barborn If I were you I would just get myself to ireland my own way and hire a car when I get there . The have most major car rental firms . Also many lovely "guest houses " Guest house in english terms means someone with a large house who rents rooms out in them (friendly and cheap) , there are many hotels as well . Also just for your info there are now 2 internal uk flight operators who run planes at incredibaly cheap prices they are "go" and "easyjet" , easy jet have just bought "go" so go's site might be outof date , You can fly from belfast(ireland) to edinburgh(scotland) for 17 uk pounds RETURN thats about 25 dollars(for example). their site is www.easyjet.com . curt ps are you going to northern ireland or southern ireland or both.coz they have different currencies , southern is the euro(might be still irish punt) , northern ireland is uk pounds. I live in the UK so of theres anything it may be easier for me to find out just email me

Try haggis and black puddling - learn what they are the day after eating them! Smoked salmon is wonderful in Scotland. All fish is good in Ireland and Scotland as both are surrounded by water. For desserts, try spotted dick and clootie dumplings - both are melt in your mouth heavenly. Carry a large purse and in it have a collapsable umbrella. It will most likely rain a bit every day. If it doesn't, consider yourself lucky. Pack clothes so that you can add and shed layers. I've spent alot of time in Scotland - Glasgow is a pretty modern city now. Much of the older architecture has been replaced by new buildings. Both my sisters will be at the Tattoo this year, too...I'm envious of you all! If you have any free time in Glasgow, head to the Willow Tearooms at 217 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. It's a teamroom/restaurant designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and it opened for business in October 1903. The tearooms were extremely popular, and are the most famous of the many Glasgow tearooms that opened in the late 19th and early 20th century. His architecture and design is my favorite in the world. Have a great trip!

I'm leaving for Ireland very soon now and can't tell you how excited I am. I also can't believe that both the Queen and the President decided to visit when I'm there. They must have been reading this thread....:) There have been so many good books suggested here. What I'd really like now is a suggestion for a good mystery to keep me busy while flying steerage on the plane. I found an American author, Erin Hart, who has written three good mysteries based in different parts of Ireland. Unfortunately, I read all three already but can recommend them to you. Read them in order. I checked out the website stopyourekillingme.com but don't see anything that grabs me. Don't like blood and gore or hardboiled detectives. So my last plea for some good mysteries set in Ireland!

I think it's a swell gift idea and would be pleased to find it in my stocking so I hope your gifts were received with good cheer, Lynn. My friend's son recently had his done and was tickled to find some Australian native DNA in his background. Scandinavian/German/Italian was all that was in the oral tradition of the family, so it was a neat surprise. Our family's Ancestry.com hobbyist received an email from a "surprise" cousin that we did not know we had, after several family members' DNA was registered. Photos were exchanged and yes, there is no way to deny the blood kinship--he looks just like the rest of us, poor fellow. The generation of folks who might have been shocked/hurt by this surprise family member are all gone, and I am glad for him that his lifelong question of paternity could be answered. I can see that it might be awkward for younger families who find out they have siblings they never heard of, but I'm a fan of sunlight in dark family corners-- and I also think it's time that some kinds of families stop acting like those situations never happen "among our kind of people", lol. I also had my dog's DNA done and I'm getting our newer dog's done, too. Very fun to find out what went into these rescue/shelter mutts we love.