As a Dublin man born and bred i would only recommend walking through Temple Bar you can get a better pint literally 2 minutes round the corner and MUCH cheaper then their €7 for a bleedin pint no thank you
I tell everyone to have one beer in the Temple Bar just to say they have, then go away… and forget €7, I think it’s up to €8+ at St John Gogarty’s 🤦♂️ and prices go up after 10 pm
Tourists like myself really do not care if a glass of beer costs 7 ro 10 eur. We are passing by, never to return, and experience with quality live music is fenomenal.
I hit everyone one of those “traps” (except GOT) and loved every single one. We absolutely loved Ireland and it’s people. I don’t think I ever felt so at home in a foreign country as I did there.
Tourist trap phobic - Go to Westport, stay for three nights in a plain, simple B&B. Mary will cook you a full Irish breakfast that will hold you over until supper. Explore County Mayo during the day. Walk to Matt Malloy's every evening. Best travel experience ever.
That said I would really like to remind everyone to mind your self in Temple Bar (the district). It’s a tourist area at the end of the day, in an almost 2M👤 European capital city. This isn’t a village out in some random county where it’s the norm for friendly locals to buy the one tourist a drink. This is a tourist area in a big city, so don’t accept drinks from strangers as spiking has being reported in the area and don’t leave your bags willy nilly as this zone has a lot of pickpockets. Enjoy and have fun but please practice the same safety you would in any touristy or party hot spots. Just because it’s ireland doesn’t mean everyone is automatically lovely & trustworthy
I have to admit it was funny for me to think that someone would go to a place called Titanic Belfast and expect it to be connected to the movie and not more to the ship, it's history, the shipyards etc. 😀
A great tour in Dublin was a Musical Pub Crawl in the winter time. It was great. We began in Temple Bar, but then went to two quieter, tucked away pubs. One of which became a favorite that we went to each time we've gone. Two musicians taught us about Irish music, played instruments, and we ended with a lock in. People were asked to sing songs from their country, and I kicked it off with "Country Roads" by John Denver. I like to think my willingness to sing helped others be more comfortable to sing. The tour guide said something that stuck with me, "In Ireland if you can't sing well sing loud!" I love that quote!
Here's a a top tip for visiting Giants Causeway. When you drive up to it, go past the visitor centre and straight up to the 'Big House". It's a restaurant. Grab something to eat there, it's pretty good and then walk off that food by walking straight past the visitor centre and down to the rocks. It's free to park by the restaurant as you are eating there, so no need to re-park your car in the pay-to-park visitor car park. I'm loathe to pay to visit the rocks as we used to go here when I was young and it was all free then. No need as I see it, to charge people to look at the natural beauty of Ireland.
If doing Titanic Belfast, definitely do the guided tour. You get to see much more, and the guides make the whole experience more than just a museum tourist trap. Our guide had almost everyone it tears after telling personal stories of the passengers and families. Okay, that may sound miserable for a vacation but trust me it's worth it.
Anyone wanting the best pint in Dublin visit the grave diggers pub beside Glasnevin cemetery which is also a popular tourist spot if you like Irish history,hope you all enjoy your stay in my hometown✌❤.
Biggest tip, if visiting Co. Clare and you have kids, you have to go to Craggaunowen castle and ring fort and Bunratty castle and folk park. Theyre near enough by car. Its a fantastic family day out. The kids will love using the under ground tunnells in Craggaunowen and hiking to the top of Bunratty castle and wandering arounf the folk park
This video came out at the perfect time, I’m headed to Ireland in a day and i’ve never been so excited and this video is putting my excitement levels through the roof!!
The cobblestone bar in smithfield is unreal if your going to any bar in dublin go there. Proper irish bar with traditional music bit out of the way though. My other favorite when in dublin is o,donoghues not at the bottom of grafton st but baggot st.
@@JF1908x Soccer isnt really Irish culture - we have our own sports,hurling and Gaelic football - don’t know how long you are in ireland but you can google GAA and the fixtures will be on the website- if you can catch a hurling game do. Its a 3,000 year old irish sport that encapsulates the Irish.
Hello Josh. How was your trip? How long did you visit? I was there in November of 2000 in the Republic of Ireland and it was a great trip. I went to a lot of these "tourist traps".
Blarney House!!! Beautiful!!! I visited all the tourist traps and had a blast!! One thing about my trip to Ireland… I was surprised by how delicious the food was! The people were super friendly. I’d love to go again
I live in the South East of Ireland, and recommend places like the Hook Lighthouse. Its one of the oldest working lighthouses in Europe and dates back to the Norman Invasion. It is right at the tip of the county Wexford peninsula with the Irish Sea fighting its way into the jagged rocks. Fantastic sights there, and walks. The lighthouse tour is a must aswell, and the surrounding scenery is brilliant. Its a real hidden gem, along with the Famine Ship replica in the County aswell.
We went to Blarney Castle - skipped the stone and hung out in the fern garden instead, purely because it was so comfortable, and the forest canopy there is thick enough that a lot of the rain doesn't make its way down onto you. I think the grounds are far FAR most interesting than the stone. (I also already have the gift of gab) But I really gotta recommend going to the Castle at Adare- it is only accessible by tour guide. You'll go on a bus from their center (there is a free carpark there btw) to see the castle ruins. The driver and the guide were amazing, funny, really knowledgable, and give a lot of context to medieval Ireland which is helpful for other heritage sites. When you get off the bus, you'll walk into the castle, around it, and into the dungeons even! It was really amazing! There you can ask questions and get some stellar feedback. Our guide is a law student studying Brehon law (Early Irish Legal system). It was amazing to learn about the people, the town, and the culture of the time.
I went to Ireland at the beginning of April. I loved it! We had amazing weather (it only rained a few times and nothing crazy). The day we went to the Cliffs of Moher, it was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue skies! If you’re in Killarney, I’d recommend going to Celtic Steps the show. It was amazing!
At 6:30, if you're already at the spire when in Dublin then always take the chance to walk 50m down the road to the GPO. It's both an iconic piece of Georgian architecture and one of the most important sites in Irish history due to it's place as the staging ground of the Easter Rising, as seen in the bullet marks the litter the exterior, and where the Proclamation of the Irish Republic was first publicly read. It also still functions as the main post office for the city so the atrium is open to the public and is the perfect place to send a post card from. From an art point of view the main ground floor window also hosts one of the most iconic pieces of Irish sculpture, the Death of Cúchulainn, which acts as a memorial to lives lost during the Rising. There's also tours and a Museum in the building covering the event but they're kind of privately run (operated by a subsidiary of a subsidiary of a for profit state owned investment company) and relatively costly, especially compared to the excellent free National Museums around the country.
@@glenn9683 Wouldn't really call it failed, it kick-started the modern independence movement and laid the groundwork for the Irish state and public support for that state to the point that the first Dail considered it the founding of the modern nation. Considering the leaders of the Rising were fully willing, and mostly expecting, death but were willing to accept it if it lead to independence I'd say the succeeded in losing the battle but winning the war.
@@glenn9683 You couldn't say it failed or succeeded, given that it directly led to the modern free Irish state, our Republic, while Partition came in too. But had it not been for that, we'd still be a colony, today, probably. I prefer to come from a Republic, although I work and live in the North, and respect my mostly Unionist colleagues (who couldn't be any nicer to me, Token Southerner). It's just the way things are.
@@ciangibbons6643 and not only is it inaccurate to call it a failed uprising in all seriousness one can argue the GPO is where our country began independent ireland wise Because of what happened there almost 106 years ago
I'd also recommend visiting the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham for a stroll, I think the Jameson Tour is better value than the Guinness Storehouse and the Hop on Hop Off tour busses give you a decent whistle stop tour of Dublin.
Temple bar is a district yes there is pub in that district called temple bar,but when most people say temple bar is a tourist trap they are refering to the district and the surrounding pubs not just the temple bar pub.
It is true that the whole Temple Bar area is one big tourist trap in the sense that it's not a place where you'd find real Irish people out for a good time. It's more for stag and hen parties from across the water and unsuspecting tourists. The Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast on the other hand is worth a visit because it really is such a lovely place. As for the Titanic Museum - as long as you know in advance that it's a great visit if you want to know more about the social and political history of Belfast rather than relive the 1997 movie then by all means go there.
@@WDH59510 There is a titanic experience in cobh where it left from focussing on the passengers experience not obviously jack and rose but the real passengers and the experience of emigration in general
I thought the best part of going to the Book of Kells exhibit is when you leave and have to exit through the library. We thought that was amazing. It was something out of a Harry Potter movie.
St Brendan It is out of harry potter the library is used in one of the films not sure which one ,not really a fan,but it is one of the films as is the cliffs of moher
Yes I liked seeing the library a lot too. I was impressed with the whole building and tour of the Book of Kells. Greetings from South Central PA in the US.
The Gingerman Pub in Dublin was one of my favorite places! We did Paddywagon Tours, and didn't regret it, but felt a bit rushed at Blarney and the birthplace of Titanic. The guides were informative and comical. I loved, loved Ireland. I must add that I was impressed with how safe I felt as a US tourist from the time we set foot from the plane to when we had to sadly depart. I can hardly wait for my next visit!
Wolter are you in Ireland now r ye? God, I love you. I watch you all the time. You are a lovely man. You can tell your an extremely genuine, sweet, kindhearted, family man. When I fall asleep, I leave you playing in the background and I drift off with a big smile on my face.
One night me and my girlfriend were just looking for a pint, when we stumbled upon the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, not a tourist trap, but very cool indeed.
Ok , someone who lives in Ireland and has seen pretty much the whole country. Bunratty castle Clare King johns castle limerick Cork Goal and old English market St finbars cathedral and Elisabeth fort See the dingle and beara peninsula less tourists and just as pretty Park at either end of the highest parts of cliffs of mother and walk the whole length, bout 10k The famine ship in dungarvin ,yeats home tower Gort Galway, Jameson distillery Dublin., Climb the diamond in conamara, caher castle It's riduculus as to how many places in Ireland just as cools as what gets promoted Nice video
Skip temple bar find a local pub, most locals hate temple bar because it feels like an American *irish* bar. Also if you want beauty don't skip connemara it's a gealtacht so its an irish speaking area but everyone speaks English but using your pleases and thank yous in irish is apricoated, it's generally quiter than the cliffs of moher or kilarney
Temple Bar is a robbery but I get why you would go there. Like 3 o'clock on a Tuesday as a tourist its lively and there's music and people having the crack.
Walk through Temple Bar, just to say you've seen it, and then go for a pint and a toasted sandwich at the Palace Bar. It's at the end where Fleet St meets Westmoreland St., a lovely old Dublin bar that's a lot more authentic that the other pubs in the area.
My wife and I have visited Ireland on Apr 2015, I think Ireland is a very honest country and very friendly to Asian people, if anybody think there are tourist traps in Ireland, please try Italy.😇😇😇 But I have to admit that Italy is most beautiful country in the world.
Thank you! My wife is an avid reader. We will be in Ireland this July 2024. My parents were born and married in Dublin and where my sister was born. They immigrated to the US where my brother and I were born. They brought us kids there a few times and to Galway. We also have family in Cork. I can't wait.
I was born and live in Dublin. Agree with everything except for Killarney. Yes it's American central but its also a place I being Irish really love to go to visit. Yes it's expensive (particularly towards other towns in Ireland) but there's no where quite like it in the world.
I'm still mortified that we have the spike in Dublin. With all our beautiful history who chose that 🙄. A huge Harp would have been amazing. We could have done so much with it. Anyway, thank you for always posting incredible content about Ireland. I hope each or your trips are wonderful 😊.
My husband and I toured Ireland in 2016, we hit most of these tourists traps, except the Blarney Stone. We toured the Muckross House instead and the Abbey. We missed the Giants Causeway due to a flat tire 😞. But we had a fantastic time driving around and experiencing the Emerald Isle.
That's too bad what a lot of people don't know is that the Causeway is a public space so it is open to the public 24/7 the visitor centre and its car park is what you have to pay for and they round 6 but the Causway Hotel next door has a free carpark and is open all the time and they won't stop you from parking there.
I think you missed Bunratty. I've done it twice, loved it both times, but a bit of a trap. A little tip, we were there during the high season and didn't want to waste time on the traffic in the Ring of Kerry, so we arranged a horseback ride through a decent amount of the Ring in the "State" Park. Beautiful and an absolutely unique way to see it.
I have been to ALL of those, and it was worth it. Not a tourist trap, but the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin, 2 dedicated philatelic windows, and part is now a museum. Crown Bar - been twice. Once I enjoyed aconversation with an older chap who had lived through "The Troubles" and had a couple of relatives on board the Princess Victoria. The other time, I got to hear a wonderful conversation between the bartender and a woman in her 80s as they discussed types of gin and a new one she wanted to try. The Titanic Museum was freaking awesome - and I have been up to the sixth floor. Ah yes, the Stilleto in the Ghetto, the Stiffy on the Liffey, along with the Tart with the Cart or the Dish with the Fish, and you forgot the Floozie in the Jacuzzi.
Yeah, I wouldn't call them traps if they're things worth doing. They're just tourist-focused. A tourist trap is something set up specifically for tourists, that isn't worth it.
We lived in Galway in 2014 and visited many of these sites, and I agree with most of your assessments. Crown Bar was fun, but we skipped the Titanic Museum and went down in the Titanic drydock instead. Another spot that tries to get you to enter through the (paid) gift shop is the Gallarus Oratory on the Dingle Peninsula. There's a tiny free parking lot just up the road and a paved path leading to the oratory.
We did take a tour bus that had a stop at the Blarney Castle. Instead of visiting the castle, we chose to walk into the village itself to visit a few shops and a pub called Muskerry Arms where we had a terrific lunch and a few pints before going back to the coach waiting at the Castle grounds parking lot.
The village is quite nice. I live like an hour away from Blarney and never went into the castle in my life but the village is stunning. I like stopping around there for lunch
Is the village on the castle grounds, like Bun Ratty? The grounds have an EXCELLENT garden which I want to see. It will have to wait for my next trip, if I get to Ireland again.
Always like to watch your videos. Thank you for the information you provide. Love your list of "Tourist Traps". My trips to Ireland I like to rent a car, rent a cottage for a week down south and for a week up north and do the day trips from there. That way if it rains and is foggy and we planned the Cliffs of Moher, we just swap the days around and pick a more indoor activity. If doing the Ring of Kerry I'd suggest rent a cottage outside Kenmare and do day trips from there. Do the ring but also cut inland and explore the roads that the tour busses don't travel. Plus you can easily hit Blarney Castle and Waterford from there. If up north rent a cottage in Donegal and from there you can do day trips into Northern Ireland and/or along the Wild Atlantic Way. Counting down the days till I go back. Such a beautiful place.
I totally agree with you about paying to see the cliffs of moher and the giants causeway. I had been to cliffs of moher for years ,then went around 2007 and was shocked to see we had to pay..myself and my friend were there on a late wet evening and were the last 2 people to go to the cliffs so we were allowed to quickly go up to the cliffs get a quick photo and leave again. Was disappointed because had been there years before and enjoyed free walking about.
Yep, I feel the same way about this. We used to go when young, then when I visited a couple of years ago was shocked to have to pay, but it's only if you park up. If you eat at the restaurant, leave your car there then walk down to the coast. The parking attendant told us about that one..;-)
I am convinced there only needs to be three bus routes from the Dublin airport for the American tourists - Blarney Castle, Galway and Killarney. Most American tourists go on a checklist tour and miss spending time with the best part of Ireland, the Irish people.
We got to the Giant's Causeway near closing time. We had already read how to bypass the tourist center to enter free. It was closed by the time we reached the bottom. To our surprise there were a few cars that had driven down their after the visitor's center closed and the employees had gone home. There was nothing there to stop them just before dark.
For those who are interested in Irish history I would highly recommend visiting Glasnevin Cemetery and do the guided tour. You will not be disappointed.
A great pub in Dublin is o donoghues on Baggott Street, famous bar where the legendary Irish band the dubliners were found , the guinness is beautiful. Also the stairway to heaven in Cavan is great and free .
Yeah I understand the point about The Crown in Belfast, but I've been going there for years with my dad, anytime we're late in town. It's a brilliant bar, for locals and tourists alike 👌🏼
As an Irishman when me and my 2 friends had to pay 30 euro (10 euro for each person in the car) to see nature in my own country I honestly felt like punching the ticket man!
I took a small bus/van from Dublin to Cork & we hit the Blarney castle. On the way back the young driver, a really nice kid said he was actually from Blarney. As a kid he & his little friends would peddle their bikes to the castle and "whiz on the Blarney stone!" A huge collective moan went up & he said in a strong accent "Ah, don ya worry a bit folks. As mooch as it rains in Arland, I'm shur it's all wooshed off for ya!" My visual of a couple 10yr olds doing this made me laugh~
Regarding the Titanic Museum - it’s a pretty common destination for Irish primary schools to take trips to (usually along with W5, the kids science museum). So it’s quite popular with locals as well.
Going to Ireland with my daughter later this year (fingers crossed that no more pandemics or other bad things happen) and really looking forward to most of these spots.
I feel that Killarney is well worth a visit in order to see Muckreoss Abbey and Muckross House. In fact I was so taken with them that I used Muckross House and Muckross Abeyu as the setting for my novella, Darcy Adare and the Muckross Vampire. Ross Castle in Killarney is also one of the best castles in all of Ireland to visit. I love Killarney!
you could add Bunratty castle and the folk village next to it. It was raining the day we did the ring of Kerry. A little disappointing careening around the small roads dodging buses coming the other way, and trying to see the sights through the raindrops. We used CIE tours which used to be run by the government and were thr first bus tour company. Another site is the monastery at Clonmacnoise with the high crosses. it was cloudy the day we went to the cliffs of moher. It is always windy there as evidenced by the windmills you can see in the distance
People need to realise also that's there's plenty of free amenities in Ireland that are just as worth it. The National Musem of Ireland will take your breath away, especially the bog bodies. There's also the Rock of Cashel which is much better than Blarney imo.
Been to Ireland twice. Got engaged in Phoenix Park. Toured Galway, The Cliffs, Guinness Storehouse, Kilkenny Castle, walked through Temple Bar district but just looked around. For a couple of pints and good music we prefer Merchants Arch. Went to NI for a day and did Carrick-a-Rede, Giants Causeway, but skipped Titanic so that we could do a Black Taxi tour (absolutely amazing). Crazy thing is our bus got pelted with rocks and shattered the left side of the windshield just after we crossed into NI on the motorway. Went back for our honeymoon and did a bit more Freeform exploring. Cannot wait to go back, hopefully in 2025 for our 10th.
He forgot to mention the great visitors center at the Cliffs of Moher, The Long Room Library after seen the Book of Kells and the great gardens at Blarney Castle
@@chatsdocs6608 not just that but more specifically West Cork go to Bantry one of the most beautiful places I have ever been Kinsale is another good one
you should go see cs lewis square in hollywood arches belfast because it has a bunch of cool statues of the characters from the lion the witch and the wardrobe, dont expect to spend ages there but if youre in the area its very cool
Great advice & I’ve been to them all! A few statues I’m surprised you didn’t mention are The floozy in the jacuzzi, James Joyce statue (I’ve got a picture with it) & the Oscar Wilde statue. Got a picture with that one too! Temple Bar is a definite ‘gotta do’ place, & so is the Crown in Belfast. Love Ireland & all it has to offer! Keep the videos coming!
As a Dublin man visit temple bar district take photos watch street performances if they are on. Just don’t get a drink there go to the silver penny on Abbey street for cheep food and alcohol.
there are other car parks for the cliffs. you dont actually have to pay to see the cliffs, but finding the alternate parking is a closely guarded secret.
I just returned and had no interest in Temple Bar or the Blarney Stone. I did do the Trinity College tour, the Book of Kells, and the library, which was terrific. The greatness of Ireland is the Wild Atlantic Way, the towns, the pubs, and the restaurants in the smaller towns. Hiring a private driver for the Ring of Kerry really worked for me and my family. I actually enjoyed Kilarney.
Hi Mark did you ever visit the village of cong in co mayo There is a lovely village and was the set of John wayne and Maureen o hara's movie the quiet man Its beautiful really touristy but lovely food and Guinness in Cohans bar is probably the best Guinness i have ever had, even better than the Guinness store house. Love the videos of Ireland and of Lisboa
We have been to the Temple Bar area many times over the years and have yet to make it to the Temple Bar itself. We always enjoy visiting the Oliver St. John Gogarty pub located a few blocks down the street from there. We know it is a tourist trap, but we enjoy the continual live music on two floors, the food, and the drinks.
