Ireland Excursion -- Needing Suggestions

[19dajudge]

It's been a while since I've been on the forum, but I still have my triple, though its an '07 model now.  I took it off-roading (dirt roads) in Big Bend Texas and really enjoyed the "adventure" for many reasons. 

Anyway, I know there are forum members who live in or been to Ireland.  My wife and I are taking a trip there and she keeps asking me what I want to do.  All I can say is that I don't want to do the typical tourist stuff or run into a bunch of old, overweight Americans dressed in flowered shirts and shorts so they can expose their roadmap looking varicose legs (I hide mine under bluejeans).  So, I am looking for ideas of where to go and what to do in Ireland that would give a taste of the actual flavor and life of the country and different areas.  Any ideas or suggestions ....?  Sadly, I will not be on a motorcycle.

[Chris Canning]

Strangely enough we will be on the ferry to Dublin on Wednesday for our annual trip to the NW200 where over the years we have encountered any numbers of Americans on something between an adventure and a culture shock.

The culture shock came in the shape of right hand drive rental car with a manual gearbox!! Sorry stick shift  the folks we spoke too loved it once they had got their head around such.

You could end up with a list of places to go as long as your arm but as soon as you are out of Dublin the adventure will start if it's Southern Ireland I'd go west coast(anywhere) if it's north it's the same again be it inland or up on the Antrim coast by the Giants Causeway which frankly is an expensive tourist trap but one of those things you have to do.

Oh and take some waterproofs you'll need e'm.

[Nick Calne]

Expect rain and things to be a bit backward culturally speaking at times. But it is a very nice place to visit with nice people. People who as a rule like a beer. If you like beer and pubs you'll enjoy the place.

What sort of things would you like to see? It is a whole country of stuff!

Pubs everywhere, cultural stuff mainly in Dublin and Belfast, nice countryside in most places. Historic stuff dating back to the vikings and beyond to the stone age. Giants causeway, titanic exhibition both in Northern Ireland are the big ones. 

Why not look up some of Moorso's posts in ride reports he often does a travel vlog type thing.

[19dajudge]

Thnx for the replies.  I am one of the few Texans/Mexicans in the world that never acquired a taste for beer.  I do like a shot of smooth whiskey though.  Pubs are on the list for sure.

We are planning on flying to Dublin and going south.

I also know that Ireland is a rather big place with things to see.  The "gotta do or see things if you're only gonna be here once" is what I'm interested in...no kissing a stone or seeing how crystal is made.  I would love to find someone local to hire and just say "drive."  Hitting local fishing ports and watching them unload the catch, going fishing, watching some soccer/football, even hitting a custom motorcycle shop or two would be great.  I'd even bring swag from Lubbock to trade.

[Sin_Tiger]

  lookup Moorso's stuff or hours Youtube uploads. Northern Ireland has more going for it than you might think.

[PeteH]

Copied from a Moorso post ...

The provisional road race calander for Ireland and TT is here:
April 21-22 – Tandragee 100
April 28-29 – Cookstown 100
May 9-13 – North West 200
May 27-June 9 – Isle of Man TT
June 17-18 – Kells
June 24-25 – Cock 'o the North, Scarborough
June 30-July 1 – Skerries 100
July 8-9 – Walderstown
July 10-13 – Southern 100
July 22-23 – Faugheen 50
July 28-29 – Armoy
August 9-12 – Ulster Grand Prix
August 19-September 1 – Classic TT & Manx Grand Prix
September 9-10 – Killalane
September 23-24 – Gold Cup, Scarborough

Fill yer boots 

[Geoff W]

Had a chat with an Irish friend of mine. She recommended visiting Achil Island on the West Coast. Small place with a fishing based community , very friendly, locals will take you out fishing and drink you under the table afterwards. No Blarney Stone kissing or people singing The Wild Rover off key. My wife visited it last year, and found it beautiful.
If you do get to The North I can recommend Ballymoney, Joey Dunlop's bar  is now run by his widow, worth having a drink or two in. It is not very often you see two Isle of Man TT wining bikes hanging from the ceiling as well as loads of other race stuff.
Dublin can be very expensive, some bars increase the price of drinks every hour after midnight, outside of Dublin prices are more reasonable, as are the people. Enjoy your trip.

[Moorso]

Hi
Did someone say Ireland?!


As many have said, there is, literally, a plethora of places to go and things to do and see.
It all depends on where your interests lie: history / monuments / scenery / nature etc. Based on this you can tailor your ride to suit. In essence, the west (Atlantic) coast is more 'wild'. There are sections which can be touristy (round Killarney which is very 'top of the mornin to ya' and unsurprisingly plays to it as it needs the tourist income). But once south on the actual Ring of Kerry, it's frankly amazing. The area around the Wicklow Mountains (where Vikings is filmed) is also awesome. But you also might like to stick closer to the towns (if that's the case, then see Meath and the Brú na Boinne - but this too is touristy, for a similar set of monuments that aren't go to places like Loughcrew).

There are abandoned churches and stone-age monuments everywhere. There are some great sites that also provide Grid References for the places:
http://www.megalithicireland.com/index.html
http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/gazetteer.html
http://www.britainirelandcastles.com/A-Z/Ireland/name.html

The east coast is, unsurprisingly, more built up due to its proximity to Dublin, it is also geographically less dynamic than the west coast, and so not as spectacular. But that doesn't mean there aren't things to do.

For quaintness there are the obvious towns like Kilkenny.

You need to decide what you want to see, though. You also need to know whether you are staying in B&B's, or camping, or both. I have done both for longer trips which works well, but there are phenomenal camping places (e.g., Mannix Point in Cahersiveen).

Some of the islands off the west coast are also well worth a visit and some retain a remote community sense. There are the obvious tourist ones that although spectacular, are maybe best avoinded (e.g., Skellig Michael).

[Bigfeesh]

Good batch of info there thanks Moorso, the Missus & I are off around the Emerald Isle this summer, on a Tigger of course! Got a relative to find, some free digs (unsure where??) and a road race to visit, other than that the Wild Atlantic Way and a bushell of boosers should top it off nicely, if she can get her hair dryer in the pannier!  Camping and B&B when needed to dry out, anyone at the TT Practice Week this year?  Meet fer a beer if you are? 

[Moorso]

No bother! 

Some camping sites up the Wild Atlantic Way are:

http://www.campinginkerry.com/ (Mannix Point - Co. Kerry)
http://ailleriverhosteldoolin.ie/ (Aille Hostel - Doolin [Co. Clare] - its a hostel but also has grounds for camping).
http://www.sligocaravanandcamping.ie/ (Strandhill - Sligo)

The Wild Atlantic Way's own site has a search for camping:
http://www.wildatlanticway.com/search-results/?s=Camp