Travel to Ireland

Guide Books - Websites - Travel Writing - Videos

If you are traveling to Ireland, you might want to pick up one of our Irish Anthologies to pass the time on the flight over there and give you a good feel for the Irish.

Guide Books

Browse titles under the Subject Heading Ireland -- Guidebooks

	Elsie Dillard and Susan Causin Bed & Breakfast Ireland: A Trusted Guide to over 400 of Ireland's Best Bed and Breakfasts With descriptions of B&Bs throughout the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, this is an indispensable guide for anyone looking for economical, hospitable lodgings.
	Fodor's Ireland All the advice you expect from Fodor's local experts: hotels, restaurants, activities and attractions.
	Fodor's see it. Ireland Walking & shopping tours, restaurant ratings & reviews, lots of color photographs, and travel tips.
	Lisa Gerard-Sharp Ireland An Eyewitness Travel Guide from DK Publishing, this book is chock full of photos, illustrations, detailed maps and more to help you with your trip to Ireland.
	Lisa Gerard-Sharp Ireland: a travel survival kit A Lonely Planet guide to Ireland, with advice for all kinds of travelers, from backpackers to first-time visitors.
	Hugh Oram Travellers' trails--Ireland "A collection of 24 in-depth tours across the country."
	Hughes, Martin World Food: Ireland Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, this compact gastronomic tour of the Emerald Isle includes recipes, regional specialties, and a reference glossary of traditional Irish food and drink.

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Websites

AdLib
http://www.adlib.ie/
Adlib is Ireland's most comprehensive on-line restaurant guide.

Discover Northern Ireland
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/
A website from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board that offers information about cities and counties in Northern Ireland, including attractions, events, and accommodations.

Dublin Tourist
http://www.dublintourist.com/
In addition to accommodations, this website offers places to visit, tours and maps of Dublin.

Frommer's Destinations: Ireland
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/ireland/
This extensive online guide includes information about the regions of Ireland as well as guides to major cities. Information is from the previous year's print guide.

Dublin
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/dublin/
This destination guide from Frommer's includes information on getting there and getting around, hotels, restaurants, attractions (museums, breweries, historic and literary landmarks), nightlife, shopping, active pursuits, spectator sports, maps and message boards.

Ireland.com: Explore Ireland
http://www.ireland.com/explore/
This travel guide from The Irish Times includes a County Guide and an accommodations search and booking facility.

Ireland.com: Irish Ancestors
http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/
Many Americans have Irish ancestors and a trip to Ireland often involves a genealogical search. On this page from The Irish Times, you can do a surname search to get you started.

Ireland.com: The Ticket
http://www.ireland.com/theticket/
The Irish Times weekly guide to entertainment.

Irish Tourist
http://www.irishtourist.com/
Information on places to visit as well as accommodations through the island, north and south.

Met Éireann (Irish Meteorological Service)
http://www.met.ie/
Check here for the current Irish weather forecast and conditions. This site also includes climate information to help you plan your trip (where it rains the most and when).

Tourism Ireland
http://www.tourismireland.com/
Tourism Ireland markets the island of Ireland as a whole (both Ireland and North Ireland) so here you can find information on Belfast as well as Dublin. Included is an A to Z Place Finder that will link you to further information about cities, towns and villages on the island.

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Travel Writing

	Hawks, Tony Round Ireland with a Fridge As a result of a loosing a bar bet, Tony Hawks took it upon himself to hitchhike around the circumference of Ireland in one month with a refrigerator. Gaining publicity on local radio stations, he eventually became known as "Fridge Man". Each time he snagged a ride his social circle widened. This is the story of his adventures, from its humble beginnings to his grand entrance into Dublin.
	Makem, Tommy Tommy Makem's Secret Ireland This is a personal tour of Ireland by "The Godfather of Irish Music." All the places Tommy Makem holds dear, enhanced with the lyrics to various folk songs, are presented in this engaging work.
	McCarthy, Pete McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery in the West of Ireland McCarthy, a writer and performer, began his journey with the following mandate --"Never pass a bar that has your name on it." In this book he recounts his attempts to relive the joys of his childhood summer visits to the west of Ireland through a series of adventurous encounters with characters like a Christian priest who's left the Church, an Anglo-Irish Marquess, Frank McCourt, and Noel Redding. His quirky point of view and comedic talents provide an offbeat view of contemporary Ireland.
	Moreton, Cole Hungry for Home: Leaving the Blaskets - a Journey from the Edge of Ireland Like a sleeping giant off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula, the Great Blasket Island holds its secrets from a bygone time. Once a thriving, Irish-speaking offshore community with more than its share of accomplished writers, the island was ultimately abandoned in 1953. Its former inhabitants resettled on the Irish mainland and in America; the seven uninhabited islands that comprise the Great Blaskets are under consideration for national park status by the Irish goverment. This is the story of the Kearney family and their lives on Great Blasket and beyond.
	Newby, Eric Round Ireland in Low Gear Veteran travel writer Eric Newby describes the cycling trip he and his wife undertook at the height of an Irish winter! Newby encounters a wealth of memorable characters, meals, events, and sites that make the foul weather a dramatic contrast to the warmth and hospitality the authors discovered in the pubs and tea rooms of the Emerald Isle.
	Robinson, Tim Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara & Other Writings Focusing on Connemara, the Burren and the Aran Islands, Robinson presents a series of lyrical essays on the botany, history, and landscape of this magical corner of western Ireland.
	Roy, James Charles The Back of Beyond: A Search for the Soul of Ireland Roy, an independent Irish history scholar, leads a group of American travelers through an Ireland far off the beaten tourist path. He introduces his charges to obscure Celtic coronation sites and crumbling monasteries, as well as to the traditional tourist venues of the Rock of Cashel and Georgian Dublin. Interspersed with his historical commentary are descriptions of his life at Moyode Castle, a restored Norman tower in County Galway.

Videos

Derry to Kerry
This is a BBC production, in association with WNET, in which actor Michael Palin hosts a scenic tour of the Emerald Isle by rail and seeks his family roots in Tralee, County Kerry.

Diarmuid Gavin's Irish Garden
Garden designer Diarmuid Gavin leads the viewer on a tour of some of Ireland's most beautiful gardens.

Discoveries -- Ireland: a Mystical Journey (2001)
An introduction to Ireland and her places of interest.

Sentinels of the Sea: Lighthouses of Ireland
This documentary presents tours of several Irish lighthouses and an Irish lightship; chronicles the history and mythical legends associated with Irish lighthouses; and explores what it was like to be an Irish lighthouse keeper before computer automation was introduced. (VHS)

Travel the World. Ireland: Western Ireland, Dublin & Belfast (1997)
A video tour of Ireland by Rick Steves, including exploration of the Dingle Peninsula and the Aran Islands, a bicycle trip through the Gaeltachts, visits to local Irish pubs, and trips through some of the bustling urban and cultural centers of Ireland, including turbulent Belfast. (VHS)