Expanded Content: Ireland Travel Tips
Travel Tips for Western Ireland
Read the full article, "Wild Atlantic Fairways," by Jeff Neuman
Getting There: Several airlines fly direct from the Met Area to Shannon Airport, a central point for travel to Ireland’s West Coast. The airport is about fifteen miles west of Limerick, an hour south of Galway.
Above: The bustling streets of Galway.
Planning Your Trip: It is of course possible to line up all your own tee times and hotels over the internet, even at the shrines like Lahinch, Ballybunion, and Waterville. Rent a car with GPS and you can easily find your way to even the most out-of-the-way destinations like Carne or Ballyliffin. But part of the pleasure of playing golf in Ireland is enjoying the hospitality of the clubs and the pubs along the way, and a tour in a comfortable van or bus with a knowledgeable driver can add considerably to the experience.
Carr Golf, founded in 1990 by the family of the great Irish amateur champion Joe Carr – the first Irish golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame -- provides excellent service whether it’s for two golfers or forty. They can accommodate budgets of any size; if you do opt for a driver, ask for Senan.
PerryGolf, a worldwide leader in golf travel, provides quotes on-line for tours of Ireland, along with luxury cruises for the Open Championship (including the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland).
Premier Irish Golf Tours, Celtic Golf, Links Golf Ireland, and PerryGolf are just a few of the many companies that will be happy to assist you in making plans.
Above: The coastal views from Ballybunion make any round enjoyable. (Photo: Tourism Ireland)
Language, Money, Electricity: There are very few places in Ireland where English is not the main language, and even in those places it’s likely it will be understood. Road signs list place names in Irish first (upper and lower case) and then in English (all capitals). The Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union and uses the Euro as its currency. Adapters of the type used in the UK are necessary for electrical appliances like chargers, though some luxury hotels may have US outlets as well.
Above: Overhead view of Carne and the coast. (Photo: Carne Golf Links)
Places to Stay: If your budget is unlimited, accommodations in Adare Manor or Dromoland Castle will combine all the amenities you expect from a fine hotel along with the added benefit of a golf course on-site. Both are parkland courses; either is well worth playing, though I wouldn’t give up a day on the coastal links for them.
In the northwest, the Ice House Hotel and Spa in Ballina, County Mayo, is just ten kilometers from Enniscrone Golf Club, and is a surprising find: a coolly modern Scandinavian-design hotel tucked below street level on the banks of the May Estuary. The accommodations are sleekly comfortable, the water close enough to the full-length windows to allow ducks to practically swim into your room. The hotel has a fine-dining restaurant perched on the banks of the estuary, but an excellent choice for dinner in Enniscrone is Ait Eile, located downstairs from Gilroy’s Bar on the main street, featuring locally sourced produce, fresh seafood, and artisanal meats like Black Pig of Enniscrone.
Above: Adare Manor Castle Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort in Limerick (Photo: Tourism Ireland)
Read the full article, "Wild Atlantic Fairways," by Jeff Neuman