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Birding and Nature Itinerary Ideas Please

Hi Everyone! My husband and I are flying into Shannon in Sept. to start a 2-week driving trip. We're not into beer, whiskey, or Irish music much .. So, why Ireland? Nature and scenery! We're birders and photographers, and love countryside picnics, and eating out, and driving into less-crowded places to stumble on things like ruins and stone circles, and having serendipitous table-side conversations with natives or fellow world travelers. What favorite places have you been to that we should get to, particularly in the west? What places would be good "bases" for a few days so we don't have to pack/unpack every day? THANKS! Priscilla

Posted by
553 posts

We loved the Connemara area west of Galway and based in the town of Clifden. Sky Drive, Killary Fjord, Doo Lough Valley, Croagh Patrick, the island of Inishbofin, and Connemara National Park can keep you busy for a full week.

Posted by
2791 posts

Agree wholeheartedly with Katheryne. Connemara is our favorite part of Ireland too, and all of the places she mentions are terrific. We usually book a self-catering cottage just west of Clifden along the Sky Road, but Clifden itself would also be a good choice as a base.
Depending upon your specific interests County Donegal would be another good choice. Wild, remote, and well off the usual tourist track, it has lots of nature oriented attractions and activities to keep you busy.
Along the way is the pretty town of Sligo, which has the highest concentration of megalithic sites in Europe in the countryside nearby. Bring waterproofs though (including boots) if you want to do some explaratory hiking - most of the sites require a bit of tramping thru the bush, and because of that you'll be guaranteed to have the sites all to yourselves.

Posted by
12172 posts

Cliffs of Kerry should be right up your alley. There are lots of sea birds and displays that show the different birds and tell about them. I think you're too late to see Puffins on the Skelligs. They are there in May through, I think, early summer. You can see them up close by taking a boat from Portmagee to Skellig Michael. They also run "ecology tours" that won't fill up. It's a boat that circles both islands but doesn't land. These are cheaper and you won't need to reserve in advance.

The other places I'd recommend are up north. It doesn't sound like it's on your itinerary. If it changes, let me know and I'll point you to some places with good seabird viewing.

Posted by
5 posts

Thank you! These suggestions are very helpful and we're rethinking our itinerary based on them. I may have additional questions later as we go on, so thanks for your willingness and assistance!