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Ireland by bus

Relaxation is the name of the game on Ireland's coach tours and buses.

Ireland by bus and coach

Relaxation is the name of the game on Ireland's buses and coach tours – let someone else look after the transport!

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Getting around the island of Ireland by coach is a pretty nifty way of experiencing the island. You have no worries about maps or directions, and can happily watch the countryside glide by in comfort.

Buses and coaches are one of the main ways to get around the island of Ireland, so if you don't have a driving license, or just fancy taking a break from driving, you're in luck. There are plenty of bus routes to choose from, so you can happily take a back seat from driving on your trip around the island of Ireland.

Wherever you want to explore, a bus or a coach can take you through the quiet country lanes of County Donegal, or along the busy streets of one of our cities.

Bus and coach services in Ireland

Bus Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and Translink in Northern Ireland  run coaches all around the island. But there ’ s also a huge selection of private coach tour operators, with scheduled tours, airport transfers, city-to-city trips, extended tours, themed trips, corporate travel, social excursions, golf trips and private holidays.

You know more of a road by having travelled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world. Author and philosopher William Hazlitt

Antrim coast

Leap Visitor Card

The Leap Visitor Card is a prepaid pass that allows you to travel on all Dublin Bus and Airlink 747 buses, as well as Dublin's Luas and DART for a whole 72 hours (3 days) from its first use.

Just hold your card to the Touch On Leap Card Validator as you board the bus. If you're travelling on the DART or LUAS, remember to Touch Off when you alight or leave the station and the journey is registered on your Leap Card. It's that easy.

If you're a foreign exchange student you can get a Leap Trainee Card through your language school or directly from Dublin Bus, so you can hop on to the Luas, DART, Iarnród Éireann’s short-hop zone and Dublin Bus at your convenience. That means you can use it to explore Dublin far and wide, including coastal villages, suburban towns and everything in between.

You can buy a Leap Visitor Card online and get it delivered to your home before you travel or pick up your card when you arrive from a number of different agents in Dublin.

iLink smartcard

If you're travelling around Northern Ireland, you can use an iLink smartcard. Similar to the Leap Card, iLink gives you unlimited daily, weekly, and monthly bus and rail travel.

The iLink smartcard is available for Metro, NI Railways and Ulsterbus services within five zones. You can also top up your card at selected stations. Read this handy user guide for information on full iLink services.

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Do you feel like tasting wild Atlantic sea spray on your lips? Strolling through vibrant city streets? Exploring ancient ruins? Right this way…

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Ireland is a beautiful country with idyllic valleys, historic cities and picturesque seaside towns, and a dramatic and rugged coast. Ireland has something to offer to everyone: from its lively cities such as Dublin and Galway to its beautiful countryside, you will find something for you.

Known as the Emerald Isle, you can visit the world-renowned Cliffs of Moher on the western coast of Ireland or dance until dawn at Dublin's famous Temple Bar .

Do you need another reason to head to Ireland? This year, Galway is one of the 2020 European City of Culture. Throughout the whole year, Galway will host many events such as art shows, concerts, and much more.

Traveling by bus through this country is truly a unique experience as you can enjoy incredible landscapes that vary greatly from one region to another. Numerous bus routes will bring you close to everything you need.  Taking the bus in Ireland is usually cheaper than taking the train, plane, or going by car.

Getting to Ireland by Bus

The first step when planning a trip to Ireland is to figure out how to get there. You can take the plane, train, or ferry into the country. However,  the cheapest travel option to get to Ireland is to take the bus. I reland's capital of Dublin has  many daily departures and arrivals the neighboring UK . You can take a bus London Dublin with National Express and Bus Éireann or travel from Manchester and Birmingham.

Taking the bus to Dublin is the best way to experience the beautiful landscapes that you would most certainly miss if you took the plane.

‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎

Bus in Ireland

There are plenty of bus and coach connections in Ireland. Bus companies such as Citylink , GoBus , and Bus Éireann connect larger cities and airports such as Dublin City and Dublin airport, Galway and its airport, Limerick, and Cork.

With the bus company Dublin Bus , you can also easily get to and from the Dublin airport. A bus to Dublin airport will cost you as little as €7 from Dublin City center. With multiple drop off points across Dublin as well as departures every 15 minutes, a bus from Dublin Airport is the easiest way to get into town.

What popular bus companies operate in Ireland?

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What are the top visited cities in Ireland?

Plan your next bus trip in Ireland

• Bus from Dublin to Waterford
• Bus Dublin - Carlow
• Cork - Killarney
• Bus from Carlow to Dublin
• Bus Limerick - Cork
• Dublin - Letterkenny
• Bus from Cork to Limerick
• Bus Dublin - Wexford
• Mullingar - Dublin
• Bus from Dublin to Sligo
• Bus Waterford - Dublin
• Killarney - Dublin
• Bus from Dublin to Mullingar
• Bus Sligo - Dublin
• Dublin - Longford

Most popular airports and destinations

• Dublin to Dublin Airport
• Dublin Airport to Belfast
• Dublin Airport to Galway
• Dublin to Heuston Station
• Aston Quay to Ballinasloe

Top bus and train stations

• Buses to Eireann Station
• Buses to Dublin George's Quay
• Buses to Limerick Bus Station
• Buses to Dublin Airport T1 (DUB)
• Buses to New Coach Station

Sustainable travel

• Travel from Dublin to Belfast
• Travel from Dublin to Holyhead
• Travel from Dublin to London
• Travel from Dublin to Cherbourg
• Travel from Dublin to Birmingham
• Travel from Rosslare Harbour to Pembroke Dock
• Travel from Rosslare Harbour to Fishguard

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How To Get Around Ireland: The Pros + Cons To Cars, Tours and Public Transport

By Author Keith O'Hara

Posted on Last updated: December 29, 2023

Deciding how to get around Ireland can be stressful.

Especially if this is your first time visiting and you don’t know the lay of the land.

Over the 34+ years that I’ve lived in Ireland I’ve travelled about by car, train bus, bike and everything in between.

The guide below leans on my many years of getting around Ireland while making every mistake imaginable along the way!

Table of Contents

Some quick need-to-knows about how to get around Ireland

Click to enlarge

Take 30 seconds to read the points below as they’ll get you up-to-speed on how to get around Ireland quickly:

1. Your options are car, bus, train, tour and tram (kinda)

Public transportation in Ireland varies by county-to-county. You’ll find all of the above in Dublin (the capital) and most ‘main’ cities and towns (e.g. Killarney) will have the first four. More info below.

2. If you’re unsure, focus on your  planned route

I’d recommend that you don’t even think about how to get around Ireland until you’ve at least mapped out a rough Ireland itinerary . The reason for this is that it may not be possible to do what you want to do  without  a car (of course, it may turn out that your road trip is completely doable via public transport).

3. There are pros and cons to every mode of transport

Most people (myself included) say that the best way to get around Ireland is by car, but there’s pros and cons to it and every mode of transportation. It’s worth weighing up the pros and cons of each as they’ll ultimately help you decide.

4. Budget will often be a decider

9 times out of 10 budget is the decider to how visitors end up travelling around Ireland. Renting a car in Ireland is often pretty expensive and, if you’re doing Ireland on a budget , the cost of your trip to Ireland will drop dramatically by using buses and trains.

The best way of getting around Ireland boils down to 3 things

Photos via Shutterstock

Deciding how to get around Ireland isn’t a decision to take lightly. Your main mode of transport, where it be a car or a bus, is going to have a massive effect on your trip.

There are three different things to consider when making your decision:

• Your experience
• Your budget
• What you want to see

1. Your experience

The biggest thing to consider about how to get around in Ireland is how the chosen mode of transport is going to affect your overall experience while travelling.

If you’re nervous behind the wheel and you’re driving in Ireland for the first time , will having to drive each day cause you stress and ruin the trip?!

Or maybe you love driving and the thoughts of driving the Ring of Kerry or the Antrim Coast will be the highlight of the trip?!

Or , if getting around Ireland needs to be as stress-free as possible for you, maybe you’re better off booking on an organised tour!

2. Your budget

Another massive consideration for when you’re trying to figure out the best way to travel around Ireland is how much money you have to spend.

Car rental can be expensive if you’re travelling solo. However, it works out nice and reasonable if you’re travelling with a group. Big group tours can be pretty good price-wise, whereas smaller tours can be expensive.

If you’re looking at ways to save money when you visit, hop into our guide to Ireland on a budget . It’s packed with easy ways to save money.

3. What you want to see

Another good way to help you pick the best way to get around Ireland is to write down all of the various places that you want to visit.

If, for example, you’re only visiting big towns or cities in Ireland , public transport will be fine (see our guide to getting around Ireland without a car ).

If you fancy visiting places off the beaten track, a rental car or a private driver (expensive) are your best bests.

At the end of the guide, I’m going to pop down a few different scenarios and recommend what I think are the best modes of transport for each example.

The pros and cons to getting around Ireland by car, tour and public transport

When deciding how to get around in Ireland, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons to each mode of transport.

Below, you’ll find the advantages and disadvantages of getting around Ireland by bus, train, car and tour.

1. Travelling around Ireland by car

Arguably the best way to travel in Ireland is by car (it’s why our self drive Ireland tours are so popular!).

A car gives you the freedom to go where you want when you want, without having to rely on public transport or tour providers.

Getting around Ireland by car has far more advantages than disadvantages. The main advantage is freedom; being able to go where you want whenever it tickles you fancy makes this a very attractive mode of transport for many.

• Freedom and flexibility
• It makes planning a trip to Ireland more straightforward
• And you can change it as you go if you like
• It can work out cheap if there’s a group of you to share costs

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantages of using a car for getting around Ireland is that it’ll be expensive for solo travellers and it’s likely to make the trip unnecessarily stressful for some drivers.

• If you’re on your own, it can be expensive
• If you’re a nervous driving, it can make the trip stressful

2. Getting around in Ireland using buses, trains and trams

Public transport in Ireland can be very hit and miss. It’s generally good in the main towns and cities, but services get poorer the more off-the-beaten-path you go.

Now, we’ve published hundreds of Irish road trip guides using only public transport for those of you that want to avoid the planning pains. Here are the pros and cons:

• It can be the cheapest option if you’re travelling solo and plan on getting around Ireland on a budget
• Trains and buses run frequently in the busier towns and cities in Ireland
• It can work out well if you combine it with private tours
• Public transport can be unreliable
• Trains, in particular, can be expensive if they’re not booked in advance

3. Getting around Ireland with a tour company

Another popular way for getting around Ireland is by using a tour provider that organises all-in tours of Ireland. These tend to be pretty popular and they vary in terms of group size and trip length.

One quick word of warning: if you’re booking a tour of Ireland in advance, make sure to do plenty of research in advance. Be crystal clear on what’s included and what’s left to pay for.

• They’ll do all of the hard work
• There’s no need to think about car rental, itineraries or any of that craic
• It’s less stressful
• You’ll be travelling around Ireland with a group of people that you’ll (hopefully) have a laugh with
• Most organised tours have experienced guides
• Tours, especially the larger ones, tend to be very inflexible
• They can be expensive (the smaller tours tend to be far pricier than the larger ones)
• You can get stuck with a load of people that irritate you (hopefully this won’t be the case)

4. Using a private driver

If you’re wondering how to travel around Ireland and you have a fat budget, a private driver is arguably the best way to get around Ireland.

If you fancy going down this route, do PLENTY of research – you’re going to be stuck in a very small space with this person for long periods of time – you need to find someone that’s going to enhance your experience and not hinder it.

• If you pick the right guide, you’ll tap into a wealth of knowledge
• The driver will generally follow your desired route
• A private driver is also a handy option for those of you that want to do part of a trip with a guide and part on your own
• The most expensive way of travelling around Ireland
• You need to do thorough research to ensure that you get the best bang for your buck
• If you end up getting a guide that you don’t gel with, you’ll be stuck in a very small space with them each day, which isn’t ideal

5. Combine modes of transport

The best way to get around Ireland, in my opinion, is to combine modes of transport.

This is especially useful for those of you who want to avoid car rental.

1. The public transport and organised tour combination

A combination of public transport and organised tours is going to be a solid option for those of you that can’t (or that don’t want to) rent a car.

Example : you fly into Dublin and you’re there for three nights. You can get around easily on foot and by using buses, the LUAS (a tram) and the DART (train).

You explore the city for two days and take one of the  many  day trips from Dublin (e.g. Meath).

You take a train to Galway and spend several days there. You can spend day one exploring the city. Day two on an organised tour to Connemara and day three on a day tour to Clare.

2. Rental car and public transport combination

Another solid combination is by using a rental car and public transportation. Let’s say you fly into Belfast. You spend the first day exploring the city.

Then you rent a car for a few days and drive the Causeway Coastal Route and then head on to Donegal.

Or, let’s say you fly into Shannon. You rent a car near the airport and then drive to Kerry. You explore the various peninsulas for a few days before dropping off the car and heading to Killarney.

You spend the day in the national park before taking the train to Dublin and exploring the capital. Or you could take the train to Waterford or Tipperary.

My 2 cents on picking the best way to get around Ireland

Deciding how to get around Ireland can be stressful, as it has such a massive impact on your overall trip.

The easiest way to decide the best transport type for  you  is to consider:

When you’ve taken the above into account, you’ll then want to map out a rough itinerary ( follow the steps here – they’ll remove stress from the process).

Once you have your route, you’ll be able to determine how to get around. Or, if you don’t want the hassle of planning the itinerary, follow one of our detailed road trip guides .

FAQs about how to get around in Ireland

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘How to get around Ireland on public transport?’ to ‘What’s the cheapest option?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

What is the best way to get around Ireland?

In my experience, based on 33 years of living here, the best way to get around Ireland is by car. However, if you’re only visiting main towns and cities, you could easily use public transport.

Is it easy to get around in Ireland?

Yes and no. For example, without a car, getting around Donegal can be a nightmare. With a car, you’ll have no hassle. Main towns and cities are well served by buses, also.

What is the cheapest way to travel around Ireland?

If you’re looking to keep costs low, getting around Ireland via buses and trains is the cheapest option. You can reduce costs further by booking tickets in advance.

Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries . Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.

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Kevin, Shelley, Aidan and Josh

Monday 6th of March 2023

My wife and I are coming to Ireland for 2 weeks at the end of July with our two teenage boys. Our first four day are in Dublin using public transportation. Then we would like to tour, at a pace that is our own, without having to be on a schedule with booked B and B's or hotels. What we are pondering is renting a camper van for our time outside Dublin. Is using a camper van a viable option, if so would you recommend a maximum size of camper van in width or legnth?

Keith O'Hara

Hey! Yep, plenty of people travel about by camper and, if you're used to driving one, then it's worth considering. It's just worth keeping in mind that there are restrictions about where you can park it up.

Mary Hankins

Tuesday 22nd of March 2022

Planning a trip in the Spring of 2023. So far plans include landing in Shannon, 2 days sightseeing Galway area, then on to Kenmare and seeing Ring of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula. Beara is primary objective as mother was born and raised there. However can't clarify if there's bus service to Kenmare or service from Kenmore to Castletownbere. Is there? Will have approx 2 weeks to sightsee and visit, cant decide if a car will be doable for second week. Your thoughts please.

Hey Mary! From what I can tell, you'd need to take a bus (the 286) from Castletownbere to Glengarriff and then take another from Glengarriff (the R51a) to Kenmare. When you say that you can't decide if a car will be doable, what do you mean?

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Corners of Southern Ireland

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Ireland Coach / Bus Tour Reviews

This was my first time in Ireland. I absolutely loved everything about this trip. Tour guide and bus driver were amazing. Totally worth every penny. Would go back in a heartbeat

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This tour was so good! We experienced more of Ireland than the itinerary indicated (because of stops we made along our journey, which I loved!), but never felt rushed. Our guide Diarmuid is such a professional - he provided us with interesting information about the places we stopped and Ireland in general, kept us on schedule with a relaxed demeanor, and is genuinely a very nice person. I've never traveled with a tour group before and this one couldn't have been any better. The Emerald Isle is so beautiful and everyone is so friendly that, even when there was a bit of rain, it was still fun. Many thanks to Mick and Diarmuid (the best!!) for making this a most memorable trip. PS the accommodations were fantastic - especially the breakfasts!

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Scottish & Irish Gold - 15 Days/14 Nights

Scottish & Irish Gold - 16 Days/15 Nights

Trip highlights include the Cliffs of Moher, the Giant's Causeway, Titanic Belfast and the fantastic sheepdog demonstrations.

Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way 13 days/12 night

Trip highlights include Blair Athol Distillery, Blair Castle, Edinburgh Castle and the Isle of Skye.

Scottish Dream - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Blasket Centre, Giant's Causeway, Slieve League Cliffs and Titanic Belfast.

Jewels of Ireland - 14 Days/13 Nights

Trip highlights include the Blasket Centre, Brú na Bóinne, the Giant's Causeway and the Slieve League Cliffs.

Jewels of Ireland - 15 Days/14 Nights

Trip highlights include Edinburgh Castle, St. Andrew's, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and the fantastic Sheepdog Demonstration.

Scottish & Irish Dream- 13 Days/12 Nights

Trip highlights include Edinburgh Castle, Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher and the Titanic Belfast.

Scottish & Irish Dream- 14 Days/13 Nights

Trip highlights include Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry and Trinity College & the Book of Kells.

Irish Gold Coach Tour - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Trinity College & the Book of Kells and the stunning Cliffs of Moher.

Irish Gold Coach Tour - 9 Days/8 Nights

Trip highlights include Caernarfon Castle, Snowdonia Train Ride, Shakespeare's Birthplace and the famous Tower of London.

Heart of Wales and England 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Titanic Belfast and the Giant's Causeway.

Irish Adventure - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Knock Shrine and the Giant's Causeway.

Irish Adventure - 9 Days/8 Nights

Trip highlights include Windsor Castle, the Roman Baths, the stunning Cliffs of Moher and Blarney Castle.

Taste of Britain & Ireland - 14 Days/13 Nights

Trip highlights include Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Giant's Causeway and the Titanic Belfast.

Irish Classic - 13 Days/12 Nights

Trip highlights include Windsor Castle, the Roman Baths, a cruise on Lake Windermere and the Tower of London

Taste of Britain - 7 Days/6 Nights

Trip highlights include the Cliffs of Moher, Down Cathedral, the Titanic Belfast and the world famous Giant's Causeway.

Mystical Ireland - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Muckross House and Gardens, the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey and a wonderful Sheepdog demonstration.

Castles & Manors of Ireland - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Cawdor Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Loch Ness Cruise and St. Andrew's Castle & Cathedral.

Scottish Supreme - 8 days/7 nights

Trip highlights include Blair Athol Distillery, Edinburgh Castle, St. Andrew's and the Giant's Causeway.

Irish & Scottish Sampler - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Edinburgh Castle, Stonehenge, , Glasnevin Cemetery Museum and the House of Waterford Crystal.

Essence of Britain & Ireland 11 day/10 night tour

Trip highlights include Dublin Vintage Tea Tour, Seaweed Foraging Experience, Glendalough and Blarney Castle.

The Irish Foodie Tour - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Brodie Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre and the Isle of Skye.

Scottish Clans & Castles 10 day/9 night tour

Trip highlights include Blair Athol Distillery, Loch Ness Cruise & Edinburgh Castle

Scottish Clans & Castles 11 day/10 night tour

Tour highlights include Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Sheep Dog demonstration, fun cooking experience, viking splash tour, Galway Walking Tour and private chocolate tasting.

Irish Myths & Legends - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Blair Blair Castle, Loch Ness Cruise, Sheep dog demonstration, Riverside Transport & Museum, Sterling Castle and Highland Safaris

Scottish Lochs & Castles - 8 Days/7 Nights

The highlights are Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Dublin City Tour, Jaunting car ride, South Pole Inn an Sheep Dog demonstration.

Ireland South Daytripper - 7 Days/6 Nights

Trip highlights include Roman Baths Stonehenge and Windsor Castle.

Taste of England - 14 day/13 night

Trip highlights include Roman Baths, Stonehenge and Cantebury Cathedral and London Eye.

Best of Southern England - 8 day/7 night

Trip highlights include Stonehenge, York, Oxford, Cambridge, Cantebury Cathedral and Lake District

Best of Northern England - 8 day/7 night

The highlights include Beleek Pottery, Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Abbey Tavern, Cruise on Lough, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Florence Court House, Whiskey Experience in Killarney, Sheepdog demonstration, Sieve League Cliffs.

Irish Explorer - 10 Days/9 Nights

Irish Explorer - 9 Days/8 Nights

Trip highlights include North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Glamis Castle, Edinburgh Castle and the Tower of London.

Great British Cities - 8 day/7 night

Trip highlights include Trim Castle Living History Demonstration, the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Edinburgh Castle.

Lochs, Luck & Lore - 8 Days/7 Nights

Trip highlights include Roman Baths, Glamis Castle, Stonehenge and Windsor Castle.

Scenic Britain - 11 day/10 night

Trip highlights include the Dingle Peninsula, the Book of Kells, the Cliffs of Moher and Kylemore Abbey.

Elegant Ireland - 10 Days/9 Nights

Trip highlights include Castle Howard, Stonehenge, Shakespeare's Birthplace and Lanhydrock House.

Highlights of Britain - 15 day/14 night

Trip highlights include Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, the Giant's Causeway and a fantastic sheepdog demonstration.

Northern Welcome - 9 Days/8 Nights

Trip highlights include Glens of Antrim, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, the Cliffs of Moher and a fantastic Sheepdog Demonstration.

Grand Tour of Britain & Ireland - 23 Days/22 Nights

Trip highlights include Belleek Pottery, Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway and Kilmainham Gaol

Irish Odyssey - 12 Days/11 Nights

Trip highlights include Callanish Standing Stones, Island Hopping Experience, Isle of Harris Distillery and Edinburgh Castle.

The Outer Hebrides - Scotland's Gaelic West - 11 days/10 nights

Trip highlights include a West End Theater Show, Harry Potter Themed London Walking Tour, Roman Baths, Stonehenge and the Tower of London.

English Knights & Wizards - 8 Days/7 Nights

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Traveling Ireland by bus. With a dozen banjo players. And jokes. What could be better?

Ireland – The conference room at the Old Ground Hotel was crowded with newly assembled musicians and traveling tourists - and 17-year-old musician Flynn Whitmore was a bit nervous. One of the most respected tenor banjo players in Ireland, Enda Scahill , had just played a finger-flying, knee-bobbing jig with other well-known traditional Irish musicians at the meet-and-greet session and Scahill invited the music students to leave their seats and come up and play.

“I didn’t want to play,” said Whitmore. “But … Enda told me to get my banjo. So, I did.”

That first day, we were strangers. But just a few days later, Whitmore would venture out onto a jagged fang of the Cliffs of Moher, hundreds of feet above the sea spray of the Atlantic Ocean, to draw notes out of his four-string in the whipping wind while the rest of us tourists and newfound fans marveled at how much his confidence had grown.

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This was no ordinary bus tour through Ireland. This was a mashup of a dozen banjo-playing musicians of all levels and abilities, mixed in with an audience of music-loving tourists, all packing together the same bus to explore the Emerald Isle together, one note, Guinness and Irish joke at a time.

'I hear the biggest city in Ireland is growing. It’s Dublin.'

So how did I end up on this bus − swaying and bobbing through the narrow lanes that separate endless farms of sheep and cows − with a dozen banjo players?

Wild Atlantic Music Tours is a travel company that provides the uncommon experience of exploring Ireland with star musicians leading the way, quite literally on the same bus with tourists. Sometimes it’s a fiddler or a guitarist . Sometimes it’s a band . The point is to experience Ireland through its best storytellers and musicians, and to observe and appreciate the history of this mystical country through the music. Wild Atlantic Music Tours takes its buses to big cities like Galway as well as remote villages with little more than a church, a soccer pitch and a pub. Guides Eddie King and Robert Hanrahan are like Irish cousins showing us the best places to eat, drink and tune out our worries with a harp, a bodhrán and a banjo.

This particular Wild Atlantic Music Tour − in October, 2023 − was the first of its kind featuring Scahill, the former front man for the popular CeltGrass band We Banjo 3 which, during its decade-long run, drew thousands of fans to its performances at Milwaukee Irish Fest . Scahill had experience in these tours, going on them with We Banjo 3 years ago; last year, he was ready to do one on his own, especially for other banjo players and music-minded tourists.

I don’t play the banjo. And I didn’t know anyone − other than Scahill, a little bit. But I was determined to go. In 2016 my cousin invited me to visit Irish Fest for the first time and I joined her, mortified, in the fifth row at the Harley-Davidson stage of a We Banjo 3 concert, embarrassed to make eye contact with the performers. This was not my scene. I listen to hip-hop, K-pop, dance, R&B. Banjos? I was sure I'd hate it.

But We Banjo 3 just brought so much energy to the stage and their versatility between cover and original music was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. Their sound was big and pure and danceable and I loved them, and so did Milwaukee, and Wisconsin − so much so that in 2018 I wrote two stories about We Banjo 3, and that’s when I first talked to Scahill.

More: Milwaukee's Irish Fest feels like home for Galway's We Banjo 3

More: Irish Fest regular We Banjo 3 uses music to shine a light on mental health

Right before the pandemic I took one of those DNA tests that confirmed my German-Polish Milwaukee South Side roots, but there was a surprise: Holy eejit, I’m Irish, too! Not a lot, but I vowed to embrace the shamrock enthusiastically. In 2023, with We Banjo 3 on hiatus, Scahill had focused on his solo work, his Irish music podcast Inside the Banjoverse and a new passion. He started teaching banjo-playing students all over the world on his banjo-lesson Patreon account . A Wild Atlantic Music Tour just made sense (and he's doing another right now).

That bus took us all along the middle-west coast of Ireland, with visits to the Aran Islands, Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, the Burren and the international and charming city of Galway. We learned to walk with the sun for good luck at the temple on the Inis Oirr, that County Clare is the home of traditional Irish music, that Doolin has both pine and palm trees, that the Burren in spring has both Alpine and Mediterranean flowers , and that and some scenes from The Banshees of Inisherin were shot in a perfect tiny old smokehouse with a low roof and uneven floors.

'He’s Scottish - he’s not allowed to ask for water at a bar. They’ll take his passport.'

We tourists came from all over and so did the banjo students: Ireland, Scotland, the U.S. Young Flynn, whom we all adopted, is from Australia. And yet even with all the beauty of exploring Ireland's patchwork green countryside and pursuing the end of every rainbow, incredibly, Scahill managed to get more than a dozen performers to join our musical motley crew on tour. They are all renowned musicians who left us mesmerized:

Mark Donnellan (fiddle), Brian Donnellan (concertina), Aodán Coyne (guitar and vocals); Micheal Ó hAlmhain (whistle), Eoin O'Neill (bouzouki), Manus Maguire (fiddle); Sorcha Costello (fiddle), Diarmuid Ó Meachair (melodeon, accordion); Christy Barry (flute, spoons), James Devitt (fiddle); John Carty (fiddle, banjo), Fredda Hatton (harp, concertina), Julie Langan (fiddle); Liz Kane (fiddle), Mirella Murray (piano, accordion); Brian McGrath (banjo), Mick Conneely (fiddle), Damien Quinn (bodhran).

These musicians, along with the bus tour banjo students, played master classes in the morning, or sets in the afternoon at pubs, or full concerts at night. Some were private concerts just for us; others drew packed crowds, like at the Crane Bar . That meant that music filled several hours of the day. And every session got better than the last as the group got more comfortable playing in public and playing together.

'Do you know how to have $1 million after 10 years playing the banjo? Start with $2 million.'

We got history lessons, too, on the music and the instruments. Barry explained that jigs were different than barn dances and peasant music, that music and dancing were the religion of their grandparents and that musicians played for the dancers.

“That’s what got your energy up was the dancing,” said Barry, brilliant blue eyes shining.

Ireland’s Young Musician of the year in 2022, Diarmuid Ó Meachair grew up with Irish as his first language and sang an Irish language song about a man who loves drink alcohol. Sorcha Costello brought the crowd to a standstill with her fiddle, and a massive line of new fans formed to buy both of their CDs, just to support these young talented people and music. (Never mind that most of us customers don’t own a CD player.)

And on the cross routes in between the pubs and sites, bus life on Wild Atlantic Music was never boring or confining, and the guides never dragged out a ride, as most were between 1-2 hours. In fact, the bus provided stress-free downtime to hear Enda, Rob and Eddie outdo each other with Irish stories and Dad jokes, or just close the eyes and rest. The view of the Wild Atlantic Way, one of the world's longest coastal drives, must be seen in person; no camera will ever do it justice.

We were all moved by the tour, the history, the culture, the love of a country that has taken in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. But it might have changed one young man's life.

'Tá áthas orm' - means, 'I am happy,' in Irish

Do you believe in destiny? Whitmore is Australian, but his parents chose to name him Flynn, an Irish name; they gave him the middle name, Mackenzie, which is Scottish. Crazier still, it was just a few years ago that Flynn took up banjo − in rebellion. His mom Bronwyn was determined to make music part of his education. The Woodford Folk Festival is a 45-minute drive from their home, and she plays the harp; dad plays the digeridoo.

So, Flynn’s first choice was drums. “Mum said, 'something with notes,'” said Flynn.

Flynn’s second choice was electric guitar. “'Something acoustic,' said mum."

“Funnily enough, I then picked ‘banjo’ − just because I knew we wouldn't be able to find a banjo teacher. It was a complete joke,” said Flynn.

But the scarcity of Irish traditional music in Australia wasn't a problem. After seeing The East Pointers at Woodford, Flynn came across Scahill’s banjo video lessons on Patreon and took off with it. His talent, drive and enthusiasm for the music became apparent within minutes of meeting young Flynn. Everyone on tour was telling Flynn he’ll be performing on stages in no time.

But playing 'Mouse in the Kitchen' with new friends on tour is one thing for Flynn. When Whitmore met Carty , he was awestruck.

“I didn’t want to whip out my banjo − I just respect him so much.”

Whitmore was content to play as much as he wanted, but also sit back and appreciate the music as a fan, too.

'I tried work. But I found it took up the whole day'

Scahill wanted his bus tour to be a one-of-a-kind experience. After he endured the pandemic, which shut down We Banjo 3's touring for more than a year, he had had enough of that (like the rest of us). His home country of Ireland is a treasure and being here is a privilege. So, more than anything, Scahill wanted his banjo students, who play songs with titles and lyrics that reference Irish cities, towns and people, to come with him, tour Ireland, and actually play in those towns, and meet those people.

“When they come to Ireland, and are playing with the best musicians in the country, the whole purpose of the tour is immersive and it's inclusive,” said Scahill. “You don’t have to be at a 'level'; or worry if you’re not good, or enough you’ll get pushed aside.”

It doesn't mean he's grooming professionals, necessarily. He wanted immersion, and that goes both ways. Scahill started performing – on stage – at the age of 10 and his career has taken him on months-long tours all over the world, often to sold-out theaters or packed festivals. With all his musical connections, he was sure to invite guest musicians to join the tour, and the students, because he knew they would have fun playing with, and embracing, banjo students students and hobbyists. There's not much room for ego on this bus.

Perhaps the best part of the tour was listening to Scahill talk about the challenges of being a musician, of dealing with success, and fallouts; of dealing with critics, and comparisons. He's achieved a lot in his career, but also seems bolstered by getting back to the roots of music, by teaching others how to play. A side benefit was for the other tourists like me, who don't play, but now better appreciate the banjo and the music overall.

Maybe young Flynn will be on stage one day; maybe not.

“I want him to figure it out himself, which he will,” said Scahill.

But Flynn's passion for the banjo, for being around music-minded people, for hiking in Ireland's woods − and crawling out on its precarious cliffs − rekindled the wanderlust in all of us.

Lori Nickel is a sports columnist with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Traveling Ireland by bus. With a dozen banjo players. And jokes. What could be better?