Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT!!!!
Review: I just returned from a three month bike tour of Ireland. I had no tour guide; I brought only myself, my bicycle, clothes (of course), and four guide books on Ireland. The one book that I used over and over again, leaving all others tucked abandoned within my pack, was the Lonely Planet guide. The LP guide has detailed chapters on anything and everthing in Ireland, including phone numbers, prices, hours, city maps, hostels, B&B's, hotels etc... It also includes history and facts so that when you do arrive in Ireland and see a castle or a dolmen or the Burren, you will know the story behind it. I can't say enough good things about this guide. If you are going to travel in Ireland, this book is a must!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Right-On
Review: I travelled for two weeks through Ireland using this book. I was never steered wrong. I used it for lodging, routine tourist destinations and not so routine destinations. It even identified some really cool caves in the West of Ireland. Travelling light? This is all you need.
Rating: 
Summary: TERRIBLE, USELESS BOOK
Review: I would give it zero stars if I could. What a waste of money. The descriptions given of sights and restaurants were too short and limited to give you a true idea of what to expect. For instance, there are only a few paragraphs on Blarney Castle, assumably a BIG tourist attraction in Ireland--yet the book doesn't even devote half a page to it. It mentions that it's a bit touristy that you will have to fight the crowds, that it's not worth the admission price, yet fails to mention that it is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places and views in Ireland or that you could spend hours wandering around enjoying the amazing grounds and unique foilage. --That seems like an important point to miss. Also when in Dublin, it offered bland reviews on restaurants and pubs not really rating them in any way so that it didn't help us pick where to go. The reviews were a little better for the Ring of Kerry section, but again, it only gave a one to two line description per restaurant.The whole book felt rushed and incomplete. If you feel the need to buy it--for pete's sake--buy it USED, heck, you can even have mine, it'll save me the trouble of BURNING it.
Rating:
Summary: TERRIBLE, USELESS BOOK
Review: I would give it zero stars if I could. What a waste of money. The descriptions given of sights and restaurants were too short and limited to give you a true idea of what to expect. For instance, there are only a few paragraphs on Blarney Castle, assumably a BIG tourist attraction in Ireland--yet the book doesn't even devote half a page to it. It mentions that it's a bit touristy that you will have to fight the crowds, that it's not worth the admission price, yet fails to mention that it is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places and views in Ireland or that you could spend hours wandering around enjoying the amazing grounds and unique foilage. --That seems like an important point to miss. Also when in Dublin, it offered bland reviews on restaurants and pubs not really rating them in any way so that it didn't help us pick where to go. The reviews were a little better for the Ring of Kerry section, but again, it only gave a one to two line description per restaurant. The whole book felt rushed and incomplete. If you feel the need to buy it--for pete's sake--buy it USED, heck, you can even have mine, it'll save me the trouble of BURNING it.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the bunch
Review: I've made 2 trips to Ireland in the past 2 years. Before and between trips, I looked through a number of popular guides to Ireland, and both times this was the only one I actually took with me. It's thorough, the maps are accurate and helpful, the historical/cultural background sections are useful while not being overwhelming, and the restaurant descriptions are generally reliable. The listings of hotels and guesthouses aren't exhaustive, but those change constantly -- especially the B&B's -- and I felt that their general recommendations of what areas to stay in in a particular town were helpful. (I booked most of my accommodations through the Bord Failte, either online or in person, and was almost always pleased with the results.) The book is also good at pointing out less well-known sights -- e.g., the Hunt Museum in Limerick, which is worth a visit. A guidebook can't satisfy every reader equally, but this one did a good job of recommending activities for a variety of age groups, including families with children. Their descriptions of walks, how to get to historical sites in remote places, the alternatives to the standard Ring of Kerry tours, and even where to find a laundromat in Killarney, were VERY useful to me, and I definitely don't fall into the category of "young and trendy"!
Rating: 
Summary: Lonely Planet Tours Ireland
Review: Lonely Planet's new edition of "Ireland" will introduce you to ancient ruins, lively pubs and the delights of Dublin and Belfast. Whether you want to explore the lakes and mountains at the center of the country, or view the magnificent cliffs of the wild Atlantic coast, this comprehensive guide to travel in the Republic and Northern Ireland will insure that once visited, Ireland will never be forgotten. • 79 detailed maps • information on history, culture, politics, architecture and the arts • Irish-English language section plus a special section listing place names with both their Gaelic and English spellings • Activities chapter including walking, cycling and fishing. • accommodation options from B&Bs to five-star hotels • tips on healthy and safe travel
Rating:
Summary: A definite
Review: Much of the information in this book is just simply not offered in other books. Where other books just walk down the main street, this book takes interesting side streets. If your budget calls for a treat here and there you may also want to stay at anyplace in "Karen Brown's Ireland," but Lonely Planet will fill you in on all of the rest.
Rating:
Summary: Hands Down Winner
Review: On my first trip to Ireland I brought 10 travel books with me. On my second trip to Ireland I only brought the Lonely Planet. This book is the definitive guide! No matter where I was in Ireland, this book had everything I needed and more.
Rating:
Summary: Chock full of valuable information
Review: One of the best guides you can buy for Ireland. Honest and reliable information can be found in the pages, even in the most remote locations. The chapter on the Aran Islands intruigued me enough to take a long detour. Be sure you check local sources for up-to-date prices on various transports (ferries, trains, etc.).
Rating:
Summary: Best book by far
Review: The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want. I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe and spring 2000 in ireland. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you. It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all. The same experience is true for my trip this last spring to Ireland. Lonely Planet Ireland is as good as Western Europe, but more detailed.The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want. I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe - poor, but free. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you. It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.
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