Last spring I requested advice on making a research trip to Ireland (County Tipperary). THANKS to all who responded. In that it served as a mini family reunion of two retired couples (one from Australia) and a working couple, it resulted in a high season tourist and research coordination challenge. This message, Part 1 of 3, is intended to cover the physical trip. Part 2 will address the research effort. Part 3 provides background on the families I am researching. My more recent/normal mode of travel has been Military Space A(vailable). Lessons learned from that were very helpful on this trip. Pack light (7 days max). Pack small (carry-on bag in overhead and soft bag at feet). Dress in layers. A cold wind will blow and you will get rained on, even in July. Bring a poncho/umbrella. Trying to schedule three couples is worst than herding cats. At current exchange rates (July 2011) London and Ireland are EXPENSIVE. Expect to pay big US city prices multiplied by the county's exchange rate. Recommend that you eat your main meal mid-day. Go light in the evening. Be prepared to WALK. Plan on flight delays if travelling through major US hub airports. If the objective was Irish research, why London? The working couple had not traveled in Europe before. The Aussie couple had lived in London at one time and made excellent guides. This was our second trip to London and Ireland (First trip, April 2008, with our married children). Lodging. Research on the internet for type, price and location. After you have narrowed it down to a few, recommend you call direct to see if there are any "changes" that will help in your decision. Some may even negotiate a better price if you book direct. A/C is limited. When a washer/dryer is included don't count on things getting dry. Could it be that the dryers don't have an outside vent? Use 'Street View' in Google Maps to check out the neighborhood. In London, recommend you locate within a few blocks of a Tube (subway) station. We purchased a seven day OYSTER Pass. It paid for itself on trip in from Heathrow (verses taxi). Large suitcases are a hassle on the tube, even with the upgrading of the escalators. Look for corner grocery stores for breakfast foods, fresh fruits, drinks, etc. In Dublin, Dublin 1 Apartments, Abbey St, one block from the Halfpenny Bridge. Dated, with a few issues, but adequate. Good access to Temple Bar, historical sites, museums and research facilities. Also Ripley Court Hotel, Talbot St. One block from Bus Terminal (for bus to Ferry Port). It appears as if nothing opens in Dublin, to include coffee shops, until 9 AM. Roscrea. Rackethall Country House was outstanding. Upgrade to include breakfast. It was worth it! Their lunch buffet is good also. Transportation. London. Oyster, Oyster, Oyster. Tube, Tube, Tube. It also is good on buses. Don't forget to return the card for refund of deposit at the end of your trip. To Dublin. Irish Rail - Ferry. Reserve your seat on the rail portion as it can be crowded/overbooked. The trip takes most of the day, but it gives you a great view of the country side. Even saw sheep grazing on a golf course, to include on the greens. Be aware/prepared for rough seas that can cause delay/cancellation of ferry crossing. In Dublin. Good public transportation or walk, walk, walk. Touring, with Roscrea as a base. We elected to rent a 9 pax van. Smart move if you can stand white knuckles on the old/narrow/back roads. The recent upgrades to the main highways (Dublin Loop and to Roscrea) were a welcome improvement. We were fortunate that we had an Aussie driver. The yanks worked the GPS (another smart move) and/or held our breath with each approaching vehicle. Our next trip may be a little more challenging in that the rental company initially would not rent the van to anyone over 70. A request to the home office waved it to 75. Roscrea. Walkable. Touring. Plan on at least a half a day, after admittance, for each attraction. London. There is so much to do here that you need to set your own priorities. A few things that we did not see/do on our last trip are: Take the (free) guided walking tour of the Tower of London. In particular, the presentation of the Crown Jewels is impressive; Walk the London Bridge, from the Monument to Southwark Cathedral, Clink Prison, Shakespeare's Globe and the Millenium Bridge. Relax at the Old Thameside Pub; The Temple Church (if your are interested in the Knights Templar); Take in a show on the East End. We saw 'The Million Dollar Quartet'. Awesome. Would go to see again; Westminster Abbey. Use the self guided audio tour. See if you can find the marker for the 152 year old man; Attend a service (free) at St. Paul's Cathedral. Had hoped to eat at the food court at Harrods, but it was undergoing restoration. Ended up at a great little Lebenese shop (Al Arez) across the street. Spend some time in the front seats on the top of a double deck bus. Enjoy the pub's. Dublin. Again, more than enough to do so set your own priorities, just don't expect to get anything done before 9 AM. Try to visit the Books of Kell at a time when the crowd is at a minimum. Space at each exhibit can be limited and acoustics are not the best. The National Archaeology Museum, across the courtyard from the National Library, is well worth a visit. Try the Duke Pub for lunch. Two 'restored churches' are worth the visit; the Church Bar and Grill and the Dublin Visitor's Center. Recommend the train/rail ride to Howth, a quaint fishing village. Several cute shops and restaurants. Check out the Cock Pub just above the old church/graveyard. Mid-Ireland, however you define it. Boyne Valley/Newgrange. Prehistoric tomb. How did they move the stones to build it??? Blarney Castle. Even if you don't have Irish Roots you need to kiss the Stone. If you are Irish, take the side trip to Cork and tour the Jameson Distillery. Volunteer to be a taster. Be generous and let others in your party get a sip from each sample. Our trip to the Cliffs of Moher was made even more interesting by heading north out of Roscrea to Birr and then heading west. From the back seat of the van one would think you were going years and years back in time. The two lane roads got progressively narrower; the shoulders disappearing; the hedges/stone fences denser and higher and, in places, the center stripe disappeared. In the front seat, the GPS was invaluable (helps in keeping your head down so you didn't have to look at the on-coming traffic). A Texaco gas station's two pumps were in the sidewalk, causing the van to sit in the on-coming traffic lane. It was hard to imagine that this is the normal, day to day, driving conditions in much of Ireland. Loved it. The Cliffs were a disappointment, because of the weather. Heavy mist and strong, cold winds. The only way to get a good picture was to take pictures of the slide shows in the visitors center. Never the less, the Cliffs were memorable. A short drive to Spanish Point brought us to the Armada Hotel and an excellent buffet lunch. While planing our trip we were highly disappointed on the lack of information in popular Tourist Guides on sights to visit in County Tipperary and vicinity. Roscrea, despite its rich religious heritage and the presence of the Damer House Heritage Center, is hardly even mentioned. It, in turn, is not tourism oriented. There is an excellent map of the area posted outside the Damer House. When I inquired as to where I might get a copy, I was told that it was not available as it was "out of print". There are also signs for the Roscrea Heritage Trail. Unfortunately, I was also unable to locate a map of the Trail. We day-toured out of Killarney on our 2008 trip. The Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry are a tourist's shopping haven. Not so Roscrea. No shirts, hats or mementos with a Roscrea/Tipperary theme to be found (except for a ball and marker at the golf course). None the less, it was a great town to walk and the people most friendly and helpful in our research efforts. The St. Cronan churches, Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic, were awesome. The RC sanctuary was undergoing renovation. We look forward to seeing it again when it is completed. Had my first pint of Guinness at O'Rourke's Pub on Rosemary Square. It does taste better in Ireland. Also had an excellent dinner at the White House Inn. Bourney. Cournaganeen/Gortneskehy/Gortderryboy/Derrymore. The drive down the single lane farm roads through these townlands challenged the imagination as to the conditions that our ancestors faced as they fought to live in the mid 1800's. The ruins of the old church at Cournaganeen were especially nostalgic. The commemoration stained glass windows in the new Church identified many current family names that can be found in the earliest Church records. The small communities shown on the Griffiths Valuation now exist only as large open fields. The road to Derrymore turned into a gravel path that lead to a working peat field. The piles of drying bricks being loaded into the trunk of cars were a reminder that it continues to be as much a staple as it was when our g-g grandfathers worked the fields of Roscrea and Bourney. Templemore. One of the highlights of our trip was a visit with cousin (3rd), Tess, and her husband Tim, in their home (more in Part 2). Their recollections of growing up in the vicinity/Couraganeen Church has given added depth to our family background. The evening was capped off with an exceptional dinner at Murphys Pub in downtown Templemore. You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your head.