Ireland in July

My wife and I arrive in Dublin early morning on July 11 and we will be staying in Maynooth at the Carlton House for six nights. We plan on touring in and around Dublin for two days and traveling on day trips for three days. We are hoping to avoid using a rental car, but we will if necessary. We plan on purchasing a Leap Card at the Airport for three days, and a four-day Irish rail pass for our extended trips outside of Dublin. We are open to suggestions, but we hope to visit Galway, Dingle Peninsula and Waterford. We are healthy and enjoying walking. It will be our first visit. My eight great-grandparents are all from Ireland and we are excited to learn about the culture and experience the local traditions. 

Hello Michael!

How nice to hear that you have Irish roots! I'm glad you decided to spend a few days here.
It will definitely be an unforgettable trip. 😄

For how to get around Dublin and its surroundings, this guide can be really useful. Since you'll be using public transport, there's also plenty of advice on how to make the most of it to visit other destinations.

It is possible to visit the whole island using only public transport and the Leap Card and the Irish Rail pass are certainly the best choices to reach the places you are interested in visiting.
To learn more about all the options you have, on this page you will find many tips and useful links.
We recommend using the National Journey Planner which offers information and comparison options for traveling by bus, rail, tram, ferry and taxi. It even includes information on portions of your journey where you may need to walk.

If you want to visit Galway, the Dingle Peninsula and Waterford, you can add some very interesting stops between one destination and another. 🗺️

Between Dublin and Galway, you might consider stopping at Lough Ree, the second largest of the three large lakes formed by the River Shannon.
On the way between Galway and the Dingle peninsula you can visit the beautiful Cliffs of Moher and Limerick, for example.
Between Dingle and Waterford we advise you not to miss the Killarney National Park, Cork and, if you want, also Cobh and Kinsale.
Finally, depending on how much time you have, you can also easily reach Kilkenny and Cashel.

If you add a few of these destinations to your top three destinations, you'll be able to tour the south of the island far and wide!
If, on the other hand, you want to venture to the west coast from Galway, then follow the Wild Atlantic Way and it will surprise you.

I know you are spoiled for choice, but once you know all the places you can easily reach, it will be easy to let your instincts guide you.

Since you will be here in July, also take a look here at the activities that are worth doing during this beautiful month.

We hope this information helps, and if you have any more questions, the community is ready to help you.

See you soon on the island! ☘️