Hi All,

My wife and I celebrate our 25th this October and are considering a trip to Ireland for about a week. :)

Looking for things to do, see, drink, tour, etc. Like the castles, pubs, small towns, gardens, shopping (for her ), etc. :D

I am up for your suggestions! Thanks in advance!!

Jeff ;)

I have never been to Ireland, but I do wish to offer my congratulations on 25 years!! It's a rarity, these days.

Hi Jeff,

Congratulations! Happy Anniversary!

Have you thought about the town of waterford? Our family was in Ireland in 1999 when my brother married a Dublin girl. As I recall Waterford has a cool "viking" tower and even my boys were impressed by the crystal factory. Take the train from Dublin and stay for a day or two in Kilkenny (spelling?) as well. I think it was Kilkenny that had a pub that's been in business for 600 years and a nifty medieval jail. It's been a long time and many Guinesses (spelling?) since then so my memory isn't all that clear.

Hi Jeff just seen your message i'm Irish, from the North. If you could give me some idea of what parts you are thinking of visiting i will try to come up with some ideas. Ireland is littered with historical sites so no matter what part you are thinking off visiting your bound to find something of interest. Ireland is very small so nothing is too out of reach . I personally love the west coast which has some beautiful landscapes and historical sites ie off the coast of Galway City is the island of Inis Mor ( about a 40 minute boat ride)that has the most breath taking ring fort called Dun Aonghasa (Dun Angus) there are several other ring forts on the island each on their own are pretty amazing but they all pale to Dun Aoghasa.Galway is also great for traditional music pubs alas there are shops but I cant tell you how good they are as I never make it past the pubs. On the east coast you have Dublin which is quite a bustling city plenty of shops and oh so many pubs. In the north you have the Giants Causeway if strange shaped rocks is your thing there is also the ruin of Dunluce castle and Carrickfergus Castle is fine example of a Norman castle which is well maintained and you can wander about its halls and ramparts the last time I was there they had a weapons room open for viewing but that was a few years ago. Anyway i'm beginning to sound like a tourist board rep. so if you want any more info let me know i'm no expert but ill do my best.
Many congrats on your 25th.
Sean

Jeff
If you're in Dublin anyway, the National Museum of Ireland has some pretty good exhibits. Lots of gold and bronze from prehistoric periods and the viking stuff includes the Balinderry sword (the one on the front of Pierce's book).
Geoff

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the help. From Celtic and Viking history to scenic vistas, castles, museums, pubs, shops, places to stay, etc. are the types of things we're looking for. From talking to my wife, it sounds like a 12-day vacation in and she wants to spend time in London/England.

My guess is that we'll fly into Dublin and head south and west. So much country to see and so little time.

Thanks about the 25th. Time really goes by quickly, seems like yesterday when I was getting fitted for the tux and then driving to the wedding.

Thanks,

Jeff :D

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for the information. Sounds like we'll be in Dublin for a day or two and I'll definitely want to check that out.

Any good places to stay in Dublin?

Thanks,

Jeff

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for letting me know. Any suggestions for London? Looks like flying into Heathrow and need a place for the day or several days after landing and before Ireland.

Thanks,

Jeff :D

Hey Jeff,

First of all, congratulations for 25 years together! :)

I was in Ireland on a study-abroad trip three years ago and the places we saw were pretty much 'off the beaten path' as far as regular tourism goes. We mainly studied Irish mythology, so we saw places like Clonmacnoise and New Grange, both located in the eastern-central part of the country. As Sean mentioned, you should see the cliffs of Dun Angus which are located on the Aran Islands just off of Ireland's northwest coast (you'll ride a ferry boat to get there). If you and your wife are into hiking/climbing, you'll want to check out Crough Patrick, Ireland's tallest mountain that will show you breathtaking views of the countryside.

If you're gonna hang out in Dublin for awhile, definitely see the Guiness Brewery on St. James Gate. It's a whole self-guided museum that shows you the past and present methods of brewing the everyone's favorite stout. The tour ends at the top of the place where they give you a complimentary pint of Guiness. :D Also in Dublin is Grafton Street where you can get great bargains on just about any kind of souvenir, from postcards to Rolex watches. Oh, and Sean is right about the pubs. They're everywhere and no two are alike!

If possible, find a book called Portrait of Ireland (DK Publishing) that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about visiting Ireland; your local library probably has it. Slainte and good luck! -Ted

Hi Mac,

Thanks for your help. This is exactly the kind of place that we are looking for. When you were visiting, did you happen to travel around Ireland and spend time at other places OR stay strictly in Dublin? Also, does Guinness come with the full Irish breakfast? ;)

Thanks about the 25th. It will be a heck of an anniversary. The first one/honeymoon was spent 2 weeks in the White Mountains of NH. :)

Thanks again for your help.

Jeff

Hi Geoff,

That sounds like a great idea. I am also looking at the Imperial War Museum in England. Too bad I couldn't make it in July as the Spitfires were on display and flying at this time.

While in London, I would like to check out the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and a few other places.

Thanks,

Jeff :D

Jeff check out Ireland.ie (official tourist board) for accomodation and stuff you should be able to find something that suits your wallet and taste. By October it is Autumn here and things start to cool down a bit and rain is never too far away.If you are thinking of heading south of Dublin I would recommend visiting Glendalough in Co. Wicklow ( I think its about 30 miles south of Dublin) beautiful setting of an old monastary established be St. Kevin .there is also a fine round tower on this site. Sean