I found out I am Irish

[CovidinPrimary]

Doing a bit of digging into my family tree, my dads grandfather and grandmother where both born in Ireland. My dad had zero clue as didn’t meet either, his dad was the last child of 12, and a late addition, so my father also didn’t get to know his uncles or aunties.

Both of my fathers GPs are from county Tipperary, I am so intrigued about it all, and more than anything I would LOVE to visit.

Obviously covid is a thing, but how do I find a cheap ferry that allows dogs for next summer, I have googled tonnes and a family car plus a dog is setting me back more than a weeks holiday to Spain all inclusive 😳 nor found anything cheaper than £250 ish each way!

What am I doing wrong

That’s not a bad price all said. You might get down a bit further for an overnight boat if you don’t want a bed.

We just paid about £450 return with cabin and dog both ways overnight between Belfast and Liverpool.

I can’t believe it’s so expensive! There is only 3 of us. I have the option to leave the dog with friends for free but really don’t want to.

We can fly for about £21 return plus hand luggage!

I’d be seeing if I could get a passport!

Don't forget you will need rabies vaccine, an animal health certificate and tapeworm treatment certified by a vet to enter Ireland.

@superram

I’d be seeing if I could get a passport!

great-grandparents are a generation too far back unfortunately

@CovidinPrimary

I can’t believe it’s so expensive! There is only 3 of us. I have the option to leave the dog with friends for free but really don’t want to.

We can fly for about £21 return plus hand luggage!

So fly? But that’s presumably to Dublin, Cork or Shannon, and lands you a fair way from Tipp with no transport — unless you fly and then rent a car.

It’s not expensive at all. We’ve certainly often paid far more to cross Holyhead/Dublin.

Bringing a dog from England to Ireland is very difficult now.
Read up on the rules. There are many requirements and no deviating from them.

May have to leave doggie. Depending what part of Tipp ...Shannon or Cork would be closer.

You can convert Tesco vouchers to help pay for the ferry.

Taking the dog will considerably bump up the price, as a pp said you will need rabies and tapeworm vaccinations and a microchip. Leave the dog at home and fly!

Looks like dog is staying home!

If we fly we are either going to rent a car OR hire a campervan - I much prefer the campervan option because I want to really explore!

I plan on visiting the parishes where both my grandparents lived as the scanned records are incomplete and I can’t go further back than my great great grandparents. I have an unusual surname for both Ireland and the uk so really interested in my heritage (there is indication of some tie to Italy too!)

Campervan rental advice and Irish genealogical advise much appreciated

Sounds like it will be an interesting trip.

Rail sail is like 50£ - I always go train and ferry then hire a car other side - I find it cheaper tbh - bringing car on the ferry is where the price jumps up.

If there's Irish and Italian then you absolutely must visit some of the best traditional chippers😁

Contact the parishes well in advance of your visit to see if they are available to meet with you about records.

The local libraries might be able to help too.

The original census returns for 1861 and 1871 were destroyed shortly after the censuses were taken.

Other records were pulped during WWI because of a paper shortage. Other records were destroyed when the Customs House in Dublin went on fire.

From my own experince I would say to bare in mind some dates will be hazey, I presume to cover up out of wedlock pregnancies.

I was flying between Brum and Shannon regularly for years once my parents moved back. I have used Bus Eirreán a few times to get from Shannon to what was then my parents' house near Tipp Town so it IS sort of doable without a car but only if you've no children....nor dogs and are going to a destination not far off the bus route! It's a bit of a slog and you have to wait up to an hour at Limerick Bus Station for your connecting bus, which ain't great as it's not a comfy place, lol. Once I had a child, I stuck to flying and hiring a car or getting a taxi-BOTH VERY EXEPNSIVE!
I live in Ireland now and the very idea of the journey between here and Britain exhausts me! People sometimes underestimate how much of a slog and expense it can be!

motorhomecraic is a nice forum if you want to get advice about places to stay, and where to rent a van.