Can You See All of Ireland from One Central Base?

One question I’m asked more and more often is whether you can stay in one central location and take day trips around Ireland.

It sounds very logical. Unpack once, stay someplace central, drive out each day, then return to your home away from home.

The problem is that Ireland doesn’t really have one location that makes the entire island easy to explore.

So what happens if we actually try it?

Can You See All of Ireland from One Central Base?

The geographic center of Ireland is near Castletown Geoghegan in County Westmeath. There isn’t a lot in this tiny village for a visitor, so for this exercise I’m using nearby Athlone as a practical central base.

And at first glance, Athlone looks pretty terrific.

What Can You Reach from Athlone?

From Athlone, Dublin and Galway are each about 90 minutes away. Kilkenny and Fermanagh are roughly two hours, Westport is around two and a half hours, and the Cliffs of Moher are about two hours and 45 minutes.

If those are the places you want to visit, Athlone could be a terrific base.

But there’s another number you need to consider.

A destination that is two and a half hours away doesn't mean you'll spend two and a half hours driving that day. It means roughly five hours in the car just getting there and back.

Then add the driving you'll do while exploring, time at attractions, meals and stops along the way. That day trip could easily become an 8½ to 10-hour day.

Do that for several days in a row and those “easy” day trips begin to look very different.

When a Day Trip Becomes a Very Long Day

Stretch the radius a little farther and the limitations of one central base become even more obvious.

From Athlone, getting to Clifden in Connemara is about three hours. Once you add Kylemore Abbey, the Sky Road or other stops in Connemara, you could easily have a 10 to 12-hour day.

Visiting the Aran Islands creates similar challenges when you add the drive, ferry crossings, time on the island and return trip.

The Giant’s Causeway is about four hours from Athlone, one way.

And Dingle? About four and a half hours each way. That's nine hours of driving before you add any time actually exploring Dingle.

This is where the idea that “Ireland is a small country” butts heads with reality.

Is Athlone a Good Base for Exploring Ireland?

Yes, for the right trip.

Staying in the heart of the country gives you access to quite a bit of Ireland. If the places you want to visit fall within a comfortable radius, Athlone could work really well.

But being in the geographic center of Ireland doesn't make the entire country convenient.

So don't begin your itinerary by asking, Where should I stay?

Start with:
What do I want to see and experience?

Then ask:
How much time am I willing to spend driving each day?

If you're happy with longer driving days, your day-trip radius can be larger. If you don't want to spend five or more hours driving each day, you'll want a tighter radius or more than one base.

Finding the Best Base for Your Ireland Trip

Athlone shows why there isn't one perfect central base for exploring all of Ireland. But there are excellent bases for exploring different parts of the country.

This is the first in a series using my Ireland Travel Compass to look at those bases, including what you can comfortably reach, what makes sense as a day trip, what you can reach but maybe shouldn't, and experiences nearby you may not have considered.

Because choosing the right base isn't about finding the center of Ireland. It's about finding the center of your Ireland trip.

Find the complete series here.

Traveling in Ireland podcast episode 356

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