- Comprehensive, all-inclusive guide to Ireland with all information one might want.
- Clear layout makes guide very user-friendly.
- Very good on off-the-beaten-track and budget information.
- Often geared towards "young" audience - might put off older tourists.
- Could do with an update.
- Up to Date? The current guide was published in 2006 and needs a spot of updating.
- Images and Illustrations - Just 28 color pages, but the images are good (if small in part).
- Maps - Several good deatail maps throughout, Ireland map just to be used for a quick overview.
- Typeface - Several in use, all are clear (excepting light grey print), tend to be small.
- General Layout - Very clear, setting the text in two columns helps with readability in adverse conditions.
- "Completeness" - Everything that should be there is, and more.
- Binding and Paper Quality - A normal paperback, but with thin paper.
- Size and Weight - 732 pages plus covers, 5.25 by 7.75 inches, 600 grams.
- Would I Feel Comfortable Using this Book? Yes and no - the emphasis often is on the intrepid backpacker (i.e. not me).
Some "errors" (rather: facts in need of updating) are easy to spot - anybody who mentions tge National Wax Museum has missed its closure, the "Road to Independence" can no longer be trodden in the National Museum in Kildare Street, a bridge has been added on the Liffey ... such is progress and the fate of books that are fairly static. In a nutshell: this overall excellent guide could do with a new edition.
But to be honest it is still well worth a look into, especially if you prefer backpacking and/or planning your own tour. Or if you are on a budget. The sometimes (delightfully) irreverent language and a penchant for exotic hints and tips might, however, be less suited to more stayed readers. I for one enjoyed it, but the backpacking parts were irrelevant to my needs (or wishes).
I might also disagree on some reviews - but this is down to individual taste and overall the authors seem to get it just right.
One small niggle is the inclusion of the color plates - in a guidebook otherwise devoid of illustrations they are a nice but pricey addition. Maybe the "budget theme" should have extended to leaving them out?
Anyway - great for the traveler who wants to pave his or her own way, does not necessarily rely on a rental car and has a sense of humor.
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