I am off to a wedding in Ireland on the August bank holiday and instead of just spending a couple of nights I have decided to make a week of it. The only thing is I have no idea where to go. I’d love to go to Dublin but I am going with a 2 year old and city trips are a nightmare so countryside is probably best

The wedding is near Longford so will be staying there for a couple of nights but after that I have no idea where to go

Can anyone recommend places to visit? I am probably going to get an air bnb so I would like to know a decent area to stay with plenty to see.


Thanks in advance

Go to some of these places.

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Dingle!
Quite a way from Dublin, but well worth it.
Drive down through Connor Pass - it's an amazing place. Plenty of walks, fishing, food and drink.
We went there for the first time last year and will definitely be heading back soon.

Could loot a Lidl.

The west coast is beautiful from Cork to Donegal. Dublin is great craic. The north has its beauty spots and if you like your history Derry and Belfast both have really interesting tours about the Troubles. The south east has some great food culture.

If it’s a first proper trip to Ireland, I’d definitely recommend the west, County Kerry or County Galway.

So long as you don't make the same mistake as me....

I went to Dublin on a Bank Holiday weekend, everything shut, during the Eurovision song contest and shared the same hotel as the Greek contingent.

Flamin' eck

The Curragh is worth a visit. One of the top race horse studs in the world

Take yer brolly.

i went to ireland and enjoyed it. people really friendly. stopped in a place called ballinamore which is eire but near the border. we had 2 or 3 types of potato dishes with our evening meal. great food.

Wexford_Claret wrote:The west coast is beautiful from Cork to Donegal. Dublin is great craic. The north has its beauty spots and if you like your history Derry and Belfast both have really interesting tours about the Troubles. The south east has some great food culture.

If it’s a first proper trip to Ireland, I’d definitely recommend the west, County Kerry or County Galway.

Also known as Londonderry Wexford

I work over in Ireland quite regularly and when I visit Co. Kerry and Co. Galway I always feel I should go back for a leisure trip. It’s a lovely part of the island. Dingle Bay is a decent trek and well worth the drive.

If you’re touring on the East coast, Kilkenny to Waterford has some very nice, peaceful areas.

Dublin is OK, but very busy from now through to October.

Long time since we had a 2yo to worry about but Tayto Park in Ashbourne , Meath is for the young at heart.
Anywhere on the West Coast you can find something to do.
Ring of Kerry, Dingle peninsular, Connemara in Galway.
Westport and Sligo are nearer to Longford.

County Clare would be my recommendation for a bit of everything:
Fabulous beaches,
Cliffs of Moher and visitor Centre
Doolin has the best traditional Irish music nights, if you can get a baby sitter?
Alwee Cave
The Burren
Bunratty Castle and historical village. Good grub at Durty Nellys pub not 100m away.
All worth a google.

Claret Till I Die wrote:Also known as Londonderry, Wexford

It’s also know as Doire to some, so ya know

piston broke wrote:Long time since we had a 2yo to worry about but Tayto Park in Ashbourne , Meath is for the young at heart.
Anywhere on the West Coast you can find something to do.
Ring of Kerry, Dingle peninsular, Connemara in Galway.
Westport and Sligo are nearer to Longford.

County Clare would be my recommendation for a bit of everything:
Fabulous beaches,
Cliffs of Moher and visitor Centre
Doolin has the best traditional Irish music nights, if you can get a baby sitter?
Alwee Cave
The Burren
Bunratty Castle and historical village. Good grub at Durty Nellys pub not 100m away.
All worth a google.

Very good advice i must say .
Try not to do too much just pick a couple of spots , and yer i would go for the West Coast also try not to spent too much time in Longford . Also Friday nights League of Ireland games if you fancy it ....

Crikey, went all over when I worked for an Irish Haulage firm with mates and Mrs Lancaster (just g/f then!)

Connemara is beautiful, but it does rain a lot!

Kilkenny and the lakes well worth a look

Basically, anywhere on the West Coast (probably give Limerick a miss though!) but Donegal is nice, but its miles from Dublin

piston broke wrote:Long time since we had a 2yo to worry about but Tayto Park in Ashbourne , Meath is for the young at heart.
Anywhere on the West Coast you can find something to do.
Ring of Kerry, Dingle peninsular, Connemara in Galway.
Westport and Sligo are nearer to Longford.

County Clare would be my recommendation for a bit of everything:
Fabulous beaches,
Cliffs of Moher and visitor Centre
Doolin has the best traditional Irish music nights, if you can get a baby sitter?
Alwee Cave
The Burren
Bunratty Castle and historical village. Good grub at Durty Nellys pub not 100m away.
All worth a google.

As you are in Longford I'd agree with all the above. Clare / Mayo / Galway are all great, Connemara is spectacular. You can get boat trips to Clare Island, Inishboffin or the Aran Islands, see some stunning beaches etc.

I'd not travel down to Kerry or Dingle as its a very long way and travel north to south in Ireland is slow. Plenty to see closer to where you are.

Dublin is a place for a weekend without the kids! I went there for the day on EU Referendum day and didn't find anyone who wanted us to leave ...

But if you are doing a City break I'd consider Belfast, which is great, or Cork which is wonderful.

Wicklow national park is about an hours drive from Dublin, lots of cheap hostels were you can get a family room for peanuts. Some beautiful walks etc to do.

You could also drive straght across to Galway, nice day out on the west coast, then head south or north along the coast on the Atlantic way route. Some spectacular scenery and loads of little towns and pubs to visit. I'd recommend heading south to Dingle then it's an easy drive back on the motorway to Dublin to catch a ferry home.

Walked Ireland's highest peak in the south too, can't remember what it's called off the top of my head but great place to visit even if you don't want to climb the mountain. Loads of scenery and villages with great pubs etc and close to dingle if you do go that way.

Ireland really is a beautiful place to visit, it's a shame the British rarely venture further than temple bar.

Wicklow national park is about an hours drive from Dublin, lots of cheap hostels were you can get a family room for peanuts. Some beautiful walks etc to do.

You could also drive straght across to Galway, nice day out on the west coast, then head south or north along the coast on the Atlantic way route. Some spectacular scenery and loads of little towns and pubs to visit. I'd recommend heading south to Dingle then it's an easy drive back on the motorway to Dublin to catch a ferry home.

Walked Ireland's highest peak in the south too, can't remember what it's called off the top of my head but great place to visit even if you don't want to climb the mountain. Loads of scenery and villages with great pubs etc and close to dingle if you do go that way.

Ireland really is a beautiful place to visit, it's a shame the British rarely venture further than temple bar.

Wicklow national park is about an hours drive from Dublin, lots of cheap hostels were you can get a family room for peanuts. Some beautiful walks etc to do.

You could also drive straght across to Galway, nice day out on the west coast, then head south or north along the coast on the Atlantic way route. Some spectacular scenery and loads of little towns and pubs to visit. I'd recommend heading south to Dingle then it's an easy drive back on the motorway to Dublin to catch a ferry home.

Walked Ireland's highest peak in the south too, can't remember what it's called off the top of my head but great place to visit even if you don't want to climb the mountain. Loads of scenery and villages with great pubs etc and close to dingle if you do go that way.

Ireland really is a beautiful place to visit, it's a shame the British rarely venture further than temple bar.

Cheers for the advice. It’s seems the west coast is the best place to visit with my starting location then.

It’s going to be a relaxing holiday. Usually I can’t sit still on holiday and enjoy doing lots of things and going on lots of walks. However this time I will have a 2 year old and the wife will be 8 months pregnant so I won’t be able to do the usual. Im thinking nice countryside cottage not too far away from a city (in case maternity unit is required), where I can go on day trips to view the landscape or a historical castle etc

Try up North Inchy. Carrickfergus castle is great to look around and there's all the Antrim coast which is a world heritage site. Using Belfast as a base you can flit back and forth each day

Norn Iron is excellent. Dependant on whether you want a British or Irish baby?

piston broke wrote:Norn Iron is excellent. Dependant on whether you want a British or Irish baby?

Don't worry about that one as the Good Friday agreement means baby can choose either passport
Jezzzzz how years ago was that today ?

From where you are, I’d head out West through Connemara to Galway and/or Westport. Galway is a quaint little city about the size of Burnley, so nothing like Dublin. I really like Westport, which claims to have the highest pub/population ratio in Europe. Even some of the shops have pubs hidden away in them! Westport is also where you’ll find Ireland’s highest peak (croagh Patrick, siralec).

On the way between the two (along the coastal route) Clifden is also well worth a stop.

scouseclaret wrote:From where you are, I’d head out West through Connemara to Galway and/or Westport. Galway is a quaint little city about the size of Burnley, so nothing like Dublin. I really like Westport, which claims to have the highest pub/population ratio in Europe. Even some of the shops have pubs hidden away in them! Westport is also where you’ll find Ireland’s highest peak (croagh Patrick, siralec).

On the way between the two (along the coastal route) Clifden is also well worth a stop.

Not quite, Scouse. Carrantuohill in MacGillicuddys Reeks is Irelands highest but Croag Patrick is the Holy Mountain and is a fabulous days walk but not with a 2yo.

Ha! That’ll upset my brother-in-law who live over there. He’s always telling me Croagh Patrick is the highest.

Not even in the top 10 according to Wiki - should’ve checked

Sorry, coming late to this, some very good advice, if you make it out west Achill Island is a favourite of mine, stunning scenery

West Coast baby is where it's at .
Please come back to this thread and let us all know how you got on