Ireland / Northern Ireland

[CrazyCatLady159]

Taking dd to Ireland for 3 days.
Flying into Dublin and hiring a car .... planning on driving to Northern Ireland to do the causeway, the distillery, the wooden bridge?

Is there anything else anyone could recommend for our 2nd day? Doesn't have to be in Northern Ireland - wouldn't mind driving somewhere else and staying elsewhere for the night as for the 3rd day I was thinking of driving back to Dublin ready for the flight.

Any nice places to stay?
Thanks in advance

That's some itinerary - the drive will take hours and you are packing a lot in! Mind you i have visited the Causeway and Carrick a rede bridge in one day. On the second day I would go southwards to Belfast and do stuff there, before returning to Dublin.
Do you need to fly to Dublin? Is it adults only/are you interested in the Titanic/Game of Thrones?

Hillsborough Castle is on the road between Belfast and Dublin- they’ve just done it up and it is absolutely beautiful, the gardens are fabulous.

Hillsborough village itself is also lovely and has some great pubs and restaurants.

Those three things could easily take 2 days. There is plenty more on the north coast to fill out the two days. The dark hedges were game of thrones is filmed is close by. Portrush/Portstewart/Ballycastle/Downhill are all lovely places to visit within half an hour from Bushmills. Beautiful beaches and scenery particularly if you get the weather. Derry/Donegal is also lovely with lots to see - google wild Atlantic way for information.

Also- why are you flying to Dublin? Belfast has two airports, and the drive between Dublin and Belfast is very very dull- apart from the hills around Newry, it’s lacking in scenery and the northern part of the road is crap (I’m local).

George Best Airport would be a better shout if the flights work out.

Thanks everyone!

I booked the flights to Dublin on a whim because they were £10 return -no particular reason but thought I'd go with it as it's the 6 weeks to break it up a bit

I was hoping that I could squeeze them all in on the first day and have spare time but doesn't sound like I will - we land in Dublin at just gone 8am so maybe I'll have to have a look at things dd(7) will want to do

Going off to have a look at the castle now

It will all work out. But what you really need a bit of them for is the glorious beaches on the north coast. You wouldn't be too far from Portstewart strand if you're going to the causeway, it's owned by the National trust and you can park your car on the beach (for a few). Portrush also has beautiful beaches and a small amusements park with a rollercoaster if your dd would fancy that. Stop for a coffee in the tiny Ballintoy harbour near the rope bridge.

(You could easily spend the three days in Dublin of course and not drive at all!)

You may be there and gone already but W5 in Belfast is excellent for kids. We did a weekend in Belfast (from Dublin) ... W5, Titanic and the Ulster Folk Museum (not in Belfast but a great leg stretcher and really interesting ... soda farls being cooked on an open fire etc)

@3timeslucky thank you!

I haven't gone yet I leave next week
Such good ideas thank you