An A-Z of Things to See in Ireland
Finding things to see in Ireland is easy as ABC. Here is a list drawing on thirty years experience of traveling in Ireland and ten years living here. Be assured there is no shortage of things to see in Ireland when you plan an itinerary.
A is for Ancient Sites
B is for Beaches
C is for Castles, Cathedrals and the Cavan Burren
D is for Dolmens
E is for Ecotourism Destinations
F is for Fleadhs and for Fairies
G is for Glens of Leitrim and the Greenway
H is for Holy Wells
I is for Islands
J is for James Joyce Celebrations
K is for the Kingfisher Trail
L is for Literary Festivals, Lacemaking and Loughs
M is for Marble Arch Caves and Music Summer Schools
N is for Neolithic Ireland
O is for Organic Ireland
P is for Pottery, St. Patrick’s Day Parades and Poetry Festivals
Q is for Quaker Pots
R is for Rock Art
S is for Stone Circles, Sculpture and Seaweed Baths
T is for Theatre
U is for the Ulster American Folk Park
V is for the Vale of Avoca
W is for long distance Walking Paths
X is for that X Factor - the spot to mark on the map where you suddenly turned left and happened upon that hidden gem not in the guide book as one of the things to see in Ireland.
Y is for Yeats Country
Zzzzzzzz will remind you to see that you get a sound sleep after a day spent on all these things to see in Ireland
Let Irish Blessings Tours create a tailored itinerary from you wish list of things to see and do in Ireland. Having traveled around Ireland for thirty years, Bee has the expertise and knowledge to match your dreams to your budget. A trained tour guide Bee is available to escort your group for an entire tour or to spend a day or two on a particular loop of your trip.
Contact Bee with your wish list – bee@irishblessingstours.com
Seven Things To See in Ireland
It’s important when planning your dream trip to Ireland to make a list of things to see in Ireland. While personal research and preferences need to be taken into account, local knowledge can also be critical. So, as a friend once told me, do have your itinerary to hand but also if you get a nudge from the fairies to turn left, just do it! Over a series of articles I’ll guide you to some essential Ireland attractions. While you may want to concentrate on a particular region it’s important to have a broad category of things to see in Ireland and then find out how many may be found in the area you want to visit.
Having lived here in Ireland for a decade and spent thirty years traveling around Ireland I have to confess that this is a personal list of not to be missed things in Ireland.
The Best Time of Year to Visit Ireland: Spring
Many people who are preparing a trip to Ireland worry about when is the best time of year to visit Ireland. In this series of articles I will tell you the positive points of each season; then you can decide for yourself what is the best time of the year to visit Ireland depending on what you want to focus on during your trip. Each part of the year has good points to consider. Using the Celtic Calendar we started with Samhain, or Winter. In this article I will focus on the reasons for you to consider Imbolc or Springtime as the best time of year to visit Ireland.
The Best Time of Year to Visit Ireland: Winter
Many people who are preparing a trip to Ireland worry about when is the best time of year to visit Ireland. In this series of articles I will tell you the positive points of each season; then you can decide for yourself what is the best time of the year to visit Ireland depending on what you want to focus on during your trip. Each part of the year has good points to consider. Using the Celtic Calendar we will start with winter, which starts at Samhain, the Irish name for the month of November.
7 Tips for Travellers to Ireland
Part of planning a group’s itinerary is to help them pack and prepare to make their sojourn the best experience possible.
Ireland’s climate is ever with us. Extremely low or high temperatures are rare. An Irish summer is considered ‘good’ with temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit. Much higher than that and the country might expire from the shock. Likewise, snow events are generally short and light. The winter of 2010 was a rarity.
Also consider that there are two currencies on this island. We also have a different electric current voltage from both North American and the continent.
As someone who has been doing transatlantic travel since 1980 I have devised certain strategies for a smooth journey. For those of you heading to Ireland these tips may help you pack up your kit bag.
1. Ireland uses the same electrical voltage as the UK. Get an adapter
for UK voltage. You’ll know it’s the right one if it has 3 pin plug. Continental plugs are two round pins. You’ll need the adapter to power up you cell phone or use hair styling appliances. Check with the manufacturer that you favourite appliance is compatible with an adapter. Some are and others will not work. Appliances sold as ‘travel’ generally are versatile enough.
2. The Irish climate requires waterproof and shower proof outerwear. Make sure your shoes are especially leak proof. I advised a friend to buy a micro fleece hoodie for trip to Ireland in September. With a rain slicker for heavier showers she made it through the trip just fine.
3. Ireland’s temperate climate requires that you wear layers. Make sure to pack a tank, short-sleeved and long-sleeved t-shirts and either a pullover sweater or fleece or cardigan. Temperatures can rise and fall within a day. You’ll be glad to have at least one layer to meet every eventuality.
4. A smallish notebook and pen that fits in your pocket, handbag or day pack. You will be overloaded with information and people say the most interesting things! Note them down when you are back in your hotel room or in transit between sites. You’d be surprised how many people want to remember the name of that charming little place with the pub, with the dog, you know the one? But then can’t remember the name. Urrrgh! Put important addresses, email addys and contact numbers in the back of this notebook. Make a note down of your passport number in case it gets lost or stolen.
5. Your camera or camcorder will also be useful ways to jog your memory. Remember to pack your chargers (see Tip1 – you’ll need to power them up regularly) and bring spare memory cards!
6. Buy traveller’s checks in local currency – that would be euro for the Republic of Ireland and pounds sterling for Northern Ireland. It is
easier to cash a traveller’s check in local currency. Hotels will cash your dollar checks but you pay for the privilege. Banks will give the best rates of exchange in rural areas but they may limit how much you can cash on a single day.
7. If you take medication make sure you have enough for your trip. Get a paper copy of your prescription – and if you are as reliant upon wearing corrective lens as I am then make sure you have your glasses’ prescription, too. Or a spare pair of glasses.
Make sure your passport is valid for the dates your travelling. Then you should be good to go!
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