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Ireland's Greatest Hits 2018
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Who Needs Gold When You Have The Emerald Isle in Your Back Pocket? – Ireland’s Greatest Hits 2018

Ireland has so much to offer a tourist, or indeed a native of the Emerald Isle who needs to get out and explore more of the beauty this nation has to offer.


Whether you’re hoping to head off on a road trip or conquer Ireland county by county, or indeed, hotel by hotel, there is something for everyone.

This year, we managed to visit and experience a great portion of the island and have gathered our highlights below. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your 2019 adventure and get out there and experience all our fabulous country has to offer.

In our “24 Hours” series, we compiled guides to a number of counties, many of which are less visited than others but still have much to offer any visitor. So forget the big cities and major tourist attractions and make your way to Louth, Tipperary, Wexford, Cavan, Dingle, West Cork and more.

County Clare

Looking for a particular trip? Then check out our Ultimate Irish Bucket List, which is your complete guide to the best day trips on the island of Ireland.

In this article, you will discover everything from Dublin Zoo and the Cliffs of Moher to Waterford’s Viking Triangle and Newgrange. There are also a number of experiences for the drinks, food, history and theatre lovers among you.

Searching for your perfect day by the sea? Our island nation boasts some spectacular ocean views and the hospitality industry has managed to take full advantage of these magnificent places. Read our guide to Ireland’s best seaside hotels here and let the waves carry you to your perfect staycation.

Speaking of Ireland’s beautiful scenery, we also took you away from the sea and brought you to some of our vast lakes. In Lakeside Leisure, visit the Fermanagh Lakelands, the spectacular Lough Ramorand in Cavan and the majestic Lough Eske Castle, which sits by the lake of the same name.

Ireland's Hidden Heartlands

While you’re exploring both the calm and wild lakes (at a leisurely pace of course), be sure and check out Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, the latest addition to the country’s tourism brands (Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East).

Looking to Northern Ireland and this year, we travelled along the Causeway Coastal Route, which was named the best road trip destination for the year by Lonely Planet.

With magnificent scenery, including many areas featured in the multi award-winning TV series, Game of Thrones, a road trip along the Northern Irish coastline is something you will never forget. Read about this excellent road trip here.

If you don’t want to be on the road the whole time, a great idea is to bookend your trip with a stay in Belfast. With an abundance of highly regarded restaurants and luxurious hotels, it’s the perfect way to start or finish your road trip. Check out our 24 hours in Belfast guide for more.

On those rare occasions when the sun begins to shine, grab a coffee and a treat and head to your nearest park. Unsure of where to go for a perfect picnic in Dublin? Fear not because we’ve got you covered.

While this is definitely more of a summer activity unless you’ve got the coat of a polar bear and you don’t mind getting soaked in torrential rain, it’s always a good one to have on the back burner. It’s never too early to start planning the perfect summer.

Everyone wants their perfect fairytale wedding to match their own personal love story. Whether you’ve always dreamed of getting married in a castle by a lake or a luxurious hotel, your perfect wedding venue is out there and closer than you might think.

Definitely one for the romantics out there, we compiled a list of some of Ireland’s most spectacular wedding venues, all of which have also been used as the magical venue for a number of the world’s biggest stars, from David Beckham to Kim Kardashian. To find inspiration for your big day, click here.

Ireland really is a beautiful country, something that took me a while to figure out. It was leaving and experiencing new cultures and customs that made me realise that Ireland can hold its own on the world stage. I’m so looking forward to seeing what the new year brings.

FEATURE BY SARAH GLASCOTT

Sarah has always had a great love of travel, food and photography. Following her journalism degree at DCU, she developed a passion for travel writing while living in Spain.

Named Best Break Out Travel Writer at the 2018 Travel Media Awards, Sarah loves exploring new places and sampling the local cuisine. Working with TheTaste.ie combines her love of food and travel.

A big people person, especially when it comes to hearing other people’s stories, Sarah loves interviewing chefs, food producers and more.

Sarah Glascott Sarah Glascott
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