Crowdsourcing travel

[liv]

So if you had a week in Ireland, what would you prioritize doing? Where would you go?

So I keep meaning to do the thing where I take a random few days to travel in Europe, only I never get round to organizing it. But this time darcydodo prompted me, as she's in Dublin for a conference and has a few days to travel afterwards. So this is the plan for the last week in June. And we really do need to get it sorted out fairly fast as we've left it somewhat late.

I'm arriving in Dublin Saturday evening, via rail+sail from Holyhead, which I'm quite looking forward to. We have all of Sunday through Wednesday as yet unscheduled, and I'm flying to Stansted Thursday evening. (I would rather not fly, but given I'm trying to get to the east of England, rail isn't quite feasible.) Darcy is going to hire a car, though she's a bit nervous of driving on the left. And we're aiming to head out of the capital on Sunday, stay in one or maybe two places we can use as a base for day trips, and have maybe a day or so in Dublin at the end.

I asked Darcy to give me an idea where she wants to go so I could go ahead and look for accommodation, but she said she's overwhelmed by choice. So I'm asking the internet for ideas. We're interested in history, especially older history, and in walking in the countryside though probably not serious hiking. And we like food, though we're somewhat less interested in beer or whiskey than some tourists in Ireland might be. We're both Jewish, but we're not exactly going to boycott Christianity related tourism, that would be a bit of a strange attitude to take to visiting Ireland. I've spent a very little time in Dublin before, a couple of day trips only, and I don't think Darcy's ever been to Ireland. So don't be afraid to suggest the absolutely obvious things.

So, what should we see? Where is a good general area to use as a base for travelling? If you happen to know a specific company / establishment that would be a good place to stay, please do share. And any general advice would be appreciated.

Also, if you would like a postcard, please tell me your address. Poll answers are only viewable to me. International is fine; I'm planning to use a postcard sending app that works for most countries. And don't assume I already know your address, I'll use this post as my postcard-sending checklist:

Poll #17509 Address

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 5

What address should I send a postcard to?

I'm a bit nervous about going travelling with my ex; I mean, I am extremely grateful that we're still friends, but I have a slight hesitation about a week with just the two of us visiting places that like to advertise how romantic they are. I worry it's a bit like with adult siblings falling back into the pattern of how they used to interact as teenagers. But actually I'm sure we'll be fine and the worst that will happen is that I'll feel a bit heart-sore at being reminded of what might have been.

Comments

[seekingferret]

Being in Dublin on Bloomsday (June 16th) seems like it'd be quite the thing. My only time in Dublin was a two hour layover in the airport heading home from London, but if I had more time I would have done all the Ulysses tourism.

[marymac]

IF you do nothing else, go to Bru na Boine. It's astonishing and there isn't much else like it. It's also dead handy out of Dublin and there are a lot of free, open-access monastic (Monasterboice or Mellifont on a sunny day are beautiful) and Neolithic sites in the area. My mother's people are from Meath so I've spent a lot of time down there. Good food to be had down that way also.

In terms of driving - if Darcy is nervous driving on the left, I would keep to options that keep you on the motorway and main roads as much as possible. The Wild Atlantic Way is the one of the more stunning drives you will ever do in your life, but it is not one to do if it's your first time driving left or you're not used to rural roads and playing the !tractor/!sheep/!donkey/!German cyclist game.

For gentle walking, I would go to Glendalough. It's up in the Wicklow Hills, again, just outside Dublin.

Within Dublin, Dvblinia is a pretty nice introduction to the Viking city. Christ Church, next door, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city and if the Bell Warden is about, do take his tour up the tower. He's mad as a bag of cats and utterly wonderful.

The National Museum's Archaeology collection is in Kildare Street and it is worth visiting at least Or (the Celtic gold collection) and Kingship and Sacrifice (the bog bodies).

If you're feeling up to three hours on the extremely boring M4, Galway is gorgeous and a good gateway into Connemara, Aran Islands and the Burren. It also has the advantage that there are scads of tours if the rural roads get too much.

[ambyr]

Seconding Bru na Boine--Newgrange was the highlight of my trip to Ireland. (We managed it without a car, but the various bus shenanigans were time-consuming; if you can drive, do.)

[marymac]

Oh god, yes. I mean, we're firmly in holiday season (Eire schools let out on Monday, the North next Friday) so there are more heritage routes running but CIE is set up to get people to work and school and trying to tourist on public transport outside the cities gets ridiculous very fast.

[ambyr]

Yes--we bused up to Slane, spent the night there, and then walked to Newgrange from Slane, which would actually have been quite pleasant if we'd 1) successfully found the footpath that we were later assured did exist, instead of walking down the shoulder of the road, and 2) hadn't been doing it in the pouring rain. As it was, it was quite an adventure.

[lovingboth]

I don't remember anything unmissable in Dublin itself - the gold and the bodies are interesting, but my favourite bit was the history of the nation section which ends with the British leaving. Civil war? What civil war?

I must do the Wild Atlantic Way.

[alexseanchai]

POSTCARD! I hope you don't mind me asking for one since I don't think we've actually interacted all that much? But at the present rate of progress on my debt I ain't never gonna be able to afford to make it to Ireland myself, and a postcard to stick on my wall as art and reminder of what I'm trying to save for would be lovely. :)

That being the case, I know fuck-all about where in Ireland you should go. Except one thing: the Hill of Tara (link goes to a tourism site) is probably the most famous spot on the isle for pre-Christian history.

[hilarita]

In Dublin - you should go to the Chester Beatty Museum. It's excellent.
Seconding Glendalough - early Christian ruins (and some less ruined bit), and some gentle or slightly less gentle walking, if that's your thing.
Clonmacnois is good, if a bit further away from Dublic IIRC, but it's also just off the main road to Galway, so the driving is generally a bit easier than Glendalough.

[just_ann_now]

*random passerby stops to say, "The Chester Beatty Museum! Absolutely!"*

[lomedet]

I am a Yeats person rather than a Joyce one, so I have a (possibly irrational) love for Sligo. Innisfree!

I remember having a lovely walking holiday in Wicklow, during which we had an incredible meal here: http://www.avoca.com/explore/our-gardens/avoca-gardens/

If you go west, Galway is always fun (strange and decadent things happen to me there), and the Cliffs of Moher are seriously spectacular.

(caveat: I lived in Dublin for three months in 1997, visited Ireland again in 2000 and was last there in '05. so, y'know, take all recommendations with the requisite amount of salt)

[lethargic_man]

nthing Newgrange/Knowth (seriously ancient ruins) and Glendalough (mediaeval ruins, nice walk in the countryside with lake, forest; if you want more walking you might be able to continue up the valley).

The Giant's Causeway is a bit of a shlep up to the north coast; don't know whether you'd consider it your thing. I'm going to assume the west coast is further than you'd consider going.

Also, postcard, please. :o)

[marymac]

Although if you do happen to schlep up north am happy to supply pubs and/or relief driving!

[liv]

Hello, can I prod you to fill in the poll and tell me your postal address? Or tell me by some other means. I can't send you postcards unless I know your address!

[cjwatson]

I massively love the Giant's Causeway but it is certainly quite a trek from where you're planning to be. Do remember of course that lots of the road network is not anything like English or American standards, particularly out west in Connacht but even say through quite substantial parts of Northern Ireland; fine if you're doing a leisurely meander around amazing scenery, not so much if you need to get somewhere in a hurry.

[mair_in_grenderich]

fwiw, my experience in europe is that keeping to the correct side of the road is easy in a hire car, because the steering wheel and everything are lined up in the right place for you. I just opened the window a couple of times when I meant to change gear, but I got over that fast enough.

[mathcathy]

We had a wonderful gentle walk around the Howth peninsula just outside Dublin when we were there a fortnight ago. All along the coast, gentle ups and downs with hidden beaches.
There are some great restaurants, cafes and chippies in the town too. If you'd like a great Air B & B recommendation there then let me know.

[shreena]

You could go here - https://paradiso.restaurant