best non-RS guidebook for Republic of Ireland?

I used the Lonely Planet in September. It had all the answers that I needed off of the Rick Steves path.

In addition to Steve's recommendation of Lonely Planet, you may also want to look at a copy of Rough Guide's Ireland. Whatever you choose, please note that most of the really comprehensive guides are only updated every few years so before you buy the most recent guide, be sure to check when it was last updated.

You can find video of a wide range of sights in Ireland by going to YouTube. Go to your local library and look at guide books for Ireland to get some idea of which ones(s) may be of interest to you or go to a good book store and browse through their collection.

I agree with Pat's idea about going to a book store and browsing through a few books and seeing which one works best for you. We used the Let's Go book along with RS last year. It's more geared for college students and young adults, so most of the lodgings are in the hostel/budget category, but it's got great practical info, like where ATM's, grocery stores, laundromats, and wifi places are. We usually take another book along with the RS guide with us. Rick's books are good for getting through all the info and giving you the high points, but if you want something more in depth, it's good to have another book along.

I had the Fodor's book and I recommend not taking it if you're looking for a RS style trip. It had some interesting material on sites outside the ones listed by the RS Ireland. Unfortunately, it was heavily weighted towards the expensive places to eat and sleep. I've looked through the Lonely Planet guide and I think it would have been a better choice.