Ireland

[DumfriesDik]

There doesn't seem to be a thread for Ireland in continental touring.

We have had a couple of weeks over there and thoroughly enjoyed it. The drama of the coast, the hills, the amount of waterways is staggering and the people of course, so welcoming. So many free places to stop over, we found it a delight.

If you have run out of schengen days, consider a visit to Ireland.

 

[Pappy]

We loved our trip to the North West of Ireland in July

 

[paddymcc]

Northernraider might want to pick your brains

 

[bobnick]

There doesn't seem to be a thread for Ireland in continental touring.

We have had a couple of weeks over there and thoroughly enjoyed it. The drama of the coast, the hills, the amount of waterways is staggering and the people of course, so welcoming. So many free places to stop over, we found it a delight.

If you have run out of schengen days, consider a visit to Ireland.

We did just that last month into this month for 10 days.
Absolutely loved it.
1st night stopped at The Snailbox just outside Dublin.
Hugged the Wild Atlantic way from Donegal to Kinsale.
Inbetween we did The Ring of Kerry AND ????? (forgotten the name. i've siad before i cannot remember names of places like some)
A truly special place.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Similar story here bobnick in that we did the northern half of the WAW. Stunning. We then went inland and boy I am glad we did. I hadn't realised there were so many canals and waterways. A lot of marinas which offered places to stay, some free, some not.

The rumour abouts bins is true. There are very few bins as it is a paid for service. Top tip, if you see a bin try and get rid of rubbish, don't hang on to it because you don't have enough to bother!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Fulham Dave]

There doesn't seem to be a thread for Ireland in continental touring.

We have had a couple of weeks over there and thoroughly enjoyed it. The drama of the coast, the hills, the amount of waterways is staggering and the people of course, so welcoming. So many free places to stop over, we found it a delight.

If you have run out of schengen days, consider a visit to Ireland.

Please don't keep it secret - Where did you visit? Where did you stay? What was your favourite place? What apps did you use?

 

[DumfriesDik]

Please don't keep it secret - Where did you visit? Where did you stay? What was your favourite place? What apps did you use?

It is on my Polarsteps!

The last campsite was CCC CS/CL (never remember which is which!) near Derrymore and very handy for the ferry. Stayed on a Saturday night and they did a meet and greet of the campers in the barn and laid on food FOC but bring your own beer. So, in a heated metal shed with an amazing military amphibious vehicle which he still uses, amongst other things. If you enjoy looking around man caves, you will love this one.

We enjoyed so many stops, but I liked the marina at Ballyconnell. There was a Spar around the corner, plenty of places to eat and a canal walk.

I used an app called Motorhome parking Ireland and paid for the subscription - well worth paying for. I could not find it in the iPad app store though. It is a green app with Camper Van Insurance as the most prominent text. Works great on the iPhone.

 

[Fulham Dave]

It is on my Polarsteps!

The last campsite was CCC CS/CL (never remember which is which!) near Derrymore and very handy for the ferry. Stayed on a Saturday night and they did a meet and greet of the campers in the barn and laid on food FOC but bring your own beer. So, in a heated metal shed with an amazing military amphibious vehicle which he still uses, amongst other things. If you enjoy looking around man caves, you will love this one.

We enjoyed so many stops, but I liked the marina at Ballyconnell. There was a Spar around the corner, plenty of places to eat and a canal walk.

I used an app called Motorhome parking Ireland and paid for the subscription - well worth paying for. I could not find it in the iPad app store though. It is a green app with Camper Van Insurance as the most prominent text. Works great on the iPhone.

That is superb DD, thank you very much, really appreciated!!

We too had planned to use Motorhome Parking Ireland, but the app is down at the moment following the passing of their app developer I believe. Just hope it comes back on line before we visit. Wife is just setting up an account on Polarsteps now (I've never heard of it, but that's nothing new!! )

We are over in Ireland next month watching our daughter play 9-ball pool for England in the world championships. We will then go to visit family in Meath. However, we have a week to ourselves in-between, so want to explore in the van a few areas. I have travelled the length and breadth of the island in a car, but not a 9m van!!!

Any other words of wisdom, help or advice will always be welcome!!

Thanks again!

 

[bobnick]

Get the fast ferry.
If you go to Galway take some change to drop into the hats of so many homeless there.
Most of the sites we stayed on only had 6 amp? so careful what you put on.
Like you done a few times in car n hotels but 1st time for us in a 8mt van. No issues whatsoever and we went on some white roads........very small/narrow, hence the need for some acrylic polish when we got back.

 

[Fulham Dave]

6 amp will be a challenge, we have been on a few like that in France and the switch kept popping!!! Gas for everything and hope for some sunshine maybe!!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[K9Motorhomers]

Sailing from Cairnryan on 5th October to Larne for our first visit to Ireland. Spending 3 weeks doing the Wild Atlantic Way. Shortest crossing as Lynne does suffer quite badly with sea sickness and living in North Yorkshire its not too far to Stranraer.
Any advice, tips etc greatly appreciated.

 

[Imala615]

Please don't keep it secret - Where did you visit? Where did you stay? What was your favourite place? What apps did you use?

I have been over a few times ,done both the north and south ,some stunning countryside so definitely worth a visit , only app i used is at the moment down but sure it will be back soon.motorhomeparlingireland. Only downside is the price of ferries .
here's some of the blogs with places to go and stop .

Southern Ireland 2012

19th June After having a solar panel fitted to add to my 2x110amp batteries i booked a Liverpool- Dublin ferry and set off with current gi...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

Ireland 2017

Ireland 2017 First stop, a couple of nights at Howth great stop with train into Dublin for the day (20+ vans here tonight Saturday...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

A month in Ireland September 2019

Tues 3 rd September Set off at lunchtime for the 20.15 Irish ferry from Holyhead to Dublin, had a good run down with a stop for a coffee...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

and plenty of pics put to music.some dash cam footage but not edited .

youtube videos | My Motorhome Travels

www.rebbyvid.co.uk

 

[Pappy]

If anyone finds themselves near Carrick on Shannon, then I would highly recommend Andersons Thatched pub. Plenty of motorhome parking at the back (free) and superb atmosphere particularly if you are there on one of their music nights. And the Guinness is very good.

 

[Stealaway]

Sailing from Cairnryan on 5th October to Larne for our first visit to Ireland. Spending 3 weeks doing the Wild Atlantic Way. Shortest crossing as Lynne does suffer quite badly with sea sickness and living in North Yorkshire its not too far to Stranraer.
Any advice, tips etc greatly appreciated.e

We was there this year for three weeks. Enjoy

On this latest trip to Ireland It was suggested we should complete the Atlantic Way.
A planned route is far too organised for us although we did keep finding we was on the Atlantic way but it does cover the whole of the West coast for 1600 miles.
Many routes in Ireland can get pretty narrow and naggery and that is the charm, the people are so patient and courteous it’s never an issue. Our Motorhome is just 7mts but was never a problem - except when a stone wall disguised as grass bank got me
There is some fabulous scenery and very unusual landscapes
Basically we meandered between visits to towns on the way to overnight stops on the coast. There is hundreds of harbour's piers and dock all over the west coast and even on the lakes. We searched out a local one near too us every night on Park4night especially if we needed water or the cassette needed emptying. We had absolutely no reason to book onto a campsite.
The roads are mostly quiet bur do not drive in Dublin, the traffic is horrendous, catch a commuter train in to the city. Any of the other bigger towns are also worth a visit but they are all very busy. There is a short stretch of Toll motorway around Dublin. It is very cheap but we avoided it because of the need to find how to pay
Killarney was lovely. Tipperary even though ‘it’s a long way' was a disappointment.
We only went into the north for one day and without any bother but did find an English Tesco and an LPG supplier in Enniskillen.
The cost of living and fuel are about the same --- except for any booze, which almost double UK prices - stock up!
We tended to stop at Lidl almost daily as the have huge selection of fresh bread products. We would buy a baguette (0.69E) and have a French type lunch of meat and cheese.
Be aware though that there are very few laybys on Irish roads so stopping on the road for lunch was always a task.
The Irish are crazy for whippy ice creams - with a flake 2E. We had to have one almost everyday
The Irish people are so lovely, chatty and so laid back - nothing is a problem.
We spent almost three weeks aimlessly touring and you can tell we totally enjoyed it. Even the P&O ferry from Liverpool turned out to be a good choice

 

[Imala615]

If anyone finds themselves near Carrick on Shannon, then I would highly recommend Andersons Thatched pub. Plenty of motorhome parking at the back (free) and superb atmosphere particularly if you are there on one of their music nights. And the Guinness is very good.

Second that on Gene is brilliant host and some fine traditional music. Was at a rally there for a couple days with the main irish forum(the craic one )and Gene came round on the sunday morning with baguettes and grapes for every van. No services on site by the way.

Massive car park

very cosy pub.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

I'm on the ferry to Belfast on Thursday for 2 months in Ireland. Will be my first time despite my mums side of the family being from Galway so I'm looking forward to exploring it.

 

[ontheroadagain]

I'm on the ferry to Belfast on Thursday for 2 months in Ireland. Will be my first time despite my mums side of the family being from Galway so I'm looking forward to exploring it.

What direction are you planning to go from Belfast?
I would recommend following the Antrim Coast Road north.
If you do, don't be tempted to take the motorhome to Torr Head.
The roads are very narrow.
(That would be one for the scooter).
Torr Head last weekend -

 

[Northernraider]

I'm planning to follow the coast all the way round but venture inland here and there as I go ..but I've no set plan just going to see what is around each place and take it from there .



I have a thread running that will cover my 2 months in Ireland and then on to Spain and hopefully Morocco later In the year

Tam n pups winter trip 2022

Stunning pics Tam, dogs looking very happy, you must be very happy to be on the road again👍

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Imala615]

What direction are you planning to go from Belfast?
I would recommend following the Antrim Coast Road north.
If you do, don't be tempted to take the motorhome to Torr Head.
The roads are very narrow.
(That would be one for the scooter).
Torr Head last weekend -

I have done it and agree it is a bit narrow and not recommended but the view is worth it even when its misty and there is a bit of a car park.

 

[bobandjanie]

Tam Northernraider and anyone else that goes to Ireland.

You can use the marina services on the waterways, parking water and dump are free, if you wanted to use toilets / showers or washing machines you can buy a card with credit on it from various places, we phoned a number on the toilet block building and the lock keeper came with the card. Bob.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Fulham Dave]

I have been over a few times ,done both the north and south ,some stunning countryside so definitely worth a visit , only app i used is at the moment down but sure it will be back soon.motorhomeparlingireland. Only downside is the price of ferries .
here's some of the blogs with places to go and stop .

Southern Ireland 2012

19th June After having a solar panel fitted to add to my 2x110amp batteries i booked a Liverpool- Dublin ferry and set off with current gi...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

Ireland 2017

Ireland 2017 First stop, a couple of nights at Howth great stop with train into Dublin for the day (20+ vans here tonight Saturday...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

A month in Ireland September 2019

Tues 3 rd September Set off at lunchtime for the 20.15 Irish ferry from Holyhead to Dublin, had a good run down with a stop for a coffee...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

and plenty of pics put to music.some dash cam footage but not edited .

youtube videos | My Motorhome Travels

www.rebbyvid.co.uk

Thank you so much! Plenty read, watch and tap along too

 

[Fulham Dave]

Tam Northernraider and anyone else that goes to Ireland.

You can use the marina services on the waterways, parking water and dump are free, if you wanted to use toilets / showers or washing machines you can buy a card with credit on it from various places, we phoned a number on the toilet block building and the lock keeper came with the card. Bob.

Great advice, thanks

 

[vin.egan]

We was there this year for three weeks. Enjoy

On this latest trip to Ireland It was suggested we should complete the Atlantic Way.
A planned route is far too organised for us although we did keep finding we was on the Atlantic way but it does cover the whole of the West coast for 1600 miles.
Many routes in Ireland can get pretty narrow and naggery and that is the charm, the people are so patient and courteous it’s never an issue. Our Motorhome is just 7mts but was never a problem - except when a stone wall disguised as grass bank got me
There is some fabulous scenery and very unusual landscapes
Basically we meandered between visits to towns on the way to overnight stops on the coast. There is hundreds of harbour's piers and dock all over the west coast and even on the lakes. We searched out a local one near too us every night on Park4night especially if we needed water or the cassette needed emptying. We had absolutely no reason to book onto a campsite.
The roads are mostly quiet bur do not drive in Dublin, the traffic is horrendous, catch a commuter train in to the city. Any of the other bigger towns are also worth a visit but they are all very busy. There is a short stretch of Toll motorway around Dublin. It is very cheap but we avoided it because of the need to find how to pay
Killarney was lovely. Tipperary even though ‘it’s a long way' was a disappointment.
We only went into the north for one day and without any bother but did find an English Tesco and an LPG supplier in Enniskillen.
The cost of living and fuel are about the same --- except for any booze, which almost double UK prices - stock up!
We tended to stop at Lidl almost daily as the have huge selection of fresh bread products. We would buy a baguette (0.69E) and have a French type lunch of meat and cheese.
Be aware though that there are very few laybys on Irish roads so stopping on the road for lunch was always a task.
The Irish are crazy for whippy ice creams - with a flake 2E. We had to have one almost everyday
The Irish people are so lovely, chatty and so laid back - nothing is a problem.
We spent almost three weeks aimlessly touring and you can tell we totally enjoyed it. Even the P&O ferry from Liverpool turned out to be a good choice

Basically, this covers most things in Ireland, we go regularly, ferry cost can be eye watering but its definitely worth it.

With regards to the M50 toll road around Dublin, search online for M50 Toll, you'll find the page, easy to use, but don't forget to enter your email address for a receipt, we were there for 6 weeks last xmas and new year time, paid the toll, all done, or so we thought, fast forward to April we get a demand for the toll through the post. I emailed them through the website with a copy of the email receipt, up to now we have heard nothing.

There are plenty of toll roads on the major routes across Ireland, they charge motorhomes at the same price as a car so not that expensive in the greater scheme of things.

There are pretty much no bins so when you do see one, use it. There are plenty of recycling stations for glass bottles etc. We went to a council tip once about 10 years ago to dispose of some general rubbish, they charged us 8 euro for one black bag of rubbish. so if you go, make sure its full.


We tend to use TMI (Total Motorhome Ireland) or Park for the Night but as has been stated, just follow your nose, be thoughtful of your surroundings and others.

 

[bobnick]

We never noticed this lack of bins. Always managed to dump our litter when we needed to. Strange.
The time we were there we used very little of the toll, €3 i think going back to the port.

 

[vin.egan]

We never noticed this lack of bins. Always managed to dump our litter when we needed to. Strange.
The time we were there we used very little of the toll, €3 i think going back to the port.

The tunnel to and from the port which takes you out to the M50/M1 is 3 euro off peak, 12 euro peak, payable at the booth, the M50 is a pay online toll.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Red Sonja]

A must see is Donegal. Malin head which is the most Northern part of Ireland. The famine village which is between Carndonagh and Ballyliffen.beautiful beaches for miles and miles. Plenty of places to wildcamp. It's a slower pace of life. People will think nothing of blocking the road for a chat or triple parking outside the church. As for the whippy ice-creams make sure you indulge.

 

[Martin How]

Just back from spending a month there. in our 2000 Hymer B574. tracked up from Rosslaire via Kilkenny (fab), The Happy Pear at Greystones Wicklow (great chick pea curry and slightly hip) to Dublin, Belfast, Giants Causeway, Derry, Donegal, Galway and back via Bruin a Boyne and the ferry home to Liverpool

Mostly we stayed on locations picked from Park4Night. Up to Belfast mostly paid sites but after that mostly wild spots. We left England (wales really) in hot, bright sun and arrived at Rosslaire in warm windy drizzle. wondering if this was a big mistake. However it was almost the only rain we saw in a month. Food was expensive, fuel a bit cheaper than England and site fees about the same. Many things needed to be booked in advance. The toll on the M50 has to be paid on line but it does not seem that you can check whats owed on your vehicle so i paid a random amount for one journey.

Big takes:

Kilkenny - great spot for a couple of days to chill and adapt. Campsite was a bit of a hike from town but we had bikes. I blew out an inner tube on my Brompton. It had an aneurism on the valve stem! Great cycle repair shops where depite much huffing about the cpmplexity of the Brompton chain tensioner ( i agree) that has to be removed with the wheel he squeezed a 1 3/8 tube into a 1 1/4 tyre as that is all he or the other bike shop had.

Dublin. The GPO building and the museum on the 1916 uprising were excellent and informative. We stayed at Camac Valley site. It was clean and very friendly and very full as it was the last days of the school holiday. Inexpensive fast bus service to the city centre (O'Connell Street).

Belfast The Titanic museum exceeded expectations. It felt odd to walk down the Shankill road and around West Belfast, Divis Flats area etc., after what we had been exposed to in the media during The Troubles.

Carrickfergus. we stayed at the Jordanstown campsite on the Lough. Great indian Restaurant in Carrickfergus, which was just as well as most other places we closed, of stopped trading.

Giant's Causeway. I had wanted to see it for 60 years so it was going to be good.

Derry. We stayed over night in a car park at S Columbs Road, two minutes walk from the Peace bridge, the river Foyle and town centre. amazing sight of 3 dolphins in the river from the bridge.

Achil Island was a bit a mixed. Too touristique. We stayed in the carpark by the TV transmitter on the hill top. Fantastic views but thick cloud when we woke up. Its a long steep drive up so not for the feint hearted or underpowered vehicles.

Donegal. Nice town, great castle, lots of great megalithic tombs, good food What's not to like. Even a paid place to service the van on the road in run by an Irish gent who wanted to talk about horses.

Galway. A great town but the 'Hip' end was all closed on a Sunday but the old town was very energetic. Not many places to stay and the council seem to have declared war on motor homes.

Bruin a Boyne. Amazing Megalithic Passage tombs that dwarf Stonehenge in size and age. Also not managed to death unlike the S place. It was fully booked two weeks ahead so we snuck in a booked visit on our way home.

Dublin to Liverpool P & O Ferry. This was a great choice. It was cheaper than the Pembroke Dock to Rosslaire service was very quiet as its mostly a freight RoRo and include food. At £20 a cabin with shower was a bargain.

We found LPG - Autogas for the cylinders at Top Oil in Clonard on the R148. It needed the Screw adapter putting into the Bayonet.

We shall return.

 

[NoName]

The best way is to start at Belfast, then follow the coast in a anti-clockwise route. Then join up and follow the WAW signage. If you have the time continue all the way until you return to your start point. I spent 3 months doing just that last year.

 

[Imala615]

Similar story here bobnick in that we did the northern half of the WAW. Stunning. We then went inland and boy I am glad we did. I hadn't realised there were so many canals and waterways. A lot of marinas which offered places to stay, some free, some not.

The rumour abouts bins is true. There are very few bins as it is a paid for service. Top tip, if you see a bin try and get rid of rubbish, don't hang on to it because you don't have enough to bother!

sparse bins i think are only in the south , good tip if you use supermarkets take your plastic wrapped stuff out there and dump it in their bins . ps I have never had a problem getting rid of rubbish just don't let it mount up

The tunnel to and from the port which takes you out to the M50/M1 is 3 euro off peak, 12 euro peak, payable at the booth, the M50 is a pay online toll.

Never used the toll ,just turn left before, usually heading towards Bray or Greystokes.

 

[bobnick]

The tunnel to and from the port which takes you out to the M50/M1 is 3 euro off peak, 12 euro peak, payable at the booth, the M50 is a pay online toll.

When we arrived the toll booth was open and told to go through. Some issue or other so for us one way €3

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}