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Heritage Ireland

Heritage Card Trail

11 Day Itinerary around Ireland with public transport

11Days

Travel using Public Transport

View Itinerary Summary

Our 11 day itinerary will take you around the Island of Ireland, beginning in Dublin before travelling to the West to take-in the iconic landscapes of Galway, Donegal and Sligo.

This itinerary continues through Doneraile in North Cork, where you can follow in the footsteps of infamous Irish authors like Elizabeth Bowen and Edmund Spenser. Before returning to Dublin airport, you will follow the Butler trail through Tipperary and Kilkenny, exploring rugged castles and cottage ornés of the Butler family – one of Ireland’s most influential families.

Our 11 day itinerary is perfect for anyone who would like to engage with Ireland’s complex history, visiting as many iconic OPW sites as possible in a limited time.

Cost of adult general admission to all sites listed — €103
Cost of adult Heritage Card — €40

Day 1 — Dublin

An image of the Dubh Linn Gardens. The Record Tower of Dublin Castle and the State Apartments are visible in the background. Three people walk in the gardens.

Dublin Castle

Begin your journey through Ireland in Dublin Castle, which acted as the centre British rule in Ireland for over 700 years. This site has served as a Viking settlement, a military fortress, a treasury and the location of the Irish social season. The tour begins in the medieval under croft and then guides you through the 19th century State Apartments and neo-gothic Chapel Royal.

Transport – A 20 minute walk along the quays will bring you to the Customs House Visitor Centre. A number of Dublin Buses will stop just outside the Custom House.

Custom House Visitor Centre

Continue on to one of Dublin’s most iconic architectural marvels – the Custom House Visitor Centre. This exhibition reveals the stories behind the building, the burning, and restoration of this Dublin landmark, while also encompassing over 230 years of Irish history. It is the perfect place to visit first for an in-depth background to Ireland’s fight for independence.

Day 2 — Dublin

National Botanic Garden of Ireland – Glasnevin

Transport – The no. 4 Dublin Bus  from Shaw Street will take you to the National Botanic Gardens.

Home to over 16,000 plant species and cultivars, this is the perfect site to learn about the garden’s extensive horticulture collection and conservation efforts. Take a step away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre to view the 300 endangered and 6 extinct plant species on a guided tour of the NBG.

Farmleigh House and Gardens

Transport — Return to the city centre and take the no.37 Dublin Bus to Oak Park to visit Farmleigh House and Gardens.

Farmleigh House and Gardens is a 78-acre estate and the original home of the famous Guinness brewing family. Edward Cecil Guinness, the great-grandson of Arthur Guinness, constructed Farmleigh around a smaller Georgian house in the 1880s. Much of the Guinness’ collected artworks and furnishings remain here today, in addition to an extensive Benjamin Iveagh library of rare books and manuscripts.

Day 3 — Donegal

Transport — Travel to Donegal on the Bus Éireann no. X30 from Dublin – approx. 3 hrs.

Donegal Castle

Visit Donegal Castle in the heart of Donegal town, the home of Red Hugh O’Donnell. In the 15th-century, the O’Donnell family built Donegal Castle as their own person fortress. It is said that, leaving to seek support in Spain in the wake of the Battle of Kinsale, Hugh was determined to make sure his castle would never ever fall into English hands – by setting it on fire.

Transport — Take the no. 64 and 271 and exit at Church Hill Post Office. Glebe gallery is a 20 minute walk from this stop -approx. 2 hours.

Explore this elegant Regency house dating from 1828, in the woodland of Donegal. The celebrated painter Derek Hill lived and worked here until the 1980s, when he presented the house and art collection to the Irish State. View works by iconic artists such as Pablo Picasso and Auguste Renoir.

Three young people sitting in front of Glebe House and Gallery. They are surrounded by plants and foliage. Glebe House stands behind them

Stay overnight in Donegal

Day 4 — Sligo

Transport – Take the Bus Eireann  no. 64 from Donegal  to Sligo – approx. 1hr

In 11 minutes, the 981 Local Link will take you from Sligo Bus Station to Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

During a guided tour at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, you can explore the oldest and densest concentration of Neolithic tombs in Ireland. As these tombs are believed to be 6,000 years old, on the guided tour, you will hear about Carrowmore’s connection to the ancient Irish festivals of Samhain and Imbolc as well as the folklore and mythology that surround the site.

Sligo Abbey

Transport – From Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, you can take the 981 Local Link towards St Angela’s. This will take approx. 20 mins.

In Sligo town, you can visit Sligo Abbey, a 13th-century Dominican priory containing a wealth of carvings, including Gothic and Renaissance monumental sculpture and a rare sculpted 15th-century altar. The Abbey also has connections to the O’ Donnell family of Donegal Castle and two Irish writers- Bram Stoker whose mother’s diary is on display in the visitor centre and W.B Yeats who used the Abbey in two short stories- The Crucifixion of the Outcast and The Curse of the Fires and the Shadows.

the roofless abbey and its arches are backdropped by the glinting sun

Stay overnight in Sligo town.

Day 5 — Galway

Transport – Take the Bus Eireann  no. 64 bus from Sligo to Galway Bus Station – approx. 2 hr 40 minutes. Then take the Bus Eireann no.419 to Aughnanure (approx. 1hr)

Aughnanure Castle

On a guided tour of Aughnanure Castle, you can trace the steps of the fearsome O’Flaherty family, rulers of west Connacht for 300 years. At Aughnanure you can inspect their power base, the remains of a banqueting hall, a watch tower, an unusual double bawn and a dry harbour.

Return to Galway for the evening

Day 6 — Galway

Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh Conamara- Pearse’s Cottage and Visitor Centre

Transport –Take the Bus Eireann no.424 towards Carna  – approx.. 1 hr 40 mins

This site is located in Ros Muc, in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht. Here, you can immerse yourself in the Irish language and explore the summer cottage built by Patrick Pearse, leader of the 1916 rebellion. Explore ancient Gaelic culture and language — the things that drew Pearse to Connemara over 100 years ago.

Transport- Dun Aonghasa – leave directly from ICP on the Bus Eireann no.424 bus exiting at Rossaveel Cross – approx. 45 minutes.

From Rossaveel, you can take the Aran Island Ferry from to Inis Mor

Dún Aonghasa – Ancient Stone Fort

The walls of the inner enclosure

Explore ancient Ireland at Dun Aonghasa a 3,000 year old prehistoric stone fort perched on Inis Mor. Look back in time to 700 AD and learn about the results of excavations that took place here, showing evidence of metalworking as well as several houses and burials inside the fort.

Transport – Return to Galway city on Bus Eireann no.424 bus to Merchant’s Road – approx. 1 hour.  Aran Island Ferries also run a shuttle bus to and from the city and ferry port

Day 7 — Cork

Transport– Take the Bus Eireann no. 51 from Galway to Mallow Town Park. Here, switch to the Local Link no. 523 towards Doneraile – approx. 4 hours.

Doneraile Court and Estate

At Doneraile Court, you can explore 160 hectares of parkland, as well as the 17th century St Leger family home. The guided tour will take you through the thirteen generations of the family that lived at Doneraile Court, including Elizabeth St Leger, the first woman freemason in 1712.

Transport- A 20 minute taxi will bring you to Annes Grove

Annes Grove Gardens

At Annes Grove, you can explore an extensive horticulture collection. Much of this collection was collected through plant-hunting expeditions led by Frank Kingdon Ward to Tibet, Burma and Bhutan- examples include Cornus Kousa, Embothrium and Eucryphia.

Stay overnight in Doneraile

Day 8 — Tipperary – The Butler Trail

Transport– Take the Local Link no. 523 from Doneraile towards Mitchelstown, at Mitchelstown take the Bus Eireann no. 245X to Cahir – approx. 3 hrs.

Cahir Castle

Cahir Castle was built in the 13th-century and acted a major stronghold of the Butler family. This was the cutting edge of defensive castle design, you can still explore this today as much of the original feature remain like murder holes and oubliettes. You might also recognise Cahir as the setting for various films and TV series like Excalibur, the Green Knight and the Tudors.

Transport– The Swiss cottage is a 35 minute walk from Cahir along a designated walking path.

The Swiss Cottage

The Swiss Cottage is a cottage orné, built in the 1800s. It is a realisation of the idealised countryside cottage used by the Butlers for picnics, intimate soirees and small hunting parties. Inside, you can climb the graceful spiral staircase and exquisite interiors designed by Sybil Connolly.

Day 9 — Tipperary

Transport – Take the Bus Eireann no. 245X towards Cashel – approx. 35 minutes.

The Rock of Cashel

Follow the story of the Rock of Cashel on a guided tour of the site. It was originally the seat of the Kings of Munster and where Brian Boru was crowned High King in 978 AD. In 1101 when the Rock of Cashel was granted to the church and rose to prominence as a significant centre of ecclesiastical power. On the guided tour, explore the Hall of the Vicars Choral and the chapel of Cormac Mac Carthaigh, the finest and most complete Romanesque church in Ireland.

Return to Cahir to stay overnight

Day 10 — Kikenny

Transport – Cahir to Kilkenny- take the Bus Eireann no.55 from Cahir to Clonmel, switch to the JJ Kavanagh no. 717 bus from Clonmel to Kilkenny – approx. 1 hr 30 mins.

Kilkenny Castle

Visit the vibrant city of Kilkenny and pay a visit Kilkenny Castle. This was the seat of the Butler family for almost 600 years. In addition to the magnificent picture gallery, you can explore the castle’s central block with a library, drawing room and nursery decorated in 1830s splendour.

Stay overnight in Kilkenny

Day 11 — Return to Dublin

Return to Dublin Airport –JJ Kavanagh bus direct to Dublin airport – approx.1 hr 30 mins.

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