Rating: 
Summary: Nice photos.
Review: Really a great guide to help you sort out what type of attractions you want to explore since it included so many nice photos of the various attractions. I agree with other reviewers that you certainly need a detailed road map to travel across Ireland, but this book was used to plot out our travel plans from start to finish. The survival section was a nice primer to read before the trip, since it discussed what to expect in terms of basic needs. Really a great guide.
Rating: 
Summary: The Only Book You Need to Bring from Home
Review: The Eyewitness Guides are the best! There're easy to read, have very good reviews of the sights and are easy to pack. Buy it before you go so you can spend some time getting familiar with the places you're going to see. When you arrive in Ireland buy a guide to B&Bs and a map at the tourist information center. That's all you'll you need for a great trip!
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Summary: What I did over summer vacation. . .
Review: The following is a true story. The only proof I have to offer is that I have absolutely nothing to gain by lying about it. . .In september of 1996, I walked into my boss's office and informed him that I wouldn't be back the next day. I have a feeling that he knew I wouldn't be coming back the next week. . Or the next month, either. As a 7-year member of a Fortune 500 management team, I had to deal with some fairly stressful situations. I needed a break. A big one. Brian, the understanding boss, stood up, shook my hand, turned around and took this book off his shelf. "I've always wanted to go" And with that he, almost sadly, handed me the tome. I went home, cancelled my paper, had my mail stopped, made arrangements for a neighbor to feed my fish and started packing. 2 kites, 1 touring bike, 1 fly rod, 1 fly vest, 3 changes of clothes and 1 plane ticket later I was sitting staring out the window of a largish plane listening to a Nun tell me about the last flight she'd taken (from Ireland) and how she got air sick. This was to be her second flight. Now the point of this little aside - Over the next 8ish hours, the Nun and I (she didn't get sick) read every page to one another. She had lived in Ireland for 40 some years and still hadn't heard of all the palces and sights in this book. It's that good. I visited small out of the way places that I figured would be overrun, only to find that they were just as had been explained in the DK book. I even took 2 walking tours with my new friend in the habit. The book doesn't pretend that it will have every B&B listed in it's pages, nor should you expect it to. the "Bord Failte", or the "Irish Board of Welcomes" puts out a comprehensive listing of all B&B's in the country that are approved as far as having met their requirements. Anyway, pick that and a 10 punt phone card up at any news dealer in the airport even before you look for a cab. As far as good pubs, just wait until 6:30 and hook up with the frst large group you see walking around. They'll be glad to take you with them. The whole country is just sickeningly friendly. And they're not looking for a tip. I had a waitress run to catch me on the street when I left a tip at my table. Had I been listening on the plane, the book explains who does and who doesn't expect a tip, where to hail a cab, the best places for lunch, what you want to do and why. 3 months later, I returned home with a completely different attitude about the world. Anyway, the book has well earned it's stars as far as I'm concerned. I can strongly recommend this book. . . And Brian? You should have gone.
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Summary: Excellent overview of top attractions
Review: This guidebook is essential for someone traveling to Ireland, particularly for the first time. Highlights include its detailed visual summary of all the major attractions, along with the practical info needed (hours/months of operation, etc) and detailed section on practical travel related topics (money, phones, modes of transport), contact info, and great area maps and overhead angled views of particularly interesting locations and buildings. The B&B and restaurant sections are also useful but need to be supplemented with the appropriate focused guides on those subjects. Color coded sections make it even easier to find what you're looking for fast. The only significant drawback is that it is heavy for its size due to the glossy, full color pages. These comments also apply to all the other Eyewitness Guides that I've seen.
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Summary: Great for pictures... but be prepared to buy another guide!
Review: This guidebook is great for its pictures and detailed diagrams of major sites, neighborhoods, and buildings. The book is absolutely filled with brilliant photos that help visitors (especially first time visitors like myself) see what the sites look like. It also has photos of practical things such as roadsigns, the euro currency in all denominations, police cars, telephones, and even food. This might seem silly, but it's very helpful to know how to use their telephones and to learn which coins are which before going over there. It has a limited list of places to stay and doesn't go into detail about how to get to all the sites they cover. This is why I think this shouldn't be the only guide you buy if you're planning a trip to Ireland. It is definately one of the ones to buy, however. Another note: if you're like myself, and plan to travel light to Ireland, keep in mind that this book is rather heavy because of the thick, glossy pages - they're great for the pictures, but they'll weigh down your bag. Hope this helps!
Rating:
Summary: The only travel guide you'll need
Review: This is an outstanding guide in a brilliant series; I only wish I'd found it before I'd wasted my money on the Rough Guides and Lonely Planet books. It's so dense with information and it's all so well-presented that it's an entertaining read even if you're just staying at home. All the practical information is there, in detail -- from general information to the little quirks and inconveniences that could mean the difference between feeling uncomfortable and feeling like you're on vacation. I'll never go anywhere again without the accompanying Eyewitness Travel Guide. Of course, visit the tourist centers for the most up-to-date maps, phone numbers, and such. But for everything else, travel with confidence that you've got an encyclopedia of info that fits in your pocket.
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Summary: Buy it you'll like it.
Review: This is the one travel guide to take with you. I am going to Ireland this coming Nov.and wanted a guide on where we will be going and what we will be doing and seeing. Took a look at a number of guides and was not happy with them. Most of them are too much "talk", Found the "Eyewitness Travel Guides from Dorling Kindersley, The Multimedia CD publisher. The book is great, as is their other Travel Guides. The 3D maps and cutaway illustrations are worth the price alone. I am going to buy there other guides as well. I live in NJ just accross from NYC and learned a few thing about the Big Apple I did not know. In short Buy it you'll like it.
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Summary: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Ireland
Review: This was a really handy little book. I visited Ireland for the first time this year. I went by myself and booked B&B's as I went. Even though I had a couple of other books on Ireland with me, this little guide was extremely useful. It's packed full of information about out-of-way places as well as the usual spots. I liked it a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Ireland
Review: This was a really handy little book. I visited Ireland for the first time this year. I went by myself and booked B&B's as I went. Even though I had a couple of other books on Ireland with me, this little guide was extremely useful. It's packed full of information about out-of-way places as well as the usual spots. I liked it a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, great pictures and information
Review: We took 3 travel books and used this one primarily. We found that it matched our interests exactly. Rick Steeves book was of little use and to general. This book gets into some detail and is more informative.
The pictures and layout is excellent.
My only request would be less of a vertical format as it is hard to keep the book open with the narrow, thick pages.
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