There are no direct flights to Istanbul or Ankara from Dublin. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul twice daily from London Heathrow. Azerbaijan Airlines flies direct to Istanbul from London Gatwick.
The store owners in the many bazaars are extremely helpful and friendly. Whenever a deal has been sorted out, they invite you to sit down and have a glass of hot tea. It's a tradition in Turkey to accept this offer, and very nice it is, too.
For thoroughly Western tourists, the state of toilet hygiene outside major urban areas is incredibly poor. Bring wads of toilet roll as you can virtually guarantee there won't be any in the hole-in-the-floor lavatories along the way. Oh - and don't forget a peg for your nose.