A chairde,

My dad and I have worked out our plan as to what cities to go to.

We arrive on Sept. 8th in Dublin. We stay the nights of the 8th and 9th in the city. We go to An Daingean on the 10th and stay the nights of the 10th and 11th there. The nights of 12 and 13 are Galway, 14 is one of the Aran Islands (still trying to decide), 15 and 16 are in Clifton (this way we can catch plenty of busses around but still stay in Conamara because he really doesn't want to drive there), and then we stay the night of the 17th near Shannon Airport and leave the next day.

Perhaps a bit forward here, but I think it might be fun to have a pint with some of you all around here. So if any of the regulars (this obviously applies to those who live in Ireland or happen to be visiting at that time or are just moving there at that time) want to do some such thing e-mail me at:



Beir bua agus beannacht.

Meán Fómhair, I ought to be in the north west, but I shall leave a no. with you just in case I'm on a dive south.
If two of three Daltaí were to meet at the one spot, bheadh sé go deas a mh'anam. Róman shall be here until the 14th. of August so I'm afraid you're going to miss meeting him. We'll see who else turns up.

Mar eolas:
In Dublin, buy a One DAY Rambler Ticket which allows you access to all routes for the day, airport to station, street to street etc. You can buy one of these at the door of Departures in the airport from a vending machine, about €5.

Gaillimh to Árainn is free when you buy your ferry ticket near the tourist office of Eyre Square in the centre of Gaillimh.

Private buses work out very very cheap if there is a service available where you want to go or if you can obtain the information. It works out about HALF of the 'normal' price, which means that it equates to the 'student save stamp' price.

Gaillimh - Áth Cliath:
http://www.galway.net/pages/nestorbus/galway-dublin.shtml

Gaillimh - Tír Chonaill:
http://www.littleireland.ie/fedaodonnell/

Éagsúil:
http://www.campus.ie/user?cmd=item-detail&itemid=706

http://www.hostels-ireland.com/gettherehere.php :
... Private Bus Companies also operate throughout the country at a very economical rate. The local tourist information office is the best source of information on these services. Also note that there are regions, such as the northwest of Donegal, where Bus Eireann does not operate so the private companies will be your only option.

Also note that there are regions, such as the northwest of Donegal, where Bus Eireann does not operate so the private companies will be your only option.

I seem to recall Swilly Bus operates out of Letterkenny and stops in the coastal villages, including Bun Beag where one finds the boat to Oileán Thoraí.

Is fíor duit: http://www.irelandnorthwest.ie/content.asp?id=329
Ríona's itinary is fairly much Leath Mhogha with a few nights in Galway - Conamara. She shall miss a lot of the more beautiful parts of the country.
Next time maybe, you might make it further north where the real scenery is, and Sliabh Liag! http://www.clasohm.com/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=7152

Binn Gulbain ar fhíor na spéire anseo - Binn G. i gCo. Shligigh on the skyline here: http://www.irelandscape.com/display_location.php?location_id=201

http://missoulanordic.org/rocky/gallery/album05/Msla_06_163
http://missoulanordic.org/rocky/gallery/album05

Suí Fionn i Sligeach: http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2146
http://www.picturesofplaces.com/pictures/ireland/dunes-strandhill
http://www.picturesofplaces.com/pictures/ireland/?p=2

Bronntanais as an taobh sin tíre:
http://ireland.ru/photo/Roads/Road%20around%20Lough%20Gill%20%20Co%20Sligo.html (Ba le sinseanathair mo shinseanathar an chéad chnoc sin i gCo. Liatroma, lastoir den teach. D'fhág sé ag a gharmhac é sa bhl. 1840)
http://www.homestead.com/lavally/files/LoughGill2.jpg
http://www.guru.net.nz/gallery/Ireland/lough_gill_swans

Mo bhaile beag féin, a bhuí don duine (www.jonsullivan.com) a tharraing na pictiúir seo:
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2129
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2130
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2131
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2132
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2133
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2134
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2138
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2139
Ag amharc trasna Chuan Bhéal Easa Dara (ní hionann go díreach is Bhaile E. D.) ar an eireaball thoir de Shliabh Gamh:
http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2136

"15 and 16 are in Clifton"

Clifden is a lovely area and I know it well. You should visit the breathtaking beaches of Manainn, it's about a 30 minute walk from Ballyconeely (the bus goes there).

You should also try and visit:

Roundstone is a lovely village (nicer and smaller than Clifden), Cashel, Carna, Tír an Fhia, An Cheathrú Rua, basically, all along the coast there in the Gaeltacht is amazing.

See attached map: http://www.udaras.ie/Images/gaillimhA.jpg

Have a great time :)

Riona!

Interested in a Connemara tour? http://www.arandirect.com/tours.php

The tour begins in Galway and stops by Rossaveal from where you can take a ferry over to the Aran islands. The tour goes further up to some Irish-speaking areas and the whole journey lasts from 8:45 am to 5:15 pm 7 days a week, all year. Looks veeeery promising and it looks like it could fit into your schedule!

Go raibh mile maith agat, a chairde, as do freagrai (tell me what I did wrong le do thoil.)

You are all so very kind and helpful. I'm definitely looking at these links. I really appreciate how sweet the all of you are to me. A Sheosamh a chara, I wish I could also go up north but it doesn't seem like I'll have time unless I can find a day tour that goes up from Conamara, which might be pushing it because its a bit of a drive. Those are all such good suggestions.

Beir bua agus beannacht.

You don't have a lot of time in Dublin, but it looks like you can choose to see a few things. I haven't been everywhere in the city, but my favorite thing was the National Museum, with the old metal artifacts, like St. Patrick's Bell and the Ardagh Chalice. There's no entry fee to public museums in Ireland. Trinity College and St. Patrick's Cathedral were also very worthwhile. You can walk around Stephen's Green, near the College. Very close by is the bookshop at Conradh na Gaeilge, which has a great selection of Irish language materials, at reasonable prices. Butler's chocolates has a kiosk in the area also. These are the things I myself would try to cram into a one-day visit to Dublin.
Since the 9th is a Saturday I would recommend researching what will be open before you go, to save time when you get there.
The cabs are reasonable in price and the cab drivers were polite and helpful. You need transportation to get up to St. Patrick's but those other things I mentioned are all within easy walking distance of each other.

Liz has brought up a point that occurred to me last night, as well as some very good suggestions of things to see of course. How is it on weekends, are things open, do tours still run on Sat. and Sun.

Beir bua agus beannacht

http://www.museum.ie

http://www.tcd.ie/Library/heritage/index.php

http://www.dublinia.ie/

http://www.dublintourist.com/

http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/

agus mar nasc scoir....

http://www.butlerschocolates.com/

How could I have forgotten this?? You absolutely must walk down O'Connell Street and look at the bullet holes in the pillars of the General Post Office and the Oliver Shephard statue of the dying Cuchulainn in the window.

And in my opinion, you should try to find seats(& drinks) in the Gogarty's pub. They play live music til long past midnight. I and my mom went and we had a great time!

The post office was already one of my number 1 must-sees in Dublin. It is the thing I'd choose to see if I could see just a couple things.

If you'll be at the GPO anyway, you might like to take a 5 minute walk north to Parnell Sq. and see the Garden of Remembrance:
http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/ParksandGardens/DublinArea/GardenofRemembranceD ublin/

The picture doesn't do justice to the site. It is really beautiful and since you will be so close it would be a pity to miss it. There is a lovely inscription as Gaeilge on the wall.