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1 The Best of Ireland from $90 a Day

“ The modern American tourist,” wrote historian Daniel J. Boorstin, “has come to expect both more strangeness and more familiarity than the world naturally offers.” That said, Ireland continues to offer more than its share of both. At first glance, Ireland presents a familiar face to American visitors. The language is the same, only more lyrical; the faces are familiar; the food, recognizable; the stout, legendary. Many visitors, notably Irish Americans, experience their arrival as a kind of homecoming. It takes a while for this superficial reverie to wear off. When it does, the other face of Ireland shows itself, and this is when the country becomes truly exciting. Ireland is a place of profound contradiction and complexity. For one thing, it is at the same time both ancient and adolescent. Ireland’s age is obvious to anyone with a car. Within a half-day drive of downtown Dublin lie Neolithic tombs, Bronze Age forts, early Christian monastic sites, Viking walls, and Georgian estates—enough antiquity to make your head spin, all in plain sight. Centuries-old are as commonplace in Ireland as Wal-Mart stores are in the United States. The Irish past doesn’t exist just in books; it’s in the backyard. A shovel, digging for peat or potatoes, may well strike a 5,000-year-old grave. Thousands of unexcavated ancient sites litter the countryside. Any visitor to Ireland who ventures beyond its shops and pubs will soon be struck by how the country revels in its age. What is less obvious is how new Ireland is as a nation. The , with its own constitution and currency, is barely 50 years old. Mary McAleese, the current president of Ireland, is only the eighth person to hold that office. In political age, Ire- land, for all its antiquity, is a mere pup. Like any adolescent, it’s doing many things for the first time, and at least a few of its contradictions make sense when you keep that in mind. Compounding Ireland’s youth as a nation is the youth of its people. Roughly half of the population is under 25, and nearly a quarter is under 15. This means that in some homes, those who once fought for Irish independence are living under the same roof with those who have never known anything else. In these same homes, the gapCOPYRIGHTED between generations is often seismic. MATERIAL It is indeed curious that in a country where what happened 1,000 years ago reads like yesterday’s news, it is com- mon to feel old and outnumbered at 30. Ireland’s past has been remarkably tumultuous, inspiring a tradition of courage, humor, and creativity. Change is nothing new to the island, yet the rate and scale of the changes occurring today are without precedent. And that’s where the contradic- tions become so endearing, like the old farmer in a tweed cap who is afraid of com- puters but rings his bookmaker on a cellphone. Like the publican progressive enough to have a website but traditional enough to not like seeing a woman drinking from a 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 5

THE BEST PICTURE-POSTCARD IRISH TOWNS 5 pint glass. (Older folks often tsk-tsk that “ladies should drink from half-pint glasses.”) Like the grocer–cum–post office or, better still, the grocer–cum–hardware store–cum–pub, both common entities in many a rural town. Like the national weather forecasts, which, even with the help of a gazillion satellites, still manage to appear so parochially informal. One radio weatherman actually offered this by way of a forecast: “It’s dry and clear across most of the country, and let’s hope it stays that way.” The magic of today’s Ireland lies in these daily slices of life.

1 The Best Websites • Irish Tourist Board (www.ireland.ie): even tell the database to avoid motor- Bord Fáilte’s site is both easy to navi- ways and toll roads. gate and extremely informative. An • Entertainment Ireland (www. excellent place to start gathering ideas entertainment.ie): This handy, exhaus- for your trip. tive, searchable database includes just • Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com): If you’ve about every event in Ireland, from decided to fly with Aer Lingus, book museum exhibitions to rock concerts your ticket here. While we don’t to hot new plays to nightclub theme endorse any single airline over another, nights. And it includes well-written Aer Lingus’s site is exceptional in that reviews of them all to boot. it always offers its lowest fares online. • Irish Family History Foundation • Irelandhotels.com (www.ireland (www.irishroots.net): This compre- hotels.com): What catapults this hensive genealogy resource contains accommodations database ahead of documentation from all 32 counties the raft of hotel-finding sites is its on the island. Much of the archived “detailed search” function. Gotta information is free for your perusal, have a gym? Need to find a babysit- and you can also hire researchers to ter? Want an in-room dataport for do the work for you. checking your e-mail? No problem. • Newshound (www.nuzhound.com): Just plug in your requirements, and Hands down, the best single resource the site will spit out a list of hotels for keeping up to date on Northern and guesthouses that fit the bill. Ireland. It’s a vast, searchable library • AA Roadwatch (www.aaroadwatch. of news articles about developments ie): Planning on driving in Ireland? in the North, including a terrific The route-planning feature of the timeline of key events in the “Trou- Irish Automobile Association’s site is bles.” In addition, there’s an impres- brilliantly simple. Plug in your start- sive array of articles on the Republic, ing point and destination, and you’ll including travel and dining reviews. get very detailed directions. You can

2 The Best Picture-Postcard Irish Towns • Dalkey (County Dublin): This fine and simple restaurants, pubs, and charming south-coast suburb of shops anyone needs for a brief visit or Dublin enjoys both easy access to the a long stay, Dalkey is a tempting town city and freedom from its snarls and to settle into. See “Easy Excursions frenzy. It has a , an island, a from Dublin,” in chapter 5. mountaintop folly, and a few parks, • Carlingford (County Louth): What all in ample miniature. With all the a pleasant surprise in lackluster 05_769819 ch01.qxp1/4/069:19PMPage6 Ireland 6 LoughLough RathlinRathlin IslandIsland ell SwillySwilly To Campb ToryTory IslandIsland PPortrushortrush North Sea BallycastleBallycastle NNorthorth CHAPTER 1 SCOTLANDSCOTLAND CCreesloughreeslough BBuncranauncrana h PortstewartPortstewart Bushmills ChannelChannel ATLANTIC ug Edinburgh o le OCEAN LLoughoy DonegalDonegal AAirportirport RRathmullanathmullan FFoyle  EglintonEglinton AAirportirport CCushendallushendall NORTHERNNORTHERN Aran Island  r LLetterkennyetterkenny DDerryerry ae IRELANDIRELAND DDERRYERRY AANTRIMNTRIM nr ToCairnryantranraer Stra . DDungloeungloe &&S

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8 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY Louth: a charming, tiny medieval undoubtedly one of Ireland’s most village with castle ruins right on the picturesque towns, but the visitors bay; excellent eateries; and pedes- who crowd the streets every summer trian-friendly lanes filled with color- attest to the fact that the secret is out. ful shops, cafes, and pubs. See The walk from Kinsale through Scilly “County Louth: Where Cuchulainn to Charles Fort and Frower Point is Walked,” in chapter 6. breathtaking. Kinsale has the added • Inistioge (County Kilkenny): Nestled benefit of being a foodie town, with in the Nore River valley, cupped in the no shortage of good restaurants. See soft palm of rounded hills, this idyllic “Kinsale,” in chapter 9. riverfront village with two spacious • Kenmare (County Kerry): If you’re greens and a collection of pleasant driving the Ring of Kerry, this is the cafes and pubs is among the most pho- most charming base camp you could tographed Irish towns. Pronounced wish for. The “little nest” has a “In-ish-teeg,” it was the backdrop for blessed location at the mouth of the the film Circle of Friends. It attracts River Roughty on Kenmare Bay, and hosts of anglers, because fish invari- it’s loaded to the gills with flower ably show good taste and love this boxes, enchanting shops, and places place. See “Kilkenny City & Envi- to eat. See “The Iveragh Peninsula,” rons,” in chapter 7. in chapter 10. • Kilkenny (County Kilkenny): • Adare (): Like a per- Slightly larger than a small town fect little medieval town plucked from (locals like to think it a city, so that’s a children’s book, Adare is a bastion of what we call it) but terribly picture- thatched cottages, black-and-white postcard nonetheless, Kilkenny may timbered houses, lichen-covered offer the best surviving Irish example churches, and romantic ruins, all of a medieval town. The walls, the strewn along the banks of the River splendidly restored castle, and the Maigue. See “Limerick City & Envi- renowned design center (housed in rons,” in chapter 11. the castle stables) draw visitors from • Westport (County Mayo): It’s never Ireland and abroad. Kilkenny, how- a surprise in Ireland when someone ever, is no museum. Many regard it as says Westport is his favorite town— perhaps the most attractive large it’s small and bursting. Someday it town in Ireland. See “Kilkenny City might explode into a city, but for now & Environs,” in chapter 7. Westport remains a hyperactive town • Kinsale (County Cork): Kinsale’s that somehow manages to be as narrow streets all lead to the sea, friendly and welcoming as a village. dropping steeply from the hills that See “County Mayo,” in chapter 11. rim the beautiful harbor. This is

3 The Best Tiny Seaside Villages • Ardmore (County Waterford): Ard- See “Waterford City & County more is best known for its complex of Waterford,” in chapter 7. medieval ruins, including a beautiful • Dunfanaghy (County Donegal): round tower and a chapel with a Outstanding beaches and coastal remarkable set of carvings on its gable. scenery are within walking distance The town itself clusters around a of this resort town on Ireland’s north- sandy bay between craggy headlands. ern coast. Don’t miss the Horn Head 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 9

THE BEST FREE ATTRACTIONS & OPEN SITES 9 Drive, or the traditional music that southwest Donegal, and there’s still a bursts into spontaneous life most sense of stepping back in time when nights in Dunfanaghy or nearby Fal- you enter some of the local pubs and carragh. See “The Atlantic High- shops. Don’t miss the Glencolumbkille lands,” in chapter 14. Folk Park, which preserves the past in a • Glencolumbkille (County Donegal): reconstructed village of thatched cot- Modern conveniences, such as electric- tages. See “The Donegal Bay Coast,” ity, came only recently to this village in chapter 14. on a tiny cove amid the mountains of

4 The Best Free Attractions & Open Sites • National Museum of Ireland Athassel spreads in ruins over 1.6 (Dublin): This is where the nation hectares (4 acres). Although it’s not as keeps most of its archaeological treas- well preserved as Kells, there’s still a lot ures: the Ardagh Chalice, the Tara to explore, and the picturesque stones Brooch, the Cross of Cong. There’s are sure to excite your imagination. no better place to get in touch with Rarely visited, it’s in the middle of Dublin’s past, from the first Viking a field, on a quiet back road near settlement to the Easter Rising of Cashel. See p. 249. 1916. On the same block are the • Black Fort (County Galway): The (also free) National Gallery and Nat- dramatic 67m-long (220-ft.) wall of ural History Museum. See p. 143. this promontory fort cuts off access • Trinity College (Dublin): Although to a small peninsula on Inishmor. you do have to pay to enter the Old The site is spectacular, and the defen- Library, where the renowned Book of sive field of sharp stones that makes Kells is on display, the rest of this his- up its front yard is well worth negoti- toric campus is free and open for you ating. See p. 425. to explore. As soon as you pass • Carrowkeel (County Sligo): Eerily through the gates, you leave the isolated atop several steep hills, and noises of the city behind and enter connected by sight with nearby another world. Watch a cricket match Maeve’s Tomb atop Knocknarea and in the College Park, and stroll the Neolithic tombs of Carrowmore, through the college’s cobbled squares. this collection of passage tombs is See chapter 5. among the earliest surviving records • Kells (County Kilkenny): This priory of Ireland’s prehistoric peoples. A and fortified town is one of Ireland’s visit here is an experience not to be most spectacular medieval ruins. missed. See p. 446. Because there’s no visitor center, • Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge you’re on your own to explore and to (County Antrim): Each spring, local interpret what you see; a small book fishermen put up this open rope available at the town post office offers bridge spanning a chasm 18m (60 ft.) assistance with the interpretation. See wide and 24m (80 ft.) above the sea “Kilkenny City & Environs,” in between the mainland and a small chapter 7. island. It makes for a thrilling walk if • Athassel Priory (County Tipperary): you don’t fear heights. See p. 533. The largest medieval priory in Ireland, 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 10

10 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY

5 The Best Active Vacations • Hiking in the Galtee Mountains: Bere Island and as far as Glengariff. The gentle contours of Tipperary’s See “West Cork,” in chapter 9. Galtees offer the perfect scenic back- • Bicycling in the Southwest: The drop for trail riding. Kilmaneen Farm- peninsulas and islands of Cork and house, a commodious B&B with an Kerry are perfect for cycling, with low excellent hiking program, will provide traffic and an abundance of beautiful all you need for a trekking holiday. See places to visit. Roycroft’s Stores in “Easy Excursions into South Tipper- Skibbereen, County Cork (p. 307), ary,” in chapter 7. rent bikes that are a notch above the • Sea Kayaking in West Cork: With usual rental equipment. See chapter 9. hundreds of islands, numerous invit- • Walking the Donegal Coast: The ing inlets, and a plethora of sea caves, cliff-rimmed headlands of Donegal the coast of West Cork is a sea are the most spectacular in Ireland, kayaker’s paradise. In Castletownbere and the best way to explore them is on the Beara Peninsula, Beara Out- on foot. Among the finest walks are door Pursuits (& 027/70692; www. Slieve League, Glen Head, and Horn seakayakingwestcork.com) specializes Head. See chapter 14. in accompanied trips out and around

6 The Best Beaches • Raven Point (County Wexford): The of sand in a horseshoe bay, there’s an Raven Nature Reserve, just north of old-fashioned promenade with ice- Wexford Harbour, is a place of forested cream stalls, surf shops, and summer dunes and uncrowded beaches. During vendors—in short, one of Ireland’s the winter and spring, a large popula- quaintest seaside resorts. See p. 371. tion of migratory wildfowl makes its • Portacloy (County Mayo): With a temporary home here. See p. 230. curving crescent of white sand, a • Barleycove Beach (County Cork): tranquil bay, and a fleet of diving Barleycove is an inlet at the tip of cormorants, this beach is a gem that Mizen Head, a place of great rugged (surprisingly) doesn’t draw large beauty. Despite some development in crowds. It is strikingly rural and the form of a hotel and trailer park, shimmers a silky aquamarine amidst the beach doesn’t get too crowded, sheep fields and a cluster of farm cot- and it is a great place to walk or tages. Come here for a spectacular swim. See p. 307. cliffside walk as well as a refreshing • Inch Strand, Kilmurray Bay, and dip. See p. 396. Trabeg Beach (all County Kerry): • Trabane Strand (County Donegal): The Dingle Peninsula delivers some Donegal has some of the most beau- of the most drop-dead-gorgeous tiful stretches of unpopulated beach beaches in the country. When David in Ireland, and Trabane Strand near Lean filmed parts of Ryan’s Daughter Dunfanaghy is a prime example. You on Inch Strand, he said it was the have to be willing to walk, as there most beautiful place he’d ever seen. isn’t road access, but on a fine day a See p. 345. stroll on this glorious expanse of sea • Lahinch (County Clare): Overlook- sand, with the cliffs of Horn Head on ing a wide-as-the-eye-can-see expanse the horizon, will amply reward the 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 11

THE BEST CASTLES 11 effort. As for swimming in these leave that to the seals and the truly chilly northern waters, it’s best to courageous. See p. 472.

7 The Best Natural Wonders • MacGillycuddy’s Reeks (County summit, adding to its mystery. See Kerry): One of several mountain p. 390. ranges on the Iveragh Peninsula, • The Twelve Bens (County Galway): MacGillycuddy’s Reeks boasts Carran- Amid Connemara’s central mountains, tuohill, at 1,037m (3,404 ft.) the high- bogs, and lakes rises a rugged range est mountain in Ireland. Whether known as the Twelve Bens, crowning a gazed at from afar or explored up close landscape that is among the most spec- on foot, the Reeks are among Ireland’s tacular in Ireland. Among the peaks greatest spectacles. See p. 336. themselves, some are bare and rocky, • The Burren (County Clare): The while others are clothed in peat. The Burren (from the Irish Boireann, loftiest of the Bens, Benbaun, reaches meaning “a rocky place”) is one of the 730m (2,395 ft.) and lies inside the strangest landscapes you’re ever likely Connemara National Park. See “Con- to see: a vast limestone grassland nemara,” in chapter 13. spread with a quilt of wildflowers. Its • Slieve League (County Donegal): The inhabitants include the pine marten Slieve League peninsula stretches for and nearly every species of butterfly 48km (30 miles) into the Atlantic and found in Ireland. See p. 371. is 19km (12 miles) across at its widest • The Cliffs of Moher (County Clare): point. Its wonderfully pigmented cliffs Rising from Hag’s Head to the south, are the highest sea cliffs in Europe, and these magnificent sea cliffs reach their are visible from Carrigan Head or as full height of 232m (760 ft.) just north you walk along them, if you dare. of O’Brien’s Tower. The views of the From below or above, Slieve League open sea, of the distant Aran Islands, serves up some of the most dazzling and of the Twelve Bens of Connemara sights in Ireland. See p. 467. are spectacular. A walk south along the • The Giant’s Causeway (County cliff edge at sunset makes a perfect end Antrim): In case you lose count, to any day. See p. 379. roughly 40,000 tightly packed and • Croagh Patrick (County Mayo): Ris- mostly hexagonal basalt columns are ing steeply 762m (2,500 ft.) above the said to comprise the giant Finn Mayo coast, Croagh Patrick is Ireland’s McCool’s path from the Antrim head- holiest mountain, where Patrick is land into the sea toward the Scottish said to have retreated in penance. The island of Staffa. This volcanic wonder, place is biblically imposing. The view formed 60 million years ago, can be from above can be breathtaking or marveled at from a distance or negoti- nonexistent, as clouds often wrap the ated cautiously on foot. See p. 534.

8 The Best Castles • (County Tipperary): architecture, and you’re free to roam One of the largest of Ireland’s castles, through a maze of tiny chambers, Cahir is in an extraordinary state of spiral staircases, and vertiginous battle- preservation. Tours explain some fasci- ments. See p. 249. nating features of the castle’s military 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 12

12 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY • (County Kilkenny): and then left on your own to explore, Although parts of the castle date to discover, and almost certainly get lost the 13th century, the existing struc- in the maze of courtyards, passages, ture has the feel of an 18th-century walls, and barracks. See p. 292. palace. There have been many modi- • Parke’s Castle (County Leitrim): fications since medieval times, Once an important citadel in this including the addition of beautiful part of the country, the masterfully landscaping. See p. 261. restored castle commands great • (County Cork): views over Lough Gill. Exhibits Despite the mobs of visitors that demonstrate the life and activities of besiege the castle daily, this majestic castle inhabitants, and the tea shop tower house is worth a visit. While serves up some admirable pastries. you’re here, check out the Badger See p. 449. Cave and dungeons at the tower’s • Carrickfergus Castle (County base, as well as the serpentine paths Antrim): This fortress on the bank of that wind through the castle gardens, Belfast Lough is the best-preserved set in a picturesque rocky glen. Need Norman castle in Ireland. It consists we mention the Stone? You sidle in of an imposing tower house and high under the upper wall with your head wall punctuated by corner towers. hanging over a 10-story drop, and See p. 525. there it is. You kiss it. It’s a thing peo- • Dunluce Castle (County Antrim): ple do. See p. 285. The castle ruins stand atop a razor- • Charles Fort (County Cork): sharp promontory jutting into the Located on a promontory in stun- sea. This was no doubt a highly ning Kinsale Harbor, the fort’s mas- defensible setting, and the castle sive walls enclose a complex array of wasn’t abandoned until a large section buildings in varying states of repair. collapsed and fell into the breakers At the entrance, you’re handed a map one day in 1639. See p. 533.

9 The Best of Ancient Ireland • Newgrange (County Meath): Poised tombs crowns two hills. On the east atop a low hill north of the River hill, visitors can take a tour (summer Boyne, Newgrange is the centerpiece only) or admit themselves with a key. of a dramatic megalithic cemetery Better yet, hike up the west hill to a dating from more than 5,000 years second, more solitary series of tombs, ago. Archaeological speculation is that where the connections between ruin this massive, heart-shaped mound and imaginative reconstruction are and passage tomb were constructed as the ones you make. See p. 210. a communal vault to house the cre- • Hill of Tara (County Meath): Of rit- mated remains of the dead. The ual significance from the Stone Age tomb’s narrow passage is so perfectly to the Christian period, Tara has seen aligned that the central chamber, deep it all and kept it all a secret. This was within the mound, is marvelously the traditional center and seat of Ire- illuminated at each year’s winter sol- land’s high kings, who could look out stice. See p. 210. from here and survey their realm. • Loughcrew (County Meath): At this Although it’s only 156m (512 ft.) little-known site, not far from New- above sea level, from the Tara hill you grange, a series of cruciform passage can see each of Ireland’s four Celtic 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 13

REMNANTS OF THE GOLDEN AGE: THE BEST EARLY CHRISTIAN RUINS 13 provinces on a clear day. The site is meet steep 61m (200-ft.) cliffs, Dun mostly unexcavated and tells its story Aengus stands guard over the south- in whispers. It’s a place to walk ern coast of the island of Inishmor, slowly, with an imagination steeped the largest of the Arans. See p. 424. in Ireland’s past. See p. 209. • Carrowmore and Carrowkeel • Lough Gur (County Limerick): This (County Sligo): Located on the Cool- fascinating lakefront archaeological era Peninsula, these two megalithic site will convince you that the cities of the dead may have once con- Neolithic farmers of Ireland had an tained well over 200 passage tombs. estimable sense of real estate. Inhab- The two together—Carrowmore in a ited for more than 4,000 years, this valley and Carrowkeel atop a nearby ancient farming settlement offers a mountain—convey an unequaled number of prehistoric remains, the sense of the scale and wonder of the most impressive of which is the ancient megalithic people’s reverence largest surviving stone circle in Ire- for the dead. Carrowmore is well pre- land, consisting of 113 stones. Access sented and interpreted, while Car- to the site is free, so bypass the lack- rowkeel is left to itself and to those luster museum and explore on your who seek it out. See p. 449 and 446. own. See entry for Lough Gur Visitor • Legananny (County Centre (p. 365). Down): This impressive granite dol- • Dun Aengus (County Galway): No men (Neolithic tomb) on the southern one knows who built this massive slope of Slieve Croob is one of stone fort, or when. The eminent the most photographed in archaeologist George Petrie called Ireland. The massive capstone seems Dun Aengus “the most magnificent almost weightlessly poised on its three barbaric monument in Europe.” Fac- supporting uprights. See p. 527. ing the sea, where its three stone rings

10 Remnants of the Golden Age: The Best Early Christian Ruins • Glendalough (County Wicklow): Irish), “the Rock” suggests a citadel, a Nestled in “the glen of the two lakes,” place more familiar with power than this important monastic settlement with prayer. Physically, it is a huge out- was founded in the 6th century by St. cropping—or, rather, upcropping—of Kevin. Its setting is disarmingly sce- limestone topped with some of the nic—exactly the opposite of the most spectacular ruins in Ireland, harsh environment you’d expect asce- including what was once the country’s tic medieval monks to have sought finest Romanesque chapel. Socially, the out. Although quite remote, Glen- place was the seat of clerics and kings, dalough suffered numerous assaults a center to rival Tara. Now, however, by the Vikings and the English, and it the two sites vie only for tourists. See eventually dwindled into insignifi- p. 250. cance. Today, its picturesque ruins • Jerpoint Abbey (County Kilkenny): collude with the countryside to create Jerpoint is perhaps the finest repre- one of the loveliest spots in Ireland. sentative of the many Cistercian See p. 186. abbeys whose ruins dot the Irish • The (County Tipper- landscape. Visitors are drawn to Jer- ary): In both appearance and name point’s splendid cloister, the most (cashel or caiseal means “fortress” in richly carved in Ireland, and its 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 14

14 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY impressive tomb sculptures. The peace-seeking monks was a target of abbey’s tower is the tallest of its kind the Vikings, who destroyed it in A.D. in Ireland. See p. 258. 802. Today, its circular ruins and the • Skellig Michael (County Kerry): surrounding sea present a stunning This stunning crag of rock, dedicated sight, well worth the effort required to to the Archangel Michael, stands reach it. See p. 447. 13km (8 miles) offshore from the • Clonmacnois (County Offaly): This Iveragh Peninsula and rises sharply was once one of Ireland’s most impor- 218m (714 ft.) out of the Atlantic. tant religious, artistic, and literary Early Irish monks in pursuit of self- centers, a place of pilgrimage and high imposed hardship and exile chose this culture. Founded in the mid–5th cen- spot to build their austere hermitage. tury at the axis of the Shannon River Today, the journey to Skellig across and the medieval east–west thorough- choppy seas and the arduous climb to fare known as the Eiscir Riada, Clon- its summit are challenging and unfor- macnois thrived for centuries until its gettable. See p. 320. prime riverfront location nearly • Inishmurray (County Sligo): This proved its undoing. In the 830s, uninhabited island nearly 6.5km (4 Vikings sailed up the Shannon from miles) off the Sligo coast is home to a Limerick and brought havoc that striking monastic complex, sur- returned many times in the ensuing rounded by what appear to be the walls centuries. Today, even in ruins, Clon- of an even more ancient stone fort. macnois remains a place of peculiar Despite its remoteness, this outpost of beauty and serenity. See p. 494.

11 The Best Literary Spots • Newman House (Dublin): Cardinal nationalist and longtime Dublin resi- John Henry Newman was the first dent who is said to have inspired Yeats’s rector of the Catholic University in play Cathleen ní Houlihan, is buried Dublin, housed in two buildings on in the Republican plot. See p. 150. St. Stephen’s Green in the center of • North Dublin: The streets north of the city’s south side, and worked in the Liffey are home to many of the that capacity from 1852 to his retire- characters in James Joyce’s stories and ment in 1859. The Catholic Univer- novels; Joyce lived in this part of sity later became University College Dublin and had a special affinity for Dublin, where Gerard Manley Hop- it. Much has changed since Joyce’s kins arrived in 1884, as a professor of time, and Bloom’s house at 7 Eccles Greek; after 5 years of teaching here, St. has been replaced by a new wing Hopkins died at the age of 44. James of the Mater Private Hospital, but Joyce studied here from 1899 to many mementos of the city as it was 1902. See p. 148. in 1904 survive. Tours of the area • Glasnevin Cemetery (Dublin): begin from the James Joyce Centre. Besides being the setting for part of the See “Seeing the Sights,” in chapter 5. sixth episode of Ulysses, this is the rest- • County Sligo: It seems at times that ing place of Joyce’s parents and several every hill, house, and lake in the other members of his family. The county is signposted to note its rela- English-born poet Gerard Manley tion to the poet W. B. Yeats, whose Hopkins is also buried here, in the writing was informed by the land- Jesuit plot. Maud Gonne, the Irish scape, mythology, and people of this 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 15

THE BEST GARDENS 15 region. Many of the natural and his- • The Aran Islands: John Millington toric monuments of Sligo appear in Synge set his play Riders to the Sea on Yeats’s poetry, including Lough Gill, Inishmaan and wrote an account of life Glencar Lake, Benbulben Mountain, on the islands titled simply The Aran and Maeve’s tomb atop Knocknarea Islands. Native islander Liam O’Fla- Mountain. There are also several herty, known for his novel Famine, is museums housing first editions, pho- from the island of Inishmor. See “The tographs, and other memorabilia, Aran Islands: Inishmor & Inisheer,” in and of course Yeats’s grave in Drum- chapter 13. cliffe. See “Sligo & Yeats Country,” in chapter 14.

12 The Best Gardens • Powerscourt Gardens (County Wick- • Creagh Gardens (County Cork): low): This is one of the most grandiose Meandering paths lead the visitor of Irish gardens, set amidst the natural past a sequence of exquisite vistas splendor of the northern Wicklow with many hidden corners to explore. Hills, yet it’s only 19km (12 miles) The garden sits on a beautiful estuary. from Dublin. The gardens and nearby See p. 304. waterfall make a great day’s outing and • Ilnacullin (County Cork): A ferry a welcome respite from the noise and conveys visitors from a lovely, rhodo- congestion of the city. See p. 191. dendron-rimmed bay in the town of • Kilruddery House & Gardens Glangarriff to Garinish Island, the (County Wicklow): A grandiose for- unlikely site of a fine Italianate gar- mal garden whose initial plan was den. The formal garden, with the laid out in the 17th century, Killrud- Casita at its center, connects to a dery draws its appeal from places like “wild garden” that showcases a collec- the beech hedge pond and the orna- tion of rhododendrons, azaleas, and mental dairy. The house is also full of rare trees. See p. 305. curious treasures. See p. 191. • Heywood Garden (County Laois): • Butterstream Gardens (County Heywood is one of just four gardens in Meath): Butterstream is renowned Ireland designed by English architect for its splendor in spring and sum- Edward Lutyens. Its rows of lime trees, mer. It is a series of delightful garden tall iron fountain, and walled garden compartments whose variety attests create a tranquil enclave in a country- to the skill of its designer, Jim side that is already calm, green, and Reynolds. His manipulation of floral soft. The house for which Heywood color and texture yields spectacular was built has burned down; the gar- results, from an austere white garden den recalls its elegance. See p. 497. to the floral fireworks of brilliant • Mount Stewart House (County herbaceous borders. See p. 209. Down): This 18th-century house on • Altamount Gardens (County Car- the eastern shore of Strangford Lough low): Altamount is a sumptuous gar- may be noteworthy for its art collec- den. Lush plantings set up a sequence tion, but it’s the world-class gardens, leading from a formal garden to a with their unrivaled collection of rare rugged forest, rock-walled glen, and and unusual plants, that have earned riverbank walk. See p. 189. it a nomination as a potential World Heritage Site. See p. 527. 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 16

16 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY

13 The Best Attractions for the Whole Family • The Ark: A Cultural Centre for endangered animals have the run of Children (County Dublin): A 16 hectares (40 acres) of grassland. A unique chance for kids to have a coffee shop, a small amusement park hands-on learning experience in art, for young children, a tour train, pic- music, and theater through workshop nic tables, and a gift shop are on the sessions with artists. There are also grounds. See p. 301. excellent theater productions for fam- • & Gardens ilies. See p. 151. (County Kerry): This stunning Vic- • Dublin’s Viking Adventure (County torian mansion with exquisite gar- Dublin): This is a fun learning experi- dens is also home to skilled artisans at ence where kids can travel back in time work. Nearby is a series of recon- and be part of Viking life with “real structed traditional farms, complete Vikings” while working and interact- with animals and docents, providing ing in a model Norse town on the a gateway to rural Ireland as it was for actual site where the Vikings made centuries. See p. 331. their home in Dublin. See p. 152. • Fungie the Dolphin Tours (County • Dublin Zoo (County Dublin): Kids Kerry): Every day, fishing boats ferry love this 12-hectare (30-acre) zoo, visitors out into Dingle Bay to see with its array of creatures, animal- Fungie, the friendliest dolphin you’re petting corner, and train ride. The ever likely to meet. Fungie really does surrounding park has room to run, swim up to the boat, and the boat- picnic, and explore for hours (or men stay out long enough for ample days!). See p. 153. sightings. You can even arrange an • Irish National Heritage Park early-morning dolphin swim. See (County Wexford): Nearly 9,000 p. 345. years of Irish history come alive here • and Folk Park in ways that will fascinate visitors of (County Clare): Kids are enthralled every age. The whole family will be by this great restored medieval castle captivated by the story of ancient Ire- and re-created 19th-century village. land, from its first inhabitants to its It’s complete with a school and Norman conquerors. See p. 221. loaded with active craftspeople. See • Fota Island Wildlife Park & p. 372. Arboretum (County Cork): This isn’t • Marble Arch Caves (County Fer- any ordinary zoo. Wherever possible, managh): Adventurous families travel the animals roam free with no obvi- by boat through well-lit underground ous barriers, mixed with other species waterways to explore caves and view and with human visitors. Rare and amazing stone formations. See p. 561.

14 The Best Pubs • Abbey Tavern (County Dublin): A Dublin Bay. The Abbey is known far short outing from Dublin center, the and wide for its ballads as well as its Abbey Tavern is the perfect place to brew. See p. 174. recover and refuel after exploring • Brazen Head (County Dublin): Howth Head, Ireland’s Eye, and the Nearly qualifying as one of Ireland’s attractive fishing and yachting village ancient sites, the Brazen Head, com- of Howth on the northern tip of missioned by Charles II, is more than 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 17

THE BEST RESTAURANTS YOU CAN AFFORD 17 300 years old, and its stout is as fresh remains the genuine article without as it comes. Among its illustrious the hype. See p. 384. alums are Wolfe Tone, Daniel O’Con- • Moran’s Oyster Cottage (County nell, and Robert Emmet, who planned Galway): Famed for its seafood, this the Dublin rising of 1803 under the centuries-old thatched-cottage pub Head’s low timbers. In fact, Emmet on the weir also draws a perfect pint. was hanged not far from here when This may well be the oyster capital of everything went wrong. See p. 169. Ireland. It’s 19km (12 miles) out of • The Long Valley (County Cork): For Galway and well worth the drive—or anyone who knows and loves Cork, the walk, for that matter. See p. 422. this is a place of pilgrimage—one • Smuggler’s Creek (County Done- endless, low-slung room with a bar gal): This place would be worth a running its full length; doors taken stop just for its spectacular clifftop from an ocean liner; barmen in white views of Donegal Bay. Stone walls, butchers’ coats; and a selection of beamed ceilings, open fires, excellent delectable sandwiches. A little slice of fare, and the brew that’s true are heaven. See p. 289. among the charms proprietor Conor • An Bodhran (County Cork): A Britton has on tap. See p. 465. hangout for UCC (University Col- • Hargadon’s (County Sligo): This is lege Cork) students serious about the epitome of the Irish pub. Conver- their traditional music and stout, An sation and the gentle sipping of Bodhran has a lot of old-style charac- Guinness reign supreme: No televi- ter, which recent renovations have sions, radios, or stereos disrupt an only enhanced. See p. 288. atmosphere of quiet enjoyment • McGann’s (County Clare): Doolin, a honed over more than 100 years of dot of a town on the Clare Coast, is a pulling pints. See p. 453. magnet for traditional Irish musi- • Crown Liquor Saloon (County cians—and consequently a wonderful Antrim): This National Trust pub, spot to hear impromptu sessions of across from the Grand Opera House Irish music. Gus O’Connor’s, down in Belfast, is a Victorian gem. Your the road, is more famous but also mouth will drop open at its antique thicker with tourists; McGann’s publican splendor even before you lift your first pint. See p. 522.

15 The Best Restaurants You Can Afford • Aya @ Brown Thomas (County hangout, but the wonderful food Dublin; & 01/677-1544): This soon made Juice a favorite of hipsters buzzy, fashionable annex to Dublin’s who simply like to eat well. Yummy poshest department store (it’s just coffees, fresh-squeezed juices, organic across the street on Clarendon St.) is wines, and late weekend hours add to very much a good-time destination for the allure of this modern, casual chic Dubliners, with its conveyor-belt eatery. See p. 130. sushi bar. Bypass the tables, where the • Mimo Cafe (County Dublin; & 01/ a la carte menu is pricier, and head 674-6712): This chic little cafe in the straight for the bar for afternoon tony Powerscourt Townhouse mini- “Happy Time” specials. See p. 129. mall is a wonderfully classy and sur- • Juice (County Dublin; & 01/475- prisingly budget-minded place to 7856): It started as a vegetarian’s stop for terrific salads, pasta dishes, 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 18

18 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY and inventive sandwiches. A piano • Da Tang Noodle House (County player is a civilized touch on Thursday Galway; & 091/561443): Spicy, and Friday afternoons. See p. 131. spicy, spicy. This is where the Galway • Adele’s (County Cork; & 028/ locals slip in for a quick bite. Steam- 28459): This unassuming eatery on ing bowls of noodles are spiked with Main Street in Schull is a bakery dur- cilantro and chile, and you won’t ing the day, serving great sandwiches want to put down your chopsticks of herbed Italian bread and delicious until you’ve slurped up every bit. See local cheese. The real revelation p. 410. comes in the evening, when the meals • Moran’s Oyster Cottage (County are simple and astonishingly good. Galway; & 091/796113): A short See p. 314. drive from Galway center, this • Purple Heather (County Kerry; seafood mecca is worth a drive from & 064/41016): This lovely little Dublin. For six generations, the eatery is the place to lunch in charm- Morans have focused on what they ing Kenmare. The food is all about know and do best, and they have a tearoom classics with a gourmet menu—the same menu, all day every twist: wild smoked salmon or prawn day, featuring seafood and nothing salad, smoked trout pâté, vegetarian but—that brings the point home. omelets, and Irish cheese platters, as You may not find better oysters and well as homemade soups. See p. 327. salmon anywhere, and surely not at these prices. See p. 422.

16 Where to Forget Your Budget: The Best Places to Eat • One Pico (County Dublin; & 01/ Mercy Fenton’s confident, harmo- 676-0300): Eamonn O’Reilly’s flag- nious cooking, is the talk of the town. ship venture is a sophisticated, The place is truly lovely, with tall win- grownup, classy place with excellent dows that flood the dining room with service and fantastic food. Expect sur- light. See p. 281. prising combinations of tastes and • The Chart House (County Kerry; textures, and a very memorable meal. & 066/915-2255): In this inviting See p. 133. bistro, everyone comes for Laura • The Motte (County Kilkenny): Slow Boyce’s confident, simple cooking. delectation is the requirement at the Think wonderful comfort food with Motte. Everything demands it—from a flair—the kind of food you never the dimly glowing dining room to the tire of. See p. 351. thoughtful staff to the exquisitely • Brown’s Bar and Brasserie (County prepared food. Chef Alan Walton’s Derry; & 028/7134-5180): Behind concoctions of cream and fresh herbs the unassuming exterior of this and rich dark chocolate desserts defy Waterside-area row house, you will speed, making a delicious, lingering find some of the finest food in Derry evening the only real possibility. See City. The innovative menu blends the p. 269. best of modern Irish, Italian, and • Jacob’s on the Mall (County Cork; Thai influences with an emphasis on & 021/425-1530): Housed in what fresh and, when possible, organic was once the city’s old Turkish bath- ingredients. See p. 553. house, this eatery, which showcases 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 19

THE BEST B&Bs 19

17 The Best B&Bs • Lennoxbrook Country House Rooms are spacious, prettily deco- (County Meath; & 046/45902): rated, and comfortable, with king- Lennoxbrook is a thoughtful, well- size beds and power showers in the crafted place. The rooms are beauti- bathrooms. See p. 397. ful, with bay windows overlooking a • Bruckless House (County Donegal; tangled forest and a magnificent & 074/973-7071): This mid-18th- beech tree. Guests are invited to pull century farmhouse, restored with up a chair in the Mullan family’s sit- impeccable taste, has many charms, ting room. See p. 212. including award-winning gardens • Buggy’s Glencairn Inn (County and a stable of Connemara ponies. Waterford; & 058/56232): Ken and Spacious, welcoming, and comfort- Cathleen Buggy have an incredible able, Bruckless House feels like home talent for getting the details right. (or better) after only a very short Their guest rooms are chock-full of time. See p. 469. covetable auction finds; the beds are • Rhu-Gorse (County Donegal; like something out of a fairy tale; and & 074/972-1685): The views of the restaurant is a foodie’s destination from this eminently in itself. See p. 245. comfortable modern guesthouse are • Ballinatona Farm (County Cork): not to be believed. If you have the Set in a quiet and underrated corner makings of a convert to Donegal, it of West Cork, this modern farm- will happen here. See p. 460. house commands astonishing views • Ross Castle and House (County of the surrounding hills. Jytte Storm Cavan; & 049/854-0237): A tower and Tim Lane, the energetic and out- room in a centrally heated, haunted going hosts, will direct you to the castle—with what’s likely the longest Coomeenatrush Waterfall and other bathtub you’ve ever seen—awaits you beautiful spots within walking dis- at Ross Castle. It won’t take too big a tance of the house. See p. 310. bite out of your wallet, either. It • The Captain’s House (County Kerry; might not be elegant, but it is & 066/915-1531): You won’t get unquestionably memorable. Warm, better value for the money in Dingle. comfortable Ross Castle and nearby Jim and Mary Milhench own and run Ross House are great places to relax this friendly, dapper little B&B smack beside Lough Sheelin, a noteworthy in the middle of town. Everything source of trout and pike. See p. 502. here is done with an eye for orderly, • Slieve Croob Inn (County Down; shipshape detail, and the breakfasts & 028/4377-1412): Whether you are outstanding. See p. 348. want to drop anchor and set up a • Rosturk Woods (County Mayo; home away from home in a self-cater- & 098/36264): Though it’s well ing cottage or just spend a night in a located on the road between Newport magically stunning landscape, it and Achill Island, you won’t realize doesn’t get much better than this per- how close it is to the sea until you fectly tasteful hideaway in the magi- reach the end of the long driveway. cal Mournes. See p. 542. 05_769819 ch01.qxp 1/4/06 9:19 PM Page 20

20 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF IRELAND FROM $90 A DAY

18 Where to Forget Your Budget: The Best Places to Stay • Molesworth Court Suites (County pier (for island cruises). Breakfasts are Dublin; & 01/676-4799): Hate excellent, too. See p. 324. hotels? Then consider an apartment. • Delphi Lodge (County Galway; Molesworth Court is 5 minutes on & 095/42222): This was once the foot from Stephens Green and yet is country hideaway for the marquis of country quiet. These tastefully deco- Sligo, and now it can be yours, too. rated, comfortable apartments offer Inside, the emphasis is on clean, everything you need to set up your bright simplicity in perfect taste; out- own base in Dublin, whether for a side, the grounds and environs are night or a week. See p. 120. among the most beautiful in Ireland. • Ballinkeele House (County Wex- Tranquillity, comfort, and fishing are ford; & 053/38105): This grand the operative words here. By renting a Irish manor B&B, built in 1840 and cottage for a week or more, you can in the Maher family for four genera- make this indulgence more afford- tions now, is a wonderful place to able. See p. 438. appreciate Irish country-house living. • Temple House (County Sligo; Rooms are old-fashioned in the & 071/918-3329): The house sits on grandest way, with four-poster or the shores of Temple House Lake, on half-tester beds and period touches an estate of some 400 hectares (1,000 everywhere. See p. 232. acres), with a gorgeous walled garden • Iskeroon (County Kerry; 066/ and elaborate coach houses. Sandy 947-5119): David and Geraldine Percival’s family has lived in Temple Hare’s wonderfully light, Cape House for more than 300 years, and Cod–style B&B occupies an arrest- Sandy has many a story to tell of their ingly beautiful setting in a 1.8- exploits. The evening meal, prepared 1 hectare (4 ⁄2-acre) tropical garden by Deborah Percival, is a memorable overlooking the sailboats of Derry- experience. The atmosphere of casual nane Harbour and the Skelligs elegance and affable unpretentious- beyond. It’s the best of both worlds: ness is truly seductive, and chances tranquil and yet just a short walk are you’ll want to spend more than 1 from the beach, a lovely pub, or the night. See p. 452.