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.
Co. Longford · About 1 hour 30 minutes from DublinLongford town and the Royal CanalIreland's longest greenway, a lake full of islands, pretty estate villages and an Iron Age road in the bog. Longford is the midlands at their most peaceful.
Co. Laois · About 1 hour 20 minutes from DublinAbbeyleix and the Slieve BloomsWaterfalls and forest trails, a castle on a rock, a Lutyens garden and a pub that hasn't changed in a century. Laois is the midlands at their best.
Co. Carlow · About 1 hour 30 minutes from DublinBorris and the Barrow ValleyA slow river lined with towpaths and old mill villages, a dolmen with a 150-tonne capstone and gardens that feel like a secret. Carlow is the south-east's quiet surprise.
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. Down · About 1 hour 45 minutes from DublinNewcastle and the Mourne MountainsGranite peaks sweeping down to a sandy beach, forest parks full of stone bridges and a wall that marches over 15 summits. The Mournes are the North's best walking weekend.
Co. Fermanagh · About 2 hours from DublinEnniskillen and Lough ErneMonastic islands, two-faced stone idols, an underground river and a boardwalk up a mountain bog. Fermanagh is Ireland's lakeland, and it's gloriously quiet.
Co. Galway · About 3 hours 30 minutes from DublinLeenane and Killary HarbourA long arm of the Atlantic with mountains rising straight from the water, a silent valley, mussels and the best boat trip in the west. Killary is wild Connemara at its finest.
Co. Waterford · About 2 hours 15 minutes from DublinDungarvan and the Copper CoastA harbour town with a castle, a cycle path through a railway tunnel, a coast of coves and mine ruins and some of the best food in the south. Dungarvan does it all.
Co. Donegal · About 3 hours 45 minutes from DublinInishowen PeninsulaThe very top of Ireland: empty beaches, a mountain pass, an ancient hilltop fort and, on a lucky winter night, the Northern Lights.
Co. Mayo · About 3 hours 45 minutes from DublinBelmullet & ErrisSea stacks, Stone Age fields under the bog, empty white beaches and the darkest skies in Ireland. Erris is the Wild Atlantic Way at its wildest.
Co. Tipperary · About 1 hour 45 minutes from DublinCashelA rock crowned with medieval ruins, a castle on an island and the Galtee Mountains on the horizon.
Co. Antrim · About 3 hours from DublinBushmillsBasalt columns, a rope bridge over the sea and some of the best coastal walking on the island. Drive times are estimates, so allow extra time for traffic, especially on bank holiday weekends.