This blog posting is dedicated to Chris and Shelby - cosmopolitan world travelers from New York City and to the lads in WG_Venus in Bümpilz, Bern, Switzerland. - And who or what WG_ Venus is, is the making of a posting all by itself, so come back soon folks to learn about the WG_Venuns
But for now, if you have never been to Ireland, but would like to go, and frankly I don´t know why the whole world does not want to go to Ireland. - Well, as I think about it just about the whole world does want to go to Ireland! Anyway, here you are world, this is your chance: This is a route we took over Easter this year, which we did without hiring a car.
Overview of Trip
Thursday: Arrive into Dublin Airport late p.m.
Friday - Sunday Dublin
Monday-Tuesday Galway, the Burren & Doolin, Co.Clare
Wednesday Bus trip: slow route from Doolin to any where. We choose...
Thursday ...Kilkenny for a day. Then directly back to Dublin Airport by bus.
Thursday April 10th Arrived into Dublin Airport 10:20 p.m.
There are about 3 shuttle buses per hour 24 hours a day. (Finding where the Bewley´s schuttle bus picks up passengers is hard; if people don´t know which bus stop you are looking for, say it is the bus stop behind the airport church.)
Bewleys is GREAT. The rates are reasonable and the hotel is very accommodating. For example, because my friend was due to stay one more night before flying out, she was able to store luggage in the hotel for a week for free. In addition Bewleys has a long and well loved history of tea houses in Dublin City, check them out.
Friday April 11th. - Sunday April 12th Dublin
Bought Leap Card. With that I could travel on Dublin buses for max of €6.90 per day, as of now. (This except for the special airport to Dublin City bus which is about €6.00 all by itself.)
Lots of options on where to stay in Dublin and around Ireland. See notes on same in the second part of this posting. What to do and see in Dublin is really up to you and your tastes too. Just google one of the many list of things to do in Dublin.
Two of my favorite links on what to do and see in Dublin are:
http://www.traveladvisortips.com/top-10-dublin-tourist-attractions-locals-recommend/
http://www.traveladvisortips.com/top-10-dublin-tourist-attractions-locals-recommend/
b) http://builtdublin.com/
The website Built Dublin was created, clearly with love, by Irish student Lisa Cassidy. It really is a joy to browse the website on Dublin´s small and not so small architectural nooks and crannies.
Don´t forget:
a) All national art galleries, libraries and museums in Dublin are free.
- Though a donation would be nice. Note: Trinity College Library with the Book of Kells is not free, but worth the price of €10.00. But I am biased, I know.
b) Walking in Dublin is a good option:
A walk from Parnell Square down O`Connell Street going towards Grafton Street onto St. Stephen´s Green and back down to Merrion Square and Merrion Square Park would give you a great over view of Dublin. That is a basic route, there are LOTS of options for detours for example: Dublin Castle, Trinity College, the National Libary, Art Gallery, History, Museum and Natural History Museums or the Kilkenny Shop in Nassau Street where I worked from 1980 to 1986.
c) In addition, I recommend a visit to Glasnevin Cemetery, a short bus ride from the City Center. Founded by my greatest Irish hero Daniel O´Connell, politician, lawyer, man of letters, banker, pacifist, anti-slaver, good husband and father, and your general all round Renaissance Man, Glasnevin Cemetery http://www.glasnevintrust.ie/ is dead interesting. (Pun intended I am afraid!)
And, the pub across the road is, according to Lonely Planet, one of the best kept secrets in Europe. http://www.thejournal.ie/lonely-planet-secret-spots-dublin-kerry-1500855-Jun2014/
Monday April 13th - Tuesday April 14th Dublin to Galway to Doolin.
Go Bus from Georges Quay to Galway http://www.gobus.ie/ for only €10.00 one way. We took the Dublin to Galway bus at 7:15 a.m. This brings you into Galway Bus Station in time for some of the day tours to either Connemara or the Cliffs of Moher. There are a few companies offering day tours right there at the bus station, all are good as far as I can see.
In Doolin The Rainbow Hostel or the Rainbow B&B http://rainbowhostel.net/ are the only places to stay as far as I am concerned - no matter how many millions you have in your bank account!
There are many other places one can stay in Doolin, I know I have seen them and heard about them, but after visiting the Rainbow B&B some years ago, it was for me ´love at first overnight´! The owners Mattie and Carmel Shannon are the gracious and accommodating hosts. The hostel and B&B are not luxurious but they are cosy. And the guests always seem considerate and interesting. A really nice touch is that Mattie frequently shows slides of the area or in good weather may bring people on little trips out to local cliffs. It is clear he loves his part of the world.
And, the hostel and B&B, like every thing in the small village, is a walk away from pubs where you can hear some of the best Irish music in the world, yep, I kid you not, the best Irish music in the world. And all for the price of your lemonade - or what ever you are having yourself.
So many options here in Doolin, be it a walk to the Cliffs of Moher, into the Burren, or a day trip in a boat out to the Aran Islands one option for the latter is here: http://www.cliffs-of-moher-cruises.com/
Wednesday April 15th - Doolin to where ever you want in the whole country!
Doolin is a very small village in a quite isolated area in West Co. Clare. It is not so easy to get to without your own transport. (Which is why taking a tour that leaves you off in Doolin is a great solution.) But, Doolin is a very easy place to leave!
Right across the road from the Rainbow Hostel and B&B, there is a bus stop. Between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.buses leave from this bus stop every day that can bring you with two or three bus changes at most, to just about any major airport, harbour, town or city in the country. But...it will be The Day of the Long Bus Ride, so just sit back and enjoy the trip. From a bus Ireland looks gorgeous rain or shine.
If you have come this far, you would now have been in the country for almost a week, you will have met people, and will have gotten recommendations, so you have an idea of how things work, and where you want to go from here.
For example; we wanted to get to Kilkenny. En-route we planned a 2 hour plus stop off to tour the Rock of Cashel, and for good measure we got in a small tour of Limerick City and Cahir Castle too. This bus trip with Bus Éireann takes almost 14 hours, and you travel through 6 of the 32 counties of Ireland. To plan your trip check this link: http://journeyplanner.buseireann.ie/jp/bin/
Thursday April 17th. Kilkenny - The day is yours!
An overview would be a walk from St. Canice´s Cathedral, through Irishtown with a detour to the Black Abbey, on up High Street to the Castle with a stop off in Kilkenny Design. If you had the time and energy I highly recommend you take a walk or cycle out to Bennetsbridge for example. Kilkenny Cycle Tours offer great rates and are very accommodating: http://kilkennycyclingtours.com/
Which or whether you MUST visit a pub, my favorite is Bollards just off High Street. Langtons on John Street has won prizes and accolades all over the place, well deserved too. Another fun place to check out is the `Hole in the Wall`, yes ... in a hole in the wall, just off High Street. Truth be told, this old pub is not too easy to find. But it is worth the effort of looking, and it´s not just me that has this opinion; this old pub was frequented by the then future Duke of Wellington, before he went off to beat up Napoleon at Waterloo.
Somewhere in Kilkenny, just like just about every where in Ireland, you will hear music in some pub every night of the week.
So here you are folks; just copy and paste above, pack your passport, your adapter for Irish plugs, your $$$, your dainties and you are all set!
And yes, I was not on camera ´duty´so I have only these four photos of my day catching freckles in Doolin... IN APRIL...
... Oh and the thing about the fridge.... check out .....
And yes, I was not on camera ´duty´so I have only these four photos of my day catching freckles in Doolin... IN APRIL...
... Oh and the thing about the fridge.... check out .....
Hey Rosaleen, how great that you wrote about Doolin and THE BEST IRISH MUSIC we heard there :-) Greetings from Nicole
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