Lovely MNers of Ireland. Where would you suggest to visit in the ROI?

[PriamFarrl]

Hello, I’m just scoping out holiday ideas for next year and started to think about Ireland.
I don’t really fancy Dublin if I’m honest, so would you mind telling where else is worth visiting?
I’m not after parties and night life, more quiet countryside, small town, coastal, that kind of thing.
I’m thinking the hiring a car and doing a small road trip might be a plan.

Thank you for any help.

Cork and Kerry for a road trip.

Donegal!

The coast is stunning so you can't go wrong just starting somewhere and driving the coastal route. Started in Cork many years ago and went clockwise, Mizen head, Killarney etc. Was a fantastic trip.

Connemara & Galway are gorgeous.
Renvyle House near Tully is fantastic. have a look at the Connemara loop for a gorgeous drive & scenery.

Look up the Wild Atlantic Way website. It's all about the beautiful west coast and has loads of ideas for places to see and do there.

Anywhere along the wild Atlantic way really.

Waterford - Ireland's oldest city with a Viking history, compact city and the start of The Greenway. Beaches close by, also the copper coast.

Wild Atlantic Way - I’d recommend Donegal and Sligo.

Kerry

If you fancied the North of Ireland, the Causeway Coast is gorgeous. Otherwise I'd second Donegal, or Kerry.

Surprised not to have seen Galway mentioned yet! Fantastic place to visit. You can do lots around the city or Salthill areas, but you can also travel out further to Connemara which is just out-of-this-world stunning.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions.
I hasn’t really given the North much thought as I assumed as an English person I might not be so welcome.

Waterford and Tipperary. Gorgeous and v few tourists. Even fewer in the Lake lands ie Longford , Leitrim. Sligo is lovely too.

The most amazing place in Ireland is the burren, loop head, ballyvaughan etc. Stay at the wild honey inn. Awesome.

I'm from dublin and I went to Ennis before the pandemic, I liked it a lot. Loved the town of Ennis, saw some ''trad'' musicians just casually playing in some pubs, went to the cliffs of moher.

You really wouldn’t run into any problems on the North Antrim coast as an English person.

But to be honest, there are so many places in Ireland that would meet your criteria I don’t quite know where to recommend! What type of accommodation?

I'm an a English woman and I live on the fantastic Causeway coast!

Car hire is crazy expensive BUT its the only way to get around and see the scenery. Either fly to shannon or ireland west airport. Honestly the whole of the west coast of Ireland top to bottom is gorgeous. Mayo / sligo / galway/ clare so many sea side towns . Lovely beaches . Kerry is fab.. good luck

I live on the wild Atlantic way and it's a very popular route. Northern Ireland is also spectacular, I've visited with my English dp and nobody batted an eyelid.

I live in the Connemara near the wild Atlantic coast. If you are turned on by amazing scenery you cannot do better in the world. And Galway City is absolutely charming.

You'll have no issues at all in the north with your accent.
If you like Game of Thrones there's quite a lot to see and do in the north.

Going to add if you want an amazing, out of this world beach go to Achill Island. The scenery is glorious.

Definitely the Wild Atlantic way. Some of it can be extremely expensive - Doolin, Dingle for example so I'd recommend maybe visiting those but not staying over. Look for slightly less popular areas and you'll also have a more authentic Irish experience. Kerry, Shannon and Ireland West are all good to fly into or take the ferry from Wales or Liverpool.

Come to the north. Belfast and causeway coat and strangford lough are fab, my dh is English having moved here a few years ago and he feels very welcome! As do the other 20+ English solicitors in his firm.