Irish City Break Recommendations

[SunshineLollipopsAndRainbows]

I’ve been put off Dublin lately but please tell me of your good experiences there. Also Cork. And I really fancy Belfast. This is a possible girls trip ( colleagues) for a low budget long weekend. Thanks in advance.

Love Dublin...went last year with hubby and the kids...weather was superb...visited the Art galleries, wandered around the shops and eateries all day long....

Belfast is our main city so i can't muster the same enthusiasm about it!😂

I live in Dublin i would recommend Cork, GAlway or Kilkenny

Belfast, 100%. Compact and a nice range of bars and things to do.

I lived in Dublin with DH who was born and rared there. Pains me to say it, but there’s good reason it’s always one of the top responses of the “Biggest holiday let-down” threads on here.

Galway. 100%
So much fun, great pubs, fantastic seafood, friendly people. My favourite city, I’d move there tomorrow.

Definitely Belfast. Really friendly, great bars and restaurants and as a PP said, compact and easy to navigate. Bonus as the City airport is literally in the city so no huge journey in when you get off the plane.

Galway for sure. Small, beautiful and atmospheric with loads of delicious places to eat. My favourite city!

Galway for sure. @MissMatty2hats sums it up well.

Belfast, Galway or Kilkenny also good, but Galway is just such fun.

Galway and Belfast are both fab cities to visit, as is Kilkenny. However... you said "budget" in your post and unfortunately the cost of hotels and hospitality in general is extortionate at the moment. A lot of our hotels are being used to accommodate refugees and homeless people/families and there's a huge shortage of staff in the industry meaning they quality of service is really suffering. I just wouldn't recommend a visit any time soon I'm afraid.

The food isn't great in Belfast. The coffee is terrible too. We were told ''Dubliners always complain''. Well. Improve the coffee then?

I would go to Ennis, Schull, kinsale, Kilkenny!

Belfast is great, I stayed over on Thursday past and was 70quid for a room. Galway is really good, but more expensive. Derry city I also hear is great but I've never been, as is Cork.

Cork and Galway both lovely, but Galway has a cooler vibe in my experience.

Flying from the UK? Fly into Knock Airport and go to Galway or Sligo. Galway is lovely but I love Sligo for a weekend. Go to the seaweed baths in Strandhill, climb a mountain, there are lots of very good restaurants and pubs.
Dublin Airport is to be avoided until they sort out their security staffing.

Only about an hour ago dh and I were saying how Galway has lost a lot of its charm for us lately(we live here). It used to have such a great vibe, especially on a sunny day in the Summer but I don't know lately I'm not feeling it. It certainly isn't a low budget option but I'm not sure anywhere in Ireland is, perhaps NI is more budget friendly. I'd start by looking at accommodation prices in Cork/Galway/Belfast and work from there.

I think it depends on what kind of trip you are looking for. Is it just a bit of shopping / spa day and then hitting the pubs or would you be looking for places to visit / tourist attractions? I'd recommend either Belfast or Derry, some great places to eat, lively pubs etc. Derry has the added bonus of some beautiful beaches just over the border in Donegal, well worth a day trip if you just wanted somewhere to relax and unwind.

Thanks everyone

I went to Sligo once and thought it was awful, but the weather was shocking which probably didn't help.

I think I'd avoid Dublin currently due to the airport hassles, unless you could go by ferry.

Belfast is great and Derry is interesting too if you have a hire car.