Small towns in Ireland: which one?

I can't answer your specific question, but your plan sounds like you want to do a one way car hire from Ireland to Scotland. Be aware, international one-way car hire usually has a large surcharge. Before you go too far with this plan, get a quote for the car, including international one-way charge.

Definitely research the rental car thing. You might do better renting and dropping a car in Ireland, then fly or take the ferry as passengers to Scotland and rent a different car there. I'm not saying you can't do it as you planned but it will be more expensive and there may be caveats that you have to be aware of regarding taking the car on the ferry to a different country.

If you'll give us some idea of what places you want to see in Ireland it will be easier to suggest a town to base in. You can't see all of Ireland from one place so if you want to see sights on different sides of the country you may want to use 2 different bases for your explorations.

Thank you both SO MUCH for the heads-up about international rentals. That literally never even crossed my mind. We'd like a car for the freedom (the last time I was in Ireland, in '07, trains and mass transit had some pretty dismal coverage compared to what I'm used to in Italy and France), but I think that Nancy, your idea of renting and dropping off at the ferry, then renting another might be a good, less expensive plan.

So in terms of what we want to see, I am seriously torn. Last time I was in Ireland, we stayed in Ennis for a few days so we could wander around the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, drive up to Galway, and visit with friends in Limerick. Then we headed to Dublin for another few days, which was... underwhelming for me. I must be the only person in the world who wasn't blown away by Dublin, but there it is!

I would say this time we don't have a whole lot of itinerary other than staying in a "typical" town. This would include fantastic pubs (with some rich trad!... I really want my son to experience that), great restaurants, perhaps in close proximity to castles or ruins, something with ancient Celtic historical significance. I know I am SO vague, but this is more of a, "let's show our kid his heritage," kind of trip than a, "let's take in all the sites," kind of trip. I think someplace relatively close to the ferry to Scotland would be the biggest requirement.

One thing is that wherever we stay, I would like to stay in a B&B or small hotel right in the center of the town. That part is pretty important to me.

I would suggest you land in Dublin, spend the day sightseeing there, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green, Trinity College....the HOHO bus pretty much covers it all, spend the night and then head to Northern Ireland. Take some of the beautiful coast road North to Ballintoy and visit the Carrick-a-Rede bridge and explore the beautiful countryside staying at WhitePark House for one night. Excellent B&B. http://whiteparkhouse.com.
Of course if you are really down on Dublin (Huh??) you could fly into Belfast and start from there, renting and returning the car there.
The next day head West to see the Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle and then make Portrush, a nice coastal village of about 6,000 people, your base for the rest of your time in Ireland. From there you can day trip to the Inishowen Peninsula,(via the Magilligan- Greencastle Ferry) Malin Head, Ballyliffin and other parts of Donegal depending how much you want to drive. Portrush is also convenient to historic Derry (85,000 people) and other parts of Northern Ireland.
www.visitinishowen.com.

When you are ready to leave Ireland,( I never am) Portrush is just a bit more than an hour to Larne or Belfast to catch the ferry to Scotland. OR....Take a short flight from Belfast to Glasgow, rent a car, and drive to Stirling. I have done this type of trip a few times and I think it will work well for you.

Hi Allora,

You might consider Kilkenny. It's a large enough town that you won't run out of things to do for a couple of days. There is the river, and Kilkenny Castle (though fancy on the inside), the ruins of an abbey on the old Smithwick's brewery grounds, the cathedral of St. Canice (with a viewing tower), as well as shops, restaurants, and several pubs where you can find trad music. Also, a decent selection of B&Bs near the city center, where you can just park your car and walk.

Not really "ancient Celtic," but some history. Kilkenny is in central Ireland, about an hour south of Dublin.

Truly ancient culture can be seen at Newgrange and Knowth. Trim Castle is also nearby, and really awesome, though the village of Trim is nothing special. That area might be closer to the ferry, though.

You will probably want two rental cars. Ireland and Scotland/UK are two different nations, so I think keeping one car would be more expensive than you want. (Then again, it never hurts to ask when shopping, just in case.)

Brian, WOW, thank you so much!! I love this itinerary. Based on the other suggestions for rental car fees for international, I wonder if there's an easy way to get from Dublin to Belfast without a car, then we could rent a car in Belfast. I'm sure there's an easy train between the two? The cost is cheaper by almost 1,500 to rent in Belfast and drop off in Edinburgh, but I think you're right: we need to spend at least one night in Dublin. I've only been there once for a few days, so I do need to give it another chance to knock my socks off. ;o)

Also Stacy, funny you should mention Kilkenny... that's one of my favorite beers! My Irish friends assure me that Kilkenny is "old man beer" in Ireland but I don't care. I love it. ;o) The thought of staying in Kilkenny had actually crossed my mind, but I don't know anything about the town. This is another great suggestion!

I'm leaning toward Brian's Portrush suggestion because of it's proximity to the ferry, and because it's in Northern Ireland and the rental car will be so significantly less expensive renting in Belfast as opposed to Dublin. Both are such great suggestions, though! Thank you thank you!!

"with some rich trad!... I really want my son to experience that"

You should be aware that most, if not all, pubs exclude children after a particular time of night. This coincides with when music generally starts. You might have to look for a family-friendly tourist show or restaurant for music, since you might not find a pub that will allow him in that late.

There are buses between Dublin and Belfast. The scenery is spectacular in the North. You will love it. Make sure to visit the Inishowan Peninsula as well.
http://www.inyourpocket.com/northern-ireland/belfast/arrival-transport/arrivingbybus/Coach-links-between-Belfast-City-Centre-and-Dublin-via-Dublin-Airport_33650v

There is also a really easy train from Dublin to Belfast -- takes about 2 hours or less. It sounds like doing the northern ireland itinerary will work well for traveling on to the Scotland portion, and the northern coast (Antrim coast/Giants causeway) are stunning! Keep in mind though that, being Northern Ireland and part of the UK, versus republic of Ireland, you may find a slightly different culture than what you'd find in the republic. For instance there may not be as many pubs that do trad (though you could certainly do that on your dublin leg of the trip), but there are certainly a ton of beautiful things to see and experience regardless. And if you spend any time in Belfast, there's a lot to explore and learn (the Titanic museum is awesome, a black cab tour to learn about the Troubles, depending on how old your son is there's a children's /science museum called w5). I'm currently living in Dublin so am in the throes of exploring and getting to know this amazing country/island. I would say small towns in Kerry or Dingle would also fit the bill but would be much further for the trip over to Scotland. Have fun!

Allora,
We are staying in Kilkenny our first night in Ireland at Butler Court, which is very affordable and sounds like it has a good, hearty, continental breakfast. We are going to spend some time exploring Kilkenny, but also it is also quite close to the Rock of Cashel and the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough. Kilkenny is a fairly small town with a lot to see. I'm not sure I'd want to spend a week there, but you could make that your first base to venture out from.

We fell in love with Kilkenny! It's a cool medieval town. We stayed at Pinecrest B&B which has a great full Irish breakfast with wonderful owners and is only a 5-minute walk to the "Medieval Mile." Every night we were there we were able to listen to music at dinner time. Kilkenny is also within easy driving distance of several other places of interest. Enjoy!

Some others have given you some great advice so I will just offer something a little different, though it may not work as well with your plan to end up in Scotland. Of all the towns I visited my very favourite was Galway. From there I did several day trips to the Cliffs of Moher, the Connemara region, and the Aran islands. I also found some great traditional music spots, and some great shopping. The train between Galway/Dublin is easy, then from Dublin to Belfast. I think the day I did it I was in Belfast before lunch.

We loved Doolin. It has 5, I think, pubs. All have great trad music every night. When we were there, there was not a ATM to be found. I would suggest taking cash. We stayed at Emohruo Bed and Breakfast. It is a bit out of town, but Margaret was a wonderful host. We would stay again. There are a couple of interesting towns close by Doolin. Lisdoonvarna would be one. Ireland has many small towns, but few are worth more than a couple of days each to see. One interesting thing I found out the hard way is that Northern Ireland uses the pound instead of the Euro, at least they did when we visited several years ago. So, if you have pounds left over, a town in N. Ireland might help you get rid of some. There is a ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast. Travel on the biggest ferries ever to sail between Scotland and Northern Ireland, Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII. These sister ships travel from Cairnryan to Belfast in a crossing time from only 2 hours 15 minutes with a choice of up to 6 daily crossings. You could stay in N. Ireland or continue onward to Ireland itself.

With a 5 year old in tow let me recommend you go to the Kilkenny area, and to Lawcus Farm and Guesthouse in particular. You will not find a warmer welcome and a more fitting place for your family. You could easily base there for three nights, and see lots in the area, as well as the farm itself, which is perfect for a young one, with lambs, pigs, pups, a river for fishing, chickens, a horse, and more. Though it's clear across the country, I also recommend Dingle. Go by way of Kinsale, and you will see some of the most beautiful sights, and warmest hospitality, Ireland offers. Try the Cloister B&B in Kinsale, and Pax Guest House in Dingle. Heaven on earth, and all suited to a family.

If you fly into Shannon, your son might really enjoy the nearby Bunratty folk park. It has traditional buildings imported from around the country, as well as people playing various roles of villagers. There are lots of B&Bs in that area.

If you flying into Dublin and are interested in historical sites, Glendalough is a reasonable drive from the airport, with a wonderful monastic ruin to explore, and a number of B&Bs.

Last visit, we spent about a week outside of Kenmare. Lots of B&Bs in the area, good restaurants, and not particularly crowded. From there, we were able to explore the Cork coast, the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, and the Rock of Cashel. Despite what RS says, I think the ring of Kerry is beautiful; I enjoy the lush greenery and short hikes in the area. Killarney might also offer something your son would enjoy – a ride across the lake to the island, with ruins to explore once he got there.

I too was not blown away by Dublin. Ireland's true charm is the smaller towns.

I was going to suggest Killkenny, but I see many people have already done that. My other suggestion as an alternative to Dublin is Malahide. It is close to the airport, train ride to Dublin. Very charming little town with plenty of restaurants and pubs.

Enjoy your trip!

Mary

Wow you guys, this is really great. I think I'm changing my mind... Kilkenny seems like the place to be, eh? One of my favorite beers in the entire world is Kilkenny (even though my Irish friends laugh at me for liking "old man beer"), so this might be even more appropriate. ;o)

Maybe we could rent a car in Shannon and stay in Kilkenny for a week (cruising around the country), then drop the car off somewhere... maybe Dublin... take a train to Belfast, and rent another car for the ferry to Scotland.

Love the recommendations for lodging. We will definitely look into the Lawcus Farm and Guesthouse. It looks absolutely amazing. Although I have always wanted... and I don't know if this is even a good idea for a 5 year old... to stay in a room above a pub in the center of town. Maybe that's my 20-year-old self talking... ;o)

``Although I have always wanted... and I don't know if this is even a good idea for a 5 year old... to stay in a room above a pub in the center of town. "

I know! Me too! and we tried to do that in Doolin, but it didn't work out. I guarantee Lawcus will be the highlight of your trip!