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"People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors."
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So, it's a joke, now we can proceed to the important elements - such as... First off, getting to Ireland. As most will already know, the weather always plays a part. The tourist season runs (more or less) from the first of June to the first of September. Yes, that would be the time you will spend the most money. We hear the weather is slowly getting warmer so perhaps you can take the chance. We did - in May. We hear it usually works well. Do not write and tell us your weather was bad if you do the same (unless it makes for a good story). Aer Lingus has many excellent offers for air travel to Ireland. These all tend to be very much off-season. Look into these first. Of course, with all the air travel fears and tribulations, all the airlines are doing better in their pricing. When we went last, Expedia, sadly, didn't exist. I'm sure we would have saved quite a bit. But it does now so you can take advantage. 
The internet's award winning as well as leading travel agency offers you the opportunity to find the right flight at the right price! Click for Top Travel Deals at Expedia.comThat said, if you go your own way you pay a premium for that. To avoid that higher price: Look into a package; an Ireland vacation from any number of Irish (or not Irish) Travel Tour groups. You should not expect they are as they used to be. (You know what I mean, "everyone back on the bus, we have to be in Adare in a quarter hour".) Most are simply collected to encourage full planes, Rental Car Agencies and B & B's. The important bit is the price. The cost includes the air fare and is often less than booking just a flight yourself. Hard to argue about. Where to Stay As out of place as this may seem. we were approached to make mention of a hotel not in Ireland. Still, the Irish connections are numerous. In Irish, Dubh Linn means Black Pool and refers to the River Liffey which flows through the city. Interestingly, Blackpool, the popular resort town located on the Irish Sea in Lancashire, England is believed to get its name from a long gone drainage channel which ran over a peat bog. The water which ran into the sea at Blackpool was black from the peat and formed a "black pool".  Coincidentally, Bridget's Dublin-born mother who emigrated to England loved going to Blackpool "to see the lights." Now world-famous, millions of people flock to the city to view the illuminations which are staged every year for a period of 66 nights and switched on at the end of August or beginning of September.She was too young to accompany her parents, but remembers her mum talking about the lovely hotel they stayed in, right on the promenade overlooking the irish Sea. There's only one that fits that description and that's the Grand Metropole. You can find out more about it here: hotels in blackpool . Other accomodation options Such as? Well, B&B's, hostels and self-catering cottages make up a good set of choices. As we continue to find good opportunities we will list them here. First off:  Peaceful CottageThis family-owned and managed self-catering cottage is perfect for families with children and couples young and old who want to experience authentic Irish living. Located in a tranquil setting it's also close to all the best attractions the west of Ireland has to offer. For more details, please click Peaceful Cottage.  A Taste of Ireland in Vancouver, BCPerhaps the next best thing to a holiday in Ireland? Emma Ross & the Cnoccarne Irish Wolfhounds warmly welcome you to come experience the uniqueness of Cnoccarne Bed & Breakfast - a little piece of Irish heaven, nestled in the breath-taking Hatzic Valley. For more details, please click Cnoccarne B & B. Getting Around Travel in Ireland by train is a breeze. Trains can take you to many of the country’s top towns and cities as well as some of the lesser-known gems. Plus, for such a small country, the scenery is amazigly diverse. Within a few miles, you can travel from rugged coastline to smooth pastureland to towering mountains to brooding peat bogs. Rail Europe is the best way to see it all.  For fares and schedules, click Eurail Pass  An essential guide for the first-time traveler to Irelandby Frank McNally Frank McNally is a reporter/columnist for the Irish Times, where this article first appeared in 1999. It is reprinted here with his kind permission. Driving in Ireland Part One by Russ Haggerty  This is the story of our first trip to Ireland. The story is more than a read; it has a purpose. This is a, not very well, camouflaged guide to driving a rental car in Ireland. I say rental car because otherwise you already know all about it or you brought your own over on the ferry and you may have problems I can't help you with. The story helps explain why I was driving in the first place and sometimes explains how. Besides, it's not as boring this way. So... If you visit Ireland and intend to drive, first read Russ' Articles - Driving in Ireland part one (above) and part two (below). Then you will have an appreciation of why you should reserve your car in advance. Of course, you will need Maps. Ireland may appear small but you can still become thoroughly lost. Admittedly, it may be much more enjoyable to stop and ask. You may or may not be helped with directions but you'll hear some wit and gain a new perspective. Driving In Ireland Part Two by Russ Haggerty  The day of the surprise birthday party for Bridget had arrived. What to do? If I let her force me to drive the 'Ring of Kerry', we wouldn't get back until too late to spring the surprise. Astonishingly, the weather was foggy and drizzly; we couldn't see anything. One of the locals had said, "if you can't see the top of the mountains, there's no reason to go". We couldn't see the tops of the trees. If you decide to do any hiking, again, you will need maps. In this case though, you should have a large scale ordnance map. The OSI (Ordnance Survey Ireland) - Discovery series covers every inch. They are available for portions of every county and scaled 1:50,000 (inches). As an example, Discovery Map number 51 - West Clare and a bit of Galway - includes the following towns and features: Aran Island, Lisdoonvarna, Burren, Ballyvaghan, Kilfenora, Carran, Black Head, Doolin and Inishmore (with all the paths and points of interest of course). The OSI also has a single touring map.If you would like to get these in advance and use them to plan your visit, we finally found where to get them! - just click here OSI Discovery Maps.
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 The Galway Hooker This unique vessel, with its distinctive curved lines and bright red sails, originated in the village of Claddagh. During the 19th century, hookers supported a significant fishing industry and also carried goods, livestock and fuel. Seán Rainey is remembered for building the last of the original boats, the Truelight, for Martin Oliver who was to become the last king of the Claddagh; as king, he was entitled to white sails on his boat. Since the mid seventies, many of the old sailing craft which were on the verge of extinction have been lovingly restored and new ones have been built. During the summer months they can be seen at festivals such a Cruinniú na mBád - the Gathering of the Boats - in Kinvara.
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Travelling to - and in - Ireland