Travelling to IrelandFollow

I'm going to Ireland in a few months and I need to know what to pick up and what to do while I'm there. So if you've been, I'd greatly appreciate some help on this one.

Wondering what kind of converters I'll need for an iPod, if a cell phone is even worth bringing, and things to do. I'll be doing the usual tourist thing since it's a trip around the country (It's through my college). I have about 5 free days in Dublin, we'll be going to Limerick, Killarny, Connemara, Galway, Gulf of Antrim, Aran Islands, places like that.

I'm also really curious as to where to go for live music, over the past year I've become an active musician while at school so I've started taking in more and more when I get the chance to see live shows at small places. I've been told that a trip to a guiness brewery in Dublin is a great idea. Keep in mind, I don't drink, but in Ireland, figure I'll give Guiness a shot. I hear it's an acquired taste but given my situation, if I hate it, it only reinforces my mentality about drinking, if I enjoy it, a casual here or there, no big deal.

And all the hope I had on you catching a terminal illness seem to be just as wrong... I'll be working for Potomac Advocates this winter Term in DC actually. Not military but I am working for the gubmint.

Any serious suggestions though?

Judging by some of the company I'll have there, the only politics I'll discuss is to point the finger in a direction in Northern Ireland to remove 3 surefire pains in the ***.

Thanks for the info on the converters and the calling card too Nobby.

Anyone else have things to throw out there?

We'll be hitting up the the usual touristy things too, Blarney Castle, Waterford Crystal, Claddagh stuff in Galway (Have to do the jewelry pick up for the sister and the girlfriend of course), Cliffs of Moher, Giant's Causeway and such. I'll have a photobucket with pictures afterwards if anyone is remotely interested or able to remember months down the road this every cropping up.

Standard MasterCard work over there? I use HSBC and have a MasterCard debit, I'll be getting an internship stipend and just figured I'd run all my purchases on that, ATMs when I decide to go out and the likes.

I'm really slowing down when I had to re-read that to let it all sink in. Touche good sir.

FTFY

Good point though.

Not sure if ATMs work with the old-style magnetic strip cards, but stores are now pretty much all Chip and Pin - if his card doesn't have a chip in it, he may have to pay for drinks by 'obliging' de local oirishmen

Edited, Nov 26th 2007 3:44pm by Nobby

and things to do.

Drink. Honestly unless you're fascinated by soot and pastures, drinking is the way to go. I highly recommend reenacting Ulysses, but drinking a shot every 19 or 20 seconds.

All you need to know



In Dublin, everything you'd find at home from thrash & death metal thru dance/trance/techno and blues/rock/punk, as well as the traditional stuff. Temple Bar has a few dozen bars with a wide range of music, drinks and dirty gurls at sensible prices

Don't expect every rural pub to have a trad music scene; like I say, ask around. Where it does happen, it's often unplanned, spontaneous. Often starts with old Seamus having too much Guinness and singing "de songs me pappy used te sing". Within minutes, half the pub will nip home for their guitar, fiddle, whistle, pipes, squeezebox etc, and the rest will sing.

Try to get a photo of the old guy playing a fiddle with a cigarette hanging from his mouth making his left eye stream. Always a good shot, that one.

In line with Smash's comments about booze, attempting this sober would be like shagging Angeline Jolie while wearing 5 condoms and with a bag on her head.

I've spent a few vacations in Ireland, mostly in a town called Westport in Co. Mayo. It's a town with a population of 6 or 7 thousand, and has over 50 pubs. Most of which have various sorts of "traditional" Irish music playing. There was usually sign out front advertising this.

Seems like you're they're to do "touristy" stuff, so I'd reccomend the "Beehive Huts" in Dingle, the Cliffs of Moore in Kerry, the City of Cork (cause I've gotten "lucky" there twice, with minimal effort), & Bunratty (sp?) Castle (think "renaisance fair" with mead, snuff, and no utensils. Beware of mead, as it's hangovers are literally the worst I've ever experienced).

Also, keep in mind while the Guiness brewery is cool, getting selected for the tastings at the Jameson distillery is much, much, cooler.

But it may ruin the rest of the day, with the whole having 8 shots of different whiskeys for you to "sample".

Make sure you get a watch that can display metric time too. Otherwise you have to do the conversions in your head and that gets old quickly.

yeah I know nothign about Ireland except they built the titanic there and they have a thing for potatos.