Where in Ireland to go?

The mister and I are thinking of visiting Ireland next summer. We found an
motorcycle rental outside of Dublin in Naas that rents almost any cycle for
110-190 Euros. We were thinking of a week or so tour around the island
riding two-up.

Anyone have any suggestions of "Not-to-be-missed" roads or sights?
Any recommended places to stay?
Guinness? Murphy's? Or some other beverage as a nightcap?

Thanks.

Sheri-

 

They say that Naas is a terrible place ...

Depending on time available, the best bet is usually to go west from
Dublin to Galway and then turn left or right. Personally, I'd turn
right and go up to Donegal and then through NI, but South is good too
if you avoid the tourist traps (Killarney is dreadful). Good places to
try: Achill, Conemara, Dingle, West Cork, Cork city, Kilkenny. County
Wicklow south of Dublin has some nice riding on atrocious roads (they
all do that, sir) and a good one is the Military Road south from
Dublin, across the Sally Gap and into Glendalough.

North of a line between Waterford and Limerick.

South of a line between Waterford and Limerick.

Try Beamish or a Shirley Bassey.

 

Pretty girl was she?

 

Head due West to Galway and ride around there and Connemara. It knocks
the socks off the rest of the Republic. Nicest thing about Galway, there
are lots of non Irish. OK Dublin is the same but it's a mosquito
infested swamp.

 

Hang on: funny, no swear words... Nige, are you feeling okay?

 

Off day!

 

http://www.blakeley.plus.com/Bike/Ireland2004/index.html from my last
trip. I see Bear has already mentioned the rain and the fluid pub
opening hours in the countryside.

 

Go north, Donegal is beautiful.

 

<typo corrected>

 

Very good....

 

Isthmus.
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The new "xmyth"!

 

We decided we'd need 2 weeks minimum to get round Ireland. So far
we've just done the first half - south from Dublin through the Wicklow
Mountains and ending up in Dingle. By all accounts the second week
(west coast) will be even better - when we get round to it. Maybe, as
Mike says, that's the priority if you only have one week.

Memorable places on the way for us were the Wicklow Mountains
(pretty), Kilkenny (where I got a night's free booze playing in a
session), Hook lighthouse and Crooke village (Cromwell's two ways into
Waterford being by Hook or by Crooke), Cobh (the port near Cork - you
can feel the ghosts of the emigrants), the Jamesons distillery at
Midleton (also near Cork), Bantry Bay and Connor's Pass between
Kilcummin and Dingle.

The roads are pretty poor, but Irish drivers will pull onto the verge
at the drop of a hat to let you pass. Fine until 2 miles further down
the road when they come streaming past as you slow to a crawl to avoid
the potholes!

Finding cheap but good food of an evening can be a bit tricky. Hotels
that also do bar meals are often a good bet. We stayed in B&Bs.

It will rain.

 

Hmmm - this was 6 or 7 years ago, so they might well have improved
since then. Our impression was that the main roads radially from
Dublin were the only consistently half-decent ones.

For the second week, whenever we do it, we'll take the car -
weatherproof, roadproof and better for carrying a musical instrument
or two (for the sessions!).

 

Dun Loughaire.

You can get a ferry back to the mainland from there.

 

Where?

 

Yep - or even, and more often than not, right into lane 0. Which is
nice of them.

 

spelling flames are so passe, Mick. In any case, Gaelic spelling is
made up in the first place.

 

Aaah, so that's why they're always getting it wrong.
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And English spelling isn't?