Dublin visit

You probably won't get out of the airport much before mid-morning, once you go through passport control and get your bags. You will have that afternoon and evening, then one whole day. If you are leaving in the morning on the 14th, that day won't be usable at all. Keep in mind, too, that the hours of daylight are much shorter in November.

The Cliffs of Moher will take an entire day (the drive is actually closer to four hours than three), definitely not a good use of your time on such a short visit. The nearest crystal factory is in Waterford, where you could see the newly opened Waterford center. It's not the same as the old factory, but a smaller version with a beautiful visitor center. Waterford, though, is at least a two hour drive, also.

Perhaps you would be better off to look at an Ireland guidebook and pick out some things you might like to see in and around Dublin. If you want to get out into the countryside, you could visit either Newgrange, in the Boyne River valley, or Glendalough, in the Wicklow Mountains.

I think the crystal factory has closed and is nothing more than a small showroom now. In any case, it's in the opposite direction of the cliffs.

Thanks, Ed. I had heard that most everything is in the opposite direction of the cliffs. If only there was additional time. Thanks again.

I'd suggest you stay close to Dublin. The tombs of Knowth and Newgrange are just north of the airport. If interested, there is a castle in Trim (used in Braveheart for York) that you could walk through on the way back from the tombs. These all have admissions. You can do an internet search on these to see if you're interested. You could easily spend your entire time in Dublin. I suggest the Kilmainham Gaol, Trinity tour with the Book of Kells and just walking around Dublin or doing the hop on hop off bus tour. I strongly suggest you don't try to do any driving across Ireland on such a short visit. I don't think any crystal is made anywhere near Ireland. You can certainly buy anything she might want on line although there are certain patterns not available in the US that are in Europe.

Nancy PM-ed me and pointed out that there are a few places in Ireland that produce crystal. Even with that, I wouldn't recommend trying to chase down any of them in a two day visit. I forgot to add to my recommendations a trad music pub crawl tour. There's one out of the Temple Bar area for 10 euro per person (beer and ale extra). Also, be sure to try a Smithwicks Ale in addition to the Guiness.

Take a look at Howth. It's a small coastal community with good restaurants and accommodations. There is a hiking trail around the point, that while it's no Cliffs of Moher, it's still pretty nice. The best part is that it is a 25 minute drive from airport and is located at the end of the DART which takes you to downtown Dublin in 25 minutes. My wife and I had only two nights in the Dublin area a couple of weeks ago and Howth worked out nicely.

The original Waterford crystal factory did close. However, a new House of Waterford facility just opened in June 2010 in the downtown mall area of Waterford, Ireland. It has a visitor center, factory tour, and showroom/store. The tradition of beautiful Waterford crystal continues!!

To clarify what Roger said, the Guinness brewery IS still a brewery. You just don't see any of the brewing process on their "tour". The Jameson distillery is no longer producing whisky in Dublin, but their Midleton distillery is still operational, and gives tours.

Howth is a nice easy trip on the DART railway. If you like (or want to try) Guinness, you HAVE to visit the "factory". If you like Irish whiskey, try the Jameson's "factory" tour. (I put factory in quotes because they are not really factories any more!) Have a meal in Temple Bar - there are some great restaurants there.

I liked Trinity College/The Book of Kells, but I think my favorite part of Dublin was St. Patrick's Cathedral. We LOVED the Cliffs (all of western Ireland, actually) but I think it would be tough with the little time you have. I would save that for another trip. :)

Thanks to you all. Everything has been very helpful. With so little time and so much to do, I'm sure once we arrive, decisions and availability of time will begin to dictate. Shame on me for trying to do Dublin in a long weekend from Texas. Anyone familiar with what may be near the Four Seasons hotel? The event I will be attending is near this property and it was picked for me. Thanks.

Unfortunately, Doug, the city center isn't very close to where you will be - certainly not walking distance. However, the bus system is great if you have some time to yourselves. You'll be southeast of the Temple Bar/Trinity College/Grafton St. area.

Thank you all for your input. We landed midday Friday, got checked in to the hotel and settled. That evening, went to the Arlington Hotel for a traditional dinner, music, and dancing. I would do this again and recommend it to anyone going to Dublin on a "short trip." Saturday morning, we found the Hop on-Hop off buses and were on the green line (recommended by the hotel staff) and in 90 minutes, saw the city and had lots of pictures. Hopped off at Trinity College and walked back to the hotel from there. The side streets were pretty amazing and we were able to take some pictures that are normally found in travel books. Saturday evening was the event that brought my bride and me to Dublin. Sunday morning, checked out of the hotel and dropped off at the airport. At a minimum, one additional day would have been perfect. Regardless, it was nice, weather was good, and again, I thank you all for your valuable input for a starting point.