Best drives in Ireland

Wook

Mine:
Glendalough lakes to Dublin 15
Back roads only:
constant corners, hills, plenty of vision so you can speed up, unreal landscape, safe drive.
a very rhythmic engaging drive.


I am looking for some of your idea's

Amtmann

County Donegal:

Take the N56 from Donegal town to Gweedore, then take the R258 through Derrybeg and Bunbeg to Bloody Foreland. Then double back to Gweedore and take the R251 to Letterkenny, which takes around the base of Mt Errigal with spectacular views of the Derryveagh Mountains. I've driven on an awful lot of roads in Ireland, and this, in my opinion, is the most scenic.

Yakult

dingle peninsula. That whole area alone is a nice drive.

Amtmann

Furet wrote: »

County Donegal:

Take the N56 from Donegal town to Gweedore, then take the R258 through Derrybeg and Bunbeg to Bloody Foreland. Then double back to Gweedore and take the R251 to Letterkenny, which takes around the base of Mt Errigal with spectacular views of the Derryveagh Mountains. I've driven on an awful lot of roads in Ireland, and this, in my opinion, is the most scenic.

I'll just edit this a bit as I ommitted a key part of the route.

Take the N56 from Donegal town like I said, but then veer left off it and take the R263 heading for Teelin and the Slieve League. The road to the Slieve League is awesome: it's like something out of a Bond movie. It's narrow, windy, and skirts around the edge of a cliff. When you've finished at the cliffs, head back to Carrick (which is on the R263), but then take a local mountain road for the Glengesh Pass. This is almost alpine in appearance. The Glengesh Pass road takes you back onto the N56, and when you're on that proceed to Gweedore, Bunbeg and Bloody Foreland like I said.

Wook

Furet wrote: »

I'll just edit this a bit as I ommitted a key part of the route.

Take the N56 from Donegal town like I said, but then veer left off it and take the R263 heading for Teelin and the Slieve League. The road to the Slieve League is awesome: it's like something out of a Bond movie. It's narrow, windy, and skirts around the edge of a cliff. When you've finished at the cliffs, head back to Carrick (which is on the R263), but then take a local mountain road for the Glengesh Pass. This is almost alpine in appearance. The Glengesh Pass road takes you back onto the N56, and when you're on that proceed to Gweedore, Bunbeg and Bloody Foreland like I said.

This does sounds very nice, going to check this out.

Amtmann

Wook wrote: »

This does sounds very nice, going to check this out.

Let me know how you get on. This route just got better and better for me as I went along it. Loads of sandy beaches along the way too. It was a complete surprise for me. The approach to Bloody Foreland is very cool too, as is the Poison Glen.

fryup

the drive from limerick city to ballybunion co kerry is very nice, as you're hugging the coastline for most of it

and also galway to clifden is superb, fantastic scenery

Owen

In Cork/Kerry :

Borlin
Firie mountain road
Priest Leap
Healy Pass
Black Valley

biko

Glens of Antrim and the coast of NI

CianRyan

fryup wrote: »

the drive from limerick city to ballybunion co kerry is very nice, as you're hugging the coastline for most of it

and also galway to clifden is superb, fantastic scenery

Clifden to Cleggan is also a great drive.
The roads can be a bit bumpy at some points, but the nice parts are great.
Loads of lakes, mountains and all that to look at.
Plenty of vision, plenty of bends, some straight stretchs.

Great area in general.

Berty

How about this? Its the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry - Unsuitable to be driven in tourist season because of damn jaunting cars.

Owen

Same as the Black Valley Berty, one leads into the other. And you can drive it any time of the year if you're up early enough

byhookorbycrook

or go late enough, have done moonlight drive over the gap,spectacular.

SoupyNorman

Just spent the last week driving and camping around the Ring of Kerry with friends from California. Every bend in the road has a spectacular view on the other side.

Picture of Great Skellig on the skellig drive.

mikemac

Corkscrew Hill in West Clare
Never was a road so aptly named!





not a great pic, all I could find
Check it out someday

Amtmann

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Just spent the last week driving and camping around the Ring of Kerry with friends from California. Every bend in the road has a spectacular view on the other side.

Picture of Great Skellig on the skellig drive.

Ah yes, the Skellig Ring. Another magical place. Just make sure you have plenty of fuel in your tank if you plan to stay in Portmagee. There's no filling station there, as I found out to my embarrassment and dismay last summer. I go stranded on a hilltop halfway between the aforementioned Portmagee and Ballinskellig.
Valencia Island is a great place to go to too. I heartily recommend the Moorings inn (opposite the quayside in Portmagee) as a great place to stay if you're doing the Skellig Ring.

qz

Keep 'em coming lads, I've bookmarked this thread for those sweet sweet summer months ahead.

AugustusMaximus

I hear the Healy Pass is very good.

I've done the Connors Pass before on the Dingle Peninsula. Met a bus on a very tight section which wasn't nice.

ianobrien

Mine are

Healy Pass - Cork to Kerry. Now there's one test of torque, handling and brakes down the far side.....

Borlin - Kilgarvan to Bantry

R607 from N71 to Kinsale. One fast road, with every type of bend available

Ring Rally Stage in West Cork

Sheep's Head in Bantry.

HashSlinging

Deputies Pass
Rathdrum
Laragh
R115

CianRyan

Just thought as people seem to be adding pics of the places.
Here's a pic of how the roads around Connemara generally are.


You rarely meet another car around these parts either. I'm yet to actually drive a car here, only ever been a passenger.:(
Got a shot of a bike around there though... God that was fun.:D

bazz26

Connor's Pass Co. Kerry

TestTransmission

fryup wrote: »

the drive from limerick city to ballybunion co kerry is very nice, as you're hugging the coastline for most of it

+1 ,lovely drive..made the trip to the Ballybunion on Friday,,passenger tho.so I got a few pints in

stealthyspeeder

R_H_C_P wrote: »

dingle peninsula. That whole area alone is a nice drive.

+1 on this!

I started a thread on this a while back which sank like a stone with no replies!:(

Anyway the best road for driving which I have driven on in Ireland is the road in Leitrim which links Carrick on Shannon with Balinamore! Its simply Epic when driven fast and never any traffic on saturday or Sunday afternoons!

Wook

I like the pictures here, very nice roads , very nice scenery.

wellbutty

Corkscrew Hill in West Clare

Traffic lights on it now halfway up due to drainage works so a perfect chance to admire it!

How about this? Its the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry - Unsuitable to be driven in tourist season because of damn jaunting cars.

Drove the gap on a summer saturday 2 years ago, those jaunting car fellas are ignorant b*stards...it's not their private road! Here are some pics along with one looking down on Valencia Island (which is a hairy and amazing drive as well)