Q.My friends and I are spending three days traveling from Dublin to Cork. We were hoping to see the countryside and sample local food (and beverages!). Any suggestions on how to spend three days en route? Our interests are food, history and scenery.
J. T. Richardson,
Dusseldorf, Germany
A.You can cover a lot of ground in Ireland in three days, so don't feel you need to stick to a straightforward route. I personally would overshoot Cork and loop around the Ring of Kerry or drive down into the Dingle Peninsula, before heading back. But I'll give two straightforward itineraries: coastal and inland.
A coastal route could take you south to Wicklow and then on to the Curracloe Nature Trail along seashore dunes just north of Wexford. Just south of the city stop at the graystone Gothic Johnstown Castle and its ornamental gardens and agricultural museum, which includes an exhibition on the Irish Famine. Then hit Waterford, if a tour of the famous crystal factory holds any appeal, and dip down into Hook Peninsula, a short seaside loop with two castles and a lighthouse, above.
A first stop on an inland route could be the impressive 18th-century formal gardens and waterfall of Powerscourt in Enniskerry, about 12 miles south of Dublin. Then head to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, which has a monastery, founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century. Kilkenny is home to Smithwick's Brewery, if you care for a tour and a pint, and near the city are the Dunmore Caves, a natural wonder and Viking artifact site. And farther along toward Cork is the beautiful, massive Cahir Castle and the smaller Lismore Castle, once occupied by Sir Walter Raleigh.
Cork is a compact city with great dining and night-life options, and Michael McDermott's "36 Hours in Cork, Ireland" (June 28, 2009) is a good primer for the city's highlights. About five miles outside the city is Blarney Castle, where an upside-down peck of its parapet stone is a rite of passage for many a tourist to Ireland.
Your best bet for dining is generally to stick to the cities, and our guides under the Ireland section of nytimes.com/travel offer recommendations.
