Top 10 things to do in Ireland

My husband and I will be traveling to Ireland for 12 days. Our interests lie in history/photography/distilleries(not necessarily in that order:)) Looking for recommendations for places that highlight any or all of these interests. Suggestions?

Also, how difficult is it to drive in Ireland with the switch to the other side of the road? If driving is the pits, what are the other best options for getting around without hitching up with a tour?

Driving in Ireland is pretty good. There are some motorways/tollways and the smaller rural roads are in quite good nick but just remember that every journey is going to take longer than you think it will once you are off the motorways. This is a good route planner website IMO.

I am of the opinion that Dublin needs a good solid two days (one centring around the west end and sights like the modern art museum, St Michan's Church (check online for tour times as a tour of the vault is a key part of the visit), the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmanhaim jail, Phoenix Park/zoo (the zoo is the 2nd oldest in western Europe and has a very strong breeding programme with lots of newborns) and Collin's Barracks (more likely a selection of) and a second day centrally to include the national gallery, Merrion Square, the Kildare St archaeology museum, Chester Beatty Library, Trinity College/Book of Kells, Temple Bar, Grafton St and St Stephen's Green. IMO, the Guinness factory and the Book of Kells are not worth it (particularly price wise) but visitors seem to come away satisfied from visits to both. St Patrick's and Christ's Church Cathedrals are between these two 'sections' of the city and can be done in either. Don't rent a car while viewing the sights of Dublin, you can pretty easily walk it or bus it without too many difficulties. If flying into Dublin airport the cheapest way to gt into the city is the 16A Dublin Bus. You can pay EUR2.30 on boarding the bus (correct money required) or if you plan to use buses during your stay buy a ten trip tkt.

Since you have 12 days you can maybe add another couple of days in Dublin and rent your car and go to Howth, Dalkey or Wicklow/Glendalough for some good photographic opportunities.

The option would then be to go west with a few days in Galway and surrounds (The Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands) and then head south to Killarney for a few days to visit The Ring of Kerry and Dingle Penninsula as well as Killarney National Park. Again, greta areas for photography.

Unlike Scotland, Ireland does not have a huge number of whisky/whiskey distilleries and the Jameson one in Dublin is not actually a distillery (I don't think).

You don't mention when you are looking at travelling but Ireland can be very cold and wet and outside the season (so between October and April/May) many attractions have reduced hours and many B&Bs close, so keep that in mind and check things out on the web.

Top 10 in no particular order

1 Dublin-capital city-Guinness Store Hse-Trinity College-Excellent nightlife-Croke Park-loads of Historic sights
2 Belfast-largest city in the North of the country-Fascinating Peace walls and wall Mural tours-a lot cheaper than Dublin-Gateway to the Glens of Antrim, Giants Causeway and the Mourne Mountains- Excellent views from Cavehill which is the mountain that overlooks Belfast- this is very accessible and is approx 90 mim walk from to to bottom
3 Galway-superb compact city with a vibrant atmosphere, excellent bars,easy to get around-Bohemian feel- close to Connemara, Aran Islands and the Burren in Co. Clare
4 Kilarney and Ring of Kerry (best scenery in Ireland in my opinion)
5 Cliffs of Moher and Burren Co. Clare
6 Donegal Atlantic coastline including Glenveigh National Park
7 the people (especially those in the countryside)- friendly, welcoming, genuine, funny and very often shy.
8 Festivals- if u are visiting in the summer check out the irish tourism website for festivals and dates- towns and villages really come alive when they take place.
9 the islands (Aran islands in Galway, Valentia Island off Kerry, numerous Islands off Donegal and Rathlin Island off Co. Antrim-rugged unspoilt beauty)
10 Finally anywhere from Sligo for surfing, Fermanagh/Cavan for waterways (Shannon-Erne) or the Kingfisher Cycling trail, Kilkenny for hurling, Kildare for horse racing, waterford for the tall ships festival in July.

Ireland is easy to get around in a car- public transport is very expensive and not the most reliable in global terms though we are trying to improve things- i prefer to use public transport/cycling myself though u will get frustrated.

Hope this helps- Enjoy!

Sorry i forgot about my beloved Wicklow1 how could i? It's on Dublin's doorstep and has some splendid hillwalking!

Whiskey Distillery in Midleton Cork and one in Bushmills Co. Antrim

You don't mention where you are coming from which could provide insight into your interest both in history and driving on the other side of the road.
If your'e used to automatics then mastering changing gears and the use of a clutch will be far more important than worrying about driving on the opposite side of the road which is much easier than expected. Driving remains the best way to explore the Island, certainly true if you want to make the most from 12 days.
You also don't mention your entry or exit points in which time of flights/ferries etc could possibly eat up full days.
Posts #1 and #2 have already provided good ideas but more information would be required in order to thrash out a few realistic routes.

Well, the previous posters have given plenty of good ideas, so I will just list a couple of historical sites in chronological rather than geographical order, and off the top of my head. Do bear in mind that I'm not a historian, so this may be tendentious or inaccurate in places... Dublin obviously has numerous places of historic interest from the eleventh century on, while Belfast is of particular interest due to the troubles of the later 20th century (and its earlier role as the country's main industrial centre).

Tara, Co. Meath, semi-mythical capital of the High Kings of Ireland; other nearby sites include the prehistoric tombs at Newgrange and the site of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 in the war between the Protestant-backed William of Orange, the Catholic-backed James II of England, and Louis of France. Aughrim was the really decisive battle, I think, but the Boyne is the one which is most remembered and commemorated. On the Hill of Slane, also nearby, St Patrick is said to have lit the Paschal fire in 433 AD in defiance of the High King who could see it from Tara.

Cashel, Co. Tipperary - historic seat of the Eoghanacht dynasty and later ecclesiastical capital, with a number of interesting religious monuments.

Grianán of Aileach, Co. Donegal - seat of the Uí Néill dynasty.

Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly - major monastic site dating to the 6th century.

Kilkenny - first seat of the parliament of the English colony in Ireland, if I'm not mistaken. Kilkenny was also the seat of the Confederation which brought together the native Irish and Anglo-Normans in opposition to the Puritans during the English Civil War.

Trim, Co. Meath - one of the more impressive remaining castles from the Norman period.

Kinsale: the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, when the forces of the Irish princes O'Neill and O'Donnell marched from their northern bases but failed in their attempt to relieve the Spanish force that had landed in the town, effectively spelled the end of Gaelic Ireland and the completion of the English conquest.

Lough Swilly, Co. Donegal: the Flight of the Earls (O'Neill and O'Donnell) from Lough Swilly to continental Europe in 1607 sealed that process.

Aughrim, Co. Galway - field of the decisive battle in the war between William of Orange and James II; the victory of the former ended tolerance of Catholicism and established the Protestant ascendancy in Ireland.

Londonderry/Derry - Protestant-held city besieged by Jacobite forces in 1689, the failure of the siege is still commemorated in Northern Ireland. The old city walls are still in place, and it's quite a nice town for a visit.

Limerick: here the Jacobite forces capitulated in 1691 having signed the Treaty of Limerick with the Williamites. The Treaty Stone on which it is supposed to have been signed is one of the city's best-known monuments.

Vinegar Hill, Co. Wexford: here the rebels of the 1798 uprising made their final stand. There were other battles at Wexford, New Ross and other places in Wicklow, Castlebar in Co. Mayo, and various places in Co. Antrim, notably Ballinahinch. The last rebels, under Michael Dwyer, held out in the Wicklow mountains for several years after 1798. The road between Killakee and Glendalough via Sally Gap, still called the Military Road, was built by the British Army to allow it access to the mountains, and one of the military barracks built along it, at Glencree, is now a peace and reconciliation centre which runs a variety of programmes and has occasional exhibitions as well, with a cafe that's open to the public. There is a German military cemetery across the road from the centre. The Military Road is also extremely scenic. Glendalough itself is an interesting and attractive monastic site dating to the 6th century.

Doolough or Delphi, south of Louisburgh, Co. Mayo - site of the death of numerous victims of the Great Famine in 1849. If I remember the details, the unfortunate victims had walked from Louisburgh to seek assistance from the district relief commissioners, who were meeting at Delphi Lodge, and after they were refused help many perished on the road back. It's a beautiful and desolate place. A memorial walk takes place there every year now.

Obviously, there's no direct correlation between the historic significance of what happened somewhere and how interesting it is to visit now - the battlefields of Aughrim and the Boyne (especially the former) would require some imagination to conjure up images of the historic events that took place there.

Thanks for all the ideas. We are coming into Dublin and leaving via Dublin. At this point we do have 2 full days in Dublin to get grounded. The decision to go north or south is the next one to make. Would it be better to go South to the Wicklows, on to Galway, or better to go noth to Belfast and then aound the island?

Rental car companies that are reliable? We don't want to drive in Dublin (have heard that this is a real challenge), but nice to hear that the rest of the country isn't too bad.

Recommendations for lodgings, especially the well kept secrets that might be off the beaten path?
Thanks again.

I recommend the historical walking tour of Dublin:

http://www.historicalinsights.ie/