Hen parties are always great craic, but they can be a nightmare to organise. Luckily, we're about to make that job a whole lot easier. We wanted to find the best spots for a pre-wedding shindig with the gals within a convenient distance from Dublin – because no one wants a long journey home after one of these weekends – so we did a little investigating on Henparty.ie into places that are roughly two hours of travelling away. If you're in the mood for outdoor adventures, cultural exploration, water sports, pub crawls or plain old cheeky shenanigans, we've got the destination for you.

1. Carlingford

A spot that's easily overlooked, but it's got a surprising amount of things going for it. Apart from the obvious beauty of this little coastal town, there are a tonne of activities to keep a gaggle of hen party goers happy. Feeling adventurous? Then you've canoeing, abseiling, raft building, laser combat, paintball, zorbing and even off road driving. In the mood to take it easy? Take a cocktail class, maybe do a wine tasting session, attend a cooking demonstration, go on a tour of the local brewery and enjoy a spot of afternoon tea. Looking for a bit of divilment? You can do pole dancing, Ann Summers demonstrations and even paint a nude male here. Basically all your hen party bases are covered with this one. Get more info HERE.

2. Belfast

If your crew are looking forward to busting a move on this weekend of debauchery, then Belfast could be just the ticket. Here the gals will be able to try their hands at the wide variety of dance classes: salsa, Bollywood, dirty dancing, burlesque, you can even learn how to shake those hips like Beyonce herself. After a day of acting like a superstar, you can then feel like one too with a luxurious pampering session before a make-up class that ends in a photoshoot. You can then spend the following day doing the exact opposite and roughing it outdoors by karting, cable wakeboarding, stand up paddle boarding, paintball target practice, bubble soccer, kayaking, mountain biking, and 'Skytrek', for adrenaline junkies who fancy having a go on some climbing walls... There's a whole lot there to fit into one weekend and the chances of getting bored are slim to nil. Get more info HERE.

3. Carrick-on-Shannon

The place to go if you want to keep the girls' hands busy. Why not make your weekend away a little more educational with classes in jewellery making, pottery painting, fascinator making, and learn how to make your favourite cocktails in the comfort of your own home. If that sounds a little bit too tame for your liking you can always spice things up with booze cruise on the river, a 'Culchie Craic Hen' (which we're informed has been specifically designed for ladies from the country), CSI Save The Groom (where the husband-to-be will be thoroughly roasted), and even a sculpt a live nude male with clay. Probably best not to tell the future hubby about that last one... Also, you can make eejits of yourself in the best way possible with a 'make your own music video' session. Hilarity always ensue. Get more info HERE.

4. Limerick

Limerick is a truly underrated spot for a weekend away but it deserves to be on your radar. Get your posse active with guided hill walks, kayaking, yoga, cable wakeboarding, and karting. If you're feeling low on the energy front, you can let someone else do all the work and sightsee from the comfort of a horse & carriage. Or you could always pass an afternoon painting a nude. Once you've thoroughly exhausted yourselves, treat yourselves to some spa pampering before heading out for a night at the dogs. Get more info HERE.

5. Dunmore East

If you've got a group of extremely competitive ladies on your hands, there's no better spot than Dunmore East for a hen. There are all sorts of challenges and competitions you can involved with like Escape Rooms, a roll your own pizza challenge, horse riding, surfing, Wibit Wipout (a water-based obstacle course) I'm A Hen Get Me Out Of Here (where you try the I'm A Celeb trials for yourselves), and you can even have a go at The Cube in real life! Of course, if that all sounds a bit full-on then you can just coast along blissfully with the Brian Boru boat trip. Get more info HERE.

6. Kilkenny

Kilkenny is one of Ireland's great hurling strongholds so, of course, it's a great location for sporty types. Show off your athleticism with a GAA class, a round of footgolf (which is exactly what it sounds like), or take a Tree Top Walk. Rugby fans might also be interested in the Dragon Boat Tour under the cities bridges, where you'll also be taught how to do the Haka (which would make an excellent party piece for the upcoming wedding reception, by the way). If you like your activities a little more random, you can take a tour of medieval Kilkenny while dressed as a witch, paint a live nude model, or do a twerking class. Good clean fun all round. Get more info HERE.

7. Tralee

Now don't go writing off Kerry just yet, thinking that it's ages away: it's only 65 minutes by plane. One of most scenic spots on our already quite scenic island, Tralee has all you could want for a hen do to remember. Practice your moves at a dance class (you'll be needing 'em for that upcoming wedding after all), have a boozy party with a cocktail class, learn a new skill with garter making, treat yourselves with a whole class on how to make chocolate, get your adrenaline hit with cable wakeboarding, and then let your worries float away with an afternoon of pampering in a spa. How does that sound for a hen party? Get more info HERE.