02_043486 ftoc.qxp 12/12/06 11:17 PM Page iii Contents List of Maps vii What’s New in Ireland 1 1 The Best of Ireland 4 1 The Best Picture-Postcard Towns . .4 8 The Best Family Activities . .12 2 The Best Natural Wonders . .5 9 The Best Active Vacations . .13 3 The Best Castles . .8 10 The Best Luxury Accommodations . .13 4 The Best of Ancient Ireland . .9 11 The Best Moderately Priced 5 Remnants of the Golden Age: Accommodations . .14 The Best Early Christian Ruins . .10 12 The Best Restaurants . .16 6 The Best Literary Spots . .11 13 The Best Pubs . .17 7 The Best Gardens . .12 14 The Best Websites . .17 2 Planning Your Trip to Ireland 19 1 The Regions in Brief . .19 Getting Through the Airport . .45 2 Visitor Information . .21 Flying with Film & Video . .48 3 Entry Requirements & Customs . .22 12 Packages for the Independent 4 Money . .24 Traveler . .49 What Things Cost in Ireland . .25 Ask Before You Go . .49 5 When to Go . .26 13 Escorted General-Interest Tours . .50 Ireland Calendar of Events . .27 14 Special-Interest Trips . .50 6 Travel Insurance . .32 15 Getting Around Ireland . .51 7 Health & Safety . .33 Money-Saving Rail & Bus Passes . .52 8 Specialized Travel Resources . .35 Road Rules in a Nutshell . .54 9 Planning Your Trip Online . .40 16 Tips on Accommodations . .58 Frommers.com: The Complete 17 Tips on Dining . .63 COPYRIGHTEDTravel Resource . .41 MATERIALTips for Digital Travel 10 The 21st-Century Traveler . .41 Photography . .64 Online Traveler’s Toolbox . .43 18 Recommended Books, Films & Music . .65 11 Getting There . .43 Fast Facts: Ireland . .66 02_043486 ftoc.qxp 12/12/06 11:17 PM Page iv iv CONTENTS 3 Suggested Ireland Itineraries 72 1 The Best of Ireland in 1 Week . .73 4 Discovering the North . .79 2 The Best of Ireland in 2 Weeks . .75 5 Exploring Ancient Ireland . .80 3 The Best of Ireland for Families . .77 4 Ireland Outdoors 83 1 Bicycling . .83 6 Fishing . .91 2 Walking . .85 7 Kayaking . .92 Ireland’s National Parks . .86 8 Sailing . .92 3 Bird-Watching . .88 A Bit of Adventure . .93 4 Golf . .89 9 Diving . .94 5 Horseback Riding . .90 10 Windsurfing . .94 5 Dublin 96 1 Orientation . .96 Family Favorites . .150 Dublin Neighborhoods in Brief . .101 6 The Great Outdoors . .154 2 Getting Around . .102 These Boots Are Made Fast Facts: Dublin . .106 for Hiking . .155 3 Where to Stay . .108 7 Spectator Sports . .157 4 Where to Dine . .122 8 Shopping . .157 How to Eat like an Irishman . .129 Going to Market . .161 5 Seeing the Sights . .132 9 Dublin After Dark . .162 Dublin Pass . .136 Listen to the Music . .164 The Tortured Tale of the Staying Up Late . .165 Hugh Lane Gallery . .138 Smaller Concert Venues . .170 Hard to Love: Jonathan Swift . .139 10 Side Trips from Dublin . .171 Monumental Humor . .142 6 Out from Dublin 179 1 County Wicklow & St. Brigid: Early Feminist . .198 County Carlow . .179 3 Counties Meath & Louth/ Russborough House: The Boyne River Valley . .201 A Life of Crime . .185 High Crosses . .208 2 County Kildare: Ireland’s Horse Country . .195 02_043486 ftoc.qxp 12/12/06 11:17 PM Page v CONTENTS v 7 The Southeast 211 1 County Wexford . .211 2 County Waterford . .229 A Trip through History: Exploring 3 South Tipperary . .239 the Ring of Hook . .218 4 County Kilkenny . .248 The Rising (and Falling) of Vinegar Hill . .220 8 Cork City 262 1 Orientation . .264 The Gift of Gab . .273 2 Getting Around . .265 6 Spectator Sports & Outdoor Fast Facts: Cork City . .266 Pursuits . .274 3 Where to Stay . .266 7 Shopping . .274 4 Where to Dine . .269 8 Cork After Dark . .276 5 Attractions . .271 Brewing Up Loyalty . .276 9 Out from Cork 279 1 Kinsale & South Cork . .279 Who Was Michael Collins? . .294 2 East Cork . .287 Southern Exposure: An Excursion 3 West Cork . .291 to Cape Clear Island . .298 10 County Kerry 307 1 The Iveragh Peninsula . .307 You Say “Dingle,” I Say The Skellig Islands . .312 “An Daingean” . .331 2 Killarney . .316 Up Close with Fungie . .337 MacGillycuddy’s Reeks . .324 4 Tralee . .340 3 The Dingle Peninsula . .330 Rose of Tralee . .343 11 Counties Limerick & Clare 347 1 Limerick City & Environs . .347 3 County Clare . .366 There Once Was a Poet Falling in Love with Love from Limerick . .350 in Lisdoonvarna . .378 2 Lower Shannon: The Lough Irish Spelunking . .380 Derg Drive . .359 12 Galway City 386 Souvenir Stories: The Claddagh 2 Where to Stay . .390 Ring . .388 3 Where to Dine . .392 1 Orientation . .388 4 Attractions . .395 02_043486 ftoc.qxp 12/12/06 11:17 PM Page vi vi CONTENTS 5 Spectator Sports & Outdoor 7 Galway City After Dark . .399 Pursuits . .396 8 Side Trips from Galway City . .400 6 Shopping . .397 13 Out from Galway 405 1 The Galway Bay Coast . .405 Lough Inagh & the Walk 2 Connemara . .409 to Maum Ean Oratory . .415 An Excursion to Inishbofin . .412 3 Eastern Galway, Westmeath & Offaly . .421 14 Mayo, Sligo & the North Shannon Valley 428 1 County Mayo . .428 2 Sligo & Yeats Country . .439 A Trip to Clare Island . .433 3 The North Shannon Valley: Local Hero: Pirate Roscommon, Leitrim & Cavan . .451 Grace O’Malley . .435 15 County Donegal 457 1 Donegal Town . .457 3 The Atlantic Highlands . .471 2 The Donegal Bay Coast . .463 4 The Inishowen Peninsula . .478 16 Northern Ireland 483 1 Northern Ireland Essentials . .487 5 The Mourne Mountains . .527 Fast Facts: Northern Ireland . .489 6 Derry City . .534 2 Belfast . .490 The Apprentice Boys . .536 Choosing Sides . .496 Climbing the Walls . .539 3 Side Trips from Belfast . .510 7 The Sperrin Mountains . .548 4 The Causeway Coast & 8 The Fermanagh Lakelands . .552 the Glens of Antrim . .519 Going to the Birds: A Trip to Rathlin Island . .522 Appendix: Ireland in Depth 560 1 History 101 . .560 “An Bhfuil Gaeilge Agat?” Dateline . .561 (“Do You Speak Irish?”) . .569 2 Ireland Today . .573 Index 575 General Index . .575 Accommodations Index . .591 02_043486 ftoc.qxp 12/12/06 11:17 PM Page vii List of Maps Ireland 6 Cork City 263 Irish Rail Routes 53 County Cork 281 Major Irish Bus Routes 55 County Kerry 309 The Best of Ireland Itineraries 74 Killarney 317 The Best of Ireland for Families 78 Limerick City 349 Discovering the North 80 Lower Shannon River Valley 361 Ancient Ireland 82 County Clare 367 Dublin Orientation 98 Galway City 387 Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) Counties Galway, Westmeath Routes 103 & Offaly 407 Where to Stay in Dublin 110 County Mayo 429 Where to Stay in Ballsbridge & County Sligo 441 the Southern Suburbs 121 Sligo Town 443 Where to Dine in Dublin 124 Upper Shannon River Valley 453 Dublin Attractions 134 Donegal Town 459 Side Trips from Dublin 173 County Donegal 465 The East Coast 181 Northern Ireland 484 The Southeast 212 Belfast Attractions 491 Wexford Town 215 Where to Stay & Dine in Belfast 501 Waterford City 231 Derry City 535 Kilkenny City 249.