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The Rough Guide to Ireland

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Discover this evergreen destination with the most incisive and entertaining guidebook on the market. Whether you plan to ride the length of the wonderful Wild Atlantic Way, take a foodie tour of the southwest or discover a city reborn in Belfast, The Rough Guide to Ireland will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way.

- Independent, trusted reviews written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, to help you get the most out of your visit, with options to suit every budget.

- Full-colour maps throughout- navigate the backstreets of Dublin's Temple Bar or Derry's famous city walls without needing to get online.

- Stunning images - a rich collection of inspiring colour photography.

-Things not to miss - Rough Guides' rundown of Ireland's best sights and experiences.

- Itineraries- carefully planned routes to help you organize your trip.

-Detailed regional coverage- whether off the beaten track or in more mainstream tourist destinations, this travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way. Areas covered (all Ireland's counties) Dublin; the Midlands; Cavan; Mayo; Galway; Clare; Limerick; Kerry; Cork; Kilkenny; Kildare; Meath; Belfast; Antrim and Derry.

Attractions The Giant's Causeway; Dublin's Trinity College; Titanic Belfast; the Wild Atlantic Way; Bruna Boinne; Skellig Michael; Kylemore Abbey; Bantry House; the Burren and Croagh Patrick.



-Basics- essential pre-departure practical information including getting there, local transport, accommodation, food and drink, health, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, the media and more.

-Background information - a Contexts chapter devoted to history, traditional music and literature,plus a handy language section and glossary.



Make the Most of Your Time on Earth with The Rough Guide to Ireland.

1203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1994

88 people are currently reading
81 people want to read

About the author

Rough Guides

1,325 books36 followers
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.

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5 stars
37 (25%)
4 stars
65 (43%)
3 stars
40 (27%)
2 stars
5 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Jack Hrkach.
376 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2014
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!
Profile Image for Richard Newbold.
133 reviews2 followers
May 28, 2018
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.
Profile Image for Donna.
347 reviews8 followers
August 31, 2025
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.
Profile Image for Manda.
338 reviews10 followers
November 8, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Johnida.
89 reviews
February 24, 2008
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.
Profile Image for Cris.
1,461 reviews
April 19, 2009
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.
Profile Image for Joel.
174 reviews24 followers
September 13, 2010
Pretty standard travel guide. Straight-forward information, text-heavy, as helpful as expected.
Profile Image for Therese Gilardi.
Author 11 books19 followers
May 1, 2011
i use the rough guides all the time - great splash of local color
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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