The 1st time I went to Ireland (the West coast) on my own in 2000, during the day time I cycled or walked through the breath taking countryside, then in the evenings I sang & drank in various pubs including Matt Molloy's in Westport. I stayed in hostels and throughout my stay I bumped into a whole bunch of wonderful people and not just the local population, but fellow travelers from numberous countries from around the world, a number of who I'm still in contact with. I'd been to Ireland once before then, but with friends & was restricted in where I went & I've returned several times since & still enjoy doing so, but that time in 2000 was still the best.