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10 great theme vacations to Ireland

DARA MCBRIDE

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 4:52 PM

Updated Sunday, November 1, 2009, 8:29 AM

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Read more: Ireland, Culture and Lifestyle, Tourism, Travel and Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, Dublin, Cork GAA, Galway GAA, Brian Friel, IrishCentral.com

"Outdoor Adventure Ireland" is just one of IrishCentral's Irish holiday theme suggestion

PHOTO GALLERY / 10 Irish holiday theme ideas / Click here

Authentic Ireland or the tourist haunts? Every year more and more discerning travelers to Ireland are opting to visit the real country, rather than just climbing aboard the endless bus trails with the tourist hordes and never actually meeting a local.

Sure, paddling your own canoe can present more challenges to begin with – where to stay, how to get there – but the rich rewards make it worth it. The charm of Ireland is its landscape and its people, and the best way to discover them is to go and visit the places they actually live.

Given a choice between a 500-bedroom super-hotel on a private estate or a cozy Irish hostelry in the country with an attentive chef and an open fire, which would you choose?

There’s no question that a lot of tourists find the beaten path and a trusted tour guide just the ticket, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But going your own route rather than relying on a familiar tour operator will actually take you closer to the real Ireland – and the locals - and it often makes good financial sense too.

The good thing about Ireland is that it needn’t be a wrenching decision - there’s a venue for every type of traveler. The fact is that the tourism industry in Ireland has undergone nothing short of a revolution in the past 20 years. In order to compete internationally, the standards have taken off in terms of accommodation, facilities, attractions and dining options. Wherever you go, you’ll be treated like a king.

For these reasons, in survey after survey tourist satisfaction is remarkably high, with international visitors returning to Ireland again and again for an experience they know will be both memorable and terrific value for money (especially now that the recession has dramatically lowered prices).

So, to help you pick a theme for your vacation to Ireland, IrishCentral has created the following list of 10 great Irish holiday suggestions:

1. Gourmet Ireland

You read that right. Ireland is often unfairly lumped in with Britain as the ground zero of truly horrifying cooking. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take a food tour of the emerald isle and you will encounter organically grown, locally sourced vegetables, dairy, breads and meats that a new generation of Irish chefs have sourced and cooked to delight your senses.

http://www.irishtourism.com/self-drive-tours-ireland/gourmet-tours-self-drives.htm

2. Historical Ireland

Few small island nations have played a larger role in the history of the world than Ireland. Keepers of literacy and learning during the Dark Ages, the Irish once saved civilization after the fall of the Roman Empire by keeping learning alive and relighting its flame in Europe.

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Posted by Pegger1 on November 11,2009 | 04:52PM

I like the idea of a rural tour. Would like daughter to experience Glencolumbkill, Killeybegs and Dongal Town and other areas of West Ireland. Have relatives in all those places.

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One possible itinerary for an Ireland vacation is a trip along the Causeway coast from Belfast to Londonderry. Start off in Belfast, where you can visit the new entertainment complex, Waterfront Hall, as well as the Cathedral Quarter featuring St. Anne’s Cathedral. Want a little history in your Ireland vacation? When you leave Belfast, you can stop at Newtownabbey’s Loughshore Park, which is where the Titanic first sailed from the shipyards of Harland & Wolff. On an Ireland vacation, you can see sights almost a millennium old. Carrickfergus has a 12th-century Norman Castle. If you would like your Ireland vacation to have a literary theme, head to Kilroot, where Jonathan Swift, who would go on to write Gulliver’s Travels, worked as a minister. At the Glens of Antrim. Admire the waterfalls and be sure to take the Antrim Coast Road. If you are looking for some culture during your Ireland vacation, the village of Glenarm has both a castle and traditional folk music sessions. Cushendall features the red sandstone Curfew Tower, which is four stories high. The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge spans a 24-meter chasm. Some Ireland vacations revolve around pubs. But on this itinerary, you get to go to the village of Bushmills, which is home to the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. One of the most spectacular sights on your Ireland vacation will be the famous Giant’s Causeway, which is outside of Bushmills. Ireland vacations may also include history from other countries. Ships from the Spanish Armada sank along the rough coastline near the Giant’s Causeway. At Port na Spaniagh, divers recovered treasure from the Girona, one of the galleons of the Armada. The Mussenden Temple may have been inspired by Rome’s Temple of Vesta. Downhill, Benone and Magilligan Beaches are so long that you may find yourself alone on these dramatic beaches. Finish your Ireland vacation in Londonderry, which is the only completely walled city in the British Isles. The walls date from the 17th century.

10 great theme vacations to Ireland

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