Dublin & the West

What to expect the moment you arrive

Ireland in late spring is all daffodils and impossible green. Dublin is compact and easy to walk, the countryside is two hours away in any direction, and everywhere you go someone will talk to you — which as two women travelling together felt more like being looked after than bothered. We split our time between the city, the Wicklow and Cork side, and the Atlantic coast at the Cliffs of Moher.

Arrival notes

Dublin Airport is 30–40 minutes from the city; the Airlink and Aircoach buses are cheap and run constantly, no rental car needed for the city. Pick up a car only for the countryside legs — and remember you're driving on the left, with hedgerow lanes narrower than you expect.

Getting around

Dublin is entirely walkable, with the Luas tram and a Leap card for anything further. For the Cliffs of Moher and the west, either drive or take a day coach from Dublin or Galway. Weather changes hourly — a real rain jacket beats an umbrella every time.

Highlights

• 01Walk the cliff path at the Cliffs of Moher — the stone wall trail past the sheep fields is better than the visitor centre viewpoint.
• 02The Long Room at Trinity College Old Library. Book the earliest slot; by mid-morning it is shoulder to shoulder.
• 03Blarney Castle and its gardens — go for the grounds even if you skip the stone.
• 04Powerscourt Estate gardens in Wicklow, an easy day trip from Dublin.
• 05A pint at The Brazen Head, Ireland's oldest pub, then trad music around the corner.
• 06Stay one night in a village B&B on the west coast and wake up to that window view.

From our trip

Photos taken by us, on the ground.