If I had 2 days to travel Ireland, and to see the best of the Scenery, Sights and Nightlife, what should I do?

Question

Any suggestions on what there is to see in about 2 days in Ireland, including attractions, sights, nightlife and nice hotels...money is no object...mostly within the Dublin Area

Answer 1

Spend the morning of the first day strolling around Dublin City centre. Have a coffee in Bewleys on Grafton Street. Wander from there down to Trinity College. Shop for souvenirs in the Nassau Street area, for clothes and food in the area around Georges Street. My favourite museum is the Chester Beatty, which is in Dublin Castle near Georges Street. Eat lunch in the Winding Stair Cafe, which looks over O'Connell Bridge (from the North side of the river). Metro Cafe on South William Street, Cafe Irie in Temple Bar and the Avoca Cafe on College Green are also nice. The best park for chilling out is either Stephens Green or the Iveagh Gardens. The best pubs are Mulligans in Poolbeg Street (a wee bit difficult to find), Grogans of South William Street and The Long Hall on Georges Street. the Market Bar, just off Georges Street is also nice (but more of a bar than a pub). For clubbing, Crawdaddy can be fun. The best hotel in Dublin is the Morrison on the north side of the river, all designer chic. U2 also own a posh hotel, the Clarence.

On the second day, rent a car and drive down to Wicklow, only an hour south from Dublin. Most tourists go to Glendalough. Its very beautiful but also not the only beautiful place in the area. Much more dramatic (especially if you have your own wheels) is the view over Lough Tay on the Sally Gap. Just drive to Roundwood and follow the signs. Incidentally, the venison in the Roundwood Inn is excellent. There are many many places to see in Wicklow, too many to list here. Besides, the key to enjoying Ireland is not to plan too much, the people and weather are too unpredictable for that! Don't worry about 'money no object', just get lost and meet strangers! Have fun!

Answer 2

The answer before mine is great. You will be amazed how helpful and friendly the locals will be. Young girls still hitchike in Ireland and there are never any problems. The police don't even carry guns and the crime rate is incredibly low. Many areas outside Dublin have very little to do, so Dublin would be your best bet.  You could drive for hours and hours in most areas and see nothing but fields and cattle and a couple of people waving as you drive by.