Sorefingers: Thanks for so much input. I've heard of Matt Malloy's pub, and even seen it on TV. Not sure where to locate "Coleman country," but I'll be consulting my maps and guidebooks.

Galway City -- yes, I am very much looking forward to visiting there.

Very nice explanation of HMG's positioning of Lakenheath. Not surprising -- here in the States, we put most of our own military bases (certainly the largest ones) in fairly isolated locales.

I'm sure I can count on my brother and sis-in-law to show us around the immediate area, guide us to the best local eats and drinks, etc. They are quite unattached to the military bases where they work and their somewhat inbred communities, and have always lived "off-base" in the countries where they've been stationed. They've been doing this for a while, and have become pretty much "citizens of the world." It seems that most of their civilian co-workers are at least somewhat less internationalist than they are, and of course the military families whose kids they teach are even less inclined to enter and to understand the "foreign" countries surrounding their workplaces.

In other words, I think I can assume that Paul and Barb know about those "pointy hat people" and other local phenomena worthy of our attention.

Despite your concertina-related warning, I think that Clare "the Singing County" will remain on our itinerary. If for no other reason, it's pretty much on the way from Mayo through Galway to Shannon Airport, my point of departure -- innit?