We’ve nailed down all but the end of our trip. So far we have booked: Dublin, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Kenmare, Dingle, Doolin, Galway.
We are having trouble deciding whether to then explore the Connemara area, and stay in Westport or Cong. From there we'd have a long drive to the Dublin airport hotel.
Or do we head from Galway via Athlone to the Boyne Valley, stay in Trim, and explore the two major sites before heading to the airport hotel? Both areas appeal to me, but maybe leaning towards the Boyne valley since it sounds more different than the rest of the trip, and not as much driving.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Tough choice, Connemara is very scenic, but I'd go with Trim and the Boyne Valley. The tiebreaker is Newgrange, the neolithic tomb complex, older than the Pyramids and fascinating (at least to me). I hope you have a full day for either of these areas, rather than trying to see them and get to the airport that same night.
Posted by
Dublin, CA
3 posts
We did something very similar at the end of our trip, driving from Galway to Bru na Boinne and on to Dublin in a day. We stopped in Trim for lunch and had enough time to join the guided tour of the castle (about an hour long), which was great. I believe it is one of the largest castles in Ireland, it was certainly the largest we toured during our trip, so it was quite impressive.
If you want to visit the tombs/mounds at Newgrange, definitely book ahead, as you cannot visit the sites without a tour. For reference, we booked a 2:30pm tour and didn't feel like we were rushing, even with the spontaneous Trim Castle visit.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks for your suggestions! Most likely, we will head to the Boyne Valley. Any recommendations for places to stay in the area?