2 Wonderful Weeks in Ireland
Dec 4th, 2012, 11:17 AM
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2 Wonderful Weeks in Ireland
My husband and I spend 2 weeks in Ireland in June for our honeymoon, and we had the most wonderful time. I would highly reccomend more people going there for their honeymoon because it was perfect! Spending 2 weeks traveling around Ireland was fantastic, and a great way to escape the stresses at home (and the 100 degree heat!). Our flight was pretty undramatic. The biggest snafu we had was our flight from DC to London was late due to the strong headwinds which caused us to miss our connecting flight. Thankfully United had this issue taken care of before we even stepped off the plane. When we walked into the airport, they had new boarding passes for a later flight printed off and ready to go. Here is a full trip report if you A LOT of spare time, and you dare read it!
Day 1- Dublin
Due to the later flight, we didn't end up getting to Dublin until around 4:00 on Wednesday. That still gave us enough time to check in, and start exploring the city. Our guesthouse was only about a half an hour walk to the city center, so we were able to walk everywhere. We headed down the the Temple Bar area and just walked around for a while.
We ended up stopping at a pub in Temple Bar for some food, music, and Guinness before heading back to the guest house and going to bed. We were still pretty tired from all of the traveling.
Day 2- Dublin
We purchased 2 day passes for the hop on hop off bus. We thought it would be the easiest way to get around the city and hit the major sights. Our first stop for the day was the Guinness Storehouse. We went on the self guided tour of the brewery. It was interesting and had a lot of information. If I wasn't from St. Louis and didn't have access to free brewery tours at AB, I would have probably been more impressed. The Guinness one actually costs money (14 euros), and you don't get a tour guide, and you only get 1 beer at the end. Overall though, we enjoyed the Guinness Storehouse and we are glad we did it. We definitely enjoyed our free beers in the Sky Bar. Fresh Guinness and great views of Dublin is a great way to enjoy a rainy afternoon. Luckily, when we were done with our tour, the rain stopped, so we were ready to continue you on our tour of the city. We hopped on our bus, and continued on. Our next stop was Phoenix Park. We got off the bus here, and explored the park and walked by the Dublin Zoo. The zoo was pretty pricey, so we decided not to go in (we are really spoiled with our free zoo and free brewery tour in St. Louis).
When we were done exploring the park, we hopped back on to our bus and headed to the Jameson Distillery. Here we got a guided tour, and learned how to make whiskey. We also learned what the difference is between American Whiskey, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey. Not being a whiskey drinker, this was all new information for me. At our complementary tasting, I also discovered that I don't hate whiskey when it is mixed with cranberry juice. Who knew those 2 things would go so well together.
It was 7:00 by the time we were done with the Jameson tour, and we decided that we just wanted to get some dinner and head back to get some rest. We started walking back and stopped at Porterhouse brewery on the way back. Porterhouse had some craft beers (it seems that craft beers are just starting to pick up in Dublin), so we had a nice dinner (aside from the fact that we were soaking wet from the rainstorm we encountered on our walk), and tried some beer. After dinner we headed back to fall asleep. We both fell asleep really quickly despite the fact that it was still light outside. I was not aware that the sun doesn't set in Ireland until 10:30 in the summer. It was crazy, and it made it really hard to fall asleep sometimes. Because of the time change though, we both woke about around 1:00 and just couldn't go back to sleep. Thank God for coffee the next morning!
Day 3- Dublin
We started the morning with breakfast at the hotel. They offered a full Irish breakfast for 10 euros, so we went for it not realizing we could have gotten it cheaper somewhere else. We started the day by hoping on to our bus and going to the National History Museum, or the "Dead Zoo". It is called the "Dead Zoo" because it literally has a bunch of dead stuffed animals throughout it. My husband loved it, and had a great time. After the "Dead Zoo" we tried to do Dublin Castle, but we couldn't get into an early enough tour, so we just snapped a few pictures before heading to the Kilmainham Gaol; the largest unoccupied jail in Europe. This was a very interesting tour, and we learned a lot about Irish history. We have been married for less than a week, but I think My husband was ready to lock me in a cell.
After the Kilmainham Gaol, we hopped back on to our bus to walk around O'Connell and Henry street before heading back. Before we did that, we got sidetracked by an Art Museum, so we walked around for a bit before grabbing a pint and wandering down Henry Street. Eventually we found our way back to our hotel, and got a recommendation for a place to eat by the hotel. We got dinner and a few pints before heading back and packing to leave in the morning (and I wonder why I have gained a few pounds on this trip... too many pints!).
Day 4- Kilkenny
We had to pick up the rental car at 8:00, so we arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 6 am. Because we were on vacation, and I lost track of what day it was, I set the alarm on my phone for the wrong day... oops! Luckily we woke up, but we still ended up missing our cab, and had to call another one. It ended up not being a problem at all because we still ended up getting to the airport on time to pick up our car. My husband jumped right in (on the right side of course), and started driving. He got the hang of it pretty quickly and handled the roundabouts, that go the opposite way than the U.S., with ease. Luckily most of our drive to Kilkenny was on a motorway, so he had some time to get used to driving on the left.
Once we arrived in Kilkenny, we had to figure out where we were going to stay. Luckily one of the B&B's Rick Steves recommended in his book (this became our bible on this trip) had a room available and free parking in the city center, so we parked our car and toured the city.
The first thing we did was go on a tour of Kilkenny Castle. It was a self guided tour, but they had a lot of information along the tours, and a lot of people available for questions. My husband LOVED to learn how they restored the castle.
The next thing we did was tour St. Cancie's Cathedral and head up in the tower. This was a beautiful church, and I think it is so neat that it is still in operation today. After viewing the church, we headed up the Round Tower that was built in the 8th century. Apparently, it is only 1 of 2 similar towers that you are still allowed to climb up, so it was pretty neat.
After the Cathedral, we decided we need some beer, so we headed to the Smithwick's brewery tour. Apparently, this will only be a working brewery for another year before it shuts down, and moves all of its operation to the Guinness factory at St. James' Gate. We felt really lucky that we were able to go on this tour! Another interesting tidbit about the Smithwick's brewery is that this is where all of the Budwiser is made for Ireland as well. You may be surprised to hear this, but a lot, and I mean a lot, of people drink AB products over here... crazy, I know.
The Smithwick's brewery tour was probably one of the most interesting brewery tours I have been on. They bring you into the working factory and show you the actual machines along with giving you the history of the brewery and the brand. After putting on our blue vests and safety glasses (I told you, we actually went into the working facility), we got our tour and then our free Smithwicks.
After our beer, we decided we needed some more and headed to a pub for dinner. I had the most delicious Shepard's pie while watching our first hurling game. Our bartender explained the rules of hurling, and we learned that Kilkenny is basically the Yankees of hurling, and they are apparently disliked by most of the counties because they win so often. We were also in Kilkenny county at this time, so I am not sure if that information was biased. After some pints and a hurling game, we returned to our B&B for some sleep.
Day 4- Rock of Cashel, Cobh, and Kinsale
After a fantastic Irish breakfast at our B&B, we head to the Rock of Cashel which is AMAZING! Seriously, if anyone heads to Ireland, do not miss seeing this. The only thing that was disappointing about this sight was that it was under construction while we were there, so we weren't able to see everything, but we did see most. What is most interesting about the Rock of Cashel is that most of the buildings date back to the 12th and 13th century, and they are still standing. It also sits on a hill making everything so picturesque. Makes you realize how young the United States is. As one tour guide put it, the U.S. is still under warranty. Here are some pictures of this amazing place.
After the Rock of Cashel, we headed towards the port town of Cobh before heading to our final destination of Kinsale. Cobh was the last destination the Titanic was at before it sunk, so it has a lot of Titanic memorabilia. Cobh is a quaint little town, so we parked, walked around, and got some ice cream before heading off.
After our ice cream, we headed to Kinsale, checked into our B&B, and went for some great seafood. Kinsale is quaint little beach town. It almost looks like it belongs in the warm waters of Florida! After our fantastic, fresh seafood, we walked around town and enjoyed the sunny weather (the first time we really saw the sun the whole trip), and the quaint town.
Day 5- Charles Fort, Killarney National Park, Killarney, and Kenmare
We woke up to a fantastic breakfast at our B&B. I had what was called the special. It was my first experience with fresh Atlantic Salmon for breakfast, and it is now something I would love to do more often; it was delicious! After breakfast, we left our quiet little beach town and headed for Charles Fort which was right outside of town. Charles Fort, built is 1678, is one of the best surviving examples of 17th century forts because so much of the structure still remains. We thought we would just stop buy for a few minutes, but we ended up spending a lot of time there because it was so neat. Not only was the fort itself pretty cool, but it was sitting right off the shore, so the views were spectacular. After we spent time at the fort, we headed for Killarney National Park. When we got there, we were planning on going into Muckross house; and old Victorian house, but when we got there the next tour wasn't for over an hour. We decided to snap a few pictures of it, but skip the house and explore the park instead which was beautiful! Near the house, there area lot of people selling carriage rides up to this waterfall. My husband and I didn't want to spend the money on a carriage ride, and since we are young and somewhat in shape, we decided to "hike" up there ourselves (there was a road almost the entire way, so it was more like a walk). The walk up there was a beautiful walk with fantastic and different trees, a stream, farmland,and rolling hills. It was simply breathtaking. After stopping to take a few pictures and admiring the view, we finally made it to the Torc Waterfall. We were amazed at how beautiful the park was, and we were a little disappointed that we didn't plan a little better so we could spend more time exploring and hiking around the park. They had boat rides available, hiking trails, etc. I can't help but think that we really dropped the ball on that one!
After we left Killarney National Park, we drove about 15 minutes to the town of Killarney and parked. We spent a couple hours here just walking around town and stopping for dinner. Killarney seemed more like a tourist shopping epicenter, so we didn't spend as much time here as we anticipated, plus we spent more time at the park, so we had to cut back on time anyways. After we left Killarney, we headed to Kenmare. The drive from Killarney to Kenmare is part of the big tour bus drive of the Ring of Kerry. This was our first experience driving on narrow, hilly roads with tour buses. It was also the first time we had a side mirror injury. On the drive though, we saw a tourist shops and a bunch of people pulled over, so we decided to stop as well. What it turned out being was one of the most beautiful views called Ladies View. We finished our slightly terrifying ride (I was a little more terrified than my husband), and got to Kenmare and our B&B. Kenmare is a small town,only a couple of blocks, so even though our B&B was outside of town, it was still within walking distance to everything. This was My husband's favorite place. The B&B was right on the water, and had beautiful views right from the window of our room. It also had a sweet, older dog that loved to give kisses (shh, don't tell Onyx)! After we checked in, we went for a walk around town and got some ice cream to eat in the park in the middle of town. Once the sun started to go down, we went to the main bridge in town so My husband could go fishing (he was freaking out because he hadn't gone fishing yet). After fishing, it was time to go back and get some sleep so we could start the Ring of Kerry in the morning.
Day 6- Ring of Kerry, Dingle
We left Kenmare bright and early (well, maybe not as bright and early as we had planned) to start the Ring of Kerry before the tour buses. This was probably the worst day weather-wise because it was really rainy, and the clouds were really low preventing us from seeing a lot, but that didn't stop us. While exploring the Ring of Kerry, we followed Rick Steves's self-guided tour. Our first stop though, wasn't a place Rick told us to stop (yes, after this trip, I feel like we are on a first name basis). It was a pretty neat stop though because we could hike all of the way down to the ocean, and no one else was stopped here, so it was just my husband and I. After skipping some rocks and playing around, we got back in the car and drove to our next stop, the small town of Sneem. By the time we got to Sneem, the rain was really coming town, but the town is so charming that it didn't really. We walked around a bit down by the stream and the grass-roofed houses. I also got a nice, handmade wool scarf and hat in Sneem before we headed out.
After we left Sneem, we headed to a surviving Staigue Fort, a surviving ringfort. Ringforts are all over Ireland, but many don't have much left of them because they were built in the 6th or 7th century.
After we left Staigue Fort, our next stop was the beach. It was funny seeing a beach in Ireland, especially when there was a beach bar right next to it. It looked like girls should be walking around in bikinis! We also found it interesting that there were dead jelly fish laying all over the beach. My husband was a little bit more brave than I because he was picking them up and messing with them. Hey... We did get a beach vacation after all.
We finished the Ring of Kerry, but a lot of the views were covered by clouds! After a ferry ride, we headed to Dingle. We got there in just enough time to check in and explore the town a bit, but the Ring of Kerry really wore us out, so we went to bed pretty early.
Day 7- Dingle, Dingle Peninsula
Today was my husband’s birthday (if you ask him, he will claim it is his 27th). We were originally going to go fishing, but the weather wasn't very favorable for it, so we decided to explore the Dingle Peninsula instead. We ended up taking a small bus tour for this one since my husband was a little "drived" out from the day before doing the Ring of Kerry. Even though the weather was pretty similar to the day before, it was nice to get a little bit more information on many of the archaeological sights that we would not have received if we drove it on our own. We learned a lot, saw some beautiful views, and even saw some crazy people swimming in the ocean.
After we got back from our tour, we stopped for some lunch, took a little nap, and prepared to go on a pub crawl to celebrate my husbands "27th" birthday! We pretty much followed Rick Steves's pub crawl, and while we didn't finish it (Rick Steves's must be able to drink a lot more than we can), we had a fantastic time. At our first few pubs, we watched the Euro 2012 Portugal vs. Spain football match. I totally forgot how much I enjoy watching football! After the game was over we went to a small pub and got to meet some locals, and some Floridians. It was fun just talking to people and learning about how different, yet similar, their lives are to ours over in the States.
Day 8- Dingle, Doolin
We started off the day with some horseback riding. When we woke up, we were really concerned about the weather, but we came to terms with the fact that we were probably going to be riding in the rain. Horseback riding in the mountains and on the beach in Ireland isn't something we will get the opportunity to do again, so we decided to tough it up and enjoy the moment. Luckily though, when we got to the stables, the rain had stopped. We didn't get caught in any rain during our 2 hour ride, and we even saw some sun. Boy were we lucky! My husband and I went with a leader from the stable. I road Annie (who really like to stop and eat grass every 5 seconds), and my husband road King (who had an undying love of Annie). Riding in Ireland took a lot to get used to because they obviously use the English saddle as opposed to the western one I am used to. They also trained the horses a little bit differently than I was used to, so I had to adjust how I used the reins. After a while, we were used to it, and we were off. We started through the mountains. It was very peaceful, and a lot of sheep everywhere. After we came down off the mountains, we headed towards the beach. Apparently Annie is not a fan of riding on the beach because she hated anytime we went through water. I have to say that this was my absolute favorite part of the trip if I had to pick one.
When we were done we headed back to town and stopped to get lunch at the Supervalu before hopping on the charter boat for fishing. When we went to check if the weather conditions were good for fishing, they informed us that the water was really choppy, and instead of the 4 hour trip, they are only doing 2 hour trips. My husband was undeterred by the threat of choppy water, and still wanted to go. I, on the other hand, was VERY concerned and promptly took some Dramamine. I was determined not to throw up on the boat. There was another couple on the boat with us. They were about our age, and they were from Cork. We all got on the boat and took off. Luckily in the harbor, we saw the famous dolphin of Dingle, Fungie. Apparently they have on dolphin in the harbor that has been there for over 20 years that comes and says hello to boats regularly. It took us about a half hour to get out to the "deep sea" part, but when we got there, I realized how choppy the water actually was... I could barely stand up. My husband started fishing right away without any concern for the swells. I on the other hand moved very slowly, but started fishing. Apparently there were a lot of fish where we were because every time I would real in, I would have a mackerel on my line and my husband would have multiple on his. Eventually my husband moved on to catching pollack, but I had to take a break and focus on not throwing up. All in all I would say the fishing trip was a success. I was not the one to throw up on the boat, and together we caught some fish. Unfortunately, since we were headed to Doolin right after we got off the boat, we could not take our fish to a restaurant to be cooked which I kind of regret not doing. I wouldn't leave Dingle though without getting a picture with the statue of Fungie since I did get to meet him.
After we were done fishing, we hopped in our car and headed to Doolin. Even though I didn't throw up on the boat, I still felt sick... similar to a hangover. Since McDonald's always helps my hangovers, I promptly looked up McDonald's on our GPS, and found one on the way in Tralee. I felt silly for getting McDonald's in Ireland since I very rarely even eat it at home, but it felt like a necessity at the time. After getting some food, we were back on the road. Unfortunately for Cleo (that it what we called our car; she was a Renault Cleo), she had her 2nd injury of the trip. My husband hit the mirror again, and it fell out again. We were still able to push it back in, but thank God we got the extra insurance!
We finally got to Doolin. I have heard so much about Doolin and how fantastic it was. While I did enjoy the quaintness of it, I found everything very new and almost touristy. I think that maybe the popularity of it is making it more of a tourist attraction, and the town is catering to that. We did walk around town towards the pier, and I did see my first thatched roof. It was on a store, so I think it was meant to look quaint and Irish, but I still enjoyed seeing it.
Day 9- Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Galway
We left Doolin that morning to head to the Cliffs of Moher, but first we stopped by the pier that we never made it do the night before. It was very pretty, and my husband couldn't help himself to explore.
After we wandered around Doolin, we headed to the Cliffs of Moher which was only about 15 minutes away. While the views of the Cliffs were spectacular, we found the whole thing to be very touristy. We are glad we saw it, but don't know if it is something we have to do again.
After we left the Cliffs of Moher, we started heading to Galway by driving through The Burren. The Burren is an extremely rocky part of Ireland. In fact, that is how it received its name. The Burren comes from the Gaelic term for rocky. The Burren was simply breathtaking and was full of historical and archaeological sights. We started with the museum in Kilfenora, called Burren Centre, which shows all about life and history in The Burren. We were glad we stopped by it, but as we were looking around, we both found some inaccuracies. Next we headed to Caherconnell Ring Fort. When we got there it was pouring down rain, and was kind of expensive to get in. Since we had already saw 2 ring forts on the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, we decided to skip it. We then drove to the Poulnabrone Dolemen which, despite its table-like appearance, is actually an ancient tomb.
After Poulnabrone Dolemen, we decided just to explore and examine The Burren. It is just such a unique landscape, that we couldn't get enough of it. My husband loved looking around at the rocks for fossils, and found quite a few. I just enjoyed looking around and exploring the seeming barren landscape and finding beautiful flowers.
After we were done exploring, we headed for Galway. Once we got to Galway, we checked in and explored the city. Once in started to get dark, my husband decided that he wanted to head down to the beach to go fishing. This was the coldest night we had experienced so far. The wind from the ocean was absolutely freezing. It was a good thing that I still had my scarf and gloves in the car that I bought in Sneem because I really needed them! Even though it was soooo cold, my husband was still pretty lucky fishing. He caught quite a few pollack. I only got a picture of the first one which was practically a baby, but he did catch bigger ones as well! After fishing, we were ready to head back to the bed and breakfast for our nice warm beds.
Day 10- Connemara, Westport
In the morning we had to decide if we wanted to take a boat to the Aran islands, or if we wanted to explore Connemara. Unfortunately it was getting towards the end of our trip, so we were unable to do both. We decided that as amazing the Aran Islands sound, the Connemara would be more different that the stuff we have seen, so we decided to drive the Connemara loop. One our way to Connemara, my husband found a stream that he decided he wanted to stop and go fishing in for a little while. While he did not catch anything, it was a beautiful stream. Once we got to the Connemara area, our first stop in Connemara would be Connemara National Park. Even though that was our first stop, the drive had the most spectacular views. Huge mountains with crystal clear lakes, and the park was just as beautiful. We decided to get out and do one of the trails around the park since we didn't get to do that when we were at Killarney National park, and I am sure glad we did because it was beautiful!
Once we left the park, we started heading towards our destination of Westport, but we still explored the Connemara loop. As we were driving, we we on the lookout for some bogs because Rick Steves claimed that this is where they were at, and we really wanted to do a slog on the bog. On the way to the bogs, we got sidetracked by some sheep on the side of the road, and my husband really wanted to pet them, so we pulled over. We pulled over in the most beautiful spot, and I saw this road that was completely encircled by trees. While I was admiring the road, my husband was chasing the sheep trying to pet them. I don't think they really wanted to be pet because they kept running away from them (he can be a bit embarrassing at times… ha ha ha!). Eventually, just outside of the town Leenane, we found the bogs. Even though they weren't exactly like the bogs my husband has seen before, they were still pretty neat. I could jump on them a few feet away, and he could feel the vibrations. It was pretty cool.
When we were done jumping on the bogs, we drove through the small, precious town of Leenane (it was surrounded by a beautiful black lake; absolutely beautiful), we stopped at Aasleagh Falls. I found this waterfall to be even more beautiful the Torc falls at Killarney National Park. The water was beautiful, and it was surrounded by hills. It was honestly a very breathtaking view. My husband also decided to take this opportunity to fish while we were here (he eventually found out that it was illegal... oops!) We left the waterfall, and headed for Doo Lough Valley. I didn't get any pictures of it, but I have to say it was one of the most beautiful places on our trip. More mountains and black lakes. It was so peaceful. As we were approaching Westport, we wanted to see Croagh Patrick. This is where St. Patrick is said to have fasted for the 40 days of lent and rang his bell to drive all of the snakes out of Ireland (apparently there are not any snakes in Ireland... the luck of the Irish). When we got there, we realized that it would take 3 hours to hike up there and 2 hours to hike back. While that would have been fun to do, it was already 5:00... I guess if we wanted to do this we should have planned ahead more, so we just continued on driving. Since it was approaching dinner time, we decided that we were hungry. We didn't want to stop and get a full dinner because we wanted to eat when we got to Westport, so we stopped at a random pub on the side of the road. The pub had a small town feel; it almost felt like the pub was inside someones house. After a sandwich , scone, and a coffee, we were back on the road.
When we got to Westport, we were amazed at how big the town was. We were honestly expecting a small town about the size of Sneem, but it seemed like a bustling city compared to Sneem (honestly, it was probably about the size of Kirksville, but a lot prettier). Westport is located right on the water, so once again we had breathtaking views. We walked around the time trying to find a place to eat. We were on the search for a place that had Irish stew, but ironically enough, we ended up at a Chinese Restaurant. Turns out that Chinese is the same in Ireland and the States. After dinner, we went back to get ready to head to Matt Molloy's for some traditional Irish music. We got there early to get a table, and luckily enough we did. We drank a few Guinnesses waiting for the music to start, and continued to drink a few more after it started. We wanted to make sure that we got to enjoy our night because it was our last night since the following night we had to head back to Dublin to catch our plane. We had a good time, but eventually had to go back because I was getting tired, and my husband wanted to go fishing, so I went back, packed, and went to bed while my husband tried to go fishing. My husband didn't actually end up going fishing because it was too dark, and he couldn't see where he was going on the pier. I actually think it is what he deserves for leaving his new wife back at the hotel while he goes fishing.
Day 11- Irish Famine Museum and back to Dublin
Today was the day that we had to head back to Dublin to catch our flight to go home... BOO!!! Since we had all day to drive back, we decided to stop by the Famine Museum in Strokestown. It was a very small museum that didn't seem to get a lot of traffic, but I was glad we went. We learned so much about Irish history on our trip, it was a nice way to end it. Our drive back to Dublin was pretty uneventful, and we made it back to our hotel. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport. Staying here really felt like our trip was over, but it was kind of nice to be able to go to bed early without feeling guilty. The next morning we packed up and headed home. After 24 hours of being awake, we were home and with the dogs. It was a fabulous trip for sure!
Day 1- Dublin
Due to the later flight, we didn't end up getting to Dublin until around 4:00 on Wednesday. That still gave us enough time to check in, and start exploring the city. Our guesthouse was only about a half an hour walk to the city center, so we were able to walk everywhere. We headed down the the Temple Bar area and just walked around for a while.
We ended up stopping at a pub in Temple Bar for some food, music, and Guinness before heading back to the guest house and going to bed. We were still pretty tired from all of the traveling.
Day 2- Dublin
We purchased 2 day passes for the hop on hop off bus. We thought it would be the easiest way to get around the city and hit the major sights. Our first stop for the day was the Guinness Storehouse. We went on the self guided tour of the brewery. It was interesting and had a lot of information. If I wasn't from St. Louis and didn't have access to free brewery tours at AB, I would have probably been more impressed. The Guinness one actually costs money (14 euros), and you don't get a tour guide, and you only get 1 beer at the end. Overall though, we enjoyed the Guinness Storehouse and we are glad we did it. We definitely enjoyed our free beers in the Sky Bar. Fresh Guinness and great views of Dublin is a great way to enjoy a rainy afternoon. Luckily, when we were done with our tour, the rain stopped, so we were ready to continue you on our tour of the city. We hopped on our bus, and continued on. Our next stop was Phoenix Park. We got off the bus here, and explored the park and walked by the Dublin Zoo. The zoo was pretty pricey, so we decided not to go in (we are really spoiled with our free zoo and free brewery tour in St. Louis).
When we were done exploring the park, we hopped back on to our bus and headed to the Jameson Distillery. Here we got a guided tour, and learned how to make whiskey. We also learned what the difference is between American Whiskey, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey. Not being a whiskey drinker, this was all new information for me. At our complementary tasting, I also discovered that I don't hate whiskey when it is mixed with cranberry juice. Who knew those 2 things would go so well together.
It was 7:00 by the time we were done with the Jameson tour, and we decided that we just wanted to get some dinner and head back to get some rest. We started walking back and stopped at Porterhouse brewery on the way back. Porterhouse had some craft beers (it seems that craft beers are just starting to pick up in Dublin), so we had a nice dinner (aside from the fact that we were soaking wet from the rainstorm we encountered on our walk), and tried some beer. After dinner we headed back to fall asleep. We both fell asleep really quickly despite the fact that it was still light outside. I was not aware that the sun doesn't set in Ireland until 10:30 in the summer. It was crazy, and it made it really hard to fall asleep sometimes. Because of the time change though, we both woke about around 1:00 and just couldn't go back to sleep. Thank God for coffee the next morning!
Day 3- Dublin
We started the morning with breakfast at the hotel. They offered a full Irish breakfast for 10 euros, so we went for it not realizing we could have gotten it cheaper somewhere else. We started the day by hoping on to our bus and going to the National History Museum, or the "Dead Zoo". It is called the "Dead Zoo" because it literally has a bunch of dead stuffed animals throughout it. My husband loved it, and had a great time. After the "Dead Zoo" we tried to do Dublin Castle, but we couldn't get into an early enough tour, so we just snapped a few pictures before heading to the Kilmainham Gaol; the largest unoccupied jail in Europe. This was a very interesting tour, and we learned a lot about Irish history. We have been married for less than a week, but I think My husband was ready to lock me in a cell.
After the Kilmainham Gaol, we hopped back on to our bus to walk around O'Connell and Henry street before heading back. Before we did that, we got sidetracked by an Art Museum, so we walked around for a bit before grabbing a pint and wandering down Henry Street. Eventually we found our way back to our hotel, and got a recommendation for a place to eat by the hotel. We got dinner and a few pints before heading back and packing to leave in the morning (and I wonder why I have gained a few pounds on this trip... too many pints!).
Day 4- Kilkenny
We had to pick up the rental car at 8:00, so we arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 6 am. Because we were on vacation, and I lost track of what day it was, I set the alarm on my phone for the wrong day... oops! Luckily we woke up, but we still ended up missing our cab, and had to call another one. It ended up not being a problem at all because we still ended up getting to the airport on time to pick up our car. My husband jumped right in (on the right side of course), and started driving. He got the hang of it pretty quickly and handled the roundabouts, that go the opposite way than the U.S., with ease. Luckily most of our drive to Kilkenny was on a motorway, so he had some time to get used to driving on the left.
Once we arrived in Kilkenny, we had to figure out where we were going to stay. Luckily one of the B&B's Rick Steves recommended in his book (this became our bible on this trip) had a room available and free parking in the city center, so we parked our car and toured the city.
The first thing we did was go on a tour of Kilkenny Castle. It was a self guided tour, but they had a lot of information along the tours, and a lot of people available for questions. My husband LOVED to learn how they restored the castle.
The next thing we did was tour St. Cancie's Cathedral and head up in the tower. This was a beautiful church, and I think it is so neat that it is still in operation today. After viewing the church, we headed up the Round Tower that was built in the 8th century. Apparently, it is only 1 of 2 similar towers that you are still allowed to climb up, so it was pretty neat.
After the Cathedral, we decided we need some beer, so we headed to the Smithwick's brewery tour. Apparently, this will only be a working brewery for another year before it shuts down, and moves all of its operation to the Guinness factory at St. James' Gate. We felt really lucky that we were able to go on this tour! Another interesting tidbit about the Smithwick's brewery is that this is where all of the Budwiser is made for Ireland as well. You may be surprised to hear this, but a lot, and I mean a lot, of people drink AB products over here... crazy, I know.
The Smithwick's brewery tour was probably one of the most interesting brewery tours I have been on. They bring you into the working factory and show you the actual machines along with giving you the history of the brewery and the brand. After putting on our blue vests and safety glasses (I told you, we actually went into the working facility), we got our tour and then our free Smithwicks.
After our beer, we decided we needed some more and headed to a pub for dinner. I had the most delicious Shepard's pie while watching our first hurling game. Our bartender explained the rules of hurling, and we learned that Kilkenny is basically the Yankees of hurling, and they are apparently disliked by most of the counties because they win so often. We were also in Kilkenny county at this time, so I am not sure if that information was biased. After some pints and a hurling game, we returned to our B&B for some sleep.
Day 4- Rock of Cashel, Cobh, and Kinsale
After a fantastic Irish breakfast at our B&B, we head to the Rock of Cashel which is AMAZING! Seriously, if anyone heads to Ireland, do not miss seeing this. The only thing that was disappointing about this sight was that it was under construction while we were there, so we weren't able to see everything, but we did see most. What is most interesting about the Rock of Cashel is that most of the buildings date back to the 12th and 13th century, and they are still standing. It also sits on a hill making everything so picturesque. Makes you realize how young the United States is. As one tour guide put it, the U.S. is still under warranty. Here are some pictures of this amazing place.
After the Rock of Cashel, we headed towards the port town of Cobh before heading to our final destination of Kinsale. Cobh was the last destination the Titanic was at before it sunk, so it has a lot of Titanic memorabilia. Cobh is a quaint little town, so we parked, walked around, and got some ice cream before heading off.
After our ice cream, we headed to Kinsale, checked into our B&B, and went for some great seafood. Kinsale is quaint little beach town. It almost looks like it belongs in the warm waters of Florida! After our fantastic, fresh seafood, we walked around town and enjoyed the sunny weather (the first time we really saw the sun the whole trip), and the quaint town.
Day 5- Charles Fort, Killarney National Park, Killarney, and Kenmare
We woke up to a fantastic breakfast at our B&B. I had what was called the special. It was my first experience with fresh Atlantic Salmon for breakfast, and it is now something I would love to do more often; it was delicious! After breakfast, we left our quiet little beach town and headed for Charles Fort which was right outside of town. Charles Fort, built is 1678, is one of the best surviving examples of 17th century forts because so much of the structure still remains. We thought we would just stop buy for a few minutes, but we ended up spending a lot of time there because it was so neat. Not only was the fort itself pretty cool, but it was sitting right off the shore, so the views were spectacular. After we spent time at the fort, we headed for Killarney National Park. When we got there, we were planning on going into Muckross house; and old Victorian house, but when we got there the next tour wasn't for over an hour. We decided to snap a few pictures of it, but skip the house and explore the park instead which was beautiful! Near the house, there area lot of people selling carriage rides up to this waterfall. My husband and I didn't want to spend the money on a carriage ride, and since we are young and somewhat in shape, we decided to "hike" up there ourselves (there was a road almost the entire way, so it was more like a walk). The walk up there was a beautiful walk with fantastic and different trees, a stream, farmland,and rolling hills. It was simply breathtaking. After stopping to take a few pictures and admiring the view, we finally made it to the Torc Waterfall. We were amazed at how beautiful the park was, and we were a little disappointed that we didn't plan a little better so we could spend more time exploring and hiking around the park. They had boat rides available, hiking trails, etc. I can't help but think that we really dropped the ball on that one!
After we left Killarney National Park, we drove about 15 minutes to the town of Killarney and parked. We spent a couple hours here just walking around town and stopping for dinner. Killarney seemed more like a tourist shopping epicenter, so we didn't spend as much time here as we anticipated, plus we spent more time at the park, so we had to cut back on time anyways. After we left Killarney, we headed to Kenmare. The drive from Killarney to Kenmare is part of the big tour bus drive of the Ring of Kerry. This was our first experience driving on narrow, hilly roads with tour buses. It was also the first time we had a side mirror injury. On the drive though, we saw a tourist shops and a bunch of people pulled over, so we decided to stop as well. What it turned out being was one of the most beautiful views called Ladies View. We finished our slightly terrifying ride (I was a little more terrified than my husband), and got to Kenmare and our B&B. Kenmare is a small town,only a couple of blocks, so even though our B&B was outside of town, it was still within walking distance to everything. This was My husband's favorite place. The B&B was right on the water, and had beautiful views right from the window of our room. It also had a sweet, older dog that loved to give kisses (shh, don't tell Onyx)! After we checked in, we went for a walk around town and got some ice cream to eat in the park in the middle of town. Once the sun started to go down, we went to the main bridge in town so My husband could go fishing (he was freaking out because he hadn't gone fishing yet). After fishing, it was time to go back and get some sleep so we could start the Ring of Kerry in the morning.
Day 6- Ring of Kerry, Dingle
We left Kenmare bright and early (well, maybe not as bright and early as we had planned) to start the Ring of Kerry before the tour buses. This was probably the worst day weather-wise because it was really rainy, and the clouds were really low preventing us from seeing a lot, but that didn't stop us. While exploring the Ring of Kerry, we followed Rick Steves's self-guided tour. Our first stop though, wasn't a place Rick told us to stop (yes, after this trip, I feel like we are on a first name basis). It was a pretty neat stop though because we could hike all of the way down to the ocean, and no one else was stopped here, so it was just my husband and I. After skipping some rocks and playing around, we got back in the car and drove to our next stop, the small town of Sneem. By the time we got to Sneem, the rain was really coming town, but the town is so charming that it didn't really. We walked around a bit down by the stream and the grass-roofed houses. I also got a nice, handmade wool scarf and hat in Sneem before we headed out.
After we left Sneem, we headed to a surviving Staigue Fort, a surviving ringfort. Ringforts are all over Ireland, but many don't have much left of them because they were built in the 6th or 7th century.
After we left Staigue Fort, our next stop was the beach. It was funny seeing a beach in Ireland, especially when there was a beach bar right next to it. It looked like girls should be walking around in bikinis! We also found it interesting that there were dead jelly fish laying all over the beach. My husband was a little bit more brave than I because he was picking them up and messing with them. Hey... We did get a beach vacation after all.
We finished the Ring of Kerry, but a lot of the views were covered by clouds! After a ferry ride, we headed to Dingle. We got there in just enough time to check in and explore the town a bit, but the Ring of Kerry really wore us out, so we went to bed pretty early.
Day 7- Dingle, Dingle Peninsula
Today was my husband’s birthday (if you ask him, he will claim it is his 27th). We were originally going to go fishing, but the weather wasn't very favorable for it, so we decided to explore the Dingle Peninsula instead. We ended up taking a small bus tour for this one since my husband was a little "drived" out from the day before doing the Ring of Kerry. Even though the weather was pretty similar to the day before, it was nice to get a little bit more information on many of the archaeological sights that we would not have received if we drove it on our own. We learned a lot, saw some beautiful views, and even saw some crazy people swimming in the ocean.
After we got back from our tour, we stopped for some lunch, took a little nap, and prepared to go on a pub crawl to celebrate my husbands "27th" birthday! We pretty much followed Rick Steves's pub crawl, and while we didn't finish it (Rick Steves's must be able to drink a lot more than we can), we had a fantastic time. At our first few pubs, we watched the Euro 2012 Portugal vs. Spain football match. I totally forgot how much I enjoy watching football! After the game was over we went to a small pub and got to meet some locals, and some Floridians. It was fun just talking to people and learning about how different, yet similar, their lives are to ours over in the States.
Day 8- Dingle, Doolin
We started off the day with some horseback riding. When we woke up, we were really concerned about the weather, but we came to terms with the fact that we were probably going to be riding in the rain. Horseback riding in the mountains and on the beach in Ireland isn't something we will get the opportunity to do again, so we decided to tough it up and enjoy the moment. Luckily though, when we got to the stables, the rain had stopped. We didn't get caught in any rain during our 2 hour ride, and we even saw some sun. Boy were we lucky! My husband and I went with a leader from the stable. I road Annie (who really like to stop and eat grass every 5 seconds), and my husband road King (who had an undying love of Annie). Riding in Ireland took a lot to get used to because they obviously use the English saddle as opposed to the western one I am used to. They also trained the horses a little bit differently than I was used to, so I had to adjust how I used the reins. After a while, we were used to it, and we were off. We started through the mountains. It was very peaceful, and a lot of sheep everywhere. After we came down off the mountains, we headed towards the beach. Apparently Annie is not a fan of riding on the beach because she hated anytime we went through water. I have to say that this was my absolute favorite part of the trip if I had to pick one.
When we were done we headed back to town and stopped to get lunch at the Supervalu before hopping on the charter boat for fishing. When we went to check if the weather conditions were good for fishing, they informed us that the water was really choppy, and instead of the 4 hour trip, they are only doing 2 hour trips. My husband was undeterred by the threat of choppy water, and still wanted to go. I, on the other hand, was VERY concerned and promptly took some Dramamine. I was determined not to throw up on the boat. There was another couple on the boat with us. They were about our age, and they were from Cork. We all got on the boat and took off. Luckily in the harbor, we saw the famous dolphin of Dingle, Fungie. Apparently they have on dolphin in the harbor that has been there for over 20 years that comes and says hello to boats regularly. It took us about a half hour to get out to the "deep sea" part, but when we got there, I realized how choppy the water actually was... I could barely stand up. My husband started fishing right away without any concern for the swells. I on the other hand moved very slowly, but started fishing. Apparently there were a lot of fish where we were because every time I would real in, I would have a mackerel on my line and my husband would have multiple on his. Eventually my husband moved on to catching pollack, but I had to take a break and focus on not throwing up. All in all I would say the fishing trip was a success. I was not the one to throw up on the boat, and together we caught some fish. Unfortunately, since we were headed to Doolin right after we got off the boat, we could not take our fish to a restaurant to be cooked which I kind of regret not doing. I wouldn't leave Dingle though without getting a picture with the statue of Fungie since I did get to meet him.
After we were done fishing, we hopped in our car and headed to Doolin. Even though I didn't throw up on the boat, I still felt sick... similar to a hangover. Since McDonald's always helps my hangovers, I promptly looked up McDonald's on our GPS, and found one on the way in Tralee. I felt silly for getting McDonald's in Ireland since I very rarely even eat it at home, but it felt like a necessity at the time. After getting some food, we were back on the road. Unfortunately for Cleo (that it what we called our car; she was a Renault Cleo), she had her 2nd injury of the trip. My husband hit the mirror again, and it fell out again. We were still able to push it back in, but thank God we got the extra insurance!
We finally got to Doolin. I have heard so much about Doolin and how fantastic it was. While I did enjoy the quaintness of it, I found everything very new and almost touristy. I think that maybe the popularity of it is making it more of a tourist attraction, and the town is catering to that. We did walk around town towards the pier, and I did see my first thatched roof. It was on a store, so I think it was meant to look quaint and Irish, but I still enjoyed seeing it.
Day 9- Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Galway
We left Doolin that morning to head to the Cliffs of Moher, but first we stopped by the pier that we never made it do the night before. It was very pretty, and my husband couldn't help himself to explore.
After we wandered around Doolin, we headed to the Cliffs of Moher which was only about 15 minutes away. While the views of the Cliffs were spectacular, we found the whole thing to be very touristy. We are glad we saw it, but don't know if it is something we have to do again.
After we left the Cliffs of Moher, we started heading to Galway by driving through The Burren. The Burren is an extremely rocky part of Ireland. In fact, that is how it received its name. The Burren comes from the Gaelic term for rocky. The Burren was simply breathtaking and was full of historical and archaeological sights. We started with the museum in Kilfenora, called Burren Centre, which shows all about life and history in The Burren. We were glad we stopped by it, but as we were looking around, we both found some inaccuracies. Next we headed to Caherconnell Ring Fort. When we got there it was pouring down rain, and was kind of expensive to get in. Since we had already saw 2 ring forts on the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, we decided to skip it. We then drove to the Poulnabrone Dolemen which, despite its table-like appearance, is actually an ancient tomb.
After Poulnabrone Dolemen, we decided just to explore and examine The Burren. It is just such a unique landscape, that we couldn't get enough of it. My husband loved looking around at the rocks for fossils, and found quite a few. I just enjoyed looking around and exploring the seeming barren landscape and finding beautiful flowers.
After we were done exploring, we headed for Galway. Once we got to Galway, we checked in and explored the city. Once in started to get dark, my husband decided that he wanted to head down to the beach to go fishing. This was the coldest night we had experienced so far. The wind from the ocean was absolutely freezing. It was a good thing that I still had my scarf and gloves in the car that I bought in Sneem because I really needed them! Even though it was soooo cold, my husband was still pretty lucky fishing. He caught quite a few pollack. I only got a picture of the first one which was practically a baby, but he did catch bigger ones as well! After fishing, we were ready to head back to the bed and breakfast for our nice warm beds.
Day 10- Connemara, Westport
In the morning we had to decide if we wanted to take a boat to the Aran islands, or if we wanted to explore Connemara. Unfortunately it was getting towards the end of our trip, so we were unable to do both. We decided that as amazing the Aran Islands sound, the Connemara would be more different that the stuff we have seen, so we decided to drive the Connemara loop. One our way to Connemara, my husband found a stream that he decided he wanted to stop and go fishing in for a little while. While he did not catch anything, it was a beautiful stream. Once we got to the Connemara area, our first stop in Connemara would be Connemara National Park. Even though that was our first stop, the drive had the most spectacular views. Huge mountains with crystal clear lakes, and the park was just as beautiful. We decided to get out and do one of the trails around the park since we didn't get to do that when we were at Killarney National park, and I am sure glad we did because it was beautiful!
Once we left the park, we started heading towards our destination of Westport, but we still explored the Connemara loop. As we were driving, we we on the lookout for some bogs because Rick Steves claimed that this is where they were at, and we really wanted to do a slog on the bog. On the way to the bogs, we got sidetracked by some sheep on the side of the road, and my husband really wanted to pet them, so we pulled over. We pulled over in the most beautiful spot, and I saw this road that was completely encircled by trees. While I was admiring the road, my husband was chasing the sheep trying to pet them. I don't think they really wanted to be pet because they kept running away from them (he can be a bit embarrassing at times… ha ha ha!). Eventually, just outside of the town Leenane, we found the bogs. Even though they weren't exactly like the bogs my husband has seen before, they were still pretty neat. I could jump on them a few feet away, and he could feel the vibrations. It was pretty cool.
When we were done jumping on the bogs, we drove through the small, precious town of Leenane (it was surrounded by a beautiful black lake; absolutely beautiful), we stopped at Aasleagh Falls. I found this waterfall to be even more beautiful the Torc falls at Killarney National Park. The water was beautiful, and it was surrounded by hills. It was honestly a very breathtaking view. My husband also decided to take this opportunity to fish while we were here (he eventually found out that it was illegal... oops!) We left the waterfall, and headed for Doo Lough Valley. I didn't get any pictures of it, but I have to say it was one of the most beautiful places on our trip. More mountains and black lakes. It was so peaceful. As we were approaching Westport, we wanted to see Croagh Patrick. This is where St. Patrick is said to have fasted for the 40 days of lent and rang his bell to drive all of the snakes out of Ireland (apparently there are not any snakes in Ireland... the luck of the Irish). When we got there, we realized that it would take 3 hours to hike up there and 2 hours to hike back. While that would have been fun to do, it was already 5:00... I guess if we wanted to do this we should have planned ahead more, so we just continued on driving. Since it was approaching dinner time, we decided that we were hungry. We didn't want to stop and get a full dinner because we wanted to eat when we got to Westport, so we stopped at a random pub on the side of the road. The pub had a small town feel; it almost felt like the pub was inside someones house. After a sandwich , scone, and a coffee, we were back on the road.
When we got to Westport, we were amazed at how big the town was. We were honestly expecting a small town about the size of Sneem, but it seemed like a bustling city compared to Sneem (honestly, it was probably about the size of Kirksville, but a lot prettier). Westport is located right on the water, so once again we had breathtaking views. We walked around the time trying to find a place to eat. We were on the search for a place that had Irish stew, but ironically enough, we ended up at a Chinese Restaurant. Turns out that Chinese is the same in Ireland and the States. After dinner, we went back to get ready to head to Matt Molloy's for some traditional Irish music. We got there early to get a table, and luckily enough we did. We drank a few Guinnesses waiting for the music to start, and continued to drink a few more after it started. We wanted to make sure that we got to enjoy our night because it was our last night since the following night we had to head back to Dublin to catch our plane. We had a good time, but eventually had to go back because I was getting tired, and my husband wanted to go fishing, so I went back, packed, and went to bed while my husband tried to go fishing. My husband didn't actually end up going fishing because it was too dark, and he couldn't see where he was going on the pier. I actually think it is what he deserves for leaving his new wife back at the hotel while he goes fishing.
Day 11- Irish Famine Museum and back to Dublin
Today was the day that we had to head back to Dublin to catch our flight to go home... BOO!!! Since we had all day to drive back, we decided to stop by the Famine Museum in Strokestown. It was a very small museum that didn't seem to get a lot of traffic, but I was glad we went. We learned so much about Irish history on our trip, it was a nice way to end it. Our drive back to Dublin was pretty uneventful, and we made it back to our hotel. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport. Staying here really felt like our trip was over, but it was kind of nice to be able to go to bed early without feeling guilty. The next morning we packed up and headed home. After 24 hours of being awake, we were home and with the dogs. It was a fabulous trip for sure!
Dec 4th, 2012, 11:23 PM
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I really enjoyed your trip report,thank you for posting!
I am planning a family trip to Ireland for next summer, and it looks like we would pretty much follow in your footsteps.
Your report and details are very helpful so thank you again.
Would you mind giving the name of the B&B in Kenmare that you liked so much, and any other lodging you would recommend?
I am planning a family trip to Ireland for next summer, and it looks like we would pretty much follow in your footsteps.
Your report and details are very helpful so thank you again.
Would you mind giving the name of the B&B in Kenmare that you liked so much, and any other lodging you would recommend?
Dec 5th, 2012, 05:09 AM
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You certainly covered a lot of ground without seeming too rushed. Of course there are always more things to see in each area in which you stopped, you seem to have covered the things that were important to you. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.
You mentioned several times that you stopped for pictures. Will you be posting them anywhere that we can see them? I love looking at people's pictures especially when they are from one of my favorite places. Thanks in advance.
You mentioned several times that you stopped for pictures. Will you be posting them anywhere that we can see them? I love looking at people's pictures especially when they are from one of my favorite places. Thanks in advance.
Dec 5th, 2012, 06:20 AM
#6
What fun and having your last night at Matt Malloy's was a great choice. Westport was one of our favorite towns in Ireland.
I also have to agree that the Famine Museum in Strokestown is oh so interesting. When we went there I thought it would be depressing and dull and that we would be out of there very quickly. Just the opposite---we learned a good deal about the Irish experience and spent quite a bit of time there.
Thanks for taking the time to post. You brought back so many memories from our 2 trips to Ireland and make us want to return.
I also have to agree that the Famine Museum in Strokestown is oh so interesting. When we went there I thought it would be depressing and dull and that we would be out of there very quickly. Just the opposite---we learned a good deal about the Irish experience and spent quite a bit of time there.
Thanks for taking the time to post. You brought back so many memories from our 2 trips to Ireland and make us want to return.
Dec 6th, 2012, 11:16 AM
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Thanks! We did have a fantastic stay, and I wish we were back there now. Unfortunately, I doubt we will go back because we have a rule that we won't repeat places until we have gone to every place we want to, and, between the 2 of us, it is a pretty long list. Orginally, we were planning on spending more time in places; therefore, we would have only made it as far as Dingle. Since we may not make it back, I am so glad we changed our plans last minute because The Burren and Connemara were some of my 2 favorite things on this trip. I can also totally understand why people would want to linger in places because every place we went to, we were sad to leave. I will try to post my pictures, but the only place I have them right now is on my computer and Facebook. I will try and put them all in a public place.
Here are the names of the places we stayed at. All except for the one in Dublin, are from Rick Steves book.... he really knows how to pick a good B&B.
Dublin: Eagans Guest House. We didn't have a bad stay, and we were quite happy here, but it was not as good as the other places we stayed. It is about a half an hour walk from city center, so we walked every time. There is a bus nearby that goes to the city center if you don't want to walk. The did charge a lot for internet and for the breakfast. We thought nothing of it at the time, but every other place on the trip had 1 or both included... It may just be what happens in the big city.
Kilkenny: Berkeley House. We really like this B&B. The breakfast was delicious, and they had free parking. It is right in the city center, so it was easy to get around.
Kinsale: We stayed at The Olde Bakery B&B. It is run by an older couple, and we really liked it here. This B&B serve breakfast right in their kitchen, so it was a homey feel.
Kenmare: We stayed at the Watersedge B&B. This one was outside of the city, but still within walking distance which was nice. The room was really big and the view was great.
Dingle: We stayed at O'Neills Bed and Breakfast. It was a nice place, the rooms were large, and the breakfast was delicious. It is on a quiet side street, and isn't right smack dab in the middle of things, but still close enough to walk everywhere.
Doolin: We stayed at Seascape Bed and Breakfast. It is a little bit out there, but Doolin is so small, you are still within walking distance to the pubs and shops. I think this was the place that didn't have internet. This wasn't a big deal for us, but we had been spoiled with internet the rest of the trip, so we found it odd.
Galway: We stayed at the Petra House in Galway. It sat on a street with a line of Bed and Breakfasts. It isn't super close to the city centre, but still walkable. The breakfast was fantastic. Right when we sat down, a gentlemen next to us asked how fresh the salmon was, and the guys response was, "Fresh as of 6 this morning". Apparently he and his brother go catch salmon every morning for breakfast... That statement really solidifed my decision to get the salmon for breakfast.
Westport: We stayed at The Boulevard Guest House. Since we made a last minute decision to go to Westport, we got a good deal on a last minute reservation. We got a huge room with a huge bathroom! We probably could have fit at least 5 people in the room with us. I can't remember the owner's name, but she was so helpful with ideas and reccomendations. We really enjoyed our stay here.
Here are the names of the places we stayed at. All except for the one in Dublin, are from Rick Steves book.... he really knows how to pick a good B&B.
Dublin: Eagans Guest House. We didn't have a bad stay, and we were quite happy here, but it was not as good as the other places we stayed. It is about a half an hour walk from city center, so we walked every time. There is a bus nearby that goes to the city center if you don't want to walk. The did charge a lot for internet and for the breakfast. We thought nothing of it at the time, but every other place on the trip had 1 or both included... It may just be what happens in the big city.
Kilkenny: Berkeley House. We really like this B&B. The breakfast was delicious, and they had free parking. It is right in the city center, so it was easy to get around.
Kinsale: We stayed at The Olde Bakery B&B. It is run by an older couple, and we really liked it here. This B&B serve breakfast right in their kitchen, so it was a homey feel.
Kenmare: We stayed at the Watersedge B&B. This one was outside of the city, but still within walking distance which was nice. The room was really big and the view was great.
Dingle: We stayed at O'Neills Bed and Breakfast. It was a nice place, the rooms were large, and the breakfast was delicious. It is on a quiet side street, and isn't right smack dab in the middle of things, but still close enough to walk everywhere.
Doolin: We stayed at Seascape Bed and Breakfast. It is a little bit out there, but Doolin is so small, you are still within walking distance to the pubs and shops. I think this was the place that didn't have internet. This wasn't a big deal for us, but we had been spoiled with internet the rest of the trip, so we found it odd.
Galway: We stayed at the Petra House in Galway. It sat on a street with a line of Bed and Breakfasts. It isn't super close to the city centre, but still walkable. The breakfast was fantastic. Right when we sat down, a gentlemen next to us asked how fresh the salmon was, and the guys response was, "Fresh as of 6 this morning". Apparently he and his brother go catch salmon every morning for breakfast... That statement really solidifed my decision to get the salmon for breakfast.
Westport: We stayed at The Boulevard Guest House. Since we made a last minute decision to go to Westport, we got a good deal on a last minute reservation. We got a huge room with a huge bathroom! We probably could have fit at least 5 people in the room with us. I can't remember the owner's name, but she was so helpful with ideas and reccomendations. We really enjoyed our stay here.
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