Footprint Ireland

The team of Sheehan & Levy gets around plenty, judging from their publications on an array of travel and other topics. Their experience, in this revision of a 2000 guidebook, makes for an efficient, straightforward, and perhaps more honest account for travelers confident enough to veer of well-trodden paths, but not so spartan as those in a Rough Guide or as quirky as Lonely Planet might cater to. After all, to boot, this is Ireland, and any sense that a visitor today will be far off from civilization or deprived of comforts is ridiculous, no matter how besotten with sylvan stereotypes a tourist might be. I tested its usefulness by sampling two areas I know well, Galway city and O'Connell St, Dublin, to see what Sheehan & Levy found that other guidebooks might miss. For Galway city's bookstores, Kennys is mentioned (although it will close its historic High St store in 2006, by the way) but not the secondhand seller on the next street over Charley Byrne's. McDonagh's bustling chip shop might be hard to find, as it's listed here without the "Mc." But the map of the city centre is well drawn, and avoids the common problem other guidebooks invite by keeping the heart of the touristed areas out of the "gutter" of the spine. Lots of eateries & sleeperies are cross-listed on both the map and the following text; this book gives slightly less attention to sights and more to practicalities of food, bed, and fun pubs than its competitors. For Dublin, it's the only guide I've perused that mentions, for instance, the Royal Dublin Hotel on O'Connell St. Its handsome map of this area is placed within the text itself, again cross-referenced with the surrounding practicalities. Arrows at the start of paragraphs on sights refer you to local DART stops, tell you how far the place is from the train, or send you to another page for additional information. This attention to linking the various aspects of the guidebook together shows the care that's gone into this edition. The general maps at the back lack the numbers for secondary roads, and so are not useful when on the road wondering where the turn is, but maps within the text offer more detail when needed. While the book's two-shade print appears sober, and you do not get the plethora of photos other guides give, the space saved is better spent on hard facts, with sidebars filling you in on certain local legends and contexts when appropriate. The details on where to stay and eat and shop are kept at the back of a section, apart from the sights and maps, but this is common to most guidebooks, allowing you to read about the whole area first and then figure out later where to stop. It is a bit tricky to find your way back and forth within the pages due to the reliance on only two colors, but the marginal colors for different regions/counties on the page edges mitigate this. Culture and history chapters append the book, in short essays, and the books recommended are up-to-date and varied in their approache

This is a comprehensive guide which covers the must-see's and the off-the-beaten-track. The discussion covers the usual high traffic spots with greater detail, but also notes where to find an old style straight razor shave from times gone by, or where to locate old Viking Ruins or an obscure park. Identifies where the crowds will be, and where to find some solitude, and has numerous well defined maps. Defnitiely covers the in's and out's, lines, and provides enough detailed information concerning the well known sites to let you decide which are worthy of the wait. This is the best of many guides I have purchased.

In preparation for a trip to Ireland, I think I read every current guidebook out there. This was the only one I took with me. It is very thorough, well written and designed, and goes a several layers deeper than its competition.

While planning a return trip to Ireland, I looked a every current guidebook I could find. "Footprint Ireland" is the only one I will take with me on my trip. It is very comprehensive, provides clear descriptions without tourist hype, and includes the practical detail you need to make the best use of your time (ferry schedules, opening hours, etc.) It also provides good information on local walks, short and long, an important part of any successful Irish visit. By far and away, it has more helpful information, well presented with good design, than any other guide I found.

It's nice to find a travel guide with subjective (rather than gushing) descriptions of all manner of things ranging from cities to hotels to vegetarian specials. This guide is chock full of phone numbers and web sites and price guidelines and has proved to be a helpful (and fun)resource.