My husband and I will be going to Ireland for the second time in September. We have at least 3 weeks. I would appreciate thoughts on an itinerary which is still in very rough form.

We would fly in to Dublin, spend two days, go to the airport, rent a car and drive to Galway city. The main reason to stay in this area is to attempt to do a day trip to the Aran Islands. Last time we were in Ireland, the weather was too rough to make the trip.

Then we want to visit Sligo and Donegal. We like to travel slowly, see as much as we can and take lots of photos and there seems to be many beautiful drives (along the coast), many castles and beautiful areas to drive through. How many days would you suggest we spent in each area. Last trip we stayed 4 nights in Connemara and 4 nights in County Mayo. Would it be ok to stay in one location in each of these or do we need to move?

Then I plan on staying somewhere along the Antrim coast. And finish with a few days staying in or near Belfast and seeing the city and the surrounding areas.

We would see Newgrange, Knowth on the way to the Dublin airport where we would return the car, stay overnight and then fly home.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, You are including two of my favorite places!

I love love LOVE to stay at Temple House in County Sligo. I have found it to be a good central location for sightseeing and I highly recommend planning a day or two on the estate without leaving, as well.

It's not clear exactly to me whether you are looking for a place to stay for four nights or for eight.

Alone, probably of the entire world, I was unenthusiastic about Donegal and have no recommendations.

In Antrim I would recommend Whitepark House. Antrim is one of these places that people visit in a day, you know, bus day trip up from Belfast but my family happily spent four or five nights there and we still talk about it!

Enjoy.

We enjoyed our stay at Harvey point hotel on Lough Eske in Donegal a few years ago. Not to miss is Sleive league cliffs...simply stunning. Along the Atrium coast must see - giant causeway, carsick e reede bridge and Dunluce castle ruins. N. Ireland is wonderful. I would say 2 nights along the Atrium coast and the same in Donegal.

That should be Carrick e Reede rope bridge... hate it when the computer changes the spelling

Standard route for 10 days, mainly north of Dublin ~ Shannon

https://drive.google.com/open?id=13p...L0&usp=sharing

The map is not as you want, lumps of Donegal are skipped through as it was done specifically for the needs of someone else but it has several points of interest.

As to the Ararans.. I can only remember a very few occasions when Inis Mor has been inaccessible for more than a couple of days, once was a few years ago in a September possibly 2010 or 2011? when the islands were cut off for 3 days running.

If you can fit some days in Cliffden for Arts Week 14>24th September that's a great time to be in town, not that theses a bad time.

Thank you all so much for your quick and helpful answers. This information will really help.

My sisters and I spent 3 nights at Ballycarton House, Limavady, County Londonderry.
We explored the Antrim Coast, Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge one day and the second we drove the Inishowen 100.
Patricia was a wonderful hostess and allowed us to do laundry, packed us a picnic lunch for day 2, and her guesthouse is delightful.

Thank you jaja. I appreciate the recommendation

We recently returned from just over two weeks in Ireland over the Christmas and New Year period, divided between Belfast, Westport, and Dublin. A couple of points:

1) Be sure to spend enough time in Belfast. It's a fascinating place and very safe today. I'd really recommend a walking tour with Dead Centre tours. The guide, Paul, is a former teacher who is involved in mediation and the peace process. It was an honest, unbiased, and very informative tour. The website is http://www.deadcentretours.com/ We also did a black taxi tour, which took us to the Shankill Road (Loyalist) and the Falls Road (Republican) - this has to be seen. I'd also recommend St. George's market; stop here to pick up something for lunch.

2) We enjoyed the Antrim coast, though the Causeway itself was a bit disappointing. Dunluce Castle is worth seeing, and the scenery between Belfast and the north is lovely. East of Belfast, the coastal town of Bangor is a very nice side trip on a sunny day.

3) We made a mad dash through Donegal on our way to Westport, and I really wish we had scheduled more time there. The coast is amazing - just follow the Wild Atlantic Way. This is the Gaeltacht, and it's just incredible. If I go back there, I'd love to visit Tory Island (not really doable in the winter, but you might be okay in September... check the ferry timetables). We stopped for lunch at Leo's Tavern in Crolly. Leo, who recently passed away, was the father of Maire Brennan of Clannad fame, and her sister Enya. This was important to me as I've been listening to Celtic music for years, and it didn't disappoint.

4) We rushed through Sligo, and again, I wish we had not. If you're interested in Irish politics/history, the small town of Mullaghmore is where Earl Mountbatten's boat was blown up by the IRA in 1979, killing him and several members of his family. His grandson Timothy Knatchbull, who survived the bomb, wrote a book about it - 'From a Clear Blue Sky'. Well worth reading. Nearby is the grave of W.B. Yeats, very appropriately, under Ben Bulben. It's just off the main road.

It sounds like a great trip you have planned. Enjoy!

Thank you so much taniatravels. This information is very helpful. I really appreciate hearing from all of you.

I think we will fly to Dublin and stay for two nights (we were in Dublin for a day last time so I think 1 3/4 days should be enough). Then we will rent a car at the airport and drive towards Galway and stay two nights hoping the waters will not be too rough and allow us to do a day trip to the Aran Islands. I plan on 3 nights in Sligo and 4 nights in Donegal split between a place in the southern part of the county and accommodations in the northern section of Donegal. Then 2 nights on the Antrim coast and 4 nights in the Belfast area to see the city and areas in the surrounding countryside. Our last day would be seeing Newgrange, Knowth, etc. and then staying in accommodations near the airport.

We're hoping for better weather on this trip although the rain and cold when we went in May 2015 didn't stop us from falling in love with the country.