TRAVEL: Trip Advisor's Top 10 Irish Destinations for 2016

This is Killarney’s first time to top the annual Travellers’ Choice Awards run by Trip Advisor. The winners are determined by taking into account the quality and quantity of reviews and rating hotels, restaurants and

attractions in destinations worldwide, the reviews are gathered over a twelve month period and the winners are chosen.

Sitting pretty at number six is Westport, firmly established as one of the country’s must-visit destinations. it boasts a gracious Georgian town centre, cheerful, multi-coloured shopfronts, and an attractive selection of pubs, shops, cafés and restaurants. Westport offers a myriad of activities, great accommodation and the perfect chance to get away from it all on a brilliant break.

The town is a perfect base for all of the adventures that Mayo has to offer with Clew Bay, from Achill island in the north to Louisburgh on the southern shore, overlooked by the mighty Croagh Patrick. Also known as “The Reek”, tradition of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches back over 5,000 years when people are thought to have gathered here to celebrate the beginning of harvest season.

Croagh Patrick is renowned for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honour of saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. it was on the summit of the mountain that saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and each year The Reek attracts around one million pilgrims.

Generally it is best to climb in summer (April-september). Occasional showers blow in over the bay so raingear is advisable. The summit stands at 764m/2,510feet and the hike or climb takes about two hours for the average person to reach the summit, and one and a half hours to descend.

Sligo makes the illustrious list also. Deriving from the irish name sligeach, meaning “abounding in shells” or “shelly place”, it refers to the abundance of shellfish found in the river and its estuary. The river now known
as the Garavogue, or An Gharbhóg in irish, meaning “little rough one”, was originally called the sligeach.

The busy town has a population of over 20,000 people and is there is plenty to see and do here. in a pretty setting near hyde Bridge, the Yeats Building houses the Sligo Art Gallery , hosting travelling exhibitions and the William Butler Yeats Exhibition.

 

The poetry of Yeats is so closely associated with Sligo, that it is surprising to realise that he never actually lived in sligo. When you visit the town you can’t miss this visually striking statue of the poet and in a pretty setting in a former 1895 bank, the WB Yeats Exhibition has details of his life and draft manuscripts and hosts special summer programs.

Just ten minutes away is Rosses Point, from where you can walk - at low tide only! – to Coney island. Its New York namesake was supposedly named by a man from Rosses Point. The island’s wishing well is reputed to have been dug by st Patrick. Check tide times carefully to avoid getting stranded.

To view the entire supplement click here