Best of Ireland.

by Natalie Pace.

From castles to pubs and 40 shades of green in between.

Learn 5 Shamrock Secrets and make your visit to Ireland a four-leaf clover memory.

Ah… the island of Yeats, Joyce and Bono, the world's most unique language (Gaelic) and exquisite Farm to Fork cuisine. What? Yes, I said cuisine. While the rest of the world thinks that Ireland is all about potatoes and bland meals, local farmers and Michelin chefs have teamed up to create award-winning cuisine that manages to make nettles as delicious as the ever-popular, mushy peas and fish and chips. If you haven't been to Ireland lately, you have no idea what you are missing -- from the most delectable macaroons I've ever tasted (at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt), to the best all-around hotel spoiling I've ever experienced (at Ballyfin Demesne). Ireland is suffering economically, so hotels and restaurants are offering fantastic deals, where your dollar buys substantially more five-star services and amenities than you'll find elsewhere.

There are a few nettles in the dessert, however. (Nettles in your pea soup can be tasty; not so in your ice cream.) So, keep reading in order to avoid the imposters, and, instead, patronize the places where you will be pampered (instead of peppered).

Whether you are a music lover, a foodie, a greenie, a golfer or a literature and history buff, below are a few tricks to experiencing the Best that Ireland has to offer.

5 Shamrock Secrets

1. Make Dublin a Day Trip
2. Be Wary of Castle "Style" Hotels
3. Ballyfin Demesne
4. Powerscourt Gardens, Golf and Gordon Ramsay
5. Cheap Flights Aren't Cheap

And Here's the Top and Bottom of It.

1. Make Dublin a Day Trip - There are a few fascinating, historic things to see and do in Dublin, like the Book of Kells, the Dublin Castle and the Garden of Remembrance. These are destinations that you don't want to miss, but otherwise, you can get better music, pubs and a taste of Irish life outside of the capital city. I began my trip to Ireland with a visit to the countryside and ended with Dublin, and was exceedingly glad that I organized my trip this way.

You can visit Trinity College, where you'll find the Book of Kells, and the Garden of Remembrance in the same day (unless you're a real history buff). Go early to avoid the long queues, particularly for the Book of Kells. Pre-book your tour at the Dublin Castle to ensure that you get in on a day/time that it is open. For most people, two full days in Dublin is enough to experience them all.

2. Be wary of castle "style" hotels - In Vegas, you expect to see a Camelot "style" casino, but if you hopped the pond to Ireland to experience the land of Gaelic Kings, a castle "style" hotel, trying to pass itself off as historically relevant, is just going to get you jousting mad. (Likewise, an airline carrier that tries to pass itself off as "low-cost," but charges you hundreds of Euros in penalties for silly transgressions, like not printing out a boarding pass, might make you want to join the IRA. Keep reading to learn more.) The website for the Clontarf Castle uses beautiful photography and deceptive language to try and make the hotel sound important, historic and authentic, when it is new and kitsch -- more like Excalibur Hotel in Vegas than worthy of the Irish King Brian Boru, who died in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Outside of the Dublin Castle, which is a museum, most of the most treasured historical sites have fallen in Ireland -- from a harsh political climate and the severe weather. With the exception of a few estates…

3. 
   

   Ballyfin Demesne Photo by Marie Commiskey. (c) 2012. Used with permission.

   
   Ballyfin Demesne - Ballyfin is one of the world's timeless treasures -- life on a manor house very much the way it was back in the 1800s, when the home was first built. Ballyfin was built in 1820 by Sir Charles Coote, on land that was granted to his ancestor of the same name by Queen Elizabeth (in 1601). Most English manor homes were razed during the Irish Independence Movement of the early 1900s. Ballyfin was preserved by the Patrician Brothers and used as a school.

It took ten years of painstaking restoration to return it to the museum quality demesne it is today. The current owner is a Irish-American couple who have meticulously restored the property in grand style, offering five star service that makes you feel like visiting royalty from the moment the staff greets you on the house steps, to the Michelin-starred chef who prepares your meals and the lavender sachet they place beneath your pillow for a good night's rest.

Although the original owners were British invaders, Ballyfin has always been an Irish work of rare, stunning architecture, a treasure, which, today, serves as a symbol of local pride. Ballyfin was designed by the great Irish architects Sir Richard and William Morrison and built by Irish craftsmen with largely local materials. You definitely see the British Empire influence, including Lady Coote's marble bath and the Oriental wallpaper in Sir Charles' Coote's suite. The woodworking on the floors is the same as in Buckingham Palace.

With 16 guest rooms, a ballroom, conservatory, music room, a library, an expansive living area, a gold sitting room (where some guests strike up a game of poker), its own manmade Pike filled pond, tennis court, pool, 600 acres of ancient woods, a medieval-style tower, church and even a hermit's cave where adventurous men have created dream-come-true marriage proposals for their fiancées, Ballyfin is simply perfection. Outdoor activities include archery, falconry, fishing, exploring, canoeing, nature walks, horseback riding and more. You are even welcome to watch over Chef Fred Cordonnier's shoulder as he prepares meals or visit his garden where your food is picked fresh daily. In order to ensure that you have ample time to do it all, I strongly recommend that you pre-arrange a few special activities.

Swan Family at Ballyfin Photo by Marie Commiskey. (c) 2012. Used with permission.

Every 5-star hotel aspires to making their customers feel at home and welcome, however, no matter how well trained the staff is, in a hotel elevator, you might feel intrusive if you make eye contact with another person. At Ballyfin, because it is literally a home where one guest might be playing Chopin on the grand piano, while another sips pre-dinner champagne in the nearby rotunda, you'd be rude not to offer a greeting to the guests you pass on the stairwell and/or invite them to sit with you at dinner.

Ballyfin is definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience, whether you are telling ghost stories in the Hermit's Cave, taking vows in an unforgettable wedding, handling falcons up close at a family reunion or just having a sensual weekend away from the kids.

4. 
   

   Playing Chess on the Lawn Outside the Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, in County Wicklow, Ireland Photo by: Marie Commiskey (c) 2012. Used with permission.

   
   Powerscourt Gardens, Golf and Gordon Ramsay - I began my Irish escapade at the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, County Wicklow, which is about 20 minutes outside of Dublin. How could I go wrong with a Gordon Ramsay restaurant and the Ritz-Carlton brand? Ramsay has been awarded 13 Michelin stars and Cesar Ritz was the hotelier to royalty. I'd been let in on the secret that Eric Meloche, the executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt and Peter Byrne, the chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay, were creating their culinary masterpieces around the seasonal produce and meat that was provided by a local organic farming company, Gold River Farm. So I was keen on discovering exactly what, beyond potatoes, might be on the menu. (It was a love affair from start to finish, from the green pea soup, through the organic lamb, the cherries and duck and finished off with a light, fresh, exotic fruit parfait.)

   Yours Truly Hanging at the Chef's Table with Peter Byrne, Eric Meloche and their sous chef Photo by: Marie Commiskey (c) 2012. Used with permission.

   Alan Pierce, the co-owner of Gold River, gave me a walk about of his farm, where pigs run about freely, sniffing your shoes to see if they are edible. Nearby is a field of baby greens so tasty and clean, you can pick and enjoy without the need of any dressing. On the hillside, sheep graze on clover. The feeding ground of the animals, where the soil is fertilized and restocked with nitrogen and other essential minerals, becomes next year's vegetable garden.

   Nature does most of the work for Alan and his partner, Mark Winterbothom. Foxes keep the rabbit population in tact. Nets protect the crops from birds. Afternoon rains keep everything watered. And the resulting pesticide-free produce and free-ranging pork and lamb are so mouth-watering that it passes the infamously finicky palette of Hell's Kitchen's star Gordon Ramsay.

   And here is where Ireland's infamous 40 shades of green turn wallet-friendly. Gordon Ramsay's executive chef Peter Byrne has created a Michelin-worthy culinary experience with customer-friendly prices. Guests can enjoy a Table for Two 3-course tasting menu Tuesday through Thursday (or at lunch on the weekends) for just 66 euro. Once the recovery kicks in, it will surely be more, so go to Ireland immediately for these fantastic opportunities!

   The Ritz Carlton Powerscourt hotel sits next to the historic Powerscourt estate, which boasts a world-class garden, with garden holding the same euphemistic meaning as Park does in Central Park, as in expansive and wild -- a destination you'll get lost in without a map. In fact, the Powerscourt Garden Estate is a day-trip tourist attraction for Dublin travelers, as well as a venue where you can have your fairytale wedding or other special event. This beautiful country estate is one of the best in Ireland, and originally included a castle dating back to 1300, when the land was held by the le Poer (Power) family. Lodging is available next door in The Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
   

   The Powerscourt Championship Golf Course in County Wicklow, Ireland Photo by: Marie Commiskey (c) 2012. Used with permission.

   The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is only six years old, however, it was designed to fit seamlessly into the Georgian period of the Powerscourt Garden Estate. The lawn beneath your window at the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt is expansive enough for a game of soccer (and there are nets conveniently on the green for that purpose), or croquet, or even chess with life-size chess pieces. The championship Powerscourt golf courses (two) next door offer the most breath-taking views and natural landscaping (free of housing) that the world has to offer. The land is so naturally lush that the landscapers rarely have to water.

   Perfect for a family reunion, a wedding, a get away or a corporate convention (approximately 50% of the guests come on business), the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt is a sensory-rich blend of sports, recreation, great hiking, gardens, equestrian options, history and haute cuisine. You can even learn to pour your own perfect pint in McGill's Pub, where traditional Irish music can be heard on Friday nights and the Shepherd's Pie is the best on the island. That is part of the reason why this rather new hotel swept two awards at the Conde Nast Johansens 2011 Annual Awards for Excellence.
   

   Natalie Pace pouring a pint of Guiness with McGill's Pub Assistant Manager Sean McGettigan Photo by: Marie Commiskey (c) 2012. Used with permission.

   
   
5. Cheap Flights Aren't Cheap - I typically try to be more euphemistic than blatant, but screw that. RyanAir sucks. Don't fall for its lies that it is low-cost, and just click no on the cheap-o air websites that quote RyanAir's alleged rock-bottom prices. I think I must have bewitched the scale because miraculously my bag came in under the wire for weight, which, at 15kg, is far lower than the standard 50 pounds allowed by most American airlines (meaning most American travelers will pay an overage fee). The cost of overage? 60 euro, which my colleague had to pay. But that wasn't all. Her carry-on bag, which was acceptable on American flights, was deemed too large and she was charged another 60 euro. If the website had not been down, we would have been dinged another 60 euro for not pre-printing our boarding passes. All in all, the overage fees surpassed the booking fees. I'm surprised the airline is still in business. Surely only first-time customers are keeping it alive, as it is doubtful the airline will ever see my, or my colleague's, business again.

So, the good news is that there are pots of gold to be found in Ireland these days, and there are also still trolls hiding under bridges, pilfering your coins before you'll be allowed to cross. Forget all your pre-conceptions about bland food, and lose yourself in these unforgettable, five-star experiences, which weren't even available just a few years ago.

About Natalie Pace:
Natalie Pace is the author of You Vs. Wall Street and Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is. She is the founder and CEO of the Women’s Investment Network, LLC (a global financial news, information and education site), where she has been adding a splash of green to Wall Street and transforming lives on Main Street for more than a decade. Natalie is a blogger on HuffingtonPost.com and a repeat guest on national television and radio shows such as Good Morning America, Fox News, CNBC, ABC-TV, Forbes.com, NPR and more. As a strong believer in giving back, she has been instrumental in raising tens of millions for public schools, financial literacy, the arts and underserved women and girls worldwide. Follow her on Facebook.com/NWPace. For more information please visit NataliePace.com.