Wow! What an adventure we have had. Ireland was so amazing ..
Wow! What an adventure we have had. Ireland was so amazing in so many ways and I am so excited to share with you. BUT, I have decided that it was far too much to share in one blog, so this will be the first of a three part series on my visit to Ireland. And I will try my very best to share it in a way that does it justice! Although I'm fairly certain after my first hand experience, I could never give this beautiful country it’s just dues.
In this installment of my Irish Escape series, I’m going to go through 1/2 of our itinerary and the sights we were able to see and experience. Next week, I’ll go through the second half of the schedule and the following week, I’ll talk about the logistics of the tour. How we got around, how things were arranged, how to pack and as much detail as I can so you can decide if you too would like to take this amazing adventure across the pond to the Emerald Isle.
Dublin - Part 1
We arrived in Dublin on Saturday after an overnight flight. Most of this day was spent arriving, getting settled, exploring the city on our own for a bit, and getting ready for a welcome dinner to meet our tour guide and our fellow travelers. We had an amazing traditional lunch at the Auld Dubliner complete with Irish coffee, fish and chips, live Irish music, and a million laughs. Meeting our traveling companions that evening at the hosted dinner was amazing! I had not done a true group tour before so I was anxious to meet everyone and get ready for a week of adventures together!
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Dublin - Part 2
The next day we had breakfast then headed out for the highlights of Dublin! We made our way around the city enjoying sights like the famous O’Connell Street, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Temple Bar, Trinity College, shopping, eating, coffee. All the fun things of a bustling European city. I could not have been more impressed. This evening we were on our own for dinner so we definitely wanted to try something locally authentic. Quay’s it was! We had an amazing 3 course meal with amazingly fresh traditional food paired with lots of whiskey and laughs! This was a top notch meal with everything from locally sourced beef, to bangers and mash, to fresh fish and pasta! Then a few blocks of a brisk walk took us to The Brazen Head to finish the evening. This is Ireland’s oldest pub, established in 1198! When I tell you the atmosphere is unbelievable…well, you just gotta believe me. The history in this small building alone is enough to blow your mind! I loved that feeling of being transported back to a simpler time. Surrounded by friends, laughs, music, and amazing drinks! A toast of our Irish coffees and it’s off to bed! Our next day was packed with new experiences!
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Galway - Cliffs of Moher - Bunratty Castle
After a hosted breakfast, we were heading west to stop in Galway (hey Ed Sheeran),then on to one of the things I was looking most forward to, visiting the Cliffs of Moher! Galway is the most adorable seaside town with so much character and flair! While exploring Galway, we actually did find the Galway girl, listened to some street musicians, shopped a bit, and had a fabulous brunch in Taaffe’s in Eyre Square! This day was a bit chillier than previous, but also being seaside, the breeze was nice and still very pleasant! During our lunch we had house made veggie soup, toasties, and of course warmed up with traditional Irish coffee! Then off to the Cliffs! The Cliffs of Moher are roughly 668 feet high cliff structures on the edge of the Atlantic. The most rugged coastline in the County Clare, the site is absolutely breathtaking…. And then some. My favorite fun fact about this unbelievable natural wonder, it was a filming location for scenes in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, thus the reason I could not wait to see them for myself! I know all the Potterheads will understand! This evening we ventured off to Bunratty Castle for dinner and a show! Welcomed into this 15th century castle with joyous singing and glasses of sweet honey mead, we had a traditional 15th century meal while being entertained by singers and minstrels. I loved being able to hear their tales of this actual castle! What a fun and educational evening!
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Adare - Ring of Kerry
You think that was a jam packed day…..our next day of the tour was just as full with unbelievable Irish tradition and exploration! On this day we ventured to Killarney, the quaint town of Adare, and through the infamous Ring of Kerry! When most folks think of Ireland you envision the quaintest little thatched cottages, well, that is the town of Adare! When I tell you this is the stuff of fairytale books I am not exaggerating! But what are matched roofs all about? For the iconic roofs, overlapping layers of sod were placed on the timbers. On top of this went the straw thatch, derived from a variety of materials such as wheat and flax, carefully cut and threaded by a thatcher in either the slice or sketch style. It would often take as many as 5,000 handfuls of straw to complete a roof. After Adare we made the trek through portions of the Ring of Kerry. As we ventured through, we made a stop at a local favorite, the Red Fox Inn for a lesson on making Irish coffee. The drink was created here for weary travelers to warm them up during a stop on their journey! Then onto the over 100 mile drive through the amazing and sweeping views of the Ring of Kerry! The highlight of this was stopping at Scariff Inn which boasts the best view on the Ring for an amazing lunch. Perched high above the sea the views and the food were spectacular, welcoming and just plain amazing! We ended our day with exploring the town of Killarney, grabbing some local dinner and resting up for the remaining days of our adventure!
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