Take an action-packed autumn break in Ireland

In the words of the great W.B. Yeats: ‘The trees are in their autumn beauty’ in the months of September, October and November. Forget the fabled forty shades of green – as the island turns glorious shades of gold and amber, what better time to plan a visit?

HIT THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Crisp woodland walks. Breathtaking coastal trails. Magical hikes to the highest peaks.  Adventurous visitors to Ireland are spoilt for choice at this time of year. There are hundreds of beautiful trails to choose from across the country. Click here to see which take your fancy.

GORGEOUS GLENDALOUGH: Plan a visit to Ireland’s Ancient East and experience Glendalough, Co. Wicklow in all of its autumnal glory. Sitting in the heart of the Wicklow National Park, just south of Dublin, the sprawling 20,000 hectares of natural landscape is waiting to be explored.

Pop into the nearby village of Laragh to relax over a delicious meal after a long day discovering the great outdoors.

WILD ATLANTIC WALK: Heading to the west of Ireland? Don’t miss the invigorating Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk, along which you’ll see some of Ireland’s most enchanting landscape.

Starting in the pretty village of Liscannor, Co. Clare, the trail passes the majestic cliffs towards Doolin in north Clare, with views of Galway and the Aran Islands along the way. Stretches of the walk along the cliff are unprotected, so don’t attempt this on a windy day!

GET IN THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT

Halloween’s devilish roots date back thousands of years to Celtic Ireland. The celebration originates from Samhain, the ancient festival to make the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. The Celts believed that during Samhain, the boundary between this world and the next was at its weakest, allowing spirits to move freely between the two.

Ireland continues to celebrate Halloween in style and a spooktacular selection of top class festivals are set to kick off around the country. Here’s a taster of what’s in store…

Bram Stoker Festival, Dublin

This annual four-day event is a bloody brilliant celebration of Irish author, and man behind the original Dracula, Bram Stoker. A jam-packed programme of film screenings, literary events, family-friendly adventures and late-night antics will take place across the city.

Dates: Stay tuned for dates in late October. Find out more here.

CATCH SOME MUSIC

ALL THAT JAZZ: The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Ireland’s flagship international jazz festival, is set to take over more than 70 venues across Cork. The festival is a fantastic opportunity to see some of the world’s top jazz performers strut their stuff in some of Ireland’s most iconic venues. The four-day event includes street bands, workshops, master classes and a jazz parade.

Dates: Stay tuned for dates in October. Find out more here.

FOR THE FOODIES

SAVOUR KILKENNY: Food lovers will be flocking to Kilkenny for this fantastic food festival. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful medieval city of Kilkenny, in Ireland’s South East, Savour brings together local and national top quality food produce, talented chefs, a mix of exciting food markets, and plenty more for everybody to enjoy. Find out more here.

Dates: Stay tuned for dates in October.

DAY AT THE RACES

National Hunt Racing season is in full swing in Ireland. Punters will love the Punchestown Winter Festival in Kildare in November.

Or if you’re visiting the Wild Atlantic Way, don’t miss autumn season at the Galway Races for guaranteed fun both on and off the track. Find out more here.

To book flights to Ireland click here.

Looking for more ideas for your trip to Ireland? Check out our guide to the Wild Atlantic Way.