Welcome to Irish Tips

Castle Coole, Enniskillen.

Check out Castle Coole, on the outskirts of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. The family home of the Earls of Belmore it is now managed by the National Trust. It was designed by James Wyatt, took ten years to build and was completed in 1798. Visitors can view the magnificent State rooms with their glorious regency furnishing and walk through some of the 700 acre state.

The castle was restored in the 1980s and re-opened to the public in 1988 by the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. For more details see:

Castle Coole

Renting a car in Dublin.

The best place to rent a car when flying into Dublin is at the airport. As the airport is outside the city it will give you time to get accustomed to the roads/driving on the left side of the road etc.

Celtic Car Rental Ireland

Discount and luxury car rental service with locations in Cork City & Airport, Dublin City & Airport and Shannon Airport.

Celtic Car Rental

Visit Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin.

Christchurch cathedral is a must-see – its late 12th century crypt is the oldest standing building in Dublin. Once you've seen its fabulous interior, nip across the road to Back Lane and Mother Redcaps' indoor market. It is full of wonderful bargains!

Staying in Connemara

Base yourself in Clifden when staying in Connemara† it has wonderful restaurants and a wide variety of accommodation to chose from.

Connemara Accommodation - accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets.

The Tempo of Temple Bar.

Temple Bar is an area in Dublin that comes to life after 7PM with nightlife--drinking, eating, street musicians and dancing, etc.

A MUST for any visit to Dublin (the cobbled street runs parallel to Dame Street).

Cork - Rebel County

Cork City or ‘Corcaigh Mar Atá' in the Irish (alternative spelling – Corcach Mór na Mumhan – ‘the great marsh of Munster') is Southern Ireland's second largest city, situated in the island's largest county in South West Ireland. County Cork is known as the ‘Rebel County' and not just for its past links with the Republican cause. It was actually so-named by the English crown in 1499 as a derogatory label but was embraced by the people of Cork with pride.

Dublin's Quadrants.

Dublin has four sections, each named for its architectural style and period. These sections are: Victorian, Viking, Medieval and Georgian.

The Europa Hotel, Belfast.

Visit the Europa Hotel – the most-bombed hotel in Europe! It has had a recent face-lift and does wonderful Jazz afternoons. Also has terrifically handy toilets!

EasyJet flies to Belfast.

EasyJet now flies direct to many destinations to/from Belfast.

Transport from the airport in Dublin.

The fastest way into Dublin city center is the airport bus. It drops you off at Connolly Street train station.

Doolin.

This village in County Clare is reknown for its traditional music festivals. It has in fact been called the Music Centre of Ireland.

For more information check out:
Doolin County Clare

Buses in Belfast.

The central hub for buses in the city center is on the left side of Belfast City Hall.

Walk Dublin.

Dublin is a city to experience on foot. Pack your most comfortable walking boots and walk Dame Street, Grafton Street, round Trinity College and more. Stop off in a bar when you get tired and sample the Guinness. A city full of wonderful architecture, music, culture and art, you'll experience so much more walking than driving.

What does the suffix -ford mean?

When an Irish town has the suffix "ford," as in, for example, "Waterford," that means that town was founded by the Vikings. There are exceptions to this rule, as in "Dublin," which means "Dark Pool" and was also founded by Vikings.

St. Finbarr - Cork.

St. Finbarr is the patron saint of Cork despite the fact that modern scholars link him not with Cork but with the northern province of Ulster and suggest that he never even set foot in the city! Nevertheless, he is embraced wholeheartedly by Corkonians as a symbol of unity between city and county as well as being claimed by both Catholic and Protestant denominations as their own.

Dublin´ Over.

Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest city, with over one-third of the country's population living there.

The Galway Hooker

The Galway Hooker is a traditional fishing boat and has long been used as a symbol for the county of Galway.

Traditional music gigs in Cork City.

The Lobby bar in Cork does the main traditional music gigs.