So, now that I’ve finished boring you with ten million posts about Berlin, let me tell you about my next trip…
At the pub quiz two weeks ago, my team came second. Usually, the prize for second place is a pitcher filled with whichever draught drink you desire, but this time was different. The prize was a voucher for a “Lonely Planet” travel guide of your choice. Somebody had the brilliant idea that we could claim our Lonely Planet and then use it for a quiz team holiday. So we left the quiz on Tuesday agreeing that everyone would think about where they would like to go.
Two days later, after a couple of discussions with Jan, I had a brain wave. We’d one the pub quiz in an Irish pub, so why not go to… Ireland! I’ve been wanting to go there for a while anyway, to see something more than just Dublin, and it seemed appropriate. Jan thought some people might have already been, but I decided to suggest it to the group anyway. It turned out that nobody had been to Ireland (other than Jan and I, and we’ve only done Dublin… plus I lived in Northern Ireland for 2 years) and everybody thought it was a brilliant idea. I, my friends, am a genius! (Well, not really… I just had the voice of Simba from the Lion King in my head when I typed that…)
We will be going in June, if we ever manage to get everyone to agree on flights! And it’s looking like our main destinations will be Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and possibly Belfast (Dublin is a must… we have to fly there). Those are just bases for sleeping and storing luggage… there will also be daytrips of course. So now I need your help. Would should we definitely, 100% do in Ireland? Any suggestions for good (and cheap!) places to eat/drink/sleep in any of the four places metioned? Anything that doesn’t appear in any tourist guide but is worth visiting? Our quizmaster is from Kilkenny, so we’re hoping he’ll be able to help with that, but I’m sure some of my readers must have been to Ireland (Tina.. I know you have!)
Here, have a photo I took the last time I was in Dublin… in 2007:
And now it’s over to you. The comments box is open. GO!!
Confuzzledom 
Belfast. It makes you paint “I love you” on a Facebook wall.
LOL, ok. I want to go to Belfast… we’ll see if the others agree.
I’m actually going to Dublin for the first time in May. Got any must-see recommendations for a first-time visitor?
Fish and chips from Leo Burdock’s! You can eat them on the grass next to the church.
St. Stephen’s Green and Trinity College (Book of Kells) are obvious, I think. I haven’t actually seen the book of Kells yet, but the college itself is a gorgeous building and St. Stephen’s Green is lovely if it’s sunny.
We were only there for a couple of days, so we did one of those hop-on, hop-off red tourist bus ride things. It’s quite useful if you don’t have much time.
I found the Dublin Writers Museum interesting.
Yay! I went to Dublin ages ago, the only thing I remember is going to the Guinness factory (my dad is a huge fan) and not being offered a free drink (when I was very much of age… altho to be honest, I wouldn’t have drunk it).
Haha. We didn’t go to the Guinness factory last time (I don’t even like Guinness!), but my friends think it’s a “must”, so we’ll be going now.
SO jealous!! as the good little irish girl that i am, i’ve always wanted to go. can’t wait to see about your trip so i can borrow some ideas for whenever we get to go. 🙂
I shall do my best to provide a detailed report 😀
Oh, sounds great. I haven’t been to Ireland, sorry, so no tips from my side.
I am going to Rome for a 4-day trip with my Dad in June and am very much looking forward to that!
Ooh, I love Rome! You’ll have a great time 🙂
Galway and the Connemara are a must. There is a little fish smokery in Ballyconneely. They make the best smoked salmon on earth and make smoked tuna to die for! I don’t work for them, just found them by chance and they are wonderful http://www.smokehouse.ie/
In Dublin, there is a a Cajun restaurant called tante Zoe that remains one of our favourite place to eat … not local but so good http://www.menupages.ie/dublin/temple_bar/temple_bar/tante_zoes#.UXe1coLc8a0
Ooh, thanks for these! Will ccertainly check the websites out and see what people think.
Where do y’all do quiz night?? Sounds like fun! And so jealous of Ireland – it’s on my few places in Europe I’m still dying to get to!
Bray Head. It’s the only place I’ve found that does it properly! handing out pieces of paper with questions on is NOT a proper pub quiz… you have to actually read them out! I used to occasionally go to Flynn’s pub quiz and have won the special prize a couple of times, but just filling in a pre-made quiz sheet then hearing the answers at the end isn’t all that fun.
How lovely!
I can’t wait 🙂
I still think you need to extend your trip till July when I’ll be there. 😉
LOL. We thought about July, but there isn’t a single week where everybody could make it – and I’m also in England for a week at the end of July, which would have made things complicated.
Definitely the Dingle Peninsula and Connemara, they are brilliant. Skip the Ring of Kerry, too many tourists and the bus tours are overprices and suck. Dingle is way better. Aran Islands are always bangin, if you can do a day trip to one or two of them, they’re fun!
oh, also make sure you get out of Dublin and into County Wicklow it is drop dead gorgeous. Rent bikes at some point, personal opinion, it’s the best way to see the country anywhay because the Irish public transportation system is kind of awful. Huge votes for Ardmore if you can make it down there. Also Dingle. Did I say Dingle? GO TO DINGLE. And Cork sucks epic lame ballz so skip it. The Rock of Cashel is pretty whatevs but the ruined monastery across the street is SO BADASS.
We will have a car, so no need to rely on public transport. Dingle is kind of far from both Galway and Kilkenny, so I will have to see what I can get people to agree to. Currently we have Dublin, Kilkenny and Galway as bases, with Belfast a possibility. That would be 4. We might go to Cork as a day trip (because I want to be mega touristy and see Blarney Castle), but won’t stay there.
In case I haven’t said it enough, DINGLE.
Do the Blarney Castle, but Cork isn’t worth it. There’s nothing to do or see and it’s just dumb. Galway and Kilkenny are both really fun, from Kilkenny you can do a day trip to the Rock of Cashel–Cashel in itself is cute to walk around in, make sure you brave the cow field to get to the abbey!
How exciting and quite spontaneous too 🙂 I stayed at this lovely hotel on the outskirts of Dublin. it even has an airport shuttle bus and a lovely pool/spa. http://www.expedia.co.uk/Dublin-Hotels-The-Royal-Marine-Hotel.h24608.Hotel-Information?c=eaac1dd7-df36-4c40-9dd0-8e62b861b890&&hashTag=default&hwrqCacheKey=29dfb5ca-67d9-43d8-ad30-b8986ed13e45HWRQ1366990902264&sp=KygIKjE7PWVvbXZhYX4rKBswMxE2ZWpgd2hsfisoCCoxOz0bF2Vga3ZvbH4rKBswMxctLGVqYXdobA..&c=4b10f3ee-46a4-4894-95c9-eb869971fff7&rfrr=-30461&rm1=a2&
I am Fay from fly on the wall btw had a revamp ;0
It is a bit spontaneous. June just happens to be the only month that everyone can make it. It’s kind of fun doing it so soon though… it means we get to look forward to it already 😀
We’ve actually booked a place for Dublin now, so that’s sorted.
Love your new look by the way! I’m actually wearing starry slippers right now 😀
I need to get some! you will have a lovely time 🙂