For younger people who might be clubbing ID showing your date of birth is important (other than your passport which you might not want to carry with you on a night out clubbing) as many places if they don’t believe you are over 18, will not allow you in.

Don’t bother bringing umbrellas. For one, it might be too windy to use it and for two, they cost next to nothing in 2€ shops.

For people with kidney problems and needing dialysis, many hospitals who give it need notice of requirements quite a while prior to your arrival here so check that carefully.

And if you pack incorrectly or the weather you were expecting didn’t materialise, charity shops here are packed with very good clothing that you could buy (for very little) to carry you over and then give back at the end of your stay (washed and dried of course).

For gifts. Rather than being scared of the excess you might be charged, why not buy all your gifts for the folks back home and just before you leave, get a cardboard box from any supermarket here, pack the gifts inside with newspaper/bubble wrap or whatever, and post the box home to yourself. Saves you the bother of carting all the bits and pieces and they will all be home within a day or two of your arrival to hand out to the recepients.

And to the poster, Judy, maybe we could promote the weather in Ireland as being ideal for ladies at a certain time of life

And finally, remember take only memories, leave only footprints

In our Money Matters podcast episode (http://www.irishfireside.com/05money.htm) we mention that many banks are refusing any $100 bills that are not in the new design (some banks are refusing $100 bills altogether).

This is an important details for people traveling over with cash instead of ATM Cards or Travelers Checks.

Thanks for the heads up.

Corey

Pearl, you sound like you’re one the right track. Time of year will be a factor. If necessary, you can always pick up more clothes while you are in Ireland.

Downpours in Ireland are for the most part infrequent, but drizzle is commonplace.

30% chance of rain is hard to pin down. Could be any of the above. You will almost certainly encounter soft weather on any given day. That said, I received one of the worst sunburns of my life in May of ’97 on the day we arrived. As our hostess remarked in horror, I was “boilt.” Another B&B hostess once reminded me that the sun is always shining in Ireland; it’s just that sometimes it is shining behind the clouds. What time of year are you traveling? That can make a difference in temps and chance of rain.

I use space bags (the kind you roll up by hand) for used clothing.

One thing we do and so far it has been safe is to leave most of our stuff in the boot of the car and just pack a small duffle to take into the B&B with tonight and tomorrow’s necessities. When we stay more than one night we take everything in to repack and reorganize. Somehow we always manage to end up at the top of at least one flight of stairs.

I used to be a road warrior for work, so I have lots of clothes for traveling. I usually stick to basic black, since it goes with everything. But, be sure to bring some bright colors with you, especially if you’re traveling in the fall or winter (which are very nice times to be in Ireland).

Remember to pack as light as you can, so each piece I pack must justify its use of luggage real estate and should be able to be worn with several other pieces.

Unless you’re planning to stick to luxury accommodations and restaurants, you can keep your wardrobe quite casual. Many women suggest a colorful scarf and other accessories to “dress up” an outfit (even nice restaurants do not have strict dress codes…they may require a jacket for men, but don’t usually require a tie).

Otherwise, dress in layers…a short sleeve shirt, with a light sweater/sweatshirt/jumper (that’s an Irish term for pullover top) and a light jacket should work well for summer…a heavier jacket for winter. If the temperatures drop to require gloves and scarves, I’d purchase them there.

Comfortable shoes are a must…and remember, wet grass and sidewalks are common, so be careful of anything that might get ruined easily by water…same holds true for other clothing.

Other clothing choices will depend on the type of trip you have planned…serious hikes vs. in-town shopping, rustic sites vs. major tourist stops.

I hope this helps…maybe we can convince Fireside contributor to write us a more detailed post on the topic.

Judy – Ha! My defense is that “Wearables” deserve their own post

Thanks for the comments everybody!

Liam

Some more suggestions for carry-on luggage:
o Book or other reading material – in case I can’t sleep on the plane or the movies are of no interest.
o Gum or decongestant – if your ears are sensitive to pressure changes on the plane
o Sunglasses – keep the rain away
o Change of clothes (at minimum, underwear) – just in case luggage is waylaid
o Washcloth – since many Irish hotels don’t provide them