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Planning a Trip
NightDragon
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This post brought to you from paris while on holiday!
Just FYI, the Irish school year ends June 30th, iirc. So you might want to try and get in early, if you can, because:
a) Everything will be busier once everyone is on holiday
b) Flights etc. MAY be more expensive in this period, depending on where you're flying from (I know the UK flights will start peaking aound the same time).
Also I can highly recommend the Dublin open-top bus city tour, for finding your way around whilst also learning things, the Guinness brewery tour, if you like a pint, the Kilmainham gaol, if you have an interest in the Easter Rising etc. The Book of Kells is outstanding, but it was busy when we went in the quiet season - be prepared to elbow your way near it!
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The Book of Kells was also fantastic to see and while we enjoyed Blarney Castle I think we had more fun exploring the Blarney Castle Grounds than the actual castle itself. Bunratty Castle felt like a better usage of our time exploring then Blarney did for some reason. The Waterford Crystal tour was fairly nice also but may not be your thing.
- The Giant's Causeway, natch. It's on the Northern Coast. Nearby is Bushmills Whiskey distillery, but I think it's only open seasonally. Also on the North Coast is the ruins of Dunluce Castle, basically built on a rock outcropping. Also there's Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. If you're in a car, the coastal road from Portstewart to Larne makes a pretty journey.
- The Walls of Derry City are interesting to walk around.
- If you want to brave our woefully inadequate railway system, the journey between Coleraine and Derry City is pretty. However this depends on how you intend to travel around.
- Near Enniskillen are the Marble Arch caves, if you've never been in caves before, these are pretty nice.
- Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, if you fancy a picnic by it. May be easiest to get to from Antrim or a small village called Ballyronan. Also near the shore and the village of Ardboe (are-bow) is the Ardboe Cross, a medieval Celtic Cross and church ruin.
- The County Derry village of Bellaghy has the best preserved example of a Bawn, a 17th Century Plantation era Manor House. It's also where Seamus Heaney is buried.
- Carrickfergus contains Carrickfergus Castle, a well preserved Castle and history lesson about the Normans.
- Belfast has lots of stuff, but if you're going to one place I'd recommend the Titanic Quarter: There's a new Titanic Museum, a humongous dry dock where Titanic was fitted out in, HMS Caroline (last survivor of the Battle of Jutland) and, my personal favourite, SS Nomadic, the last White Star ship afloat. Well, she's in a dry dock, but you know what I mean.
Now a lot of these are spread all over the place, and how many of them you get to see will depend on your starting location and travel means. For example from Dublin the Causeway can be up to four hours away, and from Galway it could be seven or eight hours, because there aren't as many motorways to avail of. The border is completely porous, so don't worry about moving from one country to another. If you have to pick one thing, I'd choose the Causeway.
Blarney Castle is not too far from there and you can hit the druid forest/cave while you're in the neighborhood, which is a pretty area. The wishing steps there are cool, don't fall to your death trying to go down and up them with your eyes closed, though.
Don't be afraid to ask some of the locals where the best places to eat are while you're there. My experience was that the locals in Dublin are very friendly to tourists and gave us a spot-on recommendation for a fantastic pub with good prices. Of course, it might have been that I had been eating London food for the week prior, but I have fond memories of Irish pub eats.
But then, I lived in Dallas at the time...
edit- Try and get there nearish sunset if you can. Somewhere around 9PM or something. When I was there in May it was after the official hours, but none of the gates were closed.
Last year, I spent it dancing on Stonehenge, like literally, dancing on top the stones of Stonehenge.
Yeah, I know, wrong country, but Ireland celebrates midsummer too.
Some nearby places that I love are Glendalough, Powerscourt, and the Wicklow Mountains generally. GIS them and you might be impressed. Glendalough is an ancient church built on the side of a lake, Powerscourt is a stately home with beautiful gardens and a waterfall. The Wicklow Mountains are where they film movies like Braveheart. Green, rugged & beautiful.
My brother lives in their foothills, and they are indeed wonderful.
Also, just not to let go of a suggestion, while the Giant's Causeway may be very far away, Belfast is two hours away by car or bus if you wanted to make a day trip of it. :P
The M50 toll can be paid at almost any newsagent in Dublin, as well as on the Service Stations heading north. You have until 8pm the day after passing the toll to cough up.
Careful at the Service Stations though. My Mum got her phone stolen when she looked away to sugar her coffee.
Actually, regarding rental cars...
[edit] nevermind, figured it out!
From what little I've seen of Northern Ireland I strongly suggest you do a day or two there. I really enjoyed Belfast, it is a nice size for walking about as well.
However when I was there the pub on the hill did a really excellent pub lunch. Perfect steak pie.