Staycation Ireland.. Anyone doing it

Irish Gunner

Had no plans for travel this year and holding out going to UK. Will miss travelling to Europe especially Italy so deciding on Staycation

Have trips to Cork and Donegal for family holiday.

Just looking for users thoughts and if they are doing a staycation and is middle of July to early to start?

Like to see more of Northern Ireland especially along the coast. Would like to take parents, both in 70's but not sure about staying at a hotel maybe holiday home.They both want to see Titanic and Giants causeway but I'm bit nervous.

Just looking for some input

JustAThought

There is a Northern Ireland counterpart to our own wonderful Irish Landmark Trust.They have some really unique and beautifully restored historic properties throughout the island. Either or both might be well worth a google.

In addition to their beautiful properties and supporting s historical charitable trust they are both far less likely to have busy volumes and so reducing your risk too!!! : ) Happy Holidaying!!
( My favourites are their medieval towers & lighthouse!!)

Slim Charles

Yes going to do a series of small 2-3 day trips. Bunratty and Bray on the list so far.

JustAThought

Slim Charles wrote: »

Yes going to do a series of small 2-3 day trips. Bunratty and Bray on the list so far.

Bray ... Irish Landmark Trust -maybe rent out Wicklow Head lighthouse for an unforgettable weekend stay!!

Kerry25x

Yeah planning on doing a road trip for a week, I usually spend all of my annual leave abroad so now is a good time to try and see a bit more of my own country.

Mattdhg

Not sure if I would stay in a city for a few days just because, but I'd take a nice stay in a major rural town. So I'll probably head West or down to Chorcha Dhuibhne

carolmon

Yes looks like it will be a staycation this year so I'm hoping to cycle the royal canal Greenway down to the Shannon and camp for a couple of nights along the way

unhappys10

I was thinking of it but I've read online things like allocated slots for breakfast in hotels, same for pool access for like an hour a day. So a hotel break is out for me.
Holiday home would be nice but I'd just be thinking who was here before and is it clean(same for hotel). I have a wife who is at greater risk and we also have a baby so I need to be extra careful.
Camping would be cool but not with a baby I think.

If only I had my own camper van!!

carolmon wrote: »

Yes looks like it will be a staycation this year so I'm hoping to cycle the royal canal Greenway down to the Shannon and camp for a couple of nights along the way

This sounds nice not for me though as per above.

beertons

Heading to West Kerry mid August for a week. Staying in a chalet we've gotten before. There won't be restrictions on swimming in the sea.

otnomart

Back when I lived in Ireland, I used to spend a lot of my holidays there.
Favorite city breaks were Kilkenny and Galway.
I always tend to go for smaller towns by the coast, so my favourites in Ireland were Kinsale, Cobh and Carlingford.
Also have good memories of touring the Clare coast (a few days in Doolin with ferry to Inisheer), Connemara and Donegal.

giggs76

i love to visit other places in Ireland but the crazy prices of the hotels put a halt to any overnight stays

unhappys10

giggs76 wrote: »

i love to visit other places in Ireland but the crazy prices of the hotels put a halt to any overnight stays

Yeh I've gotten a week in Tenerife for a family of 3 for what some hotels want here for 2 nights. I know which I'd prefer.

doc_17

OP maybe stay in Inishowen and then the north coast is very accessible from there. Giant’s Causeway is only about an hour from Derry.

I’m staying as well this year and looking to take a trip to Kerry or Clare for 5/6 days. Could anyone point me in the direction of a nice cottage to rent? Preferably along the coast. Thanks

odyssey06

OP am sure you could find places closer to Belfast, but this would be within day trip range for Belfast & Giant's Causeway.

There's a lovely little B&B in Riverside, Louth, on the way towards Carlingford.
https://www.riversidelodgebandb.com/

They provided breakfast in the main house, might still be workable with small number of guests with staggered times maybe.
And you have your own front door, living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette.
We haven't been back as it was a bit remote from any shops or pubs or even nice walks so you had to drive absolutely everywhere.
(although all of those things are available on the rest of the Cooley peninsula - just not walkable)

Another nice day trip would be taking the Greenore Ferry across to N Ireland and then the Mourne Mountains scenic drive.

Jim Root

Booked a family holiday home for a week in Kenmare in August. Looking forward to it

byhookorbycrook

I’m immuno-suppressed so the annual holidays in Dingle have been cancelled, worse luck .

gipi

I have booked hotels in Wicklow and Wexford for late September - got 2 deals via pigsback, which is keeping the costs down.

Seamai

More than likely, late August or September, fancy a few days walking in the Burren followed by another few in Mayo, or possibly Connemara, like to do the Westport to Achill greenway.
Hopefully we might get an Indian summer.
Til then it will be days out down in west Cork.

Lex Luthor

ya plan is to stay here aswell, our annual foreign holiday is cancelled, we have a place up in Cavan which will be used more this summer by us at least

Irish Gunner

Cheers for replying

Hopefully heading to Dungloe in July. Hopefully things will be back to some kind of normality by mid July. Going self catering but don't want to spend holidays cooking so hopefully restaurants going strong. Will be bringing cleaning stuff but not cutlery etc. Parents old so be trying to avoid crowded areas

Have weekend in August booked in Kinsale and might try somewhere in September.

We've done the wild Atlantic way from Cork to Galway might try to complete rest up to donegal. Done Northern Ireland coast and Miss Gunner from Fundalk so done carlingford etc..

Might look for a cottage in North on way back from Dungloe. Somewhere near Giants causeway. Leave Belfast for next year as done Belfast so many times.

Now if only we got a good summer🌞

michellie

giggs76 wrote: »

i love to visit other places in Ireland but the crazy prices of the hotels put a halt to any overnight stays

This

We booked 2 nights glamping in Doolin in August, which was very reasonable. I wanted to do 2 nights in Galway after that but jesus the prices are ridiculous, especially considering the hotel probably won't have a bar or restaurant.

jrosen

No, ive been on temp lay off so have no annual leave to take. Will be back to work soon and not a chance of having annual leave approved. So looking like no holidays for us this year. Hope to make up for it next year.

dubrov

I spent a week in north Antrim a couple of years ago in August.
The house had an amazing garden overlooking the sea

It rained all week so barely got to use it.
Even when it wasn't raining, it was cold enough that you had to wear a coat.

I'm sure it would have been amazing if the weather was better,

6541

The North Coast in Antrim is a bigoted crap hole. As a southern person you are just about tolerated.

beggars_bush

Donegal self catering for two weeks in July
only booked it when the easing of lockdown was announced last week

freak scence

michellie wrote: »

This

We booked 2 nights glamping in Doolin in August, which was very reasonable. I wanted to do 2 nights in Galway after that but jesus the prices are ridiculous, especially considering the hotel probably won't have a bar or restaurant.

try air b and b , don't know why everyone is moaning about prices in ireland hotels are awful for staying in for more than one night anyway

JimmyVik

My sister works for a hotel.
She told me they are taking a lot of bookings for August. Not so many for July.
The staff have been told to just repeat the text from the government guidelines when people ask about pool opening and bar etc and say nothing more except that they will be following government advice.
But the management have told them that the pool is very unlikely to be oipen and if it is they will give guests a 1 hour slot for the pool.
They dont think people will be able to be in the bar at all. Maybe 20 per night as people go to the bar and they stay, so first 20 in will probably be there all night if it opens.
Sounds like a miserable experience to me. I dont go to a hotel to stay just in my room. I do it becuase they have things to do and I can relax.

jonnny68

Absolutely not, i cant wait to get away from this bleedin place,hoping for Spain in August.

fits

Just booked a night in Mount Juliet in mid July for our anniversary. feck it! Should be plenty of space there for social distancing.

Kerry for 10 days in August.

Irish Gunner

So have donegal and Cork booked next 2 months possibly Galway to for long weekend

Now looking at places for September

Collie D

Have a landmark birthday in July and for the last year I’d been saying I was gonna head off for a weekend by a pool but that’s up in the air.

Nothing booked yet. Will see in next week or so what government advice is but if they’re still advising essential travel only I’ll do a long weekend in Ireland.

Other half isn’t Irish and wants to see Galway. I’m from Dublin and don’t particularly fancy going to another city, especially if the pubs are going to be grim affairs so might compromise and do Galway County instead.

dobman88

4 days in Clare mid July, place called Carrigaholt. Absolute bliss.

A week in Kerry in August for the week after the BH, got a great deal on an Airbnb in Castlemaine so perfectly located to do everything we want to do in Dingle and Killarney. Kayaking, horse riding, hiking and great restaurants. Really looking forward to both trips after not leaving the house for 3 months.

Minier81

A week in Kerry in August, needed something to look forward to, can't wait now!

krissovo

I just booked a Shannon river boat for a week, costly but should keep the family happy. They are easy to clean (sterilise) and depending on the situation easy to isolate in.

beachhead

No one posting here has mentioned prices or even availability in the country(R.O.I) so I guess the rich kids must be out to play.

Micky 32

krissovo wrote: »

I just booked a Shannon river boat for a week, costly but should keep the family happy. They are easy to clean (sterilise) and depending on the situation easy to isolate in.

I was just thinking, as i live near the Shannon in the midlands it’s weird not seeing any boats out on the water this time of year.

dobman88

beachhead wrote: »

No one posting here has mentioned prices or even availability in the country(R.O.I) so I guess the rich kids must be out to play.

4 days in Clare will be staying with family so no accommodation costs.

Week in Kerry was €360 Airbnb so hardly breaking the bank. We are far from rich

Sheep Shagger

Hotels down the country seem pricey enough but there are private houses/cottages available for €400 - €600 a week with leas than a mile from a beach.

Biggest worry about doing this is as the weather isn't guaranteed, if it pisses rain we'd be better off at home with the comforts given we have 2 kids

Before COVID we had a trip to Thailand planned, then we downgraded it to Spain and now looks like we'll stick to the back garde in Dublin with day trips around the place.

kippy

6541 wrote: »

The North Coast in Antrim is a bigoted crap hole. As a southern person you are just about tolerated.

This is not true.

fits

beachhead wrote: »

No one posting here has mentioned prices or even availability in the country(R.O.I) so I guess the rich kids must be out to play.

Paying 120 a night for a four bedroom house self catering in Dingle over august bank holiday. Not cheap but it’s alright.

otnomart

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

Biggest worry about doing this is as the weather isn't guaranteed, if it pisses rain we'd be better off at home with the comforts given we have 2 kids

Before COVID we had a trip to Thailand planned, then we downgraded it to Spain and now looks like we'll stick to the back garde in Dublin with day trips around the place.

I think days trips are a great way to do a staycation.
Have done it myself before.

You still have your home comforts while you get to go somewhere nice on sunny/dry days

podge018

fits wrote: »

Paying 120 a night for a four bedroom house self catering in Dingle over august bank holiday. Not cheap but it’s alright.

€30 a room per night seems cheap enough imo.

ozzy jr

Going to Kerry (Inch) for a week on July. Will bring my bike and do a bit of cycling.

Still might go away in November if it's safe and not too much of an ordeal to do a long haul flight.

opinionated3

After hearing the restrictions planned for bars/restaurants I certainly won't be doing the whole staycation thing. Plus it's too expensive in this country anyway. Still hoping to hit Portugal in September....

odyssey06

opinionated3 wrote: »

After hearing the restrictions planned for bars/restaurants I certainly won't be doing the whole staycation thing. Plus it's too expensive in this country anyway. Still hoping to hit Portugal in September....

How do you know we will have such restrictions but that Portugal or elsewhere on the Continent wont in September?

Mossie1975

Small weekend trips to Kerry & Cork planned here. I’m like a kid looking forward to “going on my holidays”

opinionated3

odyssey06 wrote: »

How do you know we will have such restrictions but that Portugal or elsewhere on the Continent wont in September?

I don't really, I'm going more in hope that Portugal will be more accepting by then. Our governments approach to ending the lockdown is painfully slow compared to other European countries so I think staycations are going be devoid of fun and generally a waste of my hard earned money. It's a shame, because normally I like to support Irish business's and local business, but I'm not interested in being ripped off by expensive accommodation for a handful of nights, and then to be told that a night out socialising is restricted to 90 mins.

drunkmonkey

Take your wine to the beach and watch the sun go down...there's no restrictions. Done it many a night last summer, kids are way too young for the pub at the moment.

Kivaro

No Staycations in Ireland for me. It is just too expensive in this country to do more than day trips to the beach.
It is somewhat bewildering to hear about hotels and similar establishments actually increasing their rates at a time when it should be the opposite in order to encourage business locally.
Ireland has a habit of shooting itself in the foot with these types of things ....

Santy2015

Heading to Enniscrone Sligo in the middle of August. Got good enough value for 4 nights in one of the hotels there. Seaview room, bed and breakfast and 2 nights with 3 course meal for €750. Young lads first holiday away as well. So hopefully the weather is good.

drunkmonkey

If you download the dark sky weather app it's got a time machine feature where you can pick your date and go back and see what it was like every year.
It'll be a little warmer the more south along the west. Clonakilty will be warner than lahinch and lahinch will be warner than Sligo etc.