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The West |
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This itinerary takes you off the beaten tourist track through the wild, hauntingly beautiful scenery of County Clare, Connemara, and County Mayo. Lying on the coast of County Clare, The Burren presents a vast landscape of smooth limestone rocks whose crevices are ablaze with rock roses, blue gentians, and all manner of Arctic and Alpine flowers in the spring and early summer. Otherwise there are no trees, shrubs, rivers, or lakes-just bare moonscapes of rocks dotted with forts and ruined castles, tombs, and rock cairns. Traveling to Connemara, your route traces the vast, island-dotted Lough Corrib and traverses boglands and moorlands. Distant mountains fill the horizon and guide you to the coast where gentle waves lap at rocky inlets sheltering scattered villages, and whitewashed cottages dot the landscape. Ireland's holy mountain, Croagh Patrick, and the windswept Achill Island leave a deep impression on the visitor.
Recommended Pacing: It is possible to tour the west in just a few days, but this beautiful area calls for you to linger. Our ideal would be one or two nights on or near The Burren, two or three nights in Connemara, and two or three nights near either Crossmolina or Sligo.
Leave Limerick in the direction of Ennis and Shannon airport and you soon arrive at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. An interesting history and guide to the castle is available at the entrance. As the majority of castles in Ireland stand roofless and in ruins, it is a treat to visit a 15th-century castle that has been restored so beautifully. The authentic 14th- to 17th-century furniture in the rooms gives the castle a really lived-in feel. In the evenings firelit banquets, warmed with goblets of mead, whisk visitors back to the days when the castle was young. In the castle grounds a folk park contains several cottages, farmhouses, and a whole 19th-century village street of shops, houses, and buildings furnished appropriately for their era. The community is brought to life by costumed townspeople who bake, make butter, and tend the animals. (Open daily, tel: 061 360788, fax: 061 472523.) Bunratty Cottage, opposite the castle, offers a wide range of handmade Irish goods, and just at the entrance to the park is Durty Nelly's, one of Ireland's most popular pubs, dating from the 1600s…..
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The Southwest |
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The scenery of the southwest is absolutely magnificent: the mellow charm of Kinsale Harbor, the rugged scenery that winds you towards Glengarriff and its island filled with subtropical vegetation, the pretty 19th-century town of Kenmare, the translucent lakes of Killarney, and the ever-changing light on spectacular seascapes on the Dingle Peninsula. Relish the fabled beauties of this lovely part of Ireland. Take time to detour to Blarney to take part in the tradition of climbing atop Blarney Castle to kiss the stone that is said to confer 'the gift of the gab.' Do not hurry: allow time to linger over breakfast, enjoy a chat over a glass of Guinness, sample fresh salmon and scallops, and join in an evening singsong in a local pub.
Recommended Pacing: For this itinerary select two places to stay near the coast, one in either Kenmare or Killarney, and one in Dingle. Allow one or two nights in each spot.
Your journey to the southwest begins in Youghal (pronounced 'yawl'). Sir Walter Raleigh, who introduced the potato and tobacco from the New World, was once its mayor. It's a pleasant old town, dominated by the clock tower, which was built in 1776 and served as the town's jail. The one-way traffic system makes it impossible to explore without parking the car and walking. Several of the Main Street shops have been refurbished, but the town still has an 'ungussied-up' look to it. Make your first stop the Heritage Centre with its displays on the town, where you can pick up a brochure that outlines a walking tour of the old buildings.
For more information on these car-rental driving itineraries Auto Europe highly recommends Karen Brown's Guide to Ireland, Charming Inns & Itineraries.
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Itineraries |
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These itineraries are excerpted from Karen Brown's Guides. Auto Europe highly recommends Karen Brown's Guides for all travel to Europe. It is possible to purchase the individual itineraries or the guide complete with additional regional itineraries and recommendations of Europe's most charming places to stay. For more information about Karen Brown's Guides to this country as well as her other international titles, please visit Karen Brown's Guides.
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