Well, isle be damned - book puts boot into the Old Sod . . .
Tuesday January 24 2006
Moloney
RECOGNISE this place: A land with "no-holds
-barred boozing" and where "anyone who can overcharge usually does." That's right, welcome to Ireland.
A land where "a decent bed" for the night will cost between €60 to €80, for good measure.
It's the Old Sod alright, but not as we have come to know it in most tourism guides. Nonetheless the popular Lonely Planet series' latest guide warns visitors to expect high prices and a country with its "fair share of xenophobic fear mongers" alarmed at levels of immigration.
In Dublin and Belfast it says "racially motivated attacks have unfortunately become more common."
Although it says the Irish are "friendly and warmer than any cliched welcome could ever convey" and much of the countryside is at turns, stunning , breathtaking and spectacular, the guide is far from gushing about our continuing reliance on the 'Emerald Isle' image which still tries to attract tourists by inviting them to ride a jaunting car, kiss the Blarney Stone and eat an Irish stew.
It further warns: "there's no two ways about it: Ireland is an expensive destination by any standards".
It adds: "The country is obsessed with what is termed the 'rip-off culture', which hurts locals as much as visitors. The sting is felt almost everywhere but visitors will feel it most when it comes to bed and board".
It suggests that in Dublin the bare minimum for basic survival is about €45 a day - €20 to €25 for a hostel per night and €15 for sustenance. Binge-drinking
In relation to food prices it states: "No matter where you are, eating out is expensive. For less than €10, don't expect much more than soup and what comes in between two slices of bread. Very ordinary meals will cost €20 or more."
In its introduction the guide notes that: "Surprise surprise, but apparently Ireland has a drinking problem."
"'Binge drinking' is the buzz term used to describe the no-holds-barred boozing that takes place every weekend in every single town in the country.
"The resultant chaos is obvious and drink-related incidents are a regular and sometimes tragic feature of Irish life".
The guide's authors, headed by Dublin-born Fionn Davenport, also have some hard words to say about what they feel to be some of our worst towns.
Popular seaside holiday resorts on both sides of the border, Bundoran in Co Donegal and Newcastle in Co Down come in for criticism for being garish.
Of Clifden in Co Connemara, it notes that despite its picturesque setting, the town's "central area can seem a little dragged down by tourism, and the town has a vaguely jaded feel".
In addition to its criticism of Bundoran, which it nonetheless recognises as one of Europe's most popular surfing spots, it also lambasts Knock, Co Mayo; Larne, Co Antrim; Navan, Co Meath and Dundalk, Co Louth.
But it has words of praise for Belfast, which it describes as "buzzing".
Cork it describes as a "once hard-nosed commercial port" where a thriving university and a burgeoning arts scene has given it "a cosmopolitan edge".
Galway is a "a romantic" destination which has "stolen many a traveller's heart."
While generally full of praise for Dublin (with the exception of what it dubs 'Temple Barf') a capital city it describes as "delightful, decadent and totally down-to-earth".
