What are the 'Must See/Do's of Ireland for tourists?

DoYouEvenLift · 25-09-2015 07:12AM #1

Put aside all bias you may have that might make you instantly just want to name and suggest things in your own county that aren't actually, in reality, that great and worth tourists going out of their way to see.

When people ask me what to see or do in Ireland I usually tell them to go to Dublin only for a day or two and then head down towards Cork, Kerry and Clare and up to Galway so they can check out things like the mountains, the Burden, Bunratty castle etc.

What would you all suggest?

25-09-2015 07:15AM

West Kerry, South Kerry, West Cork.

whupdedo · 25-09-2015 07:16AM

The gym , they should go to the gym , lift weights and get fit

osarusan · 25-09-2015 07:19AM

Cliffs of Moher.

Rare to find a tourist who doesn't have that as part of their holiday plans.

Trying to put my own bias to one side though, I would suggest a Limerick FC home game as a must-see event for any tourist.

stoneill · 25-09-2015 07:20AM

Newgrange and Knowth.

degsie · 25-09-2015 07:22AM

Junkie spotting in Dublin city centre.

ButtersSuki · 25-09-2015 07:27AM

As someone who holidays in Ireland (if that's not an oxymoron?) I am astonished at how people rarely mention Donegal. The scenery rivals anything in the Cork/Kerry region whilst some of the best beaches Ive seen are also there. It baffles me why Bord Fáilte never invest anything like the same effort and cash into marketing Donegal and the North West in the way they do the South West and West Cork. I know the Wild Atlantic Way was a start at this last year but there's been nothing since.

And no, I'm not from Donegal!

looksee · 25-09-2015 07:27AM

osarusan wrote: »

Cliffs of Moher.

Rare to find a tourist who doesn't have that as part of their holiday plans.

Favourite (not!) quote from tourists...'We want to get off the beaten track and see the real Ireland - we have a week and are planning on visiting the Cliffs of Moher, the Giants Causeway, Blarney Castle, Galway, Killarney, and the Ring of Kerry'.

DoYouEvenLift · 25-09-2015 07:30AM

ButtersSuki wrote: »

As someone who holidays in Ireland (if that's not an oxymoron?) I am astonished at how people rarely mention Donegal. The scenery rivals anything in the Cork/Kerry region whilst some of the best beaches Ive seen are also there. It baffles me why Bord Fáilte never invest anything like the same effort and cash into marketing Donegal and the North West in the way they do the South West and West Cork. I know the Wild Atlantic Way was a start at this last year but there's been nothing since.

And no, I'm not from Donegal!

It's true, I was up there before and thought it was as good as Kerry and Cork. Have to go back sometime.

Tell me how · 25-09-2015 07:58AM

DoYouEvenLift wrote:

When people ask me what to see or do in Ireland I usually tell them to go to Dublin only for a day or two and then head down towards Cork, Kerry and Clare and up to Galway so they can check out things like the mountains, the Burden, Bunratty castle etc.

Ha. The "Burden". Sounds like you yourself own several acres of rock landscape and are sick to death of people people ignoring it over that pesky site in north Clare.

Tell me how · 25-09-2015 07:59AM

Personally, I think it's a fabulous country with sites to see in every county.

I think people could combine sports matches into a memorable 24 hrs. Travel to a town the evening before, socialise there that evening and then experience some of the banter in town just before the match. We have teams playing at world class levels in GAA and rugby and both could give a positive experience of friendly rivalry and camaraderie coupled with the game itself. Big part of this would be the bit around the game, don't just get off a bus and go into a ground with 20 other novices. Immerse themselves for a few hours. Doesn't have to be just Croker/Semple/Aviva either.

goose06 · 25-09-2015 08:04AM

Manon Falls near Dungarvan Waterford. Climb up to the top, fantastic views.

alchemist33 · 25-09-2015 08:07AM

Dun Aengus on the Aran Islands
The Burren
Slieve League
Giants Causeway

Its all about the coast

whupdedo · 25-09-2015 08:11AM

Lisdoonvarna matchmaking festival , the tourists would be traumatised

25-09-2015 08:13AM

Tell me how wrote: »

Personally, I think it's a fabulous country with sites to see in every county.

I think people could combine sports matches into a memorable 24 hrs. Travel to a town the evening before, socialise there that evening and then experience some of the banter in town just before the match. We have teams playing at world class levels in GAA and rugby and both could give a positive experience of friendly rivalry and camaraderie coupled with the game itself. Big part of this would be the bit around the game, don't just get off a bus and go into a ground with 20 other novices. Immerse themselves for a few hours. Doesn't have to be just Croker/Semple/Aviva either.

Be brutally honest.

How many who travel to Ireland want to watch GAA or rugby?

That reads like a Joe.ie article. What's the banter really like in Portlaoise the night before Kerry travel to Laois for a hurling match? Or before Dolphin play Shannon? I'd say if they went there and skipped the Ring of Kerry, they would find you and kill you for the recommendation.

Cosmo Kramer · 25-09-2015 08:23AM

To be honest we massively overrate what we have to offer to tourists. A holiday here basically involves getting ripped off in Dublin, which offers a poor enough city break experience compared to many European capitals, followed by the opportunity to visit some fairly standard looking cliffs, a few unusual but not particularly interesting rock formations and some medium sized towns masquerading as cities. All while getting soaked thanks to our hopeless climate.

The main reasons we have a tourism industry of any size at all are Dublin's proximity to and ease of access from the UK and other heavily populated areas of western Europe, the fact we speak English and our history of emigration resulting in 2nd and 3rd generation Irish people coming here from abroad, particularly the US, chasing their family history.

whiskeyman · 25-09-2015 08:23AM

Tell me how wrote: »

We have teams playing at world class levels in GAA

:pac:

donegaLroad · 25-09-2015 08:32AM

ButtersSuki wrote: »

As someone who holidays in Ireland (if that's not an oxymoron?) I am astonished at how people rarely mention Donegal. The scenery rivals anything in the Cork/Kerry region whilst some of the best beaches Ive seen are also there. It baffles me why Bord Fáilte never invest anything like the same effort and cash into marketing Donegal and the North West in the way they do the South West and West Cork. I know the Wild Atlantic Way was a start at this last year but there's been nothing since.

And no, I'm not from Donegal!

there were a couple of reasons for this over the years. Donegal's proximity to the North when the Troubles were bad, meant a lot of people weren't keen on visiting the northern half of the country. 20 years ago Bord Failte would recommend that visitors would travel to Galway from Dublin, then do the ring of Kerry, then the Blarney Stone in Cork, Waterford glass factory, then back to Dublin.

Even 15 years ago, this was the suggested route that Budget car hire had printed on there travel map of Ireland. The only visitors that strayed north were surfers, and people tracing their ancestors.

This year was different though, it was packed with visitors here.. too bad about the weather.

Daith · 25-09-2015 08:34AM

I'm constantly surprised at tourists who are in Dublin and never go to somewhere like Howth.

murpho999 · 25-09-2015 08:40AM

Daith wrote: »

I'm constantly surprised at tourists who are in Dublin and never go to somewhere like Howth.

Same really as most Irish tourists who go abroad and stay in city centres and don't venture out.

iDave · 25-09-2015 08:42AM

Newgrange. Never understood how its not more famous internationally. More impressive and older than Stonehenge.

iDave · 25-09-2015 08:43AM

Daith wrote: »

I'm constantly surprised at tourists who are in Dublin and never go to somewhere like Howth.

Last time I was there it was full of Spaniards.

Very Bored · 25-09-2015 08:49AM

Skanks in Celtic tops outside that pub at the top right corner of O'Connell Street.

SEPT 23 1989 · 25-09-2015 09:00AM

A tour of Kilmainham Gaol should be first on the list for any tourist arriving in Dublin

murpho999 · 25-09-2015 09:03AM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

A tour of Kilmainham Gaol should be first on the list for any tourist arriving in Dublin

You're assuming that the tourists here have a knowledge of Irish history.

The vast majority would know nothing about 1916 and Ireland's independence struggle, and many would even think that they are on holidays in the UK.

I have met a couple of British in my time who thought Ireland was still part of the UK despite different currency etc.

Ignatius in bloom · 25-09-2015 09:11AM

The lakes of Killarney, The ring of Kerry, Hiking in the numerous mountains around Ireland in November, sitting at the top with Tea and watching the wild Deers.

In Dublin the coastal walk from Malahide to Portmarnock. Any of the splendid parks in Dublin.

The coast of Northern Ireland.

The mourne mountains.

The new theatre temple bar.

The theatre upstairs above lanagans (?)

The great old boozers Mulligans and Mcconnells

A walk from the point up to euston and seeing the good, the bad and the interesting along the way.

The jewish museum in Portobello.

So much more but I'm not f**king Failte Ireland. So discover it yourself.

Ignatius in bloom · 25-09-2015 09:12AM

murpho999 wrote: »

You're assuming that the tourists here have a knowledge of Irish history.

The vast majority would know nothing about 1916 and Ireland's independence struggle, and many would even think that they are on holidays in the UK.

I have met a couple of British in my time who thought Ireland was still part of the UK despite different currency etc.

A good reason to go wouldn't you think so?

Menas · 25-09-2015 09:13AM

The one place I always send tourists is to St Michans church vaults. See the Mummies. Its a great little known attraction...and cheap to boot.

Very Bored · 25-09-2015 09:14AM

In Dublin:

The GPO, Jameson, the zoo is good if you're with kids (its a nice size, not too small that it misses some of the main features, not so big that it takes ages to get around, even if its something you can pretty much do anywhere), the history museums on Kildare Street, and at Collins Barracks, Kilmainham Jail, Howth, the Garden of Remembrance (so peaceful given you're in a city centre), Croke Park museum. Avoid the Guinness Storehouse, it was great when they actually showed you how they make Guinness, not so much since they changed it a good few years ago.

Outside Dublin: Kilkenny (also Inistioge), the famine museum in Cobh, Galway, Belfast (city centre but also the Falls and Shankill, walk them, you see more), Derry (the Bogside, again walk it, the Bogside Museum), Derry's walls. Drive the coast road between Derry and Belfast, not the motorway, its stunning.

Very Bored · 25-09-2015 09:20AM

@murpho

The amount of British people I know, who I would consider intelligent, who have asked me stupid questions like "why does Ireland have different money, why don't your buildings have the Union Jack, why do your police have uniforms which look different?" I usually reply "why does France" to which they usually remark that its a different country to which I shrug my shoulders.

ShowMeTheCash · 25-09-2015 09:22AM

What are the 'Must See/Do's of Ireland for tourists?

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