Maps: the Discovery OSI 51 for the Burren is the only one to get - the #52 area has nothing Burren in it bar a couple of churches. The OSI road atlas is okay but minimal information for driving and if you can follow signs on a straight motorway to 'Limerick' and 'Ennis' you don't need it. Other maps don't add much: the Tim Robinson has quite a bit of extra detail for historical completists, but it's black and white so not useful for walking. There's a GSI map of geology of ireland.
Books: The Book Of The Burren: pricey E18.50 but complete, has everything: chapter on caves, chapter on botany, chapter on the geology. For anyone really interested in depth in the burren and just the burren, this is the book, just buy this one. Great pictures and some maps and lots of explanatory drawings of prehistoric remains you won't find anywhere else. It's pricey but you don't need another, because it's mailorder from Ireland it's not a last-minute buy.
Stone Water and Ice E10 and Burren Archaeology E9.50 bought in the very helpful Corrofin burren information centre, because they're very readable and the first a great introduction to the geology (not very big despite the price) and the second a decent survey of the prehistoric (again small), and because i only got to another information centre (Kilfenora) today and they had a huge selection of books inc. Book of the Burren. The Burren Archaeology (Hugh Carthy) is good because it puts a choice of prehistoric stuff together in for areas, so you can pick several things nearish to drive between. If you want a short trip to the Burren to see a lot of prehistoric stuff close together it's worth it. Bought Forgotten Stones because cheap, does have all early christian sites, thorough, best bit is black & white photos: great combination of seeing what it looks like without spoiling the surprise.
OSI Adventure map of Killarney: printed on both sides, so half the size you expect and you have to turn it over, not remotely waterproof so not much use to a serious hiker i'd've thought, does have some monuments etc but i don't think there's much there? I'd buy the Harvey next time but it's not worth it the amount of time
Burren 'what to see' list: my personal favourites
- the Burren itself, the bare rocky bit not the lush bit, walking on it, esp. the greenway etc; i don't like rockeries or alpines but it's different in the flesh, exquisite. There's lots of wildflowers in early June and i'm sure May is better but the orchids are only just coming out. The shapes are amazing, would inspire any artist, and this is a botanist's must-see place
- Fahee North lookout: driving past in the rain couldn't see anything, driving past in the sun was gobsmacked. Bit like those rocky columnar pictures of american national parks, but in the flesh (smaller and greyer maybe, but spectacular to me). Worth driving there just to see it.
- Cahercomaun: a hillfort, which i saw in the thickest rain and was still amazing. Very high up and dramatic situation with amazing views, easily the best.
- The drive between Caherconnell and Noughavel: not many road names in Ireland, this is 2nd not best, but it is the most romantic scenery, like Constable would paint. As it's highly likely you'll visit Caherconnell and Poulnabrone, which are worth seeing, it's highly likely you'll need to pick a road to leave on
- Dysert O'Dea church, tower, castle, cross. Just so quaint and pretty and so very close together and charming. I didn't go inside the restored castle, which is a tearoom with a museum on top, and i didn't buy the £2.50 tour-map, which would make a charming long walk of the area (am with parents who can't walk far) but would if had time. There are a lot of pretty ruined churches, but this is particularly nice and accessible and worth dropping in if you're going past.
Quite a few tourists during term time in June but not packed at all, signs are it will be. As someone noted, when it's a washout it's really a washout unless you like walking in the rain (spectacles, camera, not really) and you have to grab the sun.
Best food we got was Ennis market (first place awake we came to driving up from Rosslare, and first attractive town too, recommend as a stop en route. Has a physio, podio and lots of posh clothes shops and nice cafes but is the size of a pea) the butcher in Corrofin, the veg at the shop at the end of Corrofin just past the hostel, and the bread if 'homemade'. Cheese here is awful and cheap supermarket cakes on average E4! Meat eggs veg are good. Cafe coffee is superb but E2.50-E3 and sandwiches E5-7 in cafes. Glad i brought coffee & chocolate, wish i'd brought jam & cheese & dried herbs & marmite. Nearly everything is pricey but sometimes eg butcher's meat and bacon, eggs, it's high price for high quality and matches UK same stuff. It's meat country, not dairy. Factory chickens and cheapo rubber cheese are organic prices!
Lots and lots of footpaths are in the roads, eg large parts of the Burren Way, but they are very quiet (now) and although narrow like in Wales, they're straighter, better surfaced and don't have ditches and stone walls right next to them so it's a lot safer. They don't seem to have 'rights of way' like in UK (in wales, usually blocked by electric fencing & bulls & slurry except Nat Trust coast path) it seems to be, commons & national park are free, private is private, so lots of walking on roads but the Burren National Park (which is the part that's most interesting with the bare rocks and alpine flowers) seems to be go where you will, no protected areas. I still haven't figured it out for sure though. Sorry that went on so long