Northern Ireland and Dublin

uga4gurleygirl · Newbie

Northern Ireland and Dublin

Michele Erdvig · Host

Welcome to the forum. Don't agonize over going north or south. Both are wonderful in their own ways. You could easily spend your whole time in Northern Ireland and you may want to consider that except for your two days in Dublin. In this case Dublin makes a good gateway since it is only about a 2 hour drive up to NI.

Depending on what you want to see in Belfast, you could do a day or two there or just do a bit of sightseeing while driving through. Do you have a list for Belfast?

Glenarm and Ballycastle are small towns on the Antrim coast. I always enjoy the Glenarm Tulip Festival at the beginning of May if you happen to be there at that time. You might consider a couple of nights on the Antrim coast. Bushmills or Portrush might fit the bill.

I have to admit I really like the Ards Peninsula (east of Belfast). Plus I found a fantastic B&B near Downpatrick last time that I am dying to spend a couple of days at next time: http://www.dunnanellycountryhouse.com/ This place really spoiled me. biggrin

You will have no trouble filling up your days with lots to do and see in NI.

uga4gurleygirl · Newbie

Thanks so much for your response Michele! I hope you had a joyous Christmas and Santa was good to you. Your suggestions are fantastic and truly helpful. It really helped us figure out how to fill up the itinerary for those nights. As far as places we were thinking about seeing in NI, it would be the Victoria Square, Titanic Exhibit, Giants Causeway, Carrick a Rede Bridge, Dark Hedges, and Holywood Rocks. I think the only thing I worry about with agreeing to my husband's itinerary of going to the Northern part is that all of my friends were telling me about the Ring of Kerry and how I would be crazy to miss it. Plus I thought it would be pointless to drive in the big cities because of the ease of transportation? I guess that's how compromises go, and maybe it will be our incentive to be back for a second trip. I think the point of this post is to get some encouragement on agreeing to change the itinerary because I was watching so many videos of cows coming in the roads and I thought it would have been the coolest experience and I worried that the northern part would be all city and I'm not a city kind of girl.

Michele Erdvig · Host

The Antrim Coast will more than make up for the Ring of Kerry. It is lovely and rural. Your friends have probably not been to Northern Ireland but have seen the ROK. They are giving you advice based on their personal experiences. I have been to both (and everywhere in between). Add to the mix:

Torr Road (on the Antrim coast) for the country girl in you
The Glens of Antrim
Mount Stewart on the Ards Peninsula
Mussenden Temple & Downhill Estate
All the little coves and beaches along the way

Since you really don't have a long "to-do list" for Belfast you could easily just spend a partial day in the city and stay in more rural areas. NI is definitely not all city.

Be sure to read Green Dragon's Trip Report as she was just in Northern Ireland and is sharing her photos with us.

You will not be disappointed with what you see in NI. You don't have time to do everything. You will not miss what you didn't see. Go and enjoy.

uga4gurleygirl · Newbie

So I tried taking your advice and piecing that along with some tips from others and came up with this layout. I'm trying to see if I have my hotel stays planned logically and trying to see if I'm doing too much driving. I kind of feel like I am, but I'm not sure what the norm maximum driving time a day should be.

Day 1: Arrive Dublin airport. Collect rental car and drive directly to Belfast. Check into B&B (thinking of staying at the Avenue House B&B) and then head over to the Crown Bar Saloon for food. Continue to the CBD and take the 2-hour Open Top Sightseeing bus tour (or go to the Titanic Exhibit instead).

Day 2: Day trip to the Antrim Coast with a stop at Glenariff Forest Park for a picnic and the scenic waterfalls hike. Continue to Carrick-a-rede Bridge, Giant's Causeway, and Dunluce Castle.

Day 3: Bushmills Distillery and possibly Mussenden Temple. ++(Not sure if this should be my last night spent in Belfast's B&B or if I should check out of the Belfast B&B after the first night and find somewhere closer to the Antrim Coast or scrap the Belfast B&B altogether and base out somewhere like Cushendall or somewhere else).++

Day 4: Drive to Kilkenny via the Boyne Valley to visit Newgrange and the site of the Battle of the Boyne. Dinner in one of the excellent pubs in Kilkenny--perhaps Kyteler's. Spend night in Kilkenny.

Day 5: Visit Kilkenny Castle, Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle.

Day 6: Check out of Kilkennny hotel and depart to B&B in Dundrum (County Dublin) via Glenadalough. Spend day touring scenic Glendalough, Wicklow Mts. and/or Powerscourt. Return rental car in Dublin by 5pm.

Day 7: Dublin

Day 8: Dublin

Day 9: Depart for Dublin Airport.

-- Edited by uga4gurleygirl on Thursday 2nd of January 2014 06:14:06 PM

-- Edited by uga4gurleygirl on Thursday 2nd of January 2014 06:18:36 PM

Michele Erdvig · Host

That plan should work for you. However since you have two days of sightseeing along the Antrim coast it might make more sense to spend two nights in Bushmills or Portrush instead of backtracking to Belfast every evening.

larissa · Veteran Member

I just wanted to throw my thought in here for you gurleygirl. We came back in June after a wonderful 10 days in Ireland! One thing I learned quickly. and wish I would have taken Michele's advice on, was about staying multiple nights at one B and B. I am VERY PARTIAL to Tommy and Joan Maloney. The run "Tir Na Nog" in Dualla, County Tipperary. You can get to EVERYTHING in the entire Southern region within an hour or so from their location. It was an exquisite bed and breakfast, with heavenly beds, superb food, and lovely walking trails. Tommy will even send you on an early morning walk "up da' hill", and let me tell you! It was so worth it. The views where breathtaking and the walk helped us work up a big appetite. We ended up eating so much for breakfast at each of our B and B's, that we ate protein bars around lunch, and them had a great pub steak and chips for supper. IT WAS CHEAP but delicious! Also, if you are in the Tralee area, I would recommend to stay at "Green Gables" with Gerald & Juliette O'Callaghan. She cooks a mean eggs and salmon! I am a country girl so I was expecting a fishy egg, but Gerald is a splendid cook! I am still in touch with them all. Tommy and Joan, and Juliette and Gerald made us feel like their children. Loved them. We stayed multiple nights at each places and found this to be really handy.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

For me, Day Four is a little problematical, but probably do-able. Newgrange and the Boyne will 'Eat Up' a goodly part of the day. Plus, there is the 1.5-2 hour drive from Belfast and the 1.5-2 hour drive ONWARD, to Kilkenny. Were it ME, I would drop a day from Dublin and add it into the North.

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob is right that Newgrange will take up most of your day. I was there for 4 hours in order to see Newgrange and Knowth and still only glimpsed the visitor's center (although I had seen it on a previous visit).

uga4gurleygirl · Newbie

Thanks Larissa for the B&B recommendations and thanks Bob and Michele for the feedback. I have no problem taking a night away from Dublin to add to the North. Could I still try and work in Kilkenny though or should I save that for my next trip?

larissa · Veteran Member

SAve the south for your next trip! When I go back in October, I plan to spend my entire time in the North, maybe make a day trip down to see Tommy and Joan at Tir Na Nog.

Michele Erdvig · Host

You can fit Kilkenny in. However, since you are thinking of another trip to Ireland why not spend more time in No. Ireland this trip as Larissa suggested? There is more to it than Belfast and Antrim. Of course the final decision is yours since you know best what your interests are.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

As per your postings and PM to me -- It would probably be best to drop Kilkenny from this trip, since it IS the 'Odd Man Out'.

You could do a FULL and INTERESTING tour Dublin to Shannon, via Northern Ireland -- OR, Dublin-to-Dublin -- that allows for multiple-night stays and avoids Dublin's St Patrick's Day craziness.

If you land in DUB on 11 March, you could tour the city that day and the next (12). Spend 14 and 15 March outside of Belfast (allowing a 'daytrip' to Downpatrick and either the Ards or the Mournes. March 16 and 17 could be spent around Derry or Bushmills. The night of 18 March could be spent in Sligo and the night of 19 March, either Ennis, or Bunratty, in preparations for your flight home, on 20 March.

Alternately (since you will likely fly in/out of Atlanta), if you would prefer a DIRECT flight: on 11 March, pick up car and head straight to Belfast area (11&12 March), then Derry/Bushmills (13&14 March). Spend night of 15 March in Sligo and the night of 16&17 March (St Patrick's Day) in Galway. On 18 March, drive to Dublin, return the car and spend your remaining time there.

Just some ideas, though. This is YOUR trip -- Make it what YOU want it to be.