HOSTELS v BED-&-BREAKFASTS

And hostels had not only cooking facilities, but also sociability -- provided you choose the right hostels, as we were able to do, with the help of guide books and reviews on the internet. We quite often met people we could go to the pub with, or whom we met at the pub, or with whom we walked on a visit to an island.

REVIEWS OF HOSTELS WHERE WE STAYED

We did prior research by reading reviews of hostels on several web sites, and we carried the BUG guide, and the IHH list of some 70% of independent hostels. An Oige produces a list also, but the list we had was 4 years old and most of the hostels away from cities had closed. The BUG guide was helpful with its rating of 'Atmosphere and character' and whether it had a TV (lack of TV = good), and also simply for phone numbers. None of the printed guides were very helpful at finding the hostel, and we had to rely on signs at junctions once we got near.

Our research paid off, because all the hostels we stayed in were very good. The following reviews are relative to the BUG guide comments.

KILKENNY TOURIST HOSTEL

The BUG guide is spot-on. The kitchen was a bit crowded and a little dark, but the guests were all tolerant and the staff friendly and easy-going. The only possible criticism might be that the kitchen and common room are closed by 11pm, but one guest praised this as it avoided disturbance in the dorm above.

CASHEL: O'BRIEN'S FARM HOUSE HOSTEL

This farmhouse has recently been turned into a high-class hostel, modern and spanking clean. It is in a pleasant country location with a fine view of a ruined Abbey, and a short walk (but along a very busy road) to the uninspiring town and the ruined cathedral on the massive Rock of Cashel. There is an excellent well-equipped kitchen/dining/lounge, with a small TV at the end which fortunately was kept low. It has excellent private rooms, relatively expensive but high quality and ensuite. We had just two niggles: there were no small pans, but the owner agreed and said he would get some. And we had one set of keys for two of us, which is fine for our room, but not when the room and the social areas are both beyond self-locking outside doors. This was a real pain unless we (against regulations) fixed the doors open. The owners lived in the adjacent building and were helpful.

SCHULL: SCHULL BACKPACKERS' LODGE

This excellent homely hostel is up a side road so it is quiet and has good parking. It has a large bright well-equipped kitchen and a cheerful dining/common room where it's easy to meet everyone. There's a separate small TV room. The staff are not often seen but they are available quickly and helpful when needed. It is very clean, there's internet facilities, a good laundry and outside drying line but the showers are temperamental, and it deserves some maintenance to maintain its quality.

SKELLIG HOSTEL

This very well-appointed hostel lies in the ultra-scattered village of Ballinskelligs, with some excellent views and near the ferry to the Skellig islands. The superbly-fitted rooms are accessed from outdoors in several separate blocks so it is rather motel-like, but much better than a motel because it has a sociable dining room, very good kitchen and a good TV lounge. Fortunately there were no key problems as the outer doors are kept unlocked. We saw the staff for 5 minutes at check-in. Many things are superb but a number of small things could be improved. We contacted the owner and she promised to take account of our suggestions.

DINGLE: RAINBOW HOSTEL

This is an excellent hostel for sociability, but it was disappointing in some ways. 'Just outside Dingle' is actually a 20-minute walk, some of it along an unlit road without sidewalks. The kitchen is well-equipped and there are large tables giving opportunities to chat, but the room was a little dark (partly because of the dull wet weather), giving a slightly depressive feel. The hostel has suffered an unfortunate underfloor water leak, causing the 'shiny polished floors' (which are actually wood-effect lino) in the hallways to break up into a permanently wet mess. A substantial repair is planned as soon as the season is over. The staff kept to themselves, though were very helpful when asked. My biggest annoyance was that the gas was off in the morning and we could not cook or heat anything (just kettles and toasters were working); the manager said that they turn it off at midnight for safety, which is fine, but it's not reasonable for it to stay off without any notice until the staff arrive after 9am. (On our second morning, I knew where to turn it on again!) I hope they make a successful repair and improve the maintenance a bit, as this is nearly an excellent hostel.

AILLE RIVER HOSTEL, DOOLIN

Quite simply, I can't fault it.

GALWAY: SALMON WEIR HOSTEL

I was pleased to find that this legendary hostel still has its unique friendly atmosphere. It felt like home within hours, even though I had previously been there for only 2 days, 5 years ago. The guests are notably tolerant, as they have to be in the confined space, but the friendly family atmosphere is great, helped by the notice which says: no TV before 9pm. Our double room comprised a very comfortable double bed, floorspace and hooks (and who needs more than that?), and the other dorm I saw (where I stayed 5 years ago) looked clean and spacious. The comments in the previous reviews make no sense to me, although the reviewers might have stayed in the cheaper more crowded room known as 'the Swamp' where some of the long-stay guests reside, and which perhaps gets congested and odourful. However the hostel is not as well-maintained as it was 5 years ago, with several showers out of order. The staff are cheerful and always around.

AN OIGE (HI) HOSTELS

We planned to stay in a number of these, and had a list from about 4 years ago. We tried 3 of these hostels (2 by turning up, 1 by phoning) and found they did not exist. We were then told that An Oige closed 8 hostels this very year. It seems they have, even more than other HI organisations, reduced their network to a skeleton, covering cities and tourist centres and a very small number of country hostels. To all intents and purposes, they are like other HI organisations, just another accommodation provider.

Diary day-by-day (First week)
Diary day-by-day (Second week)
Where we stayed
The people we met
Traditional music
About Ireland

IRELAND TRIP HOME PAGE