Coming to Ireland with the Inlaws, Where to go?

Drakares

Hey folks,

I moved to Germany a year ago with the missus and haven't been back in a bit. The inlaws are mad to go on a visit to the green isle, they're bang on, down to earth, don't need anything fancy, and want us to go with them.

Now comes the question, what does one do in Ireland for a week?! I am really proud of Ireland, the friendliness of the people and the beautiful landscape, but I'd like to head a bit off the beaten track and not just stick to all the main "tourist spots".

It's a weeks visit so I was thinking from Dublin airport and a day or two in Dublin then on to Galway. Galway is a must as that is where me and the better half met. From this point we were going to go South or North. Maybe up to Donegal and the direction of the Giants Causeway, OR down towards the ring of Kerry.

Can anyone give any good recommendations? It shames me to say I know so little about good places to go in my own Country, but there ye have it!

Cheers in advance: PS if there's a better forum for this then feel free to move it!

PPS: Her dad is mad for a good whiskey and her mum is more for the outdoors, if that helps with suggestions.

Cheers

Karl Stein

Connor Pass for spectacular views.

Duff

Connemara, Dingle, Connor Pass, Kenmare, Bantry are all beautiful spots.

I think the Bushmills distillery is beside the Giant's Causeway if you want to kill two birds with one stone!

ArnoldJRimmer

If her Dad is mad into whiskey, then the Bushmills distillery is great to go to. You can also take in Glenariff and Giants Causeway in Antrim

Loads to do in Donegal too, Slieve League is a must, but the whole of west Donegal is beautiful

ElChe32

Fibbers

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

I have to recommend a couple of days in Donegal. Slieve League cliffs, up to Gweedore and on to the Inishowen peninsula. Completely underrated and undiscovered. You're right beside Derry and a stone's throw from the Giant's Causeway. If you do the Giant's Causeway, the Bushmills distillery is only down the road. Your outlaws will think you're a f*cking rockstar.

Edit: Basically what ArnoldJRimmer said.

Drakares

Some great ones so far, not heard of some of these spots but they look amazing..

I guess the bigger question is north or south?!

Drakares

Drakares wrote: »

Some great ones so far, not heard of some of these spots but they look amazing..

I guess the bigger question is north or south?!

Dublin, go North to Giant's Causeway, then West to Donegal, then to Connemara, Galway city, the Burren, then Dingle/Skellig Michel/Connor Pass, Bantry, Barleycove near Mizen Head, then head for Skibbereen, on to Cork, then back to Dublin.

Could do much of that in a week. Would be excellent too! There's the Midleton Distillery in Cork too.

Santa Cruz

Go North. Kerry etc. is overdone. Hit Mayo, Westport to Louisburgh area. There are also a good share of cycle paths to suit all ages. Then on to Donegal, Derry and across the North Coast to The Glens of Antrim, Bushmills and then Belfast. Down to the coast and back in to the South via Carlingford and the Cooleys. Handy run also for Newgrange and then Dublin

Donkey Oaty

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Hit Mayo, Westport to Louisburgh area.

Some wonderful scenery there coming up from Galway. Much underrated.

Irishmale0399

Done it last year with my schwiegermonster (German mother in law)!!!! Me and 3 Germans for 12 days............
Started at Dublin Airport as you do.....
Day 1 arrived....direct to Newgrange, from there it went on to Louth where we went to "the magic hill" (a must).....then Carlingford for the night.
Day 2 Titanic Museum.........Bushmills.....Giants Causeway B&B
Day 3-5 Along the coast from Antrim through Donegal to the Aran Islands.
Day 6 Direct drive to the Ring of Kerry and overnight in Dingle
Day 7-8 Cork, Kinsale, Cashel overnight
Day 9 Tramore and on to Dublin
Day 10-12 Dublin....shopping, trinity, history museum, government buildings.....Guinness
Day 12 back to Düsseldorf and never again!!!

Archeron

If doing the giants causeway and bush mills, make sure to see dunluce castle, ideally at sunset, a stunning place. And the famous rope bridge is on the north Antrim drive too, beautiful views there of the coast, and you can see Scotland. You will also pass dunserverick castle which is great to visit if you want to sink up to your knees in sheep sh-t.

If in the midlands, clonmacnoise is well worth a visit but the roads to it are really terrible. A fantastic place though, full of Irish history.

Rock of cashel in Tipperary is another iconic site well worth seeing, If you visit, don't forget to walk down to Hore abbey as well.

Drakares

Really leaning towards North with some of the replies here.. We really don't have time to do both without having the holiday stressful or full of driving.

If we were to go west and start our "North" trip from there, then onto Giants Causeway/Belfast, any nice Routes on the way back down to Dublin?

Cheers btw, you're all legends!

jockeyboard

Coppers?

donegal__road

here is a things to do in Donegal map. Im biased of course!

uck51js9zml2yt

You only have a week. You're in danger of spending it driving and seeing very little. If you're arriving in dublin you could easily spend a day in the city or maybe out the m50 to powerscourt and Glenda lough. Take a day then in Belfast, titanic museum etc. It's another day at Bushmills, giants Causeway. Head straight from there to Galway and maybe aran. You could spend the last few days in the area. The burren and cliffs of mother are in driving range. You could easily have 3 days of touring from Galway as a base and then head back to Dublin. Depending on flight times you might see the likes of Christchurch, trinity and a museum before u fly out.
Just bear in mind that they won't want to spend the week in a car. You could check out the AA to check the amount of km you'll cover with approximate driving times

Archeron

Drakares wrote: »

Really leaning towards North with some of the replies here.. We really don't have time to do both without having the holiday stressful or full of driving.

If we were to go west and start our "North" trip from there, then onto Giants Causeway/Belfast, any nice Routes on the way back down to Dublin?

Cheers btw, you're all legends!

Every part of the country has beautiful places, go to Hook Head in Wexford and visit the oldest working lighthouse in Europe, as well as Loftus hall for the ghostly feeling and pay a visit to the ruins of the Templar church. While in Wexford, see Tintern abbey and enniscorthy castle, as well as Pugins magnificent cathedral in the same town. If you can find it, castleboro house is one of he countries most impressive ruins, but beware its on private land.

Go to Wicklow on the way to Wexford and see powerscourt house and gardens, Victorias way (home of the finest statues of Ganesh in the world but check opening dates, a summer venue) and of course Glendalough.

Within reach of Dublin, go to Carlow and visit Ducketts grove, one of the countries most beautiful abandoned castles and Brownshill dolmen. Also visit Meath to see Trim castle, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, the Hill of Slane, The Hill of Tara, Athlumey castle and Slane castle.

If you find yourself in Kildare, try the japanese gardens and national stud, Brigids cathedral and round tower (the only one in Ireland you can climb up to the top). Lesser known places would be the Connolly folly, the wonderful barn and Castletown house, irelands largest Palladian mansion. Well worth the tour of Castletown just to see the amazing murano chandaliers in the long gallery. There is carton house to see the house, and walk the grounds to see the boathouse, the shell cottage and the great little walk. Also if in Kildare, check out st Patrick's seminary in maynooth and see the incredible choral chapel if its open. Try to see Donadea forest park too, containing the ruins of a castle and a beautiful memorial to those who died on September 11th, with a stone reproduction of the twin towers in which is caved the names of all the firefighters who died that day.

If in Louth on the way north, visit Castleroche castle, an abandoned and lonely place but very impressive if you don't mind the cows that live there and moo loudly at you. Go to baltray beach to see one of Ireland's few shipwrecks, the very photogenic Lonely Trader rotting at the edge of the sea. visit Drogheda and see the church that is home to Oliver Plunketts decapitated head, and go to see Beaulieu house, the first house in Ireland that was not built in a defensive manner and whose church yard features one of Ireland's few remaining cadaver stones.

And there are similar lists in every county. No matter what direction you go in, you will find really cool places.

Sir Arthur Daley

Ring of Beara is well worth doing if down south, more scenic than the Ring of Kerry.

thegreatgonzo

If you've only a week and you definitely have to go to Galway city you could see Connemara and Co Clare. There's loads to see in Clare or you could head out to the aran islands

periodictable

http://ceidefields.com/

Waitsian

Santa Cruz wrote: »

...and back in to the South via Carlingford and the Cooleys.

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

from there it went on to Louth where we went to "the magic hill" (a must).....then Carlingford for the night.

Archeron wrote: »

If in Louth on the way north, visit Castleroche castle, an abandoned and lonely place but very impressive if you don't mind the cows that live there and moo loudly at you. Go to baltray beach to see one of Ireland's few shipwrecks, the very photogenic Lonely Trader rotting at the edge of the sea. visit Drogheda

Took the words right out of my mouth.

I know I'm biased but South Armagh, South Down, and North Louth are really beautiful and imho really under-appreciated and under-rated. Even Cavan and Monaghan as such. If you love cycling and/or rambling, they are great counties to visit.

Carawaystick

If you're heading from Dublin to Galway, there's a distillery in Kilbeggan, and then stop at Clonmacnoise.

Santa Cruz

Archeron wrote: »

Every part of the country has beautiful places, go to Hook Head in Wexford and visit the oldest working lighthouse in Europe, as well as Loftus hall for the ghostly feeling and pay a visit to the ruins of the Templar church. While in Wexford, see Tintern abbey and enniscorthy castle, as well as Pugins magnificent cathedral in the same town. If you can find it, castleboro house is one of he countries most impressive ruins, but beware its on private land.

Go to Wicklow on the way to Wexford and see powerscourt house and gardens, Victorias way (home of the finest statues of Ganesh in the world but check opening dates, a summer venue) and of course Glendalough.

Within reach of Dublin, go to Carlow and visit Ducketts grove, one of the countries most beautiful abandoned castles and Brownshill dolmen. Also visit Meath to see Trim castle, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, the Hill of Slane, The Hill of Tara, Athlumey castle and Slane castle.

If you find yourself in Kildare, try the japanese gardens and national stud, Brigids cathedral and round tower (the only one in Ireland you can climb up to the top). Lesser known places would be the Connolly folly, the wonderful barn and Castletown house, irelands largest Palladian mansion. Well worth the tour of Castletown just to see the amazing murano chandaliers in the long gallery. There is carton house to see the house, and walk the grounds to see the boathouse, the shell cottage and the great little walk. Also if in Kildare, check out st Patrick's seminary in maynooth and see the incredible choral chapel if its open. Try to see Donadea forest park too, containing the ruins of a castle and a beautiful memorial to those who died on September 11th, with a stone reproduction of the twin towers in which is caved the names of all the firefighters who died that day.

If in Louth on the way north, visit Castleroche castle, an abandoned and lonely place but very impressive if you don't mind the cows that live there and moo loudly at you. Go to baltray beach to see one of Ireland's few shipwrecks, the very photogenic Lonely Trader rotting at the edge of the sea. visit Drogheda and see the church that is home to Oliver Plunketts decapitated head, and go to see Beaulieu house, the first house in Ireland that was not built in a defensive manner and whose church yard features one of Ireland's few remaining cadaver stones.

And there are similar lists in every county. No matter what direction you go in, you will find really cool places.

Coming South from Belfast travel the Down coast through Analong, Rostrevor and Warrfenpoint then on to Omeath and either over the Cooleys to Dromad/Carricakarnon or on to Dundalk via Carlingford. f the weather was you could have a breather in at Laytown/Bettystown