Long weekends are beyond deadly.
They’re even better when you have something planned to look forward to.
If, like me, you’ve somehow managed to forget that there is in-fact a bank holiday at the beginning of August, then you’re probably in ah-shite-I-need-to-get-something-booked-or-I’ll-be-stuck-in-the-gaff-for-three-days mode.
Fear not – here’s a handful of top-notch Irish road trips that pose the perfect cocktail of adventure, craic agus ceol.
Option #1 – The County Kerry Route
Photo © The Irish Road Trip
The where
County Kerry.
The Why
If you haven’t driven around Kerry before, then you’re missing out big style. I promise you, it’s a route that is absolutely guaranteed to enrichen your mind and soul (you can hold me to that).
Packed to the brim with countless areas of unparalleled natural beauty, you’ll ram a silly amount of adventure into three days.
Photo © The Irish Road Trip
• Inch Beach (try to get here for sunset – here’s why)
• The Slea Head Drive (mind will be blown)
• Valentia Island (my favourite place in Ireland)
• Killarney National Park
• Dun Chaoin pier
• The Gap of Dunloe
Photo © The Irish Road Trip
The route
Here’s a route I’ve taken a couple of times before. It’s nice and handy to follow and it’ll ensure that you pack as much into the few days as physically possible.
Option #2 – Cruise Along the Causeway Coastal Route
The Antrim coastline: Photo via Tourism Ireland
The where
The County Antrim coastline.
The why
Rated one of the top five road trips in the world, the Causeway Coastal route offers the perfect combination of rugged coastline, dramatic towering cliffs and gorgeous little villages and towns.
For those of you looking to give it a bash over the October Bank Holiday Weekend, two days is a perfect amount of time to soak up a good dollop of adventure.
Photo by @storytravelers via Tourism Ireland
• The Dark Hedges (one for you Game of Thrones fans)
• The Giants Causeway
• Torr Head (a little off the beaten track, but an amazing place altogether)
• Dunluce Castle (a castle that hugs a cliff… no, really)
• The Gobbins
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge: Photo by Art Ward via Tourism Ireland
The route
Here’s a handy guide to help you plan your trip from start to finish!
Option #3 – The only cracking County Clare route
Photo © The Irish Road Trip
The where
County Clare.
The why
The County Clare route is one I’ve done quite recently. It’s my go-to Irish escape for a couple of reasons – firstly, it’s easy to pack in an absolute tonne of stuff as everything is within reasonable driving distance to where I live, and secondly, because you can perch yourself in the charming little town of Doolin.
Book into a hostel in Doolin, and you’ve got yourself a base camp with a heap of cosy little pubs to return home to after a busy day exploring.
Father Ted’s House, County Clare: Photo by Ben Riordan
• Father Ted’s house (here’s how to find it without getting lost!)
• The Doolin Cave
• The Burren
• Inis Oirr (grab a ferry from Doolin pier and step onto an island that’ll melt your heart)
Here’s a little gander at 48 hours I spent in Clare with a friend last October to hopefully give you a bit of inspiration.
The route
This’ll change based on what you want to see and when, but here’s the route I took in December of last year.
It may look a little bit all over the place, but that’s because we drove to Doolin, checked into a hostel, visited the cliffs, and then went back to Doolin for the night, before visiting the Burren and Father Teds house the following day!
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.