Driving Ireland: A 7-day Exploratory Adventure

After our overnight flight from Boston to London, we then took a short domestic flight to Dublin. From there, we grabbed our rental car and drove the M1 north to Belfast, Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. We enjoyed beautiful vistas and a side quest through Castlewellan Forest Park.

Back on the A24, we headed into Belfast for our first night at the Hilton Belfast hotel. Check in was a breeze and our room had a great view of the H&W cranes. We had a delicious, easy dinner at the hotel’s Riverside Restaurant, then a good night’s sleep!

Early in the morning, we hopped in our car and drove the coast of Belfast Lough to Larne. We had a quick coffee and small cafe breakfast, then met the historians and caretakers of The Gobbins, first opened in 1902. The tour path is an awe-inspiring coastal cliff walk, through tunnels, caves and across bridges spanning the cliffs and cold North Channel. We saw a pod of dolphins, puffins and multiple nesting bird colonies! After this 3-hour, 3-mile journey we hopped back in our car for some more adventure.

We followed the Northern Coast Road into Knocknacarry and visited the Cushendun Caves (Game of Thrones fans, you know it?), then grabbed some fish and chips and a Magners, at Mary McBride’s. We hopped onto the A2 and drove out to Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site. And truly, words cannot describe the shades of green, rock formations and the feelings you get standing there taking it all in!

We were wiped out by this point and headed back to Belfast via the A26 to have some dinner. We ended up in Saint Anne’s Square and ate a delicious Italian meal at Coppi. After dessert and a drink, we headed back for bed.

We made our way over to Established Coffee for breakfast, then we drove around the city and took in some of the murals, most being left over from The Troubles. Note: Viator offers an incredible private chauffeured history and mural tour.

We then visited the Titanic Museum and SS Nomadic. The museum has done an amazing job of respecting those individuals lost in this tragedy and those left behind, while providing an immersive and intimate historical experience. After we finished exploring the museum and the SS Nomadic, we walked back toward the Titanic’s original slip and viewed one of the many Game of Thrones’ stained-glass windows scattered around the city.

Then, amid the stunning barrel-vaulted ceiling, in what was the original Harland & Wolff offices, where the Titanic was designed, we had a casual, yet enticing lunch at Drawing Office Two.

We then drove out to Belfast Castle for an astounding view of the city. The architecture, the gardens and grounds are so beautifully maintained that it is no wonder they host many weddings and events. We headed back into the city center and returned to our hotel. After freshening up, we walked over to Millar’s Grill & Seafood where we proceeded to have another impeccable meal. I also had one of the best espresso martinis ever, and the service was spectacular.

After checking out of the Hilton Belfast, we took the A22 towards Strangford Lough and Killyleagh. We parked on High Street, grabbed a coffee and pastry at Krust Cafe, and walked over to Killyleagh Castle. A family does live there, so we took some amazing photos outside and then moved on.

We continued on the A22 to Inch Abbey and spent some time wandering the grounds in the rain. There was only one other soul there, a local man with his spaniel. We chatted for quite some time about his life there and the history of the abbey. He kindly took a few photos for us, so we didn’t have to selfie them all and said, “Slán go fóill” (Goodbye for now).

Off we went, taking the A25 to Castle Ward, where we wandered inside the castle itself with its stunning architecture and the estate grounds (again, where are my GoT fans?), with its miles of multi-use trails and outbuildings. There are many ways to explore this 18th century mansion, including self-guided or guided tours, horseback, cycling, walking, et cetera.

We then traveled further south into Clough, then Newry, and then took the M1 right into Dublin where we checked into the Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin. We ate a delicious dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Liberties Gate, and then called it a night.

We headed out of the city center for breakfast at The Dropping Well. Amazing coffee, check. Stunning service, check. Delicious, both soft and crispy French toast, check. Then we made our way over to R115, where we took in the most amazing scenery of our trip.

Driving up into the Wicklow Mountains, we passed through Sally Gap, witnessed Glenmacnass Waterfall, and the sun was shining as we made our way down the other side through Glendalough and the Valley of the Two Lakes.

Continuing on to Wicklow, we toured the Historic Gaol (prison) for a little while, while listening to an audio tour, and then explored the Black Castle ruin along the coast. We then headed north through Newcastle and Greystones to the Killruddery House & Gardens in Bray and after wandering around the estate gardens, we moved on to Dalkey Castle & Heritage Center.

We finally headed back into Dublin to rest and recharge for a late dinner. We walked over to Darkey Kelly’s but couldn’t find a table, so we went across the street to The Bull & Castle, and had some incredible steaks and again, amazing service.

We started our second to last day in Ireland with a satisfying shakshuka breakfast at Two Pups Coffee, then headed toward the middle of the island. We had another full day planned and many miles to go! Southwest to Drimnaugh Castle, Dunamase Castle, and Leap Castle. At Leap (or Lep), we met the gentleman that purchased it and was lovingly restoring it bit by bit. He let us tour his home and gave us some interesting history, as well as explaining his restoration process and where he was sourcing his materials, like other castle ruins, old churches, and railyards.

We continued on our trek, visiting Birr Castle Demesne and then north to Clonmacnoise. We spent quite some time wandering this landmark site, full of church ruins and striking headstones. From there we headed into Athlone, the area my family is from, and visited Sean’s Bar—the oldest pub in Ireland, dating back to 900 A.D. After a drink there and some lunch at River View Bistro, we began our return toward Dublin.

We drove by Moydrum Castle and continued on back into the city. After hours of exploring and driving, we were exhausted. We grabbed a delicious pie from Prime Pizza and Kebabs, directly across the street from our hotel. And when I say this man was one of the nicest people we met in Dublin, I mean it! We chatted the entire time he prepared our pizza. We took it back to our room to demolish, clean ourselves up, and pack since we were checking out in the morning for our final hotel stay!

After all the driving yesterday, we opted to explore Dublin on foot. We started by wandering through the Chester Beatty Library Museum and the Dublin Garden. Then, we made our way into Marsh’s Library at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This library was the first public library in Ireland, founded in the 18th century. Some of the oldest printed books in the world are kept or displayed here. As an avid reader, this was honestly one of the highlights for me. And the smell!? My literary friends know what I mean!

After wandering around for the morning, we hopped back in the car and headed to explore Trim Castle, which was one of the most extensive and well-maintained castles that we had seen. From Trim, we ventured over to the Hill of Tara for the rest of our final afternoon. This site is a beautiful, ancient landscape, full of stunning formations, ceremonial sites, and burial grounds.

We made our way back into Dublin to check in to the Conrad Dublin.

After freshening up, we walked through the Iveagh Gardens, St. Stephen’s Green Park, and passed by Huguenot Cemetery on our way to dinner. We had reservations at Brookwood Dublin for my birthday. After a luscious Irish beef filet with choice of sauce (I chose the peppercorn) and sides, and an Argentinian Malbec, we wandered our way back through Fitzwilliam Square and past the Greek embassy (my father-in-law was born just outside of Kalamata). We had dessert and Kopparberg cider waiting in our suite, so we headed in to enjoy that and the last of our time in Ireland.