Conference tallis::celt

    The Dublin - Galway route is numbered N4/N6 and is one of the busiest in
    the country. Places of interest include Maynooth, a small town 15 miles
    west of Dublin which is the center for religious training in Ireland
    and the site of a University, Kilbeggan, the location of a recently
    restored whiskey distillery which is now a museum of industrial life in
    19th Cent Ireland, and Athlone, the main crossing point to the West of
    Ireland across our largest river, the Shannon.
    
    One must not forget Kinnegad, a favourite halting spot among Irish and
    foreign travellers alike where one can have a choice of readily
    available meals and snacks before making the left turn for Galway,
    leaving the N4 and taking up the N6.
    
    At Ballinasloe, one enters the county of Galway and , one hour later, 
    is Galway City itself. Galway is worth at least a few days on its own as
    it is full of restaurants, pubs, music, night-clubs and a lot more.
    Its western suburb of Salthill is Irelands largest seaside resort and
    has a lot of tourists both from home and abroad. It may be  a bit too
    commercial for my taste but most people like it. Further out the
    Salthill road brings you to southern Conamara which is an Irish
    speaking district and has a totally different landscape to the rest of
    the Dublin- Galway route. Here you are approaching the granite
    peninsulas of Cois Farraige ( Beside the sea) which displays a vivid
    landscape of bogs, exposed rocks and islands which is totally untouched
    by man. The people here speak Irish but understand English as well so
    there will be no problems. This route is the R100 which runs through
    Bearna, Spiddal and on out to Clifden, which is the main town in
    Conamara. Not to be missed is Kylemore Abbey which is near Clifden and
    is beautifully situated in the shade of a very steep mountain and
    beside a lake. This now has a craft shop and visitor centre and is also
    run as a school by an order of Nuns.
    
    One can return to Galway City  from Clifden by way of Maam Cross and
    take in some breath taking scenery in Maam valley which is in the
    middle of the 12 Bens or mountains of Conamara. This circular route,
    from Galway to Clifden back to Galway again, will take a full day
    because the roads are not straight and speed must be kept moderate.
    
    Clare, the county to the south of Galway , is also worth a visit more
    of which later...........
    
    					Rgds John D.
    

    
    
    re -1:
    
    Thanks for prompt reply. How about Westport? How is it? How much
    generally does B&B cost for one night in Ireland?
    
    
    Slainte
    
    Hannu

    I visited the south/west last summer. The price for B&B was from #10 -
    15 Irish pounds per person. We stayed in newer houses which seem to
    have bathroom en suite.
    
    You can get a list of B&B from the Irish tourist board in O'Connell St
    Dublin. It costs about #2 and contains all the approved houses!
    
    Happy holiday.
    
    Why don't you visit the REAL capital of Ireland - CORK!
    
    Therese
    

    
    re -1:
    
    The prices sound reasonable. I have a plan to visit also Cork on
    the second week from Dublin by train. 
    
    
    Hannu

Contrary to a claim by a previous noter Cork in NOT and NEVER WAS the real 
copital of Ireland

Mbr

    re: .0
    
    Ignore Note .5 by Mbr, he's just jealous. ;^>
    
    You see, Hannu, there are only two kinds of people living in Ireland:
    
    Those that hail from CORK, and those that wished they did. ;^>
    
     See Note 495.17 for suggested places to visit in the Best County
    (and City) in Ireland.

    Not mentioned in 495 is the new
    
    Heritage centre at Irish Distillers in Midleton, Co. Cork.
    History of Whiskey etc.
    
    If you need more info I can contact a fried there. It's just opened so
    I don't have any documents.
    
    therese

    
    I know that there is this Bushmills distillery in North, but Irish
    Distillers sounds interesting. Do they give samples? 8-)
    
    Hannu

    I think so. 
    
    I've had a tour of the distillery (my friend is a manager there). It's
    pretty interesting.
    
    However, usually if you want a tour you have to book in advance. But
    with the heritage centre open it may have changed.
    
    I can give you more details next week.
    
    therese

     
    re -1:
    
    Next week I won't be reading notes or mail, because I am on Green Island,
    but if you could find info today, it would be nice.
    
    Thanks anyway.
    
    Happy Holidays to all noters here
    
    
    Hannu

    Westport is an excellent town to both stay in and use as a base for 
    day trips.	It is a lively town with good shops and plenty to do
    both day and night.   
    	There are excellent pubs - Matt Molloys, Hobans,OMalleys etc - 
    and restaurants - Asgard, Moorings, Quay Cottage and the West.
    
    	There is deep sea and fresh water fishing, a championship Golf 
    course and pitch and putt and  horse riding.
    	The coastline  around Westport and to the north has the highest 
    concentration of clean beaches (Blue Flag) in Ireland. A drive along
    the coast to the north will take you via Newport and Mulranny to Achill 
    which has incredible scenery and magnificant beaches - Keem Bay, reached 
    via a rather perlious cliff top drive, is really worth a visit. 
    	Further north, through Belcroy to Ballycastle where there is an
    archeological site of farm dwellings - still being researched - which 
    predates any other simular find in Europe. 
    	The return trip can be made inland via the Nephin mountain range
    and back through Newport or Castlebar. There is much more to do and
    see - far toomuch to input at this time.   Bed and breakfast rates
    are about 11 to 15 pounds per night.
    
    			Regards John Kilroy.
    P.S. If you want  whiskey samples chech out the Irish Distillers
    	 visitors center here in Dublin - they let you try out 5/6
    	 different whiskeys for comparsion purposes! It is advisable to
    	 phone to arrange times Phone 725566. 
    
                     

    
    Came back from Ireland alive and well! We had very nice holiday.
    Our route was Dublin-Galway-Westport-Kilbecs-Sligo-Buncrana-Derry-
    Belfast-Dublin. Best places (my opinion) were Connemara and Donegal
    areas. Also Cliffs Of Moher were great in co Clare. Derry was a bit
    scary with soldiers and police. Guinness was good and people were 
    friendly. Dublin is, I think, not so good than the countryside;
    like any other big city, but its pubs are still good.
    This was my second time in Ireland, but likely not the last.
    
    
    Hannu

	I recall a funny happening from my holiday. 

	We were speaking Finnish between our group when a tourist
	(I think he was American) said to us:
	
	"You are the first Gaelic-speaking people I have seen in
	 Dublin" !!

	You should have seen his face when we told we are from
	Finland!





	Hannu

>                 <<< Note 1081.13 by EEMELI::HRA47::Hautala >>>
>                       -< Finnish -sounds like Gaelic! >-


>	We were speaking Finnish between our group when a tourist
>	(I think he was American) said to us:
	
>	"You are the first Gaelic-speaking people I have seen in
>	 Dublin" !!

>	You should have seen his face when we told we are from
>	Finland!

This isn't as completely daft as it might first seem. I was talking
to a fluent native speaker of Scottish Gaelic last week who remarked
on how very close the accents of Gaelic speakers on Lewis is to the 
accents of Norway, many centuries after the Vikings left.

How close is the accent of Finnish to Norwegian? (I realise the two
languages are completely unrelated, but the accent may have travelled)

Craig

	re -1:

	Finnish language is not close to Norwegian. But what comes to
	Gaelic, we pronounce some letters similar way in Finnish.

	Hannu

    
    
    	Time has come this summer to go to Ireland for 3 rd time.
    	I have a question about "Ramblers Ticket" that should be
    	a bus ticket for three days travelling in Ireland. It is
    	valid for eight days and should cost 27 pounds. That's not
    	bad. Does anyone in this conference have experience about
    	this kind of travelling? Do the busses go *about* according
    	their timetables?
    
    	Now I have plans to see Dingle, Kilarney and of course again
    	Galway area.
    
    
    	Hannu
    
    	

Hannu,
>    	Time has come this summer to go to Ireland for 3 rd time.
My 3rd time, in a couple of weeks, for mee too

>    	bad. Does anyone in this conference have experience about
>    	this kind of travelling? Do the busses go *about* according
>    	their timetables?
no direct experience I went twice by my own car and I'm renting a car
this time... but from what I heard in this conference busses go according
*their* timetable, that is not *the* timetable ;)

Public transportation in Ireland seems to be very bad, and randomly scheduled,
but, again, this is not from direct experience but just from conference
rumors than could be a little exaggerated 8-0

Enjoy,
Mauro.

    
    Good to see ye comming back....
    
    Busses..talk to me about busses!!
    
    Actually to give them their dues usually the initial departure point
    has the stated departure time...If its to one of the major locations
    ie Cork, Limerick,Galway then you can expect to be there by the
    stated arrival time.
    
    If its to some of the smaller towns..you can expect to arrive near
    enough (+- one hour)
    
    If you are going to some village or West clare then forget the arrival
    time..check the date you will arrive..-). Be careful of
    connections. Places like Roscrea are a typical example. Bus stop is
    outside Meaghers pub with a number of connection busses stopping there.
    You can enter and ask for a timetable and you will definitely get one
    ok..ie "when is the bus for limerick going"?...
    
       Reply "you've time for a few ".....
    
    After a few you should ask again..If he starts talking about the B&B he
    has upstairs..you are in bad trouble...
    
    Hannu, 3 day ticket!..Good value but if you want to hit Kerry,Clare and
    galway you will be very tied to specific times..and spending alot of
    time On busses...hits some nice scenery though..especially the
    Dingle-Galway run.
    
    slainte,
    
    Mick
    
    

    
    re -few:
    
    Thanks for hints about travelling. I think our group (6) will be using
    bus AND something else, like rental car or bike. How about biking
    in Ireland? Maybe a bit dangerous, but it's up to you how dangerous
    it'll be. I think the traffic is reckless, but people are very
    flexible.
    
    
    Hannu
    

I wouldn't say that the traffic in Ireland is particularly reckless - in fact,
compared to the United States, I think drivers in Ireland are quite well
behaved and predictable.

My problem with bicycling any long distance in Ireland is that the roads are
often not in great condition, which wears down a cyclist's uh, er,
"constitution" rather quickly; and the weather can be very uncooperative
(I once bicycled fifteen miles in the rain on Cape Cod, Massachusets, and
would not want to repeat the performance); and finally the roads are narrow
and despite the drivers being nice and all, that can put the cyclist in some
danger at times.

Unless money is prohibitive, I would definitely go bar car most of the time!
The freedom, speed, and reliability are hard to beat.

-Jay

    RE:  .20  by KURIUS::LIBOVE 
    
    >My problem with bicycling any long distance in Ireland is that the
    
    The problem with bicycling ANY distance in Ireland is that it is always
    uphill with a headwind in the rain.  
    
    At least, that's been my experience.