West Cork and Kerry Cycling Tour

Due to its compact size, Galway city is easily explored on foot. The redeveloped Eyre Square area encloses a pleasant courtyard and park, nearby you will find a new shopping centre leading out to shop street which is lined both sides with a mix of cafés, restaurants, traditional and modern shops.    The city comes alive during the summer months with tourists not just from overseas but also other parts of Ireland. Sites of interest include the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the old Spanish Arch and the Claddagh, which the famous Claddagh ring is named after. Galway city is a great place to enjoy some traditional Irish music with many pubs having live music on a weekly and in some cases a daily basis. You will also find many lovely restaurants to enjoy a romantic meal, Galway has something to suit every visitor’s taste buds and pocket!

Your time in Connemara may well be the highlight of your romantic getaway in Ireland! This wild region of Galway encompasses serene seascapes, rugged coastlines and magnificent mountains. Visit Kylemore Abbey which is often referred to as Ireland’s most romantic Castle as it was built by Mitchell Henry for his wife having fallen in love with the area whilst they visited on honeymoon!  Further west visit the town of Clifden with its colourful buildings, craft shops and lively pubs. Drive the breath-taking Sky road from Clifden passing desolate scenery and the narrow inlet at Clifden Bay, from here you could easily take the coastal route to the village of Roundstone. Your Irish Tourism itinerary will guide you with all the route options that you could possibly take.

Another day in Galway affords you the opportunity to explore further afield, if you have not yet explored the beautiful Connemara region, you could do that today or you could check out the village of Cong in County Mayo. Cong is best known for the stunning Ashford Castle, one of Ireland’s best known Castle hotels but this picturesque village was also the setting for the 1952 movie, The Quiet Man. Nearby you will also have the chance the the stunning Lough Corrib and boat trips are available from Ashford Castle or Oughterard during the summer months. 

You can’t miss the Burren when travelling the coast road from Galway to Clare, and you will find Romance in every corner of it! Scramble over karst limestone formations where the bleak landscape and unusual plants give the area an other-worldly ambience. In the Southern area of the Burren the limestone rock gives way to the black shale and sandstone that form the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are one of Ireland’s most visited attractions offering outstanding views. Well-worn visitor walkways lead in both directions, offering various viewing points. At night we recommend spending a few hours in Doolin, which is often considered the traditional music capital of Ireland. You are surely to find a comfortable pub to soak up the lively atmosphere. On a sunny evening, join the crowds at Doolin Pier which has become famous for its stunning sunsets that somehow give the watcher a great appreciation for life and nature.

Today could be the day to discover Clare’s abundant beaches including Bishop’s Quarter in Ballyvaughan, Kilkee beach which is quite small but quaint or Lahinch which  is often considered to be one of Ireland’s best beaches and a hot spot for surfing. This evening why not spend some time in Doolin, a town famous for its traditional music pubs. Find a cosy pub to soak up the traditional music atmosphere which is vibrant in the area at any time of the year. On a nice evening the sunsets from Doolin Pier are famous & wondrously beautiful.

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park is always a nice stop to begin your day touring. Bunratty Castle was built in the 15th Century by the McNamara Clan and is widely regarded as Ireland’s best furnished Castle, complete with authentic artefacts throughout the inside. Next to the Castle, Bunratty Folk Park gives a sense of what Ireland was like in the early 19th Century with each building representing a different element of Irish life from the humblest one roomed abode, to Bunratty House an exquisite example of a fine Georgian residence. Travelling onward towards Kerry your next stop is the town of Adare where many a couple has stopped to walk beside its charming thatched cottages or paid a visit to Desmond Castle, a 13th century feudal Castle set on the banks of the River Maigue.

Kerry is an essential stop on any Ireland Honeymoon because of its wonderfully romantic sweeping sea views and curious history. The Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry are two of its most popular attractions. Because of the Dingle Peninsula's isolated position beside the North Atlantic Ocean there is a remarkable preservation of over 2,000 monuments.  Killarney, known as the gateway to the Ring of Kerry is famous for its lakes, recommended stops include Torc Waterfall where the Owengariff river cascades through breath-taking wooded glens and the Gap of Dunloe where Ice Age glaciers once carved a dramatic mountain pass through which the ‘gap’ offers spectacular views of three small lakes.

Cork city is fast gaining a reputation as one of Europe’s trendiest cites and noteworthy city attractions include the Church of Saint Anne Shandon which from the top gives a panoramic view of the city, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral and Cork City Gaol. Cork city is noted for its chic restaurants, trendy bars and boutiques.  The English Market located in the city centre with its main entrances on Grand Parade, and on Princes Street, with further smaller entrances off Oliver Plunkett Street and Patrick Street, is a great starting point from which to explore the city and an interesting attraction of itself. Established in 1788 by the Protestant or ‘English’ that then controlled Ireland at the time, the market has been at the heart and soul of Cork city since its foundation.

If you wish to venture out further afield there are lots of places that you could visit outside the City and your Irish Tourism itinerary will help you decide which places that you want visit.  We would recommend a visit to Kinsale which is a honeymoon favourite, largely due to its many romantic harbour front restaurants, cosy pubs and general charming marina setting. Kinsale is one of Ireland’s most colourful towns with its array of brightly coloured buildings. Two 17th-century forts overlook the River in Kinsale; the star-shaped Charles Fort in the southeast, and the smaller James Fort the opposite river bank. In the centre of the town, the 16th-century courthouse building houses the Kinsale Regional Museum, with a variety of informative exhibitions on local history and some history about the 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania.

East of the city the town of Cobh is well worth a visit. Cobh was the last stop for the ill-fated Titanic and two museums in the town pay tribute to that. The "Queenstown Experience” located at Cobh railway station tells the story of Cobh’s connection with the Titanic and Lusitania and also relays the stories of the Flight of the Irish to North America, transportation of Convicts to Australia and the story of the Irish indentured servants in the West Indies. Titanic Experience Cobh is located in the original White Star Line Ticket Office and the departure point for many thousands of White Star Line passengers heading off to North America for what they saw as a better life. If the weather is fine, we recommend travelling south of Cobh to Fota House & Gardens and Fota Wildlife park where a few hours can easily be spent strolling around.

Waterford City itself has a great selection of touring choices; Waterford Crystal exhibits one of Ireland’s best renowned exports, visit the newly restored Bishops Palace where you can learn about the history of Waterford or Reginald’s Tower, the oldest city structure in Ireland that is now home to an informative exhibition.  You may just choose to discover the shops, bars and cafés of this cosmopolitan city or take a romantic cruise along the River Suir. The historic town of Lismore is close by, here you can find many significant buildings including Lismore Castle & Gardens and St. Carthages Cathedral. Take the Towers Woodland Trail just outside the town and view the unusual gate lodge and bridge constructed by landlord Arthur Kiely Ussher to impress his demanding wife. The cost of building the elaborate Gothic entrance proved so great that the planned manor house was never constructed! Dunmore East can also be explored, here find a quaint and picturesque town with a lovely coastline and a number of lovely places to eat.

From Waterford if you have the time there are a number of other places that you could visit. The town of New Ross is but a stone’s throw and there you will find the Dunbrody Famine Ship, a reconstructed ‘coffin ship’. The original Dunbrody was built in 1845 in Quebec and during its life, it transported hundreds of people out of Ireland to escape the great Irish famine. Tours of the ship shows the hardship faced on board for passengers and crew. You could also visit Kilkenny City Long renowned as Ireland’s Medieval Capital, the city’s origins date back more than 1,500 years. Kilkenny Castle is a 12th century castle remodelled in Victorian times and set in extensive parklands. Also in Kilkenny is Saint Canice's Cathedral, the second longest of Ireland's medieval cathedrals.

Today we recommend setting off early in order to give you enough time to truly enjoy the luxury that surrounds Dromoland Castle. Dromoland Castle is steeped in history, its roots going back to the year 1014 when the son of Brian Boru held a fortress here. The present building was built in 1800 and was opened to guests in the early 1960’s. Dromoland Castle is certainly considered to be one of Ireland’s most luxurious castles due to the high standard imposed on every feature; from the elegant bedrooms to the perfectly landscaped grounds. The hotel has a superb spa and leisure centre that is perfect for the discerning honeymoon couple and plenty of other activities for you both to enjoy, from the onsite falconry, archery, horse-riding and fishing to their world renowned golf course.