What to see in Northern Ireland?

What is Ireland?

• Ireland is an island, one third of which is Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom).
• Ireland is clouds, rain and wind. On average that is 6 rainy days a week and 5 sunny days a month. And so it goes all year round.
• Ireland is sheep, of which there are twice as many in the country as people.
• But Ireland is also beautiful cliffs and crags, waterfalls, green landscapes and cosy "doll's" houses, even if they are completely grey)

Because of the rainy weather, locals decorate their houses like toy gingerbread cottages that are warm and cosy inside. All over the country there are plenty of pubs where beer and whiskey flow like water) Live here? The answer is obvious - I wouldn't want to) But even a seasoned traveller should come for 2-4 weeks!

How long you stay depends heavily on the weather, and to see everything even in light rain you will need no less than a month... Ireland is one of those countries where you have to drive a lot and look around. There are sights, of course, but many locations are chosen as points between which it is worth driving and admiring the views. There are also quite a few trails for walks through very scenic places. Walking in drizzly rain in Ireland is absolutely normal; the main thing is that there is no wind and no very heavy rain)))

You also need to get to grips with the geography of the island. Two thirds of the island is Ireland, whose northern region is considered to be the town of Donegal and its surroundings, and one third of the island is Northern Ireland, which in fact is already a different country - the United Kingdom. Formally there is no border, and people from Ireland calmly drive around Northern Ireland to see iconic sights such as the "Giant's Causeway". In Northern Ireland the road signs are in miles and yards. Traffic in both Ireland and Northern Ireland drives on the left, with right-hand-drive cars. From personal experience, switching from a left-hand-drive car and right-hand traffic to a right-hand-drive car and left-hand traffic is quite doable. You adapt in a couple of hours, and after 1-2 days you are fully used to it) That is because the traffic in Ireland is very disciplined. On the roads almost nobody overtakes anyone, and people are more likely to drive below the speed limit than above it)

What to see in Ireland

Sights of Donegal

In the north of the island of Ireland lies the town of Donegal, around which the main beautiful locations are concentrated. When you rent accommodation, make sure it will be warm and homely) After a long drive and walks in the rain, it is so good to return to a warm house and curl up on the sofa with something warming) It can be tea / coffee, or it can be Irish whiskey!

• Slieve League Cliffs (Sliabh Liag) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - sight number 1 in the Donegal region

From the car park (marked on the map) we follow the Sliabh Liag Walk (pink arrow) to the Sliabh Liag Viewing Platform. From there steps lead upwards (red arrow) to another viewpoint, and from there a trail runs along the very top (yellow arrow) to the legendary view of the Slieve League cliffs. Parking costs about 5 euros for 2 hours. The car park is small, but the turnover is high and there are enough spaces for everyone, even at lunchtime. The walk along the pink arrow takes about 1.5 hours in both directions (about 2 km one way), and the whole way is easy and scenic. Not everyone masters the red and yellow routes) The climb up the steps is quite comfortable, but walking in rain and wind is not nice! So we didn't go either) You must visit the Slieve League cliffs! Even if only along the pink route. If you take the red and yellow routes, you will need at least 3 hours.

• the viewpoint Owenwee River Waterfalls + the beach Maghera Beach and the cave Caves of Maghera + the waterfall Assaranca Waterfall + the viewpoint Glengesh Viewing Point - the whole route deserves ⭐⭐⭐⭐, but taken separately no more than ⭐⭐⭐.

Next, from the Slieve League cliffs you should drive via the viewpoint Owenwee River Waterfalls to the beach Maghera Beach and the cave Caves of Maghera. I can't say that the beach and the cave are a real WOW... But the road here runs through a gorge between the mountains, and that is where the views are WOW and OH! On the map below the letter P marks the "chaotic" parking spot, from which you walk 5 minutes to the right along a path, opening a gate. To get into the cave, you need to walk to the left corner along the beach itself. But note that you can only get into the cave at low tide, or else you have to take off your shoes and wade through cold water... The walk takes about 30 minutes.

Next on the route is the Assaranca Waterfall, which lies right along the road. The waterfall is not anything out of the ordinary either.

The Glengesh Viewing Point is more of a marker to drive to. The viewpoint itself is nothing special, but the only road to it from the Assaranca Waterfall is very impressive.

If the day is rainy, you are unlikely to feel like visiting any other sights that day) If you wish, you can also visit the Crohy Head Sea Arch viewpoint - it is a 1-hour drive from there. And then, if you still have energy left, you can drive 40 minutes to Glenveagh National Park, with its trails and castle.

• Glenveagh National Park ⭐⭐⭐- a nature park with a castle and a garden around the castle

It is worth coming here only on a sunny or at least rain-free day. The map below shows a large free car park, and the shuttle bus that takes you to the castle and back (1.5 euros per person one way) also stops here. The bus runs from 9 am to 5 pm (from 10 am in winter). The ideal programme in Glenveagh National Park: walk 4 km (50 minutes) from the car park to the castle (Glenveagh Castle) along the paths by the lake, have a coffee with dessert in the cafe there, and return by bus). A garden has been laid out around the castle, and there are steps up to a viewpoint with a view of the castle, the Glenveagh National Park Viewpoint. The shuttle bus runs very often, every 15 minutes. In total, a visit to this park takes 1-2 hours.

South of Donegal you can visit Gleniff Horseshoe + Glencar Waterfall + Benbulbin Forest Walk. We were in Ireland for almost a week and could not manage to see much. It is a 1-hour drive from Donegal to the sights listed. You can also add Cliffs of Magho Viewpoint - there is a short walk to the cliffs there.

Sights of Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)

• The Giant's Causeway (Giant's Causeway) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - a real pearl of Ireland!

In the north of Northern Ireland there are many walking trails with panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean and the cliffs, and also many ancient castles!!! But you need to set aside from 3 to 7 days here... The region of sights deserves a whole day..., we could only spare 2 hours.

The map below shows the circular walking route around the "Giant's Causeway". The car park is marked on the map; there is no parking anywhere else! Parking costs about 10 euros for the whole day. There are few spaces and they run out by lunchtime... Please note: it is better to go out along the top - the red route - so that you go down the steps rather than up them... And the way back runs along the shore beside the water - the yellow arrows. A bus runs to the main Instagram location, the Giant's Causeway (basalt columns). But believe me, the views are so beautiful there that you should walk both ways! The bus runs every 5-10 minutes. The whole circular walk takes a little over 1.5 hours.

Next to the "Giant's Causeway" route there is a railway (Giant's Causeway & Bushmills Railway), which runs as shown on the map below (in the opposite direction from the Giant's Causeway). You can walk one way and ride the railway the other. There is a catch: the train seems to run only 3 times a day, so check this in advance as soon as you arrive. That is why you should set aside a whole day here. Our day had to cover all of Northern Ireland) so we drove on to the next beautiful locations.

• The National Trust bridge - Carrick-a-Rede ⭐⭐⭐⭐- beautiful Irish landscapes

It is close to the Giant's Causeway - a 15-minute drive. The car park here is large, and the fee is included in the entrance ticket - about 13 euros. It is about a 30-minute walk (about 2 km) from the car park to the bridge. The entrance is open until 4 pm and the exit until 5 pm. There is nothing particularly special here, but you can take a walk along the ocean) The suspension bridge leads to a small islet, from which there is a view of the beautiful steep coasts!

The route below covers a whole daylight day of travelling around Northern Ireland. Although everything is close together, you want to walk around and admire the views everywhere!

Next we saw two ancient ruined castles:

• Kinbane Castle ⭐⭐ - a steep staircase leads down to it, and you can also look at it from a distance) Parking is free. There is not much to see here, but you can take a walk.
• Dunluce Castle ⭐⭐ - parking next to the castle itself is free, but the best view of the castle opens from the road - you have to walk out onto the carriageway for great photos) It is a beautiful castle, but there is nowhere to walk - you just take photos and drive on.

• Dublin ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - a beautiful city with pubs and parks

You should set aside several days for Dublin, since you cannot see everything in one... Below is a list for 1-2 days.

1. Grafton Street, the pedestrian street - a cluster of little shops and boutiques. Visit time - 30 minutes if you only stroll.
2. The Irish Whiskey Museum - tours and a mini overview with a tasting are available. For 85 euros you taste about 6 kinds of J. Fox whiskey and they pour you 1 litre of whiskey from your own personal blend! They will tell you precisely about the difference between Scotch (smoky, which is not to everyone's taste) and Irish and American whiskey, which are somewhat alike) You will learn what single malt whisky is (Single Malt Whisky - the most aromatic, some say like perfume), grain whisky (Grain Whisky)  and, of course, blended whisky.
3. the Temple Bar district - this is where the legendary pub stands, which could not be moved or restored. Visit time - 20 minutes if you only stroll.
4. The Old Jameson Distillery - tours and a tasting of 4 kinds of whiskey for 25 euros are available.
5. Phoenix Park with deer (Phoenix Park) -  a very big park with footpaths; you will have to look for the deer, but many say they are there)
6. National Botanic Gardens - the local botanical garden.

There is also a lot to see around Dublin... There are walks along the Howth Cliff Walk and Howth Pier, where you can watch seals being fed. There is Powerscourt Estate (Powerscourt House & Gardens) - a beautiful garden and house.

Among the legendary sights in the south of Ireland you can single out the Kilkee Cliff Walk and the Cliffs of Moher with walks along the coast, the Viewpoint South viewpoints, Cliffs Of Moher + Moher Tower at Hag's Head. In short, you cannot explore Ireland in 1 week)

On the map below, the pink arrow is the pedestrian Grafton Street, which leads to the Irish Whiskey Museum, then the red arrow is the walking street where Temple Bar itself is. Then you can go out onto the embankment and walk to the Old Jameson Distillery. The whole walking route takes about 1.5 hours one way.

What to try in Ireland?

Everyone has heard of Irish whiskey and, of course, beer. But the desserts are worth trying too. Any dessert in any cafe or little shop is very tasty! I especially want to single out their local cakes with raisins!!!

Car rental at Dublin airport

I can recommend enterprise.com. We used their services in Poland and in Ireland. We booked online and paid on the spot at the airport. We picked up the car at the airport, where there is a key collection desk. You only need to agree on the pick-up time in advance. Enterprise Rent-A-Car hand over a car on a Ukrainian driving licence without any questions, unlike, for example, the company Panek. In Poland we booked with Panek, flew in, and they refused us because of our Ukrainian licences! Luckily an Enterprise office was nearby - they gave us a car without any questions, even without a booking. So in Ireland we booked with them straight away! The car in Ireland, by the way, was new, with 5000 km on the clock, and still smelled of a new car)

What else to see in Ireland?