland, on our own and save money too. I researched the Internet and
found only one trip report from someone who recently did exactly what
we wanted to do. Their valuable trip report made our planning easier.
I did all my airline fare research and rental car research on the
Internet through Orbitz.com.

Airlines: For us I found that flying into Shannon Int'l Airport on
Ireland's west side and flying out of Dublin on Ireland's east side
saved us money. We flew American Airlines and on the transatlantic
legs their partner Aer Lingus, (Irish Nat'l Airlines).

Passport and Immunization Records: A valid passport needed, but no
shot records. We always carried our passports and airline tickets in a
security pouch around our necks and under the shirt/sweater.

Rental Car: Of seven European and American rental car companies I
checked, Hertz and Avis were the least expensive at $275 for an
eleven-day trip. Call either rental car company on their 1-800 number
and ask for their International Desk to make a reservation in Ireland.
You will save about $250 to $300 dollars if you reserve a compact car
with a manual transmission versus an automatic transmission. Our Ford
"Fusion" compact car had ample room for our luggage and us. I
prepaid for the car over the phone with a credit card and Avis mailed
me a coupon to show at their desk in Shannon Int'l Airport. No
problems with the car or with Avis at the airports.

Driving in Ireland: Narrow and many times very steep roads. Allow
twice the time you think you will need. I generally drove between
35-45 mph because of the very narrow, many times one-lane or steep
roads. I rarely got above 40 mph. You will be shifting, braking, and
accelerating constantly. Driving in Ireland will quickly fatigue the
driver. Gasoline costs $4.50 gallon U.S equivalent (1 Euro per liter)
for 95 octane self-serve. Gas stations take credit cards.

Medical Insurance: Our medical insurance would reimburse us for costs
after-the-fact. I didn't like this - see my note on Travel
Insurance.

Travel Insurance: For the first time ever, I bought trip insurance
through AAA Travel Agency. We had invested a lot just in the
nonrefundable plane tickets alone, plus I wanted medical insurance on
the spot in Ireland if something happened. The trip insurance was just
over $100. We could at least get back the cost of the airline tickets
if we couldn't make the trip. I thought it was a good investment.

Cash/ Traveler's Checks/Credit Cards: Ireland has ATM machines.
Every Irish Tourist Information office has a money exchange desk; they
will also exchange traveler's checks. These easy-to-locate
information offices are open on Sundays too. Credit cards are accepted
throughout Ireland, but ask in advance at the bed and breakfasts before
you make a reservation. Shannon and Dublin Airports have money
exchange offices too.

Pay Phones: Ireland has easy-to-use pay phones to call ahead for
lodging reservations, but the phones are not plentiful. Just keep your
eyes open for them; use them wherever you can find one. Have some 1
Euro coins with you.

Other Required Stuff:

1=2E Michelin International Road Map #712 of Ireland. If you don't
have this very accurate and up-to-date map, then don't even think
about driving in Ireland by yourself.

2=2E Umbrellas: yes folks, rain falls abundantly in Ireland. That's
why Ireland's green.

3=2E Your own soap in an enclosable dish plus a washcloth in a sealable
bag. Washcloths are an American invention; washcloths don't exist in
most of the world: including Ireland. You won't find bar soap either
in Ireland in the bed and breakfasts.

4=2E One roll of your favorite toilet paper for every ten days you are
out of the USA. Don't kid yourself; the world has some odd notions
about what constitutes toilet paper. You won't regret carrying your
own; I didn't.

5=2E Switchable 110/220 hair dryer with a European-style plug adapter you
can buy at travel stores or at Walmarts.

6=2E Last and most importantly, the Irish Homes Bed and Breakfast Guide
published in Ireland. Ireland has over 3000 bed and breakfast
establishments; not all are in this guide however. The Irish Homes
Guide is a national list of B&Bs, which meet high standards of quality
and affordability. The Irish B&Bs we stayed at were listed in the
Guide. The Guide is simply called, "The Book." You can order it
through their web site at www.familyhomes.ie. Ours came in about seven
days. If you can't find a B&B in the place you want to stay, go to a
Tourist Information Office. They can help you with other B&Bs
registered with the Irish Tourist Office. These B&Bs have an Irish
shamrock on their signs.

We stayed at eleven B&Bs throughout our stay in Ireland. No disasters,
but we had three disappointments. You don't have many options in
lodging in Ireland once you travel away from the major cities, you
really have to stay at B&B's as no other manner of lodging exists in
Ireland: no chain hotels or motels like America or mainland Europe.

Each day on our trip around noon, My wife and I would have a good idea
of where we were to stop that evening. I would look in "The Book"
for a B&B near the town we wanted to stop at. I would pick a suitable
B&B and telephone the B&B from a pay phone; get a reservation and ask
for directions. Since we were traveling in the off-season we didn't
have any problems with finding a B&B that wasn't completely booked
for the evening. In most of the B&Bs we were the only guests there for
the evening and for breakfast.

Ask for an "en suite" room, meaning toilet and bath are in your
room. If not, you might have to go across the hall to the bath and
toilet. If you don't mind this, then you can get a less expensive
room. Ask if they have hair dryers. Some do; some don't. Even
though a B&B may advertise they take credit cards, always ask: some
take cards, some don't. Except for Dublin, the B&Bs have directional
signs on the roads pointing the way. The B&Bs we stayed at cost
between 50-70 Euros, ($62 - $87) per night for two people with
breakfast.

I had made reservations prior to leaving America for the night we
arrived in Ireland and the night we were to depart Ireland, as I
didn't want the hassle of finding a place when we arrived or
departed. From America, I called the B&B's I selected from "The
Book."

Itinerary:

Day 1: Flew to Ireland; overnight flight on Aer Lingus to Shannon
Int'l Airport.

Day 2: Arrival; Cliffs of Mohr, Doolin, and Bunratty Castle.

Arrived early, 7 a.m., in Shannon Int'l Airport: a small,
easy-to-transit airport with effortless immigration and customs. No
problem with the getting rental car by showing the pre-paid coupon.
Ate a very bland breakfast with watery eggs at the Airport restaurant:
an omen of things to come.

I knew from experience that jet lag would nail us around 2 p.m. With
that I knew we could probably get to the majestic Cliffs of Mohr and
back to the Portdrine House B&B in Bunratty, where we had a reservation
for that night, before we had to lie down for rest. Never having
driven Irish roads, I had no reference on how long I would need to
drive specified distances. Also I hadn't driven on the left side of
the road or used my left hand to shift since my visit to Japan two
years earlier. I didn't find driving on the left side of the road
all that taxing. Just concentrate and take your time.

One hour drive time one-way from Shannon Airport to the majestic Cliffs
of Mohr. Beautiful drive through Ennis. Fog and mist covered the
Cliffs. I thought catching them in the afternoon might have been a
better plan for the afternoon sunlight and fog burning off, but time
didn't allow that. Be sure and look at the intriguing natural
designs on the large flat stones there.

Drove north to Doolin, a seacoast resort town. Not much there.
Extremely narrow one-lane roads. Many stonecutter shops as we were on
the edge of the Burren: the Irish badlands.

Back to Bunratty, just east of Shannon. Stopped at a gas station in
Ennis as I saw a "Deli" sign on the station and we needed lunch
too. Come to find out that Irish gas stations also have very fresh
packaged sandwiches, fruits, and drinks. This is how My wife and I ate
lunch throughout our journey; just stop at a gas station deli and get
lunch that way. Called the Portdrine House B&B from an easy-to-use
Irish pay phone at the gas station to let the hostess know we were
coming and I needed directions. No problems with finding it.

Very nice B&B, a bit old, but with a fine and charming hostess in
Christine Joyce, large and comfortable room with a full-size bathroom
including a shower and a huge European bath tub. It was on a quiet
lane where we strolled up and down in the evening. Fine full breakfast
including Irish blood sausage. I immediately realized I would just ask
for eggs and bacon (Canadian bacon), and leave it at that. (50 Euros
$62, credit cards accepted)

Didn't go to the Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle: too expensive
at $60 per person. Ate at Kathleen's Restaurant across from the
Castle: great atmosphere, but so-so food.

Day 3: Limerick, Nenagh, and Adare

We drove through Limerick City to Nenagh. Nenagh ("NEE-nuh"), east
of Limerick, holds no special tourist significance, but it is the home
of My wife's paternal great-grandfather and his family who came to
America in 1849 during the Great Famine. We did family research in the
quaint town; had lunch (soup and bread) at Quigley's restaurant in
town on a main street. My wife's ancestors were the Quigleys.

We finished and headed west to Ada a village I read was worth
stopping for the night. I actually got up to 70 mph driving on the
wide four-lane by-pass road south around Limerick. Good road west to
Adare. With thatched roof cottages, and a fine church on Main Street,
Adare is a quiet place to stop for the evening. Ate at Collins Pub for
dinner, found "pub food" bland and tasteless. This didn't change
throughout our trip. Began our nightly ritual of "B&G:" Baileys
Irish coffee for My wife and Guinness for me.

Stayed at Castleview B&B about thee miles west of Adare. The
"castle" was hidden in the trees far across the fields. The B&B
was clean, and modern, but with a very small room and toilet. I had to
sit at an angle on the toilet because of the small bathroom. Weak flow
shower too. Castleview B&B (60 Euros, $75) also was the only B&B on
our trip, which served pancakes. You can find other B&B's more close
to town.

Day 4: Shannon River, Listowel, Tralee, Dingle, and Rossbeigh

Departed Adare at 9 a.m. Drove north to the Shannon River on a side
road. Drove on a very narrow one-lane country road north where we had
to backup to allow a farm tractor with its trailer to pass. Turned
west along the River but couldn't see much due to fog. Turned south
through Listowel. Should have stopped in Listowel for an hour or so as
it appeared a colorful town with unique architecture, but again I
couldn't gauge the time needed to drive to Dingle: our destination
for the day.

Arrived in Tralee at 11 a.m.; stopped at a gas station for fuel and
sandwiches. Headed for Dingle. Avoided Connor Pass. Arrived in
Dingle at noon. A colorful seacoast town, Dingle had many parked tour
buses and tourists walking its delightful and charming streets. We
strolled through the town enjoying the sunny day.

Drove west to Sligh Head: a magnificent view on the bay. Should have
stayed in Dingle for the night, but decided to head over to Rossbeigh
("bay") to get a head start on the Ring of Kerry the next day.
Called ahead to the Rossbeigh Beach House B&B for a room that night.
Difficult narrow mountain road around Rossbeigh, but what a view!

Drove through Kilorglin along the beginnings of the Ring of Kerry and
turned off to Rossbeigh. Found the Rossbeigh Beach House B&B. What a
wonderful B&B! 60 Euros ($75) a night; cash only. The owners had just
built a brand-spanking new spacious and comfortable wing. It seemed
more a small hotel then a B&B. With a scenic view overlooking the wide
sandy beach of Rossbeigh, it was a delight. We were glad we made the
decision to go there for the night. One of the top two B&Bs we stayed
at in our trip to Ireland. Walked the quiet, sandy, beach that night;
decided to eat at the Ross Inn Pub and not the adjoining restaurant:
worst meal I had in Ireland. (Maybe should have eaten in the
restaurant). Washed it down with a Guinness. By-the-way, Ireland
recently passed a law prohibiting smoking in the pubs.

Day 5: Ring of Kerry; Skelig Ring, Portmagee, Waterfield,
Ballinskelig, Sneem

Got a head start on the scenic Ring of Kerry. Wanted to get way ahead
of any huge tourist buses. Magnificent scenery and green pastures
along the bay. Turned off on the road to Portmagee. No tourist buses
are allowed on the Ring of Skelig road. The roads are the narrowest
and steepest on the trip - very demanding to drive. Expansive peat
bogs east of Portmagee; stopped to examine the already cut and drying
peat. Reached Portmagee, a very small but colorful seacoast town,
where you can hire a boat to take you out to Skelig Island where the
ruins of the ancient monastery exist. I thought about taking a boat to
the monastery until I saw the small open-air twelve-passenger boats
used to go there. The tourist boats leave the Portmagee dock at 11
a=2Em. and leave the Portmagee Visitor's Center at 3 p.m. I thought
the boats were too small for safety to sail the twelve miles round-trip
to the island. Had a very good lunch of soup and bread at the Skelig
Island Visitor's Center on Valencia Island: a bridge connects the
island to the mainland.

Drove south along the coast on the Skelig Ring. Very steep and narrow
road to Waterfield, had to use a low gear up the high pass. Found an
overlook where we could faintly see Skelig Island on the horizon.
Drove through Waterfield and Ballinskelig. Stopped at Ballinskelig for
a rest. Took pictures of the ruins in the bay. Continued on to Sneem.
Obviously a tourist bus stop; we stopped also for some ice cream.
Beautiful stream through Sneem; good shopping too. I was weary from
the hard driving on the Skelig Ring so we called ahead to a Brookvilla
B&B just east of Sneem.

The Brookvilla B&B hostess was an elderly, quiet, and kindly woman we
dubbed "Mrs O'Doubtfire." A modern B&B but with a too-soft bed
and no hot water in the morning, and a so-so breakfast, Mrs
O'Doubtfire's countenance changed significantly when I wanted to
pay with a credit card as her advertisement said she would take a card.
She very reluctantly took my card and appeared quite set back that I
would want to use a card. I am quite sure you can find better B&Bs up
the road in Kenmare. 50 Euros ($62).

Day 6: Ring of Kerry, Molls Gap, Muckross House, Kilarney, Blarney

Finished the magnificently scenic and rugged Ring of Kerry through
Kenmare and the very high pass at Molls Gap down to Kilarney. Lots of
cars and buses stop at Molls Gap because of the rugged and scenic
mountain views. Be careful of the sheep.

Stopped at Muckross House, the large and elegant 19th century Victorian
estate with expansive lovely floral gardens and grounds, just south of
Kilarney. Toured the house and grounds, but I didn't think the house
tour was worth the time. Tried eating lunch at the visitor's center,
but many tour groups beat us to the cafeteria. We stood in line for so
long that I gave up and reached through people to get sandwiches and
drinks. Using a pay phone in the visitor's center, I called ahead to
Blarney to the Tigridia B&B for reservations that night.

Drove through Kilarney and headed to Blarney just northwest of Cork;
actually got up to 70 mph for a short distance southeast of Kilarney.
I had wanted to drive along the coast along Bantry Bay to Cork, but I
didn't think we had the time. Plus the high mountain one-lane roads
had just worn me out. Don't fool yourselves; those high, narrow
Irish mountain roads will just wear you out if you are driving. I
can't count the times we squeezed over to one side of the road while
another car passed us with inches - and I mean INCHES - to spare
between us. The shoulderless roads leave no place to maneuver for
safety. So we took the main road from Kilarney to Cork.

Took a side road over to Blarney and found the Tigridia B&B: a mile
north of Blarney Village and Blarney Castle. I quickly found that the
B&B driveway was on a dangerous blind corner. You also couldn't turn
around in their driveway. I was just too tired to find another place.
The bed was comfortable, but with a small toilet and weak shower, and
breakfast simply on a table in the passageway, I knew we could do
better the next night.

Ate that night at small restaurant in Blarney Village and had our
nightly B&G ritual.
Day 7: Blarney Village, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woolen Mills Shopping
Center, Cobh (pronounced "cove") Island

To avoid the crowds My wife knew from her previous trip to Ireland that
we had to get to Blarney Castle immediately when it opened at 9 a.m.
We did and we had the Castle and the Blarney Stone largely to ourselves
for about an hour - then the crowds came. The Castle is largely
still intact and I was more interested in the architecture than kissing
a part of it. I hurried about in the castle ruins photographing much
of it. Mist and low clouds came and we walked over to the wonderful
shopping area of the Blarney Woolen Mills store. The best place we
found to shop. Ask for the paperwork to get reimbursed for the Irish
value-added tax, which you don't have to pay.

Hundreds of ravens circled in the sky over Blarney and the castle
though.

Drove to Cobh Island in the afternoon: Cork's historic seaport where
many immigrants left Ireland; where the Titanic made its last berth;
where the historic cathedral is. Driving east of Cork the signs for
Cobh Island read "The Big Island", take Highway 624 off the
Cork-Waterford road south to Cobh Island. Went through the heritage
center, enjoyed the time spent on Cobh Island and photographing the
magnificent cathedral. Ate lunch at the Titanic Pub along the wharf.
Good soup and bread with tea and apple pie.

Made reservations that night at Sunnyside B&B not far from Blarney
village. What a wonderful place and wonderful hostess in Mary Walsh.
We highly recommend her. She was surprised to learn we were Americans.
She said we didn't look like Americans. Spacious and comfortable on
a quiet and safe side street, we were relieved when we found Mary's
place. We ate at a very fine Chinese restaurant, Tung Sings, that
evening, which she recommended, as we just needed a quality meal. Had
our nightly B&G at the large Pub in Blarney and watched the All-Ireland
Hurling sports semi-finals on the Pub TV.

Day 8: Cashel, Waterford

Drove north to Cashel to see the ancient Rock of Cashel. Cashel was an
ecumenical and government town for centuries. The Rock of Cashel, a
large, tall, massive rock outcropping, supports the ruins of an
enormous cathedral. Misting and overcast day, but we walked up the
path to the cathedral and photographed much of it. Stopped at the
Cashel Tourist Information office and the wonderful staff brightened
the day with their conversation and assistance. Ate a very fine lunch
across from the Tourist Info office (can't remember the name).

Drove south to Waterford. I made reservations at the Annacurra B&B
just north of Waterford. Liz Whelan at the Annacurra B&B was the best
hostess we had on our trip: delightful conversationalist and charming
lady, she would do anything to make your stay comfortable. Comfortable
room and excellent breakfast but the toilet and shower were a bit
cramped. Drove into Waterford proper to try and find a Chinese
restaurant; gave up and ate at one of only four McDonalds we saw in
Ireland.

Day 9: Waterford Crystal Factory, Vale of Avoca

Foul weather finally struck home: wind and rain lashed us. Drove to
the Waterford Crystal factory and took the tour. Fantastic crystal
creations, but very expensive. Very nice gift store there; exchanged
money at the official Bureau of Change in the store. Looked on the map
and knew I could probably make the Vale of Avoca (pronounced
"uh-VO-kuh") or the Avoca Valley and Glendalough in the Wicklow
Mountains south of Dublin that night.

Drove north on a high-speed wide two-lane road. Traffic jams up at
Arklow however. Called the Rockfield B&B in Avoca and made
reservations for that night. The Avoca Valley (or the Vale of Avoca)
is one of these idyllic and charming Irish valleys you dream about.
Avoca and the valley were the scenes for the BBS/PBS series
Ballykissangel. Drive through this valley slowly and enjoy the beauty
and quiet. Stopped at Glendalough and just listened to the sparkling
river flowing through the scenic valley. We also found the Avoca Mills
store and small factory where you can see how the Avoca sweaters are
made.

Found the Rockfield B&B and the delightful and charming hostess, Edna
Crammond. What a delight! Her house overlooks the scenic Avoca
Valley. The spacious and very modern en suite rooms have showers and a
huge European-styled bathtub with tons of hot water. The bathrooms
even have marble tiles on the floor. Her towels are draped over
warmers. She even has electric blankets. What a wonderful place. Her
breakfasts are works of culinary art. We were so pleased to have found
this B&B. She has our vote for the best B&B we stayed at in Ireland.
70 Euros ($87) for the two of us, and she takes credit cards without
hesitation.

Ate at Kittys in Arklow that evening. One of the better restaurants we
ate at in Ireland, but the food was still bland and without seasoning.
B&G time!

Day 10: Bray and Dublin

Drove north to Dublin but took a side trip to Bray, a seacoast resort
city just south of Dublin. Not much there, but we took the opportunity
just to get out of the car and stroll along the paved seafront walk.
The main coast road to Dublin intersects the yet-to-be-built southern
section of the beltway around Dublin. The highway traffic comes to a
complete stop at the construction. I immediately saw we would have to
backtrack and take smaller country roads past the construction. We
also did our regular lunch-at-the-gas-station routine. Taking
easy-to-follow side roads from Enniskerry, (R117 and R113 to the M50
around Dublin) we got around the congestion and construction easily.

Found our B&B, Murlinghouse B&B, I had called earlier for the night in
Dublin proper. It was just off the N2 road into the city in a quiet
residential neighborhood. However, the hostess's motto appeared to
be, "Here's the key; don't bother me." No hot breakfast in the
morning, just toast and cereal. The B&Bs in Dublin proper are in
townhouses; you have to haul your luggage up three flights of stairs.
It was a clean and quiet B&B for the night, but I knew we could do
better. That night after driving everywhere, we couldn't find
anyplace to eat so we reluctantly settled on a Burger King: probably
the only one in Dublin. Fast food restaurants are scarce in Ireland.

Day 11: Dublin and all the City Sights

Rather than driving into the city, we walked to a bus stop not far from
the previous night's B&B. The bus stop was right along the wall of
the Glasnevin Cemetery. I didn't know it then, but Glasnevin
Cemetery is the Irish equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery. Many
of Ireland's leaders, patriots, and historical figures are buried in
Glasnevin. Had I known, I would have taken a few minutes to stroll
through it.

The Dublin double-decker bus system is clean, safe, and easy to use;
just have exact change in your pocket. The best way we found to tour
Dublin is to get a ticket on the clearly marked Dublin City tour buses.
You can pay cash to the driver (12 Euros a ticket or about $15), but
you can get tickets and charge them to your credit card at the bus
office on the west side of O'Connell Street, Dublin's main avenue,
at the north end. The tickets are good for 24 hours and you can hop on
and off the bus at your leisure. Take the entire 1-=BD hour circuit
around Dublin with a tour guide (our guide was hilarious) and then
decide where you want to get off. That is what we did and we saw all
the sights.

Be sure at get to the 7th floor hospitality room of the Guinness
Brewery for a pint and to see the entire Dublin skyline: weather
permitting. The tour bus stops at the brewery.

Stopped at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the old Trinity
Library: admission fee required. I walked into the 40-yard-long old
library and thought I had died and gone to heaven. What a magnificent
library of ancient manuscripts

Also had to stop at the statue of Molly Malone: the most photographed
statue in Dublin. Again, the tour bus will stop near it.

In the busy and bustling city of Dublin, we never heard one horn
honking, no car alarms blaring, and we heard only one siren when a fire
truck came by. We only saw one police car in Blarney and one police
car in Dublin. People will even get up and leave a restaurant when
their cell phone rings; very polite and helpful people.

Ate lunch outside at the Tea House in Dublin's grand Phoenix Park.
The tour bus makes regular stops near the Tea House.

If you want to buy quality souvenirs, go to any of the Carrol Stores in
the center of Dublin. Loads and loads of quality and affordable Irish
souvenirs.

We also just strolled along O'Connell Street: Dublin's main avenue.
The Millennium Spire smack dab in the middle of the street seems
hopelessly out-of-place. The Dubliners mockingly refer to the 5
million Euro spire as "the Stiffy on the Liffey."

Had a lot of difficulty finding the B&B we had previously reserved for
the next two nights: the Loyola B&B. It was in Dublin proper and I
just couldn't find it. I telephoned three times for directions
before we found it on a residential side street. Being in an old
brownstone, we had to haul our luggage up the stairs. The older
hostess just seemed curt. She seemed especially annoyed when I told
her we were not staying there a second night and wanted my next
night's deposit back. With no hot water in the morning and a so-so
breakfast, I knew we had to find someplace else for our final night in
Ireland. You can do better than the Loyola B&B in Dublin. (By the
way, the Loyola B&B is no longer listed in "The Book.")

Day 12: Dublin and the Village of Swords

Finished our visit to Dublin where you can get to most everyplace by
walking: wonderfully clean and fascinating city. I didn't want to
stay in Dublin proper that night; I checked "The Book" where I
found and telephoned the Lissadelle B&B in the town of Swords, a small
village four miles north of the Dublin airport, for a room that night.
Easy to find on a country road, Lissadelle B&B was like night and day
over the last place we stayed. Modern and spacious, it had a fine room
and bath and great breakfast in the morning with homegrown tomatoes.
The hostess, Marian Cavanaugh, also said we could have taken the bus to
Dublin from downtown Swords. If you want to tour Dublin just stay in
Swords north of Dublin and take the bus into Dublin proper, or drive to
the airport and take the Airport Express Bus into town.

Had dinner at a pub in Swords. B&G too. Swords has its own castle
ruins in town too.

Depending on what you want to do in Dublin, you can see everything in
Dublin in one full day. I had planned for two, but I wished we would
have taken the extra day we really didn't need in Dublin and had used
it to go to Galway on the west side of the island when we first
arrived.

Day 13: Flight home

No problems with driving to Dublin Airport; turning in the rental car;
checking in our luggage and finding our gate. Headed home on Aer
Lingus (Irish Airlines).

Each Irish hostess we asked said the best time to see Ireland, if your
schedule permits, is in May. The weather is more predictable; the days
longer; the tourist crowds haven't arrived, and the schools haven't
let out for the summer.

Hope this trip report helps you in your planning and travel. The
greatest pleasures on our trip were the wonderful Irish people and the
stunning Irish scenery. The greatest disappointment was the
consistently bland and oft times unpalatable food. Be prepared to find
ethnic restaurants if you want something remotely edible.

Best wishes;=20
=20
Our route through Ireland

wrote in message
ups.com...

Rental Car: Of seven European and American rental car companies I
checked, Hertz and Avis were the least expensive at $275 for an
eleven-day trip.

Could you comment on the CDW?

Driving in Ireland: Narrow and many times very steep roads. Allow
twice the time you think you will need.

Maybe three times.

Travel Insurance: For the first time ever, I bought trip insurance
through AAA Travel Agency.

Did you shop around for travel insurance? What did you learn from the fine
print?

Cash/ Traveler's Checks/Credit Cards: Ireland has ATM machines.
Every Irish Tourist Information office has a money exchange desk; they
will also exchange traveler's checks.

Did you have any problems with getting gouged on DCC. That is, were they
charging you in dollars (rather than Euros) at higher than Visa/MC rates?

Pay Phones: Ireland has easy-to-use pay phones to call ahead for
lodging reservations, but the phones are not plentiful.

Better to have a GSM cellphone and prepaid SIM.

4. One roll of your favorite toilet paper for every ten days you are
out of the USA. Don't kid yourself; the world has some odd notions
about what constitutes toilet paper. You won't regret carrying your
own; I didn't.

Oh, give me a freaking break! You must have a very delicate... never mind.

We stayed at eleven B&Bs throughout our stay in Ireland.

You stayed in a different B&B each night? You should follow the "two night
rule" and stay in each B&B at least two nights, if not more. Otherwise you
just spend all your time packing and unpacking. How did your wife handle
this schedule?

Each day on our trip around noon, My wife and I would have a good idea
of where we were to stop that evening.

OK in September. If you're there in June or July, you need to call the B&B a
day in advance.

Didn't go to the Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle: too expensive
at $60 per person. Ate at Kathleen's Restaurant across from the
Castle: great atmosphere, but so-so food.

You might want to do this once, but not twice. Actually the violinist was
world class. He was the highlight of the show.

Day 3: Limerick, Nenagh, and Adare

We finished and headed west to Ada a village I read was worth
stopping for the night.

In Adare we ate lunch at the golf club. Rather nice and not too expensive.

Stayed at Castleview B&B about thee miles west of Adare.

I think we stayed there. Very pretty gardens and fantastic choice of
breakfasts? I'll have to check my notes.


Day 6: Ring of Kerry, Molls Gap, Muckross House, Kilarney, Blarney

Stopped at Muckross House, the large and elegant 19th century Victorian
estate with expansive lovely floral gardens and grounds, just south of
Kilarney.

This was one of my favorites. Did you ride the pony carts? I tried to get my
wife to go for a ride but she wouldn't.

Fast food restaurants are scarce in Ireland.

Indeed, ecconomical dining, in general, is scarce in Ireland! I would
usually try to get some thing from a grocier for a picnic lunch.

Hope this trip report helps you in your planning and travel. The
greatest pleasures on our trip were the wonderful Irish people and the
stunning Irish scenery. The greatest disappointment was the
consistently bland and oft times unpalatable food. Be prepared to find
ethnic restaurants if you want something remotely edible.

We live near New Orleans where the food is very spicy and we found Irish
cooking just delightful. I doubt we had a single meal I'd call "unpalatable"
and quite a few are more than memorable. One at "The Arches" in Adare
($60.41) was outstanding. "Spaco's" (Italian-Irish) in Dublin ($78.92) was
also memorable. But none of it was cheap. Even pub-fare such as at the
"Sheeben" in Westport ($35.52) was really good but about half-again what we
were used to paying for dinner.

I take it back. The dinner at the Bunratty Castle feast was mediocre, at
best. That's why I'd probably not do that again. OTOH, the food in Bunratty
Village was pretty good.

You seemed to have done "the south half" and probably a good choice for
September. Back in the summer of 2003, my wife and I flew into Shannon, then
bussed and trained into Dublin (arrived too late for the express bus).
Stayed in Dublin for a few days, then drove to Antrim to visit her cousins.
From there we toured around the North then down the west coast, making the
loop on the Ring of Kerry before returning to Shannon.

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

"Donald Newcomb" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...

Rental Car: Of seven European and American rental car companies I
checked, Hertz and Avis were the least expensive at $275 for an
eleven-day trip.

Could you comment on the CDW?

Driving in Ireland: Narrow and many times very steep roads. Allow
twice the time you think you will need.

Maybe three times.

Travel Insurance: For the first time ever, I bought trip insurance
through AAA Travel Agency.

Did you shop around for travel insurance? What did you learn from the fine
print?

Cash/ Traveler's Checks/Credit Cards: Ireland has ATM machines.
Every Irish Tourist Information office has a money exchange desk; they
will also exchange traveler's checks.

Did you have any problems with getting gouged on DCC. That is, were they
charging you in dollars (rather than Euros) at higher than Visa/MC rates?


Dynamic currency conversion is only likely at places frequented by foreign
tourists: car rental desks, hotels, some restaurants, (most likely)
souvenir/'Irish' shops. Not likely at fuel stations or supermarkets. If you
make a booking through Irish tourist board for accommodation, the deposit
and balance are likely to be converted into your billing currency (DCC) -
Gulliver, their handling agent, is owned by DCC pioneers (Forexco). Make
clear in your instruction that you want to be billed in euro.


Pay Phones: Ireland has easy-to-use pay phones to call ahead for
lodging reservations, but the phones are not plentiful.

Better to have a GSM cellphone and prepaid SIM.


Very easy - both O2 and Vodafone offer them at 29 euro with some credit.
Voda has a shop inside Dublin airport. Third network Meteor has limited
coverage in the West and Northwest.

rest snipped

Alec