{"id":958,"date":"2026-05-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=958"},"modified":"2026-05-11T21:10:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:10:32","slug":"only-2-hours-from-london-this-wild-corner-of-ireland-is-the-perfect-may-bank-holiday-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/only-2-hours-from-london-this-wild-corner-of-ireland-is-the-perfect-may-bank-holiday-escape\/","title":{"rendered":"Only 2 hours from London this wild corner of Ireland is the perfect May bank holiday escape"},"content":{"rendered":"

You pack light<\/strong>, leave the city late<\/strong>, and wake to the hush of mountains meeting the sea<\/strong>. This corner of Ireland is wild<\/strong>, a living quilt of granite ridges<\/strong>, black-water lakes, and peat-scented air<\/strong>. It feels far<\/strong>, yet it\u2019s a quick hop away<\/strong>, the perfect reset before summer\u2019s busy rush<\/strong>. On a May bank holiday, the days run long<\/strong>, the gorse burns gold<\/strong>, and the hedgerows fizz with birdsong and bluebells<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Locals call May the month of soft<\/strong> light and forgiving weather<\/strong>. \u201cYou get the drama without<\/strong> the crush,\u201d a guide in Laragh grins<\/strong>. You\u2019ll breathe easy<\/strong>, eat well<\/strong>, and come home with boots full of stories<\/strong> and pockets of quiet joy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why May casts the spell<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Morning arrives gentle<\/strong>, with silver mist curling over bogs<\/strong> and loughs that hold the sky like a mirror<\/strong>. By midday, hills glow green<\/strong>, lambs sling shadows across lanes<\/strong>, and waterfalls fray into bright threads<\/strong>. The air smells clean<\/strong>, a blend of pine, turf, and salt<\/strong> if you drift down to the dunes at Brittas<\/strong> Bay.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cMay is all about<\/strong> light,\u201d says Mairead, who\u2019s walked these paths her entire life<\/strong>. \u201cIt lifts the mood<\/strong>, paints the slopes, and turns every pool into a lantern<\/strong>.\u201d Even rain feels brief<\/strong>, a soft rehearsal for a stronger sun<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Getting here, losing the rush<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

From London you\u2019re in the air<\/strong> for just over an hour<\/strong>, touching down in Dublin while the city\u2019s still stretching<\/strong>. Pick up a small car<\/strong> for backroad freedom, or ride the DART to Greystones<\/strong> and link by bus to the valleys<\/strong>. With good timing<\/strong>, you can be at a trailhead before your coffee turns cold<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Roads climb narrow<\/strong>, flirting with heather and hawthorn<\/strong> as you wind toward Sally Gap<\/strong> and the dark oval of Lough Tay<\/strong>. Pull over, step out, and let the wind clear the last emails<\/strong> from your head<\/strong>. You\u2019re not chasing time<\/strong> now; you\u2019re travelling by weather<\/strong> and whim.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Walks, water, and big skies<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The Glendalough \u201cSpinc<\/strong>\u201d boardwalk lifts you above two glacier-carved lakes<\/strong>, where ravens score circles<\/strong> in the updraft. On the Wicklow Way<\/strong>, ferny switchbacks open onto valleys as wide as a held breath<\/strong>. Glenmacnass Waterfall<\/strong> hisses from a high saddle, a white seam stitched through schist<\/strong> and moss.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If the sea calls, paddle a kayak<\/strong> on a calm morning off Brittas Bay<\/strong> (wetsuit strongly advised<\/strong>), or beachcomb for shells rinsed clean<\/strong> by a slow Atlantic pulse<\/strong>. \u201cThe wind has a voice<\/strong> here,\u201d says Tom, a hillwalker with map-stained thumbs<\/strong>. \u201cSome days it sings<\/strong>, some days it tells you to turn back<\/strong>\u2014both are worth the trip<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Eat well, warm up<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Hunger lands hard<\/strong> in the hills, and Wicklow answers with sturdy plates<\/strong>. The Wicklow Heather<\/strong> in Laragh does braised local lamb<\/strong> and tart apple crumbles<\/strong> that silence a table<\/strong>. In Glenmalure, the Lodge pours dark, creamy pints<\/strong> beside a pub fire that never quite dies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For something polished<\/strong>, BrookLodge & Macreddin Village<\/strong> serves Ireland\u2019s first certified organic menu<\/strong>, all bright herbs and well-raised beef<\/strong>. Between trails, swing by Firehouse Bakery<\/strong> in Delgany for sticky buns<\/strong>, flaky sausage rolls<\/strong>, and coffee that rescues any afternoon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

48 hours, lightly sketched<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Day 1 morning: Land early<\/strong>, collect a car<\/strong>, and pause at the Lough Tay lookout<\/strong> before drifting to Roundwood for a quick bite<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Day 1 afternoon: Hike the Glendalough Spinc<\/strong> loop (white route<\/strong>), then idle by the Upper Lake<\/strong> with a thermos and a smug smile<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Day 1 evening: Check into a snug inn<\/strong>, dine at Wicklow Heather<\/strong>, and step outside for moonlit silhouettes of black pines<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Day 2 morning: Drive the Sally Gap<\/strong> circuit to Glenmacnass Falls<\/strong>, pull over often, and let the views do the talking<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Day 2 lunch: Pub soup<\/strong> and brown bread<\/strong> at Glenmalure while boots dry by the grate<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Day 2 afternoon: If weather\u2019s kind<\/strong>, beach-walk Brittas Bay<\/strong>; if not, tour a garden at Kilruddery<\/strong> for green calm and tea. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Day 2 evening: Back to Dublin<\/strong> at an unhurried pace<\/strong>, legs pleasantly tired and the city newly tolerable<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Where to stay<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    For comfort-with-character, base yourself at BrookLodge & Macreddin<\/strong> Village, where rooms feel quiet<\/strong> and breakfast feels like a small holiday<\/strong>. Closer to the lakes, the Glendalough Hotel<\/strong> offers simple rooms with doorstep trails<\/strong>. If you crave creaky floors<\/strong>, Tinakilly Country House<\/strong> wraps sea views in period charm<\/strong> and a whisper of old-world ease<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Small rules for big peace<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Carry layers and a real map<\/strong>; signal fades faster than a city promise<\/strong>. Mind sheep, pass wide, and drive the boreens patiently<\/strong>\u2014their stone walls<\/strong> are older than your plans<\/strong>. Pack out every crumb<\/strong>, close gates with careful hands<\/strong>, and let the weather change your mind<\/strong> now and then<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    A bank holiday doesn\u2019t need to be busy<\/strong>, or boxed with twelve musts<\/strong>. Give yourself two loose days<\/strong>, a seat by a pub fire<\/strong>, and a hill path that climbs just enough<\/strong>. You\u2019ll return to London feeling lighter<\/strong>, with peat in your lungs<\/strong> and a little wilderness still in your step<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":964,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions\/964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}