Another recommendation for the Dingle Peninsula, top 3 for us were good mountain walking with stunning views, exporing the far end of the peninsula and history (Blasket museum was great) and the Inn we stayed in at Cloughane. Peat fires, whisky and meeting new people.
We are booked...
A few wobbles with rural campsites and their, ahem, lack of tech and websites to take payment or even booking in some cases. But I think we are nearly there.
So far- our 16 days looks like:
Belfast, up Slieve Donard, and Dublin with son in tow.
Then just mrs_OAB and I go Dublin to Beara Peninsula for a bike ride.
Then Kerry, Skellig Michael and up Carrantounhill.
Then a few days at most westerly campsite in Europe(?) on Dingle Peninsula for a ride and up Brandon Mountain.
Finishing up at the Aran Islands, with the only frustration that we cannot take bikes on the islands, and a final beer in Galway city.
Fingers crossed for the weather and good waterproofs...
sounds good, what is the issue with the Aran Islands, is it transporting the bikes that's the problem?
The ferries will not take bikes either in season (mid July & August) - apparently too crowded on board.
One company also states no ebikes - which mrs_oab has.
Just frustrating we will hire bikes rather than use ours which will be sat at the campsite...
Make sure to book Skellig Michael in good time - it’s got popular & numbers are limited.
There will be loads of bike to hire on the Aran Islands; I recommend checking out Dún Aonghasa & the wormhole on Inis Mór.
And definitely do the Slea Head drive on the bikes when you are in Dingle.
Give me a shout when you are in Belfast/ the Mournes; I can recommend some good pubs & restaurants.
edited, forgotten I’d posted on this a month ago. My debate with myself is taking my car across to Wales, then ferry, or fly and hire. Easiest is drive, because public transport to Bristol Airport isn’t that easy, it would require a coach, I think.
Then Kerry, Skellig Michael and up Carrantounhill
i know you’re fairly experienced but Carrauntoohil regularly bites people on the arse (and occasionally fatally), it’s a proper job if the weather gets crappy.
If you’re not sorted for that part of Iveragh there’s a very good hostel in our village which would put you in the middle for all that;
or as mentioned up above camping at Renard.
If you are at Renard and like seafood O’Neills at Renard point is a must.
Sceilg Mhichíl (you will be in the Gaeltacht after all ;)) is very very busy post Star Wars so as Donncha said book early. (Mrs kilo has just said “ Don’t ****ing do it” we had quite a rough trip out there!!!!!).
The Sceilg ring is also a very good cycle and doesn’t get the tourist traffic of the ring of Kerry. There’s a nice short, for you anyway, walk at Bolus Head that direction and good food at St Finians bay (Drift wood Cafe and the Hake Hatch).
There was a Ben Fogle programme on Blasket Island off Dingle the other day, maybe you could put that on your island hit-list.
When are you there?
edited, forgotten I’d posted on this a month ago. My debate with myself is taking my car across to Wales, then ferry, or fly and hire<br /><br />
It’s quite a long drive across Wales, the last bit is very slow although they were upgrading the road last year, we vary rarely take that option doing fly hire and then get the smallest car available.
Last time we drove was when car hire was horrendous just after lockdown and we were over for three and a bit weeks in retrospect we should have just taken the hit, although we have to drive back to London, as it’s a long schlep.
I take it thats Campáil Teach an Aragail ?
Say Hello to TP, the old guy who runs it from me. Absolute diamond of a guy.
The Dingle peninsular has got so much to explore.
If your heading up from there the Arran Islands are you staying at Nagels ? If so Say Hi to Ken... another character, he owns the site. The drive between Dingle and Nagels is pretty dull to be honest. Spare some time to explore around the Burren while your up that way.
Cheers kilo.
We are in ireland 5th-21st July.
We're at Mannix Head campsite and looking to do
Sceilg Mhichíl (check my local knowledge.... ) on 15th...
thanks for the reply re Aran, I had not realised the ferries would not take bikes in the summer, I was thinking of doing a trip out west this year so will look at going outside the peak season, perhaps June 👍
hope you have a good trip 🚵
We’re at Mannix Head campsite
Mike Murts or The Shebeen at the other end of town for beers, The Point for dinners. Petit Delice for coffee or lunch. Eamon Casey if you need any bike repairs. There’s also an Aldi in town if you need to restock.
Quells or similar can be very useful for Sceilg Mhichíl. I really enjoyed the trip there, Mrs K and her mother less so. If the boat goes from Ballinskelligs peer it used to be the case that there were no cafes or anything after you got off back on the mainland which on a wet day could be depressing. If it’s from Portmagee you’l be fine.
thanks for the reply re Aran, I had not realised the ferries would not take bikes in the summer, I was thinking of doing a trip out west this year so will look at going outside the peak season, perhaps June
If you book single tickets or stay overnight, they have limited capacity by agreement with captain.
Campáil Teach an Aragail
Yes
are you staying at Nagels
No, at O'Connors in the village.
For those looking into the stena line ferry you can trade in Tesco club card points for 3x value against ferry bookings up to a max value. Liverpool Belfast is not included I don’t think.
there’s a good wee book about walks on the peninsulas down here in Kerry The Dingle, Iveragh & Beara Peninsulas: A Walking Guide (Walking Guides) https://amzn.eu/d/3C5OqAy
Personally I’d avoid Killarney town as it’s very touristy with loads of new balance wearing Americans in peak seasons.
for mtbing maybe search for Tralee Bay MTB club.
Also if you’re staying at Mannix the stations of the cross walk at Cnoc na dTobar is close by, over the water in Caherciveen and a good couple of hours stroll (i.e quite a stiff walk up a bloody great hill with religious iconography)
Would the Manchester Killarney flight work for a Carrauntoohil visit without hiring a car? Last time I checked car hire was off the scale, but that might have been covid related.
Weekend walking in the Reeks sounds great, but unsure of the realities of it lacking transportation.
No issue with getting a taxi from Kerry Airport to Killarney. 15 minute journey. Could hire bikes with locks and cycle from town to starting point for walks or just get taxi.
If you’re walking and self contained you could just do the Kerry way which is set up exactly for that purpose wit hostels etc on the route. A taxi from Faranfore to any start point and a pick up wouldn’t be difficult to sort. Alternatively for a weekend jaunt you could get a cab to the Climbers inn in Glencar and stay there (basic but fine and a good pub). That way you’d be at the bottom of Carrantouhil and the Reeks and also have easy access to the Kerry Way for lighter walking.
We came back from New Year there last weekend, car hire was back to relatively normal prices.
Is there now a Kerry group on STW? We are at Dromid - Na Piarsaigh Abú!
Does 2 people constitute a group?
It’s quite a long drive across Wales, the last bit is very slow although they were upgrading the road last year, we vary rarely take that option doing fly hire and then get the smallest car available.<br /><br />
TBH, it’s just me driving, and as I got very accustomed to picking up a car at somewhere like Land’s End, Helston, or Eastbourne, then driving it straight back to Chippenham, driving over to Fishguard wouldn’t bother me in the slightest, ‘cos I can relax on the ferry. I guess I could get a coach to Bristol Airport, fly over to Cork and get a hire car there, but having my own car, set up how I like it, and using my own satnav in a way I’m used to is more appealing. <br />I’ll weigh up the pros and cons when I’m more certain about when I’m likely to be going.
Matt Molloy’s in Westport, the finest diddlee-dee music
Any recommendations for similar spots in central Dublin for a pair of 40 something couples?
Its 20+ years since I was there for a weekend and it'll be more sedate, nice trad music and good food affair this time than Guinness by the gallon and (unsuccessfully) chasing skirt days of olde.
Another question-
We are traveling from Dublin to just west of Cork.
We looked at staying in the edge of the Wicklow mountains. There is little choice of campsite - and the one we were going to use requires two night booking and have replied to say they won't open summer bookings until April (the week before they open). They've been quite rude, which is putting us off staying a little.
So, we've two days/two nights between Dublin and far south west. It could be we just stick to plan A - Wicklow and Roundwood campsite
What to do and any campsite suggestions?
Matt I have no Idea about Dublin but if you want to split the journey to west cork you could look at Ballyhoura. Is about 2hrs from Dublin and 1hr+ from west Cork. It has good forestry type walks and also home to my local trail centre. There is accommodation/camping in kilfinnane and other places nearby.
https://visitballyhoura.com/explore/category/stay
https://kilfinaneoec.com/accommodation-and-facilities/
For Wicklow camping, river valley in redcross is good and has a great brewery pub about 50 yds away, does have crows in the nearby trees that woke me early one morning. Lots of stuff to do and see in the area but only 15 mins off the N11.
And near the top of the avoca valley is hidden valley campsite (sister place but busier). Well rated by friends but I've never been. That's 20 mins from the N11 and 15 from glendalough. Roundwood campsite is ok but just as far from glendalough as hidden valley.
Are you planning cross country to cork or along the coast?
Dublin is much changed. Ace old haunts like Doheny and Nesbitt or Davy Byrne's are completely bland now, I'd do some serious research to avoid disappointment. Anyone had any shenanigans with hire cars over there?
When Abigale competed in the EWS we stopped at the Hidden Valley campsite both times which was the nearest we could get to Carrick Mountain without stopping in the event field.
https://www.hiddenvalley.ie/camping/
Some excellent riding on Carrick mountain but not sure how much of it is legal
I have seen some good reports of this place,
and seemingly good riding nearby at Brandon Hill?
Some excellent riding on Carrick mountain but not sure how much of it is legal
Don't worry about that, you'll have no problem on any established trails on Coillte (semi state forestry) land.
River Valley campsite is mobbed at weekends in the summer, I'd probably avoid, weekdays might be ok. If you do go, I think they have a no kids section which is quieter.
Would the Manchester Killarney flight work for a Carrauntoohil visit without hiring a car? Last time I checked car hire was off the scale, but that might have been covid related.
Believe it or not, Kerry airport (Farranfore) is the only airport in Ireland with a train station. So if timings work out you can get train 15 minutes to Killarney
Are you planning cross country to cork or along the coast?
Open to suggestions for the nicest route and places to visit. We have 10 days following on a (west) coast, so open to some inland...?
We’re doing 2 weeks in Rosscarbery, sailing Holyhead to Dubin.
The plan is to break the journey on the way in Dublin for a night, then visit the jail where most of my wife’s uber violent criminal ancestors ended up.
Can anyone recommend a budget hotel within walking distance of Dublin centre? Will need to have on site parking too.
Can anyone recommend a budget hotel within walking distance of Dublin centre? Will need to have on site parking too.
We have booked here - unable to recommend properly, but it gets good reviews. They are letting us leave the camper in the car park there for the day we leave too. But further out, but is on a bus route - which we plan to use.
https://www.booking.com/Share-vD5H0r
Thanks! Got a top box on the smax, so it doesn't fit into a multistorey. Will check your link out.
So, we’ve two days/two nights between Dublin and far south west. It could be we just stick to plan A – Wicklow and Roundwood campsite
What to do and any campsite suggestions?
I live in Wicklow but don't have any experience with campsites. However, there are a few bike trails in the area that I have experience of and I'll gladly show you around them, assuming you are bringing the bike.
Believe it or not, Kerry airport (Farranfore) is the only airport in Ireland with a train station. So if timings work out you can get train 15 minutes to Killarney<br /><br />
I think being strictly accurate that would be; Kerry airport (Farranfore) is the only airport in Ireland with a train station a mile walk away.( in the village of Farranfore) 😉
The bus service from the airport itself to Killarney would be equally as good / useful , it’s not a long journey to Killarney.
@theomen how's it going there? On the coast here.
Carrick is grand for trails. Coilte (FC equiv), have grown to tolerate stuff since the changes at the top. So long as there is no woodwork it's ok.
The Luas (tram), is quick into town so if the hotel is near the rails it's a cheaper option into town, southside generally seen as nicer than Northside.
