6 Scenic Drives In Ireland

The weekend is near, the weather forecast is looking good and Ireland has some of the most scenic driving routes on offer! Carzone lists six popular routes to take for a very scenic drive.

The weekend is near, the weather forecast is looking good and Ireland has some of the most scenic driving routes on offer! Carzone lists six popular routes to take for a very scenic drive.

 1. Galway to Westport 
They say the West is best and it’s definitely hard to beat a drive from Galway to Westport. This route offers 98 kilometers of motoring bliss through towns such as Leenane and Louisburg, taking you through mountains, by lakes, rivers and along the famous west coast. If are partial to an occasional swim, this route also takes you by some of the finest blue flag beaches in Ireland, so don’t forget your togs!

 

2. The Ring of Kerry
This is one drive that should be on everyone's bucket list! A 179 kilometre circular route that takes you through Killarney, Kenmare, Killorglin, Sneem, Waterville, Caherciveen, Glenbeigh – and everything in between, including Killarney National Park, the Gap of Dunloe, Rossbeigh Beach and the Skelligs. You’ll come across hundreds of sheep and ponies on the narrow roads and as all tour buses run anti-clockwise, we recommend travelling clockwise if you want to avoid them (Kenmare to Killarney).

 

3. The Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth ?
When you drive the Cooley Peninsula, you really are following in the footsteps of giants, for it’s here Cúchulainn made his name and Fionn Mac Cumhaill came to rest. Right between Dublin and Belfast, this enchanted drive takes in the Mourne Mountains, Carlingford Lough and Carlingford itself, a quaint cobbled Norman town where you should make time to stop off for a plate of the freshest oysters in all of Ireland.  

 

4. The Copper Coast, Co. Waterford
The Copper Coast is a 41 kilometre stretch of the sunny South East named after the mining industry that thrived here during the 19th Century, remnants of which still remain in the form of old workhouses dotted along the coastline. From Dungarvan to Tramore, there’s plenty to see in between including genteel Annestown, Stradbally Cove and the blue flag beach, Bonmahon. And all that driving will definitely earn you a big bag of chips and an icecream when you finally reach Tramore beach. 

 

5. Killiney, Co. Dublin
Killiney has it all; cliffs, coast and celebrities galore. Lunch in the picturesque neighboring fishing village of Dalkey is a good place to start, before continuing along the Vico Road which will afford you spectacular views of Killiney Bay, often compared to the Bay of Naples. As you climb, the roads become pretty narrow, so take care on the corners. And if you have time to stop off and climb Killiney Hill, you’ll be rewarded with unbeatable views of Dublin Bay, Bray Head and the Sugar Loaf Mountain.

 

6. Wild Atlantic Way, Co. Clare
The Co. Clare stage of the Wild Atlantic Way is a rugged coastline packed with attractions, everything from the world famous Cliffs of Moher, the Burren National Park and stunning beaches like Kilkee, excellent locations for surfing. This leg ends just over the border, in Galway’s picture-perfect Kinvara, past the ‘Flaggy Shore’ immortalised by Seamus Heaney in his poem Postscript. It’s Ireland at its very best. 

If you’re planning any long distance car journeys this summer, it’s a good idea to do a quick check of your fuel, lights, oil, water, engine and tyres before you head off. Liberty Insurance reward safe driving. Find out more about their Drive Safer Reward or get a car insurance quote in as little as two minutes.