Two night road trip to west of Ireland

Tusky · 22-03-2022 2:57pm #1

Heya folks,

I know this forum is normally for planning foreign trips but wasn't sure where to post this elsewhere. I'm trying to show a foreigner the west coast. We have two nights, beginning and ending in Dublin city. We will be leaving Dublin early Friday morning and driving west, returning Sunday early evening. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it. I have been all over the west before and Kerry or Donegal are my favorites - but it might be a bit far for this amount of time?

Thoughts on this rough plan? Is there a better option?

Friday: Dublin to Cliffs of Moher. Then drive to Galway city via the coast road. Stay the night in Galway.

Saturday: Drive to Clifden and do the Sky Road. Stay the night in Clifden.

Sunday: Drive to Kylemore Abbey for lunch, then back to Dublin.

Andrea B. · 25-03-2022 6:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058238406/two-night-road-trip-to-west-of-ireland

Sounds great as is.

For last step, maybe ensure scenic Inagh Valley route back to Galway via Recess.

xl500 · 25-03-2022 7:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118832471#Comment_118832471

Great recommendation if the weather is as it's forecast then the Inagh Valley will be stunning

Ficheall · 25-03-2022 7:36am

Have you been to the Aran Islands?

Tusky · 25-03-2022 4:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118832471#Comment_118832471

I'll make sure to do that, thanks! I was thinking of doing the coast road on the way there and the inland road (via Inagh Valley) on the way back.

Tusky · 25-03-2022 4:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118832538#Comment_118832538

Never. But I imagine we would need more time?

25-03-2022 4:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118835008#Comment_118835008

An Aran Island can be done nicely on a weekend, especially one of the two smaller ones. Book accom, then a flight, drive to Inveran airport where there’s tons of parking for weekend. Spend 2 nights over on the island. A day’s walking will entirely cover a small island and allow for an evening at the pub. I booked a flight for a certain time to Inisheer, was the only passenger when I arrived at airport, pilot said he was going out to pick someone up there and I could come on board earlier than my schedule, so it turned out like a private air taxi and aircraft went up almost vertically like a helicopter with the light load!

Returning to Dublin, you can go all the way by motorway, or break the journey and enjoy a stop to visit somewhere, eg the lake at Loughrea has a surprising beach area, or a visit to Athlone Castle could be fitted in to vary the weekend.

Tusky · 25-03-2022 7:55pm

That sounds amazing. I don’t think we’ll do it this time around but it’s on the to do list now, thanks!

Ficheall · 25-03-2022 7:58pm

I was just thinking you could go from the Cliffs (they're about a half an hour's worth of a stop, right?) to the islands via ferry in the morning and then ferry over to Galway in the evening. You'd see a nice bit of the big island in an afternoon - or all of it if you're up for a decent cycle. Depends how you feel about boats.

fits · 25-03-2022 8:54pm

I wouldn’t bother with cliffs on a two day trip. Just do Galway and Connemara. Plenty in that.

Tusky · 26-03-2022 1:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118836206#Comment_118836206

But they only take 30 odd mins and are on the way?

We have cruelly decided to stay outside Galway due to the cost of hotels in the city. The prices are mad!

Space Dog · 29-03-2022 9:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837255#Comment_118837255

You can easily spend +2 hours walking the cliff paths in both directions if you go further than the walled areas. You'll get nicer views off the beaten track as well.

If you take the coast road towards Galway you can stop off at Fanore Beach and Aillwee Cave (if caves are your thing, they're interesting enough for a visit).

When staying in Clifden you should also take a spin to Roundstone and Dog's Bay, it's not far and definitely worth it if the weather is nice.

Omey Island/Beach is also close to Clifden, quite interesting as it's a tidal island.

Tusky · 29-03-2022 2:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118850590#Comment_118850590

That's helpful thanks. I think we will take the coastal road from Galway to Clifden (seems to take about 2 hours?) stopping off at Roundstone/Dog's Bay and a couple of other places along the way.

On Sunday we're gonna go Clifden -> Kylemore Abbey -> Misunderstood Heron and then drive back to Galway/Dublin via Recess / Inagh Valley. It's a bit of an awkward way to do it, as it involves driving back the way we came for about 30 mins, but can't think of a better way.

Paddy@CIRL · 29-03-2022 3:03pm

If I could make a suggestion based on your route which avoids overlap and takes in a lot of the WAW & Connemara. I've done a couple of pretty thorough recce runs of the area over the last few years for some advertising campaigns.

Day One - Dublin to Kilkee Cliffs, and make your way back to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher and the road past Fanore Beach towards Ballyvaughan. From there you could easily head towards Kinvarra and back onto the M18 towards Galway.

Day Two - I would travel early from Galway to Westport, then make my way through Connemara. Doolough, Leenaun, Kylemore Abbey and then the Sky Road back towards to Clifden.

Day Three - From Clifden to Ballyconneely and towards Dog's Bay, Roundstone and the Pine Island Viewpoint before a straight run back to Dublin.

Tusky · 29-03-2022 3:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852203#Comment_118852203

Thanks for this suggestion.

What is the purpose of going to Westport - to stop off? Or just so you can drive through Connemara from the north?

And am I right in saying this route skips Inagh Valley? Sounds great otherwise.

Bawnmore · 29-03-2022 3:24pm

Kylemore is just beyond the road through Inagh Valley - you could backtrack 5 mins and head across it towards Clifden. Doolough is a spectacular drive.

Tusky · 29-03-2022 3:40pm

Is this what you mean? It adds quite a lot of time going up as far as Doolough.

Also, would you be missing out on nice scenery by taking that route rather than Moycullen/Oughterard/Maam Cross way?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852290#Comment_118852290

Good shout.

Tusky · 29-03-2022 3:49pm

I've just reaslied there is also a Doo Lough in Galway, which I imagine is the one you were talking about! That makes more sense. How about this route then? Have tweaked slightly to take in Misunderstood Heron (as I've heard good things) and the Inagh Valley.

[edit] On second glance I think Paddy@CIRL's route on day two takes in the Inagh Valley on the way back.

Tusky · 29-03-2022 4:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852414#Comment_118852414

Is it yeah? Probably not possible to do it that way if doing the above route though.

Paddy@CIRL · 29-03-2022 4:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852256#Comment_118852256

Pretty much, just use Westport as a quick access point for Connemara which gets you pointing back in the right direction home without having to double back on yourself. I don't think you can go too far wrong, even a wrong return is usually rewarded in that part of the world!

Tusky · 29-03-2022 5:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852482#Comment_118852482

Grand. And should I do Galway to Westport via the N84 or N59 - or does it matter?

Two night road trip to west of Ireland

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