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Where should we stay between Derry and Galway?

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My wife and I are going on a two week roadtrip to Ireland in July, her first time in the country and my third. The itinerary thus far is 3 nights in Dublin, including the Saturday of the All Ireland Hurling Semi-Finals, heading north to Belfast for two nights, and then driving the Antrim Coastal Route to Derry for 1 night.

From there is where I need outside opinions. We want to spend two nights in Galway, and most likely pick the best weather day to do the Cliffs of Moher from there.

Would Sligo or Mayo be a better stopping point for a night? I was thinking possibly Castlebar in Mayo, looks like the National Museum there is extremely impressive.

From Galway, we plan to cut across the bottom half of the country diagonally, stopping in Kilkenny or Waterford for a night, probably Cork city for 1 night, and then finishing the trip with 3 nights in and around Killarney.

Any and all suggestions are warmly welcomed, thanks in advance!!!

Posted by
530 posts

Sligo has the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery and a compact downtown area (where parking the car might be an issue). One route would take you through Donegal town, which puts you that much closer to the Slieve League cliffs, which are much higher than Moher. Derry to Sligo via Slieve League would be a very long day, so be sure you can park and eat near your hotel. Get lunch at the chippie in Killybegs (best fish and chips I've had).
Second choice is Westport (stay down by the Quay rather than in town).

Posted by
2 posts

To quote from Rick's book," If in need of an overnight between Galway and Derry, this would be my choice." Referring to Westport in Co. Mayo.

You might want to check out Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery and Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cemetery close to Sligo town.

I you do the Cliffs of Moher from Galway, I highly recommend driving through The Burren before or after.

Posted by
2401 posts

looks like the National Museum there is extremely impressive.

It is! so much so, we made two visits. We were intrigued by video recordings made in the 1960s of people talking about their way of life and customs. Life was hard with few modern amenities and had hardly changed in 100 years. They made your own entertainment and the old customs and traditions were still popular and celebrated. Some were decidedly heathen....

Posted by
823 posts

Seems like Galway - Kilkenny - Killarney is the longest route you could pick! Why not go from Galway to Killarney to Waterford/Killkenny?

Belfast to Derry probably deserves an overnight somewhere, if you like views, easy hiking, etc. Our next trip north includes two nights in Cushendall for the Glens, Torr Head, and the surrounds. Bushmills or Ballycastle could do instead. Maybe a day trip to Rathlin Island?

Derry can take at least a few hours unless you skip all the heritage. Another thought is to stay somewhere in Antrim and visit Derry for the day and head on to Dunfanaghy or Letterkenny. Then you get to Sligo or Donegal or Westport earlier in the day. Haven't been to Castlebar.

Don't lose sight of the fact that "two nights" really means "one day" and "one night" really means dinner and breakfast at the stopover.

The nice thing about Ireland is no matter where you go, it's green and gorgeous and filled with wonderful people.

Posted by
583 posts

Like a few others, I recommend Westport. It's in my top three of favorite towns. You could climb nearby Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain of Ireland: https://www.destinationwestport.com/explore-westport/a-bluffers-guide-to-climbing-croagh-patrick. In 1997, I climbed it in 2.5 hours. The path is not paved, and somewhat dicey near the summit, but it was worth every step. The story is St. Patrick prayed for the souls of the Irish on the summit, formerly used for pagan worship, for the biblical 40 days and nights. There's a chapel at the top. Also, Matt Molloy's pub is in Westport.

A great town in Sligo is Ballymote. It has a ruin castle and great pubs. Near Ballymote is Ballintubber. The pubs are also great, and the town hosts an Irish music school.

A great historic site accessible from either Westport or Ballymote/Ballintubber are the Ceide Fields: https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/ceide-fields-neolithic-site-visitor-centre/. The views of the Atlantic even top those of the famed Cliffs of Moher, though those are also brilliant.

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