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. 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. Clare · About 3 hours 15 minutes from DublinKilkeeA horseshoe bay, a lighthouse you can climb and dolphins in the Shannon estuary.
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. Kerry · About 4 hours from DublinKenmareA colourful little town, a bay full of seals and a peninsula that most Ring of Kerry traffic never finds.
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.
Co. Cork · About 3 hours from DublinKinsale & West CorkPainted streets, a star fort above the harbour, the best seafood in Cork and the whole of West Cork on the doorstep. Kinsale is a weekend made for eating and walking.
Co. Kerry · About 4 hours 30 minutes from DublinDingle PeninsulaColourful harbour town, trad music every night and the most famous coast road in Kerry.
Co. Galway · About 3 hours 30 minutes from DublinConnemaraMountains, bog, lakes and white beaches, with Kylemore Abbey, Diamond Hill and the Sky Road all within half an hour of Clifden. Connemara is the wild west at its best.
Co. Donegal · About 4 hours from DublinDonegalThe highest sea cliffs you can easily see in Ireland, a national park with a castle, empty beaches and Irish-speaking villages. Pick a corner of Donegal and take it slowly.
Co. Kerry · About 3 hours 45 minutes from DublinKillarneyIreland's original tourist town, with a national park on the doorstep and a station in the middle.
Co. Mayo · About 3 hours from DublinWestport & AchillA lively music town on Clew Bay, a greenway to one of Ireland's best islands and a holy mountain to climb. Westport has it all, and you can get there by train. Drive times are estimates, so allow extra time for traffic, especially on bank holiday weekends.