Heresy! Ireland is not a tea toddling kind of place. There's Guinness, Grace and God. The order is up to you.

In reality, a lot of the dynamics of small town Ireland surround the Church and the Pub and, in reality, a good balance makes for a good trip. If you compound that fact with the Smoke Free Pub, it makes a big difference--you'll find a lot of the Irish music scene centers around the pub and a lot of them play better when you've shown your appreciation by sending them a few pints. In the Gaelic areas of County Galway and west Kerry, you'll see what I mean.

However, the Irish Mass can be quite beautiful, so if you are there that weekend, do take in a service--even a lapsed Catholic like me finds beauty in the Gaelic version of the Our Father. But don't expect much else to be open outside of Dublin and, perhaps, Killarney (tourist trap!). And certainly don't expect that Ireland will be properly represented... you have to balance the pulpit and the pint to really feel it.

Timothy