Your Perfect Somewhere
From rich culture and history to wild hinterlands and breathtaking coastlines, no matter what fills your heart, you're sure to find it in Ireland.
Whether your ideal holiday is exploring ancient sites, treating yourself to luxury stays, hanging out with the locals, or exploring the wilds of nature, you’ll find your perfect somewhere in Ireland. But where to start?
We’ve enlisted the experts from Ireland.com and one of our own resident writers, who hails from the Emerald Isle, to give their insights into this beautiful island.
To make planning easier for you, we’ve created these four guides for four different regions in Ireland. Each guide includes a trip builder map for you to build out your own itinerary as well as recommended restaurants (from local faves to fine-dining spots), bars and pubs (some of which have been open for centuries) and accommodation options (the more unique, the better, who’s up for sleeping in a castle?).
So, read on, and soon you’ll be driving along the Wild Atlantic Way, diving into history in Ireland’s Ancient East, venturing up to Northern Ireland and discovering something magical in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.
Fáilte go hÉireann, mo chairde — my friends, welcome to Ireland.
Ireland has a fairly mild climate all year round, making it an ideal destination any time of the year. In the summer, the heat reaches heights of 25 degrees Celsius (although recent heatwaves are bucking that trend), and in winter, it can reach temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. No matter what time of the year you go, you can expect four seasons in a day, so pack for all kinds of weather.
Like in Australia, you drive on the left-hand side of the road. There are plenty of motorways that traverse the country and smaller country roads when you want to take the scenic route. In the countryside, there are some roads called boreens (from the Irish bóithrín, which translates to small roads) that are windy, often one lane with bushes on either side. Drive carefully and keep your eye out for cattle.
The Irish language is alive and thriving. You’ll see signs from the airport to the road are often written in both English and Irish; however, to experience it fully, head out to the Gaeltachtaí — Irish-speaking regions. Here are some helpful phrases: go raibh maith agat (thank you), sláinte (cheers, to your health), slán abhaile (safe home, goodbye), le do thoil (please), cá bhfuil an leithreas? (where is the toilet?), aon scéal? (any news?), conas atá tú? (how are you?).
There’s a reason why Ireland’s most famous export is the people and their pubs. No matter what corner of the island you journey to, make sure you go to the town’s local favourite pub and ask when the live music is happening. You’re pretty much guaranteed to enjoy live Irish traditional music in every town. Each session will be unique as many are improvised on the day. If you’re really lucky, you might come across a scéalaí or seanchaí, traditional storytellers who share local tales and folklore.
No matter how you like to travel or what you love to travel for, you’ll find your perfect somewhere in Ireland. Fill your heart with Ireland, and find out more on Ireland.com.
Images: Tourism Ireland