Hi Joyce, Wish we were going along :-) My husband and I just returned in June. Had a fantastic time !! My message below..... Joyce wrote >Dear Longford Listers - coming to Ireland October 2000. >Also, we arive in Dublin around 2:30 pm. Is it reasonable to assume we can >rent a car and get to Longford the same afternoon. Would we be better to say >in Dublin or close proximity and then start out?? > >Any recommended spots in Dublin area or Longford? Joyce, .... If you plan to drive, you do have more options than we did. We became quite intimidated by driving on left side of road in England, long before we got to Ireland. We went from Dublin to Longford Town, county seat of Longford County, by train. Cost was about $30.00 (as opposed to $100.00 per day car rental). Train trip took about 3/4 hours. Train station is about 4/5 blocks from Longford Arms Hotel. A very lovely Hotel !! It runs about $100.00 a day including a large breakfast. Has a dinning room but also has a famous "Coffee Dock" snack shop which has quite reasonable and large portion meals and very friendly staff. Would go back tomorrow and probably will return in a year or two. Went by taxi (cost about $80.00) for an afternoon to Clonmacnoise. Want to spend more time there next time. Can give more advice if you contact me privately. If not HAVE A GREAT TRIP. Carol Ann Claffey Mounts in Washington PA USA