Wild Atlantic Way

Limerick City is a gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way – a stretch of coastal towns, beaches and attractions on the West Coast of Ireland that starts on the Inishowen Peninsula, Co. Donegal and ends in Kinsale, Co. Cork. Locate yourself in Limerick City for the I.NY Festival, and from here you can explore the abundance of places to visit, eat, sleep and play that The Wild Atlantic Way has to offer.

You’ll find some of our top picks to visit below, or another great option is to contact our travel partners Ireland By Appointment, who will create bespoke travel experiences for you while you are attending the festival. Explore the Limerick region and the Wild Atlantic Way all while enjoying the Irish hospitality. Suggested experience themes include sport, culture, heritage, artisan food and drink, lifestyle, genealogy, literature, activities.

Email Niamh Long for more details, and tell her I.NY sent you.

The Grave of W.B. Yeats

Ireland’s greatest poet always considered Sligo, his mother’s native county and where he spent many childhood summers, his ‘spiritual’ home. Yeats was inspired time and time again by its idyllic landscape, including the mesmeric ‘table mountain’ Benbulben: “Now they ride the wintry dawn, Where Ben Bulben sets the scene.” Although the poet died in France in 1939, his remains were repatriated to Drumcliffe Churchyard, Sligo in 1948.

The Burren

This stunning area of County Clare is a region of outstanding significance in terms of its geology, geomorphology, natural history and archaeology. The Burren encompasses 360km of gently inclined plateau with a further 200km of lowland to the east of the plateau. The bare surfaces are fretted with hollows and channels where acidic rainwater has selectively dissolved the rock. An extreme example of these micro landforms occurs on the coast.

Cliffs of Moher

The iconic Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s most visited natural attractions. Stretching for 8km along the Atlantic coast of Clare, the cliffs reach 214m at their highest point at Knockardakin. Midway along the cliffs you’ll find the environmentally friendly visitor centre set into the hillside and O’Brien’s Tower, a 19th-century viewing tower plus access to 800m of protected cliff-side pathways with viewing areas.

Killary Harbour

Located in the heart of Connemara, Killary Harbour (‘An Caoláire Rua’ in Irish) is a fjord that forms a natural border between counties Galway and Mayo. Here, you will find some of the most dramatic scenery in Ireland. The area is known for aquaculture, with a salmon farm operating at Rosroe and mussel rafts commonly spotted to the East.

Mullaghmore Head

Mullaghmore is a small fishing village that should be on any outdoor enthusiast’s itinerary. Its sandy beach stretch as far as the eye can see and is ideal for a spot of swimming or windsurfing. You can also venture out into the Atlantic for an excursion to Inishmurray Island or a sea angling trip or take in Classiebawn Castle on a leisurely stroll.

Dingle Distillery

The Dingle Distillery welcomes visitors to enjoy a tour of their facility where the entire production process, for all their products, are explained and a gin/vodka sample is provided. The distillery tour will give you an introduction into Irish whiskey and into the Dingle Distillery.

Cork Whale Watch

Colin Barnes of Cork Whale Watch, is Ireland’s longest established whale watching operator and has been enthralling whale watchers in west Cork since 2001. Colin has been monitoring whales along the Cork coast in a career spanning over 40 years.