One or two night break in Ireland

**Lionel Ritchie** · 05/11/2007, 12:22 PM

Looking for something later this month. preferably within a couple of hours of Limerick city. I'm drawing something of a blank at the moment.

Ideas and suggestions welcome.

**pineapple stu** · 05/11/2007, 4:52 PM

Mediaeval banquent in Bunratty Castle is supposed to be good fun.

Good pubs in the area, Tim Severin's boat nearby, and it's Monday by then.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 05/11/2007, 6:16 PM

Thanks PS but, being on the north side of the city, Bunratty is a little TOO close. In fact in certain regular traffic conditions I can get to Bunratty castle faster than I can get to King Johns Castle in the city center.

thanks again though ...and yes I'm told the medieval banquets are quite a laugh provided you leave any overt sensetivities at the door and remember that what your witnessing is strictly for export.

**stann** · 05/11/2007, 9:29 PM

Kilkenny.
Nice town, always enjoy it there. Great hotels (pricey though), pubs, restaurants in the centre which is very compact. Castle very much worth a visit, as it Kytelers Pub which is partly medieval I seem to recall.
Nice feel to the place in general.

**endabob1** · 06/11/2007, 7:58 AM

Wesport is a nice wee town with a few local amenities & good pubs, a nice drive from Galway up through Connemara & the 12 pins, there's a good Adventure centre at Kilary if you fancy some outdoor stuff & Achill Island is close by & worth a visit.

**osarusan** · 06/11/2007, 8:03 AM

Originally Posted by endabob1

Wesport is a nice wee town with a few local amenities & good pubs, a nice drive from Galway up through Connemara & the 12 pins, there's a good Adventure centre at Kilary if you fancy some outdoor stuff & Achill Island is close by & worth a visit.

Seconded. A lovely town, and, as Endabob1 said, a nice drive through Connemara.

Have some friends from there, I used to go up there a lot, and I never got tired of seeing the place.

**Ash** · 06/11/2007, 10:19 AM

Ballyvaughan.
Nice place for a quiet break.

**pineapple stu** · 06/11/2007, 4:09 PM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Thanks PS but, being on the north side of the city, Bunratty is a little TOO close. In fact in certain regular traffic conditions I can get to Bunratty castle faster than I can get to King Johns Castle in the city center.

Fair enough! Suppose it is a bit close, that I think about it properly...

Puchan in the County Tipperary perhaps? On one of the lakes on the Shannon, traditional country cottages for rent, Shane McGowan's homeland and THE Paddy Kennedy's pub as mentioned in Christy Moore Live at Vicar Street when he gets scuttered with McGowan (Fairytale in New York).

**Lionel Ritchie** · 06/11/2007, 6:28 PM

Originally Posted by stann

Kilkenny.
Nice town, always enjoy it there. Great hotels (pricey though), pubs, restaurants in the centre which is very compact. Castle very much worth a visit, as it Kytelers Pub which is partly medieval I seem to recall.
Nice feel to the place in general.

Kilkenny is great but we were there not so long ago. good call though.

Originally Posted by Ash

Ballyvaughan.
Nice place for a quiet break.

Agreed. Though I even had my stag there and we'd a blast. Went back a couple of years ago for New years and the hotel was thrashed by a large group of ..erm ... northern reg brand new bora driving, sticky headed, stripey-shirt wearing twentysomethings and their tiara wearing 15 year old fianc�es.

Imagine a residents bar that had to close before 2AM on New Years.

Westport sounds good. my instinct is that it's a bit far but I'll check it out. Cheers.

**endabob1** · 07/11/2007, 11:56 AM

Honestly if you get a nice day the drive through Connemara is as nice a drive as you are likely to get. I took my South African wife & Mother in law that way last year and they were very impressed, normally nothing is as nice as Table Mountain or Cape Town but they were very taken with the rugged remote beauty of it all.