The Doctor
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,434
Club RR Member Number: 48
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i'm planning a holiday to Ireland for the first week of may, and i'm asking myself what I should/should not visit. Any of you guys can shed a light for me? At this time i'm looking in to 2 options: Fly to Dublin/Cork, rent a car, drive around Ireland (at least, visit some nice places) and fly back (but what's the fun in that! ) second option is: Drive to Dunkirque, take ferry to Dover. Drive through UK to Pembroke/Fishguard and get ferry to Rosslare. Both options will end up almost the same, costwise (maybe the fuel I use through the UK will add up, but that's not thát much). But i'm wondering, is there anything in Ireland (retro/car wise) I MUST see? Is there a region I have to drive through? ;D thanks in advance, and have some results from google, when I type in car + ireland:
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I will rustle you up a few bits and pieces tomorrow man, i'm a bit wrecked at the minute! Loads of nice driving roads here and plenty to do - and that red 240Z above is still for sale in Ken Lawford motors at a ridiculous price!!!
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Club Retro Rides Member
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I'd start from the North. Fly into Donegal Airport. Rent car there. If you only have a week I'd drive around Ulster and then down to Dublin. Nothing to see in Cork or Kerry or Donegal to Connemara and across to Dublin. You might just land in Donegal and not leave. I might be biased though. Land in Donegal and you'll be surrounded by Cavaliers and Sierras almost immediately, in fact theres about 3 Sierras, a Silver Shadow etc just on the way from the Airport. In general though I'm not sure. Maybe time it right for a rally? The photos in front of the orange house are a car show in the Dublin Mountains. Have forgotten the name though,sorry
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saaby
Part of things
Posts: 61
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Change the plans go mid june and take in the weekend of the Donegal Rally best 3 days Craic you'll have great stages great scenery be sure to see the knockalla stage spectacular views great stuff...........
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--- If Its Not Broke don't Fix It ---
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Watch for shepherds and their animals puttering along in the narrow country lanes. They stationary, whilst the Setra tourist buses are careening from opposite taking 1-1/2 lanes can tighten your buttocks instantly if not prepared to take sudden measures!
I would encourage you to tour the vast high cliffs and seacoast of SW Ireland, parking up at the Cliffs of Moher, if you get out that way. Magnificent on a clear day, and still so even if packed in a bit with fog.
Galway has some worthwhile automotive parlors to explore.
And I'd for sure hit the rally sites to find out what's on, so's you can see a bit of madcap competition live and in person. I tried to enter a rally as driver, but couldn't find a Shamrock man stupid enough to navigate for me. ;D
Norm
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Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com
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I can heartily recommend a blast around the Ring of Kerry. I did it a couple of years ago in a hired Punto and, despite the crushing awfulness of the car, the astounding scenery and twisty roads made it unforgettable. The mist gave the scenery a nice air of mystery...
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Ok, been doing some research for you! Now to start off i think you should be told that Ireland is the only country in the world where you can fail your driving test then drive home after it. And continue to drive on your own having failed your driving test. Watch out for the drivers, they'll get you long before the road gets bad! Rosslare to Dublin is about 2 hours on a roundabout infested road/dual carriageway. To be honest the roads here can be fairly bad but especially around Dublin and i really wouldn't advise doing a car trip near it only if you need to pass through. The road markings and signs are terrible and it really is an all-or-nothing driving style. Here's some examples of areas to visit, first off up North then head anticlockwise around the coast - your better off sticking to the edges of the country as its more dramatic in my opinion: The Giants Causeway And along the coast road with this type of view I like to drive a lap at home which goes Enniskillen - Sligo - Mullaghmore - Rossnowlagh beach - Shore road back to Enniskillen. Some beautiful scenery there plus a great driving road which would bring us along the side of some mountains with spectacular views like this: Then onto the Mullaghmore Peninsula Down to Rossnowlagh beach for a bit of food in a nice pub overlooking the beach as you do doughnuts on it! ;D And then back along the Shore road which is a great driving road with lovely straights and some great twisy bits (plus great views, a forest drive and a few castles along the way) This is a pic i took from the road on the side of the mountains on the way to Sligo from Enniskillen Down around Galway: I was looking at the rally.ie website there and it says the Killarney Rally of the lakes and the Enniskillen stages are both on at the start of May this year - there'll be plenty of MKII Escorts and a variety of Chevettes, Corolla twincams and other retro tat at those for sure. This is what you can expect in Killarney/Kerry: Here's McCrae doing it in a MKII Escort:
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Club Retro Rides Member
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saaby
Part of things
Posts: 61
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You may have noticed by now that we're all a bit motor-sport mad over ere but go a rally over here and you'll get bitten by the bug and be back for more, Lurgan park is another good event might be on around August And Rallycross in March so u may change that week for six months then you'll have most of it covered.............. ;D
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Last Edit: Jan 5, 2010 16:17:33 GMT by saaby
--- If Its Not Broke don't Fix It ---
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carmad
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,000
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car related we hide in the winter tho
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nugget
Part of things
Posts: 840
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You could time it to come over at around the same time as MM, not 100% sure of when he plans to come over but it's around then. If you want an experience of driving a rally Mk2 Scort without paying 90K for it try www.rallyschoolireland.ie/index2.cfm we went there for AFOD's birthday and enjoyed it muchly. They may even let you lose in the Quattro or 6R4i. ;D Leigh's advice is the best though, I'm sure if you come up north or if you stay for a weekend we could get a RRG Ireland. ;D
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fly to belfast
visit the ni posse
cliffs of moher
ring of kerry healey pass etc
visit that merc driving nutter in dublin.............
ulster folk and transport museum in holywood
museum of irish transport in killarney co kerry
blarney castle ;D
fly back from cork
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Last Edit: Jan 5, 2010 20:04:14 GMT by hairnet
2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
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mrj
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,662
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i have been there, it was wonderful... there is also a place with a huge rock and a rope bridge, i must go there again, i was so relaxed (well, until i had to go back over the rope bridge....) ... love the country, i must go there again..... i won't forget taking the ferry from Liverpool (wondering why there were no more tickets available - on St.Patricks Day ;D ) , we arrived in Dublin with a couple of hours delay, as most of the engines on the ferry died....
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- 1971 VW 1600 TL Fastback - 1978 Passat GLS Variant - 1980 Audi 100 5E - 1981 VW aircooled panel van (sold) - 1983 VW Jetta Mk.I - 1984 VW Polo Coupé - 1984 VW Passat hatchback - 1987 VW Passat Variant - 1987 VW Passat hatchback - 1988 VW T25
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Check out the Antrim coast road too, if you're around the north-east. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A2_road_%28Northern_Ireland%29Cliffs of Moher are a must, and the areas Leigh's talking about is class. There should be a few good shows on around May too. If you bump this topic up again in a few months, we'll be able to tell you what's coming up better.
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nugget
Part of things
Posts: 840
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^ The rope bridge is the Carrick a Reed rope bridge. Not one for people with a phobia of heights. Also when we got the Ferry from Rosslare to Pembroke on the way to RRG we could've died of boredom. 4 hours on a ferry with squealing children and nothing to do wasn't fun.
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there is also a place with a rope bridge Carrickarede rope bridge is what you're talking about
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Club Retro Rides Member
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Beat me to it Nuggs!
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Club Retro Rides Member
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Now to start off I think you should be told that Ireland is the only country in the world where you can fail your driving test then drive home after it. And continue to drive on your own having failed your driving test. Watch out for the drivers, they'll get you long before the road gets bad! Rosslare to Dublin is about 2 hours on a roundabout infested road/dual carriageway. To be honest the roads here can be fairly bad but especially around Dublin and I really wouldn't advise doing a car trip near it only if you need to pass through. The road markings and signs are terrible and it really is an all-or-nothing driving style. Sorry, have to disagree with you there. First part isn't true anymore and my experience of driving in Uk has mirrored exactly my experience here. "All-or-nothing driving style" is an exaggeration too I feel. I would agree that the road signage isn't top notch, but anyone of average intelligence and an ability to read a map will find their way easily enough.
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Sorry, have to disagree with you there. First part isn't true anymore and my experience of driving in Uk has mirrored exactly my experience here. "All-or-nothing driving style" is an exaggeration too I feel. I would agree that the road signage isn't top notch, but anyone of average intelligence and an ability to read a map will find their way easily enough. Well if we're to be precise it was never true as it was always in law that you could nor drive alone on a provisional plate but people simply did their own thing. It still is the same - take a look at any road and note the number of L drivers on their own, the number of L drivers on the motorway, then stop people and check their licences and again I think you'd be surprised - I deal with it every day and night! Anyhoo I wasn't being exact in the first place I was merely pointing out some interesting characteristics in a jovial sense ;D
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Club Retro Rides Member
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I agree with it being true for Dublin. The amount of times I've been lost there to the poor and inconsistant sign posting is quite a high proportion of the amount of times I've been there. Although if you're from Donegal, that would explain it, signs anywhere would seem class compared to there. Also, I suppose I should obviously give a plug to Derry. Visit Derry! Edit: Oops, you said you agree with the signs. Again, what I say I think holds true for the driving style though. People here if you're going to the free state always tell you to watch out for the drivers. ;D
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The Doctor
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,434
Club RR Member Number: 48
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thanks for the advice so far! Some great ideas allready! Sadly i can't do a trip later, our company shuts it's doors 2 weeks in may (and it'll cost me my overtime hours ), and i don't have enough overtime left to do it again a few months later. The rally school thing sounds nice! and i would love an RRG Ireland style! At the moment the scale tips more to driving my own Chaser, then to fly in, so i can even contribute to your guys national sport on local carparks!
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