So this is completely off topic. My fiancée and I are going to Ireland in June for our honeymoon.
Since she's not a cyclist (yet), we are renting a car and wandering around the country. Right now we have no real plan (other than a night in Ashford Castle).
We were discussing last night and she suggested that I ask here to see if anyone has been there and has suggestions on where to go.
So anyone got any recommandations? We are there for a week, flying into Dublin and out of Shannon.
The Wicklow Mountains are a really nice place for a day hike close to Dublin. I wanted to get out to the Burren but didn't have time to get that far west. Newgrange and the St. James Gate Brewery were too touristy for me, but still kind of fun anyway.
Mmmmmm! So much to see so little time to see it! A couple recommendations: don't try to do it all. A lot of the charm in Ireland is the general culture and ambiance. Stay in one time long enough to let it catch up with you. My personal favorites, in no particular order would be Dublin for the Book of Kells, architecture, etc; Port Stewart/Port Rush area in the north for Carrick a Rede and the Giant's Causeway; and then anything on the west coast from Derry down to Kerry. The west is, in my opinion, the most beautiful scenery (rough and rugged, with lots of green and ocean) and the most Irish (the gaeltacht west of Galway is one area where you are likely to hear Irish gaelic still in daily use). Departing out of Shannon puts you in the heart of west Ireland anyway. PM me for more details, if interested.
Leprechauns. They're all over the place.
The Ring of Kerry is a MUST DO! No question that it was my favorite experience.
+1 on the Wicklow Mountains
We also enjoyed following the path of James Joyce's Ulysses in Dublin.... the festivals are amazing if you go around Bloomsday!
And don't Kiss the Blarney Stone. The locals pee on it to mess with tourists.
I keep remembering things after I post! If you are there for the summer solstice, absolutely plan a trip to the Hill of Tara and the nearby burial mounds. The Wickens all congregate there on the solstice, and it's a pretty cool scene.
Ring of Kerry and/or Dingle Peninsula are wonderful in clear weather. If the clouds descend you will see nothing more than the 40 feet of roadway in front of you. In case of low clouds or rain, spend the day elsewhere.
Clearly we're not going to be bored!
In fact, now I'm worried about managing our time so we can soak in as much of the culture as possible.
No, it is unlikely you will be bored. And folks will LOVE the fact that you are on your honeymoon.
Oh, kiss the Blarney stone. If the locals piss on it, drink extra beers that night to kill whatever you caught.
Cliffs of Moher on the west coast was a highlight for me.
The tour guide was very funny & asked everyone not to jump off the cliff because it would ruin the visit for the rest of the group.
As car tourists? Dublin can amuse for days.
Gallway and the ring of Kerry.
Donegal for old forest Ireland and a hint of why it's so bilateral. My personal theory: never cram anything into a visit.
Give yourself a reason to return...at least twice!
