Castles of Ireland Self Drive Explorer

Welcome to Dublin! Upon arrival, pick up your rental car and drive approximately 30-minutes to your hotel. The remainder of the day can be spent exploring this vibrant and historic capital city with its many historic buildings, Georgian streets, and colourful gardens. Your first night is spent at a castle hotel in Dublin Area.

Explore some of Dublin’s fine Museums and Galleries today. Visit Dublinia at Christchurch, which brings the turbulent History of medieval Dublin vividly to life. You should also stop by the 16th Century Trinity College, founded by Elizabeth 1, and now home to the famous illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells. Don’t forget about the Guinness Storehouse for a tasting of this world-famous ‘black stuff” before you return to your hotel. (B)

Depart Dublin and journey through Ireland's midlands, with considering a visit to Belvedere House, a splendid 18th-century estate. Continue to Galway, a vibrant city known for its Spanish influences, before venturing into the wild, scenic landscapes of Connemara. Conclude the day in Clifden with a stay at the charming Abbeyglen Castle. Overnight in County Galway. (B)

Today, drive approximately 1-hour and 30-minutes and visit Connemara National Park, where Connemara ponies and Irish red deer roam freely through 5,000 acres of scenic mountains, bogs and grassland. You can also visit the magnificent Kylemore Abbey - a beautiful mansion in a lakeside setting against a mountainous backdrop. Take a scenic drive through Leenane where you have the option to board the Sea Cruise through Killary Fjord. Another night will be spent in Abbeyglen Castle.(B)

Journey south to County Clare, often called the "land of castles". Perhaps you will explore the unique limestone landscape of the Burren or marvel at the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, towering above the Atlantic Ocean. Then, take a ferry to Tarbert in North Kerry and continue to your hotel. Overnight in County Kerry. (B)

This morning drive approximately 2-hours and 30 minutes to Dingle Peninsula before arriving in Dunquin, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula, where you can visit the Blasket Islands Heritage Centre. This living history museum explores the dimensions of island living, from the land, the sea, and the language, to the weather and the seasons, as well as the distinctive character of the Blasket Islanders. Weather permitting you can embark on a 2- to a 3-hour boat trip around the nine main Blasket Islands. The islands are remote, unspoiled, unpolluted, and spectacularly beautiful and are home to an incredible number of breeding seabirds, with the surrounding seas home to dolphins, porpoises, Atlantic seals, and even the occasional whale or orca. Return to Parknasilla Resort for the night. (B)

This morning, spend an hour or two in the medieval city of Limerick, either exploring its history and architecture or purchasing some of the splendid crafts on offer. Why not visit the Hunt Museum, an exhibit of one of Ireland's greatest private collections of art and antiquities? Leave Limerick and drive approximately 3-hours and travel eastwards towards Straffan in Co. Kildare. En route, a small detour will bring you to the imposing Rock of Cashel which rises dramatically from the flat countryside. The rock is crowned by a group of buildings, both ecclesiastical and royal, including a round tower, a 13th-century Romanesque chapel, and the beautifully restored Hall of the Vicar Choral. Continue through the rich pastures of Ireland's midlands before arriving in Kildare for your night in Barberstown Castle, a 13th-century castle, located in the heart of the horse-breeding County of Kildare. (B)

In the morning, drive approximately 1-hour to Dublin airport and drop off your rental car before your return flight home. (B)