This past May I took half of my meager vacation time and set off for a week of adventure in Ireland.  It was just me, my bag, and a whole new country to explore!  I pre-booked the first and last days of my trip along with 5 days of car rental, but the rest I planned while I was on the road.  Here is my road trip itinerary for anyone who wants to spend a week driving the West of Ireland and exploring Dublin.

My Road Trip!

Day 1: Dublin to the Rock of Cashel to Dromoland Castle

On the first day I flew into Dublin Airport, picked up my car, and hit the road.  It was my first time driving on the other side of the road, and that, along with driving a manual for the first time in many months, meant I stuck to the slow lane for the first hour or so.

I had decided to skip the more popular Blarney Castle and make my first pit stop the Rock of Cashel.  This 12th Century tower and monastery was an amazing photography spot, but Hore Abbey, just down the road, was even better!  Hore Abbey was deserted when I arrived, just me and the cows that live in the pasture it is set in, and with views of the Rock of Cashel in the distance, its well worth a stop.

Back in the car, I hit the smaller roads, where the speed limit is more of a dare than a limit.  I had booked a night in Dromoland Castle, near Limerick, since my second day in Ireland was my birthday.  There really is nothing quite like waking up in a castle for your birthday!  I had used rewards points from an old credit card, so I was able to get the stay for free!  I spent my first evening wandering around the castle grounds with my camera before sleeping off my jet lag in comfort.

More Information: The Rock of Cashel, Dromoland Castle.

Day 2: Dromoland to Doolin and Inisheer

After a quick breakfast of birthday truffles the front desk had sent me, I set off on the road again.  I skipped the longer loop along the Wild Atlantic Way and cut across to Doolin from Clarecastle, which was a charming drive through rural Ireland.  Google maps had sent me on a small regional road that burst out of the countryside with a spectacular view of Doolin Castle and the Aran Islands.  Regional roads can be narrow and windy, with only a few sections for cars in going the opposite direction to pass each other, so beware!

After a leisurely lunch in Doolin, I headed out to the Doolin Ferry Port and caught a thirty minute ferry ride to Inisheer, the smallest Aran Island. The locals happily rent bikes out to tourists, or for the less adventurous, there are pony cart tours of the island.  I spent about 4 hours exploring the island, biking out to the shipwreck on the eastern edge, the lighthouse on the south side, and out to the western side to view the other Aran Islands.  A quick ferry trip back to Doolin and it was time to check into Nellie Dee’s, the BnB I had booked for the night.

After settling at my accommodations, I was directed to a pub down the road for dinner, where they had craic (traditional Irish music) playing later that night.  I had spotted an abandoned church behind the BnB that I wanted to photograph at sunset, and as I waited for the sun to set I was serenaded by the music flowing out of the pub.

More Information: Inisheer, Nellie Dee’s, Wild Atlantic Way.

Day 3: Doolin Cliff Walk to Connemara National Park

The next morning, after a delicious full Irish breakfast at my BnB, I headed into Doolin to meet up with the local Doolin Cliff Walk guide Pat Sweeney outside O’Connor’s Pub.  Pat leads a daily walk from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher visitor center, a distance of about 8 kilometers, and this really is the best way to see the cliffs.  Booking ahead is not necessary, but I would recommend it during the busier summer months.  Once we had completed our walk, Pat arranged for our transportation back to Doolin, although if you are not in a rush you can take the cliff walk back.

On the road once more, I headed through Galway and around towards Connemara, where I had booked a room at a hostel for the night.  This part of the country is full of peat bogs, which was a startling change from the lush greener of the South. Peat covers approximately 1/6th of Ireland, and there are many active bogs along the roadway to Connemara.  I also encountered sheep grazing along, and sometimes even running across, the roadside as a drove along.  Entering Connemara is truly spectacular, with views of the Twelve Bens unfolding around every turn.  The views reminded me of the high mountain passes of Colorado, and I was eager to scrabble around on the rocky slopes.

Once I was settled into the hostel, I packed up some food for my dinner and headed to the Connemara National Park Visitor Center, where there are a couple hiking trails along Diamond Hill.  After my second hike of the day, I ate my dinner outside the visitors center and watched the sun set over the bay West of Letterfrack.

More Information: Cliff Walk Doolin, Connemara National Park, Connemara National Park Hostel.

Day 4: Connemara to Sligo

After a quick hostel breakfast, I was off again!  I made a quick stop at Kylemore Abbey on the way out of Connemara.  Kylemore Abbey is a monastery founded in 1920 and is a perfect photography stop!  Unfortunately their was renovations going on during my trip, so the abbey was partially covered by scaffolding.  Even with the construction, I could tell it was an amazing place.  Although I didn’t have enough time for a paid tour, it was free to park and take photos along the bridge in.

I continued on the N59, which follows the Wild Atlantic Way for much on the drive to Sligo.  I made a lunch time stop at the Ballcroy National Park Visitor Center.  Here I learned more about the bogs and was able to go for a short walk up to a lookout point of the area.  Definitely a charming stop if you have the time!

I made it to my Airbnb in Ballygawley after another couple hours of driving.  I had reserved a charming studio on a sheep farm which backed the Sligo Greenway.  After I had gotten settled, my host pointed my to several hiking trails nearby, and I was off again on my fourth hike in two days!  The Sligo Greenway is quite extensive, so make sure you have good direction before you head out.  I had taken a wrong turn and ended up hiking and hour in the wrong direction.  Even with this mistake, the views were worth the trouble.

More Information: Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden, Ballycroy National Park, Sligo Way Hiking Trail.

Day 5: Sligo to Carrick-On-Shannon

After a lovely breakfast at my Airbnb, it was time to check out Sligo.  This charming town if the literary home of the poet Yeats and is full of literary heritage.  A wander down the river is a must, and there are plenty of picturesque locations scattered around town.  If you have the time I recommend a trip out the the Strandhill, which is supposed to be amazing at  sunset.

After Sligo I hopped on the N4 to Carrick-on-Shannon.  This is a popular location for hen and stag parties (bachelor and bachelorette parties), so it is not an ideal location to stay on the weekend.  I was there mid-week and it was a nice quiet riverfront town.  I had a nice walk on the quay after dinner and even spotted the smallest church in Ireland!  Costello Memorial Chapel is only 16 feet by 12 feet, and is the second smallest church in the world.

Day 6: Carrick-On-Shannon to Dublin

Since I had only rented my car for five of the seven days I was in Ireland, I had to head to Dublin airport in the morning to drop it off.  Renting a car and dropping it at a different location is possible in Ireland, but they charge a hefty fee that I had not wanted to pay.  Renting a car in Ireland can be difficult and you are almost always required to buy additional car insurance.  This is due to the extremely high number of accidents in Ireland.  A few credit cards do cover the additional insurance in Ireland, but expect to need a letter from your credit card company to waive the insurance if you wish to use your cards coverage instead.  After a swift car return I hopped on the airport bus (a double decker!) into Dublin and dropped my stuff at my hotel.

Dublin is a incredibly vibrant city and I had booked hotel in the Temple Bar Area, which is its cultural capital.  Outside of my hotel were bars, pedestrian only cobbled streets, and cuisine from around the world.  I long walk led me to the Guinness storehouse, where I had pre-booked a self-guided tour.  A staple of the city, this tour is a must-do for any tourist to Dublin.  If you save your beer voucher for the end and sip your Guinness overlooking Dublin in the Sky Bar, you will not regret it!

After the Guinness tour I wandered around the area North of the storehouse.  There are several church in the area, including St. Audoen’s Catholic Church.  It is the oldest catholic parish church in Dublin and is free to enter!  Nearby is a portion of the Dublin Castle.  The castle peaks out from newer buildings, and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of old and new.

More Information: Temple Bar Inn, Guinness Storehouse, The Brazen Head, St Audoen’s Catholic Church, Dublin Castle.

Day 7: Exploring Dublin

My last full day in Ireland was a busy one.  In the morning I headed straight over to Trinity College to check out the Book of Kells and the Long Room.  The book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript from 800 AD and contains amazing calligraphy.  No photography is allowed in the exhibit area, but exhibit ends in the Long Room.  This old library is an amazing spot for photographs if you can weather the rush of tourists that pass through.

Next on my list was the Jameson Distillery Tour.  The Bow Street Distillery in Dublin is not in service anymore but it is the site of the original distillery.  A history lesson in the history of Dublin and of Whiskey, this is a very well done tour.  Included in the tour is a tasting and a free drink, which were welcome after all the walking I had been doing.

After the Jameson tour I wandered over to St. Michan’s Church.  Here I joined a tour of crypts under the church.  The tour guide gives a colorful description of the lives of the mummies stored in the crypts and it is a delightfully creepy experience.  I headed off to the Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts and History museum after being sufficiently frightened.  Many of the National museums in Ireland are free to enter, and this was no exception.  A quiet building greeted me and as a wandered through the various exhibits I was treated to a history to the Irish in war.  I felt like this was a well hidden gem for me explore and the history was fascinating.  I had also planned on visiting the Kilmainham Gaol but arrived after the last tour of the day.

More Information: Trinity College, Jameson Distillery Tour, St. Michan’s Church, National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts and History, Ashling Hotel Dublin.

Day 8: Last Day!

Finally it was time for me to head back to reality.  Ireland was an amazing experience, and I feel like my 8 days there were not nearly enough.  I know I will be returning in the future, and I cannot recommend it enough to my fellow travelers!

Places to visit next time:

I know I wasn’t able to cover everything on my list of destinations, but I believe I was able to do the most I could.  If you have the time to spend two weeks, it would really be ideal!  Some of the locations that I didn’t make it to were: Skellig Micheal, driving the Ring of Kerry, Belfast, Giants Causeway, and the Dark Hedges.

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