Ireland – The Emerald Isle.

By thatvagirl, October 26, 2019

From the pubs of Dublin to the Troubles of Belfast to the Cliffs of Moher, we savored every moment in this big, beautiful, green country…

Last Fall we took a family trip to Ireland with my Dad, Stepmom and Sister-in-law. Ireland was definitely one of our bucket list trips and I’m so glad we were able to go before I got pregnant, now I can’t wait to take our girl when she’s a little older!

Dublin, you party animal. If you can’t find a Guinness or a glass of Irish Whiskey here, you simply aren’t looking hard enough.

So first on the itinerary was to find a cold beer and something to eat – we ended up at O’Neill’s Pub & Kitchen just what we needed after a long flight.

After lunch we stumbled upon the Stag’s Head pub, this hidden gem has somehow managed to keep its original Victorian interior in beautiful condition and there is so much of it to take in. From the mahogany walls to the tile floors to the large Stags Head watching over it all, it’s easy to see why this pub is on any list of Dublins Best. Bonus: the bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable; they quickly schooled us on Irish Whiskey and turned everyone on to Green Spot, which is produced in Cork. From there on out my Dad could be heard ordering a “Double Green Spot!” everywhere we went.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon just wandering around Dublin…

Just a few excited Dawson’s on Dawson Lane.

The Long Room and The Book of Kells Exhibition at Trinity College should also be on your list to see if you’re in Dublin

The next morning we were up early to catch our Wild Rover Tours bus to Northern Ireland. This place does not play around, we experienced so much during our day trip – I highly recommend them. We chose the Giants Causeway, Belfast City & Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge Day Tour from Dublin. It was a busy day but we had enough time to get a little taste of each location. In Belfast you have the choice of touring the Titanic Museum or the Black Cab Tour – we chose the latter and I’m really glad we did. Not that the Titanic Museum wouldn’t be great, but we wanted to know more about the political history of Belfast.

Our guide, Frankie, was absolutely wonderful. He grew up in the dark period known as, “The Troubles” and gave us a first-hand account of the conflicts between the Nationalists and the Unionists. We rode around with Frankie and saw the murals and had a chance to sign the peace wall that was built to keep the two communities separate. We all agreed we could have spent the whole day with him!

Our next stop was the Giant’s Causeway. Legend has it that the Causeway was built by Irish giant, Finn MacCool so that he could meet a Scottish giant he agreed to battle. Then there’s some other story about a volcanic eruption causing the hexagonal columns… I know which one I like to believe.

The Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge is another must in my book. The views on the other side of that sketchy little bridge are SO worth it! This was the third and final stop on our tour.

The next morning we were en route to Cork! I have to give my husband some major credit for driving us..I know it couldn’t have been easy!

We stopped along the way in County Tipperary to visit the beautiful Rock of Cashel. We spent a couple hours here looking around, trying to imagine the lives of those that lived here so long ago. What a beautiful castle.

Before continuing on our way to Cork, we stopped into Fahy’s for lunch – I had a great view! (my husband and my dad) 😉

 

Cork is such a great town! We rented an Airbnb right off of the popular Oliver Plunkett Street and hit the town on foot each day.

Take some time to browse the English Market, it’s places like this that really make me envy European lifestyle – you can buy the freshest meat, seafood, cheese, produce…the list goes on and on… I’d love to be able to shop this way locally.

We had lunch at the Farmgate Cafe which is located on the second floor of the market, the menu changes daily and is determined by what is fresh, in season and available at the market.

The Mutton Lane Inn is one of the oldest pubs in the city and one of the most charming we came across. Its warm and cozy, most of the lighting comes from candles and there is (wait for it….) NO TV, only good drinks and even better conversation.

Our second day trip was with Paddywagon Tours to the Cliffs of Moher along the Wild Atlantic Way. The views were absolutely breathtaking…

Our next stop was the Burren – formed some 300 million years ago, the Burren is made up of limestone and is often compared to lunar landscape.

 

After a lunch stop in Doolin we made our way back Cork, stopping off at Bunratty to get a peek at Bunratty Castle and Durty Nelly’s.

Ireland was all I hoped it would be and more… there is still more to see and I can’t wait to take our daughter there one day…

Have you been to Ireland? What was your favorite place? Hope you enjoyed this post about our trip as much as I did reliving it. Happy traveling!

 

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