Looking like a road tour of Ireland for this years hols –
Ms S has already done the Ring Of Kerry, I’ve done lots of the South West before, so looking for other recommendations for a weeks holiday.
We might go back there, but there must be other great places to see.

Love the independant hostels in Ireland, so we won’t be camping, we’d like some recommendations for a nice, hostel/b&b based, tour.

60-70 miles a day absolute max, probably a bit less if it’s lagging it down.

Nice places, pubs, hostels, b&b’s, music, roads & scenery if possible.
We’d like to see some of Northern Ireland as well, as neither of us has done much sightseeing there before, just weekend trips.
Quite fancy a stop in Belfast.

Many thanks in advance.

Ring of Kerry is very nice isn’t it. The whole west coast is great. Dingle peninsula, hills around Tralee, cliffs of moher ,galway, boat out to one of the islands, ballycroy national park. That’s probably too much for one trip but the roads are quiet so it’s easy to eat up the miles.

Rusty definately consider NI and perhaps Donegal in the north west. These two websites will give you some good ideas.

http://www.cycleni.com/national-cycle-network/

http://www.walkni.com/ulsterway/

I’d consider maybe making your way to Fermanagh, then into Donegal for a few days, Derry and then the North Antrim coast back to Belfast. Stops in Bushmills (distillery and Giants Causeway),Rathlin Island (good bird watching) then the Glens of Antrim before Belfast.

Plenty of opportunity for pubs, live music and awesome scenery along the way. I live over here so feel free to emial, in profile, if you want more info.

Thanks for that, it looks perfect.

Will have a good read and drop you a line, if you don’t mind?

No problem at all fire away

I’m having a week in Donegal in late june/early july, followed by a few nights in Dublin

West coast all good. Burren and see Fr. Ted’s parochial house. Through Galway and Connemara. Quiet rosds through Mayo, Sligo and into Donegal. You can head along the coast past Derry onto Limavady, Portrush and onto Bushmills and Giants Causeway.
Its all good – just pick the bit you fancy. Susrans maps available for the North.

I’ve been thinking about this too. Apparently there’s a very cheap return train/ferry combo you can do – saw it on Seat 61.

Rail and sail is your friend

http://www.seat61.com/NorthernIreland.htm#.URtXgR002xo

http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/rail-and-sail/

wicklow is the best spot for on and off road cycling in ireland.

Try the whole of the a2 coast road, from Derry/Londonderry 2013 city of culture around many of our best tourist bits via Belfast down to the mournes and beyond. Pretty fabulous road. Things to see, well Derry’s walls and its history, scenery from binevenagh mountain via the national cycle route, mussenden castle and the national trust grounds outside Castlerock (my second home) to portstewart for an ice cream on the prom, portrush for a cheesy holiday resort with great waves, out to the Dunluce Castle, the bushmills distillery, the Carrick a rede rope bridge and giants causeway… Oh, there is an amazing coastal path that is rideable on an mtb, with stiles and steps, but stunning… Then bsllycastle and the glens of Antrim, er, skip Larne, down into Belfast (my first home, if you need a pub guide…) Round the coast to portaferry, across on the ferry to Castleward another BT property, then onwards towards Downpatrick, Newcastle, the mournes and beyond, along carlingford Lough past the new trails at rostrevor and on to Newry. Sounds like a plan!