Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

[email protected] (Mortis) wrote:

    >Any comments or suggestions?
    >Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.
    >Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
    >Galway 2 nights
    >Dingle 2 nights
    >Kenmare 2 nights
    >Kinsale 1 night
    >Waterford 2 nights
    >Kilkenny 2 nights
    >Dublin 3 nights
Too much driving, not enough stopping.

I presume that you include Waterford primarily for "The Glass". While
the city has other minor attractions, it is not a first-class
destination.

You can see crystal glass being made and cut in Galway, and cut
Waterford from your itinerary. More time in Galway is A Good Thing.
Connemara beckons.

I see a Ring of Kerry in your programme. It's over-rated, and the
Dingle peninsula offers some similar scenery (see if you can get the
boat trip from Dunquin to the Blasket Islands, for one of the most
enchanting places on this planet). From Dingle, head for Kenmare, give
it one night, and work through west Cork.

Kinsale is very pretty, and offers great dining. Waste a bit of time
in Clonakilty, which is west of Kinsale.

Be sure to visit Kilkenny Castle.

PB

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

"mul" wrote:

    >Unless you want to do the tourist thing [Guinness brewery,ect] 3 nights in
    >Dublin is too long a stay,,,

It is a tourist itinerary that we are invited to comment on.

There is plenty to see and do in Dublin.

PB

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

[email protected] (me) wrote:

    > Irelands natural beauty is often overlooked trying to get to it's
    >more "man made" attractions. Padraig doesn't like the Ring of Kerry,
    >and to some extent I understand why, but the Gap of Dunlow is a
    >lovely walk on a nice day. I'd suggest BOTH it and Dingle.
I like the Ring of Kerry -- just not enough to give it a full day on a
short trip when one has also got the Dingle peninsula on the
programme.

The best part of it is between Killarney and Kenmare, which you can
get without doing the full circuit.

    >Up north I'd advise the Cliffs of Moher. Basically, if you're gonna
    >do that much driving, be sure to get out of the car as often
    >as possible, even if just to have a close up look at the peat.
Funny: I don't know why people like the Cliff of Moher so much -- but
they do. Not my kind of thing. I'll tell you this: if you went there
today, you would not like them; there's a cold wind driving heavy
showers.

PB

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

Allan Melttzer wrote:
    >Padraig Breathnach wrote:
    >> [email protected] (Mortis) wrote:
    >>
    >>
    >>>Any comments or suggestions?
    >>>Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.
    >>>Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
    >>>Galway 2 nights
    >>>Dingle 2 nights
    >>>Kenmare 2 nights
    >>>Kinsale 1 night
    >>>Waterford 2 nights
    >>>Kilkenny 2 nights
    >>>Dublin 3 nights
    >>
    >> Too much driving, not enough stopping.
    >I think many first time visitors to Ireland make the "too much driving"
    >mistake. I did the first time I visited. As the plane past over
    >Ireland on the way back home ( London to Ottawa) I vowed I would never
    >do that again. That was in 1987 and we haven't.
    >We've gone back six times since and for all of our trips we choose one
    >area and and get to know it.
Good for you. I hope you continue your programme!

There is another way to see things: if you think you are likely to
make only one visit ever, or if you are making an initial visit, it
might be a good idea to get an overview. But there is still a balance
between driving and stopping to be worked out.

PB

Ireland Itinerary
 

Any comments or suggestions?
Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.

Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
Galway 2 nights
Dingle 2 nights
Kenmare 2 nights
Kinsale 1 night
Waterford 2 nights
Kilkenny 2 nights
Dublin 3 nights

Thanks

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 00:24:46 GMT, in a clarity of expression
resembling Cicero, [email protected] (Mortis) wrote:

    >Any comments or suggestions?
    >Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.
    >Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
    >Galway 2 nights
    >Dingle 2 nights
    >Kenmare 2 nights
    >Kinsale 1 night
    >Waterford 2 nights
    >Kilkenny 2 nights
    >Dublin 3 nights
    >Thanks

First question: what activities do you like to do? (Tough to judge
otherwise.) Offhand, I think you're in Dublin too long.

Frank Lynch
The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
http://www.samueljohnson.com/

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 00:47:18 GMT, Frank Lynch
wrote:

    >First question: what activities do you like to do? (Tough to judge
    >otherwise.) Offhand, I think you're in Dublin too long.

for Dublin I'm planning on the Guiness Brewery, the book of
Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the national
museum and a trip up to Newgrange one morning.

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

Newmarket on Fergus is a village,,Ennis would be a better choice,5 miles
from NOF lots of nightlife there,,
You will be backtracking by going north to Galway, then south to
Dingle,,though you can get the ferry [near Ennis] from Kimhill across the
Shannon to Co Kerry. [Tarbert] then south to Tralee and Dingle.
The towns listed are worth visiting,,make sure you go west from Dingle,the
best of the coastline around Slea head and the Blasket Islands, try Dick
Macs pub on Green Street in Dingle,
Kinsale is noted for its Resaurants..
Unless you want to do the tourist thing [Guinness brewery,ect] 3 nights in
Dublin is too long a stay,,,

mul










"Mortis" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Any comments or suggestions?
    > Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.
    > Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
    > Galway 2 nights
    > Dingle 2 nights
    > Kenmare 2 nights
    > Kinsale 1 night
    > Waterford 2 nights
    > Kilkenny 2 nights
    > Dublin 3 nights
    > Thanks

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

On Fri, 07 Mar 2003 10:01:05 +0000, in a clarity of expression
resembling Cicero, Padraig Breathnach wrote:

    >"mul" wrote:
    >>Unless you want to do the tourist thing [Guinness brewery,ect] 3 nights in
    >>Dublin is too long a stay,,,
    >It is a tourist itinerary that we are invited to comment on.
    >There is plenty to see and do in Dublin.
    >PB

THAT is actually why I asked what his interests are. Some people,
even though by definition a tourist, might care more about fishing &
hiking than standing on the steps of the PO. Yes, Dublin has plenty
to do and see -- but depending on the interests, a suggested mix might
drop the Castle tour and replace it with time in Phoenix Park, or more
time elsewhere, such as the ruins in Fern.

I can't presume for the OP, but the way I build itineraries is more
around "what do I want to do," "what's the proper mix of those
activities," and "what locations will produce that," with, as you
said, minimal driving. Without knowing what the OP likes to do (as
opposed to what he wants to see in Dublin) to me it feels as if the
original question is backwards.

Our trip to Ireland we made exactly the mistake you pointed out:
driving half a day everyday, and not enough enjoying.

Frank Lynch
The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
http://www.samueljohnson.com/

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 01:18:17 GMT, in a clarity of expression
resembling Cicero, [email protected] (Mortis) wrote:

    >On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 00:47:18 GMT, Frank Lynch
    > wrote:
    >>First question: what activities do you like to do? (Tough to judge
    >>otherwise.) Offhand, I think you're in Dublin too long.
    >
    >for Dublin I'm planning on the Guiness Brewery, the book of
    >Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the national
    >museum and a trip up to Newgrange one morning.

These are all good things to do, and I can't comment on whether or not
you've allotted the proper amount of time. It sounds like you and I
have different approaches to allotting time? My approach, as I
mention elsewhere, is to think about what I want to do overall, the
proper mix, and then find places to do it, with minimal driving. Last
August in the UK, for instance, with a kid in tow, we figured out how
many animal-type attractions we would need to keep the kid unit happy,
the tolerance for museums & castles, my desires for hiking, etc., and
then sat down with a Blue Guide, maps, and figured out our stops from
that.

Also, re Ireland, allow yourself some flexibility. If you're driving,
you may want to allow the odd couple hours for a side trip to a small
town along your route, discovered by chance. IIRC when we were on our
way to Cork we stopped off in Ardmore on a whim, saw the pottery, the
old round tower (ca 1100 AD?) and had a pleasant walk. Elsewhere we
stopped to talk to cows (they didn't talk back), or to walk through
abandoned missionary ruins (near Croom?), and in Fern.

All of this, of course, is according to your tastes. If you're the
kind of person who likes to have it all carefully planned out, then go
ahead and do so, but IMO you'll be missing a lot of what Ireland has
to offer if you won't be spontaneous.

Frank Lynch
The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
http://www.samueljohnson.com/

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

    > Also, re Ireland, allow yourself some flexibility. If you're driving,
    > you may want to allow the odd couple hours for a side trip to a small
    > town along your route, discovered by chance. IIRC when we were on our
    > way to Cork we stopped off in Ardmore on a whim, saw the pottery, the
    > old round tower (ca 1100 AD?) and had a pleasant walk. Elsewhere we
    > stopped to talk to cows (they didn't talk back),

Why not - they always talk back to me - maybe you didn't have enough of the
black stuff.
Oh and the leprechauns always leave me a little present if I leave some milk
out for them.

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

In article , [email protected]
(Padraig Breathnach) wrote:


    > I see a Ring of Kerry in your programme. It's over-rated, and the
    > Dingle peninsula offers some similar scenery (see if you can get the
    > boat trip from Dunquin to the Blasket Islands, for one of the most
    > enchanting places on this planet).

There's also a superb museum of folk life etc. on the mainland opposite
the Blaskets, IIRC.

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

Padraig Breathnach wrote in message news:...
    > [email protected] (Mortis) wrote:
    >
    > >Any comments or suggestions?
    > >Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.
    > >
    > >Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
    > >Galway 2 nights
    > >Dingle 2 nights
    > >Kenmare 2 nights
    > >Kinsale 1 night
    > >Waterford 2 nights
    > >Kilkenny 2 nights
    > >Dublin 3 nights
    > >
    > Too much driving, not enough stopping.

Agreed.

    > I presume that you include Waterford primarily for "The Glass". While
    > the city has other minor attractions, it is not a first-class
    > destination.
    >
    > You can see crystal glass being made and cut in Galway, and cut
    > Waterford from your itinerary. More time in Galway is A Good Thing.
    > Connemara beckons.

And can be a point of departure daily for many sites in that
area.

    > I see a Ring of Kerry in your programme. It's over-rated, and the
    > Dingle peninsula offers some similar scenery (see if you can get the
    > boat trip from Dunquin to the Blasket Islands, for one of the most
    > enchanting places on this planet). From Dingle, head for Kenmare, give
    > it one night, and work through west Cork.

I'd throw in Cashel there somewhere. Pretty place and you can
get a quick "fast food" kinda history of Ireland there.

    > Kinsale is very pretty, and offers great dining. Waste a bit of time
    > in Clonakilty, which is west of Kinsale.
    >
    > Be sure to visit Kilkenny Castle.

Irelands natural beauty is often overlooked trying to get to it's
more "man made" attractions. Padraig doesn't like the Ring of Kerry,
and to some extent I understand why, but the Gap of Dunlow is a
lovely walk on a nice day. I'd suggest BOTH it and Dingle.
Up north I'd advise the Cliffs of Moher. Basically, if you're gonna
do that much driving, be sure to get out of the car as often
as possible, even if just to have a close up look at the peat.

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

Padraig Breathnach wrote:
    > [email protected] (Mortis) wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Any comments or suggestions?
    >>Flying into Shannon and out of Dublin for a total of 15 nights.
    >>Newmarket-on-Fergus 1 night
    >>Galway 2 nights
    >>Dingle 2 nights
    >>Kenmare 2 nights
    >>Kinsale 1 night
    >>Waterford 2 nights
    >>Kilkenny 2 nights
    >>Dublin 3 nights
    >
    > Too much driving, not enough stopping.


I think many first time visitors to Ireland make the "too much driving"
mistake. I did the first time I visited. As the plane past over
Ireland on the way back home ( London to Ottawa) I vowed I would never
do that again. That was in 1987 and we haven't.

We've gone back six times since and for all of our trips we choose one
area and and get to know it.

Allan

Re: Ireland Itinerary
 

Brian wrote:

    >On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 13:03:42 -0500, Allan Melttzer
    > wrote:
    >>I think many first time visitors to Ireland make the "too much driving"
    >>mistake. I did the first time I visited. As the plane past over
    >>Ireland on the way back home ( London to Ottawa) I vowed I would never
    >>do that again. That was in 1987 and we haven't.
    >I think it comes from the size of the place, particularly if you;re
    >used to covering larger distances. I've never been able to average
    >more than 40 mph over any kind of distance in Ireland - and I'm Irish
    >and know the roads.You can't get from Dublin to Galway in a couple of
    >hours without a stop, so if you *do* stop for any length of time en
    >route, its going to take all day or longer.
Broadly true, but just a little exaggerated.

I plan my journeys on the expectation of averaging 50 mph on main
roads, 40 mph on secondary roads, stops extra. Special considerations
apply to some routes, such as traversing cities or some large towns
(many of our towns are not bypassed).

PB