I have a week off at the end of January and was thinking heading to Ireland for part of it. Went to Galway as a family five years ago...rented a car in Dublin and drove, which was an experience? Loved west coast but didn’t see the Burren, got out to Clifden and Inish Mor. Not sure I want to drive this time around and it would be just me...have not seen Dublin but would also like to go the town John O’Donohue is from. I know I have to pick! Any suggestions? Purposely don’t want to have much of a plan, would be traveling standby. Could fly to Shannon or Dublin. Thanks for any thoughts!
Brian
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
933 posts
Three days does not give you much time to get anywhere, especially without a car. If you fly into Dublin you can get a train to Galway, and it would take about two and a half hours to get there. So, probably half of your first day would be spent in transit. I don't know if there are any half day tours in January that would get you to the Burren. You should probably google the day trips available at that time of year as I would think most of them won't be operating. Then you would only have one full day in Galway to do a day trip if available as you have to return to Dublin to fly out. If you fly into Shannon you are going to find it hard to get anywhere you want to go by public transit, and it will take a lot longer. With just three days you could spend it all in Dublin and find lots to do, but you should really check on the available day tours before deciding where to go.
Posted by
65 posts
One option would be to go north and see Giants Causeway, the rope bridge, and Belfast. I think there are bus trips from Dublin if you don’t have a car.
Scott
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks for the ideas! I may plan on staying in Dublin and that day trip with the Giants Causeway sound like a great way to use one of the days! Any suggestions on a hotel? Someone else on another thread mentioned the Arrington?
Brian
Posted by
3123 posts
As you're flying standby, it sounds like you won't actually know whether you're going to land in Shannon or Dublin, is that right? Or whether you'll get bumped to a later flight and lose some of your intended vacation hours?
If I were in your position, I think I'd equip myself with the RS guidebook and another guidebook, such as Lonely Planet, and identify two or three places/experiences as top priorities. Then adjust according to where and when you land.
Regarding "the town John O’Donohue is from": Have you identified that town? The biography online states that he "grew up in the area of Connemara and County Clare, where his father Patrick O'Donohue was a stonemason, while his mother Josie O'Donohue was a housewife. O'Donohue became a novice at Maynooth, in north County Kildare,..."
Posted by
Vermont USA
359 posts
Great easy day trips from Dublin are Newgrange the 5,000 year old burial mound and chamber....going through that was incredible and a day trip through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains and the monastic settlement at Glendalough is one of Ireland's gems.....really amazing. Easy drive by car or many affordable comfortable tours available.