Well, the middle of the east coast is Dublin and some other city-like areas. When we go over, it's usually to get away from that, unless you're planning to see the Book of Kells. The southeast is nice, but we mostly gave it a pass. The northeast is absolutely beautiful, especially around the Giant's Causeway. We also found a place called the Grianan of Aileach, a multi-thousand year old little coliseum/meeting place on top of a large hill somewhere in Donegal.
We have a family home in Cork and generally prefer the more scenic southwest corner, staying around friends and family, and generally enjoying the locality. We try to split our trip evenly between touring and relaxing at home.
Last time we were there was in late May. The sun didn't set until around 10PM, but many things were closed by five or six. We actually hit several attractions in the 5-8PM window and they were great with no crowds and still largely viewable. We found a lot of ruins, climbed to Queen Maeve's tomb, and saw the Ross Abbey in a cow pasture among our after hours sightseeing.
It's really going to depend on what you're into. There is great history, interesting architectural ruins, great people, and beautiful natural vistas. We used both small hotels and B&Bs while traveling away from home. Each had their charms and benefits. Some places will have serious partying and entertainment going on, especially on weekend evenings. Ask wherever you're staying to get the most current info on what's happening in the area.
The local musicians and dancers are wonderful. We went a couple nights to a town just a few miles over the border into Kerry from our house and listened to some great stuff. The pubs are generally hopping from 10-12 nightly, with some staying open a little later. The serious locals consume at a rate of 3-4 pints an hour, and keeping up can make for an interesting walk home. I can't drink Guinness, but I really enjoyed the Smithwick's Ale on tap. Our town had a chipper that comes in the evening to cater to the pub crowd. Fish and chips are great as you'd expect, and they do garlic mushrooms (just a breaded and seasoned fried mushroom) that were very tasty as well. Lamb anything is usually great over there, and if you drive around the southwest corner of the island you'll come to appreciate how many sheep there are on that little island.
Admittedly, I haven't been over in almost seven years, so things could have changed since then. There's really no wrong way to enjoy a trip to Ireland, so enjoy it however you two prefer.
-bob
