Heading to Ireland in 31 days

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My wife and I are finally taking one of those 'once-in-a-lifetime' trips. After much deliberation, we decided to go to Ireland. We'll be there for about 9 days during the first week of September. Our plan is to tour around the country and we'll be using a local guide we've hired. The country is about the size of Indiana, so we should be able to cover a lot of ground in this amount of time. Of course, we're both really excited and, in particular, I'll be looking for local pubs with live traditional music in the evenings.

Do we have any Forum members in Ireland? Any recommendations from others who have visited there?

my recommendation is that you take me along.

(hey, it was worth a try)

Pat,

If there's is any semblance of a REMOTE possibility of you coming along, you would have to accompany my wife, as I know she is going either with or without me.

Quote:

Pat,

If there's is any semblance of a REMOTE possibility of you coming along, you would have to accompany my wife, as I know she is going either with or without me.

I take it she hopes to catch a U2 concert while she's there...?

good catch!

Not sure if they'll be around or not, but we did find out AFTER making our travel arrangements that Notre Dame (the Fighting Irish) is opening up their college football season with a game against the Naval Academy the day we arrive in Dublin. In other words, the city will be occupied with tens of thousands of crazed football fans while we try to experience local Irish culture.

Doh!

This is not much help but it's a pity you are not going until late October as Kinsale in County Cork has a Jazz and Blues Festival
Kinsale Jazz and Blues Festival Played there many times a decade or so ago.

Go there anyway if you can as it is a beautiful place. I can recommend the fish and chips in almost any restaurant, of which there are many.Oh yeh and great beers

It's a quaint little town and is on the southeast-ish coast of Ireland.

My advice would be, if you had more time to hire a car, get a map, not Sat Nav, and drive round as I did 30+ years ago and so found this country pub/hotel/bar in South Western Ireland. The doors were open so me and the wife strolled in and ordered drinks. The Landlord said he couldn't serve for 30 minutes but we could take a seat and wait, which we did. As we got the maps out he came over and asked us if we wanted a drink while we waited. He found us somwewhere to stay that night as we all got too drunk to even breathe!

and I went everywhere in those days with my 12 string! What a night!
I live in south Wales.

Enjoy your trip.

Alyn

Thanks, Alyn.

Yes - too bad I can't change the dates of my trip. Sounds like you experienced quite a night to remember. I'm hopeful we'll have similar experiences, although I'm not quite the drinker I was in the old days....the Fish and Chips, on the other hand - yum!

I’ve never been to Ireland but I’ve always wanted to go.

My guitar case has been there though! A friend went to Ireland and gigged his way around the country. He bought a heavy duty Mark Leaf case before the trip, but when he got back he was broke so I bought the case from him for about half of what he paid for it.

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/138U-645.htm

Have fun.

Mike, I'm Kelly Green with shamrock green trim with envy. I am 3 generations removed from the "ole sod" but I feel Oyrish blood coursing through me wee veins. I have given up all hope of ever setting foot on me wee motherland so you'll have to enjoy it for me.

I've been to the UK and Europe, Central and South America.

But Scotland and England...

The roads are cute. For the first hundred yards. Every few miles the road is straight. Just for fun. About a football field long. See the drunk horse riders made a trail, and then they made it wider for a cart, then for a carriage, then an auto. But some places they can't make it wider because of chickens or thatched houses. So it goes. A 60 mile jaunt is a journey. A wee ways is a day.

In Scotland even on highways the sign would say, "Oncoming traffic in the middle of the road." Now that might be a lorry. (Truck) Nice.

The roads are so crooked you can't see the scenery. (Especially in England / Scotland /Whales.)

They should have road signs that say Straight Road for 200 yards. They don't need many.

I'm sure some roads go right thru the taverns.

Just a fair warning. And cobblestones.!

I have Ireland on next year's agenda. I just gotta be around for it.

And Don want's his foot amputated. Take it with you. He might have no use for it anyways.

You can have my ears. They are gone. But my eyes still work at distances from 2 feet to 4 feet. Less than 2 feet and I need big glasses. Over 4 feet and I need big glasses but don't wear them.

I have some Irish friends in Dublin, but won't tell you their names. Your wallet wouldn't be safe.

Don't encourage an Irishman by looking at him. You'll end up with a new best friend who uses your money, mostly on beer. Bad idea. Be very polite.

Other JC, I was stationed in Germany for over 5 years and marveled at the fact that many of the buildings bore cornerstones predating Columbus.

I don't have time tonight but I'll write more tomorrow. I'm Irish so I'll give you a few hints

awesome, bupper - thanks!

I have advice. Drink a low cal, packed with good vitamins and other neat things, all in ensuring you don't get to bad water kind of drink. Guinness! Just a pint or two with a Jameisons to top it off. Good Luck.

Are ye headed to the north side?

Donegal, Mike you gotta visit it, my home county, its in north of ireland one of the 9 counties of Ulster, great scenery

A few scenes in this little song I did a year or so ago, plenty more on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI7kx3epFlg

Kerry is also great, if you want great scenery visit the costal counties such as Donegal or kerry, the giants causway in Co Antrim another fine scene to visit.

If driving, if you have the time go over the Mamore Gap in Inishowen Co Donegal.

Hope you enjoy your visit though be warned we have plenty of rain!

Musiclover

I don't think we're going to be on the north side, or the west. From Dublin, we are headed south and spending much of our time in County Killarney and County Kilkenny.
We're going to tour the Dingle peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Doolin Village and wind up back in Dublin. Now, those places should stimulate some new song ideas!

I'll have some strong antibiotics on hand in case there is any difficulty with adjusting to the change in food or water. Thanks for the tips!

Musiclover - love your song 'Donegal Girl'..

Good choices Mike, the food will be fine no worries there, its just if a person suffers from chest infections (like I do) the wet damp weather can get to you, but then who knows we even get surprises here, weather might be great.

Hope you have a good enjoyable stay

musiclover

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Musiclover - love your song 'Donegal Girl'..

Ditto.

Don S.

@ Mandolin Mike, I'm from County Kerry (of which Killarney is part of, there is no county killarney). Still busy but have nearly finished so will write tomorrow

bupper - yes, County Kerry. A good bit of our time will be spent in Killarney and taking day trips to see other places..i look forward to your input!