Expats reveal their favourite lesser-known places to see when visiting in Ireland.
We all have our favourite places – the ones that bring back excellent memories, the ones where we made important life decisions, the ones that took our breath away. Today, the Ireland Buying Guide chats to three of our readers who’ve made the move, about their favourite spots in Ireland.
“It was while we were enjoying a picnic by Doo Lough that we decided we needed to relocate to Ireland permanently – our hearts, it seemed, were now in the Irish countryside.”
Geoff Stanway from Hereford chose the drive from Leenane to Louisburgh in County Mayo…
“Around 10 years ago, we owned property in County Mayo, but hadn’t made the full move that we were dreaming of. One night in our local boozer, my wife and I got chatting to the barman and his mate and they recommended this drive to us, assuring us that it is the best road trip in all of Ireland. They were so enthusiastic about it that we agreed to do it then and there – fortunately, we weren’t disappointed! The drive from Leenane to Louisburgh takes you through the kind of countryside you picture when you think of Ireland. It was while we were enjoying a picnic by Doo Lough that we decided we needed to relocate to Ireland permanently – our hearts, it seemed, were now in the Irish countryside. We haven’t looked back since.”
Would you believe this craggy island was once inhabited by Christian monks?
John Carter from Hampshire chose Skellig Michael off County Kerry…
“Although a visit takes a considerable amount of planning, the experience of seeing Skellig – an ancient settlement around ten miles off the County Kerry coast, is well worth the boat trip. Ideally, you should aim to visit between April and September, as weather conditions can make it tricky to reach it, but once on the island, wow! The beehive-shaped huts you’ll see actually used to be inhabited by monks, and the views are terrific.”
“Whenever friends or family come to visit, we always head out to the Aran Islands. I just love its old-fashioned charm.”
Julia Peace from Sussex chose the Aran Islands in County Galway…
“Whenever friends or family come to visit, we always head out to the Aran Islands. I just love its old-fashioned charm – if you’re lucky, you might catch glimpse of one of the locals getting around the island on the back of their horse and cart! On Inis Mor, the largest of the islands, you can hire a bike, or stay overnight in one of the islands few B&Bs. Personally, I prefer the smaller islands, Inis Oirr and Inis Meain. On a clear day, you can see the Cliffs of Moher from Inis Oirr – it’s spectacular!”
The Ireland Buying Guide takes you through each stage of the property buying process, with practical recommendations from our experts who have been through the process themselves. The guide will help you to:
