ratula
Registered User
Posts: 16
(3/4/04 10:40 pm)

Weekend trips from Galway?

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Hi folks,

My 8 month trip to Ireland is coming up, and I have decided to settle in Galway to work. I'm hoping to get in some weekend excursions when I can. Any suggestions? I'll be bussing everywhere, unless I meet someone with a car who might be willing to show me around. Thanks for all the tips!

Rat

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 2241
(3/5/04 1:58 am)

Re: Weekend trips from Galway?

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Hi Ratula,

How great! When are you leaving? You will enjoy Galway and meet people from all over the world there. And I wouldn't be surprised if you make many friends and get to tour around quite a bit in their cars.

I'll start you out with a few suggestions and let everyone else jump in too:

Connemara
West Clare & Loop Head
Achill Island (on a good day it is heavenly and far, far from the madding crowd)
Sligo (an often overlooked corner of Ireland that has some fabulous scenery and history)
Central Ireland: Birr, Strokestown Park House & Famine Museum, Belvedere House & Gardens
Northern Ireland (for a long, long weekend)

I may be repeating some you have already seen. Just cross those out. Please keep in touch when you can from Galway. Perhaps some of us on the forum will actually get to meet you there. Wouldn't that be fun?

Michele

ratula
Registered User
Posts: 17
(3/5/04 8:52 am)

Re: Weekend trips from Galway?

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Hi Michele,

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't been to the majority of the places you mentioned, other than Northern Ireland. And I definitely would like to go back to N. Ireland, anyways!

I leave May 6th from Edmonton, and will be arriving in Dublin in the afternoon of the 7th. I can't wait! I will keep in touch with you all, and if any of you are planning to come out to Galway over the summer or fall, drop me an email: europe03@hotmail.com. It would be great to meet some of you. Michele, are you planning to visit Ireland this year?

Thanks again!

Rat

Anita
Unregistered User
(3/5/04 12:54 pm)
 
Take me with you!!

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I'm so envious! I was hoping to get to Scotland this year, but at this point it doesn't look like it will happen due to other things that are going on. You will love Galway. There is a lot to see and do from there. You could spend a weekend on the Aran islands, or how about popping over to Athlone which is the closest town to Clonmacnoise. There is also a popular lake in the same area if you want to do some fishing. I"m told Lisdoonvarna is one of the best places to hear traditional music. You could easily make it to Kilkenny by train to spend the weekend. Do keep posting here as you will have much more time to discover little off-th-beaten-track treasures that the rest of us might otherwise pass by.

ratula
Registered User
Posts: 18
(3/5/04 9:18 pm)

Re: Take me with you!!

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Thanks for the tips, Anita! I totally forgot about Lisdoonvarna. I had been wanting to go there last year, but never made it because my trip got cut short. I've already been to Kilkenny, but would like to go back. It's nice to know that these places are doable for weekend excursions.

Rat

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 2248
(3/6/04 2:30 am)

Re: Take me with you!!

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Hi Ratula,

I will be in Ireland twice while you are there. If I am in the Galway area I will definitely email you. We should at least get together for a Smithwicks!

Michele