Hi folks!
I set myself the challenge this year to visit every county in Ireland along with my wife before I turn 32 at the end of the summer this year. So we found an old scratch map and scratched off which counties we’ve already been to and found there’s still plenty to go out and see!
So I thought I’d ask you lovely people – if you have one thing you should absolutely do in your county – what would it be?
Recommendations are greatly appreciated as well as stories from your experiences in any of the counties I haven’t been to!
by CardboardZombie
41 comments
where did you get this? Me and my partner are past 32 but this is a great idea!
Heritage centre in wexford is great apparently!
https://irishheritage.ie/
Once you visit them all you unlock the secret 33rd county.
Inistioge in Kilkenny.
Monaghan: Patrick Kavanagh Centre and then lunch in The View Restaurant, Concra Wood. If you’re staying over, then make it a Friday night and go to the dance in the Glencarn, can’t really get more Monaghan than that!
Alternative suggestion- Go to the Ulster Final in Clones 👌🏼
I thought I was looking at an Israel/Palestine version of Ireland before I read the text.
Stayed in a gate lodge at Emo Court in Laois a few years ago and it was a lovely little break. Walking distance to pub and restaurant too.
Depends what you’re in to really. With Tipp, a friend visited from the US a couple years back. We did the Rock of Cashel and then wandered the Glen of Aherlow, was a lovely day out. You’ll probably find both of those things on any “top 10 places to see in Tipp” list and they’re relatively close by each other. You’d drive between them in 20/25 mins.
If you’re in the more northern half of the county, some lovely climbs around Lough Derg, Millenium Cross & Keeper Hill. If you’re in to a more relaxed vibe, Ballina is a great spot during the summer to rent a boat or just chill by the river, there’s a public outdoor pool and lovely food in both Flanagans and Tuscany.
Dingle is so nice. I’d go there.
Also Kilkenny city is the nicest city to walk around, in my opinion.
Cool idea!
OP, do you live in Ireland?
I spent a night in every county before going abroad, mainly camping and hiking through scouts. It’s a lovely country. Enjoy.
Go visit Rathcroghan in Roscommon. Home of Queen Meabh.
Stay in Kilronan Castle. Have a bite to eat in Tarmonbarry.
Fermanagh
[Magho](https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/lough-navar-magho-cliffs-p674471) Cliffs Viewpoint at the top of Lough Navar forest. The view over Lower Lough Erne and across the county, is one of the most scenic inland views on the island
Rent a boat or do a tour out to Devenish island
Also special mention to Crom Castle, South Fermanagh and Boa Island North Fermanagh
A day round Enniskillen (Ireland’s island town) is always great, plenty of great eateries and on the rare occasion it’s good weather you can rent hydro bikes or kayaks and go around the island
How have you not been to Kerry?
Did you fly to cork or just not stop on the way?
Donegal is beautiful but bring a big ladder to get over the wall
Come with me to work next week I’ll get you round them in a few days lol
Croagh Patrick is worth doing in county mayo. Galway’s city is great for going out.
Donegal has so much and the county is so vast.
My recommendation would be stopping off in Donegal town for a night, see the restaurants and pubs there, maybe check out Donegal Castle, and then head west towards Glencolmcille (Gleann Cholm Cille). Make sure to see Sliabh Liag cliffs and the Silver Strand but you could honestly spend a week in the area. Glengesh (Gleann Gheis) and Asaranca waterfall on the way down to Ardara are well worth seeing also.
While you’re in the North West, Derry City is a great place to visit and the people are really friendly. So much to do there also.
Famine museum in strokestown co. Roscommon.
See… There’s something
You’ve never been to Cork, really?
In Laois, come spend a night in a hotel, like the Heritage or somewhere in Portlaoise. Get up early and travel to the Ridge of Capard in the Slieve Blooms. (Ideally on a clear morning). From the top of that mountain (which has a car park nearby, making sunrise a goer) you can see the entire northern half of the Midlands and beyond in front of you. The sun will rise from the east, behind the wicklow mountains and draws a shadow back over the top half of Ireland, lighting the whole place in a manner that feels almost druid like. Then go for a nice walk/hike around the Slieve Blooms, Glenbarrow Car park is a great start point for 3 good looped walks. Also, the Slieve Blooms are one of the oldest mountain ranges in Europe and the oldest in Ireland.
Then, head for lunch in Emo Court or maybe make a trip Donaghmore Famine museum.
In the evening, go to the Rock of Dunamaise for one of the best sunsets possible that isn’t on the western coast. Its a phenomenal setting.
Will have to wait till summer but skelligs are amazing.
Having seen just the picture/heading first, I thought you were going for a “32 counties before 2032” and this map was somehow redrawn – “The new 32 counties – brown and green lads”
Riverfest in Limerick (May bank holiday) is always fun or if you’re a fan of metal music, the Siege of Limerick is not to be missed around Easter.
FFS they spelt Rathcormac in Cork wrong. The k at the end is for Rathcormack in Sligo
You will only get to 31, because Leitrim doesn’t actually exist
For Sligo – visit Eagles Flying, go surfing in Strandhill (followed by ice cream at Mammy Johnson’s), climb Knocknarea or Benbulben – you won’t find better views anywhere in Ireland.
Edited to add – I see you e already visited (good choice)! But it’s definitely worth a second trip.
You’ve already been to Armagh? Can I ask what you done? Been here my whole life and honestly dunno what there is worth seeing 😂
The Blasket Centre in Kerry is really well done. It’s in Dunquin and the drive to it is great as well.
Clonmacnoise in Offaly is good, too.
Skellig Michael landing tour
In Wicklow you have Glendalough and which is absolutely beautiful if you have time to do the hike
I have this map, I never thought of using it this way
If you drive to waterford city you can knock carlow, kilkenny, waterford and Wexford off your list pretty quickly, make a nice day out, stop in carlow for lunch, then kilkenny for a bit of shopping, onto waterford and drive to wexford for a beach bbq in the evening.
Looking at the map, ypu must live in Meath or louth i’m thinking ?
In Leitrim you can take a trip on the Old Manorhamilton road to leave Leitrim! Best decision, you won’t regret it!
As for all the counties I’m 24 and I have just
Offaly
Wicklow
Wexford
Waterford
Kerry
To go
Go Brown signing!!
Pick a county you are heading to for the weekend – pre check and plan for day 2-4 things on each of those days to see/do; castle / gallery / museum whatever.
Then drive the back roads between places .. and visit the brown sign sights on the way.
Many are rubbish, maybe a concrete water and shrine that you can’t bring yourself to get out of the car for. But some are absolute gems.
It will also give you a newfound hatred for b&bs and suchlike inappropriately using a brown sign.
Roscommon, the best thing by far is the magnificent Lough key forest park. Just enjoy the park, or if you want activities, there’s zip lining, rowing, a tour boat and a treetop walk. It’s a real gem.
Do we really want to import northern problems? Do they want our shitty taxes?
Giants causeway and Dunluce castle and the brewery in Bushmills County Antrim
As a change from the usual situation where the largest town in Cork is excluded from a map, this one actually has it included but given it the name of the village 3 miles away.
I honestly thought this was a reunification post. 2032 is a nice thought but perhaps a bit ambitious