Going to Ireland in November

Cliffs of Moher

The link above has Ireland trip reports. I know I did one.

I've heard that. I'm going to try and do 2 days in northern Ireland.

The factory closed a few years ago unfortunately. Right before I went

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RonFNSwanson - could you compare Belfast to Dublin?

I felt Dublin was mostly your standard large European city that depended on "Irish pub culture" Tourism.

I felt like the further away I was from Dublin, the more authentically Irish everything became.

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Here is my two cents on Dublin. I have been going to Ireland yearly since the 1990s.

I agree and disagree. To say Dublin is not Irish, is to say NYC is not American.

When I was not familiar with Dublin, I felt 100% like you did. The folks in Cork, Galway, etc are more welcoming than those in Dublin, so you get the warm welcome that you are expecting.

But my two cents. When are you going to Ireland?

Dublin - if you can be in town when rugby is on, you will love it. I would spend 2 days in Dublin, 3 if rugby is on.

From Dublin I prefer Kilkenny over Waterford, but you can get a reasonable stay at the Waterford Castle if that is what you are into. From either location, you can do Blarney Castle. Yeah, it's touristy, but it one of those things you should do.

Then unto Middleton and the original Jameson Distillery. So much better than the Jameson one in Dublin. It will take a an hour or two. Make sure to volunteer at the beginning and thank me later.

Then off to Cork for a day. The English Market is cool. If you want old school Ireland, there is a pub close by called the High B. Go in, but do not get on your phone. They kick people out left and right and it is hilarious. It is for having a pint.

Then I would go to Kinsale for a night as it is beautiful and some of the best restaurants in IReland. The Greyhound is a must pub if you are in the area.

As for Cobh, if you have a significant other into the Titanic, then it is worth a half day.

I recommend like other Dingle over Kerry. Spend a day and night there.

You can stop off at the Cliffs of Moher on the way to Galway. Galway is worth two days.

Just did 8 days, only spent two near Dublin.

Would recommend Dingle peninsula, we liked more than Ring of Kerry
Recommend staying in a castle
Liked the small fishing village of Kinsale
Cliffs of Moher a must

I would plan a careful itinerary. You will be surprised at how quickly 9 days go by in Ireland. There is a lot more to see and do than you would think in a country that size. I went for 10 days and wished I had another week.

Another thing that will screw you is the sun sets around 4:30 in November (versus 10 pm in summer). You wont have the daylight to see and do everything you want. And be careful with driving. Irish roads can be tight and windy with plenty of drunks about. I would't get a rental until I left Dublin either - it's not a driveable city.

Beyond that, have fun. Irish people are the best.

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I felt Dublin was mostly your standard large European city that depended on "Irish pub culture" Tourism.

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What the guy above said.... it’s definitely “Irish”, but to me, the real Ireland is not urban, the beauty is in the open fields, tiny roads, millions of farm animals, and the friendliest people you can meet.

There’s a factory open with a fascinating tour available in the town of Waterford. Awesome little town, and the tour is really cool!!

There isn't a better country in the world to visit that Ireland.

Are you all going to be golfing?

I was there in August of 2014 for 9 days with my father-in-law. We flew in to Shannon and stayed in the southwest of Ireland at Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa in Killarney and then moved to Adare Manor in Adare.

I golfed at Mahony's Point, Ballybunion, Dooks, Tralee, and Adare Manor.







We drank and ate a lot and saw most of the southwest as we were traveling around to the golf courses. My FIL does business with some guys that live in Ireland and are members are some of the clubs. We ended up paying like $35 per round when it would have been several hundred without them.

Ireland is an incredible place and I can't wait to get back there.