However you want to celebrate love this Valentine’s Day, the island of Ireland has you covered. Here are some suggestions for those seeking romantic things to do.
Go stargazing together
What could be more romantic than gazing at thousands of twinkling stars in the night sky? At the OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory at Davagh, County Tyrone, you can enjoy a guided tour of the state-of-the-art exhibition followed by an outdoor film screening that speeds you from urban lights into the vastness of the universe. Combine the experience with a tour of prehistoric Beaghmore Stone Circles to discover ancient magic.
End the day with a stay in Finn Lough Resort, County Fermanagh. With unique forest bubble domes boasting 180-degree transparent walls and four-poster beds, it’s a superb location for a romantic night under the stars.
Cozy up in a cottage or a castle
Cuddle up in front of a roaring fire on a break in a cozy cottage. Picture-perfect Lissclearig thatched cottage in County Kerry offers bags of old-world charm combined with modern comforts. Located near the town of Kenmare, the B&B (bed and breakfast) is the ideal base from which to explore the spectacular Ring of Kerry.
If you long for luxury, a stay in a castle will be the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. Fairy-tale Lough Eske Castle in rugged County Donegal is running a Month of Romance offer in February, which includes dinner, bed and breakfast, hot tubs with prosecco, and a complimentary ESPA bath and body oil gift set.
Chill out on a spa break
The island of Ireland has lots of top-class destination spas where you can enjoy the ultimate pampering experience together. Multi-award-winning Monart in County Wexford is recognized as one of the world’s leading spas and offers relaxing and rejuvenating treatments that are second to none, while the Thermal Spa Village at the Galgorm Resort in County Antrim is the last word in relaxation and luxury wellness.
For a traditionally Irish therapeutic experience, seek out a seaweed bath. Voya, County Sligo, offers a wonderful range of treatments using seaweed sustainably harvested from the coast of the Wild Atlantic Way. Seaweeds have the unique ability to absorb a complete range of elements from the seawater surrounding them. Accordingly, they have a complete supply of minerals and trace elements concentrated thousands of times in their fronds. Since the 18th century, when scientific investigations of Irish seaweed species began in earnest, over 800 different species of seaweed from Irish waters have been identified. Given the small area of the island, this relatively high number represents a high diversity of seaweed for Ireland.
Lap up in the language of love
Why not spend a few days in Dublin – a UNESCO City of Literature – and discover the love poetry and prose of some of Ireland’s great writers, which include four Nobel Prize winners?
Don’t miss the Museum of Literature in Ireland, which draws inspiration from the work of James Joyce and traces the story of the island’s literary heritage from the earliest storytelling traditions to celebrated contemporary writers. Visit the stunning Long Room in Trinity College and spend a while browsing in the atmospheric Winding Stair bookshop. The Winding Stair Bookshop is one of the oldest surviving independent bookshops in Dublin. The bookshop has a unique atmosphere; a relaxed haven in the center of the bustling city. The front part of the shop holds new books, while the smaller section at the back of the shop holds second-hand books. It is the perfect shop for browsing and there is always something a little bit different to be found.
Be sure also to take a romantic wander with your Valentine down Dublin’s Love Lane, which links Dame Street and Temple Bar, the cultural hotspot of the city. There you’ll see romantic quotes from movies and from the great playwrights and authors of the world written on hand-painted tiles.
Fall in love in a forest
Immerse your loved one’s senses within the serene and tranquil atmosphere of Gougane Barra National Forest Park in County Cork. Bring your partner on a fantastic outdoor experience as you admire the unforgettable beauty, hike across the stunning mountainous inclines and take in the breathtaking views down over the lake and out onto the island where an early Christian monastery lies. Enjoy a spot of forest bathing under a canopy of trees, then indulge in a lush picnic. Few have returned from this wild and beautiful scenery who have not fallen totally in love.