Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Incredible, Impeccable Ireland...first trip to the Emerald Isle

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Thanks everyone! I appreciate that you are following along and am so happy to see some familiar names again. I still can't believe we finally got to go on the trip...hopefully we all realize how precious travel is--such a privilege and I missed it.

Great photos (of great hotels - which always helps ;) )

Looking forward to the rest for sure. Mike sounds like a gem.

Haven't been out of the country since Dec '19 and am planning on London for my significant birthday in Dec. (hoping anyway)

Irish Hurricane; Ghost Riders in the Sky; Are You "Sh!tt-ing" Me?

Day 3 - Adare, Cliffs of Moher, Doolin,The Burren

Right up front, this day was unforgettable...maybe one experience we all wish we could forget. Intrigued? Read on, Fodorite.

Well, we have a routine. Wake up. Grab bedside tablet to open the curtains, turn on the lights, gently at first and pinch ourselves. A few more things about the room. We had a tablet to control almost everything in the room. During the night, we realized there was a nightlight sensor to make sure you can get to the bathroom without running into a wall. Chaz made an espresso and I had diet coke that was available in the mini-bar at no charge (also beer, water, shortbread, chips and chocolate)

Breakfast was included and they had everything you could want---including streaky bacon. I had poached eggs with avocado on soda bread test and Chaz had an omelette and we both had streaky bacon. They also have the best fresh juices and bring a shot of the daily juice...today beet/apple but I also got pineapple juice and it was heaven. Breakfast was wonderful and served in a huge gallery. Beautiful.

Mike met us at 10am for our first day trip. He watched the forecast closely and it was supposed to be sunny. It wasn't but wasn't raining---just gloomy. We were fine as we know the Irish weather is all over the place. Mike was very bummed as he really did his best to plan for our trips to be on days with good weather.

Off we went and our first stop was Ennistimon and these beautiful falls right by a small hotel (I think called The Falls). Literally, this right off the road and there were donkeys!! These were not interested in us and did not dome over to greet us but it's OK. It was a pretty place to stop and we'd never had found it without Mike.
From there we drove to the beach at Lahinch and also got a look at the golf course at Lahinch. We were on a schedule as we had decided to see the Cliffs from the water rather than land.

We made our way to the ferry for the cliffs where it began to rain. Mike brought us extra coats as he had checked out our coats and rain shells and thought we would be cold. So I wore this massive purple puffer coat on top of my coat. (It felt very Home for the Holidays when Holly Hunter loses her cool leather coat at the airport and her mother gives her a full length Michelin man puffy coat to wear). I was warm.

We bought our tickets and then I waited in a bathroom line that went no where. At 50 something, I was the spring chicken in the line as most of the people going on the trip were in their seventies, I think. I love being the youngest one again!! After about 10 minutes of no progress, I made my way to the men's side where no one was waiting. Sorry guys.

One theme during the trip was the great Irish sense of humor. The tour guide from the tour bus group also pointed out where we could get a cup of coffee because "you'll need something to throw up out there". Hilarious. The rain started and the wind picked up as we stood there waiting for the ferry. And that coat was getting heavy but it had a great hood. We finally got on the ferry and decided that sitting facing away from the front of the boat would allow us to see nothing and we chose seats on the left to try to get a good view.

Turns out, the seats facing the stern woulda been a good choice. As we rounded a point and headed up the coast and along the Cliffs the rain came down. Well, no. That's a lie. It came perfectly sideways and pelted us relentlessly. And it dripped from my hood into my face. Having just had several hurricanes in the US, we felt like the Weather Channel reporters standing out in the storms for their reports. Standing to take a photo was a challenge. I mean it hadn't rained until we got in line to buy that ferry ticket. It was an Irish hurricane. Look, the cliffs were still beautiful but we did not get the best weather in which to see them. It got a little better when we made the turn to go back to the dock and had pretty much stopped by the time we got off the ferry. The gods were angry at us apparently (maybe I shouldn't have used the men's restrooms). By the time we got to Mike that coat weighed a ton...but I wasn't cold! No one was more upset than Mike about the weather...I coulda cried for him because the forecast looked like around the time we took the ferry the weather would be good. Turns out, it cleared up a bit just in time for the next ferry that was heading out. Murphy's law, I guess...isn't Murphy an Irish name?

We headed to Doolin and to a pub that Mike recommended as they have entertainment and excellent seafood chowder. During the trip, Mike asked about our night in Dublin and we told Mike I had my first Guinness. He asked if I liked it and I explained that I am not a beer drinker and that it was OK but a little bitter for me. We stopped at Gus O'Conor's pub and sat outside in a tent because there was live entertainment. We both decided to get the chowder and I asked Chaz to get me a diet coke as he headed into the pub to pay. Mike came out and headed to the van and I sat alone waiting for Chaz and listening to the guys play.

Everyone sang along with the songs and the guys in the group took turns with lead vocals as one would walk away to get a drink, or smoke or chat with someone. very informal but fun. After awhile, I looked up and saw Chaz standing outside holding one Guinness. I caught his eye in disbelief. He walked over and said it was a madhouse inside and by the time they waited on him, he forgot my diet coke. So, he offered me his Guinness and I took it. Off he went to get another Guinness and Mike came up to the tent and looked shocked to see me with that Guinness. He laughed for 5 minutes....1. "cause I don't really like Guinness but after the Irish hurricane, it seemed like a great idea (and it did go down better with the music and food). 2. It was a pint and looked huge in my hand...I have tiny hands.

The band played while we inhaled the chowder--it was terrific! They played a lot of older country songs andI sang along with "Help me Make It through the NIght" and Yippie-I-ay, yippie-I-o, Ghost riders in the sky. I can't remember everything they played but it was a little bit of magic and so fun. Kind of everything you might want from an Irish pub experience. It was time to say farewell and hit the road again and off we went up the coastline toward The Burren.

The grass in the Burren is so cushy! While it is mostly rocky there, grass grows and you see lots of cattle and sheep grazing. Apparently, the heat taken in by the rocks allows grass to grow year round and the nutritional content is high. It's a unique area.

Mike was stunned that we thought the coast was beautiful in the gloomy weather but it was. Quite different than our landscape in Georgia!

We stopped to see a beautiful location that Mike and his family love to go to and camp and saw some great cliffs there. As we continued our way up, there was another pull over for people to stop and take in the view. We were there with another driver who was warm and friendly (and knows Mike) and we were all chatting. His two clients were standing along a barrier but didn't say anything to us. Chaz was standing at the barrier and then walked over to me and let me know that there was a guy down below---pretty much right under us---who was taking a dump right there. Well, I had to walk over to look and that's when I also heard this guy kinda moaning and crying out. Not only was he making all kinds of sounds but he was completely naked. Now, I can't imagine deciding that a pull off for a scenic overlook would be the spot for that activity...but I would not need to take my shirt off to accomplish that goal. Wow - do we pay extra for this?

We let Mike know and he thought surely he had been swimming...until the guy walked out and got in the driver's seat of another car---holding a roll of toilet paper. We could not stop laughing. I know they said something to him but I couldn't hear it over my own laughter. The other couple never said a word and they didn't laugh but we couldn't stop. This was not on the itinerary but I'm certain we will never forget it.

From there, we made our way up to Poulnabrone but we had already seen THE sight of the day. From Poulnabrone we stopped at Leamaneh Castle and then drove down to the grounds of Dromoland Castle--which is lovely property and hotel.

During the day, Mike asked what we were doing on Sunday and we didn't really have plans other than more streaky bacon and running around the grounds at Adare Manor. He asked if we had seen hurling and we hadn't. He manages a local team and they invited us to their game in Shannon. He also invited Chaz to play golf with his friends instead of at Adare Manor later in the trip. He was very generous and wanted us to experience all things Irish and leave with the best impression of Ireland (and have a great time). We took him up on the offer to attend the game and got tickets arranged.

He dropped us back at the manor and we cleaned up for our off property dinner at 1826 Adare. I had seen a great looking little wine bar in Adare called Oak and Apple and we thought we'd head there for a quick glass of wine before our dinner. Unfortunately, they had not reopened and so we took some time to walk around the park in Adare and also check out the little thatched cottages that line the street. We did have to show our proof of vaccinations to enter.

This restaurant has a small menu but it's unique and I ended up getting Korean fried chicken. Chaz got a steak with garlic butter and we had chips with our dinner. I think we had a Sancerre again and we ended with some Irish cheeses. It was a great meal. Naturally, it started to rain on the way back and once we got in the gate on the manor property, we were not sure exactly which way to go and we had not called the shuttle. We made up back in the dark and headed to Te Tack Room for a nightcap. I got a hot Irish whisky and it was delicious especially after our kinda soggy day.

The Irish coastline is gorgeous - rain or shine and we had the most fun day. Gus O'Connor's was a blast and we survived our Irish hurricane and our roadside surprise!

Up next:

That looks like it hurts, Everyone knows Mike, Ballingarry

@janisj - Mike is a gem--no doubt. I hope you get to go on your trip. We missed going to London over Christmas last year and that's probably our next trip. And, you are right - just point and shoot in Adare Manor and you'll get a great picture!

What a gracious building and grounds.

Sounds like a fun start to the trip, but that rain must’ve been disappointing. Hope you still got some photos...

You had rain, the Sept. day we were to go to The Cliffs of Moor it was so foggy there that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The Dingle Peninsula more than made up for that loss.
But the story of the naked man surpasses anything that you could have made up.
And after all that rain you had that stunning property to return to.
I certainly hope the weather improved for you.

I'm so glad to read another of your most excellent trip reports -- glad you're not glossing over uncomfortable parts... the places you stayed look fabulous!

I always love reading your trip reports and am so glad you were able to go on this trip.

I had been toying with the idea of taking a trip to Ireland next June for the first time, but frankly, just thinking of figuring out all of the necessary Covid protocols to navigate left me exhausted and I pretty much abandoned it. But your trip report is perking up my interest again, big time.

Still along for the ride . . .

A sort of off topic question (and I don't know if it is just my monitor) did you intend to post it in bold? If not, you can probably ask the Moderators to 'unbold' it for you.

And if it IS just on my display - ignore the above ;)

The Shelbourne sells a glass with a bullet lodged in it as the ladies still had tea on Easter Sunday 1916 till a bullet came through the windows. I love the history of that hotel. The bathtub in Adare Manor! I am not a bath person but that is a beauty. Gus O'Connors is such a great pub. Glad there were some redeeming moments to the wet, soggy day. I saw the cliffs from the boat and it was spectacular but not a rough day like you had. People were green on a nice day.

Thanks everyone for the comments...and for reading

Chepar...the requirements really weren't the bad. Don't let it stop you from traveling. I was a bit stressed trying to manage it but no one in Ireland was too demanding on what we had as vaccination proof and the testing for re-entry to the US was pretty easy. You can make appointments through a company called RocDoc that can be done at a number of locations and they offer both rapid antigen and PCR.

Janisj - I did post in bold to make it easier to find the TR portions vs the comments (sorry)

Day 4 -That looks like it hurts, Everyone knows Mike, Ballingarry

Shannon & Ballingarry

We slept a little late (for us) and woke up to perfect weather in Adare. One of our favorite things about being on vacation is having breakfast. It’s so nice to have options and have a sit-down breakfast without having to cook or clean up. We also loved the streaky bacon at Adare Manor. I did have to laugh as we got a server who brought me a check for my diet coke (not included with breakfast) as soon as be brought the drink.

We explored the side of the property where the Desmond castle ruins are first and a bit along the River Maigue. We ended up back in Adare to see the lovely little park and thatched cottages in sunlight. And, we needed to get some cash. It’s such a charming village. We weren’t in a hurry but had plans to go to the Hurling match in Shannon. Mike was picking us up at 1:15pm to go.

He retrieved us and off we went to Shannon. His wife took over entertaining us, since he is one of the team managers. She is very fun and they both were very welcoming to us.

She also did a great job of explaining the scoring and the rules plus pointing out their son and Mick (who had the pups and pig we met on our first day) on the field.

Hurling is very physical and the players do not wear pads or gloves. It’s like hockey and lacrosse combined. While our team came up a bit short, we had a terrific time cheering them on and met the man from town (Clonlara) who opened the church for us. He was surprised to see us there. It’s a rowdy crowd and quite an experience. I don’t know how they control the ball (sliotar) on that stick (hurley)! When they are all crowded up, stabbing at the ball to get possession and their hands are bare---I don’t know how they don’t end up with broken fingers. Or maybe they have broken fingers but would never let on. Ouch!

Our dinner was off property at a country house hotel at a restaurant call The Mustard Seed. We were driven by a gentleman (Mike #2) who knew our driver and he did a lot of trash talk on the way with some messages for us to deliver to Mike #1. He was great fun and it seems our driver Mike #1 knows everyone!

The countryside between Adare and Ballingarry was really pretty and the restaurant is located in a big ole’ house with eclectic décor. We were seated in front of a fire for cocktails and we had a little champagne to start. Once at the table, we had some more Champagne and ordered. They do a four course dinner for a very reasonable price. I started with an eggplant and goat cheese tart/galette. I also had some wonderful tomato soup (homemade, of course) that was terrific. My main was a tenderloin with a short rib ravioli (Chaz had lamb- a piece of loin and 2 rib chops). Dessert was strawberries with a madeleine and Earl Grey ice cream.

We were seated at another fireplace for dessert and coffee. The staff at The Mustard Seed are excellent and we enjoyed our time there. My wrap enjoyed it so much that it stayed behind. Once we started dessert, the staff called our driver (Mike #2) and he was waiting for us when we were done.

We turned in upon our return as we had an early start the next day at 8am for our day trip to Dingle Peninsula.

Next: Don’t crack your head open; red, white and blue; sheep don't always follow

Glad to get the suggestion for The Mustard Seed restaurant. Your description made it sound so good. I will put it on our “go to” list for that area of Ireland.

BTW, I like your idea of the bold type for your TR to differentiate from the comments.

I love hurling and so nice to see a local match. I am now wishing we had more than just three nights next May. I do miss Ireland. I have been to Ireland so many times but never Adare. On my list now. The eggplant/goat cheese tart sounds delish.

Great report denisea! Adare Manor looks amazing. So does the Guinness. (:

I am so happy to see you traveling again! Fun trip report to read. I like that your TR is in bold, easier to read.

@chepar, the protocol to enter and leave Europe is not that bad. The best part of traveling this year and a half has been no crowds.

I enjoyed this report so much! Such a fun trip and Adare Manor surely speaks luxury! All the photos look great :)

Don’t crack your head open; red white and blue; sheep don’t always follow

Dingle Peninsula/Slea Head Drive

We had an early pickup as we had a lot of ground to cover during the day. We decided to have breakfast in our room to enjoy the room and save a little time. Good move. We were loving the bakery baskets at Adare Manor….usually a croissant, pain au chocolate, a raisin croissant thing, a muffin and a doughnut of some kind. Too much for 2 people but always fresh and delicious. All of our breakfasts were good but we’d give the edge to The Shelbourne for their soda bread and hash browns. I do love when a complete breakfast is included with the room and when you can get it in your room without a bunch of insane charges like we see in the US. At Adare Manor, two people delivered the breakfast on trays and set up the table in your room as if you are in a restaurant. Very well done.

We headed out early with Mike for the Dingle Peninsula. For our fist trip to Ireland, we did not want to change hotels multiple times. We know we could have moved around and saved some drive time but we usually like to settle in and relax. We both hate packing and unpacking and we were happy with that choice. At this hotel, you don’t really want to leave!

The weather was a little gray in the morning but we knew it would burn off. The Conor pass is beautiful and we stopped at a little waterfall just off the road. Mike cautioned us not to fall as he had a recent passenger that fell and narrowly missed hitting her head! I had on newer hiking shoes and wasn’t entirely comfortable in how they would perform while hiking over large rocks. DON”T CRACK YOUR HEAD OPEN ON VACATION. No pressure. Mike told us there is a lake at the top if climb up and we had to do it. I was just trying to keep up with Chaz who is a foot taller than me and can always climb faster. Don’t crack your head open. The scenery is just beautiful with the falls and brook and another thing we loved….no one else there. No one at the lake at the top (worth getting up early for). And, then the climb down over the same slicks rocks/boulders. Don’t crack your head open. I’ll admit to sitting and sliding down some rocks rather than stepping down—no points off for form. We both made it without falling and hitting our head and we were off again. Mike told us we’d stop at some of the other sights along the way on the way back when the sun was out.

The coastline along the peninsula is gorgeous. Mike’s wife came up here a lot with their family and she told us a lot about the area the day before. Her father is buried up here and he sounds like quite an adventurous man! He actually sailed around the world solo and climbed a number of mountains. The beaches along the way were amazing to see and the sun came out as we traveled. Inch beach and Coumeenoole Beaches are especially picturesque. We also argued about how to view the "sleeping giant" Inishtooskert island.

I was surprised to see hedges of fuchsia along the way. I love fuchsia and have quickly killed every fuchsia plant I ever purchased. I think it is just too hot here for it to thrive. Gorgeous to see the fuchsia in bloom all along the way but I didn't realize it grows in hedges.

I didn’t take notes along the way but mostly just wanted to enjoy the scenery and get some good photos. My apologies for the lack of info. We also had been booked on Dingle Sea Safari for time on the water and needed to be there around 1pm to check in etc…Mike was able to get his vehicle places that a bus would not be able to go to and also knew of some spots that we wouldn’t have found. The scenery did not disappoint. We had a toastie at a little bar and they knew Mike. It wasn’t even his first choice of spots to go but it seems that with family on his wife’s side still in the area and with driving tourists around, people know Mike everywhere. Nice little spot and lots of banter from the owner. I just shoulda said no to the onions on the toastie.

The sun was out when we checked in a Dingle Sea Safari. The team there is very friendly and very customer focused. While we had waterproof shells to go over our jackets the Sea Safari provides jackets and pants so we were all set. I follow Fungie to dolphin on Instagram and was sad to see back in October 2020 that he hadn’t been seen in awhile and is presumed dead now. I am sorry to not have gotten to see Fungie but did get a photo with his bronze statue in town (I believe he lived in the harbor for 37 years). Fungie was a local celebrity and probably made a lot of people a lot of money as they guaranteed Fungie sightings.

We did visit what was called Fungie’s bedroom along the coast and the cliff along the way were beautiful. Brilliant weather and the coast is a treat for the eyes. Our time at Cliffs of Moher was long in the rear view mirror and we loved this sea safari. I love to be on the water and while we saw no whales we did see dolphins and tons of seals. The seals were all sunning at Great Blasket Island and it was breeding season. We did see a few seal pups. The trip is about 2.5 hours and we are so glad we went. Highly recommend if you love being on the water. We also saw a few sheep and two donkeys on Great Basket Island.

Dingle is beautiful and we’d love to go back and spend more time. We headed back to catch the views from Conor Pass in the sun and they were worth it. Tons of sheep around and at some point Mike gave me the answer to one of life’s great mysteries. Why do they paint sheep? You always see red or blue splotches over their pretty white wool. I always expected it had a little something to do with ownership but more importantly, it helps identify which sheep have had vaccinations. We got a few close shots but one that I was closest to did have horns and I wasn’t looking to upset him. We did try to make friends with two on the road but they were not having it and trotted down the road. They were focused on grazing and we weren’t offering anything they were interested in . They did not follow us

We had an incredible day full of beautiful scenery, laughs and fun. We were tired when Mike dropped us back Adare Manor that evening. We decided not to eat in the dining room at Carriage House where we had a reservation. The bar is huge and serves a more casual menu. It turned out to be the worst meal we had on the trip. Not absolutely terrible but both our dinners were quite greasy. I’m Southern and can handle grease but this was surprising and disappointing. Fish and chips and a burger. I love a good greasy burger but it was too greasy. Oh well..we were tired and you can’t cry over spilled milk. We called it a night after a great day on the Dingle peninsula!