First Trip to Ireland

[Rmb33]

I’m planning a ten day trip to Ireland for golf, scenery, and pubs (June 2020). My wife and I will stay in bnbs or hotels and rent a car. We’d like to play six or seven rounds. I’d appreciate any recommendations on cities, towns, and courses that were favorites.

[davep043]

Anywhere. Any place you can find a decent golf course will also have nice towns, great scenery, friendly pubs.

I've made 3 visits to Ireland. The "standard" trip is in the southwest, and courses would include Waterville, Old Head, Tralee, Ballybunion, and Lahinch, along with a few others. The town of Killarney is a popular destination, not bad driving distance from most of these courses. I've also been to the north, and enjoyed Ballyliffin, Enniscrone and Carne (around Sligo), and there are a bunch of other good choices there. And I didn't even mention anything in Northern Ireland, but that has its own great courses and great towns. Its difficult to make a poor choice. There are "tourist" opportunities all around too. The list is way too long to go into here, you probably need to do a bit more research and narrow things down a bit on your own.

I do have one bit of advice. If its me, and I have 10 days, I wouldn't stay in more than 3 different places, and I'd prefer just two. I had much more fun while standing (or walking) on my own two feet, as opposed to the time spent seeing the country through the car's windshield.

[Hawkeye77]

What times of year did you visit?

Slightly off topic given OP is going in June, but wondering about the color and splendor of Ireland in September into October. If I went, my preference would be to take in what my traditional, colorful view of Ireland is since I may only get there once, and enjoy longer days. But, don't see much about what it is like into the fall. Not really a golf-related question, more about taking in the sights.

 

[ParParAgain]

To the OP:

I have played 8 of the best links courses in Ireland, and the one course that, for me, was particularly special is TRALEE.

To Hawkeye77:

My tour of ireland was in late September/early October. With the wisdom of hindsight, I would never go that late in the season again. Towards the end of our trip, the unusually high wind and the constant rain, just never stopped. Stated another way, early September good; late September (and October), not good. Just my experience/opinion, of course.

[jvincent]

@Rmb33 , there are so many options in Ireland that it's hard to go wrong.
I will second what @davep043 says about not moving around too much. Pick a couple of places that have some touristy stuff and then play the courses in that area.

[Chanceman]

In line with the above comments, you could probably do a nice loop Dublin, Killarney, Galway with 3/4 nights in each.

Courses to play in that case might be Portmarnock/The Island in Dublin, Tralee /Ballybunion from Killarney and Lahinch/Connemara near Galway.

These are all links courses so you might want some variation . We played Macreddin a very good (and inexpensivE) valley type course near Dublin, and Druids Glen of course is quite good.

I would not want to miss the Ring Of Kerry , the Cliffs of Moher or one of the ancient sites like Tara.

Enjoy the Craic!!

[Malvern]

Pretty good trip @davep043 laid out, he also mentioned NI, I like doing the loop up to Portrush, (3hrs drive from Dublin).

Stay a couple of days in Dublin, play Portmarnock, drive to Drogheda and play County Louth, on the same day head to Newcastle and stay at Slieve Donard for 2 nights and play Royal County Down and Ardglass, then head up to Portrush and play at Portstewart and Royal Portrush. Head back to Dublin via Belfast.

[Chanceman]

Here is your problem. In 10 days you can only do one half of the island. Last year 2 of us drove totally around playing almost every main course and it took 3 weeks.

I think the main options are

1) is the SW route Dublin/Killarney/Galway loop (playing Ballybunion/Tralee/Lahinch),

2) is the NI route Dublin/RCD/ Portrush/ Sligo loop (playing Royal County Down/ R Portrush / Ballyliffin / Rosses Point) and

3) might be NW route Dublin/ RCD / Sligo/ Galway (playing RCD / Rosses Point / Enniscrone / Carne )

You will have to decide what you would like to see tourist-wise. There are brilliant courses wherever you go so you will enjoy whatever you choose.

btw Irish roads are usually quite narrow and it takes longer from A to B than it looks. Although the freeway system has improved a lot.

[davep043]

Just a mention of one tourist attraction. On my most recent visit, we stopped at the Slieve League cliffs during our drive from Ballyliffin to Enniscrone. These cliffs are about 3 times as high as the more famous Cliffs of Moher. They don't have quite the same visual impact, but they're really dramatic in their own right.

[MeFore]

Hiya

courses would be dictated by budget and locations you plan to stay at. Also parklands or links. I’m an average player and would recommend the following (budget allowing)

 

parklands: in no order

Killeen at Killarney. Mount Juliet, Fota Island, Adare, Carlton House,

 

links: in no order

 

ballybunion old course, Dooks, Royal County Down, Portmarnack, Lahinch, Royal Portrush.

if you want a heads up on any other courses then pop me a message.

[Serenity Now]

Do not underestimate how long it takes to drive from one place to another. We went in September and drove from Dublin to Galway to Lahinch, the ring of Kerry, Cobh, Tipperary then back to Dublin and it is a serious drive. I am going in August and staying in Letterkenny and playing most of the great links courses of the north west. Pick an area and stay there. Do like I did and just go back again and again. It is such an amazing place. You seriously cannot make a wrong decision

[Rmb33]

I’m leaning toward three to four nights in the Sligo area and the same near Letterkenny. Any recommendations on hotels or bnbs in those areas? Any less famous courses that you really enjoyed? I appreciate all

[Chanceman]

We stayed at Yeats Lodge B&B in Drumcliff (close to Sligo) which was very good. Sort of a modern purpose built BnB with a view of Benbulben. Dont know about Letterkenny.

Donegal is a solid golf course as are Ballyliffin (Glashedy), Sligo (Rosses Point), Enniscrone and I will tell you about Carne after I go there in May.

Connemara might be too far from Sligo but worth a trip as the road passes Kylemore Abbey.

Cruitt Island is supposed to be a top notch 9 holer.

Its a remote and awesome corner of Ireland.

 

[davep043]

I stayed at the Waterfront House in Enniscrone, a little ways west of Sligo, and really enjoyed it. You can see the dunes of the Enniscrone Golf Course across the bay, and Carne is something like an hour drive. The other Sligo courses, at Strandhill and Rosses Point, are within about an hour as well. We also stayed at the Ballyliffin Townhouse Hotel in Ballyliffin, played both courses there. That's probably a little further north than you're looking for, but it was a lovely spot.

[dcmidnight]

Any thoughts on where to fly into for a SW trip? While Shannon is mentioned so often since its geographically closer - it is way easier from DC to find nonstops into Dublin. We wont be renting a car but will only be looking at a 2.5-3 hour drive from Dublin to our first stop and about the same back to Dublin on the back end. Shannon might be closer but if it costs me a 2-3 hour layover, plus the Dublin-Shannon flight, plus a drive from there - we're wondering if its even worth it.

Plus to me having done the flight to Edinburgh - a nonstop flight means thats one less chance your bags get lost in transit.

edit - its 3:15 from Dublin to our first stop and 2:15 on the back end. So - sameish.

[davep043]

I've flown through Shannon every time I've gone to Ireland, I don't know anything about the Dublin airport as far as ease of use, congestion, any of those factors. If you're using a local driver, I'd ask them for guidance, they'll know more than most occasional visitors.

[alfriday]

I used this drive time calculator when putting together trips.

Ireland Driving Distance Calculator, Driving Directions, Distance Between Cities, Distance Chart

While the site gives distances between locations, it more importantly gives travel times between locations. The estimated times were pretty close to what I experienced.

[thechief16]

@dcmidnight FWIW, Ive found that the Shannon airport is much easier to navigate. We had nightmare lines for both check in and US immigration in Dublin.
I'd also not sleep on the NW coast of Ireland. Donegal GC, Narin & Portnoo, Rosapenna, Portsalon, and if you can get there, Cruits Island.

[duffer987]

@dcmidnight DUB is like any other mid-sized international airport. Arrive the same time as some other big international flights and they haven't laid on the staff to handle it, you could be in for a long wait. Don't play on your arrival day (or at least schedule it) and no worries. On the way out, get there 3hrs before and no worries - all things being equal.
Once you get through the M50 it should be fine but getting around Dublin during regular business hours and/or rush hour can be crap. That estimated 3hrs (I'm guessing Cork/Kinsale?) to your destination could become 4hrs easy, plus any traffic on the Cork end if you are trying to get around/through it to Kinsale.
But if you are using a car service, then that's their job to sort all that out. If you have picked one already just share your arrive/depart times and they'll know what to do :-)

[ChuckZ1956]

My wife and I did a two week trip several years ago doing both NW and SW Ireland. We flew nonstop in and out of Shannon (if I remember correctly went through Customs both ways at Shannon, which was great) with three other couples and headed to the NW with a van and driver for the first week. Played at Sligo (in the rain), Enniscrone (seem to recall a few blind shots), Connemara and Carne (twice, including once in a driving rain that drove some in the group to bail on the round but was still a great experience). Personal favorites were Carne and Connemara. After dropping the others at the airport and picking up a rental car, my wife and headed SW for the second week and played Ballybunion (both), Tralee, Lahinch, Waterville and Doonbeg (personal favorites were Tralee and Waterville). Great trip, not a bad course among them, people were incredibly friendly and even playing in bad weather (I remember thinking if it was raining, as windy, or as raw at home as it was when we played Carne, I wouldn't be playing), was all part of the experience. No matter which areas you decide to visit or which courses you choose, you will have a great time.

[gulpeg]

Wow, so much to do/see. So many great answers above.

First question, have you ever been before? If not, just do Dublin.

It's a fantastic city with so much history and tourist stuff and you don't have to travel very far to play quality.

Portmarnock, The Island, Royal Dublin, St. Anne's, Baltray/County Louth (about and hour drive north), K Club (30 mins)

Otherwise, you kinda have to divide the country in quarters and pick and area. In addition, check into flying into or our of Shannon/Dublin. This way you won't have to double back and can plan a trip in one direction.

Have a great time.