Advice on visit to Ireland

AberdeenAngus

AberdeenAngus

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The delightful Claire and I will be paying a visit to the Emerald Isle this year (driving not riding) for (say) 10 days.
Wondered if you had any recommendations of places worth visiting.
We'll probably get the ferry in to Larne then head south (I've done a fair bit of the North previously).

I'm thinking of a clockwise circuit mainly following the coastline.
So far I have on our itinerary
Dublin
Wexford
Waterford
Cork
Beara
Ring of Kerry
Dingle

Any and all suggestions gratefully received.
We're more interested in scenery than tourist attractions but we do like castles.
Also any recommendations for accom. would be appreciated.
Cheers peeps.
 
Drive the car down to Dublin, get some cheap accommodation in James Street and spend the 10 days in the Guinness factory. Sorted.

Sent using a Jedi mind trick!
 
This route has been a phenomenal success from the start .
http://www.wildatlanticway.com/stories/highlights/breathtaking-moments-along-the-wild-atlantic-way/


As for accommodation, i wouldnt book anything , just arrive and search out a spot that
you like the look of. Even in High season ,there is never a shortage of good quality
B&bs dotted all over the show . Negotiate what you require at the price your prepared
to pay . I cant get my head around this " your breakfast is between 7.30 and 9.00
bullshit " If your on holiday you dont want "regime Hours" . That is the starting point
for the negotiation , just lets the Vendor know your not in his pocket just because
you knocked at his door . Price ,,, I have always found is similarly negotiable .
Some of the Hotels are Sticklers , but theres no shortage of them either , if they
cant meet your criteria , theres another down the road.
A BIGGIE : At present your GBP is worth + 40% . £1.00GBP = €1.40 . This can
and probably will change , Buy yer Euro as soon as is practicable .........

This is a personal opinion : Dublin is best avoided , for the life of me i dont see the
attraction , maybe i spent too much time there .
 
Thanks civil that West Coast website is just the ticket.
Been to Dublin a couple of times so will probably breeze through. More interested in seeing the countryside.
 
Just as well I wasn't born and brought up in Dublin, I would probably be very upset to find out it was such a kip!!! 😀😀😀

Sent using a Jedi mind trick!
 
As you have seen most of the north of the country already might I suggest running from Belfast across to Sligo via Enniskillen then picking up the WAW and following it on in an anti-clockwise direction. Like the Civil fella I'd avoid Dublin unless you are a city kind of guy. I, as you may guess, am not. :thumb2
 
Been twice now...Enjoyed it very much..B and B's are everywhere, and every one we stayed in was excellent. Pretty much everywhere on the coast is stunning, so don't expect to go very fast!! So unless you are very strict, you won't do a huge mileage every day.....very easy to lose time over there!!

If you are going to dingle, go over the Connor pass, very nice......And the :beer: goes down very nicely...
 
When are you coming over? I'm originally from Kerry and am down there every now and then, would be happy to show you a few decent roads as you pass through.

Brendan
 
WAW id well worth doing, although do add some time if you're in the car and don't rely on your satnav's 'time of arrival' feature. This works in most places on the globe but not in Ireland, even on the bike.

As has been said, generally B&Bs are of high quality and readily available- look for the green shamrock sign which means Tourist Board Approved. Their approval standards are high and it's never let me down yet ;)
 

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Trip

If you do decide to head South on A1-M1 don't forget your Euros for the tolls.

Obviously no tolls if you take Adian1150s route:thumb2
 
Since you like Castles

Kilkenny City
River Court Hotel is highly recommended, they have rooms which over look the Castle. Kilkenny City is a medieval city steeped in history, the surrounding county has fabulous scenery.
 
I second Aidan's suggestion. I know you've done the north before, but if you haven't done the Sperrins before, it's worth spending a day wandering around up there. The following PDFs show scenic routes around the Sperrins:

East Sperrins Scenic Driving Route:
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/attachment.aspx?attachmentID=1847

Central Sperrins Scenic Driving Route:
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/attachment.aspx?attachmentID=1849

South Sperrins Scenic Driving Route:
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/attachment.aspx?attachmentID=1846

North Sperrins Scenic Driving Route:
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/attachment.aspx?attachmentID=1848

The Shepard's Rest is a nice pub/camp site. I thought they did B&B too, but I don't see any mention of it on their website.

You can do the Wild Atlantic Way in two or three days, or two or three weeks, depending on whether you just roll through, or stop to take photos, check out castles etc. As suggested by others, I'd recommend just finding accommodation as you need it so you can cover as much or as little ground in a day as you want.
 
AA remember if you go in July/Aug the ring of Kerry/Dingle will be busy with tour buses and wobbly boxes,as has been said the roads should you follow the WAW will well and truly test the suspension on your mode of transport,however the scenery and friendliness of the natives will more than make up for any minor hiccups.

Norrie
 
We did Kinsale to Galway a couple of years back via every peninsula and had a fantastic time. Kinsale is a lovely place to stop so I can highly recommend that rather than Cork.

The Smugglers Inn in Waterville was also really nice with a fantastic restaurant. Crottys in Kilrush was interesting as you're staying at the pub. Handy!

I've got GPX routes somewhere if you'd like them?

Overall it's absolutely stunning and a fantastic trip. The Connor pass is apparently fantastic when the vis is greater than 50 metres which is what we got... :(


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Just to whet the appetite!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The WAW is great, but as others have said, parts of it can be busy.

Yes the scenery can be great, but a lot of the better biking roads - certainly on an GS type bike - are a little bit inland - often in the middle of the peninsulas.

If you have time and the interest you could check them out as well.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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