Hello travelers,
My wife and I have 17 nights for our first trip to Ireland in October. We will rent a car at DUB on way out of the city. I think we are set on the first 6 nights (3n in Dublin, 1 in Kilkenny, 2 in Kinsale) and the last 5 nights (2n in Derry, 2 in Belfast, last night in Trim before car rental return). I am trying to limit one night stays.
A recent itinerary draft had us with 3n in Dingle and 3n in Galway before driving to Derry, but as I read more on this forum and in guide books I am seeking advice to support spending more time in Connemara.
I’m now thinking of 2n in Dingle and 2n in Galway so we can also spend 2n in Westport and see more of Connemara. After visiting Ashford Castle for the School of Falconry experience we would drive west to Clifden and the Kylemore Abbey, possibly a stop at Connemara National Park on the way to Westport. Then we would have a full day to see sights closer to Connemara (maybe biking the Greenway?) before the next day’s drive to Derry via stops in Donegal. We would then have a full day in Derry. The next day would be a full day along the Antrim Coast to Belfast and then a full day in Belfast before our last day in the Boyne Valley area.
If you have any thoughts or lodging tips for Connemara or this itinerary, please share them.
Thanks
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4536 posts
We stayed at the Abbeyglen hotel in Clifden and would stay there again. Connemara area was my favorite part of our trip and the falconry experience at Ashford was a highlight.
Posted by
59 posts
Rick Steves has an excellent section in his Ireland travel book that gives a detailed driving itinerary for Westport and Connemara. I am going in Sept for 17 days and this is an area I haven't been before and plan to spend some time in. I have read that it is one of the best areas to visit in Ireland.
Posted by
Orlando FL
201 posts
Hi there! I struggled with our itinerary when we went to Ireland and in the end did not make it to Northern Ireland in favor of enjoying the Republic a bit more. Connemara Is beautiful. After spending 3 nights in Dingle we headed up to Galway for a night, hit Ashford for our Hawk walk the following morning and after headed to Westport where we had three nights in an Airbnb called the Shack. If you do the hawk walk the extended one is worth it. It was the only Airbnb we did. From there we actually were spent a day exploring Connemara visited Kylemore Abbey and pretty much spent the entire day exploring. We made it back to Westport by dinner time. We also took a day and went out to Achill Island which was beautiful. We went all the way to Keem Beach. On the drive back to stopped for some of the best seafood chowder of my life. Our trip included Dublin, Kilkenny (great castle), Kinsale, Kenmare, Dingle (Our fav), Galway, and Westport and a night near Shannon airport. We had 17 nights and loved every minute. We will get back to Northern Ireland another time. I was really grateful we took the time and slowed down. Ireland is one of those spots that you really can slow down. Once you get out of the city driving is slow. I think we were on two highways our entire trip and that was leaving Dublin and heading to Shannon. It is a fabulous country. If you are ready for something different in Galway Dough Brother’s pizza is fabulous. We actually stopped back on our way to Shannon to eat there again.
Posted by
OP
Minnesota, USA
24 posts
We have Rick’s book on Ireland and his driving tours in Connemara and Donegal. We have decided to spend two nights in Dingle, 2 in Galway, depart early to visit the falcon experience (extended tour- thanks islandfam), Kylemore Abbey and other sights, as time allows, before getting to Westport. The next day we will drive up to Sligo, Drumcliff (Yeats’s grave), Mullaghmore Head Loop (Mountbatten’s bombing), Donegal, Slieve League and up to Dunfanaghy for the night. Then drive more of Rick’s route into Derry for 2 nights, then drive the coast to Belfast for 2 nights, with a last night in Trim. It’s a fair amount of driving, but the distances aren’t too far (but slow, I understand).
I thank cala, jsletten and islandfam for their posts. If anyone has more on Connemara, Donegal, Northern Ireland, the Boyne Valley (Newgrange, Knowth) or Trim, please share.