The Rough Guide to Ireland

by Rough Guides, Margaret Greenwood, Geoff Wallis

INTRODUCTION Landscape and people are what bring most visitors to Ireland – the Republic and the North. And once there, few are disappointed by the reality of the stock Irish the green, rain-hazed loughs and wild, bluff coastlines, the inspired talent for talk and conversation, the easy pace and rhythms of life. What is perhaps more of a surprise is how much variety this very small land packs into its countryside. The limestone terraces of the stark, eerie Burren seem separated from the fertile farmlands of Tipperary by hundreds rather than tens of miles, and the primitive beauty of the west coast, with its cliffs, coves and strands, seems to belong in another country altogether from the rolling plains of the central cattle-rearing counties. It’s a place to explore slowly, roaming through agricultural landscapes scattered with farmhouses, or along the endlessly indented coastline. Spectacular seascapes unfold from rocky headlands, and the crash of the sea against the cliffs and myriad islands is often the only sound. It is perfect if you want space to walk, bike or (with a bit of bravado) swim; if you want to fish, sail, or spend a week on inland waterways. In town, too, the pleasures are evenings over a Guinness or two in the snug of a pub, listening to the chat around a blood-orange turf fire. But there is another Ireland growing at a phenomenal pace alongside all of this. The extraordinary economic boom enjoyed by the Republic since the early 1990s has brought growth on an unprecedented scale. A country notoriously blighted by emigration is, at last, drawing people home with the lure of work. The conspicuous new wealth of many makes itself felt in every quarter of Irish life, but most especially in cities like Dublin and Galway where a proliferation of new bars, cafés and restaurants reveals a generation determined to enjoy life to the full. The cosmopolitan flavour of these cities is informed, in part, by the complex array of experiences brought home by returning ex-pats, more familiar with the ways of Melbourne and San Francisco, London and New York, than with those of the Aran Islands. The boom has its downsides – notably, spiralling property prices and the tensions brought about by increased immigration – but as a visitor you’ll probably be most struck by the t! remendous energy and palpable sense of confidence in the future, most especially in the young. To act as a backdrop, there’s a wealth of history. In every part of the island are traces of a culture established long before the coming of sites such as Newgrange in County Meath or the clifftop fortress of Dun Aengus on Inishmore (the biggest of the Aran Islands) are among the most stupendous Neolithic remains in Europe, while in some areas of Sligo almost every hill is capped by an ancient cairn. In the depths of the so-called Dark Ages the Christian communities of Ireland were great centres of learning, and the ruins of Clonmacnois in County Offaly, the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary and a score of other monasteries are evocative of a time when Ireland won its reputation as a land of saints and scholars. Fortifications raised by the chieftains of the Celtic clans and the Anglo-Norman barons bear witness to a period of later turbulence, while the Ascendancy of the Protestant settlers has left its mark in the form of vast mansions and estates. But the richness of Irish culture is not a matter of monuments. Especially in the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas, you’ll be aware of the strength and continuity of the island’s oral and musical traditions. Myth-making is for the Irish people their most ancient and fascinating entertainment. The ancient classics are full of extraordinary stories – Cuchulainn the unbeatable hero in war, Medb the insatiable heroine in bed, or Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn Mac Cool) chasing Diarmuid and Gráinne up and down the country – and tall tales, superstition-stirring and "mouthing off" (boasting) play as large a part in day-to-day life as they did in the era of the Tain Bo Cuailngè, Europe’s oldest vernacular epic. As a guileless foreigner enquiring about anything from a beautiful lake to a pound of butter, you’re ideally placed to trigger the most colourful responses. And the speech of the country – moulded by the rhythms of the ancient tongue – has fired such twentieth-century greats as Yeats,! Joyce and Beckett. Music has always been at the centre of Irish community life. You’ll find traditional music sessions all around the touristed coasts and in the cities, too – some of it might be of dubious pedigree, but the Gaeltacht areas, and others, can be counted on to provide authentic renditions. Side by side with the traditional circuit is a strong rock scene, that has spawned Van Morrison, U2, Sinead O’Connor and more recently The Divine Comedy and Jack Lukeman. And ever-present are the balladeers, fathoming and feeding the old Irish dreams of courting, emigrating and striking it lucky; there’s hardly a dry eye in the hou...

Genres: Travel, Reference, Nonfiction, Ireland

784 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1994

About the author

Founded in 1982, Rough Guides Ltd is a British publisher of print and digital guide book, phrasebooks and inspirational travel reference books, and a provider of personalised trips. Since November 2017, Rough Guides has been owned by APA Publications UK Ltd, the parent company of Insight Guides.
With the company's personalised trip service encompassing over eighty destinations, and 200 guidebooks covering 180 destinations, Rough Guides is a multi-faceted travel platform, with global sales of 100 million guidebooks since their inception.

Reviews

[Jack Hrkach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very briefly, Rough Guides remain for me the best guides - detailed, opinionated, well-written - whenever I'm about to go abroad (I leave for Ireland in mid-May) I consult this series - check it out!

[Richard Newbold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buying a superseded Rough Guide (for next to nothing) should always be done with an awareness of its limitations, particularly as regards accommodation. That said a lot of the recommended hotels, hostels and B&Bs listed in the 2003 guide I acquired seemed to have survived the tumultuous economic times of the last decade, if their internet presence in 2018 is anything to go by. So, recommended, but check for up-to-dateness.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am using a digital guide to assist in planning our trip from my local library. What is strange is it is a 2008 guide- back when the rough guides were quite cheeky. It is still surprisingly reliable, although food and lodging are a bit spotty( but also un-necessary). The first digital Ireland travel guide I borrowed was from 2024 but AI generated and completely useless with 84 pages of general travel tips and no specifics.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book I ultimately chose to accompany me on my travels. What decided it for me was this book, unlike the others I researched pre-trip, included a town I stayed in that wasn't in any of the other books. For including less touristy and more off the beaten path locales, this one gets a full five stars from me.

[Johnida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Rough Guide was very good at pointing out sites to visit, in chapters grouped by region. In particular, it had handy route descriptions, such as for following the Ring of Kerry from one end to the other, and typically included good recommendations for accommodations and pubs. In particular, we found my favorite B&B of the trip - The Bastion in Athlone - using this Rough Guide.

Like any travel guide, while it hits many of the high points, it often results in your trip crossing paths with everyone else who has the same guide. In addition, you are left to discover many of the off-the-beaten-path attractions on your own, which is actually not a bad way to go either. Regardless, it's a good jumping off point for starting your explorations.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the three best Irish travel guides I've consulted. (The others being Fodor's Ireland 2009 and Moon Ireland.) Easy to use, it includes more maps than some. A nice blend of history and current information.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good tips

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard travel guide. Straight-forward information, text-heavy, as helpful as expected.

[Therese Gilardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

i use the rough guides all the time - great splash of local color

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

GETTING READY FOR IRELAND!!!

[Steve Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a Best of the Best for the month of November 2018, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet. http://forums.delphiforums.com/stevo1...

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kan niet wachten om te vertrekken!