Fly-drive in Ireland

In article ,
says...
On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 10:54:40 GMT, Homer Simpson
wrote:
snip detailed trip plan

Thanks for that; as I'm planning to spend a similar week
next year that could be very useful to me. I'll be picking
up a car in Dublin and returning it in Shannon, so I'll have
to check one-way rental costs. A post-trip report would be
very much appreciated too.

What was your main source to find the B&B's? I notice many
of them charge per person, some per room - has that caused
any confusion in assessing?


Cheers, Alan, Australia

I don't have a main source of B&Bs. I have ordered a book of selected
places (last years edition, but it was inexpensive at Amazon) and also
the townandcountry B&B listing book.

I notice that most places quote by the person. You just have to be
careful.


--
Jerry Bank
Trenton, New Jersey
Music is the language of the gods.

Alan S wrote in
:

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 10:54:40 GMT, Homer Simpson
wrote:
snip detailed trip plan

Thanks for that; as I'm planning to spend a similar week
next year that could be very useful to me. I'll be picking
up a car in Dublin and returning it in Shannon, so I'll have
to check one-way rental costs. A post-trip report would be
very much appreciated too.

What was your main source to find the B&B's? I notice many
of them charge per person, some per room - has that caused
any confusion in assessing?


Cheers, Alan, Australia

Alan,

I didn't really have a main source for B&B's other than the internet. I
just wandered from link to link to link and found many choices for each
area we are going. One trick I used was to find B&B names at sites like
the Ireland B&B Network at http://www.ireland-bnb.com . Then I would
google the name and often found the owner's website. That way I could
deal directly with the owners instead of an intermediary. Also, on the
B&B Network if you choose the "list all B&B's" option it will give you
more choices but no additional info on many of them, so you have to
google the names. For the couple of upscale places we are staying I found
the Hidden Ireland site at http://www.hidden-ireland.com useful.
I found almost everywhere is priced per person, so it was generally a
pleasant surprise when they were priced per room.

I'll try to post a report after the trip, and maybe even throw my
pictures up on the scenic pictures newsgroup alt.binaries.pictures.scenic

Homer in Virginia

On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 10:52:59 GMT, Homer Simpson wrote:

and maybe even throw my
pictures up on the scenic pictures newsgroup alt.binaries.pictures.scenic

But then they will be gone after a few days. Better is to put them up at
one of the free picture web sites. In the rec.photo.digital newsgroup they
periodically discuss them. I've designed my own picture web site, so I
don't pay attention to those discussions. But it shouldn't be too hard to
find them in the groups.google.com archives.

Then post the link here.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

"Homer Simpson" wrote in message
...
I am getting ready to go to Ireland next month (in & out of Shannon also)
and finally booked my car rental yesterday. I had sweated over the high
adders for the CDW coverage (Budget wanted 19 euro a day!), but finally
found one that would accept the coverage Master Card offers. Irish Car
Rentals ( http://www.irishcarrentals.com/ ) will accept Master Card's
coverage as long as you have a gold or platinum card. I called Master
Card, their insurance arm, and the rental company, and am satisfied that
I will be covered. Plus, Irish Car Rentals' price was close to as good as
anywhere else I checked. I am taking a set of golf clubs, so I opted for
a compact car rather than a subcompact, but I would suggest you get the
smallest car you can, both for fuel economy and for ease of driving on
the many narrow roads.

Be very, very sure of this. I mostly use Visa and I read their policy very
carefully before our trip to Ireland and learned we would not be covered. If
Master Card is different, good for them. But I would want to have it in
writing. OBTW, there's a reason that the CDW is very important in Ireland.
It's dangerous on those little road! Do drive very carefully.

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

"Donald Newcomb" wrote in
:

It's dangerous on those little roads! Do drive
very carefully.


I figured that is why CDW coverage is not available in Ireland through most
credit cards.

We spent two weeks in Ireland in 2001.

- Master Card covered the additional car insurance.
- You don't need reservations for the B&B's in September.
- The roads are narrow. Get the smallest car that can fit your bags.
- You can't drive very fast, but the whole island isn't that big.
- The people are fantastic!

The following is a list of the towns was stayed in:

Sept 7 Ballyvaughan
Sept 8 Clifden
Sept 9 Westport
Sept 10 Maynooth
Sept 11 Carlow
Sept 12 Kilkenny
Sept 13 Cashel
Sept 14 Yaughal
Sept 15 Macroom
Sept 16 Killarney
Sept 17 Killarney
Sept 18 Adare
Sept 19 Bunratty

Bill & Cathy


On Mon, 30 May 2005 12:31:38 GMT, Jerry Bank
wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.

We visited Ireland in September 2001.

I saw the Visa didn't cover the insurance, so I got a Gold Master Card
from my credit union. I requested, and they sent me a letter stating
their coverage. I brought it with me and showed it to the car company
at Shannon. They knew about it.

Driving in Ireland wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

We drove over 1,100 miles in 13 days. Turned the rental car in with
the mirrors still in tact.

I was a little worried when we picked up the car in Shannon. We
rented from Dan Dooley. We didn't take the extra insurance. They
gave us a Ford Focus with two miles on it. So, all the scratches would
be mine. I would suggest getting the smallest car they have. The Focus
seemed to be much larger than most. Some of the roads are rather
narrow. An automatic transmission might have been a little easier too.

All in all, it was rather fun driving on the other side of the road.
The funniest thing was that a number of times, Cathy and I went to get
in the wrong side of the car.

One thing for sure, I don't know of many countries where people could
drive on such narrow roads and streets. In the towns, most of the
streets were two ways. Even though there was hardly room for one car
to get through. The only way it works out is that all the people are
so courteous. They will back up and/or make room for one another. Few
people other that the Irish would be so kind.

As a tourist, I had to slow way down and or stop to try to read the
road signs. Also, I made many turns abruptly. No one beeped their horn
or gave me the finger.

I saw one accident the whole time. A small fender bender. A broken
tail light, actually. One car taped the back of another.

Yep, it's the people that make the difference.

Bill & Cathy



On Mon, 30 May 2005 12:31:38 GMT, Jerry Bank
wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.

About B&B's, their are two free books with color pictures and
discription of hundreds of B&B's. You can get them from the Irish
travel bureau.

B&B's are the greatest places we have ever stayed. We stayed at 12
different ones from Sept 7 to the 19th. One was more beautiful than
the next. The houses were built, furnished and decorated nicer than
the most expensive hotels we have ever stayed at. Every one of the
hosts and hostess's were fantastic. All except for one. Not a bad
track record of one out of 12. The prices ranged from 18 to 24 punts.
Most were 20. Guess which one was 24. Very reasonable, with
breakfast besides.

All the B&B's we stayed at were pretty much the same. They are
designed to be little hotels, most with four to six rooms, some with a
few more. I was apprehensive at first about staying in B&B's. Cathy
and I rather like our privacy. We weren't sure how it would be staying
in people's homes. Well, B&B's are not like that. The guest areas are
totally separate from the owners living area. When you ring the bell,
someone says yes or no about having a room, (we never made any
reservations). Then they ask if you would like to see the room. At
this time you ask how much it would be. If you like the room and the
price, they will just give you a key to the room and another to the
front door. No signing in or anything. You are then shown a
beautifully decorated living room, just for guests. Also a formal
dining room for breakfast. They then ask you what you would like for
breakfast and when you would like it. Eight thirty seems to be the
preferred time.

We had no reservations for any of our stops. There are B&B's
everywhere. In every little town and out on the roads. Ireland doesn't
have great road signs, but they have signs to the B&B's all over the
place.

All we did, when it got towards the late afternoon, was start looking
around. We had two books of listings. We used them as a rough guide.
We looked at the outside of a B&B. Then looked for a vacancy sign.
Then just rang the bell. If they had a room, they would show it to us.
If not, they knew another one close by that did have a room. They seem
to all keep in contact with one another.

A really great experience.

The following is a list of the B&B's we stayed in:

Sept 7 Ballyvaughan The Creggs
Sept 8 Clifden Aisling House
Sept 9 Westport Brooklodge
Sept 10 Maynooth Kilcar House (Annette is not a
very pleasant woman)
Sept 11 Carlow San Giovanni Town House
Sept 12 Kilkenny Cushlawn House
Sept 13 Cashel Maryville
Sept 14 Yaughal Avonmore House
Sept 15 Macroom Villa Maria
Sept 16 Killarney Flesk Lodge
Sept 17 Killarney Flesk Lodge
Sept 18 Adare Avona
Sept 19 Bunratty Dunedin Lodge


On Mon, 30 May 2005 12:31:38 GMT, Jerry Bank
wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.

Here is the long version of our trip in September 2001:

Sept 6 - Thursday

We flew out of JFK, on Air Lingus, on the evening of Sept 6. Arrived
in Shannon the morning of the 7th. The distance was 3,077 miles. The
flight time was 5 hours and 42 minutes. The plane was an MD11. The
most uncomfortable ride we have ever had. The design of the seats,
(ten across), doesn't leave much room. Every seat was taken. You get
a standard airline dinner, a free movie, (Moulin Rouge). Then a
travelogue of Ireland. Breakfast muffin and stuff about an hour before
we landed. They showed our flight progress and the monitors
periodically. They have a GPS system that gives exact location and
speed.

Sept 7 - Friday

We landed at Shannon in total zero visibility. The plane had to have
been on automatic. No problem at all getting our bags and finding Dan
Dooley rental car. No problem getting the car. We didn't take the
additional insurance. It was covered by our Platinum Master Card. I
had a letter from the card company, but no one asked to see it, just
made me sign a number of places. We got some money out of the ATM
right in the terminal, around the corner from the rental car counters.
Out to the Dooley bus and off to the lot. Not very far at all. We were
given a Ford Focus with two miles on it. So, I guess all the
scratches will be mine.

Off we go, my first attempt at driving on the wrong side of the road.
We went North, through Ennis and over to the Cliffs of Moher. The
roads over that way were the most narrow we came across. Maybe because
I was tired and unused to the driving, I bounced off the side of the
road about a dozen times. Lucky they were just dirt. No damage done.
We got to the cliffs, and the wind was blowing at over 50 miles an
hour. Not real cold though. It costs you two punts to park the car.
You pay on the way out. No charge to see the cliffs. There is a one
punt charge to climb O'Brien's Tower. We used a two for one coupon.
We climbed up the winding stairs to the top of O'Brien's Tower. What a
view! The cliffs are as spectacular as the Grand Canyon. We then drove
to Doolin, where we planned to spend the night. We drove around, but
didn't really see much of a town. We kinda wanted to stay in a town
our first night in Ireland. It was quite early anyway, so we drove
on, out through the Burrens. That area is rather interesting. We made
it to Ballyvaughan and it was still only lunchtime. We had lunch at
the Hyland's Hotel. I was running out of steam, having not gotten any
sleep on the plane. So, we went down the block and found a B&B. All
the B&B's we stayed at were pretty much the same. They are designed
to be little hotels, most with four to six rooms, some with a few
more. I was apprehensive at first about staying in B&B's. Cathy and I
rather like our privacy. We weren't sure how it would be staying in
people's homes. Well, B&B's are not like that. The guest areas are
totally separate from the owners living area. When you ring the bell,
someone says yes or no about having a room, (we never made any
reservations). Then they ask if you would like to see the room. At
this time you ask how much it would be. If you like the room and the
price, they will just give you a key to the room and another to the
front door. No signing in or anything. You are then shown a
beautifully decorated living room, just for guests. Also a formal
dining room for breakfast. They then ask you what you would like for
breakfast and when you would like it. Eight thirty seems to be the
preferred time. Another observation, they are on a later schedule then
we are used to. Nothing really happens until later in the morning. We
saw kids going to school way after nine in the morning. The banks
don't open until ten.

What a great little place. We took a nap and then walked back down to
the center of town. It was only a few hundred yards away. It's not a
very big town. We weren't very hungry for dinner, so we went into a
pub for a pint. They stop serving dinner at 8:30 anyway.

Sept 8 - Saturday

We packed up the car and went into the dining room for breakfast, our
first "full Irish breakfast". You are asked if you would like tea or
coffee. We both drink tea. You then help yourself to the cereal bar.
Most places had fresh fruit. I only like cereal with fruit on it. We
had bananas most days. Then out comes a big pot of boiling hot tea and
a basket of about ten slices of toast, both white and brown bread.
Now, the only jelly I will eat, at home, is orange marmalade and
strawberry. Guess what EVERY B&B had on the table? You are right, my
favorites. Now comes the breakfast:
- One egg, (I guess poached like. The yoke almost cooked
through, but not quite). Very good
- Bacon, (What they call bacon, in the super markets they are
rushers, or something like that. I loved them. Cathy thought they were
too fatty. They taste a little like ham, kinda).
- Two sausages, ( The outside skin was like a plastic or
cellophane product. The inside tasted like sausage, but mush meat.) We
passed on those.
- Two slices of some sort of sausage look-alike, one white one
brown, (they were not fit for human consumption).

Every B&B had the same breakfast products. In all the others, we
ordered two eggs and bacon, (hold the rest of the stuff), and we got
along fine.


We drove along the coast and up passed Dunguaire Castle and on to
Galway City. We drove to the visitor's center and got on the "Old
Galway Tour" bus. An old double decker that took us to fifteen places
around town. Then we moved the car to a parking garage across from the
Spanish Arch. We walked up and down all the pedestrian streets
looking and shopping. Cathy buying everything in sight for the kids
and grand kids, (I had to buy another bag to carry all the stuff
home). We had a hamburger at some little place. It tasted like our
beef that was left out in the sun a little too long. There beef isn't
like ours. Then out along the coast, up to Maam Cross and over to
Clifden. We got a B&B close to the center of town. What a great town
Clifden is, kinda touristy, but not real crowded. It is also small
enough to get around easily. It is full of pubs that have music at
night. We went to a restaurant for dinner. Cathy had some sort of
chicken and I had some good old "Irish stew". Not one of my better
ideas. The broth was just water. It had some onion pieces, soggy
carrot slices, a few potato pieces and the fattiest chunks of lamb I
have ever seen. I can see food will be an issue in Ireland. I am a
very picky eater. I also don't like anything from the sea. I could
really spend a lot more time in Clifden. It is a neat place, with the
water on one side and the hills on the other.

Sept 9 - Sunday

We got up and had a really great breakfast. The fellow that ran the
B&B lived in Brooklyn for fourteen years. He made us potatoes for
breakfast. The one and only time we got potatoes for breakfast.

Now on to Letterfrack, birthplace of my grandmother. Letterfrack
isn't much of a town. More like a crossroads. A small store and one
pub. We went to St. Joseph's Church and met with Father Kenny. A
member of my family had been communicating with him. He didn't have
much information about my Connelly ancestors. He said a lot of the
records were no longer available. It was nice talking to him though. A
funny guy. I stopped a man on a bicycle. We went down to his house and
talked for a while. He apologized that his father had passed away two
months earlier and would have known a lot more. He did say the oldest
man around lived four houses down. We went and talked to him. He did
remember some Connelly's being around many years back. He mentioned
that there was an old house across the street that was owned by a
Michael Heeney. That was my great grandfather's name. The house was
knocked down and a new one was built in 1973. I talked to a woman that
lived there now. She didn't know much about the older owners. I took
some pictures from her backyard though. Seeing the unobstructed view
of the Cannemara Mountains. The same view my grandmother must have had
back in the 1890's. Letterfrack also borders the water, where my great
grandfather fished for a living. We drove up to Tully Cross and back
down. I guess that's enough of the "roots" thing, (at least on the
Connelly side).

Not far down the road is the Kylemore Abbey. It's hard to believe
this could have been someone's home. It is now owned by the
Benedictine nuns and is used as a girl's school. It's a nice walk down
to the chapel. It was lunchtime, so we had something to eat there. One
of the few items on the menu was Irish stew. I tried it again. Not a
whole lot better. That's it for the stew. We drove out past a lot of
nothing, just a lot of peat bogs. How cool. You can just dig up some
and burn it. No cutting trees down and having to spit it. It does seem
to have a different smell. You could smell it as you drove past houses
burning it. On to Westport and picking out another B&B. Tons to pick
from, like everyplace.

The owners suggested a good Italian restaurant in town. We went, but
it was closed. It was only around 5:30pm. Apparently most of the
restaurants don't open till 7pm. We got some chicken breast and chips
in a fast food joint. I have to say, the french fries, everywhere in
Ireland, were fantastic! We had some great soft ice cream too. Milk
and butter are top of the line in Ireland.

We watched some TV. We only got two to three stations anywhere in
Ireland. If we got the third, it wasn't in English. Mostly sports
coverage on the others. Also, reruns of old sitcoms from the States.

The B&B was in a residential area. Cathy did notice that nowhere in
Ireland did we see any small gardens, like we have. Bunchs of
flowers, but no veggies growing. I notice no "road kill" anywhere.

Sept 10 - Monday

A great breakfast of two eggs and rushers. We had planned to spend
some time up in the Donegal area. We changed our minds and will save
it for next trip. We head for Dublin. After a slight detour that took
us through Foxford, we were established on N5, heading East. The road
was a lot wider and easier to drive on. I could enjoy the views. We
do see a small amount of corn and hay growing.

We stopped in Maynooth for the night. The B&B we stopped at was quite
nice. The only drawback was the owner. This woman was the only Irish
person that was less than friendly. She was just not a very friendly
person. I think if she smiled, her face would have cracked. It was
also the only B&B that asked for the money in advance, not in the
morning, like all the others. At least they were smart and kept her
locked in the kitchen in the morning. Her daughter was very pleasant
and efficient. Maynooth was a bit difficult to drive around. We are
getting near a big city. We did make it downtown and walked around the
Maynooth Castle. We got some good Italian food in a small restaurant
down an alley.


Sept 11 - Tuesday

Up early and down to breakfast by eight. Another great breakfast. We
head East on N4. The traffic is slow going, but nothing like the
roads into New York City. The road took us downtown, on the north side
of the River Leffey. We crossed over the Capel Street Bridge and made
our way to a parking garage around the corner from the visitor's
center. From there we took the "Dublin Tour" bus ride. It seemed the
best way to see the main sights of the city without moving the car. We
got off the bus at St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is quite a big
cathedral, but I think the one in New York is a lot bigger. Boy, you
can smell the Guinness all over the city. We went to Trinity College
and saw the Book Of Kells. Then down around Temple Bar for some
lunch. We got back in the car and tried to find where my grandfather
was born. It was on Francis Street, around the corner from St.
Patrick's. Well it's easier said than to find. Asking directions were
interesting. Eight out of ten people in Dublin do no know the name of
the street they are walking on. We went around Saint Stephen's Green
five times. Finally found Francis Street. I went into number 42. The
owner we quite gracious. It is a business that refinishes antique
furniture. It was his fathers business until he recently passed away.
The store is on the first floor and an apartment is above. My
grandfather was born there in 1881. His father owned a tobacco shop.
The apartment is in total disrepair. I believe it looks pretty much
like it did a hundred odd years ago. We took a bunch of pictures. I
was talking to the owner when a man ran in and told him to put the
radio on. Something had happened in New York City. Everyone will
remember where he or she was when they heard the news. I can never
forget where I was. The men came outside and tuned the rental car
radio to a station that gives the news.

We left downtown on N7 and then took N9 to Carlow. We found a B&B just
outside of town. Roamed around Carlow a little then went back to the
B&B and watched the TV news with some of the other guests. It was a
long day, marked with great sadness and worry about the folks back
home. Two of my daughters were in the City on the Saturday before.
Cathy's brother is a fire marshal in NYC, along with a number of
family members and friends that are on the NYPD. Thank God all are all
right.

Sept 12 - Wednesday

Breakfast and off we go. We made it to Kilkenny rather early. There
is a lot to see. We parked in the high-rise garage and headed for the
castle. It is probably the most complete castle we visited, a really
nice tour. We walked all around the town. We went through the Rothe
House and Saint Canices Cathedral. The St. Francis Abbey looks funny
sitting in the brewery parking lot. It rained a little, but not enough
to put our hoods up, much less get out an umbrella. It is the only
rain we had in the two weeks we were in Ireland. We did some shopping
in a big Dunn's store. We drove south and stopped at a B&B in
Knocktopher. What a beautifully decorated place.

Sept 13 - Thursday

Our standard breakfast and back in the car. We developed a plan for
the clothes. We packed our clothes in one large suitcase. Then, each
day we would pack what we needed for one day in a smaller suitcase.
This way I didn't have to carry both suitcases into the B&B's every
night. We stayed in a different place every night except one. There
we stayed two. I headed in the wrong direction and found the Jerpoint
Abbey. It wasn't open yet but a worker said we could walk around if we
wanted. We walked all around the outside and took some pictures. Now
back on the road heading south. We drove down to Waterford and parked
along the water. We were able to got through to home from a pay phone
in front of the Post Office, ($28 for 6 minutes). Everyone is OK, so
far, back in New York. Then off to the crystal factory. It is pretty
much like the tour of the Corning factory in upstate New York. The
Waterford factory has a number of rows of guys doing the grinding.
That's different than Corning. Corning does more of the glass blowing
of different designs. Cathy bought two pieces, just because "we have
to". We had lunch at a McDonalds down the road from the factory. Now
off to Cashel. We stopped at some place selling Tipperary crystal. I
don't remember where it was though. We got to Cashel around four in
the afternoon. We head straight for the Rock. Wow! We have seen a
number of castles along the way but nothing like the Rock Of Cashel.
A very impressive sight indeed. The tour guide was the most
enthusiastic we have seen. She really enjoyed her work. It was
amazing, walking around the exact place that St. Patrick hung out. Him
and a number of important other old guys. A great view from up there,
in all directions.

We headed down the hill and picked a B&B with a view of the Rock all
lit up at night. It is a really great sight. We had dinner in that
Italian restaurant you can see from the castle. I had some sort of
spaghetti with chopped meat, peppers and onions. Really hot. Cathy
had some sort of chicken. She asked for some spaghetti and got a small
about with some sort of alfrado sauce. Kinda wanted some Italian
bread. We had to buy a couple pieces of dry garlic bread. I think
Italian food in Ireland is very different than American Italian food.
The Irish versions are probably closer to Italian food in Italy.

Sept 14 - Friday

This had been designated as a National Day of Morning. Everything in
Ireland is closed. I mean EVERYTHING. That includes not just
government and private companies and schools. It includes all retail
stores, gas stations, restaurants, tourist attractions and pubs. Yes,
pubs! An amazing outpouring of sympathy for America. Every church was
filled to overflowing. Some businesses did open for a while. We were
able to buy gas from a station that opened until noon. We pulled in
at twenty to noon. Just in time. Then we passed a restaurant that
was open till 2pm. We got in at ten minutes to two. They fed us and
had the door locked so nobody else could get in. They would open the
door to let people out. A few small grocery stores were open, but only
a handful.

I wanted to visit Cobh the next day, so we drove through Tipperary,
just to see what it looked like, then moved on down south. I figured
places where more tourists were might be open. We drove around Cork
city a little then wound up going through a tunnel three times. I
forget the name. It was some guy's name. We drove down toward
Ballycotton, and then wound up back on N25 going east. We got a B&B
in Youghal. It is a real nice little town. It has a building with a
clock in it that sits over the main road through town. We got a nice
view of the water. In hindsight, we probably should have gone to
Kinsale. I hear it's a great town. Oh well, a place to visit next
time.

Sept 15 - Saturday

We need to do wash. Laundromats aren't as prevalent as some people
mentioned. We head to Cobh to visit the Queensland Story. We got
there before they opened too. We are really finding out that people
don't get up as early as us in Ireland. We walked around the town of
Cobh. It's a really neat and clean town. A nice walking area along the
water. We then went through the Queensland attraction. It's a moving
exhibit, seeing the place some of my relatives left from. Along with
the place the Titanic picked up a load of poor Irish people for
ballast down in the lower decks. We head up into Cork City again.
Stopping at the first shopping center we have come across. I think
it's name was the Blackpool something. Interesting looking at the
different stores. Cathy picks up some makeup at a large drug store.
We eat lunch at McDonalds again. Funny how McDonalds French fries
taste so good here in America and don't taste at all as good in every
other place in Ireland. Ireland has really great French fires, or
"chips" as they call them. I forget what they call potato chips in
Ireland.

We make it out of Cork and head for Blarney Castle. It is amazing how
many people make it up to the top of the castle to kiss the stone.
It's not an easy trip at all. Up and down those narrow winding
stairs. I can't believe that the people that owned those big castles
would put up with all those little narrow stairs. They must have all
had little feet. I wouldn't want to go up and down if the steps were
wet. There are some real nice grounds around the castle. It was a
bright sunny warm day. We sat at a table and took a rest after
storming the castle. There was a group taking wedding pictures. What
a great place for that. Across an expanse of grass with the castle as
a backdrop. Quite a group. The groom was as Irish as Paddy's pig.
The bride was an Indian type, with the red dot on the forehead thing
going on. Four other people in Indian costumes. About 20 other
people that looked Irish and one Black couple. An interesting sight.

I asked at the visitor's center and got directions to a laundermat.
It was a couple of blocks away. Funny, now we pass a dozen
Laundromats. It cost us 13 punts to do two loads of wash ourselves.

We wind up back down in Cork and make our way west on N22. We stopped
in Macroom for the night. A very nice B&B just outside town. We
walked all around town. It has a neat little town square. There are
public bathrooms right in the center of the square in some sort of
government building. Lots of pubs and some shops. We had a pizza and
some chips in a little place around the corner. Then a pint in one of
the pubs. Time for rest.

Sept 16 - Sunday

Another great breakfast then off to Killarney. Today is our 34th
wedding anniversary. We get to Killarney and head straight downtown.
The first thing we want to do is the pony ride through the park. We
are intercepted by Michael across the street from Market Square. He is
a jarvey of one of the jaunting cars. We strike a deal and head over
to space number one where a line of horses and carts are lined up. Up
we go with blanket wrapped around. It is a little misty this early in
the morning. Michael heads General Nelson (his horse) down the road
and into the Killarney National Park. What a fantastic trip. Great
views of the lakes. Michael has grown up in Killarney. He is a
wealth of knowledge. He shows us the places he would play and go
swimming as a youth. Michael asks where we are staying. I tell him we
haven't picked a place yet. He makes a call on his cell phone and we
have a place at a discount. A friend of Michael's owns a B&B. We get
to Ross Castle and get off the cart. We take a tour of the castle and
surrounding grounds. A real neat place right on the water. Back on
the cart and continue around the park. It really is huge.

I am starting to get a cold so we go to Tusco's market for some cold
stuff and cough drops. We have lunch some place around the corner, I
forget where. Then we walked all around the town. Now out to tour
the Muckross House and Gardens, another nice place to walk around.
The weather sure has been great. Now we go check into the B&B, a
really convenient location, right on Muckross Road next to the River
Flesk. When I rang the bell a nice gentleman came to the door and
showed us around. I asked the rate and he said twenty two fifty. I
mentioned that I thought Michael said eighteen. Without hesitating an
instant and with a broad smile, he said "then eighteen it is". We
stayed there two days.

We rested a while then headed to another of Michael's suggestions. We
go to Foley's for dinner, it was on High Street. We had a fantastic
meal. We both had a fillet. It has been a really great day!

Sept 17 - Monday

Up again for breakfast. This is the first time I don't have to go
pack the car. There is really something said for staying in one place
for a number of nights. Now out Muckross Road toward Killorglin and
the Ring of Kerry. It really has a number of great photo
opportunities, lots of places to pull off the road. We stop in Sneem
for lunch. We both had a chicken sandwich and more great fries, in
that little fast food place in the square. Then up the hill and
really great views of the lakes on the way back. It took us six hours
to make it around and back to Killarney.

Sept 18 - Tuesday

We head for Tralee, another beautiful sunny day. We head for the Ashe
Memorial Hall and go through the Kerry - The Kingdom exposition. Then
we walked around to a large rose garden in the park next door. They
have a bunch of different kinds of roses. It's a nice smelling place.
There was a dog jumping in and out of the fountains in the park. I got
the feeling he is there a lot.

We live Tralee and go to Blennerville. We went up through that
windmill there. Some nice views from up top. We take N21 to Adare.

Adare is advertised as "the prettiest town in Ireland". Now, I'm sure
a lot of people will disagree with me, but it looked like a whole
bunch of other towns we have been through. There is a row of eight
thatched houses that you can rent. One of them is a small restaurant.
There is a fancy hotel across the street. The downtown has the
standard collection of pubs and stores. We stayed in a B&B around the
corner from the hotel. Another nice place.

Sept 19 - Wednesday

This is our last full day in Ireland. We head up into Limerick. The
traffic isn't as bad as some people had warned. We visited St. John's
Castle. Then we drove around town a little and headed out to
Bunratty. It's easy to find the Castle area, quite a tourist
attraction. We spent quite a long time at the castle and Folk Park.
There were a lot of things to see. We toured the castle and saw where
they hold the nightly banquets. I tried to get reservations about
five months earlier, but they were all booked up. We had a bowl of
soup in that little restaurant in the square. We drove out the road
that goes right through the parking area for the castle. There are a
number of B&B's out on that road. We picked a really nice one on the
left hand side, what an attractive place. A beautiful view, cable TV
in the room along with one of the nicest guest living room and dining
rooms I have seen.

I asked for a recommendation for an early dinner. He said he and his
wife go to Durty Nellie's quite often. He highly recommended it.

Durty Nellie's is right on the corner, across from the castle. I
think there is three places to eat, upstairs, the downstairs area in
the back, on the left side, then in the front area.

The place is next to a creek. It's kinda built into a small bridge. We
parked on the bridge, (it's a one way). Then walked back and entered
the upstairs, which is even with the bridge. They weren't serving
food. It was around 5pm. everything is all open, so you can walk
around and look at all the rooms. You can go down stairs on the inside
stairway, outside, down a set of stone steps, or walk back down the
slope of the road. When you are downstairs there is a restaurant in
the back, down along the left side. In the front there is a service
bar and tables all around. It's a neat place. Old carved beams and
nooks to sit in. For lunch, or later, you can walk up to the service
bar, get a pint and order food. They then bring it out to you wherever
you are sitting. There are a bunch of picnic tables outside. You can
sit out there and look up at the castle.

We sat at a table in the front. Cathy and I both had the pork thing.
It was really great. As we were eating, another couple sat at a table
two over from us. They were in there early 50's, from California.
They were traveling around Ireland for eight weeks, (wouldn't that be
nice). I assume they were rather affluent. They talked about all the
places around the world they had been. Walking on the Great Wall in
China, things like that. Another couple came and sat at the small
table between us and entered into our conversation. Well, this
couple lived just outside Tipperary, on the road toward Cashel. They
had to be at least in their late 70's and had NEVER been out of
Ireland. You can imagine the great conversation we all had!

After we ate, we went across the street to where there are a number of
touristy shops. We didn't need to buy anything. We had gotten all
the loot we needed in the past two weeks. We headed back to the B&B
and enjoyed the amenities there.

Sept 20 - Thursday

OK, going home day. We got up and had a really great breakfast and
enjoyed the view as we were eating. We didn't plan on anymore sight
seeing so we relaxed and enjoyed another pot of tea with the owner.
He said he had some guests that had to spend an extra week there
because of the airlines not running. Bunratty seems to be an area
where people spend their first or last night in Ireland. The guests
he had were upset the first day, but then just resided themselves to
the extra weeks stay and made the best of it. All the local people
took good care of anyone stranded for additional days. Great people
those Irish!

Mid morning we started out for the airport. The roads are well
marked. The only one's well marked in the past two weeks. We stopped
at a shopping mall close to the airport. We needed some more cold
medicine. Cathy has caught the little bug that got me a few days
earlier. It's fun roaming around the stores in another country.
Seeing the items that are different than ours.

We went and turned in the rental car at Dan Dooley's. The Ford Focus
has two miles on it when we got it. It now had over 1300. No dents
or dings. It must have had some scratches from all the bushes I
brushed past. The car was covered with mud, on that side, so you
couldn't see much. They took it with no questions. We checked in at
the counter, about three hours early. There were about six people
ahead of us. It took about ten minutes total for us to get our
boarding passes and for them to take our luggage. They just looked at
our tickets, no passport or photo ID. I wanted to turn in the tax
vouchers and look around the duty free store so we went up that way.
Well, after taking care of all that stuff, we couldn't get back out to
the main terminal. We had to walk back down the ramp that we took when
we entered the country. Back down past the luggage carousels and back
through customs. It took us about thirty minutes to get past the
guard. He only glanced at our passports. He just wouldn't stop
talking. He and his wife owned a B&B right across the street from the
one we stayed at in Bunratty. We learned his life story and where they
were going on their next vacation, South Africa, of all places. Once
we broke free, we took the suggestion of the owner of the B&B we had
stayed at and went over to the hotel across the parking lot from the
terminal. They had a really nice sitting room, much better than at
the terminal, they also serve a great lunch. An hour before flight
time we walked back to the terminal and hung out with a bunch of other
passengers in the Duty Free waiting area. Twenty minutes before
flight time the flight was called and we went through U.S. Customs and
down to the gate. We all boarded in a few minutes. The plane was
about to be pushed back from the gate when the Captain came on the
speaker and informed us that there would be a fifteen minute delay. It
seems one of the passengers had a problem at Customs. Their bags had
to be removed from the plane if they were not going to be on it. That
was OK with me. We took off and headed for JFK. It was another over
crowded MD11. The flight took six hours and fourteen minutes. We went
and got our bags. One was the third one off the conveyor belt. The
other was one of the last, about twenty minutes later. Then we walked
passed about ten security people, some from the Customs Service,
others with U.S. Marshall's Service on their jackets. They were
playing cards, reading newspapers or just talking amongst themselves.
None were looking at us.

We got outside and took the Alamo bus to their parking place. Now, I
have come into JFK or LaGuardia airports a hundred times. I have
never met a friendlier driver in my life. Could this really be New
York? All the cabs and cars had flags flying on them too.

We got our rental car with no problem at all. The only problem was
that the car totally missed being cleaned from the last users. Well
now, this normally might not be a large problem, but the last
occupants had to be a family of nomad, third world goat herders. The
car stunk and was full of garbage. In any other airport, I would have
been all over someone. Not tonight. It's rush hour, pouring rain at
JFK airport. I just want to head north, sixty miles and home. We head
north. The NYC skyline looks a little weird with the towers missing.
We stopped for a soda, at McDonalds, in a rest area on the Hutchinson
Parkway. The Spanish speaking girl behind the counter says we are the
nicest people that have stopped there that night? I think New York
has changed a little since we left.

Bill & Cathy





On Mon, 30 May 2005 12:31:38 GMT, Jerry Bank
wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.

Thanks for all the information. A lot to digest.

In article ,
says...
We spent two weeks in Ireland in 2001.

- Master Card covered the additional car insurance.
- You don't need reservations for the B&B's in September.
- The roads are narrow. Get the smallest car that can fit your bags.
- You can't drive very fast, but the whole island isn't that big.
- The people are fantastic!

The following is a list of the towns was stayed in:

Sept 7 Ballyvaughan
Sept 8 Clifden
Sept 9 Westport
Sept 10 Maynooth
Sept 11 Carlow
Sept 12 Kilkenny
Sept 13 Cashel
Sept 14 Yaughal
Sept 15 Macroom
Sept 16 Killarney
Sept 17 Killarney
Sept 18 Adare
Sept 19 Bunratty

Bill & Cathy


On Mon, 30 May 2005 12:31:38 GMT, Jerry Bank
wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.



--
Jerry Bank
Trenton, New Jersey
Music is the language of the gods.