Has anyone been to Ireland before?

Blighter · 20-02-2011, 17:27

Looking to go to Ireland with a couple of friends for my 21st in April.

Now we aren't big drinkers or anything and just really want to go to chill & take in the scenery.

Where would the best places for that be?

I've been thinking of flying to Kerry county airport as there are some pretty cheap flights on Ryanair...

Burble · 20-02-2011, 17:34

I've been there many, many times thanks to having an Irish mother (and dual nationality myself).

I've never really liked Dublin that much, I was back there last year with work and my opinion hasn't changed. I've never seen so many pissed up tramps as I did in Dublin.

Limerick is an absolute hole and has the rightly deserved nickname of Stab City.

Wexford and Waterford is where I spent most of my time when over there as a kid and I really, really like it there. Nice and rural, very picturesque and lovely people.

Kerry is very nice too but I don't know it all that well. I was there briefly last year but only for a couple of hours thanks to a Ryanair cock up.

If you do go to Dublin then the Guinness brewery is well worth a visit even if you're not much of a drinker. Bray, just to the south of Dublin is a really nice place, somewhere I'd like to go back to.

divine · 20-02-2011, 17:35

Kerry is nice, been there plenty of times, definitely the sort of place you want to be going if you're after chilling out, lovely scenery, nice (but long and tiring) walks etc.

Plenty of nice 'local' style pubs, good restaurants etc.

There are lots of planned out walking routes, which i'd guess is something that may interest you.

I normally go to a place called Waterville, which is lovely and tiny but perhaps not busy enough for you.

It is a lovely part of Ireland though very big, you'd want to think about your transport situation, even by car it takes a while to get from one place to another in Kerry.

Knipples · 20-02-2011, 17:47

Went to Galway years back, beautiful place.

divine · 20-02-2011, 17:56

One thing to watch out for, if you're one of those generous caring sorts, is Romanian scroungers, they travel around in minibuses from town to town with babies and such like in organised groups claiming to be homeless. They aren't.

Blighter · 20-02-2011, 18:13

Thanks guys

Sounds like Kerry is a good option. Especially with the £29.99 return flights

Somewhere quiet & picturesque is exactly what I'm looking for to be honest, with lots of walks.
Will get a hire car sorted through work as can get one for £25-30 a day.

Thanks for the quick replies guys

divine · 20-02-2011, 18:19

If it appealed to you, there is a route called the Kerry Way, which will guide you on a walk around basically the entire Ring of Kerry but it is a proper walkers holiday that, you'd need to give it a week at least, it's about 70km or so I think and can go up some very high mountain ranges (edit - just looked at the link I posted below... 200km+, 4,000m+ ascents, perhaps not realistic to do the whole thing). Of course you can always do small parts of it, i'd highly recommend the bits around the coasts and around Lough Currane.

http://www.kerryway.com/trail-maps/index.php

Depends if your friends are as into walking as you are

Feek · 20-02-2011, 20:26

Ryanair to Kerry?

I was sent this just yesterday, seems apt.

Blighter · 20-02-2011, 20:34

That is genius!!!!

I can relate to every single point on that (book hundreds of flights at work for the regional management and they always moan at me... "You didn't book me luggage so they charge me £900!!!")

Joe 90 · 20-02-2011, 22:16

I was in the north last October, between Belfast & the north coast over a few days. Beautiful part of the world.

I've also been down to Cork & the surrounding areas as far as the south coast before as I have cousins down there. Again a very nice place to go, I'd prefer that to the north.

Few photos to show off the countryside...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markwal...7607021431314/
few there, panoramics of the south coast & the area surrounding my uncle's house (ignore the wedding photos!)

Not got much beyond wedding photos from our time up north other than this dull, overcast pano...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markwal...7625147445191/

20-02-2011, 17:27	#1
Blighter Dubious Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,571	Has anyone been to Ireland before? Looking to go to Ireland with a couple of friends for my 21st in April. Now we aren't big drinkers or anything and just really want to go to chill & take in the scenery. Where would the best places for that be? I've been thinking of flying to Kerry county airport as there are some pretty cheap flights on Ryanair... __________________ Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine. But if you stopped writing about other things and made this your signature, yours could be like mine. Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on Boat Drinks, reading the signature your signature could be like. I'm on a computer. My Blog \| More Outdoors \| MSN \| Email \| Call Me

20-02-2011, 17:35	#3
divine Moonshine Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Southampton Posts: 3,201	Kerry is nice, been there plenty of times, definitely the sort of place you want to be going if you're after chilling out, lovely scenery, nice (but long and tiring) walks etc. Plenty of nice 'local' style pubs, good restaurants etc. There are lots of planned out walking routes, which i'd guess is something that may interest you. I normally go to a place called Waterville, which is lovely and tiny but perhaps not busy enough for you. It is a lovely part of Ireland though very big, you'd want to think about your transport situation, even by car it takes a while to get from one place to another in Kerry. __________________

20-02-2011, 17:56	#5
divine Moonshine Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Southampton Posts: 3,201	One thing to watch out for, if you're one of those generous caring sorts, is Romanian scroungers, they travel around in minibuses from town to town with babies and such like in organised groups claiming to be homeless. They aren't. __________________

20-02-2011, 18:13	#6
Blighter Dubious Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,571	Thanks guys Sounds like Kerry is a good option. Especially with the £29.99 return flights Somewhere quiet & picturesque is exactly what I'm looking for to be honest, with lots of walks. Will get a hire car sorted through work as can get one for £25-30 a day. Thanks for the quick replies guys __________________ Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine. But if you stopped writing about other things and made this your signature, yours could be like mine. Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on Boat Drinks, reading the signature your signature could be like. I'm on a computer. My Blog \| More Outdoors \| MSN \| Email \| Call Me

20-02-2011, 18:19	#7
divine Moonshine Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Southampton Posts: 3,201	If it appealed to you, there is a route called the Kerry Way, which will guide you on a walk around basically the entire Ring of Kerry but it is a proper walkers holiday that, you'd need to give it a week at least, it's about 70km or so I think and can go up some very high mountain ranges (edit - just looked at the link I posted below... 200km+, 4,000m+ ascents, perhaps not realistic to do the whole thing). Of course you can always do small parts of it, i'd highly recommend the bits around the coasts and around Lough Currane. http://www.kerryway.com/trail-maps/index.php Depends if your friends are as into walking as you are __________________

20-02-2011, 17:34	#2
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	I've been there many, many times thanks to having an Irish mother (and dual nationality myself). I've never really liked Dublin that much, I was back there last year with work and my opinion hasn't changed. I've never seen so many pissed up tramps as I did in Dublin. Limerick is an absolute hole and has the rightly deserved nickname of Stab City. Wexford and Waterford is where I spent most of my time when over there as a kid and I really, really like it there. Nice and rural, very picturesque and lovely people. Kerry is very nice too but I don't know it all that well. I was there briefly last year but only for a couple of hours thanks to a Ryanair cock up. If you do go to Dublin then the Guinness brewery is well worth a visit even if you're not much of a drinker. Bray, just to the south of Dublin is a really nice place, somewhere I'd like to go back to.

20-02-2011, 20:26	#8
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	Ryanair to Kerry? I was sent this just yesterday, seems apt. __________________

20-02-2011, 20:34	#9
Blighter Dubious Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,571	That is genius!!!! I can relate to every single point on that (book hundreds of flights at work for the regional management and they always moan at me... "You didn't book me luggage so they charge me £900!!!") __________________ Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine. But if you stopped writing about other things and made this your signature, yours could be like mine. Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on Boat Drinks, reading the signature your signature could be like. I'm on a computer. My Blog \| More Outdoors \| MSN \| Email \| Call Me

20-02-2011, 22:16	#10
Joe 90 Absinthe Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chester Posts: 2,345	I was in the north last October, between Belfast & the north coast over a few days. Beautiful part of the world. I've also been down to Cork & the surrounding areas as far as the south coast before as I have cousins down there. Again a very nice place to go, I'd prefer that to the north. Few photos to show off the countryside... http://www.flickr.com/photos/markwal...7607021431314/ few there, panoramics of the south coast & the area surrounding my uncle's house (ignore the wedding photos!) Not got much beyond wedding photos from our time up north other than this dull, overcast pano... http://www.flickr.com/photos/markwal...7625147445191/ __________________ 360 Blog \| Join GiffGaff \| Twitter