Ireland Things to Do Tips by Janni67

City of Galway Galway Review

Galway City located at the mouth of Galway Bay is both a picturesque town with its' beautiful houses as well as a lively city with a wonderful avant-garde culture and a fascinating mixture of locally owned speciality shops, often featuring locally made crafts. The local handcrafts are indeed a feature of the entire region including hand knits, pottery, glass, jewellery and woodwork. Population of Galway is about 60 000 people.

Galway has many relics of its medieval past which are for sure worth taking time to explore. The city has of course changed considerably over the last centuries and features a fascinating mixture of new and ancient architecture. The centre of the city is compact enough to ramble around by foot.

Directions: West coast of Ireland, Co. Galway. 220 km from Dublin.

Dublin -the capital Dublin Review

Located on the east coast the capital Dublin has a population of just over 1.1 million.

There's something for everyone, whether you like to sightsee (hop-on-hop-off tours are a good choice), join some special events, visit museums or galleries --or have a pint of Guinness or a shot of whiskey in one of Dublin's 1000 pubs. You can also stroll through the elegant Georgian streets of Merrion and Fitzwilliam Squares to admire the beautiful doors of these houses ;) Or simply shop till you drop!

Directions: At the east coast of Ireland. Quite a wonder if you can't find the capital ;)))

Glendalough cont. Glendalough Review

The Visitors Centre provides regular exhibitions and informative guided tours of the monastic site as well as an audio-visual show about the rich heritage of the area.

If you prefer walking around on your own, have a walk on the remains admiring the decorated crosses.
If you have the time, there are a number of well-known walking routes around the upper and lower lakes to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

Directions: County Wicklow, 48 km south of Dublin.

Glendalough Glendalough Review

Glendalough "the glen of the two lakes", is on a beautiful spot. Imagine an ancient monastic settlement and two clear water lakes beneath the sheer cliffs of a deep valley which was carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age.

The monastic settlement has been a centre for pilgrims and visitors since its foundation by St. Kevin in the 6th century B.C. Kevin is thought to have come from the more fertile lands of county Kildare and like many other holy men in early times, desired solitude for his life of prayer and contemplation. That's when he withdrew into the mountains and set up his hermitage at Glendalough.

Directions: County Wicklow, 48 km south of Dublin

Glendalough cont. Glendalough Review

The settlement expanded and flourished for centuries before being finally destroyed in the 16th century. The present remains, which are actually some of the most important of their kind in Ireland, tell only a small part of the monastic story. The buildings which survive - round tower, cathedral, stone churches and decorated crosses - probably date from between the 8th and 12th centuries. The famous Round Tower, about 34m high and 16m in circumference at the base, is still in nearly perfect condition even though it is almost 1,000 years old.

Directions: County Wicklow, 48 km south of Dublin.

Cliffs of Moher cont. Cliffs of Moher Review

There is a tourist centre and a small shop which sells souvenirs. This isn't all though, at least when we visited there, this lady was sitting by the cliffs and playing a harp --and selling her CD's ;)

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre is open all year 9.30am to 7.00pm and from June to August 29th from 9.00am to 8.00pm.

Directions: On the coast northwest of Shannon

Cliffs of Moher Cliffs of Moher Review

Cliffs of Moher are for 98% the reason why I wanted to visit Ireland! Having seen these majestic cliffs on tv and photos so many times, they had been on my "have to see one day" -list for years :)

Situated in County Clare and bordering the Burren Area, the Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's most spectacular sights and I don't think I'm the only one who thinks so ;) The cliffs rise from the Atlantic Ocean to a height of nearly 200 meters and extend for a distance of 8km from Hag's Head due west of Liscannor to a point beyond O'Brien's Tower where the cliffs reach their highest point. They take their name from a ruined promontory fort, Mothar, which was demolished during the Napoleonic wars to make room for a signal tower.

A walk along the cliffs is not to be missed! Be very careful as there are no safety barriers and sections of the cliff sometimes give way. Those with a head for heights can easily walk to the edge of the cliff and view the Atlantic Ocean below.

O' Brien's Tower is open from March to October 29th (weather permitting) from 9.30am to 6.00pm.

You can also visit the cliffs from the sea.
Contact Information:
Cliffs of Moher Cruises.
Liscannor - Doolin,
Co. Clare.Tel: 065 7086060
Ireland.Mob: 087 2453239
email: info@mohercruises.com

Directions: On the coast northwest of Shannon

Connemara Connemara Review

Throughout the entire island of Ireland there are sceneries which are quite like natural wonders. Connemara is something special.

Connemara is located on the area of County Galway and in the southern part of Co. Mayo in the western Ireland and has some real special scenery. Connemara is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by Lough Corrib, which is largest lake in the republic of Ireland. Connemara is dominated by the rocky mountain range known as the Twelve Bens.

This is also where you'll find Irelan'd only fjord and one of Ireland's 5 national parks: Connemara National Park which covers 2000 km2 of mountain countryside. It is open from May to the end of September.

Kylemore Abbey Kylmore Abbey Review

Kylemore Abbey, located in the Kylemore Pass in Connemara, County Galway, has been home to the Irish Benedictine nuns since 1920. The Benedictine nuns bought the house in 1920, having fled their convent in war-torn Belgium in 1914, where they had ran a boarding school for girls for over 300 years. They re-established the school in Kylemore and it is still very much alive today.

The Abbey was originally built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry, in memory of his late wife Margaret. Its architecture is neo-gothic and the house still displays all the characteristics of that period. Kylemore Abbey's most famous feature is its miniature cathedral, known locally as the Gothic church.

Facilities at Kylemore Abbey include a visitor centre, an exhibition housed in the main reception rooms of the house and a video which takes the visitor through the history of the house and its occupants. The Visitor Centre and exhibition, Gothic Church and Craft shop are open all year.

Directions: Reached from Galway by the N59 road.