Where to go besides Dublin when not driving

See the By Public Transportation note at https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/ireland/itinerary, excerpted from Rick's Ireland book. Galway is an easy train travel destination from Dublin (www.irishrail.ie) and starting point for tours to the Aran Islands or buses south to Doolin and Dingle (www.buseireann.ie). From Dingle back to Dublin, you could take a bus to Tralee, then train from there.

sdumont

Hello. I've been to Eire five times. The country is well served by buses, even small towns. As Laura noted, there are a few train lines.

I would suggest some of the following:

1. Galway. I just love being in Galway because of the bracing atmosphere on the edge of the Atlantic. If you go, make sure sure you book a trip to the Aran Islands.
2. Dingle Peninsula: About 3 hours south of Galway, Dingle is great for bicycling, hiking and seeing authentic Irish culture. You'll hear the Irish language spoken. There is a great trail, the Dingle Way, I hiked six years ago: http://www.dingleway.com/.
3. Glendalough: Glendalough is only 25 miles or so south of Dublin: http://www.glendalough.ie/. It's a 1,000-year-old monastery packed with stunning antiquities. Glendalough is where monks translated ancient texts into modern languages. Read the book How the Irish Saved Civilization. The Wicklow Way, another trail I've hiked, is worth walking: http://www.wicklowway.com/
4. Rock of Cashel: This is another antiquity only about 2 hours southwest of Dublin and among my favorite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Cashel
5. Croagh Patrick: This is the site farthest afield from Dublin: http://www.croagh-patrick.com/. It's in the Northwest. Croagh Patrick is an almost perfectly conical mountain. The story is St. Patrick himself climbed it and prayed for the souls of the Irish for the Biblical 40 days and nights. There is a chapel on the summit. I climbed it in about 2 hours.; some people take 3 hours. The path is NOT paved. The nearby town of Westport is fun.

Have the time of your life.