Western Journey Self Drive (Co. Clare - Galway - Co. Mayo - Limerick)

Clare is the County of seascapes and landscapes, offering two of Ireland's natural attractions: The Burren, with its great mystery and beauty due to its geology, flora, caves, archaeology and history, and the dramatic stretch of coastline, including the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. For Irish music, be sure to visit the town of Doolin - famed for its tradition of Irish music. This is also an excellent place for those fascinated by the country's ancient history, as it's littered with historic and prehistoric sites, from the Poulnabrone Dolmen to Bunratty Castle.

Explore the Cliffs of Moher, the Aillwee Cave, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Craggaunowen, Clare Archaeology Centre - Dysert O'Dea Castle, and Clare Heritage and Genealogical Centre.

Galway City, the largest city in County Galway, is known as the 'city of the tribes' and is a thriving, bohemian, cultural city on the western coast of Ireland. It is a popular seaside destination with beautiful beaches and a long winding promenade and has a buzzing cosmopolitan city center. The city is a joy to explore with its labyrinthine cobbled streets, colorful shop facades and busy café and bar culture. The city is renowned for its thriving Irish theatre, arts, music and culture scene and Galway plays host to a number of internationally renowned festivals throughout the year. Eyre Square and the imposing Galway Cathedral are but two of Galway's best-known sights.

Explore the region across Galway Bay, Lynch Castle, Galway City Museum, the National Aquarium, Salthill beach, Spanish Arch, Kylemore Abbey, Ashford Castle, the Aran Islands and Connemara National Park as well as festivals like the annual Galway Arts Festival and much more!

This is serene, lovely Ireland, with arresting seascapes and inland scenery that ranges from lush and green to barren and mountainous. Americans still identify it with the 1951 John Ford film 'The Quiet Man', starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. The setting for the film was the town of Cong. The northern part of County Mayo has the greatest concentrations of Stone Age tombs, also known as the megaliths, all over Europe. A trail of permanent sculpture from the Moy Estuary to the Mullet Peninsula has been created to preserve the ancient landscape. Among them is the mysterious 5,000-year-old settlement at Ceide Fields. Also worth a visit are the religious shrine at Knock, and some of Europe's best fishing waters at Lough Conn, Lough Mask, and the River Moy. Ballina, Mayo's largest town, calls itself the home of the Irish salmon. And Westport is a little resort town guaranteed to steal your heart.

Visit Cong, Ceide Fields, Knock, Ballintubber Abbey, National Museum of Country Life, Knock Folk Museum, Croagh Patrick, and the Davitt Museum.

Limerick is the third-largest city in the Republic of Ireland. The history of Limerick, along the Shannon River, goes back over a millennium. The Vikings and the Old English inhabited a walled city to the north of the current city center, while the native Irish lived to the south across the Abbey River, a tributary of the Shannon. The end of the Williamite Wars were fought in Limerick, and you can learn more about the war's impacts at the Limerick City Museum and the 13th-century King John's Castle. It wasn't until the eighteenth century that Edmund Sexton Pery designed the current city center, a living showcase of Georgian architecture.

Visit King John's Castle, St. Mary's Cathedral, The Hunt Museum, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick City Museum, Frank McCourt Museum, The Treaty Stone, Newtown Pery, King's Island, Limerick Milk Market, People's Park, and so much more!