Recommended Irish Tourists Sites

Well it took me long enough to get to part two of my Visit to the Olde Sod.  Sorry but self-discipline is not my strong suit.  Sorry.

The photos I'm including come from some of the nicest tourist sites that we visited in September.  I  thoroughly enjoyed the trip but cannot possibly include everything.  The best part of a trip is often the people and this was no exception.  Our Road Scholar group of twenty-four was exceptional and lots of fun.  Wonderful memories made and shared.

My reunion with cousins meant a great deal to me because I doubt that I shall return to Ireland again.  I hope their children will visit the United States and I can return their warm hospitality, but that is out of my hands.  This will be my most lasting memory.  The Irish are a welcoming and warm people; family connections are as treasured as they were for my grandparents who came to the USA between 1885 and 1904. It was so easy to pick up where we left off during former inter-country visits and phone calls.  It seemed as if we had good craic only yesterday!

So much for the personal. I promised recommendations so here they are. First and foremost are the worth the trip alone book stores.  The Irish are avid readers and book stores abound.  Charlie Byrnes Used Bookstore in Galway was rated one of the top five stores in all of Ireland.  Besides the vast inventory, the staff is very knowledgeable and the service exemplary.  One would expect Dublin to teem with bookstores and the city certainly doesn't disappoint.  My most favorite, terrific, when can I move into bookstore is Hodges Figgis on Dawson in Dublin, a short walk from Trinity College.  Imagine yourself in the USA twenty-five years ago!  Selection, selection, selection.  Quality, quality...well you get the idea.

Best fish chowder ever:  Danny Macs Cafe Bar in Lahinch on the Clare Coast.  The food in Ireland is of good quality and you will be well fed almost everywhere but Danny Macs was extra special.  We also had a marvelous candlelight dinner at Glenabbey a golf resort near Galway, but that was a special arranged for the group. I expect that such a meal on my own would have broken the bank. The famous Irish brown bread is available everywhere. Don't miss it.

Entrance to the Killarney National Park

Hardy Irish Surfers

Third Class Menu from the Titanic

Blacksmith's Shop at Ulster Heritage Park

Modern Weaver demonstrates 19th century techniques

James Joyce bust in St. Stephen's Green

Chester Beatty Library

One of the Bog Men at the National Museum

Part of the Gold Horde at the National Museum

Some of the most memorable tourist attractions include the Killarney National Park.  An expert led tour enhanced the experience of this lovely forest.  Indeed the natural settings in the Killarney and Ring of Kerry area are very beautiful from the" Ladies' View" above one of the lakes to the skelligs offshore on the Ring.  Lahinch, besides having the best fish chowder, boasts surfers!  Take that southern California!

Any visitor to Dublin will have an embarrassment of riches to visit from Trinity to the Medieval City and the exciting Temple Bar pub/traditional music areas. The must see sites include the National Art Gallery and the National Museum where you can view some of the artifacts of Celtic history and appreciate exquisite Irish art.  St. Stephen's Green is a large, well-kept, and relaxing park in the middle of the Dublin tourist area.  It was a favorite haunt of James Joyce whose prep school is nearby.  A lesser known site is the Chester Beatty Library in the Medieval part of the city. This library is known for its manuscripts and illuminated books, interestingly displayed on three floors. The top floor features texts and images from the world's major religions.  The second floor is devoted to special exhibits and the art of the book.  I was thrilled to see copies of Arabic scientific texts written by the scientists I have been studying.  Near the Library is a remembrance garden in honor of those Garda who have died in the course of their duty.  It is a lovely, quiet garden.  Incidentally, the Gallery, Museum, Library and park are always free.

I had not planned to visit Northern Ireland but it was part of the tour.  Our drive across County Tyrone included a stop at the Ulster Heritage Park.  Although it focused on Northern Irish experiences I can honestly say that the park was carefully conceived and planned as well as expertly executed.  Displays include an extensive Titanic exhibit.  The extensive outdoor section of the park is very nicely done too.  One travels through time beginning with life in 18th century Northern Ireland. Re-enactors explain and demonstrate the life and work of this era.  The outdoor park is divided into two sections that reflect life in Northern Ireland and in the New World, separated by a realistic looking passage ship from which visitors embark into the New World.  The homes, schools, stores, and farms of settlers are realistic and informative.  If you go to the North, give it a visit; plan on spending at least two and a half hours.

Have you been to Ireland?  What were your favorite sights?