We would like to take a day trip from Dublin in February. We would like to go some place easy to get to from Dublin preferably by train or even the bus. Some sugested places to visit are Howth, Kilkenny, Newgrange, Wexford or Mulahide. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these or other possibilities. Thanks

If you are at all interested in the mystical history of Ireland, try the Hill of Tara - I found it a very powerful place. It is where Irish kings had been crowned for centuries, and is very peaceful and quiet in the mornings before covered in tourists.

Another great place is Glendalough Abbey, south of Dublin. It is a very serene place, again sans tourists if you can

We found Newgrange fascinating - but be sure you read about it in advance - and that no one has even a touch of claustrophobia.

GreenDragon and nytraveler -- thanks for the suggestions. Do you know if there is public transportation to the places you suggested? Also, about how far are these places from Dublin? thanks for your help

We stayed in Malahide and took the bus to Dublin. The town is also served by fast train. Malahide itself seemed more like an upscale English village than Irish. Malahide Castle is well worth the visit, but I do not know if it is served by public transportation.

You can get to Malahide by DART from the city centre.

Probably your best way of getting to Glendalough (which I would also highly recommend) is the Glendalough Bus - www.glendaloughbus.com

There is no public transport available to Newgrange but Bus Eireann do a day tour - www.buseireann.ie

Yeah, Newgrange would be out of public transport way, I would think. However, see if you can try to get a day tour that includes Newgrange, Tara and Knowth - all fascinating ancient sites. In fact, just read an article where the highway construction unearthed more megalithic stones with ancient carvings on them, about 2km from Tara.

There are tours to Newgrange - you can pick them up at th tourist office - and that's probably the best way to go - since you can;t enter the site without an official guide - no just wandering around - it's way too valuable/delicate.

And - it's unsuitable for anyone very large/tall (they won;t fit in the prehistoric tunnels) or anyone afraid of the dark or having claustrophobia.

If in doubt crawl into a dark small closet for about 15 minutes to make sure it doesn't bother you. We had one tour member who freaked out about half way in - and everyone behind her had to back out (it's too small to turn around) to let her out.

Another Day trip from Dublin to consider is Belfast....you take the train from Connelly Station...I did this in 2005 with 2 girlfriends...we then walked to the tourist office and took a Black Taxi tour which lasted about 2 hours...then, walked around Belfast, had lunch and headed back to the train station to go back to Dublin. It would be even nicer too stay overnight there to see more.

I am very claustrophic and I did fine in Newgrange...the center has a hugh mockup of the inside which they let me go into first to see how I would do and I was fine...I am so claustrophic that I have needed calming gas at the dentist office so you'd have to be really bad off to not make it into Newgrange I would think.

Shadow

Thanks for all your responses. Looking at the costs of the transportation and tours, we may rent a car for a day and drive ourselves. Given that possiblity are there a couple places we might be able to see in a long day?

If you have a car and are happy to drive "on the other side" you can achieve a lot in a day. Mind you a long day (if defined by daylight) probably stretches from about 08.30 to 16.30 in February

If its mountains and scenery you want, I suggest you go south into Co. Wicklow (inc. Glendalough). If its history and prehistory you want, I suggest E/N,E to Co. Meath and Louth - Newgrange and its sister mounds, Mellifont Abbey, the town of Drogheda, the Battle of the Boyne, the village of Slane and maybe a look at the sea at Carlingford/Mornington. All feasible in a day, if you're nippy (maybe not Carlingford).

Happy trails!

Thanks for the suggestions