Ireland

If there were ever a Gaelic phrase epitomizing Irish hospitality it would have to be “Caed  Mile Failte” which means “a hundred thousand welcomes”.   For such a small island in the middle of the Northern Atlantic, there are still plenty of ways to see Ireland.    To save money, taking a package motor coach tour is an excellent way to go.   Avid cyclists can rent a bike and it’s an easy country to get around.  Your travel specialists may recommend a wonderful two week tour of the Emerald Isle, which is more fun than going alone.  The most important piece of advice I can give you is to take a brolly (umbrella) since the weather can change every five minutes. 

If you want to drive yourself around, then have a few days in Dublin first, then pick up the car as you leave town.   One of the most stunning driving routes in Ireland is the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2400 mile route that hugs the entire west coast of the country revealing rugged cliffs and dramatic ocean views.   Split into five sections, drivers can take the route in pieces or as one total drive.  Segments include County Donegal, Donegal to Mayo, May to Clare, Clare to Kerry and Kerry to Cork.  Begin in Donegal at Muff and weave around the Inishowen Peninsula.  Visit the urban center of Letterkenny and then set out onto the coast of the northwest.   This itinerary will offer lovely coastal walks, fantastic bird watching, excellent golf, and you can take five days on this route.

Continue down into Sligo and Mayo. Explore Yeats Country in Sligo before driving along Achill Island.  End the journey in Westport County Mayo.  Because this itinerary covers three counties, it is best to take five days minimum to experience it.

From Mayo wind your way down into Connemara.  Visit the cliffs of Moher, see the Burren, take in Galway city .  Use Galway as home base, take a day trip around Galway Bay and visit the seaside towns before taking a ferry to the Aran Islands where Gaelic is still spoken as the main language. This stretch ends in Clare.

From Clare visit Limerick and head into Kerry.  Take three days for this stretch.  You will then go onto Cork winding from Kenmare to Kinsale which is a great spot for golfers.  

The under 35 market today makes up for 20% of travelers to Ireland.  It is less costly during the shoulder season, and less busy.  Dublin is chock- a-block full of museums, bars, galleries and boutiques.  Book lovers will delight in the Dublin literary Pub Crawl which is an actor led tour of the Dublin known by Yeats, Wilde and Stoker.    Best place to go for nightlife is Temple Bar, which is a car free section of streets.   For live music, go to O’Neill’s, Oliver St. John Gogarry’s, and Whelan’s. 

 In Galway, for traditional music, the Quays, Tigh Neachtain and the Spanish Arch Hotel offer local sounds of Ireland.

Everyone should splurge and have at least one night in a castle. My two favorites are Ashford, near Galway city, and Dromoland, near Shannon airport.  Mix and match your accommodations from cozy inns, elegant manor houses, farm houses, and even bed and breakfast properties.    The Irish hospitality is wonderful everywhere you go.

Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel  at 160 Main Street. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.