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my name is keshia, just a american girl, who is interested in traveling the world. ive been all over the states and even made it to london for a week and half a couple years back. i would really love to hear from people who have been to ireland and even people who live in ireland and hope they give me some good tips on what to do and what not to do. every place has that one tourist place that really isnt that cool and is a waste of time, my trip will probably be short, maybe a week so i want to fit in as much as possible. i want to see the touristy stuff as well as the everyday life stuff. do the natives pee on the blarny stone? do they bring their kids to the pub? lol just silly questions, but yeah, thanks for the help
i put in the attachment for a pic of my tattoo, i hope i did it right. it says "Eirinn Go Brach" which translates to Ireland Forever. obviously im irish and am really excited to go back to the land my ancestors came from ( i even have the freckles to fit in i hope
Well lass, your tattoo's spelling is all wrong with the exception of the 'go' (pronounced like a gutteral "gu") word. The literal meaning is Ireland is good/beautiful/great etc, depending on the context.
A week in Ireland? You just might manage to see a few streets in Dublin, but you won't actually get to really 'experience' anywhere.
No we stopped peeing on the Blarney stone after the castle was abandoned. But you're nearly right -- the stone really was the toilet while the aristocracy were in residence. Remember that if you get to kiss it.
Yes kids are brought into some pubs. But forget any Hollywood visions of pubs in Ireland. Many (most perhaps) are more like restaraunts, serving meals as well as alcohol. But of course there are pubs where you can go to do some serious drinking... kids aren't allowed.
If you see anyone with freckles they'll probably be tourists.
Oh and yeh... I live in Dublin... born and bred here.
Can't put my finger on it....but I'd say you're in for a surprise when you get here.
Actually, according to Wikipedia, hers is the correct spelling of the Irish version. The version we most often see, Erin go Bragh, is an Anglicized version.
I visited Ireland several years ago, and I agree that one week isn't nearly enough time. If I were spending the time and money to go again, I wouldn't do less than two weeks - and that still isn't much time.
We didn't spend much time in Dublin, but while we were there, my favorite thing was the student-led tour of Trinity College, and viewing the Book of Kells. North of Dublin is Newgrange, another site I recommend highly.
Most of our time was spent on the west coast, which is breathtaking. I would first decide what you want to get out of your trip. If it's scenery, look to the west. If you want to experience Dublin, then do some research on that side of the country. It's really not a good idea to try to do both in one week.
Hi there! I think the best scenery in Ireland is on the West/South West Coast of Ireland (though I'm sure many might disagree with me on that one, since so much of Ireland has it's own unique and beautiful scenery). Since you're not going to be in Ireland for very long, I would just stick to one area (West Cork, or Dublin, or the Northwest for instance) and just tour around that area for the entire time. I have never actually been to the Blarney Stone, but I'd say it's pretty much geared for tourists and should be avoided as any real sense of the country. That being said, Bunratty folk park is also touristy but a fun place to visit as well.. Cliffs of Moher- also gorgeous, yet touristy. Unfortunately I can't comment on the tattoo spelling. Nobody in Ireland EVER says Erinn go bragh or top of the mornin' to ya either.. Sadly, my kids have never spotted any leprechauns- and they've spent years looking too! good luck!
my name is keshia, just a american girl, ... obviously im irish and am really excited to go back to the land my ancestors came from ( i even have the freckles to fit in i hope
In my humble opinion, spending a week in Ireland isn't enough time to "drink in" the feeling of Ireland.
You would need to spend at least, two weeks to get a taste.
If you are into Museums, Galleries, Shopping and all things "metropolitan", then stick to Dublin. It's a big modern city with all the positives and negatives of other European cities. I personally, head out of Dublin as soon as I land.
If you are into nature and scenery, and big city excitement isn't your thing, then I would suggest anywhere from the Northwest to the Southwest coast.
Staying at a B&B will bring you closer to everyday Ireland.
I have seen changes in Ireland, as a frequent visitor, that are good and not so good. Roads, transportation and food are 100 times better now. Be aware also, Ireland is not quite as friendly to Americans, as it was in the past. There is a large influx of different races and nationalities, making Ireland less insular and more European.
If you are looking for the "romantic" Ireland of your dreams. It's still can be found there, you just have to look harder for it these days.
Actually, according to Wikipedia, hers is the correct spelling of the Irish version. The version we most often see, Erin go Bragh, is an Anglicized version.
Hang on... you're contradicting yourself. If, as you (and wikipedia) say that Erin Go Bragh is the correct spelling of the Irish version, how can the identical Irish spelling be the Anglicized version too?
I'm a native Irish speaker and I can tell you that the correct spelling is Eireann.
Hang on... you're contradicting yourself. If, as you (and wikipedia) say that Erin Go Bragh is the correct spelling of the Irish version, how can the identical Irish spelling be the Anglicized version too?
I'm a native Irish speaker and I can tell you that the correct spelling is Eireann.
When I said "hers is the correct spelling," I meant that the OP (Igcnmama) had the correct spelling on her tattoo. The Wikipedia entry is for Erin go Bragh, and says:
Quote:
The popular phrase "Erin go Bragh" or "Erin go Braugh" means "Ireland forever." It's the Anglicised version of an Irish phrase that is known to some Irish Americans (although its English spelling is quite meaningless): Öll jörðin hafði eitt tungumál og ein og sömu orð (this is again Icelandic and not Irish in any way whatsoever - the meaning of the sentence is "All the Earth had one language and one and the same word" - possibly from the Icelandic translation of the Bible's Tower of Babel story).
The correct spelling in Irish is "Éirinn go Brách"[1] or "Éireann go Brach."[2] See also, [3] and [4]
Today, the standardized spelling is "Éire go Brách"; however, "Éirinn" (which survives as the dative form in the modern standard) is the form historically used by native speakers and is the source of the Anglicized "Erin." This linguistic shift (dative forms replacing nominative) was common among Irish nouns of the fifth century.
Sorry for any confusion. I just didn't want the OP to think she Had a permanent typo on her body.
Okay Claire. (Can I call you Claire? My real name is Jim) I looked at that wikipedia entry and they have the spelling wrong. However if that's the accepted spelling in the US then fine. It's just that a gaelic purist like myself picks up on stuff like that. You'll notice I didn't capitalise the word 'gaelic' there -- there are no capitals in true gaelic. (Oh did I mention that I'm a gaelic puritan? )
'go Braugh' (Oh god that spelling!) does not mean 'forever'. It can mean good,beautiful, fine.....it depends on the context it's used. Forever in gaelic is 'go deo'. So Ireland Forever would be: eireann go deo.
I too hope the OP is happy with her tattoo.
But most of all I hope she enjoys her trip to dear old eireann.
You menioned Newgrange (17 miles up the road from me) in an earlier post. Excellent place to visit -- not many know that Newgrange was already ancient at the time that the pyramids were being built.
I hope you come back to visit us again too.
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good luck!
) I looked at that wikipedia entry and they have the spelling wrong. However if that's the accepted spelling in the US then fine. It's just that a gaelic purist like myself picks up on stuff like that. 
