Discover Ireland Contents I Throughout this book, we use these icons to highlight special recommendations: The Best Lists for everything from bars to wildlife to make sure you don t miss out Don t Miss A must-see don t go home until you ve been there Local experts reveal their top picks and secret highlights Detour Special places a little off the beaten track If you like Lesser-known alternatives to world-famous attractions These icons help you quickly identify reviews in the text and on the map: 1 Sights 5 Eating 6 Drinking 4 Sleeping 8 Information This edition written and researched by Fionn Davenport Catherine Le Nevez, Etain O Carroll, Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Neil Wilson
Sligo & Donegal Galway, Clare & the West p217 p261 Belfast, Derry & the Antrim Coast Wicklow & Eastern Ireland p99 p293 Dublin p51 Kilkenny & the Southeast Highlights... 140 Dungarvan Rock of Cashel Kilkenny City Walks on Hook Head Southeastern Kitchens National 1798 Rebellion Centre p175 Cork & the Ring of Kerry p137 Kilkenny & the Southeast Cork & the Ring of Kerry Highlights... 178 Killarney Skellig Michael The English Market Killarney National Park Kinsale Slea Head Dublin Highlights... 54 Chester Beatty Library Trinity College Irish Museum of Modern Art Kilmainham Gaol A Pint of Plain Dublin Greenery Wicklow & Eastern Ireland Highlights... 102 Brú na Bóinne Glendalough Powerscourt Estate Monasterboice Castletown House Old Mellifont Abbey Galway, Clare & the West Highlights... 220 Trad Sessions in Clare Connemara Galway Music Festivals Cliffs of Moher Clonmacnoise Aran s
Contents Counties Sligo & Donegal Highlights... 264 Surf Beaches Slieve League Drumcliff & Benbulben Climb Mt Errigal Ardara Weavers Golf Links Belfast, Derry & the Antrim Coast Highlights... 296 Coastal Causeway Route Bogside, Derry West Belfast The Antrim Coast Mourne Mountains Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Historic Derry/ Londonderry Plan Your Trip This Is Ireland...6 Ireland Map...8 Ireland s Top 25 Experiences...10 Ireland s Top Itineraries...32 Month by Month... 42 What s New... 46 Get Inspired...47 Need to Know... 48 On the Road Dublin 51 Highlights... 54 Best...58 Walking Tour... 60 Dublin... 62 Wicklow & Eastern Ireland 99 Highlights...102 Best...106 Itineraries...108 County Wicklow... 110 Glendalough... 112 Sally Gap... 112 Enniskerry & Powerscourt Estate... 116 Blessington... 119 Southern Wicklow...120 Brook Lodge & Wells Spa...121 County Kildare...122 Maynooth...123 Straffan...124 County Meath...125 Brú na Bóinne...125 Battle of the Boyne Site... 127 Trim... 127 Tara...129 crew Cairns...132 County Louth...133 Drogheda...133 Around Drogheda...133
Contents Kilkenny & the Southeast 137 Highlights... 140 Best...144 Itineraries...146 County Kilkenny...148 Kilkenny City...148 Central Kilkenny...152 County Wexford...152 Kilmore Quay...152 Saltee s...153 Hook & Around...153 Jerpoint Abbey...154 New Ross...155 Enniscorthy...156 Wexford & the Kennedys... 157 County Waterford... 157 Waterford City... 157 Southeast County Waterford...160 Dunmore East...160 Dungarvan...162 Ring...164 Ardmore...164 Lismore...166 Northern County Waterford... 167 County Tipperary...168 Cashel...168 Cahir... 172 Cork & the Ring of Kerry 175 Highlights... 178 Best......182 Itineraries...184 County Cork...186 Cork City...186 Midleton & Around...191 Western Cork... 191 The Gourmet Heartland of Ballymaloe...193 Eyeries to Lauragh...194 Mizen Head...195 Beara (Ring of Beara)...196 County Kerry...196 Killarney...196 Around Killarney...200 Muckross Estate...201 Ring of Kerry... 204 Skellig s... 206 Skellig Michael... 209 Dingle... 211 Galway, Clare & the West 217 Highlights... 220 Best... 226 Itineraries... 228 County Galway... 230 Galway City... 230 Aran s... 234 Dún Aengus...237 Connemara...237 Inagh Valley... 241 Clonmacnoise... 242 County Clare...244 Ennis... 244 Bunratty...247 Kilkee... 248 Kilkee to Lahinch... 249 Cliffs of Moher... 251 The Burren... 252 County Mayo... 256 Cong... 256 Croagh Patrick...257 Westport... 258 Counties Sligo & Donegal 261 Highlights...264 Best... 268 Itineraries... 270 County Sligo...272 Sligo Town...272 Drumcliff & Benbulben. 276 County Donegal...276 Donegal Town...277 Around Donegal Town.278 Southwestern Donegal... 280 Surf Spots... 281
In Focus Survival Guide Slieve League... 282 Northwestern Donegal... 283 Maghery & the Glen Gesh Pass... 284 Eastern Donegal... 285 Glenveagh National Park...286 Northeastern Donegal... 287 Belfast, Derry & the Antrim Coast 293 Highlights... 296 Best... 302 Itineraries...304 Belfast...306 Around Belfast...316 Mourne Mountains...316 Holywood...316 Portrush...318 Bushmills...318 Giant s Causeway to Ballycastle...319 Giant's Causeway... 321 Glens of Antrim... 322 County Derry... 322 Derry/Londonderry.. 322 Ireland Today...330 History... 332 The Irish Way of Life... 345 Food & Drink...348 The Pub... 353 Irish Mythological Symbols... 355 Literary Ireland... 358 Traditional Music... 362 Family Travel...364 Sporting Ireland...366 Directory...370 Accommodation... 370 Activities... 371 Business Hours... 373 Customs...374 Electricity...375 Gay & Lesbian Travellers...375 Health...375 Insurance...375 Internet Access...375 Legal Matters...376 Money...376 Public Holidays...376 School Holidays...377 Safe Travel...377 Telephone...377 Time... 378 Tourist Information... 378 Travellers with Disabilities... 378 Visas... 379 Women Travellers... 379 Transport... 379 Getting There & Away... 379 Getting Around...380 Language...386 Behind the Scenes...388 Index... 391 How to Use This Book...399 Our Writers... 400
This Is Ireland For such a tiny country, Ireland gets a pretty big billing. Its praises are sung in song and described in prose; its many charms are evoked to delicious perfection by artists on canvas and poets in verse. They tell of a green landscape brushed with rain, a wild coastline tormented by a windblown sea Hang on, can this idyll actually be real? As it turns out, it is. You ll find this side of Ireland along the postcard-perfect peninsulas of the southwest, the brooding loneliness of Connemara and the dramatic wildness of County Donegal. Ireland may have modernised dramatically, but some things never change. Brave the raging Atlantic on a crossing to Skellig Michael or spend a summer s evening in the yard of a thatched cottage pub and you ll experience a country that has changed little in generations this is most likely the Ireland you came to see. Despite the trappings of modernity and the fickle hand of fortune, Ireland remains one of the world s most beautiful countries, and is worth every effort you make to explore it. And when we say Ireland, we mean the whole island the North, for so long scarred by conflict, is now finally engaged in the process of recovery and is able once again to parade its stunning self to a world that for so long only knew of it through the stories on the evening news. Céad míle fáilte a hundred thousand welcomes. Why a hundred thousand when one is perfectly adequate everywhere else? Everyone has heard of Irish friendliness, and once you arrive you ll gladly discover it s not a myth. A bit of friendly banter and the offer of a helping hand to read a map, make sense of garbled directions or share a pint (it s a sin to drink alone!) are never far from the first hello, for the Irish consider hospitality to be their greatest asset. A hundred thousand welcomes. It seems excessive, but in Ireland, excess is fine, so long as it s practised in moderation. Friendly but never fawning....postcardperfect peninsulas, the brooding loneliness of Connemara and the wildness of Donegal Cliffs of Moher (p251), County Clare RICHARD CUMMINS / LONELY PLANET IMAGES 6
333 333 3 3 3 3 _ ^ _ R R R ä æ æ æ ä â Ü ä ä ä Malin Head Rosguill Bloody Foreland Lecale Mullet Doolough Valley Ards Wicklow Mountains Aran s Killary Harbour rea Mace Head Sperrin Mountains Mourne Mountains Glens of Antrim Fanad Inishowen Killala Bay Irish Sea North Channel ATLANTIC OCEAN Clew Bay Gare Loch Upper Erne Macnean Lower Eske Gartan Inagh Ree Neagh Lower Erne 9 W 11 W 6 W 5 W 8 W 55 N 7 W 54 N 53 N 54 N 53 N Knock Athenry Tara Newbridge Cong Limavady Slane Boyle Clonmany Ballycastle Cushendun Blessington Dungloe Gort rea Ballyvaughan Carrickmacross Kilcar Killala Dunlewy Kildare Cavan Malahide Glendalough Ballycastle Kilcolgan Carrick Bushmills Oughterard Navan Mountmellick Mullaghmore Rosses Point Straffan Clones Carrickon-Shannon Kells Newport Culdaff Rossnowlagh Strandhill Enniscrone Easkey Ardara Leenane Pollatomish Burren Doolin Gweedore Kells Maghery Ballyliffin Kilbeggan Bangor Erris Strokestown Maynooth Portrush Letterfrack Glencolumbcille Claddaghduff Roundstone Dunfanaghy Cashel Carlingford Dalkey Trim Kinvara Howth Ballina Mullingar Portstewart Wicklow Larne Tullamore Castlebar Coleraine Lisburn Westport Newtownards Letterkenny Carrickfergus Ballymena Clifden Birr Athlone Roscommon Holywood Antrim Ballinasloe Portadown Derry/ Londonderry Drogheda Enniskillen Monaghan Strabane Lurgan Dundalk Banbridge Newry Downpatrick Armagh Bundoran Galway Donegal Sligo Buncrana Omagh Craigavon Bangor Belfast DUBLIN Battle of Boyne Site crew Cairns Durrow Abbey Clonmacnoise Brú na Bóinne Monasterboice Powerscourt Estate Links Golf Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery Rossmore Forest Park Connemara National Park Ballycroy National Park Glenveagh National Park Giant's Causeway Slemish (438) Cuilcagh Mountain (667) Croagh Patrick (765m) Slieve League TYRONE SLIGO DU BLIN DOWN CAVAN M EATH LEITRIM M AYO K ILDA RE WESTMEATH DERRY DONEGAL MONAGHAN LOUTH LONGFORD ANTRIM FERM ANAGH ARMAGH ROSCOMMON O FFA LY GA LW AY Inishturk Clare Inishmurray Tory Inishbofin Achill Inishmór Inishmaan Inisheer Rathlin SCOTLAND 1 8 4 6 19 15 9 3 10 21 25 20 7 17 200m 300m 500m 700m 100m 0 ELEVATION Ireland Ireland
8 W W 6 W 7 W 5 W 5 W 8 W Cliffs of Moher 18 æ Roscrea Ennistymon Mizen Abbeyleix Rathdrum Head Lahinch Castledermot Miltown Ennis Nenagh LA O IS Carlow 5 Durrow Malbay W IC K LOW Doonbeg CLARE Bunratty TIPPERARY CARLOW Ballon Kilkee Shannon R Loop Kilrush Airport Limerick Kilkenny 16 Mt Leinster Dungarvan (796m) Ferns Head Tarbert Adare Rock of ä Kells Mouth of the Cashel 13 Cashel K ILK E N N Y Enniscorthy St George's Shannon Tipperary Fethard Channel Listowel W EXFORD Glen of Cahir Carrickon-Suir Wexford LIM ERIC K Aherlow Clonmel New Ross Tralee Rosslare Dingle Connor Mitchelstown æ Curraghmore Waterford æ ^ Strand Pass Caves Rosslare Harbour KERRY Estate c Annascaul Dunmore Castlemaine Cappoquin Tramore Kilmore 33 Dingle Lismore East 11 Mallow Quay Killorglin Dungarvan Hook â Kerry Bog Killarney WATERFORD Kells Ring Village Youghal Killarney Caherciveen Museum 24 Cork Fota 2 æ National Wildlife 22 Valentia Park CORK Ardmore Ring of 12 Park Waterville Kerry Kenmare Cobh Youghal Skellig Sneem Gougane Barra Bay s 14 Forest Park Caherdaniel Glengarriff Beara 23 Kinsale ATLANTIC Sheep's Bantry Head Clonakilty Dursey OCEAN Skibbereen Schull 33 3 WALES 33 3 9 W Clear 10 W Carto: Add Add graphic graphic text text with with highlights. highlights. 51 N 51 N 51 N 1 Dublin 2 Ring of Kerry 3 Glendalough, County Wicklow To To be be replaced in in Indesign. Indesign. 4 Connemara, County Galway 5 The Sound of County Clare 9 W 10 W 6 Clonmacnoise 7 Links Golf in Sligo 8 Galway City 9 Brú na Bóinne, County Meath a Powerscourt Estate, County Wicklow b Dingle, County Kerry c Cork City d Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary e Skellig Michael, County Kerry f Black Taxi Tour, Belfast g Medieval Kilkenny h Antrim Coastal Walk i Cliffs of Moher, County Clare j Derry/Londonderry k Slieve League, County Donegal Bay of Biscay l Monasterboice, County Louth m Ardmore, County Waterford n Kinsale, County Cork o Killarney National Park p Dún Aengus, Aran s, County Galway St Agnes Head Gwithian & Godrevy Navax Runway Ra St Au Ba 11 W 11 W 52 N 51 N