itouch for SW Ireland

Yes, the whole world is wired. All hotels and B&Bs will have some type of access to the web.

Caren, I don't know what type of Wi-Fi access is available in Doolin, however when I was last in Dingle the B&B did NOT offer Wi-Fi. I checked their website and there is still no reference to Wi-Fi in the "facilities" section. There was however a Net Café within easy walking distance. Some Hotels or B&B's do offer Wi-Fi, and this is usually indicated on their websites. ¶ To answer your question, YES you can access and send E-mail using an iPod Touch, however it's a somewhat "cumbersome" method and best for just occasional use. While it works surprisingly well for it's size, I find the small screen and small keyboard get to be somewhat of a nuisance after awhile. ¶ For about the same cost, a Netbook would be a far better solution. I packed along a Netbook on my trip this year, and it will be with me on EVERY trip from now on. Happy travels!

Thanks Ken. I have never used a "cyber cafe." Is that just a wifi hotspot or do they have computers there? Just wondering if I can get away with taking nothing.

I cannot remember whether the Dingle Inernet cafe had WiFi, but it (and nearly all others) have computers you can use. The keynboards are slightly different - letter are the same, but special characters are in different places. If I remember right, it was 4 Euro/hour.

Thanks Iain!

The Doolin Activity Lodge is kind of a "catch-all" for things travelers need. It's got a hotel, restaurant, laundromat, and internet cafe'. No wireless there that I could see, but computers that you could use and access the internet for a fee. We even used a computer for a fee in a convenience store by Lahinch.

Our Bed and Breakfast in Doolin had free internet access this summer. In fact all the places we stayed in Ireland had it. We just had to ask for their password. Doolin was half way through our trip. We left a bag of laundry at the Activities lodge and picked it up the next day on our way out of town. They charged by the pound (i.e weight of our bag of clothes) and it was very reasonable. We stayed at a great Bed and breakfast near the ferries that had a view of the Cliff's of Moher from our room and the breakfast room, but a bit of a walk to the nearest pub for dinner and music. Check out - http://www.doolinferries.com/ - and then click on Accomodation on the top bar area, if interested. I had tried to get 2 rooms at 3 other places before we left, but the other were already full. It was called Atlantic View Bed and Breakfast. We did take the ferry ride under the Cliffs the next morning. We lucked out with a beautiful day for the ride. I think it was about 90 minutes. This was the first time we found so much free Wi-FI in Europe. I saw less internet cafes this trip, I guess because of so many places offering free Wi-Fi.

Caren, from what I recall, the Internet Café in Dingle just had computers for "rent". However, at the time I wasn't traveling with a Netbook, so I didn't ask about Wi-Fi. I encountered other Net Cafés around Ireland that offered Wi-Fi, so it's quite possible they will have that in Dingle as well. The keyboards didn't seem to be a problem in Dingle (France is a different story!). If you can manage it, a Netbook would be a good thing to travel with, as it will provide you with some "flexibility" and also a good place to store travel-related information. Cheers!

Caren, I've used an Internet Cafe in Tarbert and the Green Mount B&B in Dingle had a computer they let me use. I didn't really need access more than that but it was probably available everywhere. It seems that the whole world is on the net now.

I thought of something else! Most public libraries in Ireland have computers and access to the net.