livinghistory.ie

I was in Kerry for the St.Patricks weekend and we did the ring of Kerry and the Dingle Penninsular. I can tell you (and everyone I spoke to about this said the same: Only the southern Part of the Ring of Kerry is nice...the rest is kind of boring.

Dingle however is beautiful!!!

Don't follow the main road to Dingle Town...keep going Straight at Knockglass More and you will end up on one of the most beautiful drives I have ever done. You should also drive along the R559 around the far end of dingle it is very beautiful there and there are some "beehive huts" from (I think) the 12th or 13th century there.

I can send you some pics from our trip if you want...just PM me your email address.

cheers

that looks like a comprehensive and ambitous route. Some comments:
- For the museums in Dublin:
--Kildare Street is a Must
--For military history post mid 1500s and decorative arts Collins Barracks is high on the list - Red Line LUAS from Abbey Street is best means of getting there.
--If Manuscripts are your then then Trinity College is a must and Chester Beatty Library at Dublin Castle also a major location - though a lot of the stuff there is eastern.
-For Dingle.
--Make sure you take in both routes i.e.coastal and Connor pass. Connor pass is miserable in bad weather though and you wont see anything.
--Clockwise is probably best route.
-For Kinsale give Bannerman a shout. Not sure if he is still there but he was working at Charlesfort in the past and could give more detailed pointers on the area.
-For Glendalough. Its an amazing site. Even in mist and rain it is worth a visit and walk around the monastery site and as far as the upper lakes. It is also a good spot for a hike.
-For maps, as Scott has said, if you want to know every monument on the map the OS maps are the way to go - http://www.mapcentre.ie/ is a good place to get them. Its a bit off the beaten track though. I am not sure if the central tourist office just off Grafton Street sells them (cool building - converted church complete with stained glass windows)

Sounds like its gona be a great trip It is a pity you can't hit Kilkenny though, we're only coated in history down here, all over the county! Still though, enjoy your visit, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Brendan, thanks for your help with museums selection. May I ask one more question?
We are thinking about visiting Hunt museum in Limerick and historical part. Is it worth visiting, if we speak about early medieval stuff?

Its a long time since I have been in the Hunt Museum...Billy or Dave Mooney might know better
It isnt exactly cheap to get into (which is why I havent been there recently) but IS free on Sundays if that is when you happen to be there

Oleg,
The Hunt Museum is worth seeing, and the Limerick City Museum (which I somehow missed), and King John's Castle are must-sees. Mooney can tell you more.

I guess I skipped King John's castle as while it is a fantaastic structure the price is a bit steep for what you get.
Worth a look though

Thanks for the info & suggestions. Preliminary planning and booking is over.

Limerick Museum is free, and always worth a look. Hunt is wonderful, and as mentioned above, free on Sundays. Give me a PM if you do happen to be in the Limerick area, and if you would like a tour guide. No guarantee I'll be free, but if I am, I'll help out.

Hi Billy,
We will be more than happy to meet you. Will send you a message a couple of days prior the arrival.