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Route description for Ireland in many facets: East coast, the north and Shannon from source to mouth


Ireland in many facets: East coast, the north and Shannon from source to mouth

On our route we explored beautiful places, historical sites, culture and the production of typical products. Here and there we give tips on geocaching. Tourist destinations that we find worthwhile are briefly described with the reason for this. ;) In addition, RV-suitable parking spaces are included everywhere. Some destinations are specific to geocachers (everywhere that says GC or LAB). Conclusion: It was a very nice and educational vacation. ;)

Ankunft mit DFDS, Irland

We arrived at this terminal with DFDS.

E 01;E 30, County Wexford, Irland

52° 15' 13.9" N 6° 20' 11.8" W

52.2538714 -6.3366209


☍ 2,6 km ( 6 min.)

Übernachtung aus Park4Night (P4N)

We spent our first night well in the supermarket parking lot. It was advisable to look for a "corner".


In the evening, the “café” - more of a pizzeria - was still open and we were able to enjoy a nice walk along the beach promenade with a view of the sea and back to the ferry port.

At St. Martins Road there was some sports equipment to try out.

County Wexford, Irland

52° 14' 59.9" N 6° 20' 39.5" W

52.2499816 -6.3443026


☍ 131,0 km (1 hrs. 31 min.)

PP am river Glenacalo

Glendalough is a hive of activity, and there are very few parking spaces in town. This campsite is a little outside of the tourist attraction, but by the lake. It is larger. The staff are very keen to accommodate camper vans who want to stay overnight - even if the site is actually full.


You can take a scenic walk to the monastery and visit the early Christian monastery of Glendalough, have a nice meal or a coffee in the village. Numerous stalls delight souvenir hunters.

R757, County Wicklow, Irland

53° 0' 25.7" N 6° 20' 40.2" W

53.0071376 -6.3444915


☍ 34,2 km ( 35 min.)

Bray, Parken an “The Promenade” in Bray

5€ per day, free at night


A beautiful beach, chic promenade, numerous small shops and snack bars.


Great starting point for geocachers. Here you can hike up Bray's Head and enjoy a wonderful view and log Europe's historic first geocache. 😎

The Promenade, County Wicklow, Irland

53° 12' 22.9" N 6° 6' 0" W

53.2063627 -6.1000124


☍ 29,9 km ( 21 min.)

Camac Valley Tourist Caravan & Camping Park

Campsite near Dublin, possibility to explore the city by public transport. The bus leaves regularly right in front of the campsite.

The facilities are very good: supplies and disposal are guaranteed. However, it is not exactly "cheap".

During the high season there was still a spot available spontaneously.

Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Irland

53° 18' 20.4" N 6° 24' 55.5" W

53.3056631 -6.4154109


☍ 12,9 km ( 17 min.)

Temple Bar

Must visit…

Historic pub with live music. Great atmosphere. In Dublin's city center, several pubs with live music invite you to socialize.

Temple Bar Square, Dublin, Dublin 2, Irland

53° 20' 43.8" N 6° 15' 47.2" W

53.3454957 -6.2631139


☍ 2,0 km ( 5 min.)

Guinness Storehouse

The multimedia experience impressively shows how the dark brew is made, with all the trimmings, and is one of the TOP experiences of our vacation. All of the senses are addressed here.


At the end: TOP panoramic view over Dublin in the "Gravity Bar" while you are served a Guinness. Highly recommended!

Market Street South, Dublin, Dublin 8, Irland

53° 20' 31" N 6° 17' 12.2" W

53.3419328 -6.2867297


☍ 1,4 km ( 4 min.)

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Admission to the museum is free. It is located in a beautiful building and is surrounded by extensive gardens. Regular tours and workshops take place. There are special activities for children. Our conclusion: Worth a visit for art lovers who like very unusual art.

Military Road, Dublin, Dublin 8, Irland

53° 20' 34.5" N 6° 17' 58.1" W

53.3429135 -6.2994639


☍ 53,1 km ( 41 min.)

Newgrange Visitors Centre - Brú na Bóinne

Newgrange Visitors Center - Brú na Bóinne

At this waypoint is the parking lot. It has a special area for parking RVs.

Our goal was to visit the Newgrange burial mound. Unfortunately, the number of visitors per day is very limited, so that in high season it is not possible to get tickets to visit the interior of the burial mound on short notice.


We decided to take a guided tour around the burial mound. The museum in the visitor center also shows the interior quite impressively. A good place to stop for refreshments in the visitor center rounded off the experience.

L1601, County Meath, Irland

53° 41' 42.7" N 6° 26' 46.2" W

53.6951957 -6.4461542


☍ 43,1 km ( 31 min.)

Dundalk im County Louth, Irland

The town of Dundalk shows interested tourists some impressive murals, but otherwise has little to offer in terms of tourism. The overnight spot is a dead end street with a turning area and comes from P4N and has the number #99335.

It is located on a jogger and dog walking path. It is quiet there in the evenings.


For geocachers: We liked the LAB series on the murals.

County Louth, Irland

54° 0' 24.4" N 6° 21' 38" W

54.0067745 -6.3605455


☍ 54,1 km ( 49 min.)

Tullymore Forest Parc

Parking space, and it may even be possible to spend the night there. We didn't see any prohibition signs.

Bryansford Road, Bryansford, County Down, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 13' 29.1" N 5° 56' 25.1" W

54.2247401 -5.9402972


☍ 25,0 km ( 25 min.)

Downpatrick bei Quoile Castle

Idyllic hiking car park from P4N. It is also popular with athletes, anglers and walkers. Very quiet in the evenings, ideal for spending the night. We were able to see red deer opposite.

Quay Road, Downpatrick, County Down, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 21' 5.2" N 5° 41' 57.6" W

54.3514467 -5.6993469


☍ 32,8 km ( 30 min.)

Belvoir Forest

Good alternative to camping for a visit to Belfast,


Free parking in Belvoir Forest Park, water refills possible. The ranger at the Forest Park is very friendly and talkative and keeps an eye on things. According to him, it is a former campsite.

There is a bus to and from Belfast every hour, a 7-minute walk to the stop.

Very quiet at night, walkers during the day, often with dogs.


Belvoir Drive, Purdysburn, County Down, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 33' 27.8" N 5° 55' 41.8" W

54.5577360 -5.9282819


☍ 23,5 km ( 25 min.)

Carrickfergus

Good day parking from P4N. We wouldn't like to park here at night because it's too "busy". During the day, several motorhomes parked here in high season, which made parking quite safe.

Good for visiting the castle or shopping.

Marine Highway, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 42' 46.8" N 5° 48' 31.9" W

54.7129999 -5.8088733


☍ 0,4 km ( 1 min.)

Carrickfergus castle

Old Norman castle. Some wax figures and exhibits illustrate the past life. Beautiful views of the town and the sea. Several activities for children's education, very suitable for families.


Entrance fee 2024: 6 € per person

Marine Highway, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 42' 49.4" N 5° 48' 23" W

54.7137304 -5.8063959


☍ 7,5 km ( 7 min.)

Whitehead

Start of the route:

Coastal panoramic road that is easily accessible with a motorhome

Belfast Road, Whitehead, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 44' 45.8" N 5° 42' 44.2" W

54.7460427 -5.7122852


☍ 32,3 km ( 31 min.)

Glenarm Marina

Large, spacious P4N pitch right by the harbor. Many mobile homes dock here.


Opportunity to visit Glenarm Castle or buy local products near the castle.

Dickeystown Road, Glenarm, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 58' 9" N 5° 56' 59.9" W

54.9691741 -5.9499810


☍ 46,7 km ( 43 min.)

Ballycastle Stadion

Possibility to park from P4N, even overnight if necessary. We visited Ballycastle. Beautiful beach promenade, stylish shops in the town.

Quay Road, Ballycastle, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 12' 7.8" N 6° 14' 36.4" W

55.2021721 -6.2434470


☍ 0,7 km ( 2 min.)

Ballycastle

Beautiful beach promenade, swimming on the beach, various cafes

Bayview Road, Ballycastle, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 12' 23" N 6° 14' 24.6" W

55.2063863 -6.2401588


☍ 8,8 km ( 9 min.)

Wohnmobil PP: Carry a rope bridge

From P4N: The official parking space for the Carry a Rope Bridge is only opened on special request. We found a closed bar that wouldn't let us through. 🙁 They sometimes open on request.


So we - and another RV - parked up here on the road and walked down to the official parking lot, a 15' walk to the start of the walk to the famous suspension bridge. On the way we made friends with 2 cute donkeys in their enclosure. A nice experience!

55.2354, -6.3485

55° 14' 7.4" N 6° 20' 54.6" W

55.2354000 -6.3485000


☍ 0,9 km ( )

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge

Beautifully situated in a picturesque location, a worthwhile destination! We arrived after the ticket office closed. It's not bad just to look at the bridge from the outside. ;)

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 14' 22.6" N 6° 19' 56.7" W

55.2396127 -6.3324200


☍ 4,2 km ( 4 min.)

Aussichtspunkt auf der Route

From P4N: It is listed here as a possible place to stay overnight. However, the parking space was too noisy for us because it is close to the road. However, it was good for taking a look at the sea.

55.2301, -6.3926

55° 13' 48.4" N 6° 23' 33.4" W

55.2301000 -6.3926000


☍ 1,4 km ( 1 min.)

White Parc Bay Beach

From P4N: It is a good place to park at the famous beach, an overnight stay would theoretically also be possible.


The beach is great and swimming is fun, but the water was -in July- wooooo - cold!

55.2287, -6.4070

55° 13' 43.3" N 6° 24' 25.2" W

55.2287000 -6.4070000


☍ 8,9 km ( 8 min.)

Bushmills Park- und Stellplatz

Popular free parking space for motorhomes.


Option to use Park and Ride to Giants Causeway. £11 per person 2024. We were happy with this decision. (No cost and no hassle with parking.)


A visit to the distillery in Bushmills is highly recommended. It is advisable to book in advance.

Main Street, Bushmills, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 12' 28.2" N 6° 31' 22.3" W

55.2078380 -6.5228477


☍ 1,0 km ( 2 min.)

Bushmills Distillery

Here the modern distillery is shown in great detail and you are guided through the production rooms. Highly recommended!

Main Street, Bushmills, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 12' 4.4" N 6° 31' 15.7" W

55.2012120 -6.5210398


☍ 4,1 km ( 6 min.)

Giant's Causeway

Coordinates point to the parking lot


Tip: in the evening

Then you don’t have to pay anything anymore


Sunset !


Legend has it that the columns come from a dam built by a giant. It is true that the natural wonder was created by the rapid cooling of volcanic lava about 60 million years ago.


We visited this attraction via Park and Ride from Bushmills. It was stress-free and quite inexpensive.

Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 14' 27" N 6° 30' 41.9" W

55.2408215 -6.5116386


☍ 7,3 km ( 8 min.)

Dunlucoe Castle Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

Nice virtual geocache, unfortunately not visited myself.

Ballytober Road, County Antrim, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

55° 12' 34.9" N 6° 34' 42.9" W

55.2096916 -6.5785923


☍ 64,3 km ( 53 min.)

Derry/Londonderry Stellplatz P4N

Derry~Londonderry is the only walled city in Ireland and one of the most beautiful in Europe. We liked it a lot and strolled along the city walls.


We had a tour here about recent history: “Bloody Sunday”. It led to impressive wall paintings, the so-called murals.


Geocaching :

Derry “City Wall” LAB series

LAB “A peaceful walk”

Foyle Road, Derry/Londonderry, County Londonderry, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 59' 27.6" N 7° 19' 15.9" W

54.9909879 -7.3210772


☍ 106,4 km (1 hrs. 40 min.)

Marble Arch Caves

https://marblearchcaves.co.uk/


Theoretically, you can also visit the caves here, but we skipped them due to lack of time, so we can't say anything about them.

Marlbank Road, Legnabrocky, Fermanagh, Nordirland, Vereinigtes Königreich

54° 15' 30.7" N 7° 48' 47.5" W

54.2585187 -7.8131855


☍ 20,3 km ( 20 min.)

Shannon Pot

Our plan was to follow the River Shannon from its source to the sea. We implemented the plan consistently.


The car park at Shannon Pot is a wonderful place to spend the night, in a very quiet location. If you're lucky, you can watch a beautiful sunset in the mountains.

R206, County Cavan, Irland

54° 14' 5" N 7° 55' 8.2" W

54.2347175 -7.9189572


☍ 11,4 km ( 11 min.)

Dowra

First view -after the source- of the Shannon.


The Shannon is still very narrow here. There is an opportunity to drive out.

R200, County Leitrim, Irland

54° 11' 23.5" N 8° 0' 48.5" W

54.1898730 -8.0134589


☍ 7,9 km ( 7 min.)

Blick auf Lough Allen - Shannon

Good picnic spot, we had breakfast here.

54.1249, -8.0221

54° 7' 29.6" N 8° 1' 19.6" W

54.1249000 -8.0221000


☍ 11,2 km ( 10 min.)

Blick auf den Shannon

R280, County Leitrim, Irland

54° 3' 14.9" N 8° 4' 1.6" W

54.0541439 -8.0671006


☍ 7,3 km ( 7 min.)

Shannon am Lough Allen

A quick look and move on. ;)

54.0922, -8.0357

54° 5' 31.9" N 8° 2' 8.5" W

54.0922000 -8.0357000


☍ 12,1 km ( 13 min.)

Leitrim Village Hafen am Shannon

The place was very busy, with RVs and boat owners. We only parked briefly and then drove on.

53.9911, -8.0642

53° 59' 28" N 8° 3' 51.1" W

53.9911000 -8.0642000


☍ 7,8 km ( 10 min.)

Carrick on Shannon

Visit the harbor, watch boats

County Leitrim, Irland

53° 56' 38.3" N 8° 5' 50.1" W

53.9439613 -8.0972467


☍ 18,1 km ( 16 min.)

Drumod Hafen

Walk around the harbor, watch the houseboats

County Leitrim, Irland

53° 51' 18.7" N 7° 55' 25.8" W

53.8552016 -7.9238463


☍ 26,3 km ( 22 min.)

Stellplatz Termonbarry

from P4N, nice parking space at the harbor, restaurant on site#


The Shannon Bar with live music

There we had a very friendly welcome, a cheap meal, and a lot of fun.

53.7386, -7.9206

53° 44' 19" N 7° 55' 14.2" W

53.7386000 -7.9206000


☍ 50,7 km ( 51 min.)

Golden Island Shopping Centre

Pitch for the day, less suitable at night and not allowed. Boat trip across Lough Ree to Hodson Bay and back with a Viking boat.

MacDiarmada Road, The Municipal District of Athlone — Moate, County Westmeath, Irland

53° 25' 12" N 7° 55' 58.2" W

53.4199939 -7.9328373


☍ 25,4 km ( 26 min.)

Clonmacnoise Kloster

Parking for visiting the monastery. Very good exhibition, impressive ruins


Beautiful view over the Shannon.

R444, Birr, County Offaly, Irland

53° 19' 31.5" N 7° 59' 14" W

53.3254227 -7.9872205


☍ 7,4 km ( 12 min.)

Shannonbridge

Nice parking space, right by the harbor, restaurant with panoramic windows on site


Perfect sunset over the bridge

53.2790, -8.0499

53° 16' 44.4" N 8° 2' 59.6" W

53.2790000 -8.0499000


☍ 12,4 km ( 11 min.)

Shannon Harbour

The Griffith Bridge is very steep and narrow - impressive! The harbor looks like a "vintage" boat museum.

County Offaly, Irland

53° 13' 19.9" N 7° 57' 3.7" W

53.2221946 -7.9510244


☍ 5,2 km ( 7 min.)

Banagher

Stroll and view of the harbor

Main Street, Birr, County Offaly, Irland

53° 11' 30.8" N 7° 59' 23.6" W

53.1918947 -7.9898955


☍ 27,0 km ( 25 min.)

Parkplatz zu Portumna castle

This parking lot is located directly in front of the Garda, so the motorhome is well “guarded”.

Saint Brendan's Street, County Galway, Irland

53° 5' 29.7" N 8° 13' 18.9" W

53.0915719 -8.2219280


☍ 0,3 km ( )

Portumna Castle and Gardens

Castle with small exhibition, nice park, nice café


Nearby (rear exit towards the sea) there are ruins of an old monastery, very worth seeing!

Castle Avenue, County Galway, Irland

53° 5' 14.8" N 8° 13' 15" W

53.0874399 -8.2208460


☍ 29,6 km ( 25 min.)

Mountshannon

We park along the street in the town and walk down to the beach.


We take a boat to Holy Island. There we have 1 hour to visit the ruins. Afterwards the boat picks us up again.

We booked the whole thing directly on the beach, at a souvenir stall.

R352, County Clare, Irland

52° 55' 54.8" N 8° 25' 41.6" W

52.9318795 -8.4282297


☍ 65,7 km ( 57 min.)

Kildysert

Parking directly on the water.

If you don't need any supplies, there is no cost for an overnight stay.

52.6695, -9.0997

52° 40' 10.2" N 9° 5' 58.9" W

52.6695000 -9.0997000


☍ 33,0 km ( 32 min.)

Kilrush Dolphin watching

We find a very nice place to park, which is spacious at the back.


There are also paid, proper RV parking spaces.


The main attraction is a boat tour for dolphin watching. We were able to park in the marina. We were also able to observe masses of dolphins.

Shanakyle Road, Kilrush, County Clare, Irland

52° 38' 8.1" N 9° 29' 36.5" W

52.6355807 -9.4934835


☍ 204,1 km (2 hrs. 21 min.)

Jenkinstown

Very nice rest area north of Kilkenny. Decent toilets on site, nice tables and benches. Very quiet at night. However, there are only a few parking spaces for large motorhomes. However, there is a larger site nearby.

52.7314, -7.2889

52° 43' 53" N 7° 17' 20" W

52.7314000 -7.2889000


☍ 10,9 km ( 12 min.)

Newparc Shopping Centre

To explore the city, we park in a parking space far away from the entrance, right in the corner.

52.6601, -7.2401

52° 39' 36.4" N 7° 14' 24.4" W

52.6601000 -7.2401000


☍ 1,9 km ( 5 min.)

Smithwick's Brewery Experience

Here you can follow the path of the red Smithwicks Ale from cultivation to the tap. The whole thing is demonstrated very clearly and the visitor can experience it with all of his senses. At the end there is a tasting. Highly recommended!


Very funny tour, well oriented towards the audience. There is a taste at the end.

Parliament Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Irland

52° 39' 16.3" N 7° 15' 13.9" W

52.6545147 -7.2538695


☍ 46,2 km ( 32 min.)

Grannagh castle

A beautiful place from P4N, unfortunately close to a busy road. We stayed here for one night. It was quieter between 11pm and 5am. However, we had the impression that motorhome drivers were not welcome. Early in the morning, the lawn was mowed noisily. At the "back" of the motorhome first. 🫣


The next day we visited the city of Waterford. We recommend the large 3D cinema near the Vikings, which gives an insight into the history of this time.

52.2811, -7.1589

52° 16' 52" N 7° 9' 32" W

52.2811000 -7.1589000


☍ 7,1 km ( 11 min.)

Waterford: Guter Straßenparkplatz

The car park was created by a local at P4N. It is ideal for exploring Wexford. After parking, we had nice conversations with the locals. That gave us security - for our motorhome.

52.2489, -7.1108

52° 14' 56" N 7° 6' 38.9" W

52.2489000 -7.1108000


☍ 64,2 km (1 hrs. )

Castlebridge

Parking space for ten euros per night, fair

Grey water disposal possible, but no waste disposal and no electricity


Pub with live music in town


Mill Haven, County Wexford, Irland

52° 23' 4" N 6° 26' 54.9" W

52.3844383 -6.4485947


☍ 5,5 km ( 7 min.)

Wexford

City stroll, last purchases

Selskar Street, Wexford, County Wexford, Irland

52° 20' 29.4" N 6° 27' 49.6" W

52.3415114 -6.4637857


☍ 17,5 km ( 17 min.)

Culleton‘s Pub und Restaurant

Dinner in the pub, very good food, enough space to park, also for motorhomes


Perfect and shorten the waiting time for the ferry

52.2419, -6.3562

52° 14' 30.8" N 6° 21' 22.3" W

52.2419000 -6.3562000


☍ 2,8 km ( 5 min.)

Rosslare Harbour

Terminal for return journey

E 01, County Wexford, Irland

52° 15' 16.8" N 6° 20' 5.7" W

52.2546695 -6.3349261