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Fastest way from Northern Ireland to Shannon
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Hi all,
So good to be visiting the Board again! We're planning our third trip for next year, this time taking 10 folks with us so it will be a new experience and adventure!

As I'm laying out our plans it looks like we will be slowly working our way up from Shannon to Northern Ireland and staying there for about a week. I wish we could slowly work our way back, but due to our plans we have no choice but to stay in N.I for a week. There is plenty to do up there--so no complaints! It just means that we are crunched for time, then, to get back to the airport. So we need to get back to Shannon as quickly as possible--with no sightseeing on the way back down. What I'd like to do is plan one whole day that we drive as fast and as far as we can (doing the green blur) with no major stops, to get back to the Shannon area. We will have done lots of sightseeing on the way up and then need to come back down quickly.

If we were starting close to Londonderry, and wanted to drive all day towards Shannon, which way has the best N roads to cover a lot of ground at a good speed? How far can we realistically get in that one day of travel?

Thanks for any help you can give me!
Jeanne

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Michele Erdvig


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Jeanne,

I am glad to hear you are going back to Ireland. Are you self-catering in No. Ireland for the week? Probably the quickest drive from Derry is into Letterkenny and south through Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Shannon.

Michele

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Hi Michele!
Yes, we will probably be self-catering. That's the reason why we'll be doing a seven day stay there...leaving us with a push to get back to Shannon.

Any idea about how far we could get in one day if we start in Derry and take the route you suggest? It looks to me like you could actually do it in one long day of traveling (figuring on an average of 30 miles per hour, about 8 hours maybe?). Living in the west we're used to driving for 12 hours in one day (between Alb. and Dallas) so it's not that far out of the question. I doubt that we would actually do it in one day but I'm trying to figure out our options.

Am I way off base on my estimate?

Jeanne




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wckc


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Jeanne -

Keith and I are leaving Wednesday morning, and this trip is mostly N Ireland. We will balso be visiting Co Donegal and the Sligo area.

Let's plan on meeting up at the Celtic Festival and we can give you some pointers! 

Wendy Coleman

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Jeanne:

Factoring no significant stops, I would think that you  could make it to Adare in about 8 hours -- or less.

BOTH www.aaroadwatch.ie AND www.viamichelin.com make it as just under 230 miles, City Center to Town Center.  Both suggest between 5.5 and 5.25 hours, respectively.  BOTH avoid Letterkenny, though -- route is down the A5 to Strabane, cross the bridge to Liffordand pick up the N15 South, all the way to Sligo.  From Sligo, it's the N4, briefly, to the N17, via Knock and Claremorris, all the way to the outskirts of Galway, and then the N18, from there.

On a practical note, last summer (late June), in cool, and intermittently rainy skies, we left Adare about 9:30 or 10 AM and drove to Ballyshannon -- arriving about 5 PM --, but we stopped for a couple of hours in Knock, to eat lunch and tour (and, for me to take an impromtu SHOWER!) AND we also stopped for about an hour in Drumcliff, to visit Yeat's Grave, the Church, etc. and have a snack.

The roads on that route are all pretty good.  You should be able, weather permitting, to make good time -- I wouldn't be suprised, if you actually average CLOSE to the 40 - 45 MPH that AA and Michellin seem to use as THEIR guide speed. biggrin biggrin

Having said THAT, I dunno how you can drive THAT far, through THAT area, and maintain the discipline to not DAWDLE and not STOP .... hmm hmm

Good luck

Bob

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Hi Wendy!
Lucky you--heading back this year (this week!). We have to wait until 2009. I'm jealous! Northern Ireland became one of our favorite areas last time so that's why we're fine with spending a whole week up there on this next trip. Have a great journey and we'll catch up at the Celtic Festival. At the moment The Next Chapter is scheduled to play on the Mainstage at 2:30pm though that is tentative--they're still working on the schedule. Come check out our new fiddler! Also The Harp Kids and JUBALation will be performing in the Apple Mountain Tent. JUBALation is the teen group that we'll be taking with us to Ireland on this next trip. Looking forward to catching up! :)

Bob,
Thanks so much for the links and for the advice. I think this is very do-able. It *will* be difficult to do the green blur through that area, but fortunately we will have had a chance to make some stops along the way up. It just makes us determined to go again!!! My husband and I know that we will be back again and again, but the folks traveling with us are going to be very frustrated, I'm sure. :) So...they'll have the bug, too, then and will be planning their second trip before they land back in the States I'm sure.

Thanks everyone! I know this won't be my last question. :)
Jeanne

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Michele Erdvig


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Jeanne,

I didn't have a map available when answering. Going through Strabane as Bob mentioned would be best. I have driven from just north of Letterkenny to Bunratty in one day and if I recall correctly it took about 7 to 8 hours. It was a long day but doable.

Michele



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"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

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Thanks, Michele. It helps to know that this is doable if we have to resort to this option!
Jeanne

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