Sights on Road from Portrush to Galway

A lot may depend on how long you want to be on the road, how much driving you want to do that day, and of course what your interests are. It's about a 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 hr drive depending on route and rest/lunch stops. My suggestion would be to just go directly there, stopping in Sligo for lunch and a bit of a look around, it's a very pretty town. If you want to stretch it out a bit longer you could plan a route through Omagh for a stop at the Ulster American Folk Park - definitely worth stopping for if you have the time, or Enniskillen for a visit to the castle. Belleek and the pottery showroom is also on your route if that is of interest.

It depends on how much time you have. I took several days to go from Galway to Portrush and spent the night in several places along the way.

Google shows the fastest route as N15 & N17 which would take you through:

Derry (Londonderry) has a magnificent wall, Guildhall, and bridge.
Sligo has W.B Yeats’ sites, and the view of Ben Bulben is awe inspiring.

Are you in a hurry? We tend to stop whenever something looks interesting, or when we get thirsty. Sometimes what looks most interesting is the local pub, and of course, then we have to hang around a little longer...

Greetings from Ireland.
To drive direct from Portrush to Galway and not stop in these 3 spots would be a terrible pity in my professional opinion.
1. The Walls of Derry and the political murals of the Bogside.
2. Donegal town for a coffee or lunch
3. A quick stop at the grave of WB Yeats and the beautiful Celtic Cross to be found 100 metres away.

Enjoy the drive whichever way you go. Its very beautiful.

Le meas/with respect
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle & Derry

Stephen,
Thanks for the info on this post. We will be driving the road from Portrush to Galway this summer and looking forward to your suggestions and other stops we see along the way. We are spending the night at Sligo and driving the rest of the way to Galway the next day.
Jim and Diana