Where Should I visit on My first Trip to Ireland
77Day 1 - going to be a long one...
Well if you are coming from the US? you have a choice of flying into Dublin or Shannon, I would recommend arriving 8am Shannon, why, because there is still a good bit of the old Ireland still alive in the west, out on the wild Atlantic shore. Dublin is a major European city so you will see lots there but at a price.
If you have to come in at 6am go into Limerick, have a look around then head back towards the airport and go to Bunratty Castle / Durty Nellys. Bunratty Castle (they open at 9) and beside it the most fantastic pub called Durty Nellys
Head north from Durty Nellys towards Ennis, Co Clare, be sure to go and see the highest sea cliffs in Europe, the Cliffs of Moher maybe go back and stay in Ennis or Galway, Galway is one of the best cities in Ireland.
Bunratty Castle
Durty Nellys
The Cliffs of Moher
Day 2 plus...
So Galway, now after a day or two in Galway, be sure and go to Salthill and ask about the Gaeltacht.. if you really are out to spoil yourself then you have to go to Ashford Castle,
photo to follow
Ashford Castle
Depending on how you like this end of the country so far then next stop from Ashford Castle go west to Westport, out on the coast and take a side trip to Achill Island...
Westport, Co Mayo
Achill Island
after that head to Sligo, have a look around, spend a day or a night then move on North heading for Bundoran. Stop at the fabulous statue of Countess Markievicz beside the main road... and of courseat the grave of WB Yeats at Drumcliff,, about 1 mile up the road from the Countess. In Bundoran stay at the Great Northern Hotel...
Countess Markievicz
WB Yeats
Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran
When you are there be sure and go to Tullan strand, 5 minutes walk from the Great Northern, after that head north to the town of Belleek, where there is a large pottery..
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Belleek Pottery
After Belleek you have a choice to double back and north into Donegal or head a little east into Co Fermanagh to the town of Enniskillen, I would recommend Enniskillen, it is a lovely old town and there are a couple of great hotels, the Lough Erne Golf Resort on the way in or the Westville in the town !!
Harvey's Point Hotel Donegal
So now depending on the time available - you Must go on to Donegal, you could base yourself at Harveys Point, loads to do, but not a city in sight :-)
Old Bushmills
The Final Leg... what day is it :-)
After that head to Derry, a lovely old small city in the North, from there plan to drive to Belfast via Bushmills and maybe the Giants Casueway... then to Belfast..
Belfast is nice, cheaper than Dublin, you could fly back to Shannon or to Dublin from Derry, check the car return policy because this is a very small airport. If you do go to Belfast then you can return your car there and fly to Dublin / Shannon, or take the train to Dublin. So this is a west and north trip, there is still a lot more of Ireland to see... next time...
Belfast... the good old north
..the latest poems from Drax..
- Poem - Dear Brothers & Sisters in the Universe
- 4 weeks ago
- Poem - X Y & Z
- 4 weeks ago
- Poem - The Dining
- 4 weeks ago
- Poem - Snake Oil
- 4 weeks ago
- Poem - The New Ireland
- 4 weeks ago
- Poem - Tomato Boxes
- 4 weeks ago
I'm impressed Tantrum, if you come again come to the North, Argentina is on my list big time...
Drax-
Bord Fáilte here you come;brilliant hub -eh-about Dublin-well ,would you not agree it's kinda special-no bias here mind you.
Hi Itakins... thanks very much... no nothing wrong with Dublin but it has become like many other major cities, I think for a first time visitor it is lovely to see the old Ireland where people are a little curious about you and have time to talk and ask you questions ;-) ...
really great hub! Just loved it mainly because I also really want to get there and your review now makes me want to even more! thanks, kimberly
Hey thanks Kimberly, come in May, it is the nicest month here and there is a chance it will not rain every day :-)
Lovely photos, thankyou!!!
glad you liked them Salt... :-)
great feature. Makes me want to head out west (and north :0) of course!)
can't agree with you about Dublin just being another city though. :0) I'm in it.
Thanks Aine, I just find Dublin very expensive, compared to the North and everybody is so busy busy, there seems to be little time to have the craic... but maybe if one was there for a while :-) !!
maybe if one were to look at it again soon, it might be better craic :-)
Always wanted to go to Ireland and see everything Irish. Alas, for now, I cannot. But I sure hope so in the near future!
Hey Aine it can only get better... :-) !!
@ TheSablirab... I'm the same, I have a list of places I want to go so every year I try to go to at least one... :-)
Great hub, nice pictures. Would love to visit Ireland!
Thanks.
I loved this excellent travelogue. Thank you very much for publishing it. I haven't been to Ireland but it just moved to the top of my list for my next overseas adventure.
Hi James, thanks for the comment, that's great news :-)
I've always thought that Ireland was beautiful. Wow!
bbpaula888... thanks very much... it is beautiful in a lot of ways and still a place renegades can live :-)
Brilliant hub, exactly what I was looking for, I'm visiting Ireland at the end of the year and wasn't sure where to go, this hub really helped thanks Drax! :-)
Hey Sophs... sorry for not responding, missed a few comments coming in there, glad it was of help... May is the best month to come but well the end of the year is a good time for the pub :-)
Great advice starting off at Shannon, lovely part of Ireland the West Coast!
thanks stricktlydating :-)
Went to Dublin from Liverpool and spent weeks discovering the beauty of the places and People,Strange feeling of being home.My advice would be to stay in guest-houses rather than hotels as everywhere we stayed they almost became family and Donegal was my favourite with Dublin close to it, lovely reading and seeing pictures,thanks(this is a definite understatement of the Irish hospitality,brilliant)
Jandee... thanks for the comment, great that you came and liked it... there are still remnants of the hospitality left here and there so there is hope for us... :-)
Nice Hub Drax....Ireland is really a wonderful country!The landscapes are unique!!I also liked the pics you've posted.It gives us a real idea about what we can see there!!
Hi Eafblog... thanks for the comment, glad you liked the Hub... the only downside here is the weather, it rains a lot... if you like 10 different kinds of rain then it is paradise.... :-)
Typical N.I. guy- steer the crowd right past Sligo with nary a mention. Both Yeats and the Countess found Sligo yo be "the land of hearts' desire". Well that's OK because I've got Sligo covered. I love Enniskillen and have spent many a day and night there. It's less than an hour door to door. Bundoran is half that again. Donegal Town is less than an hour as well. Galway, Westport and Derry are each just two hours at a safe pace. Limerick,Dublin and Belfast are each three hours without traffic. Sligo is obviously the destination of choice in the whole of Ireland. Cheers, Sligobay
sligobay.. I covered as much of the Free State as possible for a foreign visitor getting off in Shannon going right around the country and back via Dublin..
It is impossible to do any place justice since as you know a body could spend all their life in the same Province and never really see it all..
good luck
Drax
You know, I have always wanted to visit Ireland but never have gotten the chance to just go and explore! My best friend is out there (I think Dublin ) and keeps saying I should come down so that we can explore (not just Dublin of course)
Thanks for the info - this is definitely next on my list
Great Hub, thanks! I've just returned from Connemara, Galway and have some fab photos so I put them up on an old hub I had of a previous stay. If you dont mind, I will share the link with you here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Southern-Ireland-stay - my sister has a small B&B in Tonwee, Oughterard and I have fallen in love with Ireland all over again! I loved your hub, thank you.
@Kavita... yes come, come in May, it is the best month I think... be sure to see the west... it has a different feel and a different pace... thanks for the comment... :-)
@brightforyou... thanks for the link, your images of Connemara are fantastic... thanks for nice the comment... :-)
I loved Ireland... we're going back as soon as we can.
@Assassin Fred.. hey that's great, glad you liked it..
Ps: we need the dollars :-)
A lovely hub.. love Ireland from what i have read from books, can't wait to visit there really soon...Thanks.
Hi jessy... thanks for the comment, May is the best
month to come, there is a chance it will not rain every day... :-)
This looks like a wonderful itenerary with a bit of something for everyone. We just moved to Iowa and we have a huge Irish-American population here. Suppose it shouldn't be a surprise because we are only a few hours from Chicago by car.
Eyre has so much romance and my husband is a medeivalist so all the better. Also have my share of Fraziers and other Irish names in the ancestry, so I better set my sights on this one. Loved your photos, and glad to have found you again here on HP. Regards!
My wife and I are living in Ireland for a couple months (for my job), and we're loving it. Thanks for all the pictures. Taking the train to Belfast this weekend.
@ wannabwestern... sorry missed this comment... thank you
@ Reptile Blog... great name !!! there is so much to see here like every other place, one has to work hard to really make the effort to see things and to participate.. Thanks..
@ Reptile Blog... great name !!! there is so much to see here like every other place, one has to work hard to really make the effort to see things and to participate.. Thanks..
This is a great hub. I've heard so much about Galway. I can't wait to go over there. I'm planning on studying music over there for a few years so this really helped. Thank you.
MooreBeauty.. thanks for the comment, Galway is great and a fun city full of music and fun... you will be made welcome.. :-)
You should also, if you can visis/stay at Rathmullan House. Beautiful. http://www.rathmullanhouse.com
yes Clinton, I have stayed there... it is very nice... you should join hubpages it is very nice too... :-)
thanks for this post buddy!
this gives a good insight into how Ireland feels like. My wife and I are planning a trip to Ireland so thanks for the info..
Vidy... thanks for the comment, you should be able to good deals here now for car hire accommodation etc since the entire country is on its knees...
tantrum 2 years ago
Beautiful Ireland ! I've been in Dublin, Galway & Roscommon