We're planning our itinerary - but I'm afraid I've planned too many castle/manor houses for my husband! Of the following, which ones do you think we should hold for another trip?
Malahide Castle
Belvedere House
Tullynally Castle & Gardens
Bunratty Castle
Powerscourtcourt
Russborough House
Thank you so much!!
ABC can mean another bloody castle or cathedral according to my then college age kids. You are correct to vary the sites.
How long is your trip? The list is long with castles and houses, perhaps mix some nature into your itinerary.
My husband would concur with your daughter! I love castles but know that, for him, all things in moderation' is best... I have tried to balance - here is our tentative itinerary -
DUBLIN 4 nites
Day 1 Arrive - historical or Paddy Liddy walking tour, EPIC Museum, Jennie Johnston tall ship
Day 2 HOHO KIlmainham Gaol, Glasnevin Museum and Cemetery
Day 3 Malahide Castle, Str Patricks Cathedral for Evensong OR - Richmond Barracks, City Hall exhibits,National Gallery
Day 4 14 Henrietta St, Little Museum of Dublin, GPO Witness to History, Play at the Abby Theatre
The MIDLANDS 3 nites
Day 5 Pick up car (at airport?) Drive to Longford
Day 6 Belvedere House, Strokestown Park and Famine Museum
Day 7 Clonmacnoise, Tullynally Castle & Gardens, Kilbeggan (Lockes) Distillery
Day 8 The COAST 2 nites. Head to Castlebar/Ballinrobe 2 nites
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life,
Day 9 Westport and Clifden OR Ballina to Connacht Whiskey Company
Day 10 Mid Coast/outside Galway 2 nites
The Arran Islands OR Bunratty Castle
Day 11 The Irish Workhouse, Portumna
Day 12 Mountrath 2 nites
Irish National Stud/Japanese Gardens, The Curragh. Racecourse or Charleville Castle,
Day 13 Emo Court OR Thomastown/Newtown Jerpoint
Day 14 heading towards Dublin
Glendalough OR Russborough House
Day 15 To Dublin Airport
Day 16 Depart Ireland
Your thoughts would be most appreciated!!
Just in case you weren’t aware, Powerscourt is a garden, not a castle or manor house. The original building burned. What has been rebuilt contains shops, a cafe and admin offices. The gardens are beautiful and worth a visit but there’s no castle to visit.
Oooh - good to know!! I'd not realized,... I'd thought it was a a manor house (Marriott Hotel) with gardens - and have my fingers crossed that we might have enough points to stay a night.,..
I’m glad you have 14 Henrietta St in your itinerary. It was really interesting. My daughter, who thinks ABC means another bloody cathedral, very much enjoyed it.
So glad you enjoyed it - I know we will, too.
On our trips, we try to limit the number of castles, and churches, so we don’t get castled out. We stopped doing manor houses at all since after seeing so many, in a number of countries, they all look alike (not literally). Even with castles, churches, and monasteries, some we’ll go into and others will be drive by for taking photos. I don’t think you have too many at all, as long as you’re doing something different between them to break up the visits.
Belvedere House and the Famine Museum are well worth a visit. We have been to National Stud Farm twice and loved it
Many thanks to you all! Perhaps we'll leave them on the list and, if 'castled out' hope there's a pub around the corner!
Re: Powerscourt
When I read what one of the posters above said (that Powerscourt is JUST a garden), I went Googling, because I love gardens.
But, WAIT.....photo of a large, beautiful huge (looks ancient) house is shown. It looks lovely and seemingly worth a visit.
https://powerscourt.com/house/history (This references the fire, but looks like it has received an award since it was since restored).
More info? What am I missing?
Don't do "the Arran Islands" as a day trip from Galway. Spend the night. Actually, consider spending two: on a v-e-r-y fast paced trip last summer, we spent 2 nights on Inish Mor, and it was (one of) the highlights of our trip. No castles or manor houses there. Other-worldly landscapes that go on forever, remote, wind-swept sea cliffs (as impressive as the Cliffs of Moher, IMHO, but without the crowds), stone-age forts, great stuff.
Okay, so I am apparently the person who said Powerscourt is “just” a garden. Allow me to clarify. I was responding to the OP who was wondering whether too many castles and manor houses were on the prospective itinerary. I did not mean to belittle or otherwise imply that Powerscourt’s gardens are not worthwhile. They are. I have been twice and still have not seen the entire estate. I will go back the next time I’m in Ireland. It is worth a day, easily.
That said, Powerscourt is NOT a manor house. You will not see Slazenger family heirlooms, tapestries or Louis XIV furniture. The building is simply a shell of its former self. Inside is now a cafe, an omnipresent Avoca shop and ice cream.
