Going to Ireland, any recommendations on cool stuff to see/do?

[paranode]

Will be over there for almost 2 weeks, starting in Dublin and driving around the country through Kilkenny, Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Cavan, Portrush, and Belfast back down to Dublin. Any suggestions on beer-related stuff to check out while I'm there? Or any kind of stuff in general? The Guinness Storehouse, Old Jameson Distillery and Bushmills Distillery are on the list even though I know the Guinness one at least is probably a tourist trap (I still want to see it!). Any good pubs I should look out for?

Thanks in advance.

 

[olllllo]

Bushmills tour is better than Jameson.
My only suggestion for Guinness is go to the top first, get your free beer and enjoy the spectacular view, then work your ways back down and see the exhibits if you want to. In Dublin, go to the Porterhouse, the only brewpub that I am aware of.

 

[mullimat]

Temple Bar is a good tourist trap lol. However, it was still fun to go there. It's in a REALLY expensive part of town so don't eat anywhere around there. The bar itself isn't too expensive though. Only reason i recommend that is every night i went there I ended up meeting up with some really cool locals (different ones every night) that would take me to all the cool places. And at the end of the night i would end up at some house party somewhere in dublin! Ended up just passing out at their house and they would give me a ride back to my hotel the next day. Didn't even need to get a hotel really lol. Great place to visit and the people are the friendliest and most hospitable of anywhere i have ever been!

 

[Go Gators]

Similar thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=675926#post675926

Have fun...

 

[EdWort]

Guinness Brewery Tour, pints of beer, Cliffs of Mohr, pints of beer, Bunratty Castle, pints of beer, Medieval Feast (loads of mead here), pints of beer.

 

[Cugel]

For (just) off the beaten track activities go to the Burren in County Clare. Tons to see and do there. The ring of Kerry (if you have good weather) is spectacular. Try biking it! Killarney is fun. Galway is a nice town. You must go to the Arran Island - take ferry from Galway. Great place.

Some excellent surfing off the west coast - but the h20 is very cold.

Be prepare for rain, and plenty of it. It may never happen of course

Way off the beaten track, but lots of fun. Go to a Gaelic football or hurling game. Have a look at the schedules at: http://www.footballchampionship.gaa.ie/fixtures/ and do some googling to find out where the various stadia are. Any game with Dublin and/or Kerry will be mad. Have a few pints beforehand and afterwards and you'll probably have a fantastic experience. Oh, read the rules of the sports (summarized as: beat opponents up) on http://gaa.ie/page/all_about_football.html so you won't have to pester semi-sober locals during said games.

Social decorum, or how not to get your beaten up (at worst) or merely avoided (at best):
Please, please, please never wear "tourist green", and [if male] don't wear trousers in any color other than black or blue denim. Don't tip. They'll think you're completely mad, or worse, a tourist.

Oh and watch out for "tourist heads" i.e. pints poured with unnecessary inches of head. Locals would never put up with it, neither should you. Guinness should have 0.5 inch head not 2-3 inches as they try to serve unsuspecting tourists (see green and trouser comments above).

Enjoy!

 

[MriswitH]

When're you going?

We are honeymooning there from May 26-June 8th.

 

[farmbrewernw]

Make sure you find a pub that is off the beaten path where the regulars go. Your in for a far better experience, the touristy pubs are kind of fake. By the way the food is supper expensive over there but you can find some killer food at the super market, if you like rhubarb your in for a treat. The Guinness tour is actually good, I expected it to be kind of dull, oh and check out some of the museums if you get a chance, Ireland has some cool history.

 

[Nyxator]

Right on, good suggestions here. I actually enjoyed Dublin the least of my trip. The Burren is a really interesting area, it's near Bunratty castle and the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Claire. My suggestion is to stay in a Bed & Breakfast somewhere in Doolin. It's a tiny town with a great little pub.

I also checked out Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, plus that's were the Bushmills distillery is, so it's a win win. I stayed in Ballycastle, which isn't far from either. There's some beautiful places around there called the Glens of Antrim that are worth visiting, too.

In Dublin, the local pubs and the Guinness tour are worth checking out.