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Day Trip from Dublin- Help me decide

Posted by on

Hey guys.
I have one day in Dublin that I would like to do a day trip during.

Can anyone give me the pros and cons of my preferred areas?

Belfast- this was not on my radar at all, but I spied a day trip to Belfast, including the Giant's Causeway, and that sort of changed the tide for me. Belfast is a bit more urban than I was wanting to see, and I am torn between seeing "real life" existence of Northern Ireland, the good and the bad, and my intention all along was to go see some lovely Irish countryside. I am also a huge Titanic nerd, so to be able to experience the world's most foremost Titanic exhibit is a big factor for me. (PS, yes I know Belfast is in the UK, not Ireland)

Glendalough- I see a number of tours that include this, and it seems kind of like what I was initially looking for, as far as that beautiful Irish countryside. Lots of recommendations for that area, too, which is definitely a plus.

Cork and Blarney Castle- This feels very much like a "When in Rome" trip. Anytime I think of going to Ireland, Cork and the Blarney Stone immediately come to mind. So, it seems a shame to skip out on it. So, it's definitely in the mix. I mean kissing the Blarney Stone is like...a Bucket List item. It's so tough to pick!

Posted by
272 posts

I have only visited one of the three possibilities that you suggest. We enjoyed our visit to Glendalough and would definitely recommend it. Are you interested in Bru na Boinne/ New Grange? That would be my first choice.

Posted by
1878 posts

Dublin has a lot to recommend it, even on a return visit, but since you seem set on a day trip I'll assume you have already seen it.

Sounds like Belfast is calling to you, as it never has to me in two trips to Ireland (2002 and 2016). Would you have enough time on the bus trip to do the Titanic exhibit justice? I am wary of bus tours, they have a pretty strong incentive to hurry you along.

Cork/Blarney Castle: Cork is nice enough but not worth going all that way on a day trip for. Blarney Castle--actually not a bad castle, though when I was there in 2002 it was not kept up very well. Not worth going that far for. I kissed the stone in 2002, but I'm pretty sure the Romans (Irish) would not.

Glendalough--closer to Dublin, could maximize your time actually seeing sights if combined with other stops.

Consider Kilkenny which you easily get to on your own, and which has a fine castle right in town (o.k. it's more of a castle-palace but still very nice).

Newgrange, Knowth, and Trim Castle are also very worthy. Make sure you get to see the interior of the castle keep at Trim Castle though, we visited in May and it's only by tour--we did not have time to wait for the next tour and missed it. The area around the castle has some great hiking trails.

Posted by
362 posts

I can only comment on Belfast, so bear that in mind.

The Giant's Causeway is COOL! If you go with this option, check the weather. You may need a rain jacket with a hood.

Belfast itself is also very cool. Loads of history. Lots to see. I loved Belfast as a city.

The Titanic exhibit - okay, here's where I'm probably going to state the unpopular opinion. I LOVE seeing anything Titanic. I have done local exhibits. I've gone to see anything I can see that's related. Having already done that, I found the Titanic museum itself to be a bit of a let down. I've seen far more artifacts and exciting hands on exhibits in touring shows or places like Gatlinburg than I did in Belfast.

What I DID see in Belfast were the markings on the ground where the Titanic had been. I saw the related buildings that belonged to the architects. I saw the cranes that belonged to the construction company. (Then again, I could see the cranes from my hotel window.) It was amazing to me to be in the place where this ship had been designed and constructed. But the museum - despite it's cool shape - was a bit of a letdown personally. Your mileage may vary.

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