The Whole of Ireland, However You Please

Budget travelers heading for Ireland who want to remain independent but would appreciate help with some basic lodging arrangements can use An Oige, the youth hostel association for Ireland.

An Oige is affiliated with Hostelling International and has 37 locations, ranging from a mansion with 70 acres of lawn and woodland (Aghadoe House, Killarney) to a converted Norman castle (Foulksrath Castle, County Kilkenny), plus old coast guard stations, cottages and modern buildings.

There are no age limits for using the hostels, and dormitory accommodations range from $6.25 to $11.70. If you are not a member of an affiliated hosteling association, there is an additional $3.90 per night guest fee.

The hostel in Dublin, at 61 Mountjoy St., is in a former monastery and has a reservation center where you can book nights in affiliated hostels in Ireland and abroad, or book the “go-as-you-please” packages.

The Rambler Holiday includes vouchers exchangeable for hostel accommodations and a Rail/Bus Explorer ticket. The packages range from seven nights’ accommodation and a pass valid for eight days of transportation within a 15-day period for $242, to 14 nights’ accommodation and the eight-day rail/bus pass for $320.

Cycling Holidays range from one to four weeks. One package includes 14 nights in a hostel and a bike rental for two weeks (repair kit with pump included) for $245.

Cycling Holidays with rail transportation for you and your bike between Dublin and any point in Ireland is $208 with seven nights’ accommodations and bike rental for one week, to 28 nights’ hostel accommodations and bike rental for four weeks with a return rail trip for $566.

Any of these “do-it-yourself” tours can be booked through An Oige at 61 Mountjoy St., Dublin 7; telephone O11-353-1-830-4555, fax 011-353-1-830-5808.

An Oige has negotiated discounts for hostel members at popular tourist sites, including the Dublin Writers’ Museum and the Book of Kells at Trinity College, plus Blarney Castle in County Cork. If you have an affiliated membership, always ask at the hostel if there are discounts in the area you are visiting.

You should also inquire about discounts when purchasing transportation between Ireland and Britain or the Continent. Stena Lines, for example, which sails between Ireland and Holyhead and Fishguard in Wales, offers a 10% to 20% discount for hostelers and students on standard fares--and they take bikes for free.

A popular stop 30 miles from Dublin is Glendalough, the site of a prehistoric ring fort and an early monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin. The Glendalough youth hostel is closed for renovations and will reopen in January. Ask in Dublin for alternative suggestions before you head out.

An Oige is not the only hostel network in Ireland. The IHH is an association of 137 hostels that have been approved by the Irish Tourist Board--Bord Failte--so always ask about alternatives at local tourist information offices.

The backpacker bus service, Slow Coach Ireland, operates four times weekly in June, July and August and three times weekly the rest of the year. The bus travels in a circular route around Ireland.

Travelers purchase a single pass for about $150 and can take as long as they want on the route. There are 24 stops, including Dublin, Newgrange (where passengers get a guided tour of the 4,500-year-old stone tomb), Galway, Doolin (known for music), the Cliffs of Moher, the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney, Cork and Cashel.

The buses hold 23 to 37 passengers. The staff will reserve beds at hostels en route. For more information, contact Slow Coach at 6 S. William St., 1st Floor, Dublin 2; tel. 011-353-1679-2684.

Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com.