If you're looking for somewhere new -- in search of the Great Irish Destination for 2004 -- point your compass north. Should you be the outdoorsy type and crave unspoiled wilderness and pubs that feature excellent traditional music, head to the Inishowen Peninsula, in County Donegal; if you're yearning for a healthy dose of culture, head to the historic walls of Derry City, County Derry, in Northern Ireland. Both are destined to be huge tourist haunts, so go now, before the word gets out. Of course, Ireland's major tourist destinations -- Dublin, Cork, Connemara, the Ring of Kerry, and so on -- deserve your attention as well. And, though its hospitality remains constant, Ireland is always in a constant state of flux. Here are some of the more notable developments for the year.
Up In Smoke
A major development that affects both Irish residents and visitors alike is the introduction of much stricter nonsmoking laws. The most controversial is the total ban on smoking in pubs, which will be imposed in early 2004. Only about a third of Irish adults smoke, but there has historically been a strong smoking culture in Irish pubs. And since the law is to be self-enforced by publicans themselves, it remains to be seen how closely the letter of the law will be followed.
Planning An Affordable Trip
No doubt the biggest practical change returning travelers to Ireland will notice in 2004 is that the country has become a more expensive place. In fact, a recent consumer pricing report determined that Ireland has become the most expensive country in Europe, overtaking Finland. Whether you blame it on inflation, tax hikes, the changeover from the punt to the euro (which took place in 2002), or greed on the part of businesses, the bottom line is that travelers have to work harder to keep costs under control.
The year 2003 was yet another dismal one for Ireland's tourist industry. After being hit in summer 2001 by the foot-and-mouth epidemic that afflicted Britain and other European countries, the tragedy of September 11, 2001, made many travelers even more skittish about voyaging abroad. And last year, fears of traveling amid the SARS virus outbreak did little to stimulate this flagging industry.
One welcome trend is the popularity of fixed-price meals at restaurants all over Ireland. You can save substantially on your meals if you choose the "early-bird" and "pretheater" dinner menus, or from a variety of other multicourse fixed menus. Other thrifty strategies include visiting more expensive restaurants for lunch (more and more are offering fixed-price menus) and going for "pub grub" at dinnertime.
If you're going to be doing a lot of sightseeing, buy a Heritage Card, which gives you unlimited access for a year to 65 heritage sites across Ireland. You can buy the card online (www.heritageireland.ie) or upon your arrival at any of the participating sites. Over the course of a week of sightseeing, the card will pay for itself several times.
Another cost-saving tip: Consider foregoing hotels in favor of short-term, self-catered accommodations. And there's no better time to go, since the Irish Landmark Trust (ILT, tel. 01/670-4733; www.irishlandmark.com) keeps adding wonderful new properties to its impressive stable (and will have added even more by the time you're reading this). We continue to sing the praises of this organization, whose mission is to rescue historic but neglected properties all over the island and restore them into fabulous hideaways, complete with period furnishings. When Ireland's lighthouses were automated in the late 1970s and early 1980s, most of the lightkeepers' houses were left unattended. The ILT has recently bought and restored several properties, including the Galley Head Lightkeeper's House, in County Cork (tel. 353/1/670-4733; www.irishlandmark.com) and the Loop Head Lightkeeper's House, in County Clare (tel. 01/670-4733; info@irishlandmark.com), and turned them into stunning getaways with spectacular views. An added bonus: As a not-for-profit institution, the ILT's prices are hard to beat.
Tracing Your Irish Roots
A brand-new, excellent genealogy resource covering all 32 counties on the island is the Irish Family History Foundation's new Internet site at www.irishroots.net. Much of the archived information is free for your perusal, and you can also hire researchers to do the work for you. Initial searches cost €75 ($81) and comprehensive family searches cost €250 ($268).
Dublin
Dining
Though eating out has gotten more expensive in recent years, there are still some Dublin restaurants offering exceptional bang for your buck. Our favorite affordable eateries include Mimo Cafe, (tel. 01/679-4160) the superlative vegetarian restaurant Juice, (tel. 01-475-7856) and Aya @ Brown Thomas's (tel. 01/677-1544) conveyor-belt sushi bar. They all prove that you don't have to sacrifice taste and trendiness when you want to save money.
Getting Around
The newest addition to Dublin's public transportation network -- the sleek light-rail tram known as LUAS -- is due for completion in mid-2004. Traveling at a maximum speed of 70kmph (45 mph) and departing every 5 minutes in peak hours, LUAS aims to appease Dublin's congestion problems and bring the city's transportation into the 21st century. Three lines will link the city center at Connolly Station and St. Stephen's Green with the suburbs of Tallaght in the southwest and Dundrum and Sandyford to the south. For further information, contact LUAS (tel. 01/703-2029; www.luas.ie).
Shopping
Hoping to bring home some chic souvenirs? The hippest new shopping destination is the up-and-coming Old City neighborhood, just west of Temple Bar. The area is centered on the pedestrianized Cow's Lane and is particularly good for fashion and smart, craft-based housewares. On weekends, there is a clothing and craft market set up in the district, accentuating the bohemian feel.
Dublin Nights
Dublin's Temple Bar district continues to reign as the city's party hub; for the latest information on events visit www.temple-bar.ie.
County Wicklow
A new visitor center at Glendalough (tel. 0404/45325 or 0404/45352), County Wicklow's most famous set of ruins, features exhibits on the archaeology, history, folklore, and wildlife of the area.
County Tipperary
Tipperary is superb country for hiking, especially in the Galtee Mountains and the Comeraghs. One of our readers' favorite hosts, Kevin O'Donnell of Kilmaneen Farmhouse, in Newcastle (tel./fax 052/36231; www.kilmaneen.com) is trained in mountaineering and leads many hiking and walking tours in the area.
Counties Clare & County Mayo
Scattery Island in the Shannon Estuary is the site of 6th century monastic settlement, still thought of as a holy place. Since 2002, the Scattery Island Information Centre (tel. 065/905-2144) on the mainland, in Kilkee, has offered guided tours of the island -- call ahead to ask if the tours have started for the season.
A few short years ago, the Museum of Ireland opened a new branch in County Mayo (www.museumsofmayo.com), it's first location outside Dublin. The Museum of Country Life is in Turlough, just outside Castlebar (tel. 353/94/903-1773; tpark@museum.ie), set on the grounds of a grand 19th-century manor house. The exhibits present a story of rural life in Ireland told through everyday objects; admission to the museum is free.
Galway City
The most artsy of Irish cities, Galway City continues to steal our readers' hearts, and two new hotels give them added reason to visit this year. The Harbour Hotel (tel. 44/161/831-3800; www.harbour.ie/rooms.htm) and Jurys Inn Galway (tel. 353/91/566-444 or 800/742-6081) are two of our favorite good-value places to stay in the city, and each has stellar locations in the medieval quarter.
County Sligo
Sadly, the marvelous Lissadell House on the shores of Sligo Bay, one of W. B. Yeats's old haunts, has been sold and turned into a private residence, and no longer offers public visits. But, happily, there are plenty of other reasons to visit. Sligo Town is in the midst of a major renaissance. Roughly half to two-thirds of the town center has been refurbished in the past decade. For the best look at this radical rejuvenation, check out Sligo's "Left Bank," where cafes and restaurants spill their tables onto the waterfront promenade whenever weather permits.
County Antrim
The famed Giant's Causeway, a World Heritage Site, is a natural rock formation that's often called the eighth wonder of the world. It consists of roughly 40,000 tightly packed basalt columns that extend for 4.8km (3 miles) along the coast. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Happily, there's a new Giant's Causeway Visitors Centre (tel. 028/2073-1582; www.northantrim.com/giantscauseway.htm)to replace the one that tragically burned to the ground in 2000.