DH is 50 this year, and wants a holiday in Ireland to celebrate. Care to help?

[Desiderata]

I've been to Dublin and surrounding bits, but that's about it. We'll hire a car, so distance is no object .. but I'd really like your help with places to visit and places to stay.

We love scenery, history, and all the usuals. Tell me the places you absolutely love, and we'll build our trip around it!

Fota Island is supposed to be amazing

Have used it for clients and they love it. I have actually won a weekend there - need to get round to sing it.

Thanks, DrN. I'll make some enquiries, although I suspect it might be a little out my price range!

You won a weekend away

Yes - a perk of my job! Dh and I are off to London next weekend 2 nights in a top hotel, dinner and tickets to see Joseph! All courtesy of my job!!!

Can't really help with any other Ireland ideas though - have only ever been to Dublin.

Hope someone coems along with some good ideas

Desi have a look suggestions by our tour guide Tnog
this thread might give you some ideas.

This is Dustin, it is a pisstake on all the rubbish coming out of Eatern Europe.Stick with it, it is quite catchy.

if it is deluxe you are\ after i recommend here.it is in Kerry and the scenery is breathtaking. Kenmare town has lots of fabby restaurants.

wow sounds liek a fab present

try the celtic ross hotel in rosscarberry, very southwest, would need to fly to cork airport.
some fantastic places around here, skibereen has some great restaurants, lots of golf courses if your into that, right near the coast for beach.

Places like baltimore are alos great for going to visit, very picturesque
and traditional irish places

visiting sherkin island is also a must, very pretty and peaceful

bantry is also lovely, can look round bantry bay and has some great shops

you try here for interesting places to stay owned by the landmark trust

Big thanks, ladies. I can start pencilling in the itinerary with what you've given me so far

Try counties like offaly and Tipp, mayo and sligo - all great counties for the 'Real Ireland' experience, lots of castles and ruins too.

Birr in Co.Offaly is a lovely georgian town

Achill Island

Visit lissadel House in Sligo - Isle of Innisfree - Yeats -Maud Gonne

County Donegal has some wonderful parts including beautiful coastline and ancient sites, also you can sail to Tory Island, which is very interesting. When I first went there I sailed into Dublin and went north, visiting amazing places such as Newgrange and Monasterboice (beautiful high crosses) and then going through Northern Ireland. You could make a detour along the Antrim coast and visit the Giant's Causeway. South of Dublin are the Wicklow Mountains, which are beautiful, with James Joyce's birthplce on the way (forgotten what it's called), then Glendalough, with its amazingly interesting religious site including a round tower. The Dingle peninsula is very interesting, with a beautiful coastline & lots of ancient beehive huts, and Dingle town was really nice (not been there for years, mind). Aran Islands fascinating, also Co Clare, with the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren (limestone pavement) - wonderful wild flowers in early summer. County Mayo very attractive; once cycled to Achill Island in a gale, but it poured with rain the next day so we left without seeing it and put our bikes on the bus! Westport an attractive old town. A beautiful country that I love, although there are lots of awful bungaloid villas springing up everywhere, particularly along the coastal belts.

Check out my thread on this very subject a few months ago

Ahh, this is great, girls. Just what I wanted.

Thanks for all your contributions. I'll try and fit as many places as possible into it ... can't wait