I just did a short 1 week tour here, was good fun. Here's a good one for you - canal toepaths out of Dublin - my next plan! You can make it all the way to the midlands, even further west if you take a MTB rental for.

Another possible trip: get to Galway, cycle or bus out to Rossaveel, get the high speed ferry out to the Aran Islands and do a day trip or 2 on the islands. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alrocket/tags/inishmor/

btw drivers suck here, especially on main roads (aka "National Route" equiv to "A road" or "Highways"). They won't give room more than needed to clear.

Re maps, get Discovery series "Ireland East" and "Ireland West" maps, they include all backroads. Sure there's N&S equivs.