Spend Spring Bank in Ireland

If you’re one of the lucky people that will be taking advantage of the Spring Bank Holiday by having some quality ‘me time’ away from work it’s time start to planning what to do.

Bank holidays are great – it can be the time for a short break away or the opportunity to take a week or two without using up too much of your holiday allowance. It’s often one of the few times when all the family can get together and also a time when organised events abound – village fetes, country shows, festivals, rally’s, fun fairs and much more.

Some people choose to head off abroad; others stay at home and make for the coast but for a Bank Holiday with a difference why not check out Ireland. It’s a very special place with diverse and beautiful countryside and bustling cosmopolitan towns and cities.  And although it’s not on the other side of the world its culture, people and history make it a wonderfully different experience.

For those amongst us that are put off travelling in the busy bank holiday traffic just think about the delights of driving along the quiet Irish roads.  Once you’re out of the city, ferry terminal or airport – you quickly enter pretty rural scenery and are touring quiet lanes and back roads to your Irish holiday home.  They say the journey is just the start of the adventure and in Ireland that is certainly true. Drive around the amazing Inishowen Peninsula which is Ireland’s largest peninsula. It perches literally at the top of Ireland’s northwest region and you can stop and gaze out from Malin Head, Ireland’s most northerly point.  Or tour the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. This finger of land reaches 30km out into the Atlantic Ocean and boasts dramatic cliffs and stunning mountains from Slieve Mish to Mount Brandon. And you’ll get close to the Irish culture on your tour – this western region of Ireland is an area where Gaeltacht is spoken and the folklore and traditions of Ireland are still followed. For a shorter but just as impressive driving tour take to the Wicklow Gap road. This 26 km route from Hollywood to Laragh is one of just two roads that cross the Wicklow Mountains. You’ll see impressive mountain and moorland scenery, sparkling clear streams and find some great view points along the way.

Whether you’re taking a short break in Ireland or enjoying a week long holiday then it’s always a good idea to have some plans – a range of options for things to see and do.  Plans can always change depending on how you feel but it’s oh so easy to miss out on something great or waste precious ‘quality time’ trying to agree what’s next!  So what does the Spring Bank Holiday hold for visitors to Ireland…

Visit Belfast City during May and you’ll be part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Running across 11 packed days there’s comedy, music, street theatre, literature, arts and culture. The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival promises this year to be bigger and better than ever with a thrilling calendar of events set across 11 days – from comedy to street theatre, music to literature a short break won’t be long enough.

For a more tranquil experience take a trip to Ballyvaughan in the Burren, County Clare, and see the amazing May flowers. Take time out from blooms and taste your way through the Burren Slow Food Festival which celebrates the food of County Clare with demonstrations, BBQs, kids cooking, talks and of course lots of tasting! And carrying on the food them for interactive dining try the South Antrim Fishing Festival where you can hook it and cook it!

If you’re a music and arts fan there is almost too much to choose from – the Clare Sacred Sounds Folk Concert Series in Tuamgraney, the Dublin Arts Festival in Dublin City, the Galway Early Music Festival for medieval music or the Aims Choral Festival for a celebration of the singing voice.

And when you’re tired out from all the Bank Holiday activities there are plenty of wonderful places to stay and relax.  Finding a welcoming, cosy holiday home from home is easy in Ireland. Choose from one of the many lovely Irish holiday cottages, many of whom offer Spring Bank Holiday late availability and flexible short and mid week breaks.  There are a fantastic range of self catering cottages in  Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the quality and choice is fantastic – farmhouses, cottages, townhouses, modern convenience homes, bungalows, country houses many set in beautiful scenery with fantastic views.

So with just a few weeks to go to the next Bank Holiday – make sure you plan to visit Ireland.

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