Ireland Local Tips

As with any country, you may encounter less-than-decent food in Ireland. We recommend the Bridgestone Guide to Irish Food, which accepts no advertising or payment for entry.

Hotel prices in Ireland are usually per person with a single supplement fee. However, Ireland has seen an enormous boom in hotels that allow you to book by the room and fantastic deals can be had at most times of the year thanks to the increased competition. Good Hotel deals can often be found through the tourist board website.

If you want an automatic transmission, you’ll need to book well in advance as almost all cars available will be manual. And remember, drive on the left side of the road!

During high season, the best B&Bs book out as quick as the best hotels, so phone ahead. Most B&Bs are registered with and monitored by the Irish Tourism Board and can be contacted through their website.

Increasing numbers of Irish castles and manor houses can be rented either partly or wholly for family reunions, weddings, or by groups of friends. Renting a whole castle can seem expensive, but if split between 15-20 people the price compares well with other accommodation.

Festivals can book out an entire town’s accommodations, so make sure to check ahead before arriving – particularly in the summer months.

Ireland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and eight hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. It stays light until as late as 11pm in the summer and gets dark as early as 4pm in the winter.

The Republic of Ireland did not experience significant violence during “The Troubles” that plagued UK-governed Northern Ireland for the last 30 years of the 20th century. The Republic’s economy has gone through a “Celtic Tiger” boom in recent years. The country is no longer an emigrant nation but has a substantial immigrant population from Eastern Europe.

While Ireland does have its share of Michelin-starred restaurants, particularly in Dublin, don’t forget the enormous pleasure to be had in a simple bowl of chowder or mussels, or a half-dozen oysters served with a pint of stout (Guinness, Beamish, Murphys, or local brew). The key to Irish food is quality ingredients from meat to fish to veg. Irish soda bread and brown bread are justly famous, and the Irish breakfast (link sausages, bacon, egg, tomatoes and blood pudding), if done right, really will “set you up for the day.”

Many cruise ships visit Irish ports, calling in particular to Cobh in County Cork, but also to other coastal towns such as Waterford and Dublin.

Ireland was the first country in Europe to introduce a smoking ban that forbade smoking in pubs, restaurants, and enclosed public spaces like cinemas and theaters. The ban is generally adhered to and most people simply step outside. Many pubs have outdoor sections.

Irish people do drink a lot. Strict drunk driving laws and the smoking ban have curtailed pub visits somewhat, leading to more people drinking at home, but the pub remains the mainstay of social life, particularly in rural Ireland. If you want to meet Irish people, there’s no better place, but it is best not to linger in city centers after closing time.

Ireland is well known for its literature. Visit W.B. Yeats’ grave in Sligo, follow in the footsteps of Leopold Bloom (from James Joyce’s book Ulysses) on Bloomsday, June 16, visit Galway for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature in April (www.galwayartscentre.ie), or visit County Kerry for Listowel Writers Week at the end of May (www.writersweek.ie).

Virtually every weekend, particularly in the summer, you’ll find a music festival. Especially recommended is the Cork Jazz Festival at the end of October (www.corkjazzfestival.com). Smaller festivals include the Castlebar Blues Festival (www.castlebarblues.com), the Kilkenny Roots and Rhythm Festival (www.kilkennyroots.com), and the annual Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival (www.goingtomyhometown.com).