Travel Tips for Ireland

Joel: So, if I go to Ireland, what kind of food do you recommend that I eat?

Ruth: The nicest things are probably Irish stew, which is made with lamb and also it's quite famous for it's seafood. Every year in Galway, there's an oyster festival.

Joel: Oysters are big

Ruth: Oysters are quite popular.

Joel: And you already mentioned Guinness. Does every one drink Guinness or are there other big

Ruth: No, Guiness isn't drunk that much my young people, more by older people who drink it, and also Irish coffee is really nice. It's like coffee with sugar and whisky in it and cream that floats on the top.

Joel: Really, people drink that in the morning?

Ruth: No.

Joel: No.

Ruth: More as a dessert, after your dinner, as a dessert.

Joel: And just for places to travel around Ireland, what are the big sightseeing places.

Ruth: If you're in the city, there's a lot of shopping. There's also Trinity College, which is the oldest college in Dublin that has a book called The Book of Kells which is a really old book that was handdrawn by monks in Ireland that's really beautiful. There's also a place called Newgrange in Kildare which is an old burial site and on the shortest day of the year it is built in such a way that the sunshines directly through the door and into the very center of the chamber. Other than that. If you want nightlife the best place to go is probably Galway. Galway is really popular.

Joel: Galway! I would have thought Dublin.

Ruth: Dublin is popular but it's quite expensive and a lot of people, if they want a weekend away from Dublin will go to Galway.

Joel: Actually, from say London, what is the best way to get to Galway or to get to Dublin?

Ruth: To get to Dublin, flight is the best way, but you can probably get a return ticket if you book in advance for maybe the equivalent of 6,000 (Yen) return and it only takes fifty minutes.

Joel: OK.

Ruth: To get to Galway, probably from Dublin you can get the train. The train is probably the easiest way, but it does take a few hours.

Joel: And then in the cities themselves, is there a good train system, or does everyone drive a car?

Ruth: In Dublin city there is a train to the suburbs but often it's delayed or, you know, not on time. It's pretty bad, and can be a bit expensive and also the intercity trains can be quite expensive. A lot of people have cars but if you live in the city, because there's so much traffic it can be quite hard getting around in a car and sometimes it's better to wait for the bus.

Joel: Oh, I see. I think I'm gonna need some help when I go out there.

Ruth: Probably if you're visiting, yeah.