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Post Info TOPIC: Adare: Charming or Boring Area?


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Adare: Charming or Boring Area?


Michele and travellers to County Limerick:

Would Adare make a good 1st night stop after landing in Shannon airport? Jet-lagged family with eternally restless biologist husband and young adult daughters who will probably be so excited upon arrival they will get their "second wind" and want something to do? But I will probably just want to hide in a garden or conservatory and write in my journal, maybe a pub in the evening, and to bed.

So I'm wondering, is Adare a good 1st night stop? I also considered Bunratty, but it's only for 1 night and then we head for dingle. I think bunratty for only 1 night might be overwhelming with jet lag...

Glenelg House in Adare sounds perfect for me, but perhaps my daughters would be bored? Is there a lively pub in Adare?! I heard Adare is 3 cute thatched cottages and that's it! What is there to do within a short easy drive from Adare, for people with jet lag?

I considered Ennis, even though it's the wrong direction since we're headed for Dingle next. Ennis sounds like an interesting town, but the accomodations in town are probably too noisy to get enough sleep that first night.

Any advice?

Michele, can you believe it, I actually made a decision on dingle and e-mailed Heaton's! Now, watch my Irish luck, they will be full...I told them you recommended them. Many Irish blessings upon you for all the help you've given me in my trip-planning.

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Melissa,


Adare is a small town with a major road going through it so there is a lot of traffic on that road. At the time of year you will be there it will be very busy. Many tour buses stop for a quick photo op or to visit the heritage center. There is a row of flowery thatched cottages that I'm sure you have seen photographed in every book you have about Ireland. But there is also a lovely public park, pubs (some with trad music), restaurants, churches, abbeys, the beautiful grounds of Adare Manor, etc. I wouldn't call it an exciting town but your husband could certainly go for a walk in the park or in the grounds of Adare Manor (if they are allowing the public in). Nearby is Croom Mills and the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, both interesting in their own way. BTW, Glenelg is on a quiet road outside Adare so it will be very quiet. http://www.shannonregiontourism.ie/content.asp?id=229


On the other hand, Bunratty would offer your family the opportunity to visit the castle and folk park. You might even enjoy doing a banquet or Tradtional Irish Night for dinner. There are a few local pubs including Mac's (in the folk park), Durty Nelly's, The Creamery and  Kathleen's. Adare is a real town. Bunratty is a very small village with a collection of B&Bs, a couple of hotels, pubs, restaurants and shopping that grew up around the castle as the highlight. So Bunratty is actually smaller than Adare. Either is a good option for your first night. http://www.shannonregiontourism.ie/content.asp?id=37


I'm glad to hear that you have made your decision about Dingle. Hope you get in to Heaton's!


Michele


 



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"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

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Adare, Bunratty, or Ennis?


Michele, I have re-read your info on Adare and Bunratty until I've memorized it, I think! Thanks for the links too. Such an enticing glimpse of Adare they give with that little cottage pictured on the website...but they don't show all the traffic whizzing by! Also Bunratty appears much more charming than one would think, judging from the little photo on the web. All I hear about Bunratty is how touristy and crowded it is, but that photo called me right into Bunratty...love little village-type things.

Somebody made a good point...Disneyland is touristy and crowded so we shouldn't go there any more... ... wait a minute...Disneyland is seriously my favorite place on earth!!!

Yesterday I organized all my piles of papers on Ireland into neater files. But I still haven't chosen that B&B near Shannon airport for our first night.

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RE: Adare: Charming or Boring Area?


Melissa,


Just to clarify; the photo on the link for Bunratty is the street inside the folk park. There is an aerial view of Bunratty on this site: www.bunrattycastlehotel.com/ location.htm 


Michele



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"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

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RE: Bunratty photo


Michele, Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. Inside the folk park looks like the kind of place I would adore and hubby would tolerate for me! In return, I will tolerate something for him. It's a fair deal! (Hey I went to Costa Rica for him, a biologist's dream trip...but I got the bonus plan as I loved it too!) Ireland is for me and me daughters.

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RE: Adare: Charming or Boring Area?


Melissa,


At the end of that street inside the folk park is Mac's Pub. It really is a great, genuine Irish pub and your husband can enjoy that while you are looking for granny by the fireside. They have something for everyone there. Recently they have opened up even more houses and a church at the park.


Michele


 



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"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

Click links for Michele's Book or Custom Ireland Itinerary

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Thanks, Michele. Maybe I will find Granny in Mac's Pub!

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Melissa,


You could very well find granny (or granda) in Mac's! Also at certain times of the year they have people dressed in period costumes in Bunratty Folk Park. Too bad you won't be there for the Harvest Festival, as they have storytelling then in the park.


I think that finding granny will be serendipity. It may happen or it may not. You may find storytelling at the Ulster American Folk Park or the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. Also, at Muckross Traditional Farms each farm is hosted by the "woman of the house". As you enter she greets you and tells you about life in her house. She is also doing regular things like baking bread, sweeping the floor, churning milk and knitting by the fire...so who knows?


Also check out these links:


http://www.patspeight.com/
http://www.irishlifeandlore.com/
http://www.causeyexperience.com/
 
Michele
 
 

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"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

Click links for Michele's Book or Custom Ireland Itinerary

Visit Michele's Irish Shop for unique Irish gifts and beautiful photos of Ireland.



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Story-tellers


Oh Michele, thanks for the great links to story-telling and the farm where you can be Irish for the day! I feel like a kid at Christmas. Cannot quite get all the presents open fast enough. Pat Speight the storyteller has some stories you can hear but I was too dumb to get them to work yet, I will get my son to help. Exciting web-sites, Michele!

somebody else gave me a link for a story-teller in County Clare, so I have lots of exciting homework to do.

My daughters are both majoring in creative writing/English, did I tell you that?

Also the link to the Causey experience, where you get to do Irish traditional stuff for the day, sounds like great fun. I will look into that some more as it's between Belfast and dublin, conveient location. If the girls were younger I'd sign up in a minute. With them being young adults I will look into it further and see. Have you been to Causey? Apparently Ireland of the Welcomes magazine did a story on it but that link on the Causey web-site doesn't work on my computer, I might have to go to the magazine web-site to try to find that.

Many thanks! How do you say thank you in Gaelic? I must learn. You learn a little Gaelic at the Causey experience, I think that's great. I'm still hoping to learn a little Gaelic before I leave. When I run across proper Gaelic pronunciation in my travel research, I'm trying to pay attention. It's not easy! But fascinating.

Somehow we have gotten far off the original subject of Adare, although we are on the subject of "Charming" I would say! (the original title was Adare: Charming or Boring area". ONE thing leads to another.

Still trying to get my B&Bs lined up. I should start a new thread for story-telling, but not yet...got a wedding this week! (niece's wedding.)







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RE: Adare: Charming or Boring Area?


Melissa,


Glad you like the storytelling links. Have fun at the wedding.


You did not tell me that your daughters are majoring in creative writing/English. You must give them an assignment to read some Irish literature! Book reports required.


I haven't been to Causey yet but you can read a "trip report": http://www.backpacker.ie/article.php?id=312 It might be a bit too much to do with your Dublin itinerary.


You might have fun with this Irish/English site. It even has pronounciations you can listen to: http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/


http://www.englishirishdictionary.com/


Michele


 



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"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

Click links for Michele's Book or Custom Ireland Itinerary

Visit Michele's Irish Shop for unique Irish gifts and beautiful photos of Ireland.



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Learning Gaelic


Michele, I was thrilled to open the Irish/English site you provided the link to, and actually hear Gaelic and see it at the same time. Thank you! Learning a bit of a language before visiting the country greatly enhances one's visit. Gaelic is much harder for English speaker's to learn to pronounce than Spanish or Italian is to learn, for example. Just love that web-site!

I have less time than I wish for to work on Ireland but I'm still working! I mentioned younger daughter wants a wedding and I must counsel patience (she's a college student); well now older daughter is going through a painful break-up with boyfriend (Mr. Evil Rat) and needs support, and thanksgiving is coming too!

Learning Gaelic now seems like a nice, soothing past-time, very therapeutic!

Thanks very much. I look forward to exploring the other web-sites you gave above as well.

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RE: Adare: Charming or Boring Area?


Melissa,


You're welcome! I'm glad you are enjoying the Irish/Gaelic site. Where else can you find such arcane info? Only problem is that the language is pronounced nothing like the way it is written. What a challenge!


Michele



__________________

"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

Click links for Michele's Book or Custom Ireland Itinerary

Visit Michele's Irish Shop for unique Irish gifts and beautiful photos of Ireland.

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