Travel Guide: Ireland in a week

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Ireland

Due to the recent $379 Fare to Ireland (dates still available for Jan & Feb), it is only fitting that TWiBT help you make the most of your trip.  The way I routed my flight was to go in to Dublin and out of London, so I'll be visiting both countries.  First, we'll talk about a few basics of Ireland, then I'll hit you with a pretty solid itinerary to consider.

The Basics
Ireland is a small country, roughly the size of Indiana (but vastly more interesting).  English is the main language, but you may be able to encounter people speaking Irish Gaelic along the western coast of the country.  It sounds pretty different from English, so don't expect them to understand you, although most people there are bilingual.  Learn a few words, impress someone, maybe even yourself.  Their currency is the Euro.  Throughout history Ireland was a relatively poor country until recently.  Their economy boomed in recent years and crashed hard during this past recession.

The Itinerary
Ireland is not just Dublin and Dublin is hardly representative of Ireland.  Seeing just the capital city may work in some places (such as Indiana), but not in Ireland.  In fact, much of what you think of as true Ireland is most likely outside of Dublin.  I'll be in Ireland for a week and then London for a few days, but here's my tentative itinerary for Ireland.  You'll need to bring a Dublin street map, Ireland Road Map, both of which will be in any good Ireland Travel Guide.  I like Fodor's, Frommer's, and sometimes Lonely Planet guides.

Day 1 - The Must See's
Start out relatively early, but be rested.  Start walking and hit these sites, you may want to highlight them on a walking route with your Dublin street map.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Dublin Castle"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="St. Patrick's Cathedral"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Trinity College"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="National Museum of Ireland - Free Admission too!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Stop off at St Patrick's Green with some food for a picnic lunch!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="After having your rest, check out Grafton Street."][/caption]

 

Day 2 - Dublin Night life
Free during the day.  Find something that interests you, I'll likely be renting a bike and exploring the rest of the city on two wheels.  Pack a lunch and take a nap in the late afternoon.  Then...Pub Crawl!  Whether you're a heavy drinker or not, it might be a fun experience to visit some of Ireland's most lively pubs.  Don't be afraid to make a friend on CouchSurfing or another cultural exchange site and have them join you.  If not, routing out on your Dublin Street map the following pubs:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Temple Bar area is a good place to start."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="O'Donoghue's - Be sure to stay for some live Irish music"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="Ryan's Pub"][/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The Brazen Head - Dublin's Oldest Pub since 1198"][/caption]

Day 3 - Hit the road
You'll find a car rental on Kayak.com from Dublin VERY cheap!  If you're travelling with more than one person, this might be a better option than the bus or rail system if you are limited on time also.  This is where you're Irish road map comes into use, or just rent a GPS too.  Keep in mind, your car will likely be a manual transmission, so you might want to become comfortable driving one before leaving home.  Besides, you may not even be able to reach all these places without a car.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Powerscourt Estate"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Kilkenny Castle"][/caption]

Bed down anywhere in Kilkenny after that and enjoy your first Irish village on foot.  Again, don't be afraid to interact with the locals.  Try making some friends with some people or bloggers before you set out there.

Day 4 - Southern Coast
A lot of people would say to hit Waterford, but personally I'd say skip it for anything more than just a lunch.  Chances are by this time you'll need some more variety than just castles and villages and that is why you're driving to Ardmore.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Spend the first half of the day in the beach town of Ardmore."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="To provide a nice contrast to all these small towns, spend the second half of the day and the night in Cork."][/caption]

Day 5 - Free Day & Get Lost!
Instead of hitting the tourist trail, you might want to either consider spending the day in Cork (possibly taking a cooking class) or just start driving off to your next destination and stop along the way at whatever looks interesting.  Part of the appeal of an Irish vacation is getting lost.  Your next destination is the Cliffs of Moher, so try driving in that direction and make a few wrong turns intentionally!  Sleep somewhere along the way or arrive in either Limerick or Shannon.

Day 6 - The Edge of Ireland
After having breakfast in wherever it is you ended up, head over to see the Cliffs of Moher.  The visitor's center is actually built into the cliffs, so keep an eye out for it.  Consider taking a ferry ride to see these cliffs from sea level.  After having your fill of the cliffs, head on up to Galway

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Cliffs of Moher"][/caption]

Spend the evening in Galway.  Treat yourself to a nice dinner and/or a show such as Trad on the Prom before you head back to Dublin in the morning.  If you have extra time, consider visiting the Aran Islands.

Day 7 - Back to Dublin
There will be many small towns on the drive from Galway to Dublin, so be sure to leave enough time to stop into some for lunch.

 

So there you have it, one week in Ireland and getting in a lot of sites without overdoing it.  Sure, I could've squeezed in Belfast, but that would've been way too much for one week.  When it comes to finding places to sleep, be sure to read these two articles to save money, whatever your style:
-Hotels
-Alternative Accommodations

Enjoy your trip!

-Jason of TWiBT