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!
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!
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!
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!
So I will pause here and let you digest all the info from the first
half of my adventure! So much history, so much culture, and so many
memories and I am only halfway through! Please join me next week for
details on the remaining itinerary details and all the fun still to
come! Ireland was so unforgettable, I hope you’ll join me again so
that I can share more with you!
