Dundalk has a huge amount to offer as a weekend break destination in Ireland. It’s perhaps not as trendy as locations like Galway, West Cork, or Kilkenny, or the major cities of Dublin or Belfast, but that’s part of the charm. Here are some of the reasons that Dundalk makes a great weekend break destination
Location is important, and Dundalk is well connected by road and rail to both Dublin and Belfast. From Dublin Airport you can reach Dundalk in roughly the same time that it takes to traverse Dublin city in rush hour traffic.
Dundalk’s location means that you can visit sites like the Boyne Valley, the Antrim Coast, and even Dublin and Belfast while availing of better hotel prices and availability than Dublin or Belfast.
One of Ireland’s most under-rated natural beauty spots is the Cooley peninsula, where you can take scenic drives, visit Carlingford Lough, cross over the lough to visit the famous Mourne mountains, or sample some traditional Irish whiskey from the Cooley distillery. This area, just outside Dundalk is a nature lover’s paradise, with well marked out hiking trails, historic monuments and quaint fishing villages. Dundalk is the perfect place to base yourself to visit the Cooley peninsula.
As Dundalk has grown in recent years, with the expansion of its Institute of Technology, so too has its range of pubs, clubs and nightlife. For a relatively small town, there’s loads of things going on nightlife to appeal to anyone’s tastes. You can go to the greyhound stadium to watch the races and have a meal, or catch an international act gigging at Dundalk’s famous live venue The Spirit Store. Pubs and clubs in the town centre compete for Dundalk’s lucrative student market, so there are plenty of themed nights and specials to be had as well.
There are plenty of great places to stay, in and around Dundalk, for a romantic weekend break. Some of our recommendations include Ballymascanlon House Hotel, a short way outside the city set in luxurious surroundings, or the magnificent Carrickdale Hotel. There’s also the charming Carlingford House in nearby Carlingford, or the suggestive Walker’s Nest