LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Giant Loop
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THREE WEEKS / STARTING & ENDING IN DUBLIN
From north to south, this route through Ireland covers it all: from Ulster’s fine architecture and heritage, through the midlands and its abundance of lakes – a haven for anglers and nature lovers – down to the beautiful countryside of the sunny southeast. You will enjoy this selection of different tastes.
Start your loop just north of Dublin at the Casino at
Marino, not a place to cash your chips but a 19th-century Italianate trompe l’oeil mansion. Continue north to the mind-blowing Neolithic necropolis at
Brú Na Bóinne, built before the Great Pyramids were even a twinkle in the Pharaoh’s eye. Continue north to
Mellifont Abbey, Ireland’s first Cistercian abbey, and on to the pretty village of
Carlingford on the lough with its narrow streets and 16th-century buildings.
Work your way through the Mourne Mountains – hiking your way to the top of
Slieve Donard if you wish – to the
Ards Peninsula and
Strangford Lough. Take a Black Taxi tour in
Belfast before moving northwest to the unmissable rock formation and World Heritage site,
Giant’s Causeway, best enjoyed at sunset. Continue around the stunning coastline of north Donegal, stopping at some of Ireland’s finest beaches, such as
Killyhoey Beach, and passing through the beautiful
Glenveagh National Park.
Head south through the monastic ruins of
Glencolumbcille and down into lively
Sligo, where you should climb up to the mystical Stone-Age passage grave,
Carrowkeel, built on a ley line and with panoramic views of Lough Arrow. For the west coast as far as Cork, follow the Into the West route. From Cork, head east to
Fota Wildlife Park for a picnic and then on to
Dungarvan’s King John’s Castle, with its unusual 12th-century shell.
Drive around the picturesque
Hook Peninsula, stopping for an ice cream in the seaside town of
Dunmore East. Spot the unusual varieties of geese in the world-famous Wexford Wildfowl Reserve before heading up to County Wicklow and
Wicklow Mountains National Park. Now settle into a well-deserved pint of Guinness at
Mulligan’s, back in Dublin’s city centre.
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