This was the very first day of our Ireland road trip from Rosslare: off the ferry before sunrise and then from Rosslare to Roscommon by van, with a ruined mansion, a prehistoric tomb, a SIM card, an unplanned lunch and a castle we never got to see. This post is the overview. For every stop you get the short version here and a link to the full post with parking, costs and our honest take.

The Route: Rosslare to Roscommon

From Rosslare Europort we first drove a few minutes south to St Helen’s Pier, then north-west into County Carlow for Duckett’s Grove and the Brownshill Dolmen. Portlaoise was our practical stop for mobile data and lunch. From there we continued west to Lough Ree in County Roscommon and on to our accommodation in Lisacul.

Arrival: The Ferry from Dunkirk to Rosslare

We drove our own van from Germany to Ireland and crossed with DFDS from Dunkirk to Rosslare, a crossing of almost 24 hours on the Athena Seaways. We landed just after 4 am, which is why this first day started so early.

→ Read the full post: how our Dunkirk to Rosslare ferry crossing went.

Stop 1: St Helen’s Pier

A few minutes south of Rosslare Europort, this small harbour gave us exactly what we needed after the ferry: somewhere quiet to make coffee and wait for sunrise. The car park is free and has about eight spaces without a height restriction.

→ Read the full post: St Helen’s Pier as a first stop after the ferry.

Stop 2: Duckett’s Grove

Our first proper sight in Ireland: a roofless Gothic mansion rising out of open farmland in County Carlow. It turned out to be a memorable way to start exploring the country.

→ Read the full post: our visit to Duckett’s Grove.

Stop 3: Brownshill Dolmen

A few kilometres east of Carlow Town, right off the R726, stands a prehistoric portal tomb with what is said to be the heaviest capstone in Europe. There is a small car park at the roadside, the walk takes under five minutes and it is free. 15 to 20 minutes are enough.

→ Read the full post: Brownshill Dolmen, parking and the short walk.

Stop 4: A Three Prepaid SIM in Portlaoise

Our German SIM only includes limited data in the EU, so on the very first day we stopped at a Three store in Portlaoise. We left with the Super Surfer prepay plan: a €20 top-up, valid for 28 days, with unlimited data in Ireland. The SIM was activated in the store.

→ Read the full post: the Three Ireland prepaid SIM we used for the whole trip.

Stop 5: Lunch at Supermac’s

Lunch was not planned at all. We simply ended up at Supermac’s in Portlaoise, the Irish fast food chain you will come across sooner or later on any road trip through the country. What we ordered and whether we would go back is in the review.

→ Read the full post: our honest Supermac’s review.

Stop 6: Rindoon Castle and Judy’s Harbour

With a bit of time to spare on the way to our accommodation in Lisacul, we planned a detour to Rindoon Castle, a ruined medieval castle on Lough Ree. What we found was a locked gate and a no trespassing sign. After a bit of improvising we ended up at Judy’s Harbour instead, a pleasant little spot by the lake.

→ Read the full post: Rindoon Castle, the locked gate and Judy’s Harbour as an alternative.

The Whole Day on Video

All stops after the ferry are in one video. Jump straight to the part you are interested in. The crossing itself has its own ferry video.

• St Helen’s Pier – watch from 00:32
• Duckett’s Grove – watch from 02:17
• Brownshill Dolmen – watch from 04:59
• A Three Prepaid SIM in Portlaoise – watch from 05:51
• Lunch at Supermac’s – watch from 06:20
• Rindoon Castle and Judy’s Harbour – watch from 06:42

Our Honest Takeaway

It was a long first day after almost 24 hours on the ferry, and not everything worked out: the castle we wanted to see was behind a locked gate. But the quiet start at St Helen’s Pier, Duckett’s Grove and the Brownshill Dolmen made it a good first day in Ireland, and sorting out the SIM card straight away was worth it for the rest of the trip.

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Planning your own Ireland road trip? Continue with day two, our northwest Ireland road trip from Roscommon to Sligo, see every stop on our interactive Ireland road trip map and check our Ireland facts before you go.