Thank you all for reminding me that renting a car in one country and returning to another would be heavily penalized. So new thought.....taking the bus from Belfast to Dublin Airport, renting a car and meandering for a few days in the interior of Ireland and flying out of Shannon Airport. Our RS 14 day tour really hits so many hi-lights as we circumvent the country but little in the interior. Any suggestions?
Posted by
stevens point, wi, usa
1194 posts
Hello from Wisconsin,
Ah, the interior of Ireland. There is a reason that tours include Dublin and the south and west coast of the Republic and across the NE coast of Northern Ireland. The center of Ireland has Clonmacnoise. And large flat bogs where enormous machines skim off an inch at a time of turf to be burned in gigantic power plants to generate electricity. Neat.
Now on the other hand, one of the more memorable evenings I have ever spent in Ireland was in this very same center. My sister and I talked to an incomprehensible Irishman for hours. Great Honk! Good Guinness!
Looking at the 14 day tour it seems to skip Donegal between day 10 and 11. The roads in Donegal County are narrow and slow but the place is beautiful and filled with little bits of great history. Plus there is the MaGee's woolen makers. Glencolumbkille. Rugged beautiful county.
The tour looks great.
So it goes.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
This may not necessarily qualify as the interior, but a very pleasant meander from Dublin airport to Shannon over the course of your few days would be to start with a stop at the monastic settlement at Clonmacnoise. It's a beautiful place with an evocative history, and would be a great place to stretch your legs as you try to envision Viking longboats coming up the river to sack the place during the middle ages. It's much less crowded that Glendalough and would be a good place to grab lunch too.
We particularly like the scenic drive south from the Cliffs of Moher to Kilkee. It's only about 40 miles long but could take you half a day if you elect to stop at all of the scenic vistas along the way. Kilkee is a cute little town and one that's far removed from the usual tourist circuit. There's a nice stretch of beach there, and the Cliff Walk just west of town is one of Ireland's best. It's about a mile and a half, (one way), mostly level, and features spectacular seascapes, cliffs and hidden coves along the way. It's one of our favorites.
Time and interest permitting you could explore the Loop Head peninsula just to the south, or head over to Killimer and cross the Shannon on the Tarbert ferry - first come, first served, and the ride takes about 10 minutes.
The market town of Adare, just south of Limerick, is quite pretty - lots of thatched roofs, etc., though it can get pretty crowded around midday when the day trippers roll in.
Limerick is pretty gritty, but it does feature the Frank McCourt Museum (Angelas's Ashes, etc) located in the old Leamey School that features in the book.