I arrive/leave Dublin airport (June). I have 12 days in Ireland. Because I'm tracing my ancestral roots, I will be staying the first four nights in Cavan, Cavan County. After that I will spend 3 nights near Connemara. My interests are primarily historical, famine history and sightseeing. I am wondering if I should stay longer near Connemara and do day trips from there. Is Donegal an all-day drive from Kilkieran, County Galway?
I'd appreciate suggestions for day trips from Cavan, Cavan County.
After my last night in Kilkieran I have seven days to return to Dublin (leaving the next day). I am not sure which way to go after Kilkieran (close to Connemara). Any ideas if I should go north or south? Or just make my way back to Dublin; if so, what route would be best based on my interests.
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Colorado Mountains, USA
8001 posts
We've made 2 visits to Ireland, both arriving at the Dublin airport, and heading immediately for Galway. In June 2011, we rode bicycles, so the going was slower than by car, but the scenery couldn't have been beat, when we weren't gritting our teeth at hugging the left edge of the road, hoping traffic would give us enough space, and grinding up the frequent hills. We continued south, to County Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula.
We rented a car for trip #2 last fall, and went north of Galway and then east, and marveled at how the roads seemed even narrower than they'd been 7 year earlier.. Except for major speedways closer to Dublin, the roads are twisty and challenging for people not used to driving on the left, so speeds aren't super-fast, and it can take longer to get somewhere than you might've expected. I presume you're renting a car. It's conceivable to get to Donegal city from Kilkieran (and back) in a day, but it could be a loooong day.
A few suggestions: since Kilkieran will put you just a bit northwest of both the ferry and airport departure points for Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands, consider a day trip there. We did the ferry the first time, but took the quick, convenient flight this last trip. We spent the night on each of our trips, but many folks do it as a day trip.
A bit south of Galway City, consider visiting the Burren, with a landscape different from the rest of the country.
On our last trip, we were in Clifden (a relatively short drive north of Kilkieran) for several nights. The Sky Road, a scenic, thrilling drive, is just west of town. North of town, drive the Doolough Valley, with a memorial to the unfortunate people who died there after seeking relief from the famine. Farther north, we took a boat tour on the Killary Fjord (Ireland's only true glacial fjord), very scenic, doable as a day trip. We passed a mussel farm on the boat, and had fantastic steamed mussels onboard which came from there.
Even farther north, we spent a couple nights on Achill Island, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway bridge, so it can be reached by car. A deserted famine village there was a free, striking sight, with the foundations and partly intact homes that were abandoned because of the great famine. No one's returned, and it hasn't been developed as a housing complex, so it remains a stark remnant of the trajct past. A drive to the far west of the island is particularly scenic, with a high, green peak far above a small bay with a golden-sand beach. It's probably too far for a comfortable day trip from Kilkieran, but a night or two in Keel might be worth considering.
If neolithic history is of interest, consider making your base for the last 2 days before you return to Dublin in Trim, which is a great base for day trips to Newgrange and other Boyne Valley sights.