The remainder of our trip was a self-drive vacation…..we planned the itinerary ourselves, I contacted the people at Royal Irish, and worked with them to book our hotels, and perfect our itinerary. And what an itinerary it was……
Powerscourt Gardens in the Autumn Months
The first day with the car we headed to the beautiful Powerscourt Estate and Gardens……for all gardeners, this is a must stop. We easily took most of the afternoon here, and then headed to Kilkenny to stay overnight……
The following day we headed out on some of the back roads to explore Jerpoint Abbey, Kells Priory and the Rock of Cashel…….while at Jerpoint Abbey, we bought a Heritage Card which enabled us to get free admission to most of the sights we visited from then on…..what an excellent idea and one I will definitely mention to my travel clients.
Driving the Ring of Kerry as well as Skellig Ring
From here we headed to Killarney- a long day with a true workout driving the narrow roads of Ireland- arriving after dark. Here we stayed at a wonderful historic luxury hotel- The Malton for three nights……within walking distance of restaurants in town, and from here we explored Killarney NP, the Ring of Kerry, as well as Muckross House and Gardens, Ladies View, and Torc Waterfall. Lots of driving, but the scenery was spectacular, and we took time to stop along the way……
From Killarney we drove around the Dingle Peninsula, before tackling Conor Pass– one of the most beautiful but narrow and dare I say dangerous roads in Ireland- with wonderful views- the highest mountain pass in Ireland. From here we headed to the ferry at Tarbet to cross and drive to views the Cliffs of Moher. Yes we did this all in one day- and then after viewing the Cliffs of Moher at sunset, headed to our boutique hotel The Twelve just outside of Galway in Barna Village. An unique hotel with a wonderful vibe, we explored the Galway area before heading into the north of Ireland.
Kylemore Abbey
Because we knew this was going to be a longer drive, we limited our stops to basically just two- the wonderfully picturesque Kylemore Abbey and Gardens, as well as Yeats’ grave at Sligo. After seeing the retrospective in Dublin, we absolutely had to stop…..before arriving at yet another fabulous hotel-Harvey’s Point Hotel. Check out the link- an absolutely wonderful place- a must stay on another visit…….from here we explored the countryside around Donegal- Slieve League- the highest cliffs in Europe- along with again testing my driving skills along R262- watching for the sheep at the same time as admiring the gorgeous scenery.
From Donegal we headed to Glenveagh NP– before staying overnight in Derry in Northern Ireland. Again- wonderful gardens- and a very interesting history……most enjoyable and highly recommend. From Derry we headed to Belfast, swinging by the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge……again a sight to be hold- and another good day of activity.
The following day in Belfast, we took the opportunity to explore via the Belfast Black Taxi Tours the Troubles of Belfast and Northern Ireland by listening to some of the history from one of Belfast’s own- Freddie. Highly recommend asking for Freddie, or Fred- an impartial witness to the history of his country.
Eastern Passage at Knowth
From here we headed to Malahide, just outside of the Dublin airport, taking the opportunity for stops at Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre as well as Knowth, a megalithic passage tomb from 5000 years ago. In Malahide, we slipped in for a glimpse of Malahide Castle before checking into our hotel for a last Guiness and some pub food.
All in all, a fabulous trip- in October, the weather was good (a bit of mist on two days- other than that primarily sun), the prices were lower, and the crowds were non-existent. In fact we were often the only people on the local tours……lots of chances to ask questions and explore. So my advice- if you can go in the shoulder seasons- do so for any country…..the positives out-weigh any negatives (I really can’t think of a single negative in this instance!) Be sure to contact me if this or any other itineraries/ trips interest you in Ireland. You won’t forget it!
#fiftyshadesofgreen #ireland #explore
