Road Trip Ireland - any suggestions for things to do and see

[Bordador]

We are on a camping/road trip in Southern Ireland for a week in August. Very flexible and hoping to see as much of the country as possible. It is just me and my partner - so no children to cater for this time!

Does anyone have any top tips, local knowledge or hidden gems that we should visit/see/experience? We love photography and walking and views and small villages and art and craft fairs and tradition and history.

Thank you in advance for any advice x

Kylemore Abbey in County Galway is worth seeing. Kenmare is a lovely town in County Kerry. Dublin has a lot to see and do. Places to go to in County Clare are the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and folk village and Father Ted's House. You may not be going to County Donegal but if you were, Dunlewey has stunning scenery that is not that well advertised.

Where are you starting your journey from? Is it Belfast or Dublin or Wexford (thinking car ferries and trying to work out a journey that will loop back to that point for travelling home)?

Go to Galway out to Achill island, wild Atlantic way some fabulous scenery.

We are starting Rosslare and finishing a week later in Dublin. The aim is to do a clockwise circuit around the coast (mainly) to Galway/Mayo and then across to Dublin at the end.
thanks for the tips so far. x

Google the Wild Atlantic Way

From what I have been told, don’t refer to it as Southern Ireland. There is Northern Ireland (part of the U.K.) and then there is the Republic of Ireland.

”Southern Ireland” can be taken as being offensive, especially coming from someone from England.

Powerscourt waterfall is amazing!

Achill island is breathtakingly beautiful and quite rugged and traditional. I have family there and visited a few times, keem bay is stunning

Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway ( Connemara)
I actually think camp sites will need to be booked in advance so if you find them work trip between.
Then if you into walks, cycling wherever can work out where between over night stops.
For towns
Doolin Lahinch are great with Cliffs to visit lovely drive up to Galway.
Roundstone, Clifden great Connamara views and places around there. Diamond Hill ect
Dingle, Killarney
Cities have Cork, Limerick, Galway & Dublin.

Wild Atlantic Way will have all info you need

Lovely trip OP. (I'm Irish, living in Ireland)

I was all set to make recommendations for West Cork but you don't really have time based on your starting / finishing point & that you want to head to Mayo & Galway too.

Consider the Waterford Greenway: https://www.discoverireland.ie/waterford-greenway?gclid=CjwKCAjw2rmWBhB4EiwAiJ0mtUdwDl5IkPD0owjPmCwN17ejUnpCCPtgHcBj-IxbcfvCuZU7MEi3xoCvVEQAvDBwE

Very easy to do part / all of. Can hire bikes and leave them at end point. Easy cycle.

In Dublin consider the Van Gogh exhibition (in the RDS, Ballsbridge).

https://vangoghexpo.com/dublin/?utmsource=google&utmmmedium=sc&utmcampaign=1104211dub&gclid=CjwKCAjw2rmWBhB4EiwAiJ0mtQDqQwxcJBKHnnBk5yj0ZyzeEe0vy7q3ppROckHtVSNEQYXEDdKHBoCEnEQAvDBwE

Also visit the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. if history is of interest. This museum focus on the decorative arts & their history. Free entry. Permanent collection and then different featured collections. The museum itself is housed in historical barracks which are impressive, nice on-site cafe, easily accessible via Luas (tram). All sorts of collections relating to different parts of Irish history & culture

www.museum.ie/en-ie/home

To eat, I'd highly recommend Peploes (Stephen's Green). Lovely service & food (restaurants in Dublin can be a bit hit & miss, and expensive but this is great).

peploes.com/

Visit the Wild Atlantic Way site to get ideas for places to go in Galway & Mayo, as other posters have suggested.

Enjoy!

Ok so coming from Rosslare, head to Waterford or Cork in that general direction

There is a Sunday market in Dunmore East if you're interested

Here are some suggestions for things to do in Cork.
www.tripadvisor.ie/Attractions-g186600-Activities-Cork_County_Cork.html

Then I'd definitely try to do some of the Ring of Kerry if you can
www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Products-g186610-d207834-Ring_of_Kerry-County_Kerry.html

Perhaps a stay in Clare (to see The Burren and the Dolmens or the Cliffs of Moher) or Limerick (to see Bunratty Castle and folk park)
Clare - www.tripadvisor.ie/Attractions-g186595-Activities-County_Clare.html
Limerick - www.limerick.ie/limerick-11

Depending on how long you stay at any or all of the previous suggestions, you should be able to drive straight back to Dublin from any of the other cities by motorway.

@LookItsMeAgain

They are all great suggestions too

However I think a week is really short to do all this (or even some) if OP wants to focus on Mayo & Galway, plus Dublin, arriving via
Rosslare.

Personally I'm with you - I'd focus on the south & south west for 3 - 4 days, then Dublin for 2 days, and back to Rosslare. I think it's too much to try to get to Mayo & Galway, and back, in a week.

Powerscourt, Glendalough, Hook Head, West Cork Beara, Ring of Kerry, Torc Park Killarney, Tralee aqua dome for water slides, Cliffs of Moher, Burren, Bunratty folk park, Achill Island Galway Dublin.

thank you for all these amazing suggestions .... I shall enjoy googling them tonight! And I take the point about the name - thank you for educating me.
x

Yes, this seems to come up on every thread that mentions Ireland. I'm Irish but I can't get excited when people call it southern Ireland, I know they just mean the opposite part to Northern Ireland and they're not trying to be offensive. And if we're being really pedantic, it's just Ireland, but like I say I can't get het up about it when there's no bad intended. (Now, call it Éire - and assuming you're not speaking in Irish- and I'll give you a history lesson!)

OP, you've had great suggestions already. Would definitely do bikes on the Waterford greenway and then head to Dunmore East. Gougán Barra in West Cork is a beautiful peaceful place and there's a nice forest beside it for a walk. Kenmare is a lovely starting point for the ring of kerry, lots of nice walks, loads of nice restaurants (I like Mulcahys and No 35), go to Maison Gourmet for coffee and pastries, and proper live Irish music in Crowley, not the touristy crap. As you head north west in kerry, Dingle is a very lively town and there are fabulous beach and mountain walks. Take the ferry from Tarbet to Clare. In Mayo, there's another Greenway if you've energy for more bikes. There's a lovely small town on the Greenway called Newport and the food is fab in a pub called the Grainne Mhaol.

Have a lovely holiday, hope you get good weather.

I live in northern ireland and as refer the south of the south of ireland or southern ireland 🤣

@abblie - best not to, from now on. It's not exactly 'cry with laughter' funny either, so I'm not sure why you put this emoji at the end of your post 😂

My friends father from NI still calls it the free state.

Another vote for the West Atlantic Way. They have a FaceBook page with lots of people willing and able to answer questions.

It's been south of ireland to me for 42 years you of all people will not tell me its best not to from now 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

My nanny use to say free state or down south... people have different ways of saying it

Well, I really think if you don't want to be offensive, that isn't a phrase you should use to describe Ireland. There's no point trying to annoy people, is there? We're past that, surely?

OP, have a lovely holiday.

It's been south of ireland to me for 42 years

@abblie

I'm guessing you haven't spent much time in Donegal

Explain how I am being offensive? I've known it as the south of ireland some say southern ireland some say free state and some say down south but because I don't describe it the way you do I'm being offensive catch yourself on.

I would say Bru Na Boinne a little way north of Dublin is worth a visit www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/

The Burren. It’s stunning.