Short escapes in Ireland
Long weekends, close to home
From an hour down the road to a proper west-coast adventure. Pick where you're travelling from to see drive times, or filter by county.
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Co. Derry · About 3 hours from DublinDerry cityThe only complete city walls in Ireland, murals that tell a powerful story, a riverside full of new life and the best Halloween in Europe. Derry is a weekend you won't forget.
Co. Dublin · About 15 minutes from DublinDublin city and coastFree world-class museums, Georgian squares, a park full of wild deer and cliff walks a short train ride away. Dublin is worth a weekend of its own.
Co. Kildare · About 45 minutes from DublinKildare town and the CurraghRacehorses, a Japanese garden, St Brigid's town, a Palladian palace and Shackleton's story, all 45 minutes from Dublin.
Co. Limerick · About 2 hours 15 minutes from DublinLimerick city and AdareA castle on the Shannon, a Saturday market, a Georgian quarter and the prettiest village in the country down the road. Limerick is the city break that surprises everyone.
Co. Cork · About 2 hours 45 minutes from DublinCobh and East CorkPainted houses climbing a hill, the Titanic's last port of call, a fortress island, a wildlife park and whiskey. Cobh is the easiest car-free weekend on the south coast.
Co. Antrim · About 1 hour 45 minutes from DublinBelfastTwo hours up the line from Dublin, with world-class museums, a buzzing food scene and history on every corner.
Co. Westmeath · About 1 hour 20 minutes from DublinAthloneIreland's oldest pub, a castle on the river and a lake full of islands, right in the middle of the country.
Co. Leitrim · About 2 hours from DublinCarrick-on-ShannonBoats, bars and some of the quietest countryside in Ireland, two hours from Dublin.
Co. Galway · About 3 hours to Rossaveal, then a 40-minute ferry from DublinInis Mór, Aran IslandsLeave the car on the mainland, hire a bike and spend a weekend on the edge of Europe.
Co. Cork · About 2 hours 40 minutes from DublinCork CityMarkets, pubs, a harbour full of history and a city that would quite like you to know it's the real capital.
Co. Wicklow · About 1 hour from DublinGlendalough & WicklowAn hour from Dublin, monastic ruins, two glacial lakes and some of the best walking in the east. Drive times are estimates, so allow extra time for traffic, especially on bank holiday weekends.
Short breaks in Ireland for every bank holiday
A long weekend doesn’t need a flight. Ireland is small enough that most of the island is a morning’s drive from Dublin, Cork or Galway, and every place on this page works as a two or three night break. Each guide covers how to get there with or without a car, where we’d stay, what to do when it rains and where to eat.
An hour or so from Dublin
For a Friday evening getaway, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains, the Boyne Valley and Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula are all within about an hour and a quarter of the city. Kilkenny is about an hour and a half away, and the train makes it an easy break without a car.
The west and the Wild Atlantic Way
With three or four days, go west. Galway and Westport and Achill are two and a half to three hours from Dublin, with Connemara and the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher a little further on. Dingle, Killarney and Donegal are longer drives that reward an extra day of annual leave.
The south coast and the north-west
Kinsale and West Cork are the place for a food weekend, and the Waterford Greenway is a favourite family cycle on old railway line. In the north-west, Sligo and Strandhill suit surfers, walkers and anyone who likes a seaweed bath.
How to choose
Pick the town you’re travelling from at the top of the page and every card shows the drive time from there, nearest first if you like. The “Good for” filters narrow it down to beaches, walking, rainy-day options or trips that work without a car. Bank holiday weekends book up early, so check when the next bank holiday is and use the annual leave planner to turn it into a longer break.