The Bottom Line
Pros
- Very visual presentation of Ireland and Irish attractions.
- Excellent graphics with cut-away views.
- Comprehensive information on all aspects of travel in Ireland.
Cons
- Some images need updating.
- Less in-depth information than larger guides.
Description
- Up to Date? 2007 edition - which occasionally suffers from the "march of time".
- Images and Illustrations - Hundreds, in color and of a consistently high quality.
- Maps - A basic choice but well executed, "three-dimensional" detail maps are superb.
- Typeface - Small but clear, occasionally colored background mars readability in low light.
- General Layout - Clean, the text in columns is very user-friendly.
- "Completeness" - All areas are covered well.
- Obvious Blunders - Some images are out-dated.
- Binding and Paper Quality - Stiched binding with stout, flexible covers, thin and glossy paper.
- Size and Weight - 416 pages plus covers, 5.25 by 8.75 inches, 675 grams.
- Would I Feel Comfortable Using this Book? Absolutely.
Guide Review - "Eyewitness Travel Ireland" by Lisa Gerard-Sharp and Tim Perry
If you are touring Ireland and want to get a good visual impression and some "insights" (provided by specially commissioned and throughout excellent artwork), stick with the Eyewitness Travel Ireland guide. It will show you (and get you to) all the important sites.
When you get there you might just notice that some images appear strange. Actually some are outdated - not in a gross way, but enough to get noticed. Livery changes at Dublin Bus, the police and ambulance services as well as urban renewal have left their mark.
But 99% of the images are of the highest quality and will literally seduce you into visiting Ireland. And the artwork with cut-away images of important sights and "three-dimensional" maps is nothing but stunning.
Also very helpful and entertaining are the extras you get - from history to food. The guide aims to give a full, rounded picture of Ireland. It succeeds so well that it can double up as a souvenir and a good read.
Due to the size of Eyewitness Travel Ireland and the high amount of images texts are occasionally less in-depth than in other guides. Enough for the average tourist - and much more information is always available when you actually visit attractions.
Recommended? Definitely for people who like their travel literature colorful and who want everything in one handy volume.
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