Ireland....Must See

[Fitz]

We are taking a trip to Ireland. We are taking my Mum along. She is thrilled. Despite my name, I am not all that Irish. Dublin and Belfast are on the agenda so far, Giants Causeway to satisfy the geologist in me and daughter. I am polling the forum for other must sees. Any ideas?

Fitz

[Peerie Maa]

Dublin is a must, we have spent a week there, and could do so again.
New Granger https://www.newgrange.com/ is also a must.
The Antrim coast, which includes the Giant's Causeway, is worth doing in its entirety..
Kirsty ans I spent a few days in Belfast, when she was looking at the Uni. We were not impressed. It came across as an industrial town rather than a cultural/tourist center.

[Decourcy]

My great great grandfather wrote a guidebook (well, several historical guidebooks actually) on the giants causeway and other sights of his native region. Haven’t been, but it’s on my bucket list to see the same sights as he did.

[Hugh MacD]

Visit Glendalough. The trail around the lakes is gorgeous (if a bit long). I think the hilltops there is where they filmed some of "Braveheart".

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Take good rainproof clothing and sensible shoes.

[Puttputt]

It would be worthwhile to head to the west coast. We used Galway as a base and did day trips from there. The Aran Islands are spectacular. ACB’s clothing advice is very sound.

[Nicholas Carey]

Drive the Ring of Kerry.

https://www.ireland.com/en-us/destin...ring-of-kerry/

Eat soft serve ice cream (made from whole fat real milk). Miles better than Dairy Queen and the like.

[Nicholas Carey]

Take good rainproof clothing and sensible shoes.

ACB’s clothing advice is very sound.

One might almost think that ACB has some regional knowledge

[Dave Hadfield]

Newgrange, and then the south coast.

Skip Belfast.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Agree with Dave Hadfield. There are nice parts of Norn Iron, but Belfast isn’t one of them.

[lupussonic]

I really like Cork, and Clonmel.. the SW coast is very beautiful, full of azur water and great fishing. Dingle is a bit overdone for the tourists but there are some really authentic fishing towns all around that area.

[Fitz]

Awesome. Belfast may change, but Daughter has been studying Irish history including The Troubles, so it was on a tentative list. Raingear - check.

[Joe (SoCal)]

Long standing comment from my Irish family “ I’ma gonna get to Ireland before I die “, then they die without ever going.

My mother was the only one I know of that actually made it. She stayed a couple of nights in Ashford Castle and said it was dreadful, cold, damp and bad food. They moved to a Hilton or something for the remainder of the trip.

I would love to go once before I die

[Fitz]

Well Joe, given my current health, it is on a bucket list of sorts. Do it while you can. I am holding my own lately, so seems like a good time to go.

My Irish ancestors came to Boston during the potato famine, although I am not sure that was the cause of their immigration. As far as I know, no one in the family has been back since.

Cheers,

Fitz

[hawkeye54]

It would be worthwhile to head to the west coast. We used Galway as a base and did day trips from there. The Aran Islands are spectacular. ACB’s clothing advice is very sound.

I will echo Puttputt here, right after I retired, (2012), we flew into Shannon, and rented a car - saw Galway, Connemara, the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, and several other towns we managed to fit in - We stayed in B&B's and thoroughly enjoyed a week in the Irish southwest.


Rick

(Edit to add - we purchased a book " Back Roads Ireland " which had day trips and a folded map of the country - the rental car came with an arrow adhered to the windshield as a reminder of which side of the road to drive on - handy when you are negotiating Corkscrew Hill near the Burren )

[Peerie Maa]

Awesome. Belfast may change, but Daughter has been studying Irish history including The Troubles, so it was on a tentative list. Raingear - check.

Well, a guided tour of the end of terrace murals will sort that, but Derry was as bad, so that might be worth a visit as well.
Belfast does not have many places that will feed you without a booking, so that might take some pre-planning.

[lupussonic]

All castles are damp and cold. Duh.

The Irish are well geared up to take money off Americans that think they're coming home so to speak, clutching a handful of soil with a tear in their eye. Enjoy your visit, I wish you the best of times, just think twice about the tourist venues, they turn a pretty coin off you lot. Go rural, or at least we'll off the beaten track. I can't remember when the Fleadh is this year, but well worth a search for the music and Guinness.

[Joe (SoCal)]

We landed in the “New World” in the late 1600’s Jamestown VA, Portsmouth VA & Williamsburg VA. After the Civil War or as one branch of fosters called it The War of Northern Aggression, that side ended with Francis Foster dying at Appomattox and buried at the foot of his fathers grave. My direct descendant was Francis’s brother John Talman Foster ( middle name was his mothers maiden name ) who ran off ( Carpet bagger ) to Brooklyn. The only connection we had was even though his southern gentleman father Archibald Foster disowned him for not fighting for the south like his brother his mother wrote him letters that we found.

Fascinating stories of a Fosters Irish Soda Bread Factory in County Cork, Captain James Foster sailing to the new world. Fosters were the first graduating class of The College of William & Mary, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. Archibald was the second owner of the Alexander Craig house on the Duke of Gloucester St Williamsburg VA. Now part of the historical Trust of Williamsburg

From 1771 the entire lot was owned by Craig. At his death in 1776 the estate held it until ca 1752 when Dr. John M, Galt became the owner. Galt or his heirs were owners until the late 1530's when Archibald Foster or his heirs were owners. Peter A. H. Bellet bought from the Foster heirs. Them was a suit concerning legal fee simple ownerships of the Fosters and Bellet. Around 1545 John H, Barlow had come into possession. He, apparently, was owner until 1561. Both Bellett and Barlow had a store and dwelling thereon.

https://research.colonialwilliamsbur...xml&highlight=

DAA1A76E-CA6A-4506-A1DB-FF6F3BAC4168.jpeg

[SOF64]

If you make it to the west coast, I would also recommend to visit Galway. It is a very vibrant city.
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I wouldn't want to miss out on the Dingle Peninsula, either. There is a whiskey distillery in Dingle that does guided tours.
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And then there is the Gallarus Oratory near Ballyferriter further west on the peninsula.
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[garland reese]

We flew in to Dublin. Took a bus tour out to Blarney Castle and Cahair Castle, Rock of Cashel. Next day the Guinness factory, St Patricks Cathedral, Hapenny bridge, etc. one must touch the breasts of the Molly Malone statue. At least that was what they told us. Only 2 days in Dublin, then took a train to Cork. St. Finn Barre Cathedral. St. Annes Cathedral where a fine gent gave us a personal tour and we played a tune on the church bells. He also told us of a couple pubs we must visit, since they were not much out of the way of our planned routes. Watched a semi-final of Gaelic football at Oliver Plunketts Pub. Drove to Cohb which is truly charming. Spike Island was interesting. There is something picturesque around every bend and over every hill in Ireland it seems. Killarney, the Ring of Kerry. The South Pole Inn is worth the small detour for some fish and chips or just a pint. Galway. Kylemore Abbey. Seans Bar in Athlone is supposed to have been established in 900AD. Pat Cohan bar in Cong. We did our best to imitate the statue of the Duke and Maureen O Hara there. W.B. Yeats grave. Wild Atlantic Way. Dingle pennensula. Cliffs of Moher. The best part was the people. We were there during the finals of Gaelic football. We did not have time to get to Northern Ireland, unfortunately. We would have just stayed in Ireland if it were possible. We intentionally stayed away from chain hotels opting instead for small privately owned hotels or bed and breakfast rooms. The people we met and the wonderful conversations we had with them was the best part of the journey for us. Yes the weather can be cool and damp but we are just fine with that. We visited more places than mentioned here but I can’t recall the names. We have plans for Scotland this year.


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[SOF64]

I forgot to mention that there are also wooden boats. (Wood and canvas skin on frame boats, to be exact). These are Dingle curraghs in the Blasket Centre in Dunquin.
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And this is a sculpture of St. Brendan the Seafarer in Brandon Creek, where he is said to have set out for his mythical tour across the North Atlantic and to North America.
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[J.Madison]

I actually really like Belfast, spent 2 weeks there for work. A few days might be enough for tourism. Some really great pubs, the best ones appear to be partisan, but keeping the conversation on other topics is safe. If you are interested in the troubles a cab tour of the murals is a good way to see the neighborhoods with someone to explain it to you. Yes its touristy but at the right scale, just your fam and the driver. The titanic museum is excellent. It's a good scale for a city, small enough to really take in.

The castles along the sea cliffs near the giants causeway are really beautiful.

[AndyG]

We have plans for Scotland this year.

DO fire up a new thread. You'll be inundated.

Meanwhile, I love Ireland - I want to do loughs on the Shannon with a boat tent. SW/W Coast is awesome. Prehistoria everywhere. Belfast is, whatever they say above, great. NE coast amazing. You cannot go wrong.

Andy, one eighth proper Irish. My wife, born in NI, can legitimately acquire and hold an Irish passport, but me? No. I'm stuck with the Brexit-Non-Bonus UK POS.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I’m so old that when I was living in Belfast we were building this where the Titanic Museum now is and the stages where Game of Thrones was made were the paint bays. The pipe shop was Prod and the paint shop was Fenian until one day one of the Prod factions blew up a bus taking Catholic workers to Shorts whereupon there were no more Catholics in H&W which was a pity as it had always been multicultural, so to speak.

[AndyG]

Some really great pubs.

Yes. You have to have an evening pint in The Crown.

It's a good scale for a city, small enough to really take in.

Really tiny, in truth. You can walk the centre in twenty dawdling minutes, easy. But I had a local putting it into context during my first visits twenty years ago - while my earliest years were endless news reports of Belfast in The Troubles - I suspect a good taxi-tour would help explain the then and now to those not brought up on a diet of endless exposure to what, well, she endured and I got merely secondhand via the TV, a whole hundred (safe) miles away across the sea in Cumbria.

Andy

[AndyG]

I’m so old ... no more Catholics in H&W.

Surely you're not that old? 1970s at H&W?

Andy

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Surely you're not that old? 1970s at H&W?

Andy

1993:

This was the fitting out berth. Note the ideal painting weather:

[Tom Montgomery]

.
I hope to visit Ireland before I become decrepit.

My grandfather, Thomas Neill McClelland Montgomery, was born in Belfast and raised in Omagh, Tyrone, Ireland. He emigrated to Canada, landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 28 April 1907. He lived in Toronto for 20 months and entered the U.S. at Black Rock, New York on 8 December 1908. He claimed to have an uncle in Pennsylvania with whom he would live. I can find no evidence that uncle existed. Grandfather never looked back and eventually became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He met my grandmother on holiday in Atlantic City and they married in Philadelphia. He was a butcher by trade and first worked for The Quaker Maid dry goods chain in Louisville and a few years later established the very successful Broadway Meat Market in Lexington Kentucky. A&P hired him as a vice-president in charge of establishing meat departments in their new concept of the supermarket. He hired a younger partner to manage the Lexington Meat Market while he and his wife and young daughter moved to Cincinnati. His partner contracted the Spanish Flu and was on his deathbed for a month. My grandfather burned up the railway between Cincinnati and Lexington attempting to keep the meat market operating while simultaneously fulfilling his duties with A&P. He was so busy he ignored his aching gut. It turned out to be appendicitis. His appendix burst and he was hospitalized in Cincinnati with peritonitis. He died in the hospital of pneumonia. His younger partner had died the week before. The news of my grandfather's death and funeral ran for three straight days in the Lexington daily and evening newspapers. Grandmother (who was born and raised in Sweden) resettled in Lexington. She had a considerable amount of inheritance and invested most of the family's wealth in stocks. She lost almost all of it when the stock market crashed.

Irish genealogy is notoriously difficult as so many records have been lost due to war and other reasons. One really needs to visit the country and its churches and graveyards to get very far. Swedish genealogy is difficult because of the language difference.

[Rich Jones]

Take good rainproof clothing and sensible shoes.

Every novel I ever read that took place in Ireland had it always raining, foggy, pitch darkness of night or all three at once.
We had great weather! A bit cloudy but only one day of true rain and even that was light.

Cliffs of Mohar is a great spot if you have a clear day.

[C. Ross]

Great thread.
If your family came during the Potato famine, one more vote for the Dingle Peninsula. It’s where the hard rural life is most visible in abandoned farmsteads and fields that still have visible shadows of potato rows. Plus it’s beautiful land and the town of Dingle is full of traditional music.
In Dublin, the history museum and Trinity College with the Book of Kells and the Long Room.
Whatever you do and wherever you go, it’ll be lovely. Enjoy!

[Breakaway]

Dont miss the wild West coast in some form!

Kevin


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