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Great Irish Road Trips

Great Irish Road Trips

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Molls Gap, Co. Kerry The 8 The Causeway Coastal Route 18 10 Day Tour of 28 Music to your ears 42 St Patrick’s Trail 52 Let’s play in Ireland 60 Gorgeous gardens of County 72 A Tale of Two Cities 82 Driving in Ireland – A Practical Guide 92 Distance Chart 106 Map of Ireland 107

3 There are no wrong turns in Ireland

Driving on the island of Ireland’s gently winding roads, Keep your eyes – and your heart – open as you may you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve strayed into a well fall in love with what you discover around the breathtaking watercolour. The roads of the island dip and next corner. The wind-whipped Atlantic view from the weave through a fantasy landscape where valleys, hills towering in ; that elegant and coastal enclaves come blanketed in beauty: picture turn in the ; or the mist that settles at the royal purple heather of the Sally Gap as it straddles a the foot of the in all bright blue Wicklow sky; the glimmering emerald greens crackle with the first glimpse of an Ireland love affair. of the as they hug the Causeway Coast; and the shimmering Fermanagh lakes as they twist and turn and glisten with idyllic tranquility.

Wicklow Hills 5 And there are no wrong turns in Ireland. Down that Remember to let your instinct guide you in Ireland. road, a local waves hello, greetings are exchanged and Whether you’re following the trail of St Patrick or on directions to the creamiest Guinness and the freshest a culinary odyssey, take Ireland at your own pace. seafood are warmly imparted. You see, when you take Dip in and out of the story and make friends at the local to the road in Ireland, you’re painted into the picture, pub, share a story at the kitchen table of that cosy B&B, you’re written into the story. and feel truly welcome with every passing hello sent your way. That story never ends. It tells of history and folklore, of legends and myths, of St Patrick and mythical warrior So take to the open road, meet the people, taste the Cú Chulainn. And it’s played out to the sound of zipping food, breathe the air and, most of all, revel in the joy fiddles and poundingbodhráns (hand-held drum). that is driving in Ireland. New chapters begin at a bar counter in city, at an elegant restaurant in the heart of , or when you drop in on the buzz of a local music and arts festival.

Enjoying a drink at the Crown Liqueur Saloon, Belfast 7 Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry scenic drive in the southwest of Ireland traces the coastline of the stunning , and covers some 170 kilometres peppered with pristine beaches, medieval ruins, mountains and loughs. Blissfully lush, by four or two wheels or even on foot, this magnificent area is the stuff that movies are made of.

Ladies’ View, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Co. Kerry 9 RING OF KERRY to Killorglin to The typical Ring of Kerry experience resembles a night at beckon you towards them. As good A bustling little town that trips off the first leg of the Ring of Kerry, Killarney cannot Leave Killorglin in your rear view, and take the road southwest to Cahersiveen. the drive-in movies; scenes of raw rural beauty flicker as this is, the best way to experience the Ring of Kerry is to be raced through. Traditional jarveys (operators of jaunting cars) will regale you with This stretch of ring road is bound by scattered blanket bog (wetland) and pricked tales of the Ring while pulling you and their jaunting car and horse through the pretty every now and then by ancient coach roads. Look out for signs to Fox’s Bog Village non-stop across your windscreen as you circumnavigate pause the film, leave the car behind and explore on foot to streets. The neo-gothic Pugin creation of St Mary’s Cathedral dominates the town’s and the Bog Village Museum: an assortment of thatched cottages that steps you the peninsula’s coastline – running anti-clockwise from just breathe in the scenery. skyline: take a peek indoors and the stained glass windows will radiate a rainbow back in time where rural life once lived off the land in this awe-inspiring isolation. Killarney, through Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville and of colour. Then stop for a while at the cedar tree opposite its entrance – it marks The winding road from here takes you through , possessing an almost John Hickey tours these areas every day. He’s dotted the trail . Every so often, the drama builds to a crescendo, a massed grave for famine victims, and is a sober reminder of Ireland’s tragic past. alpine character, so massive in its scale and so contrasting to the bogland just with places to while away the hours, or as John describes left behind. and the simply stunning elevates to the awe inspiring: Skellig Head northwest on the road to Killorglin where you cross the shores of . ‘think about nothing’ time. The Macgillycuddy’s Reeks rise up above you as you pass through Fossa (depending By now, you’ll be about half way between Killorglin and Cahersiveen, and one Michael’s iconic cone rises majestically from the Atlantic west on the weather, , Ireland’s highest peak at 1039m, will spire towards of those aforementioned coach roads lifts easily up to a crest on the shoulder of of Waterville; shards of sunlight rain down on the saw-tooth the heavens in full view). Another few rounding bends and you’re side by side with Drung Hill, a brooding presence on the northern coast. At its feet lies Bay, peaks of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks; the glens and lakes of the River Luane – famous for its wild salmon – before you hit Killorglin. Best known the massive beaches of Inch and Rossbeigh batting back the waves like two big for its rather unique Puck Fair in August, the worlds of horse traders, cattle drovers sandy pinball flippers. Just above the crest you’ll find a wonderfully mysterious and wheeler-dealers collide in Killorglin, culminating in the crowning of Puck – and seldom visited Ogham stone. You’ll also see the trailing in the yes, a goat – perched high above the cheering crowds in all its regal glory. distance off the tip of the . Leave the bleak landscape of highland moors behind, descend into a cleft in the ground and wind seaward through lush, deciduous woodlands until you pop out into the sleepy fishing village of Kells. The safe and secluded beach here makes an idyllic spot for a quiet swim in the lovely waters of Dingle Bay. John Milington Synge (Irish playwright and co-founder of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre) introduced this quiet spot to the world in his plays when he spent time here developing his skills.

Jaunting Car Ride, Killarney Lakes 11 RING OF KERRY Cahersiveen to Waterville Waterville to Southwest again to Cahersiveen and don’t make the same mistake John Hickey Fifteen minutes uphill from Waterville to Coomakista, get your camera ready for did, once telling his driver to drop him at the top of the village and arranging to picture perfect shots. In the late afternoon sunlight, no place in Ireland can quite meet at the other end. “This is one very, very long street,” says John, “and its centre match the beauty of Derrynane, a place fondly referred to as ‘Heaven’ by Tony is dominated by the imposing edifice of Daniel O’Connell (Ireland’s Great Liberator) O’Callaghan, a native of . He tells a story of his father taking him and a close Memorial Church – it leaves the impression that the builder initially wanted to friend there as kids. At the sight of Derrynane in sunshine, the friend turned and construct a trail-blazing cathedral, but ran out of money and so settled for something asked, “Uncle Tony, is this heaven?” If it isn’t, it certainly comes close. in between. But it’s adorable nonetheless.” The sunlight shimmers turquoise green off the sandy bottom of the shallow waters From here, John suggests a little detour to the spectacular rock island of Skellig of Derrynane strand. A of paths covers the slopes above historic Derrynane Michael. For many, is the absolute-must-take detour on the Ring House, the former home of Ireland’s Liberator Daniel O’Connell. Walk these paths of Kerry. You can take the ferry from The Skelligs Interpretive Centre while you’re in springtime and you’ll find it carpeted in bluebells; the ever-changing views of in , or from Valentia and , for that matter. the coast framed by the purple rhododendron and the dangling red-earrings of Once back on the mainland, if hunger pangs are making themselves heard, head the fuchsia. back onto the Ring of Kerry route to Waterville and a little spot called Butler’s Hotel. After visiting , follow the so-called Mass path out to the ruined Definitely not the only place in town, but here you can pause at photos of Charlie chapel and the superb views of Abbey Island. The path passes right in front of Chaplin and family enjoying themselves during summers spent in Waterville. Bridie Keating’s Bar, making it the perfect place to relax and refuel on your way back. His daughter loved the place so much, she settled here permanently. Another one of those paths is an old butter road, the remnant of a network that once Wave goodbye to Charlie’s statue in town, but before you make a beeline for flowed from the tips of the peninsula like golden arteries taking butter from Kerry to Derrynane, if you’ve packed your golf clubs now is the time to take a swing at the Butter Exchange in nearby . Some of these arteries have since been paved Skellig Michael exquisite Waterville, proud home to not one but two amazing 18-hole gems. over to become, in places, the Ring of Kerry coast road. Others have hardened in time to the width of a narrow path like this one near Derrynane. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a conical mass of rock that rests a mere 12km offshore from Valentia. It offers a wonderful look at the living conditions of the hardy monks who once worshipped here. Eagle-eyed visitors can also spot seals and some 27,000 pairs of gannets! Numbers of visitors are restricted, so book well in advance.

Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry 13 RING OF KERRY Derrynane to Killarney Sweep on from Derrynane through and onto , where the road is At the heart of the National Park is the , sweeping down as a mountain split in two by the River. Countless world leaders have descended on this spot in their pass beneath the imposing Macgillycuddy’s Reeks. Standing here will make the rest time, and each has some sort of monument – think Charles de Gaulle, Chaim Herzog of the world dissolve, as if insignificant in light of what surrounds you. Just 10km and our very own President O’Dálaigh, Ireland’s fifth president who served from 1974 southwest of Killarney is a place called Ladies’ View. The strange name comes from to 1976. the time Queen Victoria and her friends visited and used to admire the view from on Continuing on, you’re in eyeshot of the Kenmare River – it’s actually more of a bay, high. So while driving between Kenmare and Killarney, stop at any one of the quaint to be honest. Kenmare itself translates from its Irish Neidín, which means ‘Little Nest’, souvenir shops and they’ll kindly point you upwards to a three minute walk, which an apt moniker for this perfect town as it nestles between river and mountains. Its will offer you the best place for a panoramic ‘Ladies’ View’. colourful façades, are laid out in a triangular design with buildings in close proximity Feeling the sense of trepidation that your trip around the Ring of Kerry is almost to each other, bustling bars, cafés, and arts and craft studios where you could literally complete, slow down just four kilometres outside Killarney and marvel at the Torc spend all day. waterfall. The Owengarriff River cascades through the wooded Friar’s Glen into Another paradise is next on the Ring of Kerry and is actually made for parking up and . A pretty path winds up to the top of this 18m high waterfall, discovering on foot or bike – Killarney National Park is 10,000 hectares of mountains, revealing views of . Take a minute to stop and listen. If it’s evening, moorlands, woodlands, lakes and waterfalls, with and Garden at you might just hear the cuckoos calling out to you from their hiding spots amongst the heart of it. A new network of signposted trails opens the park up for walkers; and the clumps of brown heather. a cycle track along the Kenmare Road makes getting from Killarney to the Muckross Estate a biking breeze. Don’t miss fully restored , the 15th century home of the O’Donoghues, or the monastic remains on .

Muckross House and Garden, Killarney, Co. Kerry 15 RING OF KERRY

Dingle Peninsula A lifetime afoot Kerry Dingle Inch With both his parents coming from hillside Kerry s s farms, Seán Ó Súilleabháin figures he has the contours of the Iveragh Peninsula imprinted in his DNA. What wasn’t already there at birth, he Great Blasket Island sKillorglin certainly has added in well over 60 years of Killarney walking Kerry’s hill country. Rossbeigh Dingle Bay Glenbeigh s s s Lakes of Ross Castle Earlier inhabitants of this part of Kerry, Seán Killarney Kells s explains, didn’t travel along the coast. They took to s Muckross House higher ground and followed more direct lines; and s they left behind an intricate maze of prehistoric Killarney Ladies’ tracks, old coaching roads, medieval pilgrimage s National Park Cahersiveen Macgillycuddy’s Reeks paths, and disused butter roads. “We wanted to s View s preserve these ancient lines of communication and Mountain Range s Molls Gap bring them back into use,” Seán says. It took him Skellig Heritage Centre s and others 11 years and lots of voluntary labour s Iveragh Peninsula to achieve their goal of creating the . s Portmagee s Kenmare “I see it as a linear heritage site that opens up Sneem access to a tremendous range of natural habitats.” In retirement, Seán has been busier than ever as Ballinskelligs s s Waterville a sought-after walking and local history guide, s and can often be seen heading up the slopes of Little Skellig Carrauntoohil with a group in tow. Clearly, it’s in Great Skellig s Derrynane House & the DNA. Caherdaniel National Park s s

Seán Ó Súilleabháin, along the Kerry Way Walking route 17 Causeway Coastal Route

Embark on the Causeway Coastal Route, and immerse yourself in one of the top driving routes in the world: a meandering coastal and rural trail offering a wealth of visitor sites and attractions, all blended with a rich and diverse cultural heritage.

The Giant’s Causeway, Co. Antrim 19 Causeway Coastal Route Belfast to Ballycastle The enigmatic basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway The road traverses bridges, arches and hairpin turns, passing First stop is Belfast where you should prepare yourself for sensory overload in the Track along the Antrim coast making a visit to the pretty village of , undoubtedly stand as the smoky gem of ’s sheer cliff coves, deserted white strands and otherworldly cosy atmosphere of a traditional pub like Whites Tavern, between the throbbing walls landmarked by the curiously shaped Curfew Tower. This handsome oddity was built of a music venue, such as the Empire Music Hall on Botanic Avenue, through the in the 19th century as a garrison and back then served as a lock up for ‘idlers and natural attractions – but they are just one sparkler in a rock formations. Those rocks have wrecked ships; those cliffs gleaming windows of a shopping mall and outwards onto the buzzing cobbled rioters’. The tower is now a residency for artists who have enjoyed a friendly welcome lustrous crown of spectacular, scenic-studded coastline. nurture rare fauna; the beaches stretch for miles and those streets themselves. Before bidding goodbye to Belfast, visit the site of Harland and from a community described by the Northern Ireland poet John Hewitt as being The Causeway Coastal Route stretches between two spirited rugged turns are by ancient volcanic design. This route is a Wolff shipyard where the RMS was built. Excitement sated, put the iconic heavily steeped in neighbourliness. cities, Belfast and Londonderry, to make what is officially lesson in history, heritage, and biology, but above all, silhouette of the shipbuilding cranes in your rear view and take to the hills. Next along the route is the picturesque village of , which makes for a listed as one of the world’s greatest road journeys in some in the astounding power of nature’s creation. will glitter to your right as you join the Causeway Coastal Route at sleepy seaside idyll. Perched on a northern inlet the village is neatly outlined with a and cruise north towards the seaside town of . The handful of distinctive black-and-white houses designed by Williams-Ellis. The one hundred eventful miles. It’s not a great distance, but town’s harbour-side Norman 12th century castle has seen over 800 years of action, beach and the green here are managed by the who recognise it as a it’s a journey to be savoured. right up until World War II, with portcullis, ramparts, canons and a chilling dungeon. true gem-on-the-sea, and tiny Mary McBride’s Pub is a landmark in its own right. Continue northwest of and the Causeway Coastal Route will pass the foot The signposted scenic route to Ballycastle sees the trail snake precariously around of each of the nine Glens of Antrim – glacier-gouged valleys of charming seaside steep slopes between Torr Head, and . Torr Head was once a villages and highlands of coniferous forests, bogland and waterfalls. The same strategic signalling and lookout station for transatlantic shipping. Now the old station is geological forces that created the terrain of the Causeway also created the Glens, a shelter for sheep and a wild sea continues to rage around its headlands. Fair Head the southern-most of which is the charming village of : host to Glenarm propels spectacular views from its 650ft perch above sea level, while the gentler Castle and its lush parkland and walled garden. slopes and wild flower meadows of Murlough Bay to the east provide a contrast to Further north, dramatically sculpted escarpments flank , the ‘Queen of the the starkness of its neighbour. Glens’, as it runs uphill from the . Here, you’ll find the delightful and the Ess-na-Crub waterfall, the perfect spot for an invigorating walk to stretch the legs.

View down Glenariff, Co. Antrim 21 Causeway Coastal Route Ballycastle to The Giant’s Causeway The next slice of dazzling coastline belongs to the town of Ballycastle; a dainty marina The Causeway draws huge crowds for its scenic mix of geological marvel and framed by colourful town houses and extensive seaward views, from the slant of Fair mythical intrigue, but resist just following them straight to the main attraction. Head to the rugged profile of . Local gems include the banks and knolls Instead, follow the path behind the visitor centre and up round towards the cliffs of the part-links, part-parkland golf course, the generously sized sandy beach and the for wind-whipped views off the beaten track. annual Oul Lammas Fair. Ireland’s oldest fair (that’s putting it at early 17th century) From up here, looking down at those iconic dark pillars, you suddenly see the assembles sheep and pony sellers, stall-holders, and scores of locals and out-of- Causeway as one small geological element in a much larger and more elegant towners for two days at the end of August. Expect a charming blend of hustle, pattern that drops down over the entire coastline like a topographic net – it’s a truly bustle and local food specialities like dulse (edible seaweed) and yellowman breathtaking, or should one say a ‘gigantic’ experience. One thing’s for sure, the new (a tooth-cracking honeycomb toffee). Causeway Visitor Centre (launch 2012) deftly blends the most modern geographical Between Ballycastle and the Giant’s Causeway arguably lies the most scenic stretch aptitude with some pretty mesmerising mythological intrigue in such a way that you of the trail, with sea cliffs of striped black basalt and white chalk, charming harbours never quite know which you’d prefer as the truth. and broad sweeps of beach. The cliff-top trail can be managed on foot, marvel at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the singularly stunning little church and harbour at and the sweeping sandy beach of White Park Bay. Next along the serrated coastline is the UNESCO World Heritage Site itself: the Carrick-a-Rede celebrated Giant’s Causeway. The curious assembly of 40,000 basalt columns, formed by molten lava cooled into mostly flawless hexagonals of dark stone steps, Rope Bridge appear so perfectly artificial it is no surprise that the rock formation has spanned Some variety of rope bridge has connected the tiny such enduring myths as this one: island of Carrick-a-Rede to the mainland for over The Causeway legend claims the great Celtic warrior Finn MacCool built the basalt 250 years, serving commercial fishermen catching salmon off the island until 2002. Hanging gracefully highway to Scotland to challenge a rival giant, Benandonner, to a scrap. But Finn’s over a 75ft deep chasm of rocky cliffs and blue- first glimpse of the enormous Scot sent him scurrying back to Ireland, where his green waters, the latest version is sturdy enough to quick-witted wife disguised him as an infant. Benandonner arrives, sees the hulking stay up all year round and now serves those who baby, reasons ‘If that’s the kid, I don’t want to meet the father’ and turns tail back to dare to cross to the island for the striking views of Scotland, ripping up the highway behind him. the Causeway coast.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Co. Antrim 23 Causeway Coastal Route

Giant’s Causeway to ~Londonderry From those dizzy cliff heights, an inland detour to the village of and home The final miles of the journey sees the peaceful quiet dissipate as the night draws in of the will beckon. This is not just the oldest working distillery and the bustling city of Londonderry, also known as Derry, rises from the horizon. in Ireland, it happens to be one of the most beautiful as well – a genteel assemblage Pass an evening in this UK City of Culture 2013 by taking your pick from the line-up of 19th century industrial buildings tucked in a small cleft alongside the , of theatres and concert halls, or streets of pubs throbbing with traditional music as if lifted straight off an old postcard. And the whiskey isn’t too shabby, either. One and the famously friendly locals. Deserving pitstops include the newly refurbished of the best places to sample it locally is The Bushmills Inn. This superb hotel does Waterside Theatre and the new state-of-the-art Irish language arts and cultural centre, everything right – outstanding service, great rooms, a public area full of cosy snugs Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin. This arts and culture hub is brimming with excitement as it and nooks, a pub full of atmosphere and character, and a restaurant using local pushes towards the year of cultural celebration, but you’ll find tasters even now in ingredients to create culinary magic. the museums, galleries and community arts organisations that flourish in the city. Back on the Coast Road and due west, the romantic remains of will Although all manner of creative events are held annually, it’s the fervour of the Banks appear teetering on the rocky headland ahead. The 14th century stronghold was of the Foyle Hallowe’en Carnival (October) that swallows the city whole with its abandoned in 1641 after part of the kitchen collapsed into the sea during a storm. days of parades, fireworks, story-telling and general mischief. In the adjoining graveyard are more victims of the crashing Atlantic: buried sailors Suitably culture-stocked, take the next morning to tackle the must-do activity: a walk from the wrecked Girona, while treasures recovered from the wreck can be seen at of the 17th century walls taking time to get your bearings for a day of exploration. the Museum in Belfast. Whatever you choose to see, the locals’ sense of pride in their city is palatable – it’s Further west lie the lively seaside resorts of and . While Portrush their hometown, after all, and they want to welcome you inside their massive stone stands as a mecca for surfing, sandy beaches and championship golf courses, walls for however long you want to stay. Derry~Londonderry Portstewart is a reserved Victorian town with a glorious stretch of golden strand and The UK City of Culture 2013 is already well a stroll-perfect promenade. prepared for its crowning year. Arts, drama, comedy Along the coast from Portstewart is . Perched precariously on the and all types of music have dedicated annual festivals in this buzzing city. The remarkably intact edge of a 120ft cliff above Ireland’s longest strand, Magillagan Beach, and nearby 17th century walls, complete with watchtowers and windswept Downhill Strand, more often than not, walking these fine sands will give cannons, make a handy promenade from which to you a sense of being completely alone in the world, such is their vastness. view the modern grid layout of the city – a result of it being the first ever planned city on the island of Ireland.

The Walled City of Derry, Co. Londonderry 25 Causeway Coastal Route

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery Giant’s Causeway Rathlin Island Ballintoy s Fair Head Portrush s s Murlough Bay Portstewart s s s s Torr Head Mussenden Temple sDunluce Ballycastles s s Castle Cushendun s Coleraines s Cushendall City of Derry Waterfoots Glenariff Forest Park s s Londonderry s Glenarm s Telling Tales in s Larne The Glens of Antrim “The Glens are so rich in folklore, every stone has a story to tell,” says Liz Weir, one of the few Carrickfergus Castle people who can call themselves a professional

storyteller. Her tales of the Glens drip with s Newtownabbey magic and playful fairies, whose music can be Belfast heard on the thirteenth moon of the year, and International s Lough Belfast City who bestow heapings of misfortune on anyone Neagh who cuts down their beloved Hawthorn trees. Belfast s

A traditional storytelling session 27 Only have 10 days? Take to the road less travelled, skimming sky-high cliffs and into buzzing towns and villages with our pick of the highlights along the way!

Torr Head, Co. Antrim 29 10 Day Tour of Ireland Day one: Day two: Dublin to Tramore Tramore to Cork (Distance: 190km/118mls) (Distance: 117km/73mls)

Where better to begin our tour than the city of Dublin, the capital of the Republic Leave the bustle of Tramore behind for Waterford’s amazing Copper Coast. Virtually of Ireland. Designated a UNESCO City of Literature, it holds the accolade for being unknown but to locals, the Copper Coast enjoys the status of a UNESCO Global TripAdvisor’s Friendliest City in Europe and is an all round great place to hang out. Geopark, essentially an outdoor geological museum. So before passing through the city limits, take a stroll around the cobbled streets of Built up an appetite? Do something about it in the harbour town of Dungarvan, where Temple Bar, colour co-ordinate the Georgian doors in Merrion Square, sample a swift you can join the locals for lunch at the beloved Thursday Farmers’ Market. Between pint of Guinness at St James’s Gate and don’t miss a visit to Trinity College and the Dungarvan and , the landscape presents more subtle pleasures, while the famous ‘Book of Kells’. popular cliff walk around Ardmore Head and Ram’s Head passes monastic ruins out A lush wilderness suddenly takes over a little south of Dublin. , known towards Goat Island. Unspoiled villages dot East Cork’s countryside, which, thanks to as the ‘Garden County of Ireland’, has seen many people come to get lost in its sun- Myrtle Allen and her family in Ballymaloe Cookery School, is the heartland of country yellow gorse, deep purple heather, majestically green forests and the 20 hectares of cooking. Before pushing for Cork, stop off at the Jameson Experience in Midleton for eclectic botanical splendour at Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry. As you push south a whiskey tour. Remember to designate a driver! you can choose to beach hop along the Wicklow/ coast, including Curracloe in Wexford, where Spielberg gathered an army of extras to film the beach landing of ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Or you can opt for lush river valleys by skirting Mount and the and heading for the . Whether by coast or river, find your way to Hook Head, before dashing back up the estuary for a short ferry crossing to Passage East and onward to the seaside town of Tramore.

Hook Head Lighthouse, Co. Wexford 31 10 Day Tour of Ireland Day three: Day four: Cork to Killarney Killarney to (Distance: 151km/94mls) (Distance:251km/156mls)

Get the day started by soaking up the atmosphere of Cork city, designated Europe’s Take the opportunity to detour around the famous Ring of Kerry. Decision time. One 2005 Capital of Culture followed by a stop in the English Market, the Victorian option is to follow the main Killarney to road through rolling farmland and landmark at the heart of Cork’s culinary soul. Blarney Castle, just outside the city the pretty village of Adare. In Limerick, gaze at the Shannon river from the walls of should not be missed, with its famous stone said to impart the gift of eloquence on King John’s Castle before crossing the river into County Clare via Bunratty Castle and all who kiss it. Folk Park. The alternative takes you through Tralee and North Kerry. A half an hour From Cork to , Ireland’s most southerly point, a chain of meticulously should do for a gentle walk around Nun’s Beach at , and then it’s off to kept villages lies strung along the coastline. First is medieval Kinsale, a favourite of Tarbert for a ferry across the Shannon to Clare and a drive up the Atlantic coast. seafood enthusiasts; then on to Clonakilty, the proud birthplace of Michael Collins. High or low, all roads lead to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren’s contorted limestone Glandore, Unionhall, Baltimore, Skibbereen, Schull… all the way to Mizen Head. Take landscape. Follow the coast road around Galway Bay, stopping in Ballyvaughan or time to beat a path north through Glengarriff and Garinish Island before it’s up and for a late afternoon break before an overnight stay in Galway city, venue for over Healy Pass. Catch your breath in Kenmare then onto Moll’s Gap, followed by a the finish of the Volvo Round the World Ocean Race in 2012. twisting descent through Killarney National Park and into Killarney.

Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare 33 10 Day Tour of Ireland Day five: Day six: Galway to Westport Westport to Donegal (Distance: 138km/96mls) (Distance: 194km/121mls)

Make your way out along the northern shore of Galway Bay. The landscape grows Instead of heading to , a rugged gem glittering in the Atlantic, today’s path increasingly bleak until . Suddenly, an enormous expanse of watery bog heads inland to the town of Castlebar and the Museum of Country Life. Head north unfolds, along with the moody shapes of the Twelve Pins. But don’t let the apparent through Ballina back to the shoreline at Inishcrone. This is surf country, where the bleakness fool you. Intriguing pockets of life can be found tucked away. Deep in the north Atlantic swell sweeps into creating world-class surf breaks. Follow heart of the Gaeltacht, the peninsula of is a hotbed of Irish the coast to before heading into town, stopping for a short hike to the language and culture. The village of Roundstone surges with energy in summer, and top of Knocknaree to enjoy the views. After pausing in Sligo to gaze at Jack B. Yeats’ the coast road from here to is speckled with pretty cottages. Continue on to paintings at the Model Art Centre, you enter poet and Nobel laureate W.B. Yeats’ for the Connemara National Park. Scenery hounds will follow the road to country – his grave is at the foot of Benbulben in . The evening light bathes , while culture vultures will aim for . Everyone joins up at the coastal drive from here to Donegal town in shades of shimmering green. – Ireland’s only fjord – before crossing into Mayo and Clew Bay. From here to Westport the road skirts , where centuries of pilgrims have scrambled barefoot up its scree-covered slopes.

Benbulben, Drumcliff, Co. Sligo 35 10 Day Tour of Ireland Day seven: Day eight: Donegal to Derry~Londonderry Derry~Londonderry to Belfast (Distance: 167km/104mls) (Distance: 117km/73mls)

May the sun linger above as you take the back road over remote bogland to Ardara, On a journey packed with highlights, it isn’t easy to single any out any as the pick of then just south to Maghera Beach. The route then heads north again, through the litter. But the Causeway Coast may just get the nod. Leave Londonderry’s famous Glenties and across the Gweebarra River to The Rosses. As you round Bloody walls behind, following the Causeway Coastal Route to the chalky cliffs at Whiterocks. Foreland, windswept and the imposing bulk of come into view. From here, it’s just one superlative after another: cliff-top Dunluce Castle; Bushmills, Take a break in Ards Forest Park before crossing the bridge of upper Mulroy Bay Ireland’s oldest working whiskey distillery (easy on the tasting!); the iconic Giant’s to the Peninsula. Follow the Fanad scenic drive for Malin Head – Ireland’s Causeway and the headspinning Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Pick your jaw back up most northerly point – until Rathmullan. Whether you take the ferry to cross Lough and on to the Glens of Antrim, nine wonderfully unspoiled valleys, and the pretty Swilly (summers only) or drive round the coast, be sure to stop in Burt. On the hill villages of Cushendun and Cushendall. Venture to the head of Glenariff for a wander above, you’ll find An Grianán Ailigh, an iron-age ring fort presenting stunning views around the waterfalls, before returning to the coast road and on to the shores of over nearby Londonderry city on the banks of the ; the only remaining Belfast Lough and finally Belfast itself. completely walled city in Ireland and UK Capital of Culture 2013.

Dunluce Castle, Co. Antrim 37 10 Day Tour of Ireland Day nine: Day ten: Belfast to Newry to Dublin (Distance: 194km/120mls) (Distance: 108km/67mls)

This gentle southerly glide along the Irish Sea will take you back to Dublin. As for For one last taste of Ireland’s wilder side, make a beeline for the , highpoints, there are plenty in Belfast. Walk the beat from the Ulster Hall with home to the Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independently owned whiskey maker. the Belfast Music Tour and your ears will fill with harmonic delights – from Van If tasting, remember to designate a driver! Avoid any urges to jump on the M1 at Morrison to the more contemporary Snow Patrol lads. Raise a glass to the toil of the , heading instead through the villages of Castlebellingham, Clogherhead and Harland & Wolff shipbuilders who, 100 years ago, created the floating palace known Termonfeckin. Leave plenty of time for County Meath’s Boyne Valley and the richest as the RMS Titanic. Visit the iconic Titanic Belfast® which tells Titanic’s story or choose assemblage of historical sites and monuments found anywhere in Ireland. For early a selection of specialist Titanic and Maritime tours that make the a Christian folklore, pop over to the Hill of Slane where St Patrick supposedly lit his must see in 2012. famous paschal fire, claiming Ireland for Christianity. From here, the entire Boyne Finally, you simply can’t leave Belfast without paying a visit to the city’s museums River Valley opens up. Complete the arc by crisscrossing the hedgerow-lined laneways including the award-winning in Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Folk stopping off at Ireland’s largest Anglo Norman castle in Trim. Return to Dublin via the and Transport Museum in Cultra, just a little way out of the city. Leaving the city, coast road, taking in Malahide, Portmarnock, Howth and the truly unique sanctuary head to the Castle Espie Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre on , an of Bull Island. ornithologists paradise and delicate habitat for wintering Brent Geese. From there continue to the understated beauty of the . A short ferry journey takes you from to Strangford. On the far side of Dundrum Bay is Newcastle and gateway to the Mournes. Lose the wheels for a ramble up , then spare a thought for the hardy souls who built the wall over its summit. Refuel in the emerging food centre of before finishing up in the city of Newry.

Trim Castle, Co. Meath 39 10 Day Tour of Ireland

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery Rathlin Island Off the beaten track: Tory Island Giant’s Causeway Ballycastle ARDS FOREST PARK Dunluce Castle ss ss A magical trip following the timeless river Shannon s Cushendun BLOODY FORELAND Lough 8 s Swilly Cushendall Donegal Rathmullan City of Derry s Every road-trip has its own distinct rhythm. This detour along the banks of the river An Grianán Ailighs Q LONDONDERRY And if you have more time along the route … 7 s Shannon takes on a gently repeating pattern, stretches of meandering river alternate Glenties Belfast Ardaras with those where the river seems to ooze into the low-lying nooks and crannies of s International Stop off at New Ross, . Board the Immerse yourself in a vast prehistoric landscape; a natural George Best Donegal Q Belfast City the surrounding countryside, turning hilltops into islands and doing its best impression s Lough BELFAST Dunbrody Famine Ship and walk in the footsteps of a wild-ecology of blanket bog, dramatic cliffs and coastline at Neagh Strangford Donegal Bay Lower Lough of a lake. Lough Erne group of Irish famine emigrants on their journey of hope the Céide Fields in north Mayo. Portferry Benbulben s s Strangford s across the Atlantic Ocean The largest waterway in the British Isles, our off-the-beaten track adventure begins by s Sligo Sligo Upper 9 Enjoy the spectacular sights of , south-west s Lough Erne Newcastle Lough Newry sDundrum Bay following the river past Ardnacrusha – the hydroelectric station that brought power to Allen Mourne Mountainss Visit the House of Waterford Crystal in Waterford city. Take Donegal, the highest sea cliffs in Europe. s Ballina s Shannon Erne Waterway rural Ireland and still looms large in the Irish national psyche. At the pretty Clare village Achill Island Lough Dundalk 6 Key a guided factory tour giving you first hand access to all s Take a wander round Glenveagh National Park and Castle of Killaloe you hit the first bit of ooze in the form of Lough Derg, a haven for water Ireland West Knock Castlebellingham s areas of traditional crystal production. Clew Bay Castlebar Westports sports enthusiasts of all types. Croagh Patrick Termonfeckin in north-west Donegal. It is a remote and hauntingly s s RIVER SHANNON Hill of Slane s 10 P ay a visit to Bantry House and Gardens, a majestic stately beautiful wilderness of rugged mountains and pristine Killary harbour s Above Lough Derg, the Shannon filters through an unspoilt midlands bogscape, Letterfrack s s Lough CONNEMARA NATIONAL PARK Ree home overlooking the beautiful Bantry Bay Co. Cork. You lakes, a great place to spot wildlife. throwing wonderfully sleepy towns like Bannaher, Shannon Harbour and Clifden Cong Malahide s s Portmarnock s Roundstone Dublin s can take house tours or relax in the landscaped gardens. s Shannonbridge a lifeline to the world. Around a lonely bend slightly further north 5 Clonmacnoise Dublin Take the ferry from Ballycastle Co. Antrim and lose yourself GALWAYQ Galway s s Rossaveel Shannonbridge looms Clonmacnoise, the monastic jewel in the Shannon’s crown. Galway Bay s s Banagher Shannon V isit the spectacular Aillwee Cave near Ballyvaughan, in the peace and tranquillity of Rathlin Island. Kinvarra s Harbour Powerscourt House s s Ballyvagahn s County Clare. Guided tours will take you through Scattered across the surface of Lough Ree, the next flowing patch on the river, are CLIFFS OF MOHER Lough beautifully lit caverns featuring stalactites and stalagmites F ollow in the footsteps of Ireland’s Patron Saint and explore fifty tiny islands, currently uninhabited places like Hare Island and Inchcleraun that Derg the 62 mile long ’s Trail through Counties Killaloe alongside a thunderous waterfall. were once the centres of life along the river and still have hidden remains to prove it. sRIVER SHANNON Bunratty Castle Armagh and Down. Discover a range of Christian Heritage Shannon s But this raises the one problem with a detour like this one along the Shannon – Q LIMERICK 1 Tarbert Adare s Take a day trip to the world famous Aran Islands in Galway sites relating to Patrick and his legacy. s s deciding when and where to stop. You could follow it to almost anywhere… to Lough s Ballybunnion s Bay – the traditional heart of Ireland. Curracloe Key or Lough Allen, touching on the Shannon-Erne Waterway to Lough Erne and 4 New Ross s s Visit the pretty seaside village of Carlingford Co. Louth, Tralee s WATERFORD Q Enniskillen, or even following the route of the to Dublin, if you like. Check out the charming village of Cong in . littered with evocative ruins and whitewashed houses. Waterford Kerry Tramore Hook Head s Time appears to have stood still since the classic movie Enjoy the stunning views of and the Just remember, at some point it ceases to be a detour and turns into a full-blown Dungarvan s Killarney 2 s sKILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK ‘The Quiet Man’ was filmed here in 1951. and listen to the wealth of myths journey in itself! Molls Gap Blarney Castle Youghal RING OF KERRY Q Midletons s Kenmare CORKs s s and legends which make Carlingford a unique holiday Cork Garinish Island experience! Kinsale s s 3 s Clonakilty Schull Skibbereen Baltimore s s Mizen Heads s

Relaxing on a Lough Erne jetty, Co. Fermanagh 41 Music to your ears

From bows zipping on fiddles to toes tapping on barstools, traditional music in Ireland is alive and kicking. Listen once and you may be dancing to a different tune …

Enjoying an informal music session 43 Music to your ears

From the jigs to the reels, the marches to the aires, Music flows from pubs, cafés, outdoor stages, and impromptu street corner sessions. Martin knows the gems that make up this melodic expanse like the back of his hand traditional Irish music is hip. Don’t believe it? Just spend Smiling children can be seen carrying accordions from venue to venue to show – little places with big musical souls and each with its own traditional fingerprint. their burgeoning skills. Tin whistles poke out of men’s shirt pockets. Ladies dangle Journey from the southernmost point of Dingle in , up to Tulla and a few days at the next Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which concertinas from their wrists. Trendy teenagers sport fiddles, mandolins andbodhráns Feakle in County Clare, and onto Achill Island in County Mayo, and you’ve got the is Ireland’s largest festival of music, song and dance held (hand-held drum) as though they were the latest urban fashion accessories. makings of a music trail through Ireland’s western gems. Moving northwest from in August each year. Literally thousands of traditional After the dust clears, a new group of musical aficionados arrive to perform for the there, head to Ballaghaderreen and Keadue in County Roscommon, , musicians and their supporters descend upon the crowds, from fiddlers and harpists, lilters and ballad singers, Uilleann pipe and button and in , Glenfarne and in , and then to in , and your passion event’s host town to lose themselves in three days of accordion players to tin whistlers and céilí (traditional Irish dancing) bands. for soul-soaring sessions will be almost sated. concentrated music: they come to hear it, play it and The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the pinnacle of a calendar of traditional music But, adds Martin, as you begin your journey, you’ll suddenly realise that to make your talk it; and they come to compete. events happening up and down the country, especially along the western stretch between counties Kerry and Donegal, and there are regional fleadhs and festivals, journey whole, you must also learn to hear the regional distinctiveness at each port of impromptu sessions, concerts and dances, courses and lessons across the Island call. Only then will you really discover parts of Ireland that few visitors ever see: rural, of Ireland. close-knit, and steeped in music. Martin Gaffney plays a mean tin whistle. As one of the movers and shakers behind So how should you go about embracing the harmonies in Ireland? Well, to use that the Fleadh, he knows the country’s traditional music landscape better than most. The well-known phrase, we’re going on a whistlestop tour along the west coast, bringing local festivals, he says, are the heart of traditional music. “From April to October, you’ll you to the very heartland of Irish traditional music. find another one nearly every week. They’ll take you to out-of-the-way places with a strong musical heritage, places where people are looking to connect with the music and each other.”

Martin Gaffney playing at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 45 Music to your ears County Kerry How could we possibly start a journey about music in Ireland without heading straight The relaxed, lyrical style of east Clare can be heard throughout the year in local pubs, to Dingle in County Kerry? In fact, there’s a well-known phrase down in this lush such as Shortts and the Pepper Pot in Feakle, or Minogues in Tulla. But one of the green Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) area that goes some way to explaining how much area’s musical highlights comes in August with the Feakle Festival. “Feakle has this traditional Irish music is engrained in the Dingle Peninsula’s psyche. Apparently, real folk feel to it,” Martin Gaffney says. “The master classes are probably the best in if you want to heap praise on someone around here, you say “Mo cheol thú” the country.” A month later in September, the captivating festival buzz moves just a (“You are my music!”) few kilometres down the road to Tulla. It’s fitting then that musicians far and wide have settled in and around the area, such As County Clare’s musical route flows on from Tulla to Ennis with its Fleadh Nua is the lure of the love of music on the peninsula. It’s also why lots of the sessions of (held annually during May), to Miltown Malbay and the Willie Clancy Summer song and dance are still held in each other’s houses. But don’t you worry too much – School (held in early July), and finally to Lisdoonvarna’s festival (throughout these supremely talented musicians and singers also love an audience, and bars such September), which injects traditional music with rock star status, and a wee bit of as An Droichead Beag, Mac Cárthaigh’s and John Benny Moriarty’s make the perfect matchmaking as well, you soon realise that the county is essentially synonymous stages for such occasions, especially for singing and set dancing. with traditional music. Kilfenora has its renowned céilí band, and the corner of the county near Kinvarra has more musicians per square foot than anywhere else in the country. To stand County Clare out against this crowded backdrop of contenders says something extraordinary Veer northwards and straight up to east Clare. In this part of the county, gently rolling about the depth of musical heritage in east Clare. hill country extends west of Lough Derg and the River Shannon. This isn’t the place to come to if you’re in a hurry. As Martin Hayes, the renowned fiddler and east Clare native, once put it, “we take life a little slower here, our music, too”. The hub of east Clare’s music scene clusters around two small villages – Tulla and Feakle – and figures like Mary McNamara, the concertina player and teacher, the Tulla Céilí Band, and Hayes, the virtuoso fiddler. But individual figures in traditional music seldom come without a family attached and this holds especially true in east Clare.

Irish Dancing Festival 47 Music to your ears County Sligo The trip so far is only beginning to scratch the surface of the west coast traditional With its undulating hills and twisting lanes, south Sligo rarely appears on the radar scene, where intimate pubs are packed to the rafters as impromptu sessions are screen of passing visitors. Often described as ‘bouncy and intricate, with so many Pubs and Music played out amidst the silence of the surrounding countryside. Moving north to twists and turns, dips and whirls, it’ll remind you of driving on Irish roads but without Galway, Martin Gaffney says, you’ll find “brilliant music every week, all year long in the sheep’. Be it dancing or just tapping your foot, Sligo fiddling will have you burning from counties Clare Cnoc Suain,” a breathtaking cultural retreat in . “At the heart of what’s going a few more calories than its laid-back relative from east Clare. on there are these amazing musical authorities like Mary Bergin, the tin whistle player, The south Sligo scene revolves around the activities of several local branches of to Donegal the fiddler, Dearbhaill Standún, and their group, Dordán.” Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the main body for the preservation and promotion of You’ll literally find hundreds of pubs where Irish traditional music. “Local branches are generally the best source of information good Trad (traditional) music is played on what’s happening anywhere in the country,” says Martin Gaffney. regularly, from the generally well-known like Matt Molloy’s in Westport, County Mayo, County Mayo Gurteen is home to Ceoláras Coleman, one of Comhaltas’ new regional resource Anderson’s Thatched Cottage in Carrick-on- Into Mayo now, and Martin Gaffney calls Scoil Acla, the annual summer school on centres where you’ll find everything from music sessions to singing classes. And the Shannon, to McGrory’s of Culdaff in Donegal. stunning Achill Island, the Rolls Royce of traditional music with “nearly two weeks of south Sligo branch keeps the village of Tubbercurry alive with traditional music and Then you’ve got the more local gems, such as top class traditional royalty attracting some of the best musicians out there.” Included dance. The highlight of the season is the week long South Sligo Summer School Cleary’s in Miltown Malbay and Ciaran’s Bar on that list in the past are players and teachers, such as the flautist, Hammy Hamilton, (early July), where you’ll have plenty of chances to move your feet to local tunes, in Ennis, both in County Clare, and Killorans in the fiddler, Paddy Ryan, Uilleann pipe player, Robbie Hannon,sean-nós (old style, such as The Killavil Jig. Tubbercurry, or Teac Jack in Derrybeg on the Donegal coast. A basic rule of thumb for finding unaccompanied) singer, Síle Uí Móngáin, as well as poets like Nobel laureate, The beautiful village of Riverstown plays host to the annual James Morrison Traditional lively pub seisiúns (sessions) is to focus on the Seamus Heaney, and the Whitbread winner, Paul Durcan. Music Festival at the beginning of August. You’ll find sessions in the pubs, concerts in localities where music festivals and summer the local community hall, céilís on the town ‘Diamond’, and classes in Morrison Teach schools take place, a sure sign of a vibrant Cheoil, the branch’s new Irish cultural centre. In nearby Ballintogher, the Fred Finn local Trad scene that is also likely to be found Branch commemorates the flute player, John Egan, with an annual festival, as well as playing regularly in the area’s pubs. organising the annual Ballintogher Traditional Music Festival at the end of October.

Pub session. Matt Molloy’s, Westport, Co. Mayo 49 Music to your ears

Donegal City of Derry County Donegal Q LONDONDERRY It used to be said that for every house in County Donegal, there was a fiddle indoors, too! While not all of Donegal’s inhabitants keep one on their shelf these days, it’s still Ardara Glencolmcille s Knowing your seisiúns a tradition that provides this county with its own distinctive style of music, centering s around the fiddle, naturally. You’ll recognise musicians hailing from these parts by the from your céilís remarkably rapid pace those fiddlers move their bows. The local pride in their music s Ballyshannon Irish music derives almost entirely from dance resonates through the county, especially upon mentioning the name Altan – a local Gurteen s Glenfarne Sligo Sligo music of one form or another – jigs, reels, polkas, six-piece band that seriously knows its strings and whose hard-hitting jigs and reels s s Ballintogher Riverstown s hornpipes, waltzes, and strathspeys among them. are legendary. Ballina s Tubbercurrys Keadue Drumshanbo If you’re more of a listener than a dancer, it’s the Achill Island With such a close proximity to Scotland, it’s also no surprise that Donegal’s near s ss seisiúns you should be on the look out for – informal neighbours have been influential here, too. Take a trip to Ardara’s Cup of Tae Festival Ireland West Knock s Ballaghaderreen gatherings of players in pubs and venues where you Westport can tap your feet along with the beat. For those who (held in April/May), and you’ll find Donegal natives mixing with their Scottish s want to get those feet really moving, céilís and are counterparts for many a rip-roaring session. the place to join in the set dancing. Like what you’ve heard in Donegal and fancy facing the fiddle? Steer towards Musical styles and tastes shift from region to region Ceol Sa Ghleann’s Scoil Ceoil (music school) in Glencolmcille, where the people

in Ireland. If the polka predominates, you’re likely to who live and breathe this tradition will help you make your own beautiful music. Spiddal GALWAY Q Galway

be in Cork or Kerry. Donegal fiddling is fast paced s Sometimes, though, like with all things in life, the best traditional experience is the Kinvarra and rhythmically ‘driving’, Sligo fiddling still fast paced s one you find by chance. Travel those twisting roads of counties Kerry, east Clare, east Lisdoonvarna but more ornamental, while Clare slows everything Doolin s Kilfenora Galway, south Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, or southwest Donegal and you’ll get plenty s s down a notch and leans towards the lyrical. Feakle Milltown Malbay s of chances. s Ennis s Tulla The tradition of sean-nós (old style, unaccompanied s Shannon singing and dancing) also varies in style from Q LIMERICK Northern Ireland to the South and West of the island, the areas where it is most popular. For anyone who equates Irish dancing with step dancing, the fluid,

and often witty, improvisation of a sean-nós dancer Tralee Q s WATERFORD is an experience not to be missed. sDingle Kerry Waterford s Killarney

CORK Q Cork

Irish Fiddle Player 51 St Patrick’s Trail

In Ireland, the legacy of Patrick and those who followed him add unique character to the landscape. Soaring round towers and mysterious monastic remains can be found in almost every county and corner of the island.

Slemish Mountain, Co. Antrim 53 St Patrick’s Trail County Down The legacy of St Patrick is etched in the paths worn smooth Much more than that, though, it lives and breathes in tradition Following Patrick’s trail, you are struck with the realisation that he was a well-travelled Examples of Patrick’s effect and impact are scattered liberally here with iconic by the centuries of people who have followed in his and folklore, in the thousands of people who gather at soul. He is said to have baptised converts in a well near the site of Saint Patrick’s sites like Saint Patrick’s Cathedral watching proudly over the massive granite stone Cathedral in Dublin; at the Rock of Cashel in he converted Aengus, marking Patrick’s Grave in . County Down’s affection for Patrick is further footsteps, like on the slopes of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo Croagh Patrick on ‘Reek Sunday’ (the last Sunday in July) to the King of Munster (accidentally putting the spiked end of his crosier through the channelled through Down County Museum and The Saint Patrick Centre, the world’s or Mountain in ; it’s embedded in the brave those scree-covered slopes; in the millions of people King’s foot in the process); but the undisputed heartland of his mission was here, only permanent exhibition dedicated to Patrick’s life and legacy. stones of Ireland’s monastic ruins and in the sky-piercing the world over who, in the name of St Patrick, celebrate the in counties like Down, where you can still find the greatest concentration of sites Housed in a chiseled 16th century fortified round towers in counties Armagh and Down. elusive idea of ‘Irishness’. attesting to his lasting legacy. building our next stop, Bagenal’s Castle in the Known locally as ‘Patrick’s country’, County Down is generously dotted with saintly city of Newry, breaks up the drive from But what do we truly know of the life of St Patrick? Following sites. We kick off our Christian heritage trail in Bangor Abbey. Built in the 6th century, Downpatrick to Armagh city. Pop in for him up Croagh Patrick or Slemish opens windows on the the Abbey trained many of the missionaries who kept the light of Christianity alive in a peek at some wonderful finds from experiences that shaped his spirituality. Picking up his trail the darkness of the Middle Ages. Nearby, you’ll find North Down Museum, located Newry’s Cistercian Abbey and maybe in Bangor Town Hall, furnished with a cosy atmospheric gallery attesting to Bangor a cup of coffee before making for in County Down allows us to delve just that little bit further. Abbey’s period of Patrick-inspired Christianisation between 590–990AD. Armagh city, and yet another page Stretching south from Bangor, enter the majestic Grey Abbey. This is an ideal spot in the life of Ireland’s Patron Saint. for a leg-stretch and fresh air before the short drive to the ruins of Inch Abbey. Taking locals’ directions, just ‘out the road’ from Downpatrick’s centre, lives the bucolic calm of Inch Abbey; stone-walled proof of Patrick’s Christian legacy lives here. The quaintly ruined abbey sits a short distance from the lovingly constructed stone façade of Saul Church, watched over by a statue of the great Saint from nearby Slieve Patrick. Departing Inch Abbey, curve outwards slightly towards the coast and spend some time viewing the little beehive mounds of Struell Wells. Said to have been blessed by Patrick himself, the wells and chapel ruins here make a very charming picture. After the pastoral repose of Struell Wells it’s forth to Downpatrick where the Saint’s life is ingrained not only on the history but on the landscape too.

Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo 55 St Patrick’s Trail County Mayo Patrick’s story, his life really, remains well established in Armagh with his saintly hue Across the island on Ireland’s west coast you will find County Mayo and Croagh Did you know? lingering in places such as Armagh Public Library and Armagh County Museum. Patrick, sitting tall and bulky, just waiting to be climbed. Although the breadth of the A stone’s throw from the Museum lies Saint Patrick’s Trian Visitor Complex, where island is wide, the presence of St Patrick is felt as strongly here as it is in counties St Patrick and the visitors can peruse the Saint’s writings and sneak a little closer to understanding him Armagh and Down. Ask anyone who has ever climbed Croagh Patrick: they’ll tell before visiting his two Cathedrals sitting atop Armagh’s hills. you the holy mountain’s lower slopes are disarmingly deceptive. shamrock Perched stoically on the Hill of Armagh, Saint Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral You move along with relative ease, soaking up the views of Mayo’s Clew Bay, with Looking for a simple way to explain the Holy oozes stoic good looks, its handsome exterior matched inch for inch by the vaulted Achill Island shimmering like an emerald jewel in the distance. At the ridgeline, the Trinity to potential pagan converts, an inspired beauty hiding inside. Similarly located on another of Armagh’s grassy hills is Patrick’s majestic views open up to the remote valleys and rugged mountains. From here, Patrick plucked a shamrock (a clover but with only Roman Catholic Cathedral, begun in 1840 but unfinished (due in part to the Great the summit seems a mere stone’s throw away. three leaves) from the soil. The druids had always Famine) until 1904. A quick look heavenwards at the intricate detailing goes some believed that the shamrock had the ability to ward And just when you think the going is that bit too easy, the gradient ramps up a notch off evil so by choosing the shamrock to explain way to explaining any tardiness. and you hit the deep layer of scree that covers the upper third of the conical slopes. Christianity, Patrick had found a middle ground. Visiting all of these splendid dedications to Patrick’s life in Ireland, it’s curious to For every step forward you slide two back as the jagged, loose rock gives beneath Legend then has it that Patrick went on to use consider that one of the great ironies of St Patrick’s story is that he was brought to your feet, and the peak fades into the distance. Don’t worry. With a little faith and the three leaves on the plant to Ireland against his will by slave traders from the Welsh/English coast. Bonded into a dose of perseverance you’ll reach it, just like St Patrick did, the experience of represent the Holy Trinity of The shepherding sheep on Slemish Mountain in County Antrim, Patrick is inspired to flee Father, The Son, and The Holy the summit all the more memorable for it. No pain, no gain and no pilgrimage Ireland by a vision of the Angel Victorious. Spirit, just as Roman Catholic’s without perseverance. bless themselves today. Patrick escapes his slavery by jumping aboard a boat back to Britain, where he experiences his first conversion. They find themselves shipwrecked and the sailors ask Patrick to pray to his God. He does, and a herd of pigs appear. The sailors are so impressed they convert to Christianity. And so begins the life of one of Christianity’s most widely revered icons. Dally in Armagh a while before heading for County Mayo and Croagh Patrick, the site of the Saint’s greatest pilgrimage.

St Patrick’s RC Cathedral, Armagh city 57 St Patrick’s Trail A Pilgrim’s Journey St Patrick’s influences touched many lives in other parts of the island, too. Journey south of the St Patrick Trail and you will be taken to a collection of Ireland’s most stunning and sacred Christian sites: Monasterboice in rural was named for the obscure St Buite, who founded a monastery here in the 5th century. In the remains of that monastery, you’ll find two of Ireland’s oldest and most Slemish Mountain s important early Christian High Crosses – the West Cross and Belfast International Muiredach’s Cross – still standing on their original sites. Bangor Lough QGeorges Best BELFAST Just a few miles away in County Meath you’ll come to the Neagh Belfast City Hill of Slane, the place where St Patrick lit his famous Paschal Fire, to announce the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. From Armagh City Downpatrick s the top, the entire Boyne Valley – Ireland’s most historic s patch of land – opens beneath your feet. Newry s The remains of the old monastery that once stood in Kells – Achill Island the town that gives its name to the masterful ‘Book of Kells’, s which is preserved in Trinity College Dublin – include Clew Bay Monasterboice a round tower, three high crosses, and St Columba’s House, s Croagh Patrick s Hill of Slane s an ancient stone-roofed church. s Finally, in the sublime setting of the Shannon River plain in , you’ll find the remains of Clonmacnoise, Dublin the 6th century monastery founded by St Ciarán and his Clonmacnoise DUBLIN Q followers, and once one of Europe’s most important s centres of religion, learning, craftsmanship and politics. The magnificence of the artefacts matches the beauty of the setting.

Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly 59 Let’s play in Ireland

With over 400 courses to choose from, haunting scenery that will inspire the soul, and some of the friendliest locals – Ireland is one of the top golfing destinations in the world.

Ballyliffin Golf Course, Co. Donegal 61 Let’s play in Ireland County Down For incredible championship courses, great value hidden The long-time correspondent for the Irish Times, Conor O’Cleary, grew up in the If your tour allows, then stop off in Belfast. This buzzing city has some pure golfing gems, plus a golfing experience that is simply unforgettable. seaside town of Newcastle, near Royal County Down’s championship links. On top of gems up its sleeve, including Royal Belfast, which was founded in 1881 (supporting his list of reasons why this tiny corner of the golfing universe punches so far above its claim to be the oldest course in Ireland), and the 27 holes at Malone Golf Course. Choose Ireland, the home of champions! its weight is the fact that everybody here plays on the county’s sheer abundance of Stay a while on either and you’ll have ample opportunity to perfect your stroke. courses, be it local -and-putts or world-class links. Don’t just take our word for it: Rory McIlroy, Padraig Royal County Down has to be one of the island’s most formidable courses. Golf Harrington, Christy O’Connor Snr, Fred Daly, Graham Digest calls it their ‘favourite course outside of the US’ thanks to designer Tom Morris, McDowell MBE, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley are just who lightly shaped the natural undulations of sand dune pastures on the edge of some of Ireland’s homegrown heroes who have honed their Dundrum Bay into a links layout that is as beautiful as it is challenging. skills from an early age on their local courses. The Mountains of Mourne provide this sculptural masterpiece with a dramatic backdrop, but a word to the wise: don’t get distracted by your surroundings at any The only burning question you may actually have is where to of the five blind tee shots, deep pot bunkers, domed greens and narrow ribbons of take your clubs? We’ve decided to take you up north, trailing hummocky fairways, or you’ll rue your scorecard in the Irish 19th, the clubhouse. And the coastline through counties Down, Antrim and Donegal in unless you can reliably stick to the middle of the fairway with it, leave the driver in the pursuit of golfing pleasures on and off-green. bag and get to work on your bump and run game. With the baptism of fire behind you, time now to take your newly honed links golf shots on the road. A good drive and a five-iron would nearly get you from Royal County Down and northeast along the coast to Golf Club, as good a place as any to start assimilating the local sense of appreciation for subtle differences in turf. Here’s what David Feherty, the golf broadcaster and commentator from just up the road in Bangor had to say about it in Emerald Greens, Larry Lambrecht’s book on Irish golf. “Some of the holes have a linksy feel to them, while the inland holes tend to have more of a pasture-like turf. It’s kind of a sheep-versus-cattle thing.” Eskimos know their snow; in Ireland, they know their grass.

Royal County Down Golf Course, Newcastle 63 Let’s play in Ireland County Antrim Less than an hour’s drive from Belfast is the golfing diamond known as Ballycastle. Steer west again from Portrush to nearby Portstewart. Any course draped over Location, like all golf courses in Ireland, is everything, but this one just happens to be towering dunes on a patch of ground called Thistly Hollow must have more than a perched along the world-famous Causeway Coastal Route. If you want to keep the few prickly surprises up its sleeve. Portstewart’s expansion into the realm of Thistly swing grooved and the putter hot before tackling another milestone of world golf, Hollow in the 1980s elevated an already good course to exalted new heights where it you really must squeeze in a round at Ballycastle Golf Club, a part-parkland, part-links easily holds its own in comparison with the better-known ‘royals’. In 2008, the writer course that climbs to a tremendous height. The towering views out over Fair Head, and golfer Tom Coyne walked the entire Irish coastline playing every links course Rathlin Island and Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre rise along the beach to a crescendo, until along the way. He summed up Portstewart’s front nine in a word – WOW – and then the top holes begin to gradually do this course justice. placed the whole ensemble amongst his top five in Ireland. But don’t pack away your clubs just yet, take the westward bound road from Ballycastle Hook your car south and loop around before gearing north again to the across to Royal Portrush. The front nine on this championship course will help you Mussenden Links at . By the time you strike the first ball on Castlerock’s work up a fierce appetite before you even get a look-in at the 210-yard 14th, also championship course you’ve entered uncharted waters. On this par 73 with five widely known as, ‘Calamity Corner’. Short, left or long here means trouble, right par fives, the most talked about challenge is the nerve-jangling ‘Leg o’ Mutton’, the means staring into a yawning chasm. Go long with your approach on the sublime 5th, 200-yard 4th with a railway line to the right, a stream (called a ‘burn’ in this part of a dogleg 411-yard par-four, and your ball may one day wash ashore with the surfers the world) to the left, and raised green sitting ominously in the distance. The ‘Leg’ on nearby White Rocks Beach. Members at Royal Portrush have been known to steel plays tough even without the wind, and few get a bite of it without wind. As if this themselves for such adventures with a little medicine from Dr Moore’s locker – a wasn’t enough of a surprise, Castlerock has another little gem in store – a magnificent concoction of Drambuie, whiskey and ginger dispensed from a white pail with a red nine-holer. Tom Coyne called it a blast, racing up and down the dunes, lots of irons cross on it. off the tee, placing shots, playing bounces – in other words, real links golf.

Royal Portrush Golf Course, Co. Antrim 65 Let’s play in Ireland County Donegal Golf Links or Links Golf? Got any balls left in the bag? Because just when you thought you’ve hit the end Golf links can be found anywhere in the world. Links golf, on the other hand, tends of the road and played everything this coast has to offer, we’ve got a little tip for to be played on a treeless, coastal landscape known as ‘machair,’ where clumps you. Step out onto Donegal’s Peninsula and head north up the coast of marram grass, heather, and spiky gorse bushes populate the dunes and scrub to Ballyliffin, and probably the best kept secret of Irish golf. pasture. This little island has one third of the world’s links courses, so there’s plenty Ballyliffin is home to two contrasting championship links courses, The Old Links and of machair and marram to go around! the Glashedy Links, both outstanding in their own way. The Old Links – the quirkier, Master links designers such as Old Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, Pat Ruddy more natural, and shorter of the two – has received two rejuvenating facelifts in its and Eddie Hackett used a minimalist’s touch to shape the existing landscape into life, once under the talented eye of Eddie Hackett and, more recently, courtesy of golfing masterpieces, laying their courses down like blankets over the undulations and . Luck of the bounce counts as much as skill on this 6910-yard, par 71. the hollow, the humps and bumps, the pit and the pots where the wind has blasted Glashedy is its bolder, brasher, younger brother. The Pat Ruddy and Tom Ruddick a hole in the turf. design weaves through mountainous dunes and takes in huge coastal panoramas. Links golf isn’t truly links golf if the wind isn’t blowing. Some have compared it to With open views comes plenty of windy exposure, meaning this par 72 plays even sailing; those who excel at it are the ones who can read the wind and the topography longer than its 7217-yards. and know what to do with it, applying fades or draws, keeping the ball low, changing Still got a few balls left in the bag? We can keep this going as long as you can… their stroke and stance to punch it when they must. Links golf requires good decision from Ballyliffin, head north along the coast to Portsalon, Rosapenna, Murvagh, Rosses making, it takes place on the ground, not in the air. Point, Carne (Golf Magazine declared this stretch the finest array of links courses in the world)… There is just one thing you won’t discover on Ireland’s final frontier of golf, the meaty green fees that normally go hand in glove with such a distinction.

Greencastle Golf Course, Co. Donegal 67 Let’s play in Ireland A question of character Mount Juliet, Kilkenny Ireland’s proud golf prowess is certainly not confined to our northern coastline. No, The 1991 pomp and ceremony opening of Mount Juliet Golf Club featured a head- we have crystal clear winners across the island, where everyone from our modern to-head of golfing legends between Christy O’Connor Snr and course designer, Jack greats to the more modest amateur can take a swing at improving their scorecard. Nicklaus. Set in a world of its own on lush parkland just 20 minutes from Kilkenny, it Here are just a few that’ll make you want to sweep the cobwebs off your clubs… is the first and only Nicklaus signature golf course in Ireland. Meticulous in his design, feature holes include the stunning third hole, a par three from an elevated tee to a green guarded by a natural stream and lake – one that golfers always remember, be The K Club, Kildare it for better or for worse. The final hole, a long par four with water all down the left and a narrow approach to the green, has decided many a tournament result at this Not for the faint of heart, The Palmer Course has always been talked about as the stunning Irish Estate. greatest inland golf course ever developed in Ireland. So it was a rather fitting tribute to its class when tears of joy were shed by Team Europe as they grasped victory to lift the Ryder Cup trophy in 2006 at its 16th. Fitting, too, that it was Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke who put paid to Team USA’s chase. Across the that splits the K Club’s two 18s, the best way to describe the Smurfit Course is that of an inland links, with dramatic landscapes and dune-type mounding throughout. Golfers state that it is almost impossible to make a comparison between the two, even with regard to the landscaping: on the Palmer Course, specifically planted areas using cultivated plants presented in a formal fashion are the norm; on the Smurfit Course, wild species of plants have been planted at random, more or less as nature would have intended.

The K Club, Co. Kildare 69 Let’s play in Ireland

Portmarnock, Dublin Ballyliffin Royal Portrush Portsalon BallycastleBa It is easy to understand why Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links Rosapenna Portstewart Castlerock has emerged as one of Ireland’s premier links. Designed Donegal City of Derry by Bernhard Langer, it opened for play in 1995 and has Q LONDONDERRY hosted countless amateur and professional events in its

time. Much of this is thanks to Langer’s keen eye for detail, Belfast International which made full use of the surrounding dunes and natural Donegal Q terrain to provide a layout that will delight golf purists, not to Murvagh Lough BELFAST George Best Neagh Belfast City mention the characteristic links sea breezes that provide a Malone stern challenge to all who walk its greens. The Portmarnock Hotel itself is built on part of the former Jameson Whiskey Rosses Point Sligo Sligo Ardglass family estate, so you can unwind before and after golf, maybe s Carne Royal County Down taking a tipple of this famous whiskey either in celebration or commiseration, perhaps?

Ireland West Knock

Dublin Portmarnock The K Club, Kildare Q DUBLIN GALWAY Q Galway

Mount Juliet, Kilkenny

Portmarnock Golf Course, Co. Dublin 71 Gorgeous gardens of County Wicklow

From the granite-topped peaks of the down to the lush colourways of its valleys, the ‘Garden of Ireland’ on Dublin’s doorstep beguiles you with its manicured perfection set astride nature’s own wild artistry.

Kilruddery House and Gardens, Co. Wicklow 73 Gorgeous gardens of County Wicklow Powerscourt House & Gardens, Enniskerry Driving through the Sally or the Wicklow Gap on the road But then, just when you’re beginning to feel like one of those characters being Perhaps the best place to start our trail is in the foothills near the quaint village of southbound from Dublin, looking out over the heathery plains knocked about by forces beyond your control, up pops one of the wondrous pockets Enniskerry, where the 1st Viscount of Powerscourt, Richard Wingfield, and the seven of lushness that fill the niches in Wicklow’s much more hospitable lower elevations: Viscounts that followed him, created the primary reason for Wicklow’s reputation as and the great granite massif of the Wicklow Mountains, this hidden green valleys of small farms and country cottages, grand estates of manicured Ireland’s garden, namely Powerscourt House & Gardens. part of the ‘Garden of Ireland’ has often been more accurately lawns and formal gardens, streams flowing through wooded glens, parklands What appears the product of one grand design in fact took shape organically through described as Beckett Country (after Samuel Beckett, one of surrounding tranquil lakes, hedgerows and herbaceous borders, canals and mazes – two centuries of successive Viscounts. Particularly active among them was the 7th Ireland’s greatest writers). The bleakness of the landscape is in short, verdant worlds both native and exotic. Viscount, Mervyn Wingfield: like an aristocratic magpie, Mervyn revelled in finding thought to have inspired the equally spare and -back In stark and intriguing contrast to the upland bleakness, these pockets engage the eye-catching bits for his garden. This includes the sculpted terraces that fall away from senses with an ever-changing overload of smells and colours, shapes and patterns. the stately Palladian mansion to embrace the distant views of Wicklow’s environments portrayed in his plays and novels. What could Driving from one to the other gives the impression of leaving the eternal woolly wilds Mountain. In the lake at the centre of that transition he placed the Triton Fountain, its more perfectly symbolise the modern human condition than to enter into the imagination and mindset of a different people and a different time. 30-metre-high jet of water becoming a cascading exclamation mark. solitary, wind-blown trees in an endless struggle for survival Take your pick, from the medieval to the modern. He acquired statuary from the Palais-Royale in Paris; the walled garden’s intricate, against harsh and unforgiving elements? Some of the most precious jewels of our garden journey though are secreted behind gold-leaf Perspective Gates came from Bamberg Cathedral in Lower Bavaria. He towering wrought-iron gates and meandering up tree-lined driveways: Powerscourt planted North American conifers in the Tower Valley and Japanese Red Cedars House & Gardens in Enniskerry is filled with ancient intertwined evergreens, trickling around the Dolphin Pond. He created the deer park near the landmark Powerscourt streams and historical gems; Kilruddery near Bray is considered to be one of the Waterfalls and introduced the Japanese Sikka deer to Ireland. The 8th Viscount finest existing examples of a 17th century garden in the British Isles; Mount Usher followed by adding the serene Japanese Garden, and to celebrate the 1911 visit of in Ashford blends to nature in its infinite wisdom, rather than imposing man’s the Prince of he commissioned the building of the Pepperpot Tower in Tower sometimes heavy-handed touch; and Russborough House in Blessington is as Valley – his wife’s silver pepper mill supposedly providing the design inspiration. elegant a country home as you could ever hope to find, with magnificent gardens As fascinating as it may be to know which Viscount’s fingerprints can be found where, to match. it has little bearing on the pure pleasure of the garden’s multiple moods as they change with the time of day and year, with the weather and Wicklow’s dramatic light. Such is the drama of this stunning location, film producers flock here in their droves to take advantage. Remember the films ‘Braveheart’ and ‘Excalibur’? Don’t let the costumes fool you, it was Powerscourt’s earthy soil they were treading…

Powerscourt Gardens, Co. Wicklow 75 Gorgeous gardens of County Wicklow Kilruddery House & Gardens, Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford Next on your trail are the teachings of Irish horticulturist, William Robinson, who struck near Bray a chord with late Victorian gardeners like the Walpole family of Mount Usher. Quoting Avoca Handweavers The garden dreams of Captain Edward Brabazon, the 4th Earl of Meath, are alive and Shakespeare, he espoused a gardening art, ‘which does mend nature, change well in the two Long Ponds he sunk into a rectangular lawn to create the centrepiece Avoca and gardens are nearly synonymous it rather: but the art itself is nature.’ Put simply: he had had enough of the early at Kilruddery. Designed as entertainment to the masses, the gardens themselves are with each other. Their clothing lines and Victorian penchant for the rigidly formal and manicured, for clipped topiary and the fabrics are alive with the patterns, colours, comparable in size to that of a park, combining a fine balance between expanse and artifice of bedding annuals. Instead, his free-flowing, naturalistic approach to garden and shapes of a vibrant herbaceous border, points of interest to all who visit, and are regarded as mainly the work of the 4th and design became known as Robinsonian; Mount Usher Gardens has become known as their homeware and accessory collections 6th Earls. The French Landscape architect named Bonet, a pupil of Le Notre, was also one of the world’s best examples of the style. put a modern twist on country living, and known to have been employed by the resident Earl of Meath in 1682. Over 5,000 species of native and exotic plants line the banks of the gently flowing their recipes wonderfully update the flavours The Angles of Kilruddery are at the middle section of this lush green entertainment, of the Irish country kitchen. No surprise as it tumbles over weirs on its way to the sea. From each of the four and consist of a series of walks flanked by majestic hornbeam, lime or beech then that their tranquil Kilmacanogue base suspension bridges crossing the river you’ll enjoy magical views of the whole and inhabits an arboretum that was once a part hedges. Find your way to the low yew hedge nearby: it encloses a rose and lavender changing perspectives on the magnificent details: meadows and glades speckled with of the estate of the Jameson Whiskey family. garden with a fountain in the centre, its mix of sweet and heady soft scent practically the blooms of native wildflowers; woodland groves of eucalyptus and maple; flaming In keeping with their love of good gardens, wrapping its arms around you. banks of azaleas, exotic clusters of Chusan palm, southern beech, and eucryphia. The you’ll also find Avoca cafés at Powerscourt If Kilruddery’s green finery looks familiar to you, so it should. Taking their lead from overall effect has earned Mount Usher a top ranking from The Good Garden’s Guide House and Mount Usher Gardens. the garden’s incredible array of highlights, location scouts have used this as a base for to the British Isles, making it one of only three Irish gardens to achieve it. countless movies and TV series, including ‘Far & Away’ and ‘The Tudors’. The people of Avoca Handweavers have been organically managing Mount Usher since 2007. Once you’ve revelled in the horticultural delights of the garden, you can continue with the culinary ones in the Garden Café, or take some tips from the experts at the Greenhouse Garden Store and the Potting Shed.

Mount Usher Gardens, Co. Wicklow 77 Gorgeous gardens of County Wicklow Russborough House, Blessington Wicklow Gardens Festival As handsome as country houses come, Russborough is practical evidence that with Ever wished you could hop right over that garden fence to take a closer look at some age comes beauty. He just sits there, like some stoically perfect gentleman looking of horticulture’s finest specimens, rather than admire from afar? Well, the Wicklow out peacefully at the lush expanse of the Blessington Lakes. Inside, the halls are Gardens Festival, running from Easter to September (so it should really be called slices of period decadence where you can imagine Army Captains and aristocrats’ a season) lets you do just that. The festival allows you access to a host of glorious daughters dancing quadrilles under the light of the exquisite chandeliers. Ornate gardens up and down the county – many of them not normally open to the public tapestry’s hang dramatically from walls like little keyholes into the area’s artistic history. – from vast estates to cottage gardens, each with its own unique style. Robinsonian, If the house is a dapper old gent, Russborough Demesne is an elegant Dame. walled, formal, Victorian, and modern, you’ll find all on display here. A national treasure and one of Ireland’s finest intact examples of 18th century Once you’ve seen how the experts do it, test out your own green-fingered talent at a landscaping, the Demesne here combines vast parklands with wooded avenues, weekend gardening workshop. From walks and talks to workshops and courses, the small lakes and gardens. Following the Demesne walk will take you to see most of it, Festival covers every possible aspect of the horticultural world. including the walled kitchen garden with its orchard and flowering cherries; the moat and island with its specimen trees and bog garden; and those parklands with their views of the distant Wicklow Mountains. After soaking up the expanse, you can lose yourself in the beech maze, a more recent addition to the overall ensemble. As you can tell, Wicklow doesn’t do exquisite gardens by half, but to do this county justice, you really must go for the full-on Garden of Ireland experience and leave the valley floor for just a while. Take your hiking boots on any one of the many walks leading up into, and in some cases over, the Wicklow Mountains. You’ll find the upland terrain teeming with far more life than Beckett’s stripped-back abstractions would have you believe. That said, there’s also nothing quite like the sense of salvation you feel as you descend back down into the relative Eden below.

Russborough House, Co. Wicklow 79 Gorgeous gardens of County Wicklow The Gardens beyond the Garden Wicklow may be the Garden of Ireland but it’s not the only county in Ireland with wonderful gardens. In fact, once you’ve seen the best Wicklow has to offer, you could push ahead into the neighbouring counties of Wexford, Kilkenny, or Carlow, stopping at masterpieces like Altamont Gardens in , the late Corona North’s labour of love.

In 1982, the passionate horticulturist inherited 100 acres of promising dereliction Dublin from her aged mother. Corona doggedly ensured that Altamont’s promise didn’t go DUBLIN Q to waste. Here you’ll find rare azaleas, rhododendrons and magnolias, camellias and hollies, Chilean fire trees, wild daffodils, dwarf conifers and shrubs, and plenty of fern Powerscourt Kilruddery House and native bog flora. Assumpta Broomfield commemorated Corona’s achievements Russborough House ss by designing the wonderful double herbaceous border in the walled garden, now one s Mount Usher Gardens of Altamont’s highlights. s Wicklow Next up, the English yews at County Carlow’s Huntington Castle. This one may send s some shivers down your spine, as the house itself is thought to be haunted by the ghost of a 17th century Cromwellian soldier. But don’t tremble too much, outside the Altamont Gardens gardens built by the Esmondes in 1625 include French limes on the avenue, glassy s Huntington Castle fish ponds either side of the central walk and, naturally, a delicious collection of yews, s

along with hickory, cut-leaved oak and buckeye chestnut. A collection of such aged KILFANE GLEN AND WATERFALL stature that will, spooks aside, take your breath away. To continue your garden journey, travel onto the Demesne at Kilfane Glen in County Wexford Kilkenny which is a pristine example of a garden of romance, developed during s the 1790s by Sir John and Lady Power. Its clematis, honeysuckle and jasmine will WATERFORD Q rouse the senses to a crescendo of joy, as much as the density of its beech, sweet Waterford chestnut, oak, larch and Scots pine hold you tight. Kilfane’s man-made waterfall will also pounce, but be sure to give yourself time to let the intensity of it all whisk you to another world for a little while.

Altamont Gardens, Co. Carlow 81 A Tale of Two Cities

Two cities, two distinctive styles, one fantastic experience in the company of the warm, witty and welcoming people who make these two neighbouring capitals – Belfast and Dublin – come alive with urban spirit.

Meeting friends outside Belfast City Hall 83 A tale of two cities Belfast calling Billy Scott is arguably Belfast’s most famous taxi driver. Join him in his black cab and A far cry from its century-old beginnings, these days The Titanic Trail has gone he’ll take you to all the hidden nooks and crannies, the hotspots and the highlights decidedly hi-tech. You can pick up a hand-held device at the Belfast Welcome Centre of his native city, entertaining you along the way with one colourful Belfast story after in Donegall Place, and guide yourself on a tour that takes you from Belfast City Hall another. For many visitors, the favourite place to start is with the murals, dubbed by to Queen’s Island, and onto the Titanic Quarter to view the Titanic’s Dock & Pump- the English travel writer, Simon Calder, as the world’s greatest open-air gallery. House and the SS Nomadic, which was built by White Star Line to carry passengers Over the years, each community told its stories through large-scale murals painted out to the RMS Titanic from the port of Cherbourg. On the outskirts of Belfast at the on the houses and walls lining the . Their presence has now become Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra, explore the world of Titanic at TITANICa: a symbol of Belfast’s vibrant rejuvenation and bright future. “The paintings have An Experience of All Things Titanic. become richer,” Billy enthuses, “more historical and inclusive.” As much as Billy knows about Belfast, one of the best ways to experience this In fact, Willie Jack, the owner of the Duke of York pub in Belfast, recently city with a village at heart is to walk its streets, taking in the full spectrum of its commissioned a new mural showing a veritable who’s who of Northern Ireland and architectural gems and absorbing the living atmosphere of its maritime heritage. Belfast. Actor Liam Neeson stands side-by-side with the musicians Van Morrison, To get your bearings, make your starting point Belfast City Hall in Donegall Square. Rory Gallagher, and Derek Bell of the Chieftains, with -legend Barry McGuigan From the heart of the city, you can follow your whims in a number of different and arguably the best footballer the world has ever seen, George Best. An intense directions. Heading south leads you to the Victorian grandeur of Queen’s University, appetite for life, something uniquely Belfast, unites these diverse figures. Spend time the restaurants and nightspots of the Queen’s Quarter, and the lush Botanic gardens with Billy, and you’ll experience its infectiousness first hand. and the wonders of the Ulster Museum. West brings you to West Belfast and the Any story of colourful characters in Belfast naturally leads to Samson and Goliath, the Falls Road, the traditional centre of the Roman Catholic community; northwest to the No two cities could appear more alike and yet be more Two similar port cities, next-door neighbours in the grand massive yellow cranes hovering above the shipyard. When the and the hub of working-class Protestant Belfast. Northeast and east takes you to the heart of Belfast’s legendary Titanic Trail, the , W5 different. Dublin fans out from where the River Liffey scheme of things, until you scratch the surface of the RMS Titanic departed here in 1912, she was the biggest ship ever built and proof that Belfast could achieve anything it set its industrious mind to. The fact that the Titanic and a flurry of other new urban renewal projects popping up along the River Lagan. spills into the Irish Sea. The Dublin Mountains loom in generalities and discover wonderfully unique cultures. More didn’t survive her maiden voyage has never dampened the spirits in the city that built There are plenty of guided options to choose from, be it by foot, bus, taxi or even the background, anchoring the seascape with an earthy than anything, though, it’s the people who define the unique her. As Billy rightly points out: “She was afloat when she left here.” by boat on the River Lagan, and there are plenty of people, like Billy, who will be counterbalance. A mere 150 kilometres up the coast, at the character of their cities. Behind all their humour and big city delighted to show you around their home city highlights. point where the River Lagan empties into Belfast Lough and bluster, you’ll never meet warmer, more humble hosts than that very same Irish Sea, you’ll find Belfast spreading into the the natives of Belfast and Dublin. landscape, the pressing at its back.

A Black Taxi tour of Belfast with Billy Scott 85 A tale of two cities Two exciting cities, Belfast’s riverside and waterfront quarters have been undergoing enormous changes one breeze of a journey in recent years. One of the first big projects completed is the Odyssey Complex, the Whether by road or rail, travel between Belfast and Dublin has never been easier huge entertainment emporium on the east side of the River Lagan, where you’ll find thanks to the completion of massive upgrades to the M1 Motorway and substantial restaurants, bars, cafés, an IMAX cinema, even a 10,000 seat sports arena. new investment in the Enterprise Service, the flagship rail link operated jointly by But the highlight of the Odyssey has to be W5, a world-class interactive discovery The Ulster Museum Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnród Éireann. centre that will keep kids entertained for hours upon hours doing things like designing Like an oversized cabinet of curiosities, Belfast’s By rail: The smooth journey provided by the Enterprise runs eight journeys both and building structures, bringing robots to life, composing music, creating cartoons Ulster Museum brings together everything but directions Monday to Saturday, and five times on Sundays. From Belfast, you leave and animations, and of course learning a thing or two along the way. It nearly goes the kitchen sink within its newly renovated walls. from Belfast Central Station, and from Dublin, you depart from Connolly Station. Although, who knows? You may even find an iconic without saying – if the kids are happy, the parents probably are, as well. Belfast sink somewhere in this wonderfully eclectic By car: From Belfast take the M1 motorway southbound towards Newry through collection that includes an Egyptian mummy, relics Dundalk, Drogheda and on into Dublin. Just remember that road signs and speeds from the Spanish Armada, Neolithic axe-heads and are in miles in Northern Ireland and in kilometres in the . modern Irish art and design. By bus: There are plenty of cross-border buses on this route (buses are jointly run Walking from one gallery gives the feeling of by Translink in Northern Ireland and Bus Éireann in the Republic of Ireland). If you’re swapping one museum for another. Like when you leaving Belfast for Dublin, head for The Europa Bus Station and if you’re in Dublin, pass through the Industrial History Gallery, with its you’ll depart from Busáras in the city centre. fascinating presentation of Belfast’s shipbuilding and linen-weaving past, on the way to the equally mesmerising collection of incredibly life-like and impeccably preserved Irish birds. Worlds collide, producing a truly intriguing and entertaining set of contrasts.

And if that isn’t enough to keep your brain stimulated for a few hours, tack on a visit to the even more exotic worlds of the nearby Botanic Gardens, or head back into the city to see what’s exhibiting at the .

Visitors enjoying exhibits at the Ulster Museum, Belfast 87 A tale of two cities And onto Dublin The pace of modern life in Dublin is so electrifying even the natives have trouble Linger for a while amongst the world-class collections of the National Gallery before keeping up at times. In a city that seemingly transformed overnight into a discovering the surrounding beauty of Merrion Square’s stunning Georgian aesthetics. metropolitan meteor of culture and commerce, don’t be surprised if much of the For a one-of-a-kind glimpse at the wondrous world of 19th century zoology, take thrillingly original, new architecture is as fresh on the cityscape to you as it is to a look inside the Natural History Museum; for a peak behind the curtains of Irish some locals. political power, take a tour of the government buildings next door. Don’t miss in Dublin: The recently completed Grand Canal Theatre now anchors Grand Canal Square. To see Dublin Zoo, you could hop off the bus in the Phoenix Park. Of course, no The Samuel Beckett Bridge hovers over the river like an elegantly winged creature, tour of Dublin would be complete without a visit to the home of the black stuff, The Guinness Storehouse and the completely refurbished O2 Point Theatre places yet another architectural the Guinness Storehouse. No worries, the bus stops there too. The slick, sophisticated world of the Guinness and entertainment accent at the end of the Quays. Thanks to the LUAS, Dublin’s Some say that the perfect way to experience Dublin is to wander to your heart’s Storehouse couldn’t be further from the homey, state-of-the-art light rail, all are conveniently close by. desire ‘between the canals’. Discover the narrow streets of artisan cottages in traditional pub atmosphere most of us associate with a pint of the black stuff. But don’t let that For all the new – the cutting-edge galleries and museums, the creative restaurants traditional working-class neighbourhoods like Smithfield, The Liberties, and Ringsend; stop you working your way through the hugely and contemporary cafés, the fashionable shops and boutique hotels – the Dubliners the revitalised Quays and bridges old and new spanning the River Liffey; the new entertaining exhibitions of this high-concept pint have held tightly onto their heart and soul. This is still the home of authentic pubs architectural wonders of the Docklands and their elegant predecessors around glass, moving ever upward through the history and Georgian squares, the UNESCO City of Literature that produced the rich genius Merrion Square. People watch in St Stephen’s Green or just head out to the quiet, of Guinness and brewing in Dublin, until you of Joyce, Beckett and Wilde, and where world-famous theatres such as the Gate and wide-open spaces of Phoenix Park. metaphorically flow into the creamy head on the the Abbey continue to push creative bounds of the modern . For those who prefer to do their walking with a bit more focus, take your pick top, otherwise known as the Gravity Bar. One of the best ways to find your bearings is with a Hop-on Hop-off bus tour. Just from the dozens of guided walking tours, such as the ever-popular Literary and The views from up here on the 7th floor are without like their colourful taxi-driving counterparts in Belfast, the guides are native wits with Musical Pub Crawls. Follow in the footsteps of St Patrick or set out in search of a doubt the best in Dublin; and some say the an endless supply of yarns to spin about their beloved Fair City and its salt-of-the- Dublin’s ghosts and goblins; or perhaps avail of the Dublin Bike Sharing Scheme complementary pint they’ll pour you is the best in earth people. Feel like lingering? Go ahead, hop off the bus; sure another one will be and peddle to the city limits. Let any of these quick-witted and knowledgeable the world, but we’ll let you be the judge of that. May we suggest enjoying the views and the pint before along shortly. guides weave you through the streets of Dublin and you’ll uncover a deep-rooted retiring to one or more of those cosy traditional Take time to explore the historical warrens of Dublin Castle. When you finish there, pride amidst all the tall tales – it’s their home turf, after all, and they’ve got a lot to pubs to compare? Here are a few suggestions pop over to the warren of twisting laneways of Temple Bar with its funky eateries, be proud of! to get you started: Mulligan’s, The Stag’s Head, hip nightspots, boutique shops and trendy galleries. Neary’s, Kehoe’s, The Long Haul, Grogan’s, The Palace, Slattery’s, McDaids, Smyth’s…

The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 89 A tale of two cities Dublin Writers Museum Belfast In 2010 Dublin was designated UNESCO City of Literature and is only the fourth International Belfast Lough city to be awarded with this prestigious title. This honour acknowledges Ireland’s

and Dublin’s rich literary heritage which includes such stellar figures as Nobel Prize George Best Lough Belfast winners George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. M1 Belfast City Neagh s Other literati associated with Dublin include Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Sean Q O’Casey, Denis Johnston, Flann O’Brien, Brendan Behan and Jennifer Johnston – Portadown and of course James Joyce, who’s inimitable and iconic Leopold Bloom wandered s the streets of Dublin and the pages of Ulysses. A1 To embark on your own literary odyssey The Dublin Writers Museum is an essential starting point for exploring hundreds of years of literature, letters, portraits and personal memorabilia. NEWRY Q Situated on Parnell Square, the museum presents the history of Irish Literature from its formation through to the present day. As the journey unfolds consider variously the phases, movements and notable names of Dublin’s literary past, from Gulliver’s Dundalk Travels to Dracula, from Ulysses to Waiting for Godot. s In the Gorham Library first editions and critical works rest beneath the stunning Stapleton ceiling, while throughout the museum is a treasure trove of portraits and various curios that offer further enlightenment into Ireland’s world of Literature. M1 The Dublin Writers Museum is also one of the only museums in the city where you Drogheda can experience the collection by digital audio guide. There is also a cafe within the s museum and the opportunity to catch a performance at the lunchtime theatre.

Dublin

Dublin Dublin Bay s

Visitors to the Dublin Writers Museum 91 Driving in Ireland – A Practical Guide

Tranarossan Beach, Co. Donegal 93 Driving in Ireland – A Practical Guide

Driving Laws Signposts Road signs Driving in Ireland is on the left and seat belts must be • In the Republic of Ireland, signposts denoting REPUBLIC OF IRELAND worn at all times in the front and back of the vehicle. distance and speed limits are in kilometres per hour • All intending drivers need to hold valid driving licences. (km/h). Non EU visitors require an International driving Permit, • Republic of Ireland signposts and place names which is readily available from motoring organisations are displayed bilingually in both Irish (Gaelic) and in the country of origin. Let your insurance company Stop Sign Yield Sign Irish Yield Sign School Warden Pedestrian Turn Right Straight Turn Left Speed Limit Weight No Left Turn No Entry No Right Turn Keep Left Parking know if you’re bringing your own car over to Ireland. English. Area Ahead Only Restriction Permitted • It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving in both • In Northern Ireland, all signposts and speeds are the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland unless it in miles per hour (mph) and place names are is a hands free device. displayed in English. No Parking Taxi Rank Clearway Motorway End of End of Speed Junction Junction Sharp Slippery Road School/ Steep Ascent Dangerous Dangerous Dangerous Motorway Limit Ahead Ahead Depression Children Corner Bends Corners • Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear helmets. • All children under 3 years of age must use an New speed limit (km/h) for Republic of Ireland with approximate equivalent in mph (* = special speed limits) * * appropriate child restraint when travelling in any car Information Signs = 31 = 50 = 62 = 75 = 19 = 37 Speed Limits mph mph mph mph mph mph as must children aged 3 or more years old and up to Towns & Cities Regional & Local Roads National Roads National Roads Urban Roads Urban Roads 135cm (4ft 5in) in height. Rear-facing baby seats must REPUBLIC OF IRELAND not be used in seats with an active frontal air-bag. The maximum speed limits: NORTHERN IRELAND • Towns and Cities 50 km/h There are strict laws on drinking and driving and those found to be • Regional Areas and local roads 80km/h contravening these laws will be heavily (Speeds displayed by white signs) penalised. The best advice is don’t • National Roads 100 km/h Stop Sign Give Way School Trip Pedestrian National No Left Turn No Right Turn No Entry Speed Limit Heavy Weight Right Turn Ahead Only Left Turn Keep Left Parking drink and drive. Area Speed Limit Restriction (Displayed by green signs) • Motorways 120 km/h (Displayed by blue signs) • Special speed limits: 30 km/h and 60 km/h Rules of the road No Stopping No Parking Motorway End of School Junction T Junction Cross Road Uneven Slippery Steep Hill Quayside Bend Series of Max Steer to the centreline. It is difficult to Motorway Children Ahead Ahead Ahead Roads Road Upwards Ahead Warning Bends Headroom NORTHERN IRELAND judge distance from the left-hand side, Speed limit (mph) For Northern Ireland so use the road centre line. The maximum speed limits: • Towns and Cities 30 mph Roadworks Sharp Tourist Camping Picnic Site At roundabouts go clockwise, and give • Regional/Country roads 60 mph Deviation Information Ahead Ahead way to the traffic on the roundabout. Towns & Cities Regional /Country Motorways • Motorway 70 mph Roads

95 Driving in Ireland – A Practical Guide Car hire Parking Driving Associations Passports / Visas Personal Safety Most major car hire companies have desks at ferry There are numerous car parks in all towns and cities, Driving Associations (membership required) within Non UK nationals must carry a valid passport. Citizens Though the general level of personal safety is high, terminals and airports, although you’ll often get a however, parking charges also apply for on-street Ireland include: living within the EU and most other Western countries should you be unfortunate enough to be a victim of better rate by pre-booking (advisable at peak times, parking when a Pay and Display sign appears. Failure including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South crime, contact: especially). Sat Navs and Child seats should also to display a valid ticket may result in your car being The Automobile Association (AA) Africa do not require visas. All other countries should be booked in advance. All drivers must hold valid clamped and heavy fines. Before you park, make sure REPUBLIC OF IRELAND contact their local Irish Embassy / Consulate prior REPUBLIC OF IRELAND licences. For insurance reasons tell the car hire to check the parking restrictions and also what time Tel: +353 (0) 1 617 9950 or visit www.theaa.ie to travelling to the Republic of Ireland, and visitors Irish Tourist Assistance Service (Mon-Fri), company if you’re planning to cross between the the car park closes. NORTHERN IRELAND to Northern Ireland should contact their local British 6-7 Hanover Street East Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Always Tel: +44 (0) 870 600 0371 or visit www.theaa.com Embassy / High Commission or the Consular Office Dublin 2 check the terms and conditions with your car rental for Northern Ireland. Tel: +353 (0) 1 661 0562 The RAC Motoring Service company before making a booking. Email: [email protected] Petrol / Gas Stations REPUBLIC OF IRELAND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND www.itas.ie The trade organisations for the car rental industry are: Tel: +353 (0) 1 800 535 005 For further information contact the Department of & Tolls Store Street Garda Station REPUBLIC OF IRELAND NORTHERN IRELAND Foreign Affairs There is a good network of petrol / gas stations (Weekend & Public Holidays), Car Rental Council Tel: +44 (0) 870 572 2722 or visit www.rac.co.uk Tel: + 353 (0) 1 478 0822 For a list of Irish throughout the island of Ireland, selling unleaded Dublin 1 Tel: +353 (0) 1 676 1690 or visit Embassies, visit www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie petrol and diesel. Barrier-free tolling is operational on Tel: +353 (0) 1 666 8109 www.carrentalcouncil.ie certain motorways in the Republic of Ireland – visit NORTHERN IRELAND NORTHERN IRELAND NORTHERN IRELAND www.eflow.ie for further information. Further information is available from your local British Contact the local police where support will be available. British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association Embassy or Consulate. For British details contact the Tel: +44 (0) 845 600 8000 Tel: +44 (0) 1 494 434 747 or visit Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk Email: [email protected] www.bvrla.co.uk www.psni.police.uk

Currency Victim Support Republic of Ireland uses the euro (€), whilst Northern Tel: +44 (0) 28 9024 4039 Ireland uses sterling (£), although the euro is (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) accepted in most major towns in Northern Ireland. Tel: +44 (0) 845 30 30 900 (After 5pm, weekends or public holidays) Email: [email protected] www.victimsupportni.co.uk

97 Driving in Ireland – A Practical Guide Travel to Ireland Travel to the island of Ireland has never been easier with an increasing number of air and ferry routes now available. To find your most convenient route visit www.discoverireland.com.

Inverness

Aberdeen MAJOR FERRY ROUTES AIRPORT LINKS FROM Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow International City of Derry Glasgow Donegal Newcastle Prestwick Sligo Belfast International George Best Belfast City Ireland West Knock Isle of Man Galway Blackpool Aran Islands Dublin Leeds Bradford Shannon Liverpool Doncaster Sheffield Kerry Waterford East Midlands Cork Nottingham Norwich Gloucester Cardiff Stansted Bristol Heathrow City Newquay Exeter Gatwick Southampton Plymouth Bournemouth

Guernsey All information correct at time of going to press but may be subject to future changes by operator. Up to date information on access routes can found at Jersey www.discoverireland.com

99 Driving in Ireland – A Practical Guide Where to Stay In a country where hospitality is second nature, Hotels & Guesthouses Country Houses Self-Catering Ireland has a wonderful range of places to stay, from The Irish Hotels Federation The Hidden Ireland Guide REPUBLIC OF IRELAND the friendliest Bed and Breakfasts in the world to Tel: +353 (0) 1 808 4419 Tel: +353 (0) 1 662 7166 Irish Self-Catering Federation 5-star hotels. www.irelandhotels.com www.hiddenireland.com Tel: +353 (0) 818 300 186 Visit www.discoverireland.com/offers for thousands www.iscf.ie of offers on accommodation in Ireland and to check Northern Ireland Hotels Federation out a range of attractive inclusive packages available Tel: +44 (0) 28 9077 6635 Hostels NORTHERN IRELAND www.nihf.co.uk The Northern Ireland Self-Catering Holiday Association from many tour operators. You can find welcoming An Óige – Irish Youth Hostel Association Bed and Breakfasts throughout Ireland, even in the Tel: +44 (0) 28 9043 6632 Manor House Hotels and Irish Country Hotels Tel: +353 (0) 1 830 4555 most remote areas, with a friendly personal service www.nischa.com Tel: +353 (0) 1 295 8900 www.anoige.ie and delicious full Irish or Ulster Fry breakfasts. To www.manorhousehotels.com feel part of the countryside, nothing compares with Independent Holiday Hostels www.irishcountryhotels.com a Farmhouse holiday but book early as they are very Tel: +353 (0) 1 836 4700 Visit www.discoverireland.com to find a popular – it’s a great way to get to know local people. www.hostels-ireland.com Ireland’s Blue Book comprehensive list of all approved accommodation Situated in lovely surroundings, Ireland’s elegant Tel: +353 (0) 1 676 9914 Hostelling International Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland, including hotels, B&Bs, Country Houses offer a truly unique place to stay and www.-blue-book.ie Tel: +44 (0) 28 9032 4733 guesthouses, hostels, self-catering, camping and often provide access to a variety of pursuits, from www.hini.org.uk caravanning. angling to country cooking courses. Book in advance Good Food Ireland if possible. Inexpensive and comfortable, Ireland’s Tel: +353 (0) 53 915 8693 large network of hostels gives budget travellers great www.goodfoodireland.ie Camping & Caravanning independence. Facilities vary so check in advance. Camping and Caravanning in Ireland’s 200 sites, Irish Caravan and Camping Council usually near the most beautiful scenery, is another Bed & Breakfasts www.camping-ireland.ie way to enjoy the countryside on a budget, while B&B Ireland British Holiday and Home Parks Association self-catering holidays, in traditional Irish cottages or Tel: +353 (0) 71 982 2222 Tel: +44 (0) 1452 526 911 modern apartments and chalets can be enjoyed in www.bandbireland.com www.bhhpa.org.uk villages, towns and cities. Northern Ireland Bed & Breakfast Partnership Tel: +44 (0) 28 2177 1308

101 Itinerary Notes Itinerary Notes

103 Acknowledgements: Text: Maxmedia

Design: Burrows

Print: Nicholson & Bass Ltd

Photography: Tourism Ireland, Faílte Ireland, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann – Sheila Rooney, Brian Morrison, Arthur Ward, Lorraine Teevan, George Munday, Stephen Power, Dominique Davoust, Kevin Murray , Don MacMonagle Photography, iStockphoto, Alamy, Scenic Ireland, National Museums Northern Ireland

Additional image reference: Page 15 – Ross Castle, Co. Kerry Page 25 – Mussenden Temple, Co. Londonderry Page 33 – Cottage at Bunratty Folk Park, Co. Clare Page 37 – Titanic Belfast® visitor attraction Page 45 – Malachy Kearns, Bodhran maker, Roundstone, Co. Galway Page 55 – Stained glass window at Saul, Co. Down Page 63 – US Open Champion 2011 Rory McIlroy

Tourism Ireland is the marketing body for the island of Ireland, covering the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this brochure. Tourism Ireland and its agents cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors and omissions but where such are brought to our attention, future publications will be amended accordingly.

Connemara, Co. Galway 105 Distance chart 40 50mls 40 60 80km MILES

Armagh 20 30 KILOMETRES 20 10 155 Athlone

96 0 0 59 227 Belfast 37 141 99 252 89 Coleraine 62 157 55 390 219 424 486 Cork 242 136 264 302 ondonderry 113 209 117 50 428 L

70 130 73 31 266 Route Train Ferry Airport Information Tourist Beach 128 183 180 151 402 69 Donegal 79 114 112 94 250 43 135 127 167 230 256 237 233 Dublin 84 78 104 143 160 147 138 53 144 84 149 323 156 157 85 Dundalk illen

33 90 52 93 202 97 98 53 Key to symbols 83 133 130 148 347 98 59 163 130 Ennisk 52 82 81 92 215 61 37 101 81 236 93 306 320 209 272 204 212 237 177 Galway

OMETRES 146 58 190 199 130 139 127 136 148 110 257 116 284 353 148 335 309 114 197 231 172 Kilkenny 160 78 177 219 92 208 192 73 123 144 107 377 232 436 474 87 441 407 304 350 355 193 198 Killarney 234 144 271 295 54 274 253 192 219 220 120 123 102 244 35 80 451 115 188 196 115 170 337 319 499 Larne

KIL 64 152 22 50 280 71 117 122 71 106 209 198 310 270 121 323 367 105 328 296 193 242 248 104 113 111 392 Limerick 168 75 201 228 65 204 184 123 150 154 65 70 69 244 29 158 59 152 361 142 157 105 24 112 250 228 408 98 301 Newry 18 98 36 94 224 88 98 65 15 70 155 141 253 61 187 158 32 224 246 251 211 151 156 151 104 80 158 264 247 149 169 Roscommon 98 20 139 153 156 131 94 91 94 64 51 98 164 153 94 105 286 201 330 382 208 397 391 153 245 315 274 98 275 348 211 257 241 Rosslare 178 130 205 237 129 247 243 101 153 196 170 62 171 216 131 160 150

MILES 283 133 346 380 128 351 282 218 264 261 93 135 135 372 25 320 154 234 Shannon 176 83 215 236 80 218 176 138 165 162 57 85 84 231 15 199 96 146 145 117 206 192 336 135 66 214 166 66 138 245 343 226 232 174 85 325 218 Sligo ord 90 73 128 119 209 84 41 135 104 41 86 152 213 140 144 108 53 203 136 terf 301 164 333 391 126 383 357 163 242 281 220 48 193 357 129 266 208 82 152 293 Wa 187 108 207 243 78 238 222 98 151 175 137 30 120 222 80 165 129 51 95 182 264 184 309 360 187 378 372 135 226 293 253 80 254 326 190 235 222 19 213 307 61 Wexford 164 117 192 223 116 235 231 88 141 182 157 50 158 202 118 146 138 12 133 191 39 Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this map, Tourism Ireland cannot accept responsibility for errors or emissions. every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this map, Tourism Whilst Because of the small scale of this map, not all holiday centres can be shown. The information on this map is correct at the time of going to press. © December 2011 Tourism Ireland. Tourism information on this map is correct at the time of going to press. © December 2011 Because of the small scale this map, not all holiday centres can be shown. The Great Irish Road Trips

Great Irish Road Trips

TG12INT01TIL

Molls Gap, Co. Kerry