Bord Failte Ireland Guide, 4th Edition [Paperback]

Bord Failte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 14, 2001

Newly reconceived and rewritten, the latest edition of the Bord Failte Ireland Guide is organized into the seven principal tourist regions: the East, the South, the Shannon, the West, the North-West, Northern Ireland, and the Midlands. For each region the book provides basic tourist information on where to go, what to see, and what's on. In addition there are features on Irish history, Irish society, food and drink, sport, social life, wildlife, and art and architecture.

Packed with color photos, detailed maps and directions, Bord Failte Ireland Guide is a wealth of local and regional information and insider tips. Written by contributors with extensive, firsthand knowledge of Ireland and Irish tourism, this is the most up-to-date and comprehensive general guide to Ireland of its kind.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

You have to assume that if the Irish Tourist Board (Bord F´ilte) published a guidebook it would be loaded with up-to-the minute information and written in a succinct, authoritative voice. Correct on both assumptions. Their Ireland Guide is an engrossing read--it doesn't list hotels or restaurants but more than makes up for it with its in-depth look at the 32 counties that comprise this Celtic country (yes, Northern Ireland is included). Neatly divided into seven regions (color coded for easy access), the book covers the major tourist centers (Dublin, Galway, Connemara, Killarney, Cliffs of Moher) but devotes just as much space to lesser-known counties such as Roscommon, with its excellent Famine Museum; Mayo, home of sacred Crough Patrick mountain; and Kilkenny, known for the Jerpoint Abbey, which dates from the 12th century. Readers will find the detailed maps handy as well as the sidebars on what to do when it rains (and in Ireland that's a lot). Also of interest are the features pertaining to a specific topic, such as medieval Ireland or the Irish language. If you plan on seeing even a sliver of what this country has to offer, take this guidebook with you. --Jill Fergus

About the Author

The Bord Failte is the Irish Tourist Board.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 4th edition (March 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312270488
• ISBN-13: 978-0312270483
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best non-travel travel guide I've ever used, December 6, 2004

By 

portledgesteven "portledgesteven" (Carbondale, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bord Failte Ireland Guide, 4th Edition (Paperback)

I've been to Ireland several times, including a year spent at university in Dublin, and I learned more from an evening with this book than I did from all others (and most human contacts). This book by the Irish Tourist Board is written by people who know, love and travel the country. It has just enough history to be fascinating.
From Newgrange in the east to Staigue Fort in the west, from the Rock of Cashel to the Giant's Causeway, from the oceans to the salmon streams, from the bustling streets of Dublin to the quiet country around Emly and Kilteely, this book is about IRELAND. It does talk about places to eat and drink, but it concentrates on the country, and what to see to sample its fantastically unique soul. Dublin and its environs, especially, have changed a lot in the last 20 years, and this book both talks about why it has, and how to get around this new/old place.
Some of the history in the older editions is gone from the newer one, probably for space reasons, but the book still points you in a lot of very good directions.
The newest edition (2001) includes pre-designed trips and things to do inside and outside (in case it rains...). The maps in the new edition are very good and the book is bound tightly with a cover than bends nicely and with flaps to serve as bookmarks - all features that make this book easy to take with you and easy to use.
One complaint - some of the printing is laid on top of an image that goes from light to dark but the printing remains 1 color. This makes some of the pages hard to read. But a small point in such a great book.