Dublin or Galway: which city should be my main base?

Pick Dublin for a first short trip and Galway for a trip built around the west. Dublin repays two or three days at least: Trinity and the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, Georgian squares and the bay at Howth and Malahide, with trains and day trips in every direction. Galway runs on music and sea air, and it puts Connemara, the Aran Islands and the Burren and Cliffs of Moher run within day trip reach. If flights and history come first, base in Dublin. If coast, sessions and slower evenings come first, base in Galway and give Dublin its own nights at the start or end.

Useful pages: Where to go · Ready-made itineraries · The Wild Atlantic Way road trip · Dublin · County Cork · County Kerry · County Galway · Northern Ireland · Portrush · Visiting Irish castles · Plan your journey · Heritage · Golf in Ireland · Ireland's cities · Ireland in the movies · Best hiking trails in Ireland · The Southwest in 5 Days · The Great Links golf itinerary · Quieter places

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