Ireland (fit in, new house, job market)

[pigeonhole]

I've heard the weather is dreadful and the sea is too cold for bathing...

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by pigeonhole

I've heard the weather is dreadful and the sea is too cold for bathing...

Yes, but you don't go to Ireland to get a suntan and wear a bikini. That's what Spain is for!

[northsider]

Originally Posted by clongirl

Yes, but you don't go to Ireland to get a suntan and wear a bikini. That's what Spain is for!

Ohh I don't know. I live in Dublin and the beaches along much of the East coast can be quite eye opening. The Silver Strand at Portmarnock on a fine day comes to mind.

Oh and yes the sea does get warm enough to swim.... though I wouldn't recommend it before June.

[clongirl]

Sure. I'll help you spread the word.."Ireland..the new Hawaii".

I used to live about a mile from Inchidoney down in West Cork..I can really only recall great sunny warm beach weather about 5-10 times a year...Never in stretches though. Some years maybe 3 days of gorgeous weather. Of course, those are the days you remember the most! The water wasn't too bad for the most part but you wouldn't tell someone contemplating a visit that this is like Tahiti or anything.

[dwayneshintzy]

Westport in County Mayo is a great town.

Go there.

[Trallala]

If you're going in July, then the waters will still be cold but not so bad that you won't adjust to it! I went in July a few years ago and swam in one of the many beautiful rivers (the Boine River if I remember correctly) It was so crisp and wonderful and you didn't have to worry about snakes, haha! But I would recommend also checking out Drogheda and the adjoining areas. It is a beautiful area, although the castles now are more like extravagant mansions only... so, not really that impressive. Also, check out Northern Ireland. It was so wonderful up there with great hills and views. I spent a week and a half in Ireland and loved every single minute of it... but I was also lucky enough to have a native that showed me the country Enjoy and take TONS of pictures and videos!!!!!!!! The rain will not ruin your trek!

[irishsheila]

i live beside dublin and think you should definitely do the walking tour of Dublin or the bus tour. the bus tour is hop on and off. if you are looking for hospitality in the people my advice would be to leave the big towns. in the smaller villages everyone knows everyone and they are always happy to help and see new people!!!! go to trim in county meath there is a wonderful castle that was used in the filming of Braveheart. just a lovely town on the banks of a river. a great way to spend an afternoon. by the way just always be prepared with a light coat even if the sun is shining when you get out of bed in the morning!!!!!

[j_k_k]

I had an advantage in Ireland having attended college in Seattle, where I was used to wind and rain, and to the fine art of subtly shifting the direction of my umbrella to keep it from being destroyed. In Ireland, the rain comes down like a great big lash of water: slap, slap, slap. It hits with physical force and you need a very sturdy umbrella to stand up to it. When I was there it reached flood proportions. I felt really badly for the people; we were staying in Drumcondra (northern part of Dublin), and meant to walk downtown, and found ourselves gazing at a watercourse that was in people's apartments and up to the steering wheels of their parked cars. The Irish military was there, along with Knights of Malta in grey berets.

Ireland was fun because it really didn't matter where one went--there were adventures to have, things to see, people to meet; fógras to read and pints to down.

[varduren]

Originally Posted by Potter82

Can anyone suggest some things to do off the beaten path? I am going at the end of July and will be spending some time in Dublin as well as travelling around the country to see places that have not been decided yet.

try spending some time in cork, more the surrounds than the city centre..there's some pretty surprising scenery if you just walk around there. tho, the same can be said for ireland in general. if you have some time, try going into northern ireland, especially the coastline and places like port-thrush; port stewart and such like places...they're really pretty

[cdmurphy]

Galway was one of my favorite places in Ireland. It is a lovely and vibrant town.