Do you start to get bored after 5 weeks locked up at home without much activity to do? Hold on! Few days left before the end of lockdown in Ireland and it is time to start planning some outings! You’re going to ask: “why already?”, simply because you don’t know how long you will have before the next possible containment. But don’t worry, everything is planned for you! Here are the things to do absolutely once you are out of lockdown. Get your agenda!
1. Hike to Ireland’s heart-shaped lake
You may have seen that kind of picture in your Instagram feed, but what do you think about getting to it? Hiking to that place can be a big challenge for the laziest of you, but be sure of one thing: this lake worth largely the effort! If you manage to see the lake called “Lough Ouler” from the right angle, you will notice a perfect heart shape. You could find it in the county of Wicklow located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. You have some ways to get there by bus, car or train.
2. Explore the Skellig Islands
“What a magical place”, said all people who have been there. This spot should be on every “what to in Ireland” list. Especially for one little island called “Skellig Michael” well known since it has been being used as a location for the Star Wars movies. Victim of his own success, the number of people who can visit the island is limited. It is one of only two places in Ireland to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. This trip is for the bravest of you who are not afraid to travel miles to see wonderful places. Indeed, to get there, it will take you 6 hours by train. Good luck!
3. Take a trip to the Waterford’s Copper Coast
You can make a choice to do it by driving or walking. Once on place, the area will directly get your attention. 25km of totally different panoramas from Kilfarassy Beach in the east to Stradbally in the west. No doubt that you won’t get bored of that place once you discover it. For a bit of history, the area gets its name in the 1800s, from the copper mines that operated there. If you are not chilly, you could go and enjoy the lovely beaches that border the place and maybe try a swim. Get your swimwear! You can get there by only 2 hours driving from Dublin.
4. Discover the Connemara National Park
Over there, landscapes will be your best friends. 2,000 hectares of bogs, woodlands, mountain ranges and parkland, the area is one for the must-visit in Ireland after lockdown. Located in the west of Ireland within County Galway, the Park was founded and opened to the public in 1980. So famous than a well known French singer have created a song in his name! Obviously, all beautiful things have a price. And for this spot, it will be to take the train or the bus for 5 hours from Dublin.
5. Enjoy the panorama of Clew Bay from Croagh Patrick
This is certainly the most gorgeous bays in all of Ireland. At this place, you will discover a view of a multitude of small islands. According to legend, there would be 365, one for every day of the year. If you want to have the best angle of vision to enjoy this magnificent landscape fully, you have to climb to the summit of Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s Holy mountain. If this climb doesn’t take your breath away, the view will do it. Once again, you will have to be brave to go on that spot of 764-meter altitude. If you have the desire to go there, it will take you 3 hours by train from Dublin.
6. Explore Valentia Island
This place offers you the opportunity to play palaeontologists for a day. Indeed, a series of imprints can be found in the rocks along a stretch of shore on this Island. According to experts, you can find fossilised footprints which have been created as much as 370 million years ago. These marks would have been made by a primitive amphibian (like vertebrate or tetrapod) and provide evidence of the transition of life from water to land. If you are intrigued by this story, don’t waste a minute and do the Valentia tracway!
7. Discover the history of the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim
Visitors are talking about the “most unique places to visit in Ireland”, and they are right. The spot is composed of 40,000 basalt stone columns. The place is best known for the mythological story of Fionn MacCumhaill. That’s why the area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and is especially the most popular tourist attractions located in Northern Ireland. You have to know that this unusual landscape of the Giant’s Causeway is due to an ancient volcanic eruption. Like any attractive places previously cited, it will take you time to get there from Dublin, around 3 hours by train.
8. Take the road to happiness at the Ring of Kerry
Before taking this trip, be sure to have something to take nice pictures. You will embark on a 179km long trail of a paradise landscape encircling the Iveagh Peninsula in county Kerry in the southwest of Ireland. This road is one of the most famous circuits holidays routes to drive. The route is especially well known for its diverse wildlife scattered across Ireland’s lush green hills. Of course, you can do it by car. Still for those seeking a more active experience, the site also offers an alternative method: hiking! The best 5 views of the Ring of Kerry are the Skellig Ring Road, The Gap of Dunloe, Moll’s Gap, Ladies View and Derrynane Beach. By car, it will take you 4 hours to go there and appreciate the picturesque paradise!
9. Go along the coast of Cliffs of Moher
This is by far Ireland’s most visited natural attraction! You need to put this place as number one on your list of things to see after lockdown. 8km of breathtaking panoramas hugging the west coast of Ireland. Hoping you won’t get dizzy because the daunting cliffs reach a peak of around 509 feet! From this spot, you could see the Aran Islands in Galway bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins in County Galway. By car from Dublin, it will take you 3 hours to go to the coast of Cliffs of Moher.
10. Meet the deer in the Phoenix Park
Finally, a place for the laziest of you or simply those who don’t have a car and prefer to walk. Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed public park in any European Capital city. It is only 45 minutes away from the city centre by walk. The place is perfect for family or friends outings who want to enjoy of the Victorians Garden, playgrounds or orienteering course. However, the Park is especially well known to the public for these deer. For a bit of history, 600 fallow deer roam the park since the park was established in 1662 as a Royal Deer Park. You may be lucky to be able to caress some of those which are descendants of the original deer imported from Great Britain 350 years ago. However, be careful not to feed them as the numerous signs in the park ask you not to do. Indeed, that can cause malnourishment, illness or disease.
If you have other unique places in Ireland that you want to share, please add them in the comments and feel free to talk about your experiences. However, if you have the desire to visit one of these fabulous spots let us know in the comments below.
