SAINT PATRICK’S DAY IN IRELAND, IN YOUR LIVELY FIAT DUCATO-BASED CAMPERVAN

LET’S START FROM GALWAY

As lively and hospitable as a little village, with narrow streets and multiple pubs, the city of Galway is an ideal starting point for your Irish adventure... especially if your visit takes place in one of the most magical periods of the year: the days devoted to celebrating Saint Patrick! This is one of the most special moments for visitors and locals alike: the city is plunged in colours and gaiety, filled with eccentric costumes, magnificent parades and floats, and lots and lots of green!
Whether you’re in Ireland for the first time or you’re a loyal visitor, don’t forget the most basic rule of all: drive on the left! Don’t worry if this seems uncomfortable and unnatural at first. After a few kilometres of practice and patience, everything will feel easier and you’ll soon get used to driving on the other side of the road. After this first step, remember too that in Ireland, especially in the countryside, many roads are single carriageway, so you simply have to take it easy on the accelerator... and you’ll find you enjoy the enchanted landscapes around you even more!
In Galway you’ll find a number of camping parks where you can stop with your family. Why not start from the Galway Glamping or Bayview Caravan Parks?
Wherever you choose, get to the town centre early and don’t miss the first event dedicated to the celebration of St. Patrick, launched by a colourful, musical and amusing annual parade. Galway’s celebrations are famous partly because every year numerous street artists take part: so you should start warming up for the party in time to violins, accordions, banjos and bodhrans (traditional Irish drums), the essential ingredients of traditional Celtic music.

DUBLIN

Follow the M6 and M4 to the N4 motorway to South Dublin, continue on the N4 and then the R148 as far as O'Connell Street Lower... fastening your seatbelt to completely immerse yourselves in the green city of Dublin. Ready to revel and let yourself go with unmistakable Irish style, riding your Fiat Ducato-base campervan? Once in Dublin, follow the signs for the Camac Valley Camping Park. This is the main camping park in the area, next door to a huge public park and well connected to the city centre by public bus. So why not leave the wheels of your motorhome to take a rest after its journey? In 45 minutes you can reach the city centre without problems, using transport from just outside the camping site.
Once back in the city centre, don’t miss the celebrations for St. Patrick: you’re invited to all these eclectic friendly parties! Participating in the main parade is a must: the historic centre is criss-crossed by a long boisterous parade of festive faces and Irish folkloric characters. And if watching the parade is not enough for you, join it!... preferably dressed and accessoried in green. The souvenir shops can provide you with everything you need to turn you into a St. Patrick’s day dancer!
Eventually, you’ll need to rest from your exertions. You can relax in one of Dublin’s most popular attractions, the legendary brewery/museum of the Guinness Storehouse... all green for the occasion! From its roof you can admire a breathtaking view and see important events, concerts and theme shows. Among these, don’t miss the shows by Irish and international artists who will fascinate and delight you, along with the perfume of Guinness!
Sooner or later, you’ll have to return to the Camping Park: never mind, the next stop is Cork!

CORK

Say goodbye to Trinity College and the statue of Molly Malone, and take the M50 towards the N7, choosing Exit 9. Once on the N7, continue to follow the signs for M7 and M8, towards the N8 and Cork. Here’s the beautiful city of Cork, which has a tradition of hospitality and will offer you charmed landscapes, alternated with city night-life, mainly linked to its lively university students. Your starting point? At The Blarney Caravan and Camping Park, just 8 km from the city centre, you can check in and then continue to enjoy St. Patrick aboard your camper on a Fiat Ducato base!
If you missed the typical opening parade (held on March 17), don’t worry, because the celebrations continue until the 19th! Don’t miss the Living Social Music stage, a completely free music concert held every day of the St. Patrick festivities until 6 pm... the ideal way to party at an Irish pace! If you decide to stay a while in the area, take the R846 and continue for about 16 minutes until you reach Blarney Castle, an enchanted place you mustn’t miss if you wish to fully experience the magic of Ireland. Not surprisingly, every year, thousands of tourists stop here to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone, or Stone of Eloquence, an ancient stone at the very top of the castle. If you don’t believe in legends, there’s a treasure trove of other things to see, in acres of enchanted gardens and Druid woods around the castle.

LIMERICK

You’re not feeling tired, are you? Climb back on board your campervan on its Fiat Ducato base, and get ready for the last leg of this emerald green itinerary!
The enchanted Gardens are closing now, so fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the last leg of this wonderful adventure: Limerick!
Follow the N20 to Limerick, and to Rosbrien Road. Continue on Rosbrien Road, then to Henry Street via Sarsfield Street in Limerick.
If you have followed the right roads, you will have arrived at your destination and you can now stop in one of the camping parks in the area, such as the Curraghchase Caravan and Camping Park, just 30 minutes from the city centre.
If you enjoyed Galway, Dublin and Cork, Limerick will live up to them with its own colourful events dedicated to St. Patrick! Welcoming over 70,000 visitors each year, Limerick offers an iconic opening parade, and numerous memorable collateral events. Its festival period includes the Spring Fest and the Limerick International Band Festival, an irresistibly joyous musical and human experience. Or you can relax in activities for the whole family, following traditional dances and open air events and entertainments Want some last advice? Wear green... this will entitle you to free entry at the Hunt Museum!

USEFUL INFORMATION
Here are some good motorhome parking areas included in your Irish itinerary:
Galway Glamping, Brooklodge Demense | Ballyglunin, Galway H91 E278, Ireland
Bayview Caravan Park, Knocknacarra, Galway, Ireland
Renvyle Beach Caravan and Camping Park, Tully, Renvyle, Galway, Ireland
Camac Valley Camping Park, Naas Rd, Kingswood, Dublin, Ireland
Blarney Caravan and Camping Park, Stone View, Blarney, Cork, Ireland
Curraghchase Caravan and Camping Park, Curraghchase Forest Park, Limerick, Ireland
And if you want to enjoy the trip even more, don’t forget to collect lots of the good-luck Irish three-leaf clovers you’ll find on your journey... we’re sure they will accompany you on your next trips in your Fiat Ducato-base campervan, adding a touch of extra magic!