Taking first trip to Dublin, need ideas...
Ann Wilcox
We would like to get some ideas of what places to see and what places aren't worth the time and effort with a limited time frame. Does anyone have advice on what places should definitely not be missed?
Also need some basic information on changing the dollar into Euros, is it better to do it here or over there? I'm sure there are other things that we should know, hope you can give us some ideas.
Thanks,
Ann
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Colin Ferguson
Based on my experience I'd say don't rent a car. Its difficult enough to
drive on the other side of the road but in Dublin it is compounded by
the urban traffic and rapidly changing unfamiliar surroundings. Further
parking is difficult and expensive.
Public transport from the airport and in the city is readily available.
--
Cheers,
Colin Ferguson
Clive Sollish
Colin’s advice is sound – don’t even think of renting a car. Driving and parking are horrendous and public transport (buses, trams light railway) are generally good. If you can afford it travel around town by day by public transport but get back to your place quickly at night by taxi – they are not too expensive and distances are not great. You will find Europe very expensive and if you haven’t already got enough reasons this is another reason to curse George W. for the horrendous deficit he has built.
Do visit the National Library and National Archives – both now have free genealogical consultations from professionals. But my advice would be to limit your research to answering a couple of queries. You haven’t really got a lot of time and you know how frustrating research can be. Instead get out and follow your general interests whatever they are and soak up the city. Get out of Dublin for a day or two – to somewhere connected to your family if you can – and walk, walk, walk. Remember that however difficult you can always do the research from a distance but you cannot experience the country and you will need memories to inspire and inform the future grind.
Clive Sollish.
cecilia
>[...]
>Public transport from the airport and in the city is readily available.
3 years ago, the cost of a day ticket for the buses (including between
the airport and the city centre) was the same as the cost of a single
journey from the airport.
John Malone
As a resident near Dublin who has visited the National Archives a few times,
my advice is that it will take A LOT of time to do any research in the
Archives. It really will be a waste of time going to the Archives unless you
have already done the research from other sources and have a list of the
documents you want to view.
My experience is that the county genealogical services (I used Kildare
www.kildare.ie/genealogy) will for a SMALL fee search their databases and
supply a list of births, marriages, census, Griffiths Valuation records, and
Tithe records. They then charge a LARGE fee to get the actual records - but
you can get to see the records for free in the Archives.
So use the county genealogical service online first before you go.
By the way the Archives dont have the Birth/Marriage/Death records for RC
parishes - you need to go to the National Library to see these.
Study the National Archive & National Library web sites before you go.
Good luck
John
""Ann Wilcox"" <annw...@mybluelight.com> wrote in message
news:2005010517471...@reinhold.synacor.com...
Sharon Carberry
National Gallery is not to be missed. See:
http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/ArtsandCulture/DublinCityArea/NationalGalle
ryofIrelandDublin/
Try walking around the area, too, to see the architecture, parks, and
people. In fact, I walk everywhere in Dublin and have never taken
a bus or taxi. I did some driving at one point but not enough to get
annoyed because I turned the rental car in after seeing how compact
the central area is. After driving in New York City and Boston, I had no
particular problem negotiating Dublin streets.
Sharon Carberry
Georgia USA
Moira Forde
getting orientated! All the research places we wanted to visit were closed
anyway, so it was no loss of research time.
On the advice of our guide book, we caught a bus that does a route or tour
round Dublin - we had bought the tickets at the Tourist Information desk at
the airport straight after we landed; the tour stopped at all the main
sights of interest and you can get off or stay on the bus as you please. We
got off at various museums and galleries, and to have lunch, and then were
able to get back on the next tour bus that came along with the same ticket.
It was brilliant and gave us a mental map of where all the places like the
libraries and archives were in relation to each other for later in the week.
We had a good street map with the normal bus routes marked on it (also from
the tourist office) and followed our route on the map so that we'd know it
again, and which buses to catch. We also bought a one week bus pass at a
significant reduction on what the individual fares would have added up to
which we then used all week.
We had booked into a B&B that was on the bus route into town, and so were
able to get a bus to the centre every morning and back again in the evening.
I spent a whole day at the GRO (Joyce House) another at the National Library
and one out in the suburbs at the C of I headquarters. My friend would go
off to museums and galleries in the afternoons and we'd meet to go back in
the evening.
I didn't manage to get nearly as much information as I had hoped - if you
are looking, for example, at a microfilm of a parish register it can take a
while to establish the correct film number you need. Then you have to book a
reader, and order the film. Then you get it onto the machine, and start
reading the register - an image of 18th century handwriting that may be very
difficult to decipher. It can easily take all day. It helps a lot too if you
can narrow it down to just specific dates and names you are looking for so
that you can 'fast forward'. In my case I was looking for all instances of a
surname in a particular parish which meant I had to read every page. One
register took me a whole day - but I found three generations of the family,
so it was well worth it.
At the GRO you have to have very specific questions that you want answered
or you will end up wasting time browsing, and lugging index books backwards
and forwards. Like 'when was Jim Casey married in Leitrim between 1894 and
1897' means you waste less time than if you wrote 'look for Jim Casey's
marriage' and when you get there you can't remember the rough dates or
location and you end up looking at all marriages in all of Ireland in all of
the 1890s ... and while you have the 1895 register for the second quarter
check if you will need it again for another question on another surname down
your list later in the day!
I had found a lot of advice on the internet by using Google and typing in
'family history research in Dublin' and similar search terms. There's a lot
of help and advice already out there.
So go prepared! and if you have time before hand buy John Grisham's
invaluable book 'Tracing your Irish ancestors' which will tell you what is
available and where, and you won't waste time looking for stuff that was
burned in 1922, or pulped before WW1, or is in the parish 200 miles away!
Good luck,
Moira
> ______________________________
Peg Sullivan
Visit the pubs at night and meet
the locals. Find a pub with Irish
music. It is all great fun.
Walk, walk, walk. Visit with the
people you meet. They are all
very friendly.
Don't go to the usual tourist
places. Explore - take a bus
away from Dublin for a day.
Inquire at the tourist board for
day trips. It will be worth your
while.
Slainte, Peg
Sharon Carberry
you on the how-to book, I hasten to add that the author is John
Grenham. The other author is an American novelist, whose books are
also well-loved.
Sharon Carberry
Georgia USA
Moira Forde
Of course it is John Grenham not John Grisham. Grisham is the guy who writes
the best selling lawyer novels, isn't he? Probably much richer than John
Grenham, but not nearly so useful in doing research in Dublin, eh? :))
Now where is 'The King of Torts'?
best wishes,
Moira
Christchurch, Dorset, England
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sharon Carberry [mailto:smc...@yahoo.com]
> Sent: 07 January 2005 11:06
> To: GENI...@rootsweb.com
> Subject: Re: Taking first trip to Dublin, need ideas...
>
>
> ______________________________
michael kenefick
It may be to late for this suggestion but... Do you get PBS? Have you ever seen the travel show hosted by Rick Steves. He has several episodes of Ireland and at least one devoted to Dublin (and the day trips others have
mentioned). Maybe a local library has the series for viewing? Maybe the local PBS will permit a "private" screening? I know the episodes are available for sale (see the end of one of the shows). Maybe priority over night them
to get it in time! Mike
Joe Pessarra
""Ann Wilcox"" <annw...@mybluelight.com> wrote in message
news:2005010517471...@reinhold.synacor.com...
advice from any of you who have been there. We know that the Achives are
there, and intend to spend some time, (with any luck!), tracking people
down.
We were in Dublin in June, 2002. We spent four days. Brief recap of our
stay. Had some good drinks at the Hotel Shelbourne. Good evening meal at
Coopers. Took a Dublin bus Tour. This is one you can get off and back on
at quite a few stops. Shopped at St. Stephen's Green. Visited Trinity
College, and the museum there that contains the Book of Kells, a masterpiece
of Western art, and a symbol of Irish nationalism. Had an evening meal at
Ar Vicolletto, and Italian restaurant. From there it was an easy walk to
the Abbey Theatre for a comedy play, "That Was Then". Took a historical
walking tour of Dublin, starting at Trinity College, going by the Irish
Parliament House, then to the Temple Bar area, then to the Daniel O'Connell
statue, Dublin Corporation Building (built on top of the original Viking
settlement), and ending up at Christchurch Cathedral. My notes show a Web
site of http://www.historicalinsights.ie for this tour. We had a very
knowledgeable guide. We had dinner at La Stampa. The food there was fairly
expensive, and not really that good. Took a taxi to Dublinia at
Christchurch Cathedral. This is an exhibition of medieval Dublin. It was
quite well depicted; an excellent exhibit.
Have a great time in Dublin.
--
Joe in Georgetown, Texas, USA
Return address is bogus.
Use joepe...@cox.net
to respond directly.
siabair ~^~
> Took a taxi to Dublinia
> at Christchurch Cathedral. This is an exhibition of medieval Dublin.
> It was quite well depicted; an excellent exhibit.
It is very average compared to other 'interpretive centres' I have been. It
also completely ignored the Vikings and Gaels, giving visitors the
misleading impression that Dublin did not exist prior to the arrival of the
Anglo-Normans and leaving me wondering if there was some hidden agenda.
--
SIABAIR (Old Irish) /shabba/ 'ghost', 'phantom', 'spectre'
cecilia
>My cousin and I will be headed for Dublin in two weeks
>and would like some advice from any of
>you who have been there. [...]
1. If going to the GRO - get there early. By about 10:30 the queues
for getting/handing in index volumes may be noticeable.
2. You probably have (more comfortable) accommodation booked, but those
looking for economy might consider Marlborough Hostel
http://reservations.bookhostels.com/guideforeurope.com/hostel.php?HostelNumber=115
I stayed a night in 2001, and found it fine (apart from the passion all
the others had for fresh air, i.e. open windows - of course, it may have
changed) and easy walking to everywhere I wanted to go.
Trish
""Ann Wilcox"" <annw...@mybluelight.com> wrote in message
news:2005010517471...@reinhold.synacor.com...
> Also need some basic information on changing the dollar into Euros, is it
> better to do it here or over there? I'm sure there are other things that
> we should know, hope you can give us some ideas.
The best way to change money is to use your ATM card (as long as it is part
of the Cirrus network or similar) in whatever country you are visiting.
You will get the current official exchange rate, though any additional fees
may depend on your own bank. It is worth checking things out with them
before you go.
Whatever you do, DON'T bring traveller's cheques.
--
Trish
Dublin, Ireland