After a day in Dublin, we left the Republic of Ireland for Northern Ireland. We have already mentioned it on the blog, the first program of our road trip is to follow in the footsteps of the filming of Game of Thrones! But even if you don't watch the show, you will find nice places to walk around here. Because in addition to the filming locations, we were seduced by the landscapes we crossed in Northern Ireland. And we will repeat ourselves very often in the articles to come but yes this stay was for us a real coup de coeur!
Tollymore Forest Park
After 2 hours of good driving after leaving Dublin, we arrived at Tollymore Forest Park, a large forest park in the county of Down (note: about 40 km after departure a toll of €1.90 on the M1 motorway is only payable in cash). On trails from 0.7 km to 8.8 km from the park, you can see waterfalls, bridges and old buildings (and also some places from Game of Thrones Season 1!). Admission is £5 per car (with possibility to pay by credit card). A large car park is then accessible. In spite of a very grey weather, we did a nice family walk here. We opted for the baby carrier for Capucine but most of the gravel roads are accessible to strollers (and people with reduced mobility).
Downpatrick
Just an hour's drive from the park, we arrived in the small town of Downpatrick, capital of Down County. The town is best known for hosting the tomb of Saint Patrick. This can be seen on the left of the cathedral (when you arrive from the road). We stayed that very little time here, it was just a stop for the night during our road trip!
Icnh Abbey
Ten minutes drive from the city, we take the time to stop in the ruins of Inch Abbey. As you can imagine, if we made the detour, it's good because it's a place where Game of Thrones is filmed (you'll learn more about our dedicated article by clicking on the link opposite! Once again, this is a step that you can notice if you pass in the corner: it has a very mysterious side to walk through the ruins of this ancient gothic abbey. We did not continue further, as the night was beginning to fall, but the walk in the surrounding countryside is visibly very pretty as well.
Castle Ward
After the night at Downpatrick, we head to Castle Ward (about 15 minutes drive) for a new day trip. Once again, this location was chosen for the filming of the Game of Thrones series (this is where the stronghold of the Stark family with Winterfell Castle is located) but it's also a must-see visit for your road trip on the roads of Northern Ireland. The park is open from 10am to 5pm. Admission is £8 per adult and £3.5 per child. Then there are beautiful walks around the Victorian castle and its annexes (manor house, sawmill, corn mill, theatre, laundry room, etc.), all in a wooded park of 332 hectares!
That's how our road trip ends in the county of Down, a mandatory passage for fans of the Game of Thrones series and connecting Dublin to Belfast. Our route continues to the capital of Northern Ireland.
Our good deals in Down County
How to get there?
You will need a car to get to the places mentioned here. We rented a car in Dublin with Carigami (very practical, this site allows you to compare at a glance the prices of the different rental companies on site! Good to know: cars rented in Southern Ireland have a meter in km/h... while signs and speed limits are in miles in Northern Ireland! And of course, don't forget, we drive on the left in Ireland! On the price side, the rental of a 5-door car (small practical detail when you have a baby to install in the back!) was 200 € for 8 days. The rental of the car seat cost 55 € extra. As we give you the car with a full tank of petrol, the renter on site adds 91 € to pay at the time of departure (and we re-credit you these 91 € at the return of the car if you give it back well with a full tank).
Where to sleep?
For the night in Downpatrick, we slept at Angela and Edmund's house. In their family home "Number Nine", they now rent the two children's bedrooms. The welcome was lovely. We opted for the big room. The only small drawback is that the bathroom is not adjoining (but is right in front of the room). As with all our trips with Capucine, we had Babybjörn's light umbrella bed with us so that she could sleep in "her" bed. Breakfast is then served in the couple's dining room. It's a perfect place for a night or two when you're in town. For the night, breakfast included, count 60 pounds.
Where to eat?
About 10 minutes walk from the accommodation, our guests warmly recommended us the Denvir's Hotel restaurant (14 English Street). And indeed, it's a good address! There are a multitude of small rooms with rustic decoration and large fireplaces. On the menu side, the burgers are £10 and the dishes between £9 and £15. A high chair is available for children.
How to get there?
As mentioned above, a car will be mandatory here. As for your travels, a GPS will often be useful for locating you and connecting two places (we haven't given precise addresses in this article because the only name of the places will be enough to get you there). By the way, when we travel abroad, we use the Maps. me application that allows you to have a GPS without an Internet connection (just download the map of the region before your trip). In addition, to park, you will have no difficulty a priori because the parks quoted here all have car parks at the entrance.