continued from Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 3
WEST FROM CORK
THE RING OF KERRY
But if you have time once you reach Cork why not press on to the far southwest, to the famous Ring of Kerry. It is a ring of roads going around the lovely lakes of Killarney. It is an exceptionally unspoilt blue-green landscape in an already amazingly mon-modernized country.
As you go from Cork to Kerry, you can take a quick stop at the lovely sailing center of Baltimore. Or, you can get a boat to take you out to the Blasket Islands, made famous by the book The Islandman, where the Irish-speaking community kept to the old ways long after the rest of Ireland had started to become modernized.
The Gap of Dunloe is a famous tourist spot in the Ring of Kerry area. As the name suggests, it is a gap between the mountains.The views are incredible, and it has also been made famous, or infamous, for the Irish jaunting car rides you can take there.
I say infamous because they cost a small fortune, and they don’t actually go through the pass, just up to the small bridge where you ford the river, and back again to the pub where you can hire them.
But you CAN drive through the Gap of Dunloe yourself, if you have a good rental car and don’t mind taking your time on a leisurely 10 mile an hour view of the sights.

The gap has very unusual pale white soil, so be warned, and it will muck up your car big time and you might want to head to a car wash before you return it to the rental place if you have time.

The road is steep both going up and coming down, but the view is breathtaking, mountains, lakes, sea and sky. Just take it slowly, and remember which side of the road you are meant to be driving on –you would be amazed at how many people forget.

Driving through the Gap of Dunloe brings you back down around onto the flat plains and lake area again, which also has many little forests. If you look carefully enough, you will be able to see small sitka deer, European red deer, and the native Irish gray deer, about the size of a small moose with impressive antlers.

So going through the Gap is a great drive if you want to see the sights and don’t have any set plans except to wander and see where you end up. There are no really large towns in this area part from Kenmare, but there are numerous places to stay throughout the area. You never have to worry about chancing your luck with a B and B. They are always inspected and so of a very high standard.

There is so much accommodation around the Ring of Kerry, all pretty much at a set price depending on double, single, with or wthout shared bathroom, that you can’t really go very far wrong if you just want to drive around and see what you find. Even people who are not running an official B and B often take tourists in for a bit of extra money.

For more information on this popular tourist spot with foreigners and Irish alike, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_of_Dunloe

http://www.killarney.ac/gdtour.html

Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 5

continued from
Planning Your Your Trip to Ireland Part 2
WEST FROM WATERFORD
Lismore Castle near Dungarvan is a must-see. It’s owned by the same family who own Chatsworth in Derbyshire in England, which was the model for Darcy’s great house Pemberley in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The Castle grounds alone are worth looking at, but the whole countryside is remarkable.
Another amazing town slightly inland as you are heading west from Waterford is the medieval one of Kilkenny, containing one of the best-preserved medieval castles in all of Ireland, if not Europe. The town has a great atmosphere, and many fine pubs and restaurants. You could easily spend a whole day in the castle and still not think it was enough.
CORK
Once you arrive in Cork, you will want to take in all the local attractions of this bustling city. It is a lively town, smaller than Dublin, with an atmosphere of its very own. (see Part 2 for more details)
You could head from Cork back to Dublin via whichever route you didn’t take to get south, so, either through the Midland, or via Waterford.
Or, you can easily head up to Shannon from Cork to get the plane home to America.
Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 4

Continued from Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 2

For the sake of clarity and convenience, starting from Dublin, we are going to make our suggestions in a clockwise direction around the country.

OUTSIDE DUBLIN:
CORK
Ireland’s second city, Cork is a magnet for lovers of history and culture. It has its own opera house, museum, art gallery, cathedral and an eerie 19th century jail!
Cork also has a lively night scene and many pubs where traditional Irish folk music is often performed. A popular day trip from the city is a visit to Blarney Castle, or to the lovely sailing town of Baltimore.
Cork is in relatively easy driving distance of Dublin, but with rental cars so cheap these days (even if the gas isn’t!) you might want to drive from Dublin, stoppping at some other interesting places on the way. And you might also consider starting your romantic honeymoon in Ireland landing at Dublin, but going home via Shannon Airport in the west, not that far from Cork.
FROM DUBLIN:
Southwest to Cork
So, what can you see on your way to Cork from Dublin?
If you start heading south west straight away, you can visit the great hill fort of Tara, where the high kings of Ireland were inaugurated for centuries. The views for miles and collections of historic artefacts are fascinating.
The center of the country is horse country, and there are many fine loughs and stud farms.
SOUTH FROM DUBLIN
If you have more time to tour, you can head south past powerscourt mansion and some remarkable waterfalls, though the lovely town of Glendalough, made famous through the BBC filming so many TV series there, such as Ballykissangel. The Vale of Avoca is a lovely unspoilt glen only a short drive from the big city.
In the southeast of the country stands the ancient city of Waterford which is enclosed by medieval city walls. The city hall and the Bishop’s Palace both date back to the Georgian era.
Many of the narrow alleyways which wind through Waterford has existed since early medieval times, when it was a great Viking settlement, along with nearby Wexford. There are lovely churches in Waterford, including the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Also nearby is the John F Kennedy Memorial Park, a lovely area and moving tribute to the unbreakable ties Ireland and America have.
Moving around the coast from Wexford and Waterford are the fascinating seaside towns of Dungarvan and Youghal. Anyone who has ever read The Irish RM books or seen the shows on TV will love this picturesque area.
Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 3

Why not spend your vacation exploring the Emerald Isle – Ireland!
Ireland is a beautiful, unspoilt country for the most part, with miles of vibrant landscapes and seascapes just waiting to be explored.
Ireland never fails to charm every visitor, and the Irish people are easily the friendliest in Europe, if not the world. Best of all, they speak English!
Ireland embodies romance, with its unspoilt beauty, relaxed pace, terrific food and accommodation to suit every budget, and of course, rainbows!
DUBLIN
The colorful Irish capital, Dublin, is divided in two by the River Liffey. The only problem knows where to begin exploring! There is so much to see and do in the city, especially if you like culture, history, and good food, music and entertainment.
The wide avenues and lush green parks like St. Stephen’s Green of greenery are ideal vantage points to admire the countless Georgian buildings that dominate the capital.
Dublin also has many magnificent structures from earlier times, particulart the cathedrals of St. Patrick’s and Christ Church, and castles.
Trinity College, the Bank of Ireland, and the Post Office are a few other examples of Dublin’s unique architecture. Visit the college to see one of the oldest manuscripts in existence, the illuminated Book of Kells, which dates from 800AD.
Dublin Castle is 13th century. Christ Church is even older, from the time the Vikings first invaded and then settled Ireland, about 900 AD. The interpretive history center Dubliana, in a building adjoining Christ church, is a must-see trip back in time so you can learn all about the history of the city. It was one of the first and still the best interpretive museums in the world.
Dublin also boasts a wide range of fine museums, restaurants and pubs, plus a great zoo and some excellent live theatre, including the historic Abbey, Peacock, Gate and Gaiety. It is a lively, youthful city, and definitely prospering thanks to the Celtic Tiger economy which has been booming since about 1996.
The best thing about Dublin is that everything is in easy walking distance, so get a map and don’t be shy about asking for directions. Also don’t be shy about going into pubs, and into any of the Bewley’s around Ireland, great coffee houses with full menus. Any Starbuck’s fan is sure to adore Bewley’s.
Dublin is also a major transport hub to get to the 4 corners of Ireland. The main Irish airport is Shannon in the west if you are coming from America, but you can get flights from Dublin to pretty much any place in Ireland or the world now.

Continues in
Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 2