Dublin has much to offer, from international cultural events and cuisine to historical museums and galleries. However, while Ireland seems small, the Emerald Isle is incredible and worth exploring throughout one’s time studying at Trinity College Dublin.
Here I’ll describe three hidden gems I have been to in Ireland, but know there is so much more and you could go away every weekend to discover a new, beautiful place all on one island!
1. Cobh, County Cork
Many people enjoy visiting Cork City for a weekend, and if you’d like to read about how to experience Cork in two days, we have a blog about that! But if you want to go further or have another day in Cork, I highly recommend going to Cobh, a small and colourful town Southwest of Cork City.
It is accessible by train or bus, depending on the day and time you decide to go, and the transport only takes about 35 minutes – 1 hour.
Why visit Cobh?
If you want to get away from the busyness of the city and instead discover an Irish town, Cobh is a great pick because it is small, beautiful, and holds historical prominence.
The harbour town has a population of about 15,00 people and has a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Shops don’t open early and don’t stay open late, unless it is the pub. It is also covered with rainbow-coloured houses along the famous ‘Deck of Cards’.
Other than its cuteness, Cobh stands out as it is the harbour town from which the Titanic, the famous ship that sank in 1912, sailed from on its way to New York City in the USA. Due to this historical significance, Cobh has a Titanic experience and museum where you can learn more about this fascinating connection!
2. Bundoran, County Donegal
Bundoran in County Donegal is the perfect place to go when you want to escape city life and dive deep into the vast sea beyond the island of Ireland. It is a remote town in one of the most well-preserved counties, Donegal.
I personally went on a weekend surf trip with TCD Surf Club, where we rented houses and surfed for a weekend, and I have never seen the stars and constellations more clearly than I did there (the waves were also amazing!).
The Scuba Diving Club has also gone there and seen amazing marine life. However, if you’re more interested in what is on land, there are gorgeous beach and cliff walks to do, and it is a nice relaxing place to take your book!
As this town is very remote, it is harder to get public transportation here, so I recommend renting a car for the weekend so you may drive around at your leisure.
3. Greystones, County Wicklow
I am biased, but Greystones is one of my favourite places to visit on the weekends. It is located at the last stop of the DART train and takes about an hour and fifteen minutes from Pearse Station.
In 2021, this town was deemed as the world’s ‘most liveable community’, which I find to be quite accurate. The people are lovely and warm, the coast runs along the whole town, the food is very delicious, and it is very popular for sea swims and hikes!
When I visit Greystones, I usually like to stop at Bray station and walk the Bray to Greystones cliff walk, which has amazing views on this easier one-hour hike. It should be noted that if you decide to do this, make sure it is open before you go as it does close when it is subject to erosion.
I then usually pop into the Happy Pear Cafe, which has lovely and unique pastries and breakfasts, and then go down to the sea and swim or relax at the beach itself. If it is sunny or decent weather in Dublin, Greystones is bound to have even better weather, so I also recommend heading down there for sunny beach weather!
After describing three hidden gems of Ireland, I want to remind the reader that many places in Ireland are beautiful where not many people have gone to. Though many are remote, it is very worthwhile to explore the beautiful nature on the Emerald Isle.
