Visiting Soon

suicide_circus · 15-02-2018 08:48PM

Yep get out of Dublin unless you have a reason to be here. The irish welcome thing was true at one time but it's largely disappeared. The cliche of the Irish pub is largely true, don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with people.

Oldtree · 15-02-2018 08:48PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

Maybe they smoke it. I've heard the term crack cocaine, which i was thinking they sniff. I guess I have heard the term smoking crack. I dunno, I've never done the crap.

There is an entity called a "crack ho". You need to watch out for them, they'll rob you blind.

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 08:49PM

Oh, one other thing I want to find out about, are there any stores that sell virgin media phones/sim cards prepaid phone service? My phone is not able to be unlocked to use with other carriers so I'm gonna buy a phone and a month of service while there so I have internet access/google maps, and can post pictures to facebook.

KERSPLAT! · 15-02-2018 08:51PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

What is craic?

*****Edit***
Ok, I looked it up. When OldTree said I would find craic or crack I was a little confused. In the States, crack is a white powdered hard drug idiots sniff up their nose.

Irish craic is like that, highly addictive

Oldtree · 15-02-2018 08:51PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

Oh, one other thing I want to find out about, are there any stores that sell virgin media phones/sim cards prepaid phone service? My phone is not able to be unlocked to use with other carriers so I'm gonna buy a phone and a month of service while there so I have internet access/google maps, and can post pictures to facebook.

Sorry no Virgins here, you'll have to try holland.

Ajsoprano · 15-02-2018 08:52PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

Oh, one other thing I want to find out about, are there any stores that sell virgin media phones/sim cards prepaid phone service? My phone is not able to be unlocked to use with other carriers so I'm gonna buy a phone and a month of service while there so I have internet access/google maps, and can post pictures to facebook.

There’s one in Antrim we haven’t fully embraced the phones yet. One fella had one in my town but it broke when it fell in the water so we decided against it as a collective.

suicide_circus · 15-02-2018 08:52PM

Short of knowing people here I dunno how you're gonna avoid a touristy experience....

SEPT 23 1989 · 15-02-2018 08:53PM

Don't bid against McCabe he has a short fuse

KERSPLAT! · 15-02-2018 08:53PM

Dr.MickKiller · 15-02-2018 08:54PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

Ok, this may be a bit out of the ordinary but here goes. I am looking at visiting Ireland for the first time from the USA this June/July. But I don't want to come and just be a "tourist" so to speak. Sure I want to do a few touristy things but I'm looking more than just being a tourist, I want to know what it's like to be a local. I want to mingle with locals, meet new and interesting people, do new things, learn new things, maybe volunteer doing a couple things. I do want to spend a short amount of time in Dublin, but I'm thinking more along the lines of the much smaller towns, where from my experience is where there is a better sense of community. I want to break bread with people I've never met, learn a little bit about Falconry, help a farmer sheer some sheep, pick up trash with others after a local event, hang out with folks, sitting on a front porch with people singing and playing music, learning some new songs, learning some dances, and many other things I may not even be thinking of.

My trip that I'm trying to plan is kind of low budget. And I'm looking for ideas that people may have of how I can enjoy myself with little to no cost. I don't want to "work" in the sense of getting paid with money, the couple things I mentioned above is something that I just want to do. To not just be a tourist coming and leaving 2 weeks later, but to for a short time be a part of something. If anyone can think of things I can do and learn and know of places or people who may be interested in my hopeful 2 week journey later this year I'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance. A little bit about me, my name is Huckleberry. I'm 36 years old, I live in Wisconsin USA. I've always wanted to visit Ireland since I was a kid. A few years ago I did the ancestry.com thing and come to find out, my biological dads last name "Faulkner" traced back at some point to Dublin, from my understanding they were Falcon Trainers. Can't be 100% sure on that but that is why I threw in the learning a bit about Falconry. I look forward to your replies.

Huckleberry

Not out of the ordinary at all! Several people visit Ireland every year.

somefeen · 15-02-2018 08:55PM

I'd suggest cork as a starting point instead of Dublin.
Dublin's grand and all but if you've only got 1 or two days its very overwhelming and everything is very far apart and expensive.
Cork would probably be more different to what your used to than Dublin and its more compact.

From there I'd work my way West. Bere peninsula and Kerry. The ring of Kerry is very touristy but beara and some parts of Kerry are a lot wilder and less known.
Definitely check out Galway city and a bit of Connemara. Connemara is like time warp in places and Galway City has a lovely vibe to it.

And if you must go to Dublin do check out Wicklow, lovely County not far from Dublin and still very rural. If your up for a bit of cycling its a gorgeous place. One of my favourite counties.

I'd suggest some of the inland places to, I always wanted to cycle the length of the Shannon or the barrow navigation, but I think the coast is what Ireland does best.

Oldtree · 15-02-2018 08:58PM

A word of warning about driving at night here. There is a group of trees known as "killer trees".

These trees are well known for jumping out in front of single occupant cars, late at night between 2 and 4 am, causing fatal car crashes and then pretending to be dead by the side of the road. Best if you don't have a friend with you that you have a blow up doll in the passenger seat buckled in. This neat trick could save your life.

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:05PM

Oldtree wrote: »

A word of warning about driving at night here. There is a group of trees known as "killer trees".

These trees are well known for jumping out in front of single occupant cars, late at night between 2 and 4 am, causing fatal car crashes and then pretending to be dead by the side of the road. Best if you don't have a friend with you that you have a blow up doll in the passenger seat buckled in. This neat trick could save your life.

What?

Working class heroes · 15-02-2018 09:05PM

Are you male or female or......

Oldtree · 15-02-2018 09:09PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

What?

There's loads of young fellas driving around on their own on the roads late at night and dying in strange circumstances, the chief suspects are trees as they have been found at most of these accident spots.

Working class heroes · 15-02-2018 09:13PM

Oldtree wrote: »

There's loads of young fellas driving around on their own on the roads late at night and dying in strange circumstances, the chief suspects are trees as they have been found at most of these accident spots.

The IRA planted them.

Freddiestar · 15-02-2018 09:14PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

What?

Also watch out for cars that leave the road of their own accord

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:16PM

Are you saying there are people taking curves to fast late at night, running off the road and hitting trees?

freshpopcorn · 15-02-2018 09:16PM

Working class heroes wrote: »

Are you male or female or......

If the OP is female I'd recommend reading a book called Asking for it by Louise O'Neill. It's meant to be a must if your a young woman going out on night in Ireland!

RocketRaccoon · 15-02-2018 09:17PM

Fly into Shannon and stay west, if you want to see the real Ireland. If you want over priced tourist tat then go to Dublin. I'll go against the grain here of messing around and invite you to pm me if you want proper info on Ireland.

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:19PM

I do plan on renting a car from the airport. Which is going to be a very interesting experience the first day or 2, I'm gonna have to put some sticky notes on the steering wheel to remind myself to stay in the left lane.

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:20PM

No, I am male.

Working class heroes · 15-02-2018 09:22PM

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

Fly into Shannon and stay west, if you want to see the real Ireland. If you want over priced tourist tat then go to Dublin. I'll go against the grain here of messing around and invite you to pm me if you want proper info on Ireland.

Ignore this, it’s a trap.

Oldtree · 15-02-2018 09:23PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

Are you saying there are people taking curves to fast late at night, running off the road and hitting trees?

No, I'm saying that these "killer trees" (the kt's for short) are a well organised group of ruthless miscreants, whose sole objective is to target our youth as they go home from the pubs late at night. They have a predilection for young men, and as you are 32 you are within the bracket target group, albeit at the upper end.

Working class heroes · 15-02-2018 09:24PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

No, I am male.

Pop down Wicklow way. First weekend in June we are having a cartoon festival, mighty crack. Not joking btw.

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:29PM

Ahh, ok. The "The tree just jumped out in front of me" excuse drunk drivers use to try and explain it away. I've never drank alcohol, and I plan on being asleep during that time frame.

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:30PM

Working class heroes wrote: »

Pop down Wicklow way. First weekend in June we are having a cartoon festival, mighty crack. Not joking btw.

I'm not looking to leave till late June/early July. And I need to arrange for a dog sitter.

Ajsoprano · 15-02-2018 09:31PM

huckfinn1982 wrote: »

Ahh, ok. The "The tree just jumped out in front of me" excuse drunk drivers use to try and explain it away. I've never drank alcohol, and I plan on being asleep during that time frame.

A man once told me to never trust a man who doesn’t trust himself with drink onboard.
He was very serious about it.

whiskeyman · 15-02-2018 09:36PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Look up 'woofing' or woof volunteering, not sure how it works with American visas and stuff but I think it's very much what you are looking for

lalababa wrote: »

Look up woofing type sites. You can stay on a few farms and do Abit of work for food and accommodation.

It's called 'dogging' here in Ireland.
You'll definitely meet some interesting friends doing it...

huckfinn1982 · 15-02-2018 09:36PM

I just made the personal decision when I was a kid and it was reaffirmed after a couple friends way back in school that I had just seen was killed by a drunk driver a few hours later. Then every year that went by I just felt like I didn't need it before, I don't need any now.

Visiting Soon

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