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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Blessington
One night is enough: base here only with a car, for Russborough House and the lakes; otherwise day-trip from Dublin in 90 min on bus 65.
Blessington is a small west Wicklow town of about 5,600 people on the N81, between the Wicklow mountains and the Kildare border. The draw is Russborough House and its art collection, the Poulaphouca reservoir shoreline, and two garden stops on the N81. Without a car you are limited to the village, the greenway and what bus 65 reaches.
- Country
- Ireland
- Best months
- Apr–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, gardens closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- All emergency services 112 · Alternative emergency number 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6.50 |
| Russborough House adult ticket | €14.50 |
| Russborough House parking | €4 |
| Hunting Brook Gardens adult ticket | €8 |
| Taxi Sallins & Naas to Blessington | about €30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- No direct bus to Blessington; bus 65 leaves from Dublin city, so add a city transfer first. About 1 h 30 min by car via the M50 and N81.
Typical fares
- Bus 65 Dublin Poolbeg Street to Blessington
- about 90 min, every couple of hours
- Local Link 183 Blessington to Glendalough
- 4–5 services a day
- Taxi Sallins & Naas to Blessington
- about €30
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is walkable. Bus 65 runs from Dublin Poolbeg Street via Templeogue and Tallaght, about 90 min, and some services continue past the Russborough House entrance to Ballymore. Local Link 183 links Sallins & Naas to Blessington and continues over the mountains to Glendalough and Wicklow. For Punchestown, the mountain valleys or the gardens you need a car or a taxi.
See and do
Known for
- Russborough House
- Poulaphouca (Blessington) Lake
- Blessington Greenway
- June Blake's Garden and Hunting Brook Gardens
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Glendalough | Local Link 183 from Blessington, or drive over the Wicklow Gap via the R756 | About 1 h by car, longer by bus |
| Punchestown Racecourse | Drive 8 km (5 mi) northwest towards NaasDrive 5 mi (8 km) northwest towards Naas | About 15 min |
| Sally Gap and Lough Tay | R759 from the N81 about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of townR759 from the N81 about 3.1 mi (5 km) north of town | About 30 min to the gap |
| Dublin | Bus 65 from Blessington to Poolbeg Street | About 1 h 30 min |
| Naas | Drive via the N81 and N7, or Local Link 183 to Sallins & Naas | About 30 min by car |
Sleep
- Blessington village (Main Street)
- Walkable to pubs, shops and the greenway start; the practical choice without a car.
- Lakeside and Ballymore Eustace
- B&Bs and the golf hotel around the reservoir; you need a car or taxi for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un leh-rass |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus 65 is the only city link and runs every couple of hours: check the last return before you commit to a day-trip.
- Bus Éireann 132 stops at Blessington but cannot be used between Dublin city centre and Blessington.
- The Glen of Imaal hills are an army live-firing range with limited public access: check firing notices before walking.
- St Kevin's Way has no accommodation along the route: stage it by car or walk it in one long day.
- Rural roads are narrow with no hard shoulder; drive on the left and expect walkers and cyclists on the N81.
A low-crime rural town; the real risks are narrow roads, fast N81 traffic and mountain weather that turns without warning. 112 or 999 reaches all services.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Blessington yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Russborough House
- Poulaphouca (Blessington) Lake
- Blessington Greenway
- June Blake's Garden and Hunting Brook Gardens
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Russborough House: www.russborough.ie/
- Blessington Greenway: blessington.ie/greenway/
- Dublin Bus timetables: www.dublinbus.ie/timetables
- Hunting Brook Gardens: www.huntingbrook.com/
- Tulfarris Hotel: www.tulfarrishotel.com/
- Sport Ireland — St Kevin's Way: www.sportireland.ie/outdoors/walking/trails/st-kevins-way-pilgrim-path
- Wikivoyage: Blessington, revision 5324504 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324504
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Blessington
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Blessington; most are in Dublin. US travellers: the US Embassy is in Dublin (check the address).
English is spoken everywhere; Irish phrases are optional.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/blessington). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.