Greetings from Ireland, we hope you are
keeping well.
This website is intended to be helpful to those who are traveling to Ireland
for a holiday.
It includes attractions and lodgings for
all the counties in Ireland
as well as important links for information in these
counties.
Our site is designed to help tourists maximize their
enjoyment of this garden in the universe we call Ireland whether it be the
first time or the fortieth time they have visited the
emerald isle. We have listed a number of day hikes
in the drop-downs to the left and will
respond to any requests for
specific tours in Ireland.
Email me with your plans and I'll be happy to suggest a
suitable company to work with you.
How to use this site
The navigation at the upper left will give you links
to weather, trips, tips, and about everything you'll need
to know when going to Ireland.
Put your mouse on the links to the upper left and you will see
two or three levels of drop-downs where you will find
everything from surf reports to golf.
We also have maps, links to planes, trains and ferries as
well as tips on such things as buying a pint.
The links below them are to web sites of lodging and to
the various counties in Ireland. On our county pages, we
have compiled as many lodgings with email address we could
find and we're adding when we can find them. We also have photo links to
places to stay.
One thing to note is, most lodgings in Ireland, with the
exception of self catering (weekly rentals) provide breakfast with the
price of the room. These breakfasts are hearty and we
suggest making them the main meal.
We welcome any tips on traveling to Ireland at our new
Blog page (click here).
About Ireland
The first thing you will notice in Ireland is the place is
in ruins (that was a joke). The Irish cherish their past.
In
Western Ireland, alone, there are at least 3,000 earthen and stone
forts, 130 megalithic tombs, 300 castles, 250 ancient
churches, seven cathedrals, 12 monasteries, 20 stone crosses,
15 round towers and numerous lesser monuments. We have a
number of links to these places.
Tips
In order to further enhance the joyous occasion of your
holiday in Ireland, we have
put together a number of tips for your travel. They are as
follows.
Tip 1:
Hire the smallest car
you are comfortable driving and one big enough to hold all
your suitcases and golf clubs, etc. (if the misses nudges
in close, all the better for that second honeymoon). The
roads are narrow in Ireland and they are
quite safe but rock walls are closer than they appear in
the mirrors and, after all, many of you have learned to
drive on the wrong side of the road anyway.
Tip 2: Get away from the big cities and spend some time in
the villages. The Irish people are the nicest in
the world and they will show you more of the real
Ireland than you will ever find on the beaten path. Keep
in mind, once you walk into a pub, you could be anywhere
in the country so it doesn't really matter where you go,
now does it?
Tip 3: Throw away the notion the Irish are not good cooks.
They are excellent bakers and cooks, and you will soon
find they
are generous to a fault. The Irish remember the lean
times and will never send anyone away hungry.
Tip 4: When going into a pub, sit at the bar and ask if
you can join the locals in their conversation. They will
respect you for it and, although there hasn't yet been born
an introverted Irishman, they will generally ignore you if
you sit at a table away from the bar. The tables are where
they go to eat when they don't want to be bothered.
Tip 5: If you stay at a B&B, make friends with your hosts.
Sometimes they will even join you for a pint if you ask
them. We have hundreds of links to B&B's here and you
should feel free to email them and ask their current price. What you'll see
listed on most sites is the maximum they can charge under
their contract with Bord Failte.
Tip 6: When shopping, take some time to talk to the clerk
checking you out. They expect it in Ireland. They are
people, too, and if you don't
ask them about their day, they might think you are being
aloof. Don't be in a hurry. Develop a sense of whimsy. Be
at
one with the Slainte.
Tip 7: Feel free to bargain with local shopkeepers
(to a point of course). There's such a thing as "luck
money" and the owners of shops many times believe luck
will come to them if they knock down the price just a bit.
In fact, mention the term "luck money" and see if their
eyebrows raise.
Terms (words) not to use
-
Four-leaf clover (it's not really a shamrock, you know)
-
Top 'o the morning (nobody says this)
-
B'Gourra (actually, I've heard this once)
-
Leprechauns (Fairies yes, Leprechauns no)
Have a grand visit, and if you have a specific request for
lodging or other information on Ireland, feel free to
email
me.
Warm regards,
Jim Kelly
Counties in Ireland
Antrim Armagh
Carlow Cavan
Clare
Cork
Derry Donegal
Down Dublin
Fermanagh Galway
Kerry Kildare
Kilkenny
Laois Leitrim
Limerick Longford
Louth Mayo
Meath Monaghan
Offaly Roscommon
Sligo Tipperary
Tyrone Waterford
Westmeath Wexford
Wicklow
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