Campervan Rental in Ireland

Wild camping: the honest legal picture

Here is the part many visitors get wrong, so it's worth being clear from the start: Ireland has no legal "right to roam" or freedom-to-camp law of the kind you'll find in Scotland or Scandinavia. Almost all land, including much of what looks like open mountain or empty coast, is privately owned, and wild or free camping in a campervan technically requires the landowner's permission. In practice, a quiet, respectful overnight in a remote spot away from houses is often tolerated, but it is not a right, and tolerance is wearing thin in the busiest places.

Along the Wild Atlantic Way in particular, the honeypot car parks and beaches have seen real pressure, and councils have responded. Many scenic laybys, strand (beach) car parks and trailhead car parks now carry "no overnight parking" or "no overnight camping" signs, with height barriers at some to keep motorhomes out altogether. Several local authorities (Clare, Kerry, Galway, Donegal and others) have by-laws restricting overnight stays in designated coastal car parks, and these are enforced in summer, sometimes with on-the-spot fines or a knock on the door at dawn. If a sign says no overnight parking, take it at face value and move on.

The golden rule is simple: where you see a barrier, a sign or a busy honeypot, don't risk it. Where you genuinely cannot, always ask. A farmer or pub landlord will frequently say yes to a single van for one night, and that conversation turns a grey area into a welcome.

Leave No Trace: the unwritten rule that keeps spots open

Every closed car park and new barrier in Ireland traces back to the same thing: a minority who left a mess. Whether you're on a paid pitch or a one-off spot with permission, follow the Leave No Trace principles that Irish landowners and councils care about most:

• Never empty grey or black (toilet) waste anywhere but a proper service point. Tipping a cassette into a ditch, hedge or drain is the single fastest way to get vans banned from an area, and it's illegal.
• Take every scrap of rubbish with you. Bins at beaches and trailheads are for day-trippers and overflow fast; carry your own bin bags and dispose of them at a campsite or town facility.
• Arrive late, leave early, stay one night. Don't put out awnings, chairs, tables and washing lines in a public car park; that's the line between discreet overnighting and "camping", and it's what triggers complaints.
• No open fires, keep noise and generator use down, and park considerately so you're not blocking gates, passing places or sea views.

Treat every spot as if the local who lives nearest will decide whether the next van is welcome, because that is exactly how it works.

The campsite scene: where to plug in

The reliable backbone of any campervan or motorhome trip in Ireland is its network of proper campsites and caravan parks. Many are members of the Irish Caravan & Camping Council (ICC), whose annual guide and website are a trustworthy way to find inspected, registered parks. Facilities range from simple farm sites with a tap, a chemical-disposal point and a handful of hardstandings, up to full-service holiday parks with electric hook-up (EHU), hot showers, laundry, Wi-Fi, shops and play areas.

Sites cluster exactly where campervanners want to be:

• The southwest and the Wild Atlantic Way: a dense run of coastal parks through West Cork, the Beara, Iveragh (the Ring of Kerry) and Dingle peninsulas, and on up through Clare, Galway and Mayo to Sligo and Donegal.
• Killarney and Kerry: several well-run parks make excellent bases for Killarney National Park, the Gap of Dunloe and the Ring of Kerry, many within cycling distance of the town.
• Connemara: sites around Clifden and the coast road give you the lakes, bog and Twelve Bens of Connemara National Park on the doorstep.

Expect to pay roughly in the region of €25 to €40 per night for two adults with a van and hook-up, more at premium coastal parks in peak season. A handful of parks are open year-round, but many Irish sites are seasonal, typically running Easter to September (some only June to August), so always check opening dates before you build a route around a particular site.

Aires and service points: the low-cost middle ground

Ireland is steadily catching up with the continental Aire concept: dedicated motorhome stopovers offering a place to fill fresh water, empty grey water and the toilet cassette, often with a few low-cost or free overnight bays and sometimes EHU. They sit somewhere between full campsites and wild camping, and they're a brilliant way to keep costs down while staying legal and tidy.

You'll find them in a growing patchwork rather than a single national chain: a number of towns and tidy-towns committees, marinas, GAA clubs, pubs and visitor attractions now provide service points or aire-style parking, and some are listed through community-run apps and the park4night-style community maps that Irish vanners rely on heavily. "Pub stopovers" are a particularly Irish pleasure: ring ahead, spend the evening (and a few euro) at the bar, and many publicans will happily let you stay the night in the car park. Provision is patchy, so don't assume a service point will be where you need it. Plan refills around the facilities you know exist.

Practical camping tips for an Irish trip

• Book the southwest and the coast early. For July and August, and over the June and August bank holiday weekends, the best Kerry, Cork, Clare and Connemara sites fill weeks ahead. If your trip is built around the Ring of Kerry or Dingle in high summer, reserve before you collect your campervan rental in Ireland.
• Fill water and empty waste at every opportunity. Treat each campsite and aire as a chance to top up fresh water and dump both grey and toilet waste, even if your tanks aren't full or empty. The next facility may be an hour of single-track coast road away.
• Check opening dates, not just availability. Outside Easter to September your options thin out fast, especially in the west and northwest; confirm a site is actually open before you arrive after dark.
• Carry euro and small change. The Republic uses the euro; some honesty-box aires, service points and rural sites still want coins or notes rather than cards.
• Mind the access, not just the pitch. Many of the prettiest sites sit at the end of narrow boreens; remember you're driving on the left, take the high hedges and blind bends slowly, and use passing places generously.
• Have a Plan B for every night. Note a backup site or aire near each stop. It turns a "no overnight parking" sign or a full campsite from a crisis into a five-minute detour.

The Wild Atlantic Way: Ireland's Great Coastal Drive

If there is one route that justifies a campervan rental in Ireland, it is the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2,500 km waymarked coastal road that runs from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal all the way down to Kinsale in West Cork. It is comfortably the longest defined coastal touring route in the world, and a motorhome is the ideal way to tackle it because you can break the journey wherever the light, the weather or the view demands. Look out for the distinctive blue-and-white Wild Atlantic Way signs and the brown "Discovery Point" markers, which flag the best laybys, headlands and viewpoints to pull in (always park considerately and never block farm gates or passing places).

Few people drive the whole thing in one trip. Most visitors pick a stretch: Donegal and Sligo in the north for raw, empty grandeur; the mid-section through Mayo, Galway and Clare; or the southern counties of Kerry and Cork for the classic peninsulas. Key highlights worth building a route around include:

• Sliabh Liag (Slieve League), Co. Donegal: sea cliffs rising to around 600 m, nearly three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher and far quieter.
• Downpatrick Head, Co. Mayo: home to the dramatic Dún Briste sea stack standing offshore.
• Keem Bay on Achill Island and the causeway-linked drives of the western seaboard.
• Mizen Head, Co. Cork: the most south-westerly point, with its signal station footbridge.

Remember that Ireland drives on the left, distances and speed limits are in kilometres (typically 100 km/h on national roads and 80 km/h on many rural routes, recently reduced to 60 km/h on a lot of local roads), and many Atlantic coast lanes are single-track with grass growing up the middle. Take it slowly, use the passing places, and allow far more time than the distance suggests.

Cliffs, Karst and Islands: Clare, Galway and Mayo

The mid-Atlantic counties pack an extraordinary amount into a short distance. The Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare are Ireland's most visited natural attraction, with a paid visitor centre and car park (motorhomes are accommodated, but arrive early or late to dodge the coach crowds and the strongest winds). Just inland lies the Burren, a haunting limestone karst landscape where Arctic, alpine and Mediterranean wildflowers grow side by side in the cracks of the bare grey pavement. Don't miss the Poulnabrone dolmen, a portal tomb older than the pyramids.

Push north into Connemara for one of Ireland's most photogenic regions: the Twelve Bens mountains, the fjord-like Killary Harbour, Kylemore Abbey on its lakeshore, and the bog roads of Connemara National Park. Further north again, Achill Island in Co. Mayo is reached by a road bridge (no ferry needed), rewarding you with the Atlantic Drive loop, blue-flag beaches and the abandoned Deserted Village on the slopes of Slievemore.

For the islands, leave the van on the mainland and take a passenger ferry:

• The Aran Islands (Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, Inis Oírr) sail from Ros a' Mhíl in Connemara or from Doolin in Clare. Inis Mór is the largest, famous for the clifftop prehistoric fort of Dún Aonghasa; hire a bike or take a pony-and-trap once you land.
• Inishbofin off the Connemara coast offers a quieter, less-visited alternative with superb walking.

Check sailing times in advance, especially outside summer, and confirm whether the operator has secure parking near the pier for the duration of your visit.

The Iconic Peninsulas of Kerry: Dingle, Slea Head and the Ring of Kerry

Kerry is where many first-time visitors fall hardest for Ireland. The Ring of Kerry is a 179 km loop around the Iveragh Peninsula taking in Killarney, Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville and the Skellig coast (with views out to the UNESCO-listed monastic island of Skellig Michael). A long-standing local convention asks tour coaches to drive the Ring anticlockwise, so most independent drivers follow suit to avoid meeting buses head-on on the narrow bends. The whole loop is comfortably doable in a day, but it deserves two so you can detour onto the spectacular Skellig Ring and over the Ballaghbeama and Ballaghisheen passes.

The Dingle Peninsula to the north is, for many, even better. The Slea Head Drive is a compact one-way coastal loop from Dingle town past beehive huts, the Blasket Islands viewpoint and some of the most westerly land in Europe. It is genuinely tight in places, so larger motorhomes should drive it in the signed direction (clockwise) and go gently. Dingle town itself is a joy, with a working harbour, excellent seafood and a famously high pub-to-resident ratio.

At the heart of it all is Killarney National Park, Ireland's first national park: the lakes of Killarney, Muckross House and gardens, Torc Waterfall, ancient oak woodland and the jaw-dropping Gap of Dunloe. The Moll's Gap and Ladies' View overlooks on the N71 between Killarney and Kenmare are among the finest roadside panoramas in the country.

Surf, Sea and the Great Outdoors

The same Atlantic swell that shapes the cliffs makes Ireland a surprisingly serious surfing destination, and a campervan is the natural beach-break basecamp. Cold-water surf culture is strong along the west coast, with friendly schools renting boards and wetsuits for complete beginners:

• Lahinch, Co. Clare: a long beach break right beside the town and an easy stroll from the surf schools, ideal for first-timers.
• Strandhill, Co. Sligo: a lively surf village under Knocknarea, with seaweed baths to soothe aching muscles afterwards.
• Bundoran, Co. Donegal: Ireland's surf capital, with everything from gentle beach breaks to the world-class (and expert-only) reef break known as The Peak.

Beyond surfing, the west is paradise for hillwalkers, sea kayakers and cyclists. The flat, traffic-free Great Western Greenway in Mayo runs roughly 42 km from Westport to Achill along a former railway line, perfect for a family cycle. Sea swimming and coasteering are increasingly popular, and dark-sky reserves in Kerry and Mayo make for extraordinary stargazing on clear nights, a real perk of waking up off-grid in your van.

Dublin, History and Ancient Ireland

Most trips begin or end in Dublin, and it is well worth a day or two before you head west. Driving a motorhome in the city centre is best avoided; instead, park on the outskirts and use the LUAS tram, DART rail or buses. One essential to plan for: the M50 orbital motorway around Dublin uses a barrier-free toll (eFlow). There are no booths, so you must pay the toll online or by phone by 8pm the following day, and rental companies will sometimes handle this for you, so check your agreement. The big-ticket sights include Trinity College and the Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse with its Gravity Bar panorama, and the cobbled pubs and music of Temple Bar (lively, but touristy and pricey, so locals often drink elsewhere).

Ireland's deep history is one of its greatest pleasures, and these sites are very campervan-friendly day stops:

• Newgrange in the Boyne Valley (Brú na Bóinne), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a 5,000-year-old passage tomb older than Stonehenge, accessed by guided shuttle from the visitor centre.
• Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains, an early monastic settlement with a round tower set in a glacial valley, an easy day trip south of Dublin.
• The Rock of Cashel in Co. Tipperary, a spectacular medieval ecclesiastical fortress crowning a limestone outcrop.
• Medieval Kilkenny, with its imposing castle, the "Medieval Mile" of lanes and the famous Smithwick's brewing heritage.

Trad Music, Whiskey and Irish Food

No Irish road trip is complete without an evening of live traditional music in a pub, and the best sessions ("seisiúns") are gloriously informal: musicians simply gather in a corner and play. Doolin in Co. Clare is celebrated as a trad heartland, while Galway city buzzes with music spilling out of pubs along Quay Street and Shop Street, and Dingle rounds out the holy trinity. Sessions usually get going later in the evening, so order a pint, find a seat and let it come to you.

Ireland's whiskey revival means distillery tours are everywhere, from the long-established names to a wave of craft producers. The Jameson experiences at Midleton (Co. Cork) and Bow Street (Dublin), along with distilleries in Dingle, Kilkenny and beyond, all offer tastings, though anyone driving the van should nominate a designated driver or use the takeaway tasting option, as Ireland enforces strict drink-driving limits.

On the food front, the Atlantic larder is the star: Galway and Carlingford oysters, Dingle and Kinsale seafood chowder, Connemara mussels and fresh-landed crab. Pair it all with warm brown soda bread and Irish butter, finish with farmhouse cheeses, and you have the makings of a perfect campervan supper, whether you cook it in the van or eat it overlooking the sea. Stocking up at local farmers' markets and harbourside fishmongers as you travel is half the fun.

Driving in Ireland: Take It Slow and Keep Left

If you are picking up a campervan rental in Ireland, the single most important thing to remember is that you drive on the left, with the steering wheel on the right and the gearstick worked with your left hand. Most rentals are diesel and manual, so ask for an automatic when you book if that suits you better. Junctions and roundabouts feel back-to-front for the first day or two: take roundabouts clockwise, give way to traffic coming from your right, and let a passenger call out "keep left" after every turn until it becomes second nature.

Speeds and distances are all metric. Limits are signed in km/h: typically 120 on motorways (M-roads), 100 on national roads (N-roads, often single carriageway), 80 on regional and local roads, and 50 in towns. Treat that 80 limit on a narrow rural lane as a maximum, not a target; you will rarely safely reach it.

• Rural roads are slow. Many of Ireland's most scenic routes are single-track with grass growing up the middle, blind bends and stone walls inches from your wing mirrors. A motorhome feels wide here.
• Use the passing bays. On boreens (narrow lanes), pull into a layby to let oncoming traffic or faster locals pass. A quick wave is the universal thank-you.
• Watch for livestock. Sheep, cattle and the occasional goat wander freely on open mountain roads, especially around Connemara, the Ring of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula. Slow right down and never sound your horn at them.
• Mind the height and width. Know your van's dimensions before tackling tight village centres, low-arch bridges or coastal car parks.

How Far Can You Really Drive? Plan Modest Days

Distances on the map look tiny, and that is the classic trap. A 150 km day on Irish motorways is easy; the same 150 km along the Wild Atlantic Way, with hairpin headlands, photo stops and a coffee in every harbour village, can swallow an entire day. Plan in hours behind the wheel, not kilometres.

• A comfortable touring day is roughly 120 to 200 km on mixed roads, less if you are sticking to scenic coastal routes.
• Build in time for the things that make the trip: a clifftop walk, a slow lunch, an unplanned detour down a sign that says "beach".
• Avoid arriving at a campsite or aire after dark, both for the views you will miss and because unlit rural roads are harder to read.
• If you only have a week, resist the urge to "do the whole island". Choosing one region and exploring it properly beats a frantic dash.

Weather, Money and the Practical Stuff

Weather: Ireland genuinely does serve up four seasons in a day. It is rarely extreme, but it is changeable, so the trick is layers rather than forecasts. Pack a proper waterproof jacket, warm layers and sturdy footwear whatever the month; even a glorious July afternoon can turn to horizontal Atlantic drizzle within the hour. The flip side is that the light after rain, and those sudden rainbows, are part of what makes the place magic. A van with good heating and somewhere to dry wet gear is worth its weight in gold.

Money: The Republic of Ireland uses the euro (€). If your loop crosses into Northern Ireland (Causeway Coast, Derry, the Mournes) you are in the UK, where the currency is pounds sterling (£), so factor that in if you are touring the whole island. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, including small shops and rural pubs, but carry some cash for honesty boxes, small village aires, parking meters and the occasional remote spot.

Fuel: Most campervans and motorhomes run on diesel, sold by the litre. Fill up in towns before heading into remote areas like the Inishowen Peninsula or west Connemara, where stations are sparse and may close on Sundays or in the evening.

Language: English is spoken everywhere. In official Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) areas, mainly along the western seaboard in parts of Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry, road signs and place names may appear only in Irish (Gaeilge). Useful ones to recognise: An Daingean (Dingle), Gaillimh (Galway), trá (beach), lár an bhaile (town centre) and géill slí (yield).

Tolls, the M50 and Connectivity

Most Irish toll roads have conventional barriers where you pay cash or card on the spot, so keep a few coins handy. The big exception is Dublin's M50 ring road, which is barrier-free: there are no booths. Cameras read your number plate and you must pay the eFlow toll online (or by phone) by 20:00 the following day to avoid penalties. Crucially, this can catch out hire customers, so before you collect your campervan, ask the rental company exactly how M50 tolls are handled: some register the van with eFlow and bill you, others expect you to pay yourself. If you can plan a route around Dublin that avoids the M50, you sidestep the issue entirely.

Connectivity: Mobile coverage is good in towns and along main routes but patchy in the mountains and on remote headlands, which is part of the charm. A local or roaming eSIM is the easiest way to stay online for navigation, weather and ferry bookings without bill shock. Download offline maps and your route before you set off each morning, and do not rely on a signal in the glens.

Ferries to the Islands

Some of Ireland's most memorable nights are spent within sight of, rather than on, an offshore island, because most island ferries are foot-passenger only and will not take a campervan. Plan to leave your van securely in the mainland car park and travel across light.

• Aran Islands (Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, Inis Oírr): ferries run from Ros a' Mhíl in Connemara and a seasonal service from Doolin, County Clare. Park the van, take a day pack, and hire a bike or pony-and-trap on the island.
• Other gems: Achill Island (County Mayo) is reached by a road bridge, so you can drive your van straight on, while places like the Blasket Islands and Skellig Michael are weather-dependent boat trips with no vehicles at all.
• Always check sailing times and weather in advance and book ahead in summer, as crossings can be cancelled in rough Atlantic conditions.

Suggested Itineraries by Trip Length

However long you have, the golden rule is the same: go deep, not wide. Here is a realistic shape for the most popular campervan routes.

• One week (the southwest and Wild Atlantic Way): A perfect first Irish road trip. Loop from Cork or Kerry around the Ring of Kerry and the quieter Dingle Peninsula, then up through the wild Beara Peninsula and on towards the Cliffs of Moher and the lunar limestone of The Burren in County Clare. Short hops, big scenery, easy to do at a relaxed pace.
• Ten to fourteen days (a fuller Wild Atlantic Way loop): Extend the above northwards through Galway and Connemara, the cliffs and beaches of County Mayo, the surf coast of Sligo and into rugged Donegal with its Slieve League sea cliffs. With two weeks you can also dip into the cultural cities, a night near Galway or Dublin, without rushing the coast.
• Touring the whole island: If you have longer and want to add the Causeway Coast and Giant's Causeway, remember you will cross into Northern Ireland (pounds, miles per hour on signs) before returning to the Republic.

Staying Safe and Travelling Well

Ireland is a famously safe and welcoming place to tour by campervan, with low crime and locals who will happily point you to the best beach or the right turn you just missed. The real hazards are practical rather than human.

• The roads, not the people, are the risk. Concentrate on narrow lanes, blind summits, sudden livestock and changeable weather rather than worrying about safety.
• Don't drink and drive. Drink-driving limits are low and strictly enforced; if you fancy a pint in a traditional pub, stay put for the night nearby.
• Park responsibly. Use designated aires, campsites and motorhome stopovers. Wild camping is not a general right, so always respect "no overnight parking" signs and never block farm gates or passing places.
• Emergencies: dial 112 or 999 for police (An Garda Síochána), ambulance, fire or coastguard, both work in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
• Leave no trace. Take rubbish with you, empty waste only at proper facilities, and you will keep these beautiful coasts open and friendly for the vans that follow.

Why time your trip around an Irish festival

Ireland packs an extraordinary number of festivals into its calendar, and travelling by campervan is arguably the best way to enjoy them: you bring your bed and kitchen with you, sidestep the scramble for scarce hotel rooms, and can drift on to the next town when the music stops. The catch is that festivals draw crowds, and Ireland has relatively few campsites, so the genuinely useful advice is simple. Book your pitch as early as you possibly can. For the biggest events (Electric Picnic, the Fleadh, St Patrick's weekend) nearby sites sell out months ahead, and prices rise accordingly. If you're arranging campervan rental in Ireland or motorhome hire from a depot near Dublin, Shannon or Cork, reserve the vehicle for those dates well in advance too, as fleets are smallest precisely when demand peaks.

A practical note for festival driving: enjoy the craic, but remember that Ireland's drink-driving limits are strict and rigorously enforced, and you will be sleeping in the vehicle you arrived in. Have a nominated driver, or simply plan to stay put once you've parked up for the night.

Spring: St Patrick's Day and the season opener

Nothing announces the start of the touring season quite like St Patrick's Day on 17 March, celebrated the length and breadth of the country. Dublin hosts the largest parade and a multi-day St Patrick's Festival, but you'll find spirited processions and street entertainment in Cork, Galway, Limerick and countless smaller towns, often with a friendlier, less frantic atmosphere than the capital. If you want the Dublin experience without the parking nightmare, base your van at a campsite outside the city and take public transport in; central Dublin is no place for a motorhome on parade day, and the orbital M50 is a barrier-free toll (eFlow) you'll need to pay online by 8pm the next day, as there are no toll booths.

March can still be wintry, so expect cool, changeable weather. The upside is uncrowded roads on the Wild Atlantic Way and the Ring of Kerry, and seasonal campsites just beginning to reopen.

Summer: Bloomsday, Galway and the high season

Summer is the heart of Ireland's festival calendar and the busiest, brightest time to tour.

• Bloomsday, Dublin (16 June): a literary celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses, with costumed readings, Edwardian breakfasts and walking tours retracing Leopold Bloom's route through the city. It's gentle, charming and very Dublin, ideal if you're pairing a city day with a wider east-coast loop.
• Galway International Arts Festival (July): for two weeks Galway becomes one of Europe's great festival cities, with theatre, visual art, spectacle and a famous parade by the Macnas company. Galway also hosts its celebrated Races and an Oyster Festival later in the year, so the city rewards a flexible itinerary. Campsites in the surrounding countryside fill quickly, so book ahead and use the city's park-and-ride where possible rather than driving a van into the medieval centre.

July and August bring the longest days and warmest weather, but also peak prices and the fullest sites, so reserve pitches early and consider midweek arrivals to ease the squeeze.

August: music, fairs and the heart of tradition

August is the richest month of all for distinctively Irish gatherings, and several are within easy reach of each other along the south-west.

• Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (August): the world's largest festival of traditional Irish music, drawing hundreds of thousands of people for competitions, concerts and impromptu sessions that spill out of every pub. The host town rotates between years, so check the location before you plan your route, and book accommodation the moment dates are confirmed, as the chosen town is overwhelmed in the best possible way.
• Puck Fair, Killorglin, Co. Kerry (August): one of Ireland's oldest fairs, dating back centuries, in which a wild mountain goat is crowned "King Puck" and reigns over three days of horse trading, street stalls and late-night revelry. It sits right on the Ring of Kerry, so it's a natural highlight of a south-west campervan trip.
• Rose of Tralee, Co. Kerry (August): the famous international festival and televised contest that turns Tralee into a week of parades, carnival rides and entertainment, just up the road from Killorglin.

Stringing the Fleadh, Puck Fair and the Rose of Tralee into a single Kerry-and-beyond loop makes for a wonderful trip, but it also means competing for the same scarce pitches, so lock in your sites first and build the driving around them.

Autumn: Electric Picnic, jazz and ancient Samhain

The season closes with some of the country's best-loved events, often with quieter roads as the summer crowds thin.

• Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co. Laois (September): Ireland's biggest music and arts festival, set on the grounds of Stradbally Hall in the midlands. Tickets routinely sell out, and dedicated campervan and "boutique" camping passes are limited and separate from standard tickets, so secure both your festival pass and your vehicle pitch the moment they go on sale.
• Cork Jazz Festival (October): a long-running, city-wide celebration over the late-October bank holiday weekend, with music in venues and pubs across Cork. It pairs beautifully with exploring West Cork and the Wild Atlantic Way's southern reaches.
• Samhain / Halloween (late October): Halloween has its roots in the ancient Irish festival of Samhain, marking the end of harvest and the turning of the year. You'll find atmospheric celebrations nationwide, with Derry's famous festival just over the border and events drawing on the legends of the Boyne Valley and County Meath, the spiritual home of Samhain. It's a fittingly eerie, evocative way to round off a touring season.

By late October many seasonal campsites begin to close and daylight shortens, so check opening dates before you set out and carry the right hook-up and cold-weather kit if you're chasing the last of the autumn festivals.