An Ideal Trip to Ireland

Many of the emails I receive each week are concerned with planning a trip to Ireland. Often, it is a first trip – and the person on the other end are worried that they are fitting enough in, going to the right places etc. You know yourself how enjoyable – and stressful – holiday planning can be!

The main questions I get asked are of the following two flavours:

1.  “It’s my first visit to Ireland – should I take a tour bus or rent car? The thought of driving a car in Ireland makes me nervous!”
2. “I will be staying near Ballyancestry – where my people came from – but I also want to visit The Cliffs of Moher/Blarney/Dublin/Galway – how far away are they?”

My answer to number 1 is – yes, you can always take a tour – but you can also mix it up a bit. For example, stay 3 days in Dublin with no car, take some day trips. Take a small 3 day tour to some further locations. Then rent a car for another 3 days and go where you want. No need to play by other peoples rules (that wouldn’t be very Irish, would it?) I have found that most people who a guided coach tour the first time around – and come back for second helpings – opt for a car on the second trip. Has this been your experience?

The Ideal Recipe For A Trip To Ireland. 

On the second question – well, let’s step back a bit first.

Most of the people who read this letter have ancestry linked with Ireland. The places your ancestry came from are often the places you want to visit. Along with these essential places, there are sights and landmarks that you would LOVE to see this time around.

I have found that many of us have 10 days or so available for a trip to Ireland. A mistake we can make (and organised tours seem to take this approach) is to hurry from one sight to another, spending barely a night in one spot.

Somehow, I notice that the ideal “recipe” for a trip to Ireland over 10 days/9 nights is to spend 2-3 nights in about 3 separate locations – and use these as bases for exploration. You can often easily explore within 50 miles of these “bases” – and also have the flexibility to absorb more of the local colour. Also, it is definitely less hassle than packing up early each morning and heading on. Here are three examples:

The Southwest And Dublin. 

Diane was onto me. Her ancestry came from the Skibbereen area of County Cork, so she wanted to ensure she visited there. But she also wanted to visit Cobh, Dingle and the Cliffs of Moher.

My suggestions were:

1. Use Bantry town as base number 1. Skibbereen is about 10 miles away. The Beara peninsula is on your doorstep. Kenmare in Kerry is about 15 miles away. The Mizen Peninsula is on your doorstep. The Ring of Kerry is doable in a day. Cork city is about 1 hour drive away and Cobh about 25 more.
2. Use Dingle town as base number 2. The Dingle Peninsula on your doorstep. In travelling from Bantry to Dingle, you could go around the Ring of Kerry.
3. Use Dublin City as base number 3. Dublin is Dublin! Good idea to stay local – give back the keys of the car – and take a daytour to Newgrange, Tara or Glendalough.

That’s one example of 3 Bases – 9 nights.

The Northwest and Dublin. 

Kathi was onto me. Her ancestry came from Sligo town – so she wanted to ensure she visited there.

My suggestions were:

1. Use Sligo town as base number 1. The small county of Sligo is on your doorstep. You can drive north to Donegal town, east into Leitrim and Fermanagh, and south into North County Mayo – all on east day trips.
2. Use Derry City as base number 2. It’s a beautiful, small and safe city – plenty to see. You can also use it as a springboard into the Inishowen Peninsula of Donegal, east along the north Antrim Coast (maybe a day trip to Belfast at a push) and south into County Tyrone and the Ulster American folk park.
3. Use Dublin City as base number 3. As with my previous suggestion of Dublin.

Another example of 3 Bases – 9 nights.

The West and Dublin. 

George was onto me. His family was from west of Galway City in County Galway as well as County Mayo.

My suggestions were:

1. Use Galway city as base number 1. Hard to leave this historical small city when you arrive – but if you must you could: Head off into the wilds of Connemara; Visit the Aran Islands for a day; visit the north coast of Clare down to the Cliffs of Moher; Head into historical east Galway to the town of Athenry. An alternative would be to stay for 2 or 3 nights on Inis Mór – the largest of the Aran Islands. It will stay with you for life.
2. Use Westport in County Mayo as base number 2. Westport is a gem of a town – plenty going on here. However, when you have to leave you can head south into Connemara or north along the Mayo coast
3. Use Dublin City as base number 3. As with my previous suggestion of Dublin.

A final example of 3 Bases – 9 nights.

These are just some of the three centre holidays I would be happy to go on! But they are personal choices. Now, let me ask you – what would be YOUR ideal three-centre holiday in Ireland if you had 10 days/9 nights?

I know we have SO MUCH experience of travel in Ireland among our readers – so I will do my best to publish all of your suggestions that come my way. But, be sure to limit it to 3 centre holiday suggestions over nine nights.

As always, do feel free to comment below if you want to share a story, ask a question about your Irish surname or just to say hello!

Slán for now – Mike.