Category Archives: first trip to Ireland

What to know about Ireland

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What to know about Ireland when you are traveling for the first time has been written about several times on this site. I recently received an e-mail article from the Irish Central newspaper written by James Farrell which has prompted me to publish some travel advise. The article titled – The top ten reasons Irish Americans have no real clue about Ireland – (Please bear with me and read the list, the explanation will follow)

We Irish;

  1. We don’t live in thatched cottages
  2. We don’t say faith and begorrah or chase leprechauns
  3. We don’t drink all day or fight all night
  4. We don’t hate the british
  5. We generally don’t like American Republicans, We like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and their nuanced international world views than cowboys like George Bush and Ronald Reagan-sorry you tea party guys.
  6. We don’t think you are Irish
  7. We don’t like Danny Boy and sentimental songs
  8. We tell jokes about you
  9. We don’t know the the Murphys from Cork or the Sullivans from Kerry,as there are thousands
  10. We don’t want to hear  any more irish jokes as they are pathetic and demeaning
Have you got the gist of his opinion? Can you tell what political bent he is from?
I had to count to ten when reading this list as I felt like its author was poking me in the chest with each word, WHAT A STUCK UP ELITIST PUKE. It is not my intent to sway a persons political view in this article, the point of each article is to be helpful. So, what to know about Ireland before you you spend 3 to 4 thousand dollars traveling to a really special and mostly pleasant place.
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What to know about Ireland as a tourist, relax and represent, You will run into narrowed minded people like Mr. Farrell, they will assume the worst, you are a loud and proud American intent on waging war for the exploitation of the poor. They are not the majority, but they can ruin your day. Since you are on an Irish vacation your days are precious, avoid the politics, (check out previous article avoid politics)
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We Americans are fed a lot of hype about rural Ireland, the thatched cottage does exist but more as a memorial of the past, much like Abe Lincoln’s log cabin. What to know about Ireland is that people live with as much comfort as possible, and the thatched cottage was from a time of meager means which is romanticized.
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When you get ready for your trip remember that we are Americans, we like the connections to our past, the Irish don’t always realize this, the Irish you run into are busy living their everyday lives, but approached properly are very happy to be of assistance. The people who are use to tourists sometimes enhance the myths thinking it is what you came to see, there are stage shows and cabarets aimed at the tourist market, (think Dollywood). If you wish to understand the Irish culture, know there are many sides to it and you get to choose which side to explore. Example, I like the Irish pubs and Irish music. When I go to a pub, I practice pub etiquette, I listen, I keep my politics to myself until I am comfortable with the other people. I do not expect anything but a nicely poured guinness and a comfortable pub. When I open my mouth and make my order with the bartender, they know I am an American. I can’t tell you the number of nice conversations started with ordering a pint and leaving everyone alone. I never expect Irish music unless I’ve traveled to an Irish music festival, but I have had many times been part of local sing songs not staged for Americans as Mr. Farrell states, but started by irish locals who actually like Irish folk music. I’m sure Mr. Farrell would consider these Irish to be backward and an embarrassment to his high and mighty crowd.
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What to know about Ireland is that you can make all the mistakes  this web site was started for you to avoid, and still have a good time. I know because I made all the mistakes before. You know Live and Learn, they’re both a lot of fun with the right attitude.
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As always A little connected story. On monday nights after playing Ice hockey, I like to have a guinness before going home, there are usually a couple of American musicians I chat with. On this night  at the far end of the bar there is a group of Irish born Americans and Irish visa holders having a song or two. The two musicians start complaining to me about the singing. I tell them I like enthusiasm especially in singing. They tell me that the Irish don’t really like these songs and that this sentimental crap is is for the birds. I tell them that they seem to sound like they are Irish and they seem to be enjoying the singing. Well the American top 40 player can take it no more and leaves, the Folk singer holds out for another couple of minutes and takes off. (in their defense, it is not easy to be a professional musician and listen to regular people sing). So I make my way to the other end of the bar to the outside of this singing circle to listen. There’s a fellow and his girl, just over from roscommon  named Martin who engages me in conversation, and I sing along with the chorus of a song or two. It was a lot of fun. Now this group consisted off two fellows from cork, one of their wives, a clare man and the two from roscommon. The cork fella’s wife I’m guessing cork, wants to hear Danny Boy. Now I know the famous writer James Farrell will tell you that the Irish hate Danny Boy, and I will tell you that the only time you sing Danny Boy is at your own party or when somebody really begs to hear it. But anyway, I look at this girls husband and ask are you sure?, He says ya she does love the song, One of the fellows starts then stops the words escaping him (as with most songs knowing the words is most of the battle) As he starts again I sing with him and find myself singing Danny Boy to a group of Irish Ex-Pats by request, something I never would have done if my musician friends hadn’t left. I finish up, don’t butcher the melody too badly, get a nice thanks from The cork man’s wife, she’s happy- so he’s happy (some things are universal)
I get to hear one more song before heading home. This was an un-expected fun time, can’t wait to tell the two musician friends what they missed.
Cheers.

previous articles for what to know about Ireland- or to enjoy your trip

pub etiquette

first time in ireland

avoid the politics

Going to an Irish wedding in Northern Ireland.

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My friend and his wife are going to an Irish wedding in Northern Ireland and wanted to know what they should try to see while there. First off, an Irish wedding is a great way to be introduced to Ireland, it combines the the best parts of the three categories of Irish trips, guided tour, self guided, and local family. Since you have a destination an Irish wedding forces you to a specific spot and specific times, the wedding and reception are pre planned much like a guided tour would be. Once the wedding and reception take place, there will more than likely be planned parties throughout the following week, you will however have the options of planning some excursions, more like self directed tours. Of course you may also spend the week being shown the local hotspots with family and new friends met at the wedding.

Things to remember. First the roads are not as close as they seem, what looks like it might take 45 mins to cover usually takes 2 hrs. the major highways (yes there are some major highways) are a safer bet on smooth travel, but the drive through the Irish countryside is half the fun on an Irish holiday. You can only see so much so pick a destination or two and enjoy them. Avoid politics, since you are a visitor its easy enough to empathize without having to commit to the battle. There is a difference in the north vs. the south of Ireland, there are strong opinions on both sides, fostered by living in and around the situation, avoid the politics, the only exception is with very close relatives who will school you on the realities of the situation. That being said, Northern Ireland is beautiful, They have great sites, The Giants Causeway, The Bushmills distillery, The Burial place of St. Patrick, a myriad of castles and ruins, the people are pleasant with a british influence. There are still segregations between the Catholic and Protestant populations, subtle but evident, particular stores are used by one, another by the other, you are a tourist , it shouldn’t affect you. Londonderry or Derry? it depends, on the map it says Londonderry and if you are Protestant it says Londonderry, If you travel to Donegal or Monaghan, or are speaking to a Catholic it will be Derry, I suggest  when asking for assistance to ask for the town and leave the Derry, Londonderry enigma alone.

O.K. so you are going to an Irish wedding in Northern Ireland, you have 9 travel days total, what to do.

  1. Flight arrives at Dublin airport, take a bus to Belfast or the nearest spot to your wedding destination. Yes, take a bus. it will be the easiest way out of Dublin Airport, The Irish Bus system is pretty reliable and user friendly. There are info booths at the airport and you can check things out online. Taking the bus from the airport avoids dealing with Dublin centre, it also puts you in a seat for a 2 1/2 hr trip when you are pretty tired. If your stop is before the last stop tell the driver they usually will help you out (wake you).
  2. Make sure you have your passport available as you may be asked for it when entering Northern Ireland. Settle into your hotel, try to stay awake until at least 10 pm., this first day is quite taxing, as most U.S. flights leave in the evening and arrive in what would be early morning.
  3. Enjoy the wedding and reception, hopefully it will last into the wee hours. Did you learn a song or two? It could come in handy, Something from Home, a little Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Skynard.
  4. Checkout some sites, the Giants Causeway is a Biggee. my friends party takes them to New Castle, a nice seaside village where the mountains of Mourne roll down to the sea, and by the way next to one of the most famous Golf links in the World- Royal County Down. This is where you have some options. Do you stay in a quaint Northern Ireland village and relax or try to see some of the Irish Republic?
  5. You have four travel days left, what can I see in the south before leaving from Dublin. First you can take the bus back to Dublin and check out a first class city. The bus route from Belfast to Dublin is a straight shot and leaves hourly. O’Donoghues on St. Stephens Green is a great pub, it has real Irish music year round, and it won’t be too crowded in February. Check out the Guinness brewery at St. James Gate, or tour Kilmainham Jail.
  6. From Dublin you could take a bus from your hotel to Johnny Foxes pub on the Wicklow- Dublin border, This tourist/local fusion pub again has live music year round, good food, and nice guinness.
  7. You could take a day trip either by renting a car or by bus to the monastic ruins of Glendalough Wicklow. You could also rent a car and just cruise the wicklow hills, once out of Dublin city its nice to see the Irish countryside. If you are a slow learner or fearful of driving on narrow winding roads, on the opposite side of the street, on the opposite side of the car, with a standard transmission, then take a bus. Also if you drive remember the DUI laws are very strict and sobriety road blocks are common.
  8. If you don’t mind more bus travel. take the bus from Dublin to Galway city 3 1/2- 4 hrs., The Pub scene is lively, well laid out, full of Irish music. Stay in a local hotel, most pubs and restaurants are easy to walk to, and catch the bus back on your departure day. If you are doing this make sure your flight out is as late as possible. It always take longer than you think to get to the airport.
  9. My suggestion would be to pick either Dublin or Galway, Dublin being more convenient since most are flying out of Dublin airport, and if you played a round of golf at Royal County Down you might as well play a round at Portmarnock Golf Club.(  a note; there is Portmarnock golf club and Portmarnock golf links, almost side by side, the golf club is the famous one, they are both links style courses.)
There is no wrong way to do it just try not to cram too many things into too little time, there will always be things you’ll love or be annoyed by. Practice proper pub etiquette and enjoy.  A cabbie once told me the only thing better than an irish wedding was an irish wake, maybe we’ll save that for next time,
Cheers.

Ireland visits can be very different

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All Ireland visits are as different as night and day depending on the perspective. Most peoples first impression of Ireland is the postcard view and the guide book narrative. This first visit to Ireland is filled with faulty assumptions, wondrous sites, treacherous driving, and surprising discoveries. If your first Irish trip is through a guided tour, you will be slow fed your Irish etiquette by your tour operator. These Irish tour operators are used to the tourist crowd and won’t shun you when you flash your money around, or insist on a picture, or invite yourself into the conversation. The tour operators will provide “Irish music dinner shows” so you can believe you are part of the Irish culture, probably some Irish step dancing thrown in for good measure. But inevitably you will stray from the pack and find yourself in a small pub where Irish pub etiquette is expected, it’s at this moment (hopefully) you will know you are a foreigner in a foreign land. A good friend of mine was offered employment from one of the universities in Ireland. He relayed this story to me to show how the same thing can be very different. My friend Pat arrived at University and there was a reception party to be held, not yet having a car to get around in he required assistance.

Pats co-workers ” Hi Pat did you have any trouble getting here?”

Pat———–  ”No Colleen gave me a ride ”

Co-workers– “Really” (snickering and muffled laughter)

Pat———- “Yes it was a fine ride out, she’s was very nice to help me out” “and she said she could give me a ride all the way back”

Co-workers in  full laughter- ” Really”.

Pat——— “What’s so funny?” (confused)

Well his co-workers eventually told him that he probably got a lift not a ride, as “a ride” in Ireland has a different meaning, and they didn’t want to besmirch Colleens reputation. Hopefully you have figured out what the difference is.

Bantry Bay

Ireland visit to Bantry

Another type of Irish visit and one of my favorite trips to Ireland is the family visit. The hospitality offered can be overwhelming, but it’s sincere, and it’s not unusual for a quick visit to last several hours. It’s important to accept the hospitality given. The three cups of Barry’s tea with biscuits and the answering of questions with the offer of further assistance every five minutes.  An example; I had stopped by my cousin’s In-laws and had almost made it out under 2 hours when I was asked where I was staying. That year I had a nice B&B near the R.D.S. in Dublin, so I told them I was staying in a B&B in Dublin. “Oh Brian what are you doing paying for a place, you’re family, (I’m the cousin of this fellows niece’s husband) you could have stayed with uncle Mike, he lives just down the road from the R.D.S., I thanked him for the thought and that next time I would be sure to stay at Mikes, but the rooms been paid for and it would be a waste to not use it. No matter what, you are treated like royalty, like a guest should be treated. It’s always nice to have a guide, show you the coziest pubs and the decent restaurants. I don’t think I can convey the warmth and welcoming feeling when you are invited into an Irish home.

Favorite Irish trip discovering Ireland

The most adventurous and tricky trip to ireland would be the self directed or self catered tour. You make your own itinerary and are a stranger to each town you enter. This is my favorite Irish trip, each town can be a craicin good time or a quite night out. You need to read the crowd, practice perfect pub etiquette, waiting for the invitation to join the conversation and be content if no invitation is extended. I remember a quiet night spent in Bantry, my wife and I celebrated our anniversary in a nice little restaurant, the only other people in the place were the owners and the chef. We had a pleasant conversation after dinner and it was really very pleasant. The next night we end up in Kinsale, the only tourists in the pub,we are invited into the group, and have a blast singing and carrying on till the wee hours.

When visiting Ireland take your time, you will not see it all, no matter how many times you go, you will not see it all, so take your time. The Irish Blessing gives good advise, enjoy the simple pleasures and blessings are present in each day, just know enough to appreciate them.

Cheers

Irish Weather

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Irish weather is ever changing. That is the most consistent thing to be said about he Irish weather. I’ve made my fair share of trips to Ireland during the winter months and the funny thing is I enjoyed the grey semi cold days of January. Everything is perspective. One year I left 3 feet of snow and 15 degrees F, to arrive at Dublin airport to 45 degrees F and overcast grey skies. I’m sure people thought I was crazy as I strolled down the Dublin streets in a golf shirt and light pants, but compared to Boston that winter, Dublin was the tropics, heck, the daffodils were already up, a sure sign of spring. The sun occasionally threatened an appearance, but grey was the color of the season. I arrive at my cousin’s inlaws and remark at the beautiful weather, how nice and warm it is, almost 50 F, and am met with faces filled with dis belief, summed up best by my cousins wife.

Irish weather in Dublin

 

Wife –”Geez Brian are you daft”

Me– “No, it was 15 F and I’ve run out of places to pile up the snow.”

Wife– “Cold is it?”

Me– “Yes”   (thinking my point is made)

Wife– ” I’D TAKE A MONTH OF COLD DAYS, IF I COULD ONLY SEE THE SUN. ”

And of course she’s right, but for a weeks stay it’s not that noticeable, and if you are coming from the Northern States, Canada, etc. it is warmer.

Powerscourt Waterfall

Irish weather Powerscourt waterfall

One of the nice things about the spring,winter and fall, Irish weather is when it is nice, it is spectacular. We spent an afternoon at the Powers court waterfall to a glorious blue sky and eighty degree days, We went swimming off Malin head in Donegal, a magnificent stretch of beach surprisingly wide open. We Had a great game of wiffle ball and had the beach almost to ourselves. At , I think it was the second Tullamore Fleadh, it had rained every day for a month. They have a farm competition that had to be cancelled because the ground was saturated. My daughter and I arrive at the B&B to woeful stories about the weather. I’m chatting with the Mrs. of the house and tell her that for the next 5 days it will be sunny, and warm, that the weather is always nice when we make the trip over.(which unbelievably it is). She gives me the don’t feed me that bull–it look, and shows us to our room. The next five days are beautiful, each day warmer and brighter than the next. When our stay was over that landlady was begging us to stay.

The Irish weather can change on a dime so be prepared, the temperature can drop 40 degrees in the same day, so make sure you have jackets and such in your car.

Pack a fleece jacket.

Pack a rain jacket.

Pack a portable rain poncho.

Good pair of walking shoes.

A sweater or two wouldn’t hurt.

 

Or you could be like this daft American and stroll down the cold grey Dublin streets in a polo shirt, It’s all perspective,

Cheers,

Oh and remember if it rains outside ‘ there’s a nice peat fire in the Pub.

It’s your first trip to Ireland

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Congratulations, you’ve decided to take your first trip to Ireland.

The first thing to decide is: Do I take an organized tour of Ireland, or do I travel Ireland independently?

Reasons to take an organized tour:

1-If you are retired and this is your first trip to Ireland, take a tour.

Travel in Ireland can be stressful. The Irish drive on the left side of the road, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, the roads are narrow, winding, and full of beautiful scenery you would like to see. Also most cars are standard transmission. When was the last time you drove a car with a clutch? The tour driver knows the answer to the question most tourist drivers ask themselves when driving the narrow roads of the beautiful Irish countryside: Yes, that oncoming bus, lorry, truck and my vehicle can pass each other and no, we won’t end up in a ditch on the side of the road.

2-You like to have an itinerary.

It’s your first trip to in Ireland and you want to make sure you see the spots that are famous: The Ring Of Kerry, The Cliffs of Moher, The Guinness Brewery. You can set up individual tours in each town you go to, but the tour operators are experts. They have intimate knowledge of each Irish site and will have arrangements with restaurants, Irish traditional musicians, and shows.

3-You have a large group.

Family reunions or family weddings. A tour keeps the family together and most tours have times to explore on your own. I had the pleasure of attending my cousin’s wedding in Wicklow. The celebration lasted a week and we all traveled throughout the west of Ireland. We hired 2 vans and basically myself and my brother-in-law carted everyone around. No one else would drive and although it was a great Irish adventure, I needed a vacation to recover from my vacation .

 

Reasons to book your own Irish vacation:

1-You like to explore on your own.

Self guided tours lend themselves to unique experiences. If traveling during the summer months it can be more challenging to find a B&B due to the peak season. Use the Irish tourism offices. They will help you find lodging in or near your next point of interest. My favorite trip to Ireland was self guided. My wife navigated, I drove, and we just explored. We found ourselves in small one pub towns, and had such interesting chats along the way.

2-Travel Ireland at your own pace.

There will be times you make friends or enjoy a village so much that you want to stay for a few extra days. Take time to enjoy the awesome sites of Ireland, be it the Dingle peninsula, Kinsale Town, Mizen Head, Cork, the Burren, The Cliffs of Moher, or the beautiful county of Donegal and more and more……Also you have time to appreciate the simple beauty of rural Ireland. There will be times that a spot will capture your heart and you can feel the connection to your Irish heritage.

Either way, remember to use proper pub etiquette, relax and enjoy your trip to Ireland, one of the most beautiful and unique places to travel to. Cheers.

Irish travel tips:

1- Make sure your passport is valid and up to date.

2 -Electrical converters are needed to use your blow dryers, electric razor, or any electrical device bought in the states.

3- Pack for all types of weather and temperatures. Being surrounded by the ocean the weather can change hourly. Many a day starts off warm and sunny to end up cold and raw. You won’t need the winter parka but a weather-proof jacket, a fleece, and a sweater or two will come in handy.

4- Walk or take a taxi to the pub. Ireland has strict laws concerning drinking and driving, plus the roads take some getting use to,especially at night.

5- When you need transport from one place to another remember: it’s a lift not a ride.They mean completely different things in Ireland.