Travel Guide: Cheap flights to Ireland
Ireland Airlines and Airports
Airline and airport information plus insider tips for Ireland
Ireland is steeped in history, but enjoying new affluence - and the beginnings of multi-culturalism - thanks to the Celtic Tiger which has been roaring in the Republic since the 1990s.
Few people go to Ireland for the weather as it seems to have a mind of its own, but the summer months of July and August generally fare pretty well. This is prime festival season too with literary summer schools, music festivals and even match-making festivals to throw yourself into.
Dublin's reputation as a party town makes it a popular city break destination, especially when cheap flights to Ireland are so easily available, and Cork, the cosy capital of the south, is no slouch in this department. For the untamed Atlantic coast, start in Kerry and work your way up to Galway. Belfast is the gateway to the North of Ireland, which boasts the Mountains of Mourne, the Causeway Coast and the glens of Antrim. The city itself has undergone a renaissance in recent years and the frankly grim city of the Troubles now has a new verve and energy.
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When to fly to Ireland
There is no bad time to visit Ireland as long as you are not counting on the weather. Spring, from St. Patrick's Day to May, is a lovely time to visit. The trees are in leaf, hedgerows are studded with wild flowers and lambs gambol in the fields. However, cheap flights to Ireland are a little harder to come by around these busy months.
Ireland benefits from the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream and it never gets very cold, although you should pack a waterproof jacket and an umbrella.
Peak season:
July and August
Off season:
Winter, early spring and autumn.
Getting Around
Public transport (buses and trains) is great if you are travelling from, say, Dublin to Cork or Galway, but it can be tricky getting around within counties.
Bus Eireann is the national bus company and there are lots of private coach companies that offer good, well-connected services between the cities. In general, it is cheaper to take a bus than a train.
Renting a car is a good option and rental companies are represented at all the major airports, but shop around for the best deals. If you are pushed for time, you could fly between cities. Aer Arann for example flies from Dublin to Cork, Galway, Donegal, Kerry and Sligo. Ryanair also flies from Dublin to Cork.
Flying to Ireland
Major airports in Ireland:
Dublin Airport (DUB) is six miles north of the city centre.
Cork International Airport (ORK) is close to the city.
Shannon (SNN) is the gateway to the west, and is about 15 miles north of Limerick city and 15 miles south of Ennis town, or try Galway Airport (GWY) or Knock Ireland West Airport (NOC).
Belfast (BHD) is on the southern shore of Belfast Lough.
Kerry Airport (KIR) is 15 minutes from Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, and 20 minutes from Tralee.
Airlines serving Ireland include:
Dublin - British Airways from Gatwick, bmi and bmibaby from Heathrow, Ryanair from several airports including Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, Air France from London City Airport, Aer Arann from Inverness and the Isle of Man, Aer Lingus from eight airports including Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Cork - Ryanair from several points around the UK, Aer Lingus and BA from Heathrow, bmibaby from Durham Tees Valley and Manchester, bmi from Leeds Bradford.
Shannon - Ryanair, Aer Lingus from Heathrow. For nearby Galway, Ryanair flies there as does Aer Arann.
Belfast City - bmibaby flies from Heathrow, BA from Manchester and Birmingham. Flybe from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol and Gatwick; Air Wales from Cardiff.
Kerry - Ryanair from Stansted, Aer Arann from Manchester.
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In-flight Reading
The Country Girls
by Edna O'Brien.
Traces the lives of two women from their school days in the Irish countryside to their adulthood and failed marriages in London.
Cowboys and Indians
by Joseph O'Connor
Addressed to his daughter - in a coma following a robbery - Billy Sweeney tracks down the guilty. A story of retribution and redemption.
McCarthy's Bar
by Pete McCarthy
Born in Warrington to an Irish mother and an English father, Pete McCarthy decides to revisit and rediscover Ireland and to “never pass a bar that has your name on it”.
The Butcher Boy
by Patrick McCabe
This dark, but hilarious novel, charts the descent into madness of a young killer in small-town Ireland.
Irish chick-lit: Marian Keyes is the internationally bestselling author of Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, The Last Chance Saloon, Angels, Sushi for Beginners and The Other Side of the Story.
Insider Information on Ireland
Climb the steep hill to ring the bells at St Anne's Church in Cork. Then once you have arrived, climb the stone steps to a parapet that has 360-degree views of the city. Visitors can also ring the church's eight bells.
For a glimpse of how people used to live on the furthest edges of Europe, take a boat trip to The Aran Islands off the coast of Galway, or to Great Blasket, a short ride from Dunquin Pier on the Dingle peninsula in Kerry. The islands have small tourist industries, breathtaking views and lots of sea birds.
Dip into CS Lewis's Ulster. The creator of The Chronicles of Narnia was born in Belfast and spent some of his childhood there, and holidayed there regularly as an adult. Now there are lots of ways to follow him including a black taxi tour. Once you have booked your cheap flights to Ireland, visit the Northern Ireland Tourist Board website and key in “cs lewis” into the search box for more things to do.
Travel Tips
- Finding Cheap FlightsOur golden rules for finding a cheap flight
- Airlines with low-cost ticketsAn essential guide to how the main carriers operate
- Before You GoAdvice on everything you need to do before you set off
- Regional UK and Irish AirportsFlying from the four corners of the UK and Ireland
- Glossary of Flying TermsAn A-Z of common terms you’ll need to know
- Travel Sickness and DVTHow to stay happy and healthy in the air
Travel links
- MapIreland Map from Multimap
- Destination GuideLonely Planet's guide to Ireland
- EventsLocal events calendar
- WeatherThe weather in Ireland today
- Currency converterFind the current exchange rate