Ireland

Hello darling,

Sorry for the long delay - it's been a busy couple of weeks over this way. Two weeks is a nice but short bit of time through Ireland. You can defintely see the major sites and get a bit of culture in there. My main advice would be to keep time in Dublin short - it's not the 'real Ireland'. There's a free walking tour through Sandeman you can sign up for online and that's really good. Have a very overpriced pint in Temple Bar and maybe visit the Guiness factory. All of that could be done in a day and then get out (either by rental car or tours) to the rest of the country. I picked up driving on the left side of the road quickly - it's all about how comfortable you are with trying!

When it comes to where you should go, we suggest go straight down to Cork. Hit the Cliffs then head to Kerry. n Kerry, do Killarney and the Ring of Kerry (you've lucked out if the weather is behaving because it is beautiful). Travel North and you can stop at Burren (which is in Claire) which is a big limestone landscape (this could be done in a day). Then you go do a day in Listoonvarna (a verrrrryyyy Irish town - you will get your culture fix here!). Hit all the pubs here - very good craic. From there - hit Galway (very small / could be done in 1-2 days). It's a good group of people - esp. if you go to the smaller towns out West. You'll notice a lot of Irish using horse and carts, all the old stone walls, etc. And then make your way back up to Dublin. If you didn't want to set your tour in stone you could decide during your visit how long you want to stay where. Over on this side, we tend to be a bit more relaxed when it comes to travel and there's loads of B&Bs and stuff who will take you in same day.

The summer is probably the most active time to come. What time of year are you going? The Galway Races are in August and that's a mental time to go. It's so much fun. The Rose of Tralee is on in Kerry sometime in the summer. There's even the 'Kissing Festival' Listoonvarna - not sure if this is the technical name but it is wild (and hilarious). All the farmers come through looking for love (it's really as funny as it sounds) and the village goes mental for the weekend. Everyone is up for a big party and a bit of craic. The best weather is around the summer months too (but never guranteed).

There's a couple more adventrous activities towards the North if you're really keen on the water (mostly surfing). Sligo and Donegal is fantastic and really beautiful to explore. There's a great pub .. it's hard to explain how it is great without it sounding a bit odd. It's called Brennan's Pub in Bundoran. It's a pair of sisters who have lived together their entire life (never married) and run it out of their cottage. So you actually go into their home for a pint. It's fantastic. And you meet some of the best people in there. There's a lot of hillwalking and stuff through Kilarney and Wicklow hills. Also, Brittas Bay in Wicklow (just south of Dublin) is a nice beachy town with some water sports for hire (on nice days). The beach walks there are nice too.

Hope this is helpful! If you needed anymore information feel free to ask. We're through all the time so we could always look something up for you.

Best wishes,

Carly

Forgot to say! We're getting married in Ontario because I'm orignially from Northern Ontario. My entire family are there and a lot of them cannot travel. We'll immigrate back home sometime as well - so showing it off to all of his family.

Hi,

Firstly, love your name! Secondly, that's amazing! I do have a few questions. So I know I have to visit Dublin, Galway (b/c it's close to the Cliffs of Moher) but is there anywhere else you suggest to visit? Cork? Killarney? Keeping in mind we will probably only be able to go for 14 ish days. How long should we spend at each place? Obviously there is a TON of sight seeing to do, anything specific we should check out? Are there other attractions besides sightseeing that would be fun to do? Anything in the water? etc.

By the way...how come you chose to get married in Ontario?!

Carleigh

Hello,We live between Ireland and Scotland (I'm Canadian and my fiancé is Irish). We'll be getting married in Ontario, Canada next year. If you have any specific questions re:Ireland ask away and we'd be happy to discuss / advise. Many thanks,Carly

It's a very laid back place to be. Most of my days were just spent wandering around. It would be a relaxing trip for sure!

So helpful! Thank you so much! I have looked up the Cliffs of Moher etc. and they look absolutely breathtaking. I seriously think we'll be going to Ireland over Italy. Not that one is better than the other, this one just seems like more of a trip we'd enjoy just the two of us!

I've been to Ireland twice and it's probably one of my favourite places in the world. The last time was in 2009 so some things might have changed since. The first time I just went for a weekend (during a European backpacking trip) and the second, I stayed with a friend for two weeks while she was living in Galway.

I don't think you need to do a package deal. It's really easy to navigate there. if you're not opposed to hostels, I would look into private rooms at hostels if you want to save money.

Dublin is awesome and exactly what you think it's going to be. Pubs, anywhere in Ireland will be a good time.

There are two things I think you absolutely have to include in your trip both of these day trips were from leaving from Galway. There were a lot of sightseeing stands where you could just show up and buy a ticket. They are a full 6-8 hours and make several stops along the way but these were the highlights:

- The Aran Islands: They are off the west coast of Ireland and you get there by ferry. When I was there I took a day trip and it cost about 20-25 Euro (I can't recall exactly) so it's probably 30-35 Euro now. It was a truly magical day even though it was raining the whole time. It was literally my favourite part of the trip. Google it.

- Cliffs of Moher: It was similar to the price of the Aran Islands trip. Cliffs of Moher is so spectacular and it's a must see.

I can't speak to the rest of the country but I'm fairly certain that all of Ireland is just beautiful and lovely. I think you'll have a great time wherever you go. I should note that I don't think you really need to rent a car. I was just find on bus (There was a 5 euro bus ride from Dublin to Galway when I was there) and all the cities I've been in were so easy to navigate by bus or on foot.

I can't wait to hear about your trip!