I'm traveling to Ireland at the end of February and will be visiting a friend who lives in County Cavan. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on seeing this area by bus... are there any day or 2-3 day tours? What should I see?
Also, any ideas on places to stop for a day or night on the way from Co Cavan to Dublin?
Thanks for any help!!!

County Cavan is a bit less visited than some other areas - and even in the "popular" areas like in the far southwest of the country, Feb is about the lowest of low seasons. There may be guided coach tours. But you'll probably do better just planning your own itineraries by local/long distance buses.

Ceildhoh,

Co Cavan is not one of my favorites in Ireland, however the following web sit for Bus Eireann might help.

www.buseireann.ie/site/home/

BTW it is not very far from Co Cavan to Dublin.

Just curious about your name.... "ceili" is obvious, but what does the rest mean?

Cavan is not really tourist country, as janisj says. Even in high season I don't think you would find much in the way of organised tours.

The county has some attractions, but they are dispersed, and I really think you can not achieve much without a car.

You can get a bus from Dublin to Cavan and, depending on your particular destination, be there in two or three hours. Perhaps you might think of going directly to link up with your friend and then returning to more manageable tourism. Or maybe your friend might be in a position to take you around.

Where in Cavan is your target?

Celiaanne- ceilidh is actually my dog's name- paying homage to the gaelic tradition (i'm sure you also know the word means companionship- good for a dog!). Someone had already taken simply "ceilidh" so "oh" is for ohio- where I used to live.
Luckily I will have access to a car in county cavan and i guess I will try for bus tours to and from dublin? can anyone recommend a half day tour from dublin?
Thanks for all the responses!

Bus Eireann, the national bus line, has two full-day tours from Dublin this time of the year. They don't operate every day, however. See here: www.buseireann.ie/asp/TourList.asp.

hahahaha see my post about being stuck in neighboring co.Louth (!) only real bus tours I have found all leave from Dublin...early. (if it makes you feel better, my in-laws always head over to co.Cavan when they have a three day weekend...they think it is just lovely ;-) ) don't know how long you're staying, but there is a music/arts/culture festival in Co. Cavan in the beginning of March.

I am a great believer in public transportation but in Ireland an automobile is a must. Train and bus transportation is sparse and very inconvenient except between major cities. And even then not exactly robust. Ireland's greatest sights with few exceptions can only be reached by auto.

Don't be afraid to rent a car. Driving on the left is not so much of a problem and if you want some excitement rent a car with standard transmission. Driving on the left and shifting left handed is a blast. Actually you will adapt very quickly to the left handed shifting and it quickly seems very natural. Also it is an excellent idea to buy the "super insurance" coverage and do a joint damage inspection before leaving the rental agency. Most rental cars in Ireland have damage on the left side.

Have fun,
Larry J

Thank you all for your input! I've booked a bus tour with Bus Eireann which I'm pretty excited about. I will let you know how the trip goes