• Dublin and Belfast
• 1. Dublin
• 2. Belfast
• 3. Cultural Scenes
• 4. Day Trips
• 5. Smart Splurges
• 6. Local Slant
• 7. When to Go
• 8. Currency and Tipping

Day Trips

COUNTY MEATH
No trip to Ireland is complete without a visit to the countryside. But when you consider that the Ring of Kerry, the country’s most famous pastoral spot, is a four-hour drive from Dublin, the case for the rolling hills and ancient ruins of County Meath becomes quite compelling. Bellinter House (Navan; 353/46-903-0900; rooms from $380; bellinterhouse.com) is a beautifully restored Georgian manor home on the banks of the River Boyne, a mere 45 minutes from the Dublin airport—yet a world away. It could be the setting for a 19th-century novel: marble fireplaces, manicured lawns and horse trails, private fishing with a ghillie (attendant) for hire. Plus, a celebrated chef prepares the best in contemporary Irish food at Eden, the in-house restaurant. The mounds, stone structures, and tombs at the Hill of Tara are a 15-minute drive from Bellinter, and some of its monuments predate not only the Celts, but also the Egyptian pyramids.

COUNTY ANTRIM
The windswept countryside around Belfast is well worth a day trip or an overnight stay. Golfers flock to Royal County Down golf course (royalcounty down.org). A round is best paired with a stay at nearby Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, a sprawling Victorian hotel fresh off a $30 million overhaul (Downs Rd., Newcastle, County Down; 44/28-4372-1066; rooms from $350; hastingshotels.com). For a day trip, head north to County Antrim, home to Ulster’s most famed sites. Coastal Giants Causeway is a curious formation of hexagonal volcanic rocks created more than 60 million years ago. The World Heritage Site is the nexus of the Celtic fable of Finn McCool (Visitor Center: 44 Causeway Rd., Bushmills, County Antrim; 44/28-2073-1855; giantscause waycentre.com). Just down the road, Bushmills is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. Take their excellent guided tour to see how it’s made (2 Distillery Road, Bushmills; 44/28-2073-3218; tours from $10; bushmills.com).

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