April 26-27 Sun-Mon Stautons on The Green, Dublin 01-478-2300 Sun Bewleys for lunch 7-1am every day National Museum, Tara Broach, Cladah Challace etc. Sun 2-5, Mon shut Georgian Home at 29 Lower Fitzwilliam St - Sun 2-5, Mon shut St. Stephens Green open til dark Kilkenny St. - historic buildings Shelbourne Hotel, Grafton St - tea from 3pm Mon Trinity College - Book of Kells Sun 12-4:30, else 9:30 - 5 O'Connell Bridge Customs House Sun shut, Mon 11-1 & 2-4:45 St.Pat Cathderal Sun 10-3, Mon 9-6 Christchurch 10-5 daily Post Office Sun 10:30 - 6:30, Mon 8-8pm Dublin Castle Sun 2-5, Mon 10-12 & 2-5 St. Annes church and bookshops on Dawson Street Grafton & Nassau Streets, & Powerscourt Cntr shopping Sun shut, Mon 9-5 Dublin Evenings - Abby Theater 878-7222 / tickets at Brown Thomas & Switzer deptstores on Grafton - O'Donoghues Pub (top of Grafton to Merrion Row) music Food - Longfield's Hotel 9/10 Fitzwillaim St 01-761367 April 28 Tues Wellington Court Hotel, Trim 046-31516 Tues Malahide Castle tour 10:00-5 **** Four Knocks dolmen *** Newgrange tour 10:00-5 ***** Monsterboice high crosses Walk along Boyne River toward Slane 4 mi or road has access points Hill of Tara tour 9:30-5 Bective Abby Trim Castle 10:00-6 Trim Evening - 8 mi west to gailtacht Rathcairn for music - check Food - O'Cs recommend Boyne Vallye Inn, Drogheda April 29-30 Wed-Thurs Old Rectory Country House, Wicklow 0404-67048 Wed Robertstown - canal walk *** Hill of Allen walk & view 30 mins Kildare - drive through & canal walk ### AVOID CURRAGH - TRUCK TRAFFIC CONGESTION ### Russborough House, Blessington 10:30-5:30 *** Any Powerscourt gardens 9:30-5:30 **** waterfall 9:30-7:00 good tea room per O'C s Glendalough tour & walk 10:00-5:00 ***** Glen of Avoca & Avoca Hand Weavers *** scenic Wicklow Way & Military Road **** Sally Gap Rd. near Laragh - falls of Glenmacnass Vale of Clara scenic walk Devil's Glen walks along Varty River near Ashford Avondale Parnell House, Rathdrum shopping Food - Hunter's Hotel, Rathnew 0404 40106 Old Rectory Country House Tinakilly House, Rathnew Fri travel Wicklow Mtns to Kilkenny via scenic drive through Ferns, Bunclody, Gragenmanugh Kilkenny: Castle tour 10:00-5 Rothe House tour, High St. 10:30-5 Irish Design Center shopping Kytelers Inn historic & food 10:30-11pm Kilkenny Design Center 9:00-6 1st rate shops, food Archetecture between St. Canice & Butler Castle Walking tours from Shee Alms House on High St Butter Slip to Kyteler's Inn Jerpoint Abby key from Mrs Wallace house next door Thomastown, Inistoge, Gragenmanaugh Scenic from Jerpoint to Carrick on Suir Carrick on Suir - Tipperary Crystal 3mi on N24 Fri evening - visit cousins May 1 Fri O'Grady's Guesthouse, Waterford 051-78851 Sat Waterford Crystal 8:30-3:15 Reginald's Tower in Waterford 10:00-6:00 Sat travel Coast via Dungarven to Cappoquin Annestown ( galtacht) Lismore area ruins Lismore Heritage Center - multi media show 9:30-5:30 ***** Lismore butcher's shop has original oil paintings by one of the butchers Walks in the mountains Cappoquin ***** Walk in the moutains May 2-3 Sat-Sun Richmond House, Cappoquin 058-54278 Sun The Vee road R668 from Lismore toward Clogheen Michaelstown Caves Rock of Cashel tour 9:30-4:30 Glen of Aherlow drive Cahir Castle / Swiss Cottage tours 10:00-6:00 Nire Valley R671 scenic to Clonmel which becomes circular Munster Way scenic drive **** in Clonmel look for old city walls tippary Crystal, near Clonmel 9:30-5:30 Walk in the moutains Fermoy - Blackwater River tumbles over old weir Mon travel Scenic secondary road south to Cobh visitor center 'Queenstown Story' in Victorian Rail Station which is tourist center Grand Parade, Cork City - Patrick St. view to sea Kinsale shopping & lunch Walk in Goouganne Barra forest lake park May 4 Mon Gouganne Barra Hotel, Ballingeary Tues Bantry Bay & House tour & shoppe ***** Bantry - Ballylicky north to Keakill Ring of Beara - Dunboy Castle & Healy Pass **** to Kenmare Kenmare shopping Quin's Woolin Mills & others Lunch Great Southern Hotel 2mi so at Parknasila at Sneem take road to Glenbeigh and into Tralee Walk May 5-8 Tues-Fri Ballyseede Castle Hotel, Tralee 066-25799 Any Dingle - Ecology & History Tour Ogham stones at Ballintaggart Dunbeg stone fort beach at Inch Gallarus Oratory Dingle town - lunch at Doyles Slea Head views Connor Pass N. toward Kilcummin & beach at Castlegregory Killarney - Ecology & History Tour visitor's center at Muckross House 9:00-6:00 good cafeteria has take out Muckross Abby 9:00-5:30 Torc Waterfall 9:00-5:30 Ross Castle Lough Leane boat trips from Ross Castle 1 hr 10:30-4:45 Gap of Dunloe - right fr N at Molls Gap - sign for Sneem is wrong way Ladies View of lakes Great Southern Hotel for high tea, Killarney 3:00-5:30 St. Mary's Cathedral for windows 9:00-9:00 shopping Iveragh Penninsula & Migillacuddy Reeks Ecology tour - Glenbeigh town - shopping Caragh Lake Valentia Island & Skellig Experience Heritage Center at Waterville take drive to Tralee via Magillicuddy Reeks Mtns **** do Ecotour Staigue Fort at Caherdaniel Derrynane National Historic Park & O'Connell house Tralee - Denny St. houses any evening Siamsa Tire theater, Tralee Food - Ballyseede Castle, Tralee Cahernane Hotel, Killarney 064-31895 Sat to Clifden via Dromcolliher Dresden Factory Adare Village other possible stops en route ( also see area list) Cratloe Woods House, Limerick King John's Castle, Limerick Parkview Lace Room at Convent of the Good Shephard, Limerick Salmon Weir Bridge at river out of Lough Corrib Galway near Cathedral of St. Nick & Our Lady - Galway Lynch's Castle finest medeval house in Eire - Galway Galway - farmers market w/ Musicians Sat only Food - Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare 061-396209 May 9-12 Sat-Tues Abbyglen Castle, Clifden 095-21201 Connemara area Kylemore Abby **** Louisburgh, Granuaile visitor center Westport House tour ***** Westport shopping, eats, music *** Carriggahowley (Rockfleet) Castle *** *** Achill Island scenic Drive *** Oughterand - resort lake area Boat ride to Ashford Castle from Oughterand ***** Ashford Castle food & tour ***** Roundstone and villages south *** Clifden music & shopping - O'Grady's Pub - Sky Road Maam Cross tea at Ballynahinch Castle Iveran town - Gaeltacht Galway area Spiddal just w of Galway- craft center & coffee shop Lynch's Castle River & lake cruises - Corrib Princes of Aran Ferries, Woodquay 2:30 & 4:30 90 mins Ferry to Aran Islands - all day Salmon Weir Bridge at river out of Lough Corrib Galway near Cathedral of St. Nick & Our Lady Lynch's Castle finest medeval house in Eire Food Ballynahinch Castle, Recess 095-31006/31086 Cashel House House Hotel, Cashel Sweeney's Oughterand House, Oughterand 091-82207 Zetland House Hotel, Cashel Bay 095-31111 Wed travel Clifden to Athlone via Bullaun for Turoe Stone Atheny - old walled town Athlone Castle Athlone - Connell's shoppe 2blks E Prince of wales Hotel Boat from Athlone to Clonmacnois 10-6 **** West Offaly Railway bog train tour at Shannonbridge 10-5 Grand Canal walk at Tullamore May 13 Wed Moorhill Country House Hotel,Tullamore 0506-21395 Thur Rock of Dunamase *** Tullamore - Charleyville Castle by appt best gothic revival in Eire Tullamore - Irish Mist tour / tasting ?? Sleive Bloom Mountains Scenic drive and **** intepretive center Birr Castle gardens Banagher shopping goods & food Killaloe town , church and boat excursion **** Castleconnel town May 14-16 Thur-Sat Ballinalacken Castle Hotel, Lisdoonvarna 065-74025 Burren Dunquaire Castle at Kinvarra 15 min tour 9:30 - 5:00 Ballyvaughn town strolling & shopping Cliffs of Mohr between Liscannor & Doolin ***** ***** visitor center 9:30-6 Burren interpretive center, Kilfenora 9:30-6 ***** botanic walk in the Burren Ailwee caves 10:00-6 Boat from Doolin to Aran Island 1/2 day *** Ennistymon - River Cullenagh tumbles Kanppogue Castle tour 9:30-4:30 **** Cragenowen Heritage Park 10:00-6 **** Bunratty Park 9:30-5:30 ****** Clare Glens -waterfalls of Clare River 13 mi E of Limerick Limerick King John's Castle 9:30 - 5:30 and pub across street per O'Cs Cratloe Woods House ( Irish Longhouse) M-Sat 12-6 June/Sept and cascading waterfalls along river walk in forest Limerick Lace at Convent of Good Shephard 10:00-4:40 Hunt Museum -collection of Irish art 9:30-5:30 & antiquities @ Limerick University last in at 4:00 St. Mary's - windows per Mom O'C 9:30-12:45 and 2:30-05:00 any evening - music pub at Doolin **** Sat evening - Kanppogue Castle banquet ***** Food - Gregan's Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughn 065-77005 BOOKS & MAPS to Guide: Patrick Macheys ' A City & Country Guide to Kilkenny' Tom Robinson's Maps all SHOPPING : Ashford Castle for Dad 2Xlt long sleeve polo green & blue castle tie Rock of Cashel shoppe - O'Connell stickers from Dublin phone Mullingar Pewter, Peter re Ardah Chalace how much w/ shipping Mom - NO sweaters