Two & a half weeks in Ireland - itinerary ideas?

[OneFootInTheDave]

Heady to Ireland for 2.5 weeks in the summer hols with the kids (12y & 8y) and looking for some recommendations on top areas to stay, unmissable spots and beautiful views. We’re going by ferry with the car, ideally arriving into Rosslare and exiting via Dublin.

Really want to see:
> Copper coastline / Waterford (where?)
> West Cork / coastline (where?)
> Bantry Bay / Dingle
> Achill Island / Connemara region

Ideally don’t want to have to move more than 3 times (Airbnb / self catering).

Would love to get the kids along to some pony trekking (beginners) and maybe some farms / birds / animal petting based activities. we love gardens and beaches.

No epic day long hiking, but we like a ‘big walk’ 🙏

West cork is lovely, I have family around Skibbereen and would recommend the area. Some great restaurants too.

Have you considered Kilkenny? No beaches obviously but great history, museums and a cracking little city generally.

Thank you :)

Ive been looking at Skibbereen and wondering where the best beaches / beauty spots are🤔

Base yourself in Bantry and you can do day trips from there. Sheep’s Head on a clear day is stunning. Westport is another good spot. Ring of Kerry is beautiful.

You can’t go wrong in west Cork. Clonakilty and Skib. are nice towns. Also Schull. I love Beara and Mizen. Barleycove is a great beach. Get out to the islands — Cape Clear and Sherkin via ferries from Baltimore. Or Dursey at the tip of the Beara peninsula, which you access by cable car. Smuggler’s Cove near Rosscarbery has children’s activities. The Drombeg Stone circle near Glandore. There’s a Buddhist centre with a nice cafe, a brand-new temple and wonderful views out to sea near Castletownbere. Good options for whale and dolphin watching. Take a boat trip out to the Fastnet.

Thank you so much - this is exactly the sort of info I was hoping for 🩷🙏

If you base yourself in Westport, you have easy access to Achill Island to the north, and Connemara to the south. Don't miss the drive through the Doolough Pass to Leenane on your way to Kylemore Abbey and the Connemara National Park. You can climb as much as you want to of Croagh Patrick (Ireland's holy mountain, from the summit of which St P is alleged to have banished the snakes), which overlooks beautiful Clew Bay (reputed to contain 365 islands) and the National Famine Memorial. There are riding stables in Murrisk (near the base of Croagh Patrick), and a really good pub/restaurant - The Tavern - you can't miss it, it's bright pink :) Carrowholly Riding Stables just to the north of Westport offer rides for beginners, too. There are glorious, empty beaches at Bertra, Old Head (near Louisburgh), and beyond to Cross Strand and Thallabawn. Then there's Keel and Keem beaches on Achill.

You could take a ferry out to Clare Island or Inisturk from Roonagh Quay just outside Louisburgh - it's possible to do a day return, or to stay overnight on the islands. There are fishing boat outings from Westport, also Westport House has many family-friendly attractions, and magnificent views.

I could go on - I used to holiday here, but liked it so much we made the move from the UK 25 years ago, and have never looked back! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions - and enjoy your trip no matter where you decide to stay!

Kenmare is a good base for the Ring of Kerry, and not far from Killarney, we found Killarney too big and touristy. Muckross House is worth a visit, and tge nearby waterfalls. They do Jaunting Horse trips, a bit like horse and cart rides. Kinsale is a fabulous small town, lots of history and cracking restaurants. We drove along the coast, west from Kinsale and it was beautiful. Cork Jail is worth a visit. It's lovely, only been once last year and can't wait to return.

Wow, thank you SO much for all of these brilliant tips!

I used to come to Ireland as a child, teen and into my 20’s with my parents on many holidays and have travelled around a fair bit of the coast in Waterford, Cork and Kerry, but not for a long time, since having children - hence asking here.

I’m quite jealous of your move to Ireland! I wish I had gone before Brexit. There is something homely feeling about Ireland to me, maybe as my grandparents were from Cork, who knows.

@Inextremis - did you move to Mayo?

@OneFootInTheDave I did indeed! Not too far from Westport, as it happens. It's a wonderful part of the world, and I have no plans to return to the UK!

Thank you, actually Kenmare is the last place we stayed when we visited pre-kids and it was a great spot👍

Ahh you're very lucky

Definitely take one of the dolphin watching boats from Baltimore, one of the best experiences we’ve had! The coastline is just stunning along there. We swam near Baltimore in Lough Hyne, lots of canoes and paddle boards in the water there too which the children might like.

Don’t miss the Beara peninsula it’s stunning

If you're in Waterford, you could rent bikes and do the Waterford Greenway. It's an easy cycle on the old railway. Same in Westport out to Achill.

I highly recommend the book "Exploring Ireland" by David Flanagan.

https://threerockbooks.com/product/exploring-ireland/

It's also available on Amazon.
It's a fantastic book - I say that as an Irish person living in Ireland who uses it to explore our great wee island!

We liked the Titanic museum at Cobh, and the heritage centre. It was really cleverly done. You get given a person and find out at the end if your person survives. Lovely for a walk around the village too. A second vote for Cork jail. It made you think.

We had a brilliant meal in No 35 in Kenmare, and at Fishy Fishy in Kinsale.

Brexit actually has no impact on uk citizens moving to Ireland. There's a an agreement between the UK and Ireland that predates the eu and still stands. My husband moved here post brexit and he's basically treated the same as an Irish citizen.

@OneFootInTheDave Got your PM - for some reason I can only type one letter in reply on my laptop, then it stops working - so I'll try to reply later on my tablet or phone - watch that space!

@romdowa we can't vote in referenda and get treated horribly in other EU countries because we are evil brexit voters. But after 4 years or so in Ireland you can get an Irish passport.

@OneFootInTheDave maybe look into Donegal and the Antrim coast? Some gorgeous spots there like the Giants Causeway, Rope bridge and beautiful beaches.

Yes there are a few things uk citizens can't do in Ireland but you don't need a visa to live here. My husband is here 4 years and has never been treated badly at all.
You also have to continue to live here I believe to keep the passport once you've been granted one. But it is the easiest way for British people to get an eu passport . Costs 1200 euro I think roughly

You should also think about doing few days in Galway. It's a small city on the West coast of Ireland with a thriving food, pub and music scene, with a pedestrian centre with buskers, cafes and restaurants. There is alwsys some type of festival on too! Galway also has Salthill which is a beach, promenade, aquarium, funfair and also a short drive to Connemara. You can also get a boat out to Aran Islands.

Oh, Lough Hyde is a good shout. You can kayak late in the evening there, it’s flat calm, and if you’re lucky, you get bioluminescence.

Oh I had no idea, that is very good to know actually as I’d absolutely love to relocate one day!

Antrim and Donegal are on the list for 2026