Thinking of taking a vacation on Ireland’s Southern Coast?

Munster – Cork, Blarney Castle, Ring of Kerry, Ring of Dingle, Killarney
The rugged beauty of Irelands’ southern coast has inspired poets, painters and patriots for centuries.  Cork was the major point of embarkation and the last sight of Ireland for most of the mass exodus of emigrants who gave birth to the Irish Diaspora across the globe.  Munster gave birth to, and claimed the life of, Michael Collins one of the greatest patriots of the Irish struggle for freedom.
Nearby is also the world famous Blarney Castle – home of the Blarney Stone.

Blarney Stone

Ring of Kerry

Bus tours of the Ring of Kerry and Ring of Dingle peninsulas offer breathtaking views of Ireland’s rugged southwest coastline – trust me you will be glad you are not driving when you see the cliffs plunging downward off of the hairpin turns.  After seeing Cork it is best to move your base of operations to Killarney – from which you can choose among the different coach tour s for your exploration of the Rings of Kerry and Dingle.

Connaught –
Galway, Aran Islands, the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara region, Achill Island

Cliffs of Dun Aengus

Of all Irelands’ provinces Connaught has perhaps the most colorful, and painful past – its severe beauty is certainly my favorite. As a nature lover and avid outdoorsman I typically spend more time in Connaught than any of the other provinces in Ireland.  The delightful and historic college town of Galway, “perhaps the best city in Ireland,” offers a surprising history from medieval to modern times, a thriving theatre culture, diverse restaurants and many shops offering the beautiful handmade Irish crafts of the region from linen tablecloths, wool sweaters and jewelry (the home of the “Irish wedding band” or Claddagh is nearby) – of course they have their fair share of pubs as well.

Day Trips from Galway:
Don’t miss the unique experience of the Aran Islands, ferries run to two different islands (Inishmore and Inishmaan) where you can see and feel the culture of the west of Ireland that is disappearing elsewhere, and is home of the world famous Aran Sweater – the beautiful, hand knit sweaters with distinctive weaves unique to, and named after, each individual weaver and come with labels certifying their authenticity as being sold within the village where they are made.  You may take a tour of the island in a trap (a small horse-drawn buggy native to the area) or on bicycle to visit beautiful ancient churches or bronze-age ruins such as Dun Aengus (on Inishmore) a 3,000 year old fort atop a soaring 100 meter cliff.  Available as either a day tour or overnight -there are accommodations offered on the island for those interested in a more detailed exploration of the island.

Cliffs of Moher

Pulnabrone Dolmen

South from Galway and available by day coach tour are the beauties of County Clare – the Burren is an unique landscape of beauty with windswept views of the North Atlantic and many ancient ruins, portal tombs and dolmens (also known as the Druid’s Altar), as well as the Cliffs of Moher offering stunning views of the North Atlantic from over 700 feet high.

You may recognize the cliffs even if you’ve never been there – many popular movies have taken advantage of their unique beauty and dramatic shoreline over the years as they have been used to set the scene in “Ryan’s Daughter,” “The Princess Bride,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and “Leap Year.”
North from Galway and also available by coach tour is the Connemara region, another natural beauty of mountains, lakes and coastline as well as the home of the world famous Connemara pony and the beautiful Kylemore Abbey.
Much of the movie “The Quiet Man” was filmed in the Connemara and the nearby town of Cong.

Cong

A personal favorite is a visit to Achill Island.  Located on the north side of Clew Bay less than an hour northwest of Westport you can access Achill Island by car or bus over the Michael Davitt Bridge.  Achill has much to offer to anyone who appreciates the beauty of the west of Ireland or dramatic seascapes, it has four blue-flag beaches, and also maintains a strong cultural identity.  An enjoyable driving tour of the island would include following the Atlantic Drive along the southern coast of the island that has been carved by Atlantic storms over the centuries, take a detour to drive to the top of the Minaun Cliffs which offer breathtaking views in every direction, and then continue on to the village of Keel – set at one end of a beautiful three mile strand (beach) with the Minaun Cliffs at the other.  From Keel continue west towards the lovely Keem strand to see more plunging landscapes down to the ocean.   If you enjoy hiking, Achill Island has much to offer as well; from Keem a short but energetic hike will take you up to the cliffs above Achill Head with views out over the open Atlantic from hundreds of feet of elevation.  More ambitious hikers can tackle the two mountains on the island – Croaghuan (2,182 feet) which is across the valley from the cliffs at Keem strand has 1,000 foot cliffs dropping off of its north side, and Slievemore (2,201 feet – one mile north of the village of Keel) which is also home to megalithic and bronze age ruins located just above the island’s most popular site for tourism – the Deserted Village – which was abandoned following the Great Famine and whose cottages constructed of stone without mortar still stand and serve as a stark reminder of a dark, painful period in Ireland’s history.  Achill Island is also home to Kildavnet Castle one of Grace O’Malley’s homes when she was raiding the shipping lanes to and from the port of Galway – Grace is also popularly remembered as Granuaile or the Pirate Queen.

The last week of July Achill Island plays host to the festival Scoil Acla which is a weeklong celebration of Gaelic culture and features traditional music, verse, dancing, singing and basket weaving.  During the week of Scoil Acla it may be difficult to find lodging on the island, but it is well worth the effort as each night the traditional music and singing fills each pub on the island with a festive Gaelic atmosphere.

Ulster – Giant’s Causeway

The Giants’ Causeway is a remarkable natural beauty along the coastline of Antrim.  The counties of Ulster that are in the Republic of Ireland have their own beauty and points of interest, in particular, Donegal which served as the backdrop for Leon Uris’ bestseller and tome of the Irish Diaspora, Trinity