My wife and I are going to Ireland in July. We want to tour ireland and golf, pub and site see. Any ideas?

Question

My wife and I are going to Ireland in July. We want to tour ireland and golf, pub and site see. Any ideas?

Answer 1

It is pretty hard to compete with the last answer!

My only hope of getting the ten points is if you fall asleep reading his answer!

There er numerous golfs but some I would recommend are Doonbeg, Lahinch and Ballybunion.

Sights- Cliffs of Moher, bunratty castle

pubs- all Irish pubs are great

Answer 2

I suppose your first option would be a few days in the historic but rather overrated city of Dublin.  As you will be no doubt flying into Dublin airport or maybe Shannon this should be your base for a while.

Shopping and nightlife is endless in Dublin city, like any other large European city the fast pace of life can be a bit of a problem and the traffic in town at rushhour is a nightmare so be forewarned.  There are many sites in towns such as the world famous Guinness Brewery, Jameson Whiskey Distillery, The General Post Office (GPO, site of the 1916 standoff between Irish rebels and the British Army), Phoenix Park, Trinity College (home of the legendary Book of Kells) and St Stephens Green.

Pubs in Dublin i would recommend would be Oliver St Gogarty's, The Auld Dubliner and The Temple Bar all in the Temple Bar area of the city centre.  Sinnotts, Messer Maguires and Keoghs are also good choices very close to the city centre.

Less than 1 hour south of Dublin city centre; Co Wicklow is a beautiful part of the country and far-removed from the hussle and bustle of city life, Johnny Foxes pub in the Wicklow mountains is reported to be Irelands highest pub and well worth a visit.

For golf near Dublin try the world famous K-club in County Kildare about 40 miles west of Dublin city centre.  K-Club had the honour of hosting the 2006 Ryder Cup no less.

Galway city is my favourite town in ireland (ok so I lived there 3 years I am a bit biased).  With a population of less than 100,000 the pace is much slower than its big brother Dublin on the east coast.  Again loads of shopping and nightlife options to choose from in Galway.  My fav pubs in Galway city include The King's Head for Rock music, The Quays, Taffees and Monroes for traditional irish music and the Front Door and Busker Brownes for a chit-chat with friends.

About 1 hour south from Galway city  the fabulous Cliffs of Moher is Ireland's most famous tourist attraction.  Close by the rugged burren of Co Clare includes caves, rock formations and flowers not seen anywhere else in the world.  

About 1 1/2 hour south of Co Clare is Co Kerry which includes so many sites I cannot begin to include even a fraction but needless to say the 120 mile coastal drive "Ring of Kerry", Killarney national park and Dingle peninsula are noteworthy favs among tourists.  There is a fine 18 hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course near Killarney where many United States presidents like Bill Clinton have played a few rounds.

Back in Galway and about 1 hour west of galway is Connemara which includes Kylemore Abbey, irelands only Fjord in the village of Leenane and the majestic Connemara National Park.  The Aran Islands a short boat ride from Galway city is also worth a day-trip, to experience rural Ireland at it most "rural"

North of Galway is the rural County Mayo which includes the lively town of Westport and the magnificent Achill Island with costal drives unmatched anywhere else in Europe.  Further north the counties of Sligo and Donegal offer the tourist incredible scenery and many friendly towns including Bundoran, Sligo town, Letterkenny and Buncrana.

Of course I would recommend a visit to Northern Ireland despite what you may have heard regarding the troubles that went on there for the best part of 40  years.  Derry or Londonderry city is a nice if somewhat underwhelming town located on the most westerly tip of what is in my opinion one of the nicest parts of the island.  Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-reed rope bridge and the town of Bushmills including its world renowed Bushmills Whiskey Distillery are just some of the many sites to see along the amazing Antrim coast line.

Be warned the weather in Ireland is very unpredictable and rain and wind is a constant irritant even in the middle of summer.  The roads especially outside of the big cities are of a poor standard in comparison to other highly developed countries but they are improving, slowly.  Travelling to and from major towns and cities by rail is recommended although a bit on the expensive side.

Have fun