County Wicklow 94. Powerscourt Estate Glendalough Enniskerry Blessington Rathdrum

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1 4 PLAN YOUR TRIP CONTENTS Contents Plan Your Trip Ireland s Top Itineraries...18 If You Like Month by Month Get Inspired Family Travel...30 Need to Know Dublin 34 Trinity College...38 Kilmainham Gaol Dublin Castle Chester Beatty Library National Museum of Ireland Dublin Greenery Guinness Storehouse Dublin Crawl Walking Tour...56 Take a Walk on the North Side...58 Sights Tours...66 Shopping...67 Entertainment...70 Eating Drinking & Nightlife Where to Stay Counties Meath & Louth 82 Brú na Bóinne Around Brú na Bóinne...92 Drogheda...93 County Wicklow 94 Powerscourt Estate Glendalough Enniskerry Blessington Rathdrum County Galway 110 Connemara Coastal Drive Pub Crawl in Galway City Clonmacnoise Galway City Kinvara Connemara Aran Islands 130 Dún Aengus Inishmór Inishmaan Inisheer County Clare Cliffs of Moher Trad Music Sessions Ennis Bunratty Killaloe & Ballina Kilkee Loop Head Kilkee to Lahinch The Burren The Antrim Coast 158 Giant s Causeway Causeway Coast Way Walking Tour Portrush Bushmills Giant s Causeway to Ballycastle Ballycastle Glens of Antrim Derry/Londonderry County Cork 182 Gourmet Cork Blarney Castle Cork City Around Cork City County Kerry 202 Ring of Kerry Driving Tour Skellig Michael Killarney National Park Killarney Caherciveen Portmagee Sneem Kenmare Dingle Peninsula Belfast 226 Titanic Quarter Murals of West Belfast Sights Tours Shopping...238

2 CONTENTS PLAN YOUR TRIP 5 Entertainment Eating Drinking & Nightlife Kilkenny City 246 Kilkenny Castle Sights & Activities Shopping Entertainment Eating Drinking & Nightlife County Tipperary 260 Rock of Cashel Cashel Cahir In Focus Ireland Today History Food & Drink The Pub Irish Mythological Symbols Literary Ireland Traditional Music Survival Guide Directory A Z Transport Language Index Map Legend & Symbols Key Antrim Coast p158 Belfast p226 Aran Islands p130 County Clare p140 County Galway p110 County Tipperary p260 Counties Meath and Louth p82 Dublin p34 County Wicklow p94 Kilkenny City p246 County Kerry p202 County Cork p182

3 12 PLAN YOUR TRIP IRELAND S TOP 12 6 Brú na Bóinne Looking at once ancient and yet eerily futuristic, Newgrange s immense, round, white-stone walls topped by a grass dome is one of the most extraordinary sights you ll ever see. Part of the vast Neolithic necropolis Brú na Bóinne (p86; the Boyne Palace), it contains Ireland s finest Stone Age passage tomb, predating the Egyptian pyramids by some six centuries. Most extraordinary of all is the tomb s alignment with the sun at the time of the winter solstice. Right: Knowth burial mound (p88) 7 Cliffs of Moher Bathed in the golden glow of the late-afternoon sun, the iconic Cliffs of Moher (p144) are but one of the splendours of County Clare. From a boat bobbing below, the towering stone faces have a jaw-dropping dramatic beauty that s enlivened by scores of sea birds, including cute little puffins. Down south in Loop Head, pillars of rock towering above the sea house abandoned stone cottages whose very existence is inexplicable. 01-top-places-bc-ire1.indd 12 15/01/2016 1:49:46 PM

4 IRELAND S TOP 12 PLAN YOUR TRIP 13 PECOLD/SHUTTERSTOCK RODNEY HYETT/GETTY IMAGES 01-top-places-bc-ire1.indd 13 15/01/2016 1:49:47 PM

5 20 Plan Your Trip 10-Day Itinerary LUKASZ PAJOR/SHUTTERSTOCK Dublin to Killarney If you ve only got 10 days and you must see the best of the country, you won t have time to linger too long anywhere, but if you manage it correctly, you ll leave with the top highlights in your memory and on your memory card. 1 Dublin (p34) A one-day whistle-stop tour of the capital should include visits to Trinity College and the Book of Kells, the National Museum Archaeology and the Guinness Storehouse. Make sure you also sample a pint of Guinness in one of the city s collection of superb pubs. I Dublin to Galway K 3 hours via M6; or J 3½ hours from Dublin s Busáras to Galway Bus Station; or L 3 hours from Dublin s Heuston Station to Galway s Ceannt Station. 2 Galway (p110) Plan on three nights based in Galway city, and spend the first full day soaking in the city s aesthetic delights: a visit to the museum, a stroll along the river, and a meal followed by a drink (or four) and a live céilidh (session of traditional music and dancing) in a traditional old pub like Tig Cóilí. 02-itineraries-bc-ire1.indd 20 15/01/2016 1:52:43 PM

6 10-DAY ITINERARY PLAN YOUR TRIP 21 Galway A 2 Dublin A 1 K 3 hrs 4 hrs K A 3 Ennis K3 hrs Dingle A 4 K 1 hr A 5 Killarney On the second day, take a drive to Clifden in Connemara, heading out via the coast, lunching in Clifden, and returning via Oughterard on lovely Lough Corrib. I Galway to Ennis K 4 hours to Ennis via Cliffs of Moher noon you arrive, and stay for two nights. The following morning take a harbour cruise to see Fungi the dolphin, and in the afternoon motor around Slea Head Drive with its stunning prehistoric monuments not to mention the views! 3 Ennis (p148) I Dingle to Killarney K One hour via N86 Drive south from Galway via Kinvara and the coastal road around the bare limestone scarps of the Burren to visit the Cliffs of Moher, before staying overnight in the town of Ennis, where you can take in a trad music session in one of its many pubs. I Ennis to Dingle K 3 hours via M18, N21 and N86 4 Dingle (p221) 5 Killarney (p214) Allow for two nights based in Killarney. When you arrive from Dingle mid-morning, spend the rest of the day exploring Killarney National Park, making sure to take in Muckross House and a boat trip on Lough Leane. The following day, drive (or take a coach tour) around the scenic splendours of the famous Ring of Kerry (180km). Moving south again, cross into County Kerry and make for Dingle, on its eponymous peninsula. Explore the town on the after- Above left: Dingle Peninsula (p221) 02-itineraries-bc-ire1.indd 21 15/01/2016 1:52:44 PM

7 24 Plan Your Trip If You Like... NEIL SETCHFIELD/GETTY IMAGES Traditional Pubs Séhán Ua Neáchtain One of Ireland s best-known traditional pubs, located in Galway. (p124) John Mulligan s The most famous of Dublin s traditional pubs and a star of film and TV where it usually plays itself. (p75) Tynan s Bridge House A typical country pub, except it s in the middle of Kilkenny city. (p258) Crown Liquor Saloon The most famous of Belfast s Victorian pubs. (p242) King s Head An ancient pub in the heart of Galway city, with parts dating to the 14th century. (p117) Scenic Drives Ring of Kerry Probably Ireland s most famous and popular scenic route. (p206) Connemara Coast An offthe-beaten-track meander along a gorgeous coastline. (p114) Slea Head Drive Historic sites abound on this tour of County Kerry s most southwestern point. (p224) Antrim Coast Northern Ireland s best scenic route culminates with the Giant s Causeway. (p158) Festivals Kilkenny Arts Festival Medieval Kilkenny shows its artistic side. (p255) Cat Laughs Comedy Festival Comics from around the world descend on Kilkenny every year. (p255) Willie Clancy Irish Music Festival You can hear some of the best traditional music in the world at this annual do on the Clare coast. (p150) Galway Arts Festival The city goes arts- and funcrazy for two weeks. (p122) Galway International Oyster Festival Locally produced oysters washed down with Guinness to a lively musical soundtrack. (p122)

8 32 Plan Your Trip Need to Know When to Go Galway GO May Sep Kerry GO May Sep High Season (Jun mid-sep) Weather at its best. Accommodation rates highest (especially in August). Tourist peak in Dublin, Kerry, southern and western coasts. Shoulder (Easter to May, mid-sep to Oct) Weather often good, sun and rain in May; Indian summers and often warm in September. Summer crowds and accommodation rates drop off. Low Season (Nov Feb) Reduced opening hours from October to Easter; some destinations close. Cold and wet weather throughout the country; fog can reduce visibility. Big city attractions operate as normal. Cork GO May Sep Belfast GO May Sep Dublin GO Any time; lots of indoor attractions Language English, Irish Visas Not required by most citizens of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Money The currency in the Republic of Ireland is the euro ( ). The island s peculiar political history means that the six Ulster counties that make up Northern Ireland use the pound sterling ( ). Although notes issued by Northern Irish banks are legal tender throughout the UK, many businesses outside of Northern Ireland refuse to accept them and you ll have to swap them in British banks. Mobile Phones Phones from most other countries work in Ireland but attract roaming charges. Local SIM cards cost from 10; SIM and basic handsets cost around 40. Time Western European Time (UTC/GMT November to March; plus one hour April to October).