Southern Ireland...where to go / where not to miss?

[Acacia123]

Set our hearts on self-catering cottage in southern Irelands...which part would you recommend? Am thinking rugged coastal, nice walking etc...Thanks, Y

Clew Bay in County Mayo here and <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=clew+bay&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=38Y&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&biw=1252&bih=610&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=kdRFWgn-QO2cnM:&imgrefurl=photo.net/photodb/photo%3Fphoto_id%3D6394236&docid=FpkYe_KMgOF9jM&imgurl=gallery.photo.net/photo/6394236-md.jpg&w=680&h=453&ei=TdchT8ytL8m2hAeuk9DXBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=247&vpy=229&dur=3071&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=141&ty=97&sig=100791996181572961988&page=1&tbnh=116&tbnw=155&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here

It is near Westport, Achill Island, Croag Patrick and loads of other beautiful and interesting places to visit. And nothing like as crowded as Killarney and County Kerry.

Barleycove beach in county cork is beautiful. You can visit mizen head too from there. Search for a cottage on dreamireland website. Expensive though.

Another vote for West Cork here, lovely, lovely area.

Try jg property management for nice slew catering owner occupier holiday cottages in west cork

Self catering!

West cork beautiful. Spent oct bank holiday weekend there in schull with with family and grandparents. Visited barleycove, mizen head,clonakilty ,inchadoney,bantry house, Schull has Ireland's only planetarium , v interesting, though lots of giggles when lights went off and grandad promptly fell asleep and started snoring. Baltimore lovely too. Islands to visit there are sherkin, cape clear, garnish. Beara peninsula lovely too.

Yup, West Cork is the place to go. Get the ferry from Baltimore to Clear Island. Castletownend is a lovely little village (if you ever watched the Irish RM in the 1980s it's where the authors Somerville and Ross came from) and Skibbereen is a great little town. We were very moved by the history of the Great Famine in Skibbereen. There are also some lovely little sandy coves on the coast near Castletownsend.

Ireland's only planetarium. No, there's one in Armagh as well

Oops, thought that's what they told us.

Another vote for Westport and Clew Bay here, the whole area is beautiful. We rented this house about 3 years ago www.shamrockcottages.co.uk/properties/mayo/westport-271/

it was lovely, modern but very well appointed, and just outside Westport. Achill Island is our all time favourite (we used to live in Dublin so did a fair bit of southern ireland), and there's great walking in the area.

another one for county mayo, by far the best beaches and you don't get more rugged coastal than achill island.

Acacia have you found somewhere yet?

That looks fabulous Macciemoo. I shall bookmark that.

West Cork / Kerry - beautiful countryside, lots to see and do.

Galway / Clare - Connemara country - if you want something wild and rugged and absolutely unlike anywhere else in the world.

Sorry to have posted and vanished! Yes, we have picked a cottage in Kerry near Waterville. We plan on taking the ferry to Dublin and then driving down. Very excited! Big thanks for all of your suggestions. Acacia.