The Smarter Way to See Ireland

Darragh Doran

— 3 min read
The Smarter Way to See Ireland
The original Slow Horses In Kerry

Welcome To Ireland: Now Slow Down

The most common mistake visitors to Ireland make is trying to see half the island in a week. I've seen enough people do these endurance weeks to know how they end up:

Red eye flight, rent a car, struggle with the right side steering wheel, navigate roundabouts, snap photos of castles, dodge sheep, get lost, oh look another castle, battle jet lag, argue, are we there yet, find hotels, unpack, find a place to eat, collapse, wake up, sniff test your clothes, pack again, check out and repeat every day. 7 different towns in 7 nights.

You fly home exhausted after them needing another vacation.

Introducing Hubs

Instead, I suggest you stay in one place for at least 3 days. I call these places 'hubs'.

You get to unpack, settle in, relax and enjoy, not endure your vacation. Within an hour of each hub, you can see everything you came to see in Ireland.

But instead of seeing a 4th castle in a 4th county (it gets old, I promise you), you'll have time to do a wider variety of things. You can walk the beach, hike along the cliff, have a quiet drink, see a local sport, take a class in town. Or just plain relax, you're on holidays.

You won't miss anything by traveling less, instead you'll experience more.

Easier Planning

Readers often send me their endurance week itineraries and ask for help. No wonder they need help, their routes are more complex than a military operation.

Our hubs systems makes planning your trip easier. All you have to do is pick your hub and book a hotel. That's it.

When you arrive at the hub, then you can get a feel for it, see how your energy levels, your mood, the weather are, ask locals for ideas and then set out on your day.

Stop and chill like these happy cows

Two For One

For each region of Ireland, we have selected two hub options:

  1. Tourist Hub will be picture postcard perfect, but is a more traditional tourist town. Ideal for those who may not have traveled as much or prefer the main sites. Kinsale in Cork is an example of a tourist hub.
  2. Local Hub is still beautiful, but is a more authentic experience. More locals than visitors. The more adventurous traveler will prefer this. Away from the crowds, a quieter pace of life. Towns will be quiet during the week. Clonakilty in Cork is an example of a local hub.

So Much To See & Do

In each hub, you'll read about (at least) 15 things to do, categorized under

  • Scenic Walks
  • Outdoor Adventures
  • Historical Sites
  • Popular Spots
  • Off The Beaten Track
  • Food, Glorious Food

Become a Familiar Face

And do you know what happens when you stay in a small village for a few days?

You see the same faces, they see you, you stop & chat, they tell you about their town, their story, their life. They might invite you to their home or a locals event.

You get to know the people, you get to know Ireland. This is what you came here for.

Connect the Hubs

After one hub, then go to the next hub.

There's no rules. Mix 'n match. Go tourist in one hub, local in the other. Skip the next hub and pick a different one. It's your trip.

It's a much better way of seeing Ireland than rushing around.

See all the hubs and pick which ones you want to see on our hubs page.

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