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I traveled to Ireland in 2004 and had a wonderful time!  I used CIE Travel and did the "tour bus" thing, which was actually great.  I didn't have to worry about driving, parking, etc.  The trip was arranged through www.irishabroad.com and I paid $1500 for a 9 day vacation, including air fare from Chicago, all hotels, entry fees, and at least one meal per day.  (Of course two "days" were actually travel time to and from Ireland, due to the 13 hour flight.)  It was well worth it, as I would have missed tons of stuff if I had been on my own.  I would also have not known the history behind most things if I hadn't had a guide.  We stayed a couple of nights in Dublin, Kilkenny, Donegal, Galway, etc.  We only spent one afternoon in Northern Ireland, but that was more than enough for me.  They still use pounds sterling for money there, although most places will take euros.  It was the least enjoyable portion of the trip for me and they had been relatively violence-free for a while.  I have heard the violence has recently intensified there.  There is a beautiful IRA statue near the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland that you should really see if you like that kind of stuff.

You have to do the Ring of Kerry, see St. Patrick's Cathedral, Castle Blarney, New Grange, the burren, the Cliffs of Moehr, Connemara Marble mines, Trinity College (to see the Book of Kells, if nothing else), tour Waterford Crystal and one of the woolen mills, tour Guinness or Harp, visit an authentic Irish pub, take in an Irish Dinner Theatre that has Irish music and dance, etc.  Take the walking tours if they are available to you.  (One takes you by Blackthorne Abbey, I think in Kilkenny).  At the Blarney Stone they will take your photo and try to sell you a package deal.  You can (or could) have someone else take your photo while you kissed the stone, as well, and you didn't have to buy their package.  You do need to tip the man who "assists" you into position to kiss the stone, however.  You also need to tip walking guides and tour bus guides, but it's really a nominal fee.  At the time I went it was one euro for a walking tour and approximately 2 euros for the bus guide, per day, paid at the end of the trip.  Some of the tours arranged through CIE were tip included, so we didn't have to worry about it at all then.  The CIE guide would remind us which ones were covered and which were not.

If you are taking a digital camera, be sure to take along a couple of extra memory cards/sticks or have a laptop you can download your photos to each night.  (I'd just take the extra cards, as it's less to keep track of and you'll have lots of stuff).  If you are taking a film camera, bring lots of extra rolls, as you will probably run out if you don't.  Every tourist attraction took advantage of the traveler by charging outlandish prices for film.  I believe that a roll of 24 shot Fuji film was around $10 (US) back then - even at St. Patrick's Cathedral! 

Remember that some things can only be found in certain locations.  For instance, I wanted a blackthorn walking stick for my brother-in-law.  The only place I saw them was at Castle Blarney.  If I had waited to make the purchase thinking I'd see them somewhere else or somewhere cheaper, I would have missed out.  You can also buy some items (like Irish perfumes) on the airplane duty-free, so browse the Aire Shannon (I think that's the name of the airline) catalog on your way over and then buy what you want on the way home - just make sure you have room in your carry-on for whatever you want to buy.  But be sure to check with the air stewards to make sure that they will have the same items on the way home.  Our flight had some of the same things, but not all.

Pack light so that your baggage isn't overweight when you get ready to leave Ireland, as well, as they will charge you extra for overweight baggage or make you purchase an additional suitcase.  Bring earplugs or an MP3 player and possibly an eye mask, as it's a long flight and you may want to sleep.  There was at least one crying child on each leg of my trip.  The earplugs and eye mask were life-savers!

Take your spending money in cash (as much as you feel safe) and then extra in Travelers' Checks.  Each town and the airport had exchanges, although some were particularly hard to find.  I would discourage using a credit or debit card, as there were sometimes hidden fees.

That's all I can think of right now.  If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.  Have a wonderful and memorable trip!

Well, when I said the IRA statue was beautiful, I meant in an artistic light.  It is very meaningful to those persons who have a heritage and wish for a return to a completely free Ireland.  It consists of a dying man, a young man going off to fight, and a woman holding a baby - all symbolizing a never-ending fight for freedom.  While I do not support the IRA or any terrorist activity of ANY type, I do appreciate the artist's stark rendering of the internal struggle these people (who desire a free Ireland) face.

jmf510 says ...

My son is planning a trip to Ireland for us.  we will be foing next year.  Any suggstions or advise.  We are taking a castle tour for 7 days and are on our own for 4 days. Please let me know of any good or bad experiences you have had.

YES...get a big suitcase....let me know the day you plan on leaving....Cause....I'm going with you!!!! That's my dream trip...

Oh be sure to send me your address...so I will be there on time to get in that suitcase....  lol 

Have a great time and do take lots of photos to share with us here on PL..

Brendan Tours - My wife and I used Brendan Tours while in England. They were great - We used the Bed & Breakfast Farm/Home package.

They had so many places to choose from - The food and people were excellent!