9 hours ago
Why there's so much more to Ireland than golf
Ireland is rightly known for its superb golf courses – it has world-famous names located in every corner of the country and the 153rd Open is being hosted at Royal Portrush. But what if playing 18 holes just isn't your bag? Put simply, that isn't a problem. There's a lot more to discover here, from mountainous offshore islands criss-crossed with hiking trails to whisky trails and fine dining on the island's seemingly inexhaustible larder of premium ingredients.
Explore the Wild Atlantic Way
Want to enjoy the great outdoors? With its lofty sea cliffs, pristine beaches and rugged mountainscape, Achill Island is an enticing place to visit, just offshore from County Mayo, and can easily be reached via a road bridge. And it's easy to get to this part of Ireland from Great Britain too, with a range of flights available into Ireland West Airport Knock, Donegal and Derry (as well as the multiple daily connections to Belfast and Dublin.
Hillwalkers will be thrilled by the landmarks they find here. There are some major peaks to summit, including 2,200ft Slievemore and 2,190ft Croaghaun, the latter famous for its steep north-eastern face, which plunges dramatically down into the Atlantic swell. These are challenging routes, taking around three to four hours to climb up and return back down; for something less strenuous head up to Minaun Heights, at 1,530ft it offers panoramic views across the island and over the sweep of Keel Beach and can be reached via car and then a short, steep 15-minute walk up to the top.
Keel Beach is perhaps the island's most famous, and is a glorious place for a swim or to explore in a sea kayak. This is also one of Ireland's best places to learn to surf, with beginner-friendly waves and a range of surf schools offering lessons. Alternatively, head to Keel Lake, just inland of the beach, where the calm, shallow waters are ideal for stand-up paddleboarding, as well as trying your hand at kitesurfing or windsurfing.
After all that activity you'll be ready to relax, perhaps on one of the island's five Blue Flag beaches. Head to Dugort village and you can soak up the sun on Achill's twin beaches of Silver Strand and Golden Strand; you can even kayak between the two, passing seal colonies and seabirds.
As night falls, head to the pub for an evening of hearty food and Irish craic. Try Lynott's Pub in Cashel, a village on the east side of Achill Island, for a quintessential Irish experience, with a traditional-cut stone-wall interior, plenty of lively debate and regular live music sessions. In Keel, head to The Annexe Inn for a proper pint of Guinness and nightly traditional music sessions.
Tory Island and Slieve League
Alternatively, sail out to Tory Island in Donegal instead. This is a vibrant Gaeltacht (Gaelic-speaking) community nine miles off the north coast and surrounded by the tempestuous Atlantic. It's a wildly beautiful place where you can visit Iron Age forts and medieval round towers, spot puffins and join traditional céilís – sure to see you twirled around the dance floor by an islander or two.
Also in Donegal are the soaring sea cliffs of Slieve League, some of the highest in Europe and rising to 1,960ft above the Atlantic. You'll start at the Cultural Centre, where you can board a shuttle bus to the cliffs themselves; here you'll find numerous designated viewpoints as well as the stomach-knotting One Man's Pass trail, which leads brave hikers up to the highest part of the cliffs. Whether you brave the pass or not, you'll take in spectacular views of Donegal Bay, as well as the Giant's Desk and Chair rock formation at the base of the cliffs.
The Causeway Coastal Route
This coastal driving route loops around the coast of Northern Ireland, taking in striking sea views and some of the country's most famous sites. The Giant's Causeway is truly unmissable and best visited first thing, when you can spring across its incredible basalt columns in the early morning calm. Continue afterwards to tumbledown Dunluce Castle, an atmospheric medieval ruin atop the cliffs, then on to the Old Bushmill's Distillery. This is the world's oldest licensed distillery and offers tours that uncover the ancient whiskey-making process, taking you through from mash tun to pot still to whiskey barrel. Bushmill's is part of the Northern Ireland Spirits Trail; pick up a Distillery Passport here and see how many you can tick off on your adventures. There are 13 in total, from the Titanic Distillers in Belfast to the Wild Atlantic Distillery on Northern Ireland 's north-west coast.
Incredible coastal scenery
The coastline of Donegal, in Ireland's north-west, is a windswept wonderland of towering sea cliffs, pristine white-sand beaches and crashing Atlantic waves. Here you can take to the saddle for a thrilling horse ride along two kilometres of sandy beach at Tullan Strand, or head out on a sea safari by Rib with True North Boating, getting up close to marine life such as bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks, minke whales and grey seals. The highlight just might be Malin Head, Ireland's most northerly point and a glorious place for a coastal hike. Located at the far end of the Inishowen Peninsula, this is a fantastic place for spotting seabirds (look out for peregrine falcon, barnacle geese and the rare corncrake) and come nightfall, one of Ireland's most likely locations for the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, to appear, lighting up the inky night sky with undulating waves of neon pink and brightest lime.
Further south, in County Sligo, there's yet more dramatic coastal scenery to explore. Make time for Benbulben, a steep-sided, flat-topped mountain that can be climbed in around four hours, as well as a detoxifying soak at Kilcullen Seaweed Baths, where you can climb into its restorative warm seawater amid harvested seaweed and bathe overlooking the dunes of Enniscrone Beach.
Gazing up at the stars
County Mayo is one of the more beautiful and undiscovered parts of Ireland, and after sunset you'll find it cloaked in the very darkest of night skies. Stargazing here is unforgettable, and is at its best in the Mayo Dark Sky Park, a protected area of Atlantic blanket bog, mountains and forest that is Ireland's first International Dark Sky Park. There are three signature viewing sites; the darkest is at Brogan Carroll Bothy, around 20 kilometres north of Newport town, which offers a range of walking loops from the Letterkeen trailhead car park. Lace up your boots for a post-sunset hike here and prepare to be amazed by the incredible constellations stretching across the sky overhead.
Golf offers and packages
For island of Ireland golf offers and packages visit our partners at: Golf Escapes, Golf Escapes – Northern Ireland, Your Golf Travel, Golfbreaks & Golfbreaks – Northern Ireland
