Is it worth the drive?

Any particular reason you have chosen to stay in Limerick? My least favourite place in Ireland.

Limerick is a gray industrial-looking city. I met some great people there but it wouldn't be my first choice for an Irish visit.

I wouldn't choose Limerick, either. Galway would be much nicer, and put you in better striking distance of N Ireland, too.

It's a good 6-hour drive from Limerick to the Antrim coast, and that's not counting stops for gas, lunch, and anything else along the way. And then it's another 1 1/2 hours or so down to Belfast. You'd be spending most of your day in the car and you wouldn't have time to enjoy anything of this spectacularly beautiful area. IMO the Antrim coast deserves at least a full day all by itself. So my answer to your question would be no, 1.5 days isn't enough time.

Not to burst your bubble, but I concur on not staying in Limerick. We stayed one night and that was plenty. It want's a horrible experience by any means, just not that much to see and kind of drab. Galway is much pleasanter but it's still kind of on the opposite end of the country. Just driving between the cities is doable, but won't leave you much time for sightseeing.

I would think long and hard about spending too much time in Stab City. Here is an oldie but a goodie: Why does the river run through Limerick? Because if it walked it would get mugged. EDIT: Finding a way to spend some time in the north of Ireland is a good idea. Just not as you have outlined.

Sorry, but I would have to agree with the other posters on Limerick and on trying to make such a trip and have it be enjoyable (to Belfast). The Antrim coast is absolutely beautiful and just driving through is not enough. Save it for another time or stay closer: Galway, Westport, Sligo!

Limerick was not our first choice. We are finding it difficult to get a hotel over Christmas that is in our realm of reasonable for cost. Unfortunately, one of the most difficult things is our short length of stay so an apartment isn't feasible either. We would prefer to stay in Galway as well. Maybe we will have to find a way to save up that extra bit of money to avoid "Stab City." Michael - I guess I'm happy we didn't book our hotel yet. Well, say we do stay in Galway... is that worth the same drive as the original post? It is closer to N Ireland but not substantially. Thoughts? Thanks for your help!

At that time of year the daylight hours will be very short, and the weather is unpredictable. To me, it doesn't seem like enough time with those variables thrown in. You could always go on back to Dublin and take a day trip by train to Belfast.