Help with planning 3 day trip in Ireland

Savage_Henry

Hi, i have friends coming over in January. Im planning a 3 day trip that would include Donegal + other attractions that are on the route (I have never been to that side of Ireland). Obviously im trying to cram all the impressive nature objects etc, but also i would like to be in a mad rush all the time. My current idea is (Leaving Swords, Dublin)

https://goo.gl/maps/TcacW2YT6H42
Day 1 - drive to Titanic museum for 10 am, leave Titanic museum around 12-1, drive past Sligo town, past Benbulben, via Wild Atlantic Way to Slieve League (B&B in Malin Beg)
Day 2 - Slieve League, if the weather allows - walk to the summit. Chill out in the area. (B&B in Malin Beg)
Day 3 - Drive via Glengesh Pass, possibly stop at Glenveagh National Park & Castle, then drive to Giants Causeway, then back to Swords.

Let me know what you think. Bear in mind - days are short in Jan.
Are there any must-stop points that im missing?
How does it look time wise - especially when you go slow on those country roads.

munchkin_utd

if you leave Belfast at 1 (and thats a tight one seeing as you havent yet eaten, so maybe lunch will be needed/ demanded) you will be hitting Sligo at about 4 or 5, meaning its getting dark and you'll see shag all of the coast. The road from Enniskillen is abysmal and its not as if theres even a view (glencar waterfalls excepted)

Well, you could divert 10min off the road at Blacklion to see the Cavan Burren http://www.cavanburren.ie/ and the source of the Shannon, and that would fit into daylight hours just about. The Marble arch caves too might be a highlight of the trip if you could fit that in.
Otherwise you could just skirt Lough Erne and see that in the daytime, maybe checkout Boa Island and the strange stone carvings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa_Island

Savage_Henry

I was starting to think maybe its better to scrap Belfast and just head straight towards Sligo in the morning and just concentrate on the coast?

spurious

Savage_Henry wrote: »

I was starting to think maybe its better to scrap Belfast and just head straight towards Sligo in the morning and just concentrate on the coast?

I think that's more sensible really. The Titanic Museum is good, but unless you were going to continue around the northern coast past the Giant's causeway etc. and head that way to Donegal, I wouldn't bother. The light is not with you this time of year unfortunately.

Savage_Henry

In that case - whats better
1.
Day 1 - Do titanic, then giants causeway and then drive in the dark to b&b in slieve league.
Day 2 is Sleive league
Day 3 - drive in the morning from Sleive league on the way back along the coast till sligo or further till darkness hits and then head to dublin

2. Do the original route minus Titanic

Day 1 - drive past Sligo town, past Benbulben, via Wild Atlantic Way to Slieve League (B&B in Malin Beg)
Day 2 - Slieve League, if the weather allows - walk to the summit. Chill out in the area. (B&B in Malin Beg)
Day 3 - Drive via Glengesh Pass, possibly stop at Glenveagh National Park & Castle, then drive to Giants Causeway, then back to Swords.

spurious

Personally, I'd do number 2. The northwest corner is fantastic, plus there's more craic in Donegal. For visitors, while the sights are great, it's the mad characters you meet along the way that they really like and god knows, Sligo and Donegal are full of them.

If you can manage to have decent daylight by the time you get to Ballycastle, see can you do the Torr Head Scenic drive. There's a couple of trouser changing turns and slopes on that, but if you have the weather and the light, it's spectacular.