Welcome to Irish Tips

Visiting Dingle Peninsula.

The bleak but lush Dingle Peninsula, scattered with ancient monuments, has been the choice of Bronze Age settlers, Dark Age monks, Hollywood directors (most recently for Far and Away) and discriminating travelers.

Getting the Most Ireland for Your Money.

There's a lot of green to cover when you visit Ireland. For a first time visitor, it's hard to know when to go, where to go, what to do and where to stay.

I highly recommend that *new* visitors to Ireland sign up for a carousel tour of the country. Many tour providers offer such a tour--however, a good one is Trafalgar Tours (www.trafalgartours.com). In such a tour you will get a broad overview of Ireland, see many, if not all of the most popular attractions, and do so in a safe, comfortable manner that will not weigh heavy on your pocketbook/purse.

Going to Portrush.

If you are traveling from the south (e.g. Belfast) to Portrush, hire a car and take the coastal road rather than the main Ballymena - Ballymoney route. The scenery is well worth the longer journey.

You can picnic beside waterfalls, have an icecream in Cusendall, dip your toes in the surf at Waterfoot and all before even reaching Portrush!

Glenariff - Queen of the Glens.

Glenariff - known as the Queen of the Glens in Co. Antrim is now a forest park, which can be approached from Parkmore on the Ballymena-Cushendall road.

Visit Fintona, Co. Tyrone.

If you really want to experience the full flavour of this area visit Fintona, a small village situated 8 miles south of Omagh.

It was the O'Neill stronghold in the 15th and 16th centuries but its history dates back to 2000 BC. There are many examples of pagan centres, burial places, standing stones, stone circles and cairns dotted around the area. The drive alone to Fintona from Omagh is worth the journey as marshland gives way to a fertile valley.

The Heritage Centre in Cóbh, Cork

The Heritage Centre in Cóbh tells the poignant story of mass emigration from Ireland during the Famine. They provide a comprehensive selection of photos and letters which were written by many émigrés during their outbound journey. A visit to this exhibition is guaranteed to bring home to you the severity of the times and the sadness of the port in those days. The town´s past links with luxury liners (e.g. Titanic, Lusitania and more) are also revealed in the Heritage Centre displays.

Waterford Crystal Tours.

When in Waterford you should visit the Crystal Factory at Kilbarry on the Cork Road (on the outskirts of the city). They offer a fascinating tour which runs every 15 minutes in the summer months.

More information including costs see:
Waterford Crystal

Visiting the Cliffs of Moher

When visiting the Cliffs of Moher check out O´Brien´s Tower and the Visitor Centre:

Opening Times - O´Brien´s Tower - March to October 29th (weather permitting) 9.30am to 18.00pm.


Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre - open year round 9.30am to 17.30pm. June to Aug 29th 9.00am to 20.00pm.

Amelia Earhart Cottage - County Derry.

When in Derry visit the Amelia Earhart Cottage and Ballyarnett Community Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary.

This 60 acre site is to be found to the north of Derry city and is not to be missed. The centre was built to recognize the achievement of Amelia Earhart –the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic on 21st May 1931. She landed in a field just beside this site. The farm animals and native Irish wildlife are also worth seeing. The Cottage is open Mon-Fri 9-5, and the Farm – 10am-dusk in winter, 9am-9pm in Summer (until 6pm at weekend). Phone for more information – 0044-7135-4040.

Kinsale and the Lusitania.

Take a boat to Garinish Island (near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland), which lies just off the coast of Glengarriff. There is wonderful scenery in this part of the world, the chief among which is the ‘Old Head', a cliff point, off which the Lusitania (Titanic's sister ship) sank in 1915.

Ulster American Folk Park - Omagh, N. Ireland.

When in Omagh you simply must visit the Ulster American Folk Park† step back in time and follow the journey of the Irish emigrants during the 18th and 19th centuries to the New World† America.

How they lived before leaving the Emerald Isle and the sort of ship they would have embarked are all to be enjoyed. This is simply a remarkable outdoor museum with over 20 fully-built houses, cottages, outhouses and more. Also – if you are interested in genealogy they have comprehensive records. More information can be found here:

Folk Park

A Bit O´ Blarney.

You can view Blarney Castle, the famous and perhaps most favourite of Irish castles here:

Blarney Castle


Kiss the Blarney stone and get the ´gift of the gab´ - a fluent tongue!

Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau.

The Derry (also called Londonderry) Visitors Bureau, can be contacted by e-mail: info@derryvisitor.com or by snail mail at:

Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau
44 Foyle St.
Derry, BT486AT
Tel. (028)71267284 (from Ireland)

or, visit their website at

Derry Visitor

Marble Arch Caves

Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is a spectacular series of subterranean limestone caves. The visitor can explore, through winding passages and huge caverns, a fascinating complex of underground rivers, waterfalls, stalactite and stalagmite cave formations using spectacular walkways and by taking a subterranean boat trip.

Location: Florencecourt
Tel: +44 (0) 1365 348855

Liscannor

Liscannor is the perfect touring base in County Clare as it is situated on the edge of the Burren National Park. The area offers fishing, water sports, horseriding, day trips to the Aran Islands and shopping in Ennis only 20 miles away.

Check out this site:
Liscannor

Travel by Jeep in the Mountains of Mourne!

A unique way to see this fabulous area - take a jeep tour! Costs from 35 pounds per person. For more information and contact details check out their site:

Wild Ulster

The Guinness Factory Tour

The Guinness Factory Tour in Dublin shows you all the stages in the making of the famous brew:

Guinness Brewery and Museum: Crane Street 8 Tel 453 6700

Puffins in Ireland.

Rathlin Island off the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland has the only group of wild puffins in Northern Ireland. It can be reached by ferry from Ballycastle on the mainland.

Visit the Giant´s Causeway, N. Ireland.

The Giant's Causeway on the Atlantic coast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland is not to be missed. Best time to visit is during the Spring or Summer.