In my opinion, you can never “go wrong” in Ireland. Back in 1994, I had a business trip planned to London. Because I had the weekend to myself, I jumped aboard an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin. Why not? I rented a car upon arrival (this was pre-internet bookings) and took to the open road.
Alone, but not afraid, I grabbed a map and headed west. Despite having been to Dublin many times, I didn’t want to be bound to the city for the weekend. Heading west seemed like the natural thing to do. And, as always, I met some wonderful people who helped me along my way.
My drive took me about 2 hours west via surface roads and I ended up spending the night in Portloaise. I happened in to a Bed & Breakfast which had the traditional AA sign and a vacancy sign outside. The lady of the house was very kind, and we shared a pot of tea on my arrival. Since this is typical Irish hospitality, I enjoyed sharing my Irish roots with her. I’ve been back to Portloaise since, but never could find the house or the hostess again. And sadly, with the arrival of the internet, many of the Tourist Board accredited B&B’s have disappeared as well.
When it comes to a big trip to Ireland, I recommend you recall the sites you’re familiar with. Or, simply search the internet for things to do. My top places I’d recommend include the following:
- Newgrange, Co Meath
- Belfast’s Titanic Museum
- Carrick-a-Rede bridge in Co. Antrim
- The Dark Hedges, Co Antrim (as seen in Game of Thrones)
- Dunluce Castle in Co Antrim
- Giant’s Causeway
- Bushmills Irish Whiskey Distillery
- Glenveagh Castle, Co Donegal
- Sleive League Mountains/Cliffs in Co. Donegal
- Kylemore Abbey in Co Galway
- Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare
- Bee Hive huts of Dingle in Co Clare
- Slea Head Drive, Dingle, Co Clare
- Adare Castle in Co Limerick
- Killarney, Co Kerry
- Ring of Kerry, Co Kerry
- Great Southern Hotel in Parknascilla, Co Kerry
- Kenmare Fair, Kenmare, Co Kerry
- Ladies View, Killarney National Forest, Co. Kerry
- Ross Castle, Killarney, Co Kerry
- Rock of Cashel, Co Tipperary
- Blarney Castle, Co Cork
Just to name a few. Chances are likely you’ve seen many of these sites in magazines, television shows, and in a million books, let alone the internet. If you have a connection to Ireland, you’ll want to see what’s near your area of interest. I’ve found my travels to be most successful when I am just kickin’ around the local scene and happen upon something amazing.
And, it’s important to note, that no matter how much you like to drive, the roads in Ireland are much more challenging and rural than those in the US. What you see on a map that is 200 miles is likely to take you an entire day. Even the most ambitious driver (if anyone is more than I am) will find themselves exhausted at the end of a long trip cramming in as many sights as possible. Do yourself a favor and narrow down your list.
In 2001, I drove all over the Republic of Ireland in 10 days. I made it 1100 miles in 10 days and I needed a vacation from my vacation when I got home. While its 1 way to see a lot of the country, I felt like I missed out on a lot of interesting sights and certainly the depth of being able to see and understand the context of what I was observing. So, pick a few places and concentrate on seeing those. I assure you, even only seeing a few places every few days, you’ll want to come back again and again.