St Patrick’s Day provided a backdrop for a short break in Ireland. We had visited Ireland many times previously, but never at this time of Ireland’s biggest cultural holiday.
Cliffs of Moher
We started our one week break in Dublin to coincide with St Patrick’s Day and took in all the atmosphere of the big parade, plus a few Guinness in the busy pubs nearby.
The following day we took a 125 mile drive south-west across Ireland to Limerick, and spent a couple of days in the city plus an excursion to the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and the bustling centre of Galway.
Then a 200 mile drive to Belfast in Northern Ireland and further the next day north to Bushmills and a distillery tour and visit to the Giant’s Causeway. Finally we returned to Dublin via the scenic Mountains of Mourne coastal route.
Dublin
St Patrick’s Day Parade by O’Connell Bridge
Dublin was quite chaotic on St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) with public transport packed to the rafters and following diverted routes.
Getting around in the centre was made difficult by pedestrians being prevented from crossing the St Patrick’s Day Parade route, in effect cutting the centre into two parts.
We decided to visit a traditional pub, J R Mahons, on the south side of the Liffey near the parade route.
As we sampled a Guinness or two, we could see the parade over the heads of the many bystanders and listen to the marching bands, many from the USA.
Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship
That evening we had a superb meal in another famous pub, called The Bank on College Green. This fine old bank building has a high stained glass ceiling, mosaic floors and carved plasterwork.
There is much to see and do in Dublin, including visiting historical sites like the Post Office on O’Connell Street, Trinity College and, nearby, the intriguing Molly Malone Statue. Tours of the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Whiskey Distillery are popular.
We took a 45 minute afternoon River Liffey Sightseeing Cruise. This cost 19 euros each for seniors when pre-booked and proved excellent value with an amusing and informative tour guide. The cruise passed alongside the replica of the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship, that took thousands of famine victims to North America between 1848 and 1855.
Limerick
St Mary’s Cathedral
Limerick is the third largest city in the Irish Republic, after Dublin and Cork, and is situated on the banks of the River Shannon.
We parked at Colbert Railway station and headed through the Georgian Neighbourhood to the south bank of the Shannon. There were some fine Georgian buildings along the way, but many looked in need of renovation. Following the Shannon towards the centre of Limerick took us past The Island and the small Arthur’s Quay Park.
Crossing the Abbey River by the Sylvester O’Halloran Bridge took us through what was the Potato Market to the imposing 12th Century St Mary’s Cathedral and 13th Century King John’s Castle.
King John’s Castle and Thomond Bridge
We were now ready for refreshment and taking the Thomond Bridge across the Shannon, brought us to the oldest pub in Limerick, the J J Bowles. The pub gardens are attractively sited on the banks of the Shannon, but, on this slightly chilly day, we decided to soak up the pub’s atmosphere by a crackling open fire near the bar.
From the pub, we followed the scenic north bank of the Shannon, before crossing the Sarsfield Swivel Bridge back to south bank and heading to the Aura Indian and Thai Cuisine on Roches Street for a delicious evening meal – highly recommended.
Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Cliffs of Moher
When I first visited the Cliffs of Moher about thirty years ago, I simply parked on the road and walked down a short path to admire the sheer cliffs falling down to the Atlantic. It is dramatic and very impressive with the Newfoundland, Canada, being the next land mass – not quite in sight!
The cliffs are still as impressive of course, but now the site has become something of a theme park, with little gift shops selling bits and bobs. Parking is tightly controlled and expensive.
By pre-booking we saved some money on parking, but the afternoon charge based on four seniors in the car, was 40 euros. It would have been slightly cheaper to park in the morning.
The Burren by the Atlantic Ocean
My wife however enjoyed spending some time in the Visitor Centre and particularly enjoyed the Ledge 4D Experience which takes visitors on a three minute interactive tour of the cliffs.
Our drive to Galway along the Wild Atlantic Coast, past the The Burren region of County Clare, was a far more natural and relaxing experience.
The landscape is famous for its distinctive limestone rock formations, partly dissolved away to give deep channels.
The Burren along with the Cliffs of Moher are designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Galway
Galway High Street
Galway has a spectacular waterfront where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. Medieval walls in the Latin Quarter include the Spanish Arch. The centre of Galway is dominated by the 18th Century Eyre Square.
On this visit we immersed ourselves in the central pedestrianised area, including the High Street and Shop Street, with their lively mixture of shops, restaurants and pubs.
We had an excellent meal in Sonny Molloys on the High Street and then enjoyed live Irish music in the Tig Cóilí pub on Mainguard Street.
Belfast
RISE Sculpture
We stayed a couple of nights in the south of Belfast as a base for exploring the Bushmills and the Mountains of Mourne areas of Northern Ireland.
We were able however to get a feel of the way Belfast has progressed since our last visit fifteen years ago. The murals are still there when travelling in the Falls Road area, including that of Bobby Sands, but they seem now to be more tourist attractions than political statements.
The globe-shaped, silver steel RISE Sculpture near the Falls Road celebrates a new era in Belfast’s history, as does the regeneration in the Titanic Quarter, clearly seen as we drove through the north of the city.
Bushmills Distillery and the Giant’s Causeway
Bushmills Whiskey Distillery
The village of Bushmills on the north coast of County Antrim is famous for two reasons. Firstly the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery and secondly the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Giant’s Causeway.
We pre-booked a one hour distillery visit at a cost of £12 each for seniors. Unlike some distillery visits, on this tour you observe the actual distilling, the barrel aging process and the final bottling. This however requires ascending and descending several staircases, so please bear that in mind when booking.
Our tour guide was informative and entertaining. We learnt that Bushmills is the oldest licensed distillery in the world, dating back to 1608. We were also well informed about the different types of Bushmills whiskey, very useful when choosing a whiskey sample at the end of our visit.
Basalt Columns at the Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is just two miles up the road. Although visiting the causeway is free of charge, parking in the National Trust car park is chargeable for non-members, as is the NT Visitor Centre. It is one mile downhill walk from the car park to the causeway, but bear in mind it is uphill going back. Fortunately there is a shuttle bus, free for NT members.
This was our third visit to the Giant’s Causeway, but it still has a magic all of its own. However, care needs to be taken when exploring the causeway, as many of the rocks are smooth and slippery. Don’t forget to check out the massive basalt columns in the surrounding cliffs.
Mountains of Mourne Coastal Route
Old Vic in Warrenpoint
Instead of heading down the A1 road directly to return to Dublin, we opted for the Mountains of Mourne Coastal Route along the County Down coastline.
We joined the route at the bustling seaside town of Newcastle, then followed the dramatic coastline, with the scenic Mountains of Mourne in the background, for 30 miles or so to Newry.
A refreshment stop at Warrenpoint, the small, but attractive ferry port, was made in the atmospheric and welcoming Old Vic pub (Victoria Hotel) by the harbour. It was pointed out by the barman that this pub predated the Eastenders version by a hundred years.
The sad events in Warrenpoint in 1979 seemed a world away – fortunately Northern Ireland has moved on.
Accommodation
Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport by Santry Park
In Dublin we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport. This proved an excellent choice. A free electric shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes for 24 hours a day between the hotel and the airport – very convenient.
The hotel itself is attractive and well-maintained with spacious bedrooms. All the staff proved friendly and efficient, particularly the reception and restaurant staff. The Club Lounge on the fourth floor was quite luxurious.
Opposite the hotel is Santry Park and Walled Garden, a very pleasant place for a peaceful stroll. To get to the centre of Dublin, the number 16 bus costs 2.60 euros each, runs every 15 minutes and arrives in the centre in about 40 minutes. Otherwise a taxi costs about 30 euros.
Santry Park Walled Garden
In Limerick we stayed at the Radisson Blu & Spa about 5 miles north-west of Limerick centre on the road heading out towards the Atlantic coast. The hotel public rooms and bedrooms were all of a high sstandard there was an excellent Irish breakfast to start the day. We didn’t partake of the extensive spa facilities on this occasion – maybe next time.
In Belfast we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Belfast, another excellent hotel. The reception staff were extremely helpful. The rooms were spacious and attractive and the restaurant and Club Lounge were both of a high standard. Car parking was free – unusual nowadays in hotels in large cities.
It is worth checking out the senior discount offers at these hotels as some reductions can be obtained on flexible rates – see Hotel Senior Offers.
Getting to Ireland and Getting About in Ireland
Car Hire through CARHIRE
Our original idea was to take the car ferry from Holyhead in Anglesey to Dublin. However, the car ferry prices were very much inflated near to St Patrick’s Day, so flying and car hire was a better option.
We flew from Manchester to Dublin by Ryanair leaving our car at Airport Parking – Park & Ride arranged through SkyPark Secure. Security at Manchester Airport was slow and rather over the top, otherwise the flights went well. We were surprised there was no passport check on arriving back at Manchester airport. The car parking all went very smoothly both on drop off and pick up.
Car hire was arranged through Auto Europe with a local company called CARHIRE, which proved to be part of Europcar. As a senior I needed to check that the car hire company would accept a septuagenarian – some won’t! There was an additional charge of about 30 Euros for driving in Northern Ireland.
We saved a lot of money by taking out car hire excess insurance in advance of picking up the hire car. We strongly recommend CarHireExcess.com based on our experiences.
Overall
Molly Malone Statue
In our one week short break in Ireland, we visited some of its greatest cities and some of its most phenomenal natural features along the coastal roads both in the Irish Republic and in Northern Ireland.
Driving around Ireland was straightforward, with light traffic on the both the motorways and smaller roads. We were blessed with a week without any rain, unusual for the Emerald Isle.
We managed to soak up the atmosphere – the craic – during this St Patrick’s Day period, helped very much by the friendliness of everyone we met.
POSTED 15th April 2025 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON except the picture of the Old Vic which was taken by ART RICHARD.
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Short Break in Ireland: Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Belfast, Bushmills
St Patrick’s Day provided a backdrop for a short break in Ireland. We had visited Ireland many times previously, but never at this time of Ireland’s biggest cultural holiday.
We started our one week break in Dublin to coincide with St Patrick’s Day and took in all the atmosphere of the big parade, plus a few Guinness in the busy pubs nearby.
The following day we took a 125 mile drive south-west across Ireland to Limerick, and spent a couple of days in the city plus an excursion to the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and the bustling centre of Galway.
Then a 200 mile drive to Belfast in Northern Ireland and further the next day north to Bushmills and a distillery tour and visit to the Giant’s Causeway. Finally we returned to Dublin via the scenic Mountains of Mourne coastal route.
Dublin
Dublin was quite chaotic on St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) with public transport packed to the rafters and following diverted routes.
Getting around in the centre was made difficult by pedestrians being prevented from crossing the St Patrick’s Day Parade route, in effect cutting the centre into two parts.
We decided to visit a traditional pub, J R Mahons, on the south side of the Liffey near the parade route.
As we sampled a Guinness or two, we could see the parade over the heads of the many bystanders and listen to the marching bands, many from the USA.
That evening we had a superb meal in another famous pub, called The Bank on College Green. This fine old bank building has a high stained glass ceiling, mosaic floors and carved plasterwork.
There is much to see and do in Dublin, including visiting historical sites like the Post Office on O’Connell Street, Trinity College and, nearby, the intriguing Molly Malone Statue. Tours of the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Whiskey Distillery are popular.
We took a 45 minute afternoon River Liffey Sightseeing Cruise. This cost 19 euros each for seniors when pre-booked and proved excellent value with an amusing and informative tour guide. The cruise passed alongside the replica of the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship, that took thousands of famine victims to North America between 1848 and 1855.
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Irish Republic, after Dublin and Cork, and is situated on the banks of the River Shannon.
We parked at Colbert Railway station and headed through the Georgian Neighbourhood to the south bank of the Shannon. There were some fine Georgian buildings along the way, but many looked in need of renovation. Following the Shannon towards the centre of Limerick took us past The Island and the small Arthur’s Quay Park.
Crossing the Abbey River by the Sylvester O’Halloran Bridge took us through what was the Potato Market to the imposing 12th Century St Mary’s Cathedral and 13th Century King John’s Castle.
We were now ready for refreshment and taking the Thomond Bridge across the Shannon, brought us to the oldest pub in Limerick, the J J Bowles. The pub gardens are attractively sited on the banks of the Shannon, but, on this slightly chilly day, we decided to soak up the pub’s atmosphere by a crackling open fire near the bar.
From the pub, we followed the scenic north bank of the Shannon, before crossing the Sarsfield Swivel Bridge back to south bank and heading to the Aura Indian and Thai Cuisine on Roches Street for a delicious evening meal – highly recommended.
Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
When I first visited the Cliffs of Moher about thirty years ago, I simply parked on the road and walked down a short path to admire the sheer cliffs falling down to the Atlantic. It is dramatic and very impressive with the Newfoundland, Canada, being the next land mass – not quite in sight!
The cliffs are still as impressive of course, but now the site has become something of a theme park, with little gift shops selling bits and bobs. Parking is tightly controlled and expensive.
By pre-booking we saved some money on parking, but the afternoon charge based on four seniors in the car, was 40 euros. It would have been slightly cheaper to park in the morning.
My wife however enjoyed spending some time in the Visitor Centre and particularly enjoyed the Ledge 4D Experience which takes visitors on a three minute interactive tour of the cliffs.
Our drive to Galway along the Wild Atlantic Coast, past the The Burren region of County Clare, was a far more natural and relaxing experience.
The landscape is famous for its distinctive limestone rock formations, partly dissolved away to give deep channels.
The Burren along with the Cliffs of Moher are designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Galway
Galway has a spectacular waterfront where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. Medieval walls in the Latin Quarter include the Spanish Arch. The centre of Galway is dominated by the 18th Century Eyre Square.
On this visit we immersed ourselves in the central pedestrianised area, including the High Street and Shop Street, with their lively mixture of shops, restaurants and pubs.
We had an excellent meal in Sonny Molloys on the High Street and then enjoyed live Irish music in the Tig Cóilí pub on Mainguard Street.
Belfast
We stayed a couple of nights in the south of Belfast as a base for exploring the Bushmills and the Mountains of Mourne areas of Northern Ireland.
We were able however to get a feel of the way Belfast has progressed since our last visit fifteen years ago. The murals are still there when travelling in the Falls Road area, including that of Bobby Sands, but they seem now to be more tourist attractions than political statements.
The globe-shaped, silver steel RISE Sculpture near the Falls Road celebrates a new era in Belfast’s history, as does the regeneration in the Titanic Quarter, clearly seen as we drove through the north of the city.
Bushmills Distillery and the Giant’s Causeway
The village of Bushmills on the north coast of County Antrim is famous for two reasons. Firstly the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery and secondly the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Giant’s Causeway.
We pre-booked a one hour distillery visit at a cost of £12 each for seniors. Unlike some distillery visits, on this tour you observe the actual distilling, the barrel aging process and the final bottling. This however requires ascending and descending several staircases, so please bear that in mind when booking.
Our tour guide was informative and entertaining. We learnt that Bushmills is the oldest licensed distillery in the world, dating back to 1608. We were also well informed about the different types of Bushmills whiskey, very useful when choosing a whiskey sample at the end of our visit.
The Giant’s Causeway is just two miles up the road. Although visiting the causeway is free of charge, parking in the National Trust car park is chargeable for non-members, as is the NT Visitor Centre. It is one mile downhill walk from the car park to the causeway, but bear in mind it is uphill going back. Fortunately there is a shuttle bus, free for NT members.
This was our third visit to the Giant’s Causeway, but it still has a magic all of its own. However, care needs to be taken when exploring the causeway, as many of the rocks are smooth and slippery. Don’t forget to check out the massive basalt columns in the surrounding cliffs.
Mountains of Mourne Coastal Route
Instead of heading down the A1 road directly to return to Dublin, we opted for the Mountains of Mourne Coastal Route along the County Down coastline.
We joined the route at the bustling seaside town of Newcastle, then followed the dramatic coastline, with the scenic Mountains of Mourne in the background, for 30 miles or so to Newry.
A refreshment stop at Warrenpoint, the small, but attractive ferry port, was made in the atmospheric and welcoming Old Vic pub (Victoria Hotel) by the harbour. It was pointed out by the barman that this pub predated the Eastenders version by a hundred years.
The sad events in Warrenpoint in 1979 seemed a world away – fortunately Northern Ireland has moved on.
Accommodation
In Dublin we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport. This proved an excellent choice. A free electric shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes for 24 hours a day between the hotel and the airport – very convenient.
The hotel itself is attractive and well-maintained with spacious bedrooms. All the staff proved friendly and efficient, particularly the reception and restaurant staff. The Club Lounge on the fourth floor was quite luxurious.
Opposite the hotel is Santry Park and Walled Garden, a very pleasant place for a peaceful stroll. To get to the centre of Dublin, the number 16 bus costs 2.60 euros each, runs every 15 minutes and arrives in the centre in about 40 minutes. Otherwise a taxi costs about 30 euros.
In Limerick we stayed at the Radisson Blu & Spa about 5 miles north-west of Limerick centre on the road heading out towards the Atlantic coast. The hotel public rooms and bedrooms were all of a high sstandard there was an excellent Irish breakfast to start the day. We didn’t partake of the extensive spa facilities on this occasion – maybe next time.
In Belfast we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Belfast, another excellent hotel. The reception staff were extremely helpful. The rooms were spacious and attractive and the restaurant and Club Lounge were both of a high standard. Car parking was free – unusual nowadays in hotels in large cities.
It is worth checking out the senior discount offers at these hotels as some reductions can be obtained on flexible rates – see Hotel Senior Offers.
Getting to Ireland and Getting About in Ireland
Our original idea was to take the car ferry from Holyhead in Anglesey to Dublin. However, the car ferry prices were very much inflated near to St Patrick’s Day, so flying and car hire was a better option.
We flew from Manchester to Dublin by Ryanair leaving our car at Airport Parking – Park & Ride arranged through SkyPark Secure. Security at Manchester Airport was slow and rather over the top, otherwise the flights went well. We were surprised there was no passport check on arriving back at Manchester airport. The car parking all went very smoothly both on drop off and pick up.
Car hire was arranged through Auto Europe with a local company called CARHIRE, which proved to be part of Europcar. As a senior I needed to check that the car hire company would accept a septuagenarian – some won’t! There was an additional charge of about 30 Euros for driving in Northern Ireland.
We saved a lot of money by taking out car hire excess insurance in advance of picking up the hire car. We strongly recommend CarHireExcess.com based on our experiences.
Overall
In our one week short break in Ireland, we visited some of its greatest cities and some of its most phenomenal natural features along the coastal roads both in the Irish Republic and in Northern Ireland.
Driving around Ireland was straightforward, with light traffic on the both the motorways and smaller roads. We were blessed with a week without any rain, unusual for the Emerald Isle.
We managed to soak up the atmosphere – the craic – during this St Patrick’s Day period, helped very much by the friendliness of everyone we met.
POSTED 15th April 2025 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON except the picture of the Old Vic which was taken by ART RICHARD.