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Staycation Ireland.. Anyone doing it

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    #452
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    sasta le wrote: »
    Is it really that bad?In tourist spots?Or they just very unfriendly

    No it's not, sometimes it's best to ignore randomers on the net. NI is as beautiful as any part of the country and the people up there are friendly and warm.


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    #453
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    Plumbthedepths wrote: »
    What Orange marches? Do you watch the news at all?

    Oh god believe me I watch the news, I've relations up in Tyrone and Belfast and they get out of there for July every year, they usually come down to us in Limerick but this year with Covid they couldn't. This is the type of thing they are getting away from - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-53381699


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    #454
    sasta le
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭sasta le


    shenanagans wrote: »
    Rubbish. Family member just returned from there. Very impressed by area. Less than half the Killarney prices for accommodation. Kids loved it. Fab beaches and no parades.

    I'm sick.of being ripped off doesn't have to be 5 star.And sick of the Irish crowd all I met was D4 knobs or middle class Aislings&Johns


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    #455
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    GoneHome wrote: »
    Oh god believe me I watch the news, I've relations up in Tyrone and Belfast and they get out of there for July every year, they usually come down to us in Limerick but this year with Covid they couldn't. This is the type of thing they are getting away from - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-53381699

    So you watched the news that told you the marches were cancelled this year?. The north is a lovely end of the country and one of my favourite cities is Derry. I spent many a childhood holiday in the north, foreign trips were beyond my family's means. Never a bad experience. Btw your link doesn't work but I suspect it's not form this year.


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    #456
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    sasta le wrote: »
    I'm sick.of being ripped off doesn't have to be 5 star.And sick of the Irish crowd all I met was D4 knobs or middle class Aislings&Johns

    Where was that Sasta?


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    #457
    adocholiday
    Registered Users Posts: 1,845 ✭✭✭adocholiday


    Just back from a long weekend in Killarney. The hotel we stayed in was great but expensive. The front desk said that they were completely full for the whole weekend though. Standard of food was excellent and the staff were lovely. As a big bonus the bar served alcohol to guests in the bar until late. Social distancing well enforced was as safe as you could get.

    Killarney itself seemed quiet enough in terms of footfall but was impossible to get food in any decent place without 2 days advance notice. Pubs strictly enforcing the rules too. Neither of us had been there since we were kids so did lots of the touristy stuff. It was kind of bittersweet to have lots of the attractions to ourselves but Killarney having a lot less buzz about the place. Overall an expensive but enjoyable and relaxing weekend. When you get the weather Ireland is truly a spectacular place.


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    #458
    shenanagans
    Registered Users Posts: 896 ✭✭✭shenanagans


    sasta le wrote: »
    I'm sick.of being ripped off doesn't have to be 5 star.And sick of the Irish crowd all I met was D4 knobs or middle class Aislings&Johns

    Belfast is nice. I've been there in recent years but for a few days I'd try Portrush. I was there years ago. It's much nicer than Bangor area (which is very Orange).

    Portrush is the biggest tourist town up North (outside Belfast). All I know is a family member went there with kids etc and they loved it. Said it was immaculately kept, very clean, loads of places for good food, fab beaches etc. Much cheaper for accommodation compared to down south.

    Coastal area is better for staycation IMO.


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    #459
    shenanagans
    Registered Users Posts: 896 ✭✭✭shenanagans


    adocholiday wrote: »
    Just back from a long weekend in Killarney. The hotel we stayed in was great but expensive. The front desk said that they were completely full for the whole weekend though. Standard of food was excellent and the staff were lovely. As a big bonus the bar served alcohol to guests in the bar until late. Social distancing well enforced was as safe as you could get.

    Killarney itself seemed quiet enough in terms of footfall but was impossible to get food in any decent place without 2 days advance notice. Pubs strictly enforcing the rules too. Neither of us had been there since we were kids so did lots of the touristy stuff. It was kind of bittersweet to have lots of the attractions to ourselves but Killarney having a lot less buzz about the place. Overall an expensive but enjoyable and relaxing weekend. When you get the weather Ireland is truly a spectacular place.

    Great place but a total rip off this year.


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    #460
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    Plumbthedepths wrote: »
    So you watched the news that told you the marches were cancelled this year?. The north is a lovely end of the country and one of my favourite cities is Derry. I spent many a childhood holiday in the north, foreign trips were beyond my family's means. Never a bad experience. Btw your link doesn't work but I suspect it's not form this year.

    The link works perfectly, I just clicked into it there myself again to check, it's from a BBC news report last week about the orange marches, but sure come here what ever you love N.I. and I love going up there as well and as I say I've extended family living in Belfast and Tyrone and head up there every year but just not in July
    (that's when they come down to us in Limerick to escape :D)


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    #461
    sasta le
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭sasta le


    adocholiday wrote: »
    Just back from a long weekend in Killarney. The hotel we stayed in was great but expensive. The front desk said that they were completely full for the whole weekend though. Standard of food was excellent and the staff were lovely. As a big bonus the bar served alcohol to guests in the bar until late. Social distancing well enforced was as safe as you could get.

    Killarney itself seemed quiet enough in terms of footfall but was impossible to get food in any decent place without 2 days advance notice. Pubs strictly enforcing the rules too. Neither of us had been there since we were kids so did lots of the touristy stuff. It was kind of bittersweet to have lots of the attractions to ourselves but Killarney having a lot less buzz about the place. Overall an expensive but enjoyable and relaxing weekend. When you get the weather Ireland is truly a spectacular place.

    What hotel may I ask?
    If I was paying for a hotelmid want to be able to have a drink in a bar or lobby after dinner


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    #462
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    shenanagans wrote: »
    Great place but a total rip off this year.

    Totally and that's why I'm recommending everyone to wait until later in the year to do the staycation, July and August are prime rip off months for a staycation, why can't people see that :confused:


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    #463
    adocholiday
    Registered Users Posts: 1,845 ✭✭✭adocholiday


    GoneHome wrote: »
    Totally and that's why I'm recommending everyone to wait until later in the year to do the staycation, July and August are prime rip off months for a staycation, why can't people see that :confused:

    We were limited to this time of the year unfortunately
    sasta le wrote: »
    What hotel may I ask?
    If I was paying for a hotelmid want to be able to have a drink in a bar or lobby after dinner

    Sorry I'd prefer not to say in case somebody reports them. I think there are a few possibly doing the same thing though.


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    #464
    JP Liz V1
    Registered Users Posts: 85,462 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    Kerry seems popular
    https://forumofgames.com/




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    #465
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    GoneHome wrote: »
    The link works perfectly, I just clicked into it there myself again to check, it's from a BBC news report last week about the orange marches, but sure come here what ever you love N.I. and I love going up there as well and as I say I've extended family living in Belfast and Tyrone and head up there every year but just not in July
    (that's when they come down to us in Limerick to escape :D)
    The parades are muted this year, you can't knock the friendliness of the people. Ran the Derry marathon two years ago large group of us from the Midlands can't mistake the accent and the reception was awesome.
    Btw Limerick is a lovely place and definitely defies it's negative rep. My son is in college there and I have a good friend living in Moyross. Actually ran the Limerick marathon in 2016.


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    #466
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    JP Liz V1 wrote: »
    Kerry seems popular

    Holidayed in Kerry in 1997 , never had a staycation since.


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    #467
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    Plumbthedepths wrote: »
    The parades are muted this year, you can't knock the friendliness of the people. Ran the Derry marathon two years ago large group of us from the Midlands can't mistake the accent and the reception was awesome.
    Btw Limerick is a lovely place and definitely defies it's negative rep. My son is in college there and I have a good friend living in Moyross. Actually ran the Limerick marathon in 2016.

    Plumb, you're on my wavelength here I was just saying I love the North and have had some great times there but just I wouldn't be heading up there in the summer months when all that orange order s^%t is going on, that was my point


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    #468
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    GoneHome wrote: »
    Plumb, you're on my wavelength here I was just saying I love the North and have had some great times there but just I wouldn't be heading up there in the summer months when all that orange order s^%t is going on, that was my point

    Sorry I probably got the wrong end of the stick. I'm a regular visitor to the north . Even during the troubles I loved visiting the region. Majority of my father's family lives in NI. Yet my grandparents lived just outside Lifford.I only discovered after my grandfather's death why he refused to go across the border, seems he was wanted.


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    #469
    Banana Republic.
    Registered Users Posts: 1,906 ✭✭✭Banana Republic.


    In Ireland the hotels, restaurants and bars are always crying out for “staycations” the minute it becomes popular boom prices hikes on a massive scale and they wonder why people don’t explore Ireland more.


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    #470
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    Banana Republic. wrote: »
    In Ireland the hotels, restaurants and bars are always crying out for “staycations” the minute it becomes popular boom prices hikes on a massive scale and they wonder why people don’t explore Ireland more.

    It's the time of year though, why does everyone feel the need to flock to Kerry/Galway/Donegal in July or August, why can't people just wait until a different time of year :confused:


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    #471
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    Banana Republic. wrote: »
    In Ireland the hotels, restaurants and bars are always crying out for “staycations” the minute it becomes popular boom prices hikes on a massive scale and they wonder why people don’t explore Ireland more.

    In fairness a captive audience is rip for rip off behaviour.
    The Irish hospitality industry can't help itself the gouging behaviour is ingrained.


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    #472
    GoneHome
    Registered Users Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭GoneHome


    Maybe we're kind of different but though out the year we go for random weekends away like before the lockdown our last night away was in PortLaoise, found a lovely restaurant for dinner on the Sat evening then a few pints in a lovely old style pub and back to the hotel for a great nights sleep , great breakfast next morning in the hotel and back down the motorway home within an hour and a half.


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    #473
    sasta le
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭sasta le


    GoneHome wrote: »
    Where was that Sasta?

    I did 2 nights I Donegal and a night in Galway


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    #474
    sasta le
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭sasta le


    As my father said 15 punts for a stew in Kerry pub around 99 he was done


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    #475
    YellowBucket
    Closed Accounts Posts: 491 ✭✭YellowBucket


    I had a look around at pricing and can't find anything I would want to spend it on and it would need to be really safe and probably 2 weeks or so. So, no I won't be doing any holidays this year beyond home.

    I also don't really find the whole thing very relaxing with all the requirements for PPE and, while it may be irrational, I don't feel entirely comfortable or safe with hotels, mostly because I can't understand how pillows and so on are clean, unless they're actually brand new / have been sterilised somehow.

    Given we're putting so much effort into social distancing and face masks and so on, it just doesn't make logical sense to me that I would want to spend nights in a hotel. How could the cleaning could possibly work, given what the situation has been in terms of everything else. I mean, I was being told to use hand sanitiser before even touching the screen on a coffee machine the other day (even though I'd already used hand sanitiser entering the premises). We can't handle shared menus, yet, it's somehow fine to sleep in a bed that might have been slept in by someone else without replacing the mattress and sterilising the bed frame?

    Either we're being totally over the top in every other aspect of life, or this whole tourism thing is still highly risky and we're just prepared to ignore that for the sake of €€

    I wouldn't mind doing a few day trips near home, but that's it.

    I'd be fine if I had a holiday home somewhere, but for the moment, absolutely no way I'm staying anywhere I'm not entirely in control of.


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    #476
    Mossie1975
    Registered Users Posts: 196 ✭✭Mossie1975


    Back after a few days in The Kingdom. Plans already afoot for the next mini staycation.


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    #477
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    In a self-catering apartment attached to a hotel in Clifden at the moment. It described itself as "luxurious" on the website and charged accordingly. Thought I was doing the "right thing" by choosing to stay here. Quite frankly it's very far from luxurious, and even shabby looking. Drab in the extreme, and I told them that if I owned the furniture I would hire a big skip and through it all in, and maybe get some fresh looking stuff from Ikea. Not even a place to put toiletries bag in bathroom, or a proper towel rail. They asked me how they could improve it for me, and I replied "well, where do you start, it's so obviously bad". I suggested they hire the advice of an interior designer or a Francis Brennan type figure.

    I had spent a lovely night in the Lodge at Ashford Castle and have worked out that I could have remained there and enjoyed dinner with wine and breakfast for the same duration, for €500 less than I am paying here. It's a complete rip-off here.


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    #478
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    At the moment I'm staying in a self-catering apartment attached to a hotel in Clifden that described itself as luxurious on the website, and charging accordingly. Booked 6 nights on the basis of it being as described, but it is anything but luxurious. I had just spent a luxurious night at the Lodge at Ashford Castle, and have worked out that had I stayed there a further 6 nights, enjoying breakfast & dinner with wine included, I would ha e come out €500 the richer.

    Some of the furniture is only fit for a skip, the dull brown cheap-looking sofa included. Almost bare yellow walls to match, stained heaters, burn marks on table. Cheapest of everything on board. No design whatsoever. I think some prisons have a more upbeat vibe. Luxurious my @ss. The people in charge are lovely, all apologetic etc, and even agreeing it could do with improvement. They even offered to get painters in whilst I'm here to make it better, but I declined the offer of the decorators coming in and disturbing what should be a peaceful uplifting holiday. I actually very rarely have complaint about places I stay, and have enjoyed top notch self-catering in eg Tallinn for far less. I don't know if self-catering standards in Ireland are generally poor as I have had no previous experience of it here.


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    #479
    jonnny68
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,670 ✭✭✭jonnny68


    sen this on whatsapp pretty accurate i reckon :pac::D


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    #480
    Padraig Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 9,543 ✭✭✭Padraig Mor


    GoneHome wrote: »
    It's the time of year though, why does everyone feel the need to flock to Kerry/Galway/Donegal in July or August, why can't people just wait until a different time of year :confused:

    Because kids......


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    #481
    woodchuck
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,409 Mod ✭✭✭✭woodchuck


    Padraig Mor wrote: »
    Because kids......

    And even though the weather is obviously unpredictable, you've a better shot at nice weather during the summer.

    Another big factor is the longer days. Who wants to do a staycation in Ireland during the winter when the sun sets at 4pm?

    Having said that, I have no kids and generally I'm a fan of taking holidays during the shoulder seasons (usually abroad though). It's usually less touristy/crowded and there are better deals (and less hot! I'm actually not a fan of the heat..). We did our staycation in Ireland in early July this year though, because frankly I'd just had enough of the restrictions and 2020 in general and needed a break asap or I would've had a nervous breakdown.


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