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Why
Travel to Ireland?
Ireland is a lush place of chunky castles, battered coastlines and sweeping, unspoilt
country landscapes, perfect for outdoor people.
Attractions range from castles, cathedrals, Trinity College Dublin and prehistoric sites
to the Guinness brewery, or any Irish pub for that matter...As for culture, well there's plenty of that in Dublin or at one of the many peculiar festivals that vibrate around the republic.
The people are friendly and there are not too many of them [a good number of them are either in London or New York], so Ireland
is a place where you really
can get away from it all.
The famous Moher cliffs walk, County Clare
Downside:
- The roads are often in poor condition, so if you go self-drive,
go slowly or go 4x4. Or both.
- Ireland is not cheap and you can be overcharged in touristy places
where some restaurants and hotels fleece unwary travellers.
- The weather is often wet, but wait a moment and it'll change.
The Ring of Kerry standing stones.
Ireland
climate guide:
Best: May - Sept Worst: Jan, Feb [cold, dull, rain, wind]
Length
of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: a long weekend, in and around Dublin.
Max: up to 3 weeks if you want a quiet, countrified get-away-from-it-all
kind of holiday.
Dublin Cathedral, Ireland
Ireland main attractions:
Dublin, a lively, beautiful Georgian city; see Dublin
travel guide.
Most tourists head straight for County Kerry.
This is a spectacular area of mountains and lakes. Killarney is the most scenic spot in Kerry.
Ross Castle, Killarney, County Kerry
Moving North, you should visit the Burren
in County Clare, which is an extraordinary limestone range
with a unique floral habitat.
Then there's the Aran Islands, across
the mouth of Galway Bay, where you can see rural Ireland as it was
centuries ago; the traditional way of life of the Aran islanders
has not been subject to modernisation and Irish is still spoken
there. You can reach the islands by ferry from Galway.
Kylemore Abbey, County Galway
Connemara in County Galway has a wonderful
landscape of moorland and mountains and still supports pockets of
Irish speakers.
Clonmacnois, County Offaly, has a fascinating early monastic site.
Literary buffs will want to continue north into County
Sligo and visit Yeats country including the famous Ben Bulben
and the grave of the great poet.
Glendalough lies in a pretty valley
in County Wicklow and is the well-preserved site of an early Christian
settlement and includes a round tower and St Kevin's Church and
many ancient crosses.
Ireland's County Wicklow National Park and the Round Tower.
Ireland
Activities:
Walking: Ireland is brilliant walking
country and there are 2,000 miles of unspoiled, marked trails such as the
215 km Kerry Way [134 miles] and the 127 km [80 miles] Wicklow Way.
The Wicklow hike is easy to get to and offers landscapes from mountains, lakes, glacial valleys and mountain streams to forests and farmland. The Wicklow Way starts in Dublin's south suburb of Rathfarnham and heads southwest across the Dublin, through the hill country of County Wicklow and ends in the tiny village of Clonegal.
Fishing: You can fish almost anywhere
along Ireland's vast coastline and in the many rivers and lakes
e.g. Lough Derg, Erne and Gill. Fishing permits cost IR£5
but you need a national licence for salmon and sea trout.
Mountain biking: Hire bikes are available.
You can mountain bike in the great walking areas, hills, rough tracks or dedicated areas such as Ballinastoe, Coillte mountain in Co. Wicklow.
Mountain-climbing: Mt Gabriel on the
Mizen head Peninsula, Hungry Hill on the Beara Peninsula, and Croagh
Patrick near Westport.
Climbing Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, County Kerry.
Horse Riding: all kinds of horsey holidays
are on offer, and all utilising quiet, pretty trails and beaches,
many in the south-west. Or...for a truly ethnic experience what
about a horse-drawn caravan holiday!
Sailing/kayaking: very popular round
the west coast, especially between Cork Harbour and the Dingle Peninsula,
the coast north and south of Dublin and on the larger lakes.
Windsurfing: Steady year-round wind
and good waves make this sport popular too.
Surfing: try the waves in Easkey in
County Sligo, Castlegregory and Barleycove on the
Mizen Head Peninsula.
Self-Drive Inland Boating: Ireland
has over 400 miles of navigable rivers, lakes and canals that you
can explore by yourself with minimal instruction on a narrow boat,
with plenty of moorings and marinas en route.
Or take go on a cruise boat a let someone else do the driving.
Scuba: Yes, strange but true! From
March to October hardy divers explore the rocky coasts and colourful
fish courtesy of the Gulf Stream.
Six Arches Bridge, County Kerry.
Irish
Festivals:
* June, Music in Great Irish Houses Festival, mostly Dublin, plus
counties Wicklow and Kildare. Excellent.
June, Eigse Carlow Arts Festival, all kinds of music and street
entertainment.
June, Galway Pride, parades, fancy dress and general hard partying.
* July, Galway Arts Festival, all kinds of entertainment at this
great show.
Aug, Waterford Spraoi Street Festival
Aug, Muff Festival, wild and wacky 3 day street event.
* Aug, Puck Fair, a bizarre 3 day event.
Aug, Kilkenny Arts Festival, set in superb surroundings.
* Aug, Rose of Tralee International Festival, a massive party celebrating
romance!
Aug, Fleadh Cheoil, huge all-Ireland music competition, music everywhere,
Clonmel, County Tipperary.
Sept, Galway Int. Oyster Festival, with fun events of all sorts.
End of Oct, Cork Jazz Festival, 4 days
*Mid Oct-early Nov, Wexford Opera Festival, small but perfectly
formed.
For
some specific dates see: Eng'
Speaking Festivals
External reviews on travel in Ireland.
And our last stop in Ireland, it's a pub of course, and there'll be Guinness awaiting...
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