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Rating: 
Summary: Light and Travel-Friendly
Review: During my six-month stay in Ireland, I found this to be a sufficient guide. Plus, it is pretty light and easy to carry in a full backpack. However, I found that other guides were more descriptive and accurate, so it really was used as a companion guide. Go to a restaurant or pub it recommends and ask about lodging, entertainment, etc. The people there usually will help you quite a bit, plus you find out more info than can ever be put into a book.
Rating: 
Summary: Older But Worth the Read
Review: Got this item off a Bargain shelf but I wished I had bought it before...I love the straight forward style of writing the authors use for this travel guide. They seem to really know about the places they talk about and are upfront and honest with their ratings. You really feel that they've "been there, done that" unlike many other travel books which are so stertile you wonder if the author has been out of his own country, ever. Up Close Ireland starts out with the basics: how to get there by plane or boat, how to get around once you are there, what you need to get into the country, where to look for visitor information, etc. Then it breaks down the country into it's main sections -- Dublin and Environs, Midlands, Southeast, Southwest, West, Northwest and Northern Ireland. In each section you read about the main cities, you'll find a small map of said cities and/or the general area, places to stay, places to eat and what's worth seeing in the area.
Due to the print date of this book, many of the food places, especially in Dublin, and possibly some B&Bs may be gone or changed but I still plan on using this guide when I visit Ireland in a few month's time. After all, the main sights to see in Ireland have been around for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years and are unlikely to have changed drastically in the last few. Cost of everything is printed in Irish pounds (the Republic of Ireland is now all Euro) but the equalization of the American dollar and the Euro should offset most of the differences -- the pound was once worth more than the dollar. The book ends with an At A Glance Chronology, a list of Irish family names and where to find them within the country and relevant Irish books and videos available.
I give this item four out of five stars only due to it's age. I truly wish Fodor's would replace or update this Up Close guide for Ireland. Personally, I am using it as part information gathering, part entertainment until it gets closer to my vacation dates.
Rating:
Summary: Older But Worth the Read
Review: Got this item off a Bargain shelf but I wished I had bought it before... I love the straight forward style of writing the authors use for this travel guide. They seem to really know about the places they talk about and are upfront and honest with their ratings. You really feel that they've "been there, done that" unlike many other travel books which are so stertile you wonder if the author has been out of his own country, ever. Up Close Ireland starts out with the basics: how to get there by plane or boat, how to get around once you are there, what you need to get into the country, where to look for visitor information, etc. Then it breaks down the country into it's main sections -- Dublin and Environs, Midlands, Southeast, Southwest, West, Northwest and Northern Ireland. In each section you read about the main cities, you'll find a small map of said cities and/or the general area, places to stay, places to eat and what's worth seeing in the area.
Due to the print date of this book, many of the food places, especially in Dublin, and possibly some B&Bs may be gone or changed but I still plan on using this guide when I visit Ireland in a few month's time. After all, the main sights to see in Ireland have been around for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years and are unlikely to have changed drastically in the last few. Cost of everything is printed in Irish pounds (the Republic of Ireland is now all Euro) but the equalization of the American dollar and the Euro should offset most of the differences -- the pound was once worth more than the dollar. The book ends with an At A Glance Chronology, a list of Irish family names and where to find them within the country and relevant Irish books and videos available.
I give this item four out of five stars only due to it's age. I truly wish Fodor's would replace or update this Up Close guide for Ireland. Personally, I am using it as part information gathering, part entertainment until it gets closer to my vacation dates.
Rating:
Summary: Light and Travel-Friendly
Review: I recently went to ireland and brought with me this book. Throughout my three week trip, I constantly used this book to find good places to stay, eat, do my laundry and of course drink. All the places it suggest are there not like in other travel books you go there and the place has been closed for years.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding and very up to date information
Review: I recently went to ireland and brought with me this book. Throughout my three week trip, I constantly used this book to find good places to stay, eat, do my laundry and of course drink. All the places it suggest are there not like in other travel books you go there and the place has been closed for years.
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