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INFORMATION, MAPS AND WEB SITES |
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There's no shortage of information published on Ireland, much of it
free; it's well worth contacting the local office of the Irish Tourist
Board (Bord Fáilte) and/or the Northern Ireland Tourist Board before you
leave. Alternatively, the Internet has a wealth of sites, giving
information not only on Ireland's history, culture and politics but also
a range of practical advice on visiting the country.
We've listed Bord Fáilte and NITB offices outside Ireland. Once in
Ireland , you'll find some kind of tourist office in nearly every town
which has a reasonable number of tourists passing through: either a
branch of Bord Fáilte or the NITB, or a locally run information centre,
many of which open only for the summer. Most of these are listed in the
relevant sections of the guide and are usually extremely helpful,
providing local maps and leaflets as well as information on where to
stay (booking charge £1-2/¬1.27-2.54). It has to be said, though, that
they only give details on services which they have approved, thereby
excluding some excellent hostels, campsites and private bus services,
and they tend to be reluctant to show favouritism among hotels and
restaurants, so always go to them for information, not advice. A Bord
Fáilte or NITB recommendation implies a certain standard of service,
however, so if you don't think your approved B&B comes up to scratch,
they are the people you should complain to.
Bord Fáilte offices abroad
Australia : Level 5, 36 Carrington St, Sydney NSW 2000 (tel 02/9299
6177).
Britain : 150 New Bond St, London W1Y 0AQ (tel 020/7493 3201). See also
All Ireland Desk addresses.
New Zealand : Level 6, 18 Shortland St, Auckland 1 (tel 09/379 8720).
US and Canada : 345 Park Ave, New York, NY 10154 (tel 1-800/223-6400 or
212/418-0800, www.io.ie ).
Northern Ireland tourist offices abroad
Australia : at the same address as the Bord Ftel ilte office.
Britain : All Ireland Desk, British Travel Centre, 1 Lower Regent St,
London SW1 4PQ (drop-in only); 3rd Floor, 24 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4DG
(tel 08701/555250); 98 West George St, Glasgow G21 PJA (tel 0141/572
4030).
Canada : 2 Bloor St, Suite 1501, Toronto, ON M4W 3E2 (tel 1-800/576-8174
or 416/925-6368, www.discovernorthernireland.com ).
New Zealand : at the same address as the Bord Ftel ilte office.
US : 551 5th Ave, Suite 701, New York, NY 10176 (tel 1-800/326-0036 or
212/922-0101, www.interknowledge.com/northern-ireland ).
Maps
A variety of large-scale road maps covering the whole of Ireland are
available for general touring, such as the Michelin 1:400,000 (no. 405)
or the AA 1:350,000. The four Ordnance Survey Ireland Holiday Maps,
covering the North, West, East and South at a scale of 1:250,000, give
more contour details and are probably the best all-purpose maps on offer.
These and others are widely available in Ireland.
For more detail, and for walking , the Ordnance Survey Discovery Series
(1:50,000; a little over 1 mile: 1 inch) is generally the best option
and now covers the whole island. Additionally, there are 1:25,000 maps
on offer for certain tourist areas such as the Fermanagh Lakeland and
Mourne Country. The old OS half-inch maps were surveyed in the
nineteenth century and can be inaccurate over 1000 feet, so a certain
amount of caution is advisable if using them.
For specialist interest maps it makes sense to check locally, as tourist
boards or bookshops will often have something better than the above .
General information Web sites
www.blather.net
An idiosyncratic site dealing with a range of Irish-related subjects,
with a lively discussion forum.
www.indigo.ie
A huge site that lists everything from online recipes to cars with
excellent reviews and a myriad of well-chosen links.
www.iol.ie, www.browseireland.com, www.searc.ie, www.touchtel.ie
These four excellent online resources collate and review sites relating
to Ireland and offer good links, which makes them a good starting point
for any online search or enquiry; www.searc.ie also offers an efficient,
free service, answering any query you have about Ireland.
www.ireland.travel.ie
The official tourist-board site offering plenty of facts and
information, though little practical advice.
www.ni-tourism.com
A site posted by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board outlining all
officially approved tourist information.
www.visitdublin.com
An exceptional site on Dublin run by the local tourist authority
History Web sites
www.bess.tcd.ie/ireland.ht
This is one of the best private sites relating to Ireland and is a good
place to start an historical or academic-related search
Irish cuisine Web sites
www.irishfood.com
This site speaks for itself, covering in delicious detail traditional
Irish recipes and the best places to eat in the country
Music and entertainment Web sites
www.entertainmentireland.ie
An up-to-date site listing concerts, festivals and special events
throughout the country.
www.ohyeah.net
A well-produced site on music north of the border with updated listings,
gig reviews and excellent links.
www.phantomfm.com
Established by a group of music enthusiasts to provide an alternative
rock service for the Dublin area. It's an amateur site with lots of
information not available in the conventional music press
News Web sites
www.irishnews.com
A must for anyone with an interest in the politics of Northern Ireland,
this site also has links to travel information on the North, especially
the Glens of Antrim.
www.irishtimes.com
The best news site relating to Ireland and posted much earlier than the
print version of the paper is available. It offers an efficient free
email service, and features information on the live entertainment scene
in Dublin with excellent up-to-the-minute listings
Sport Web sites
www.setanta.com
A site offering comprehensive sports coverage including the Irish sports
of Gaelic football and hurling, with quirky features and up-to-date
results
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