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Galway-Dingle and Dublin, Nature Sites and Travel

Posted by (Nevada City, CA, USA) on

I haven't yet looked at the rail schedule yet, but I am looking at Rick's book on Ireland to get some idea of travel time between the three locations in Topic, 2009 book, pg 417.

After a few days in Dublin, I plan to see the sites around Galway, Inishmere, and Dingle, general area. The book shows 7 trips daily from Dublin to Galway, and 3 hours of travel time. From Galway to Dingle by bus, 5 trips per day and 7 hours of travel. 7 hours?! I see the distance via Google is about 160 to 180 miles, 4 hours, depending on the route. Apparently, the bus moves more slowly along the route than an automobile. Possibly the road is difficult, winding. I don't see in his book yet, whether the Irish drive on the opposite side of the road from us, USA. Comments?

I definitely want to get to Inishmore, and stay over night. I only have 4 days of time after Dublin to travel to this region. My top choices would be Inishmere and the Cliffs of Moher. Dingle is a possibility but might be a stretch for time. I'd probably want to spend more time enjoying natural sites than historic sites, and possibly do some day hiking. The Burren area has some appeal. I see the area NW of Galway about 60 miles is pretty rugged. I see it's a national park. Comments on any of these activities?

Posted by
9371 posts

Yes, they drive on the left in Ireland, and yes, the roads are narrow and/or winding, particularly in the west. Driving there is definitely nothing like driving here. The bus also probably takes longer because it makes stops along the way.

Traveling in November, you might not be able to get to Inishmor on a particular day. The ferries run according to the water conditions, and if it is rough they don't go at all. It could also be possible to get to the island and then not get back right away. You'll just have to wait and see about the weather when you get there.

The area northwest of Galway is Connemara, and there is a national park there with lots of trails to hike. All of Connemara has stunning scenery. The Cliffs of Moher and the Burren are a couple of my favorite places.

Posted by
80 posts

Are there any ocean sanctuaries around Galway that might include trips to see the ocean life?

Are there buses that go out to the NPrk, and do a round trip to the Cliffs?

It's looking like I'm going to scratch the Dingle Peninsula.

Posted by
1994 posts

If you decide to visit Dingle, the Great Blasket Island is lovely for walking (weather permitting getting there). Some of the same boats that take visitors to the island, also (on other trips) do "nature" trips, viewing bird colonies, etc. But the boats are not large and their ability to go is dependent on weather - not sure what November would be like (or even if they run then; they have websites so you could search for trips to Blasket Islands). Sounds like you won't be driving? If not, perhaps the websites for the boats could tell you whether you can get there by public transportation.

Posted by
9371 posts

If you look at a map you see that the Cliffs and the park are opposite directions from Galway, so I doubt there is a bus tour that goes to both.

Posted by
10595 posts

Wayne, even though they drive on the "wrong" side of the road, it is not hard to get used to it. Are you really set against driving? Having a car for our time outside of Dublin made it possible to cover more ground.

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