Ireland Trip Report: Dublin, Waterford, Cashel, Connemara, Galway, Clare
Jul 23rd, 2003, 02:25 PM
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Ireland Trip Report: Dublin, Waterford, Cashel, Connemara, Galway, Clare
Here's the short version of our trip report:
Dublin Lodging: Trinity Lodge, very nice, great breakfast, a bit noisy on a warm summer night with the windows open. Location is really convenient for walking to almost everything.
Dublin Sites: Enjoyed the Book of Kells and the Long Room (wonderful old library) above it. National Museum helped put the rest of the trip in perspective. Took the hop on and off bus tour late in the afternoon on one day, staying on for the whole spiel and then used it to get to the Guinness Brewery and Jameson Distillery the next morning.
Dublin Restaurant: Favorite turned out to be the little Italian place just down from Trinity Lodge. Gallager's Boxty House was interesting, filling, but not really exceptional. Pub food at the Quay was also okay. Guinesss was great, also enjoyed Strongbow Cider.
Drive from Dublin down to County Waterford: Loved Glendalough Abbey, where we picked up Duchas(sp?) Heritage cards to use rest of the trip. Saw Avoca (neat demonstration of weaving) and Jerpoint Abbey (added nicely to understandings started at Glendalough), drove by Kells Priory ruins (apparently not open to the public but impressive to view from the road.
County Waterford Lodgings: Glasha Farmhouse, south of Clonmel. The hostess, Olive, has won awards and deserves them for the comfortable B&B she runs with lots of little extras. Her dinner was marvelous and she followed it with chocolates and Irish coffee in the lounge. Five Irish sisters were staying there for their annual "sister's trip" and they were lovely to talk to - even broke into song at one point - what fun. Breakfasts were incredible, with Olive's homemade Muesli absolutely outstanding. Olive also gave us wonderful suggestions and directions for exploring the area, including a drive over the Vee Gap, Lismore Castle, the Waterford Crystal factory (we enjoyed it) and a lovely coastal drive. Stay tuned for more!
Dublin Lodging: Trinity Lodge, very nice, great breakfast, a bit noisy on a warm summer night with the windows open. Location is really convenient for walking to almost everything.
Dublin Sites: Enjoyed the Book of Kells and the Long Room (wonderful old library) above it. National Museum helped put the rest of the trip in perspective. Took the hop on and off bus tour late in the afternoon on one day, staying on for the whole spiel and then used it to get to the Guinness Brewery and Jameson Distillery the next morning.
Dublin Restaurant: Favorite turned out to be the little Italian place just down from Trinity Lodge. Gallager's Boxty House was interesting, filling, but not really exceptional. Pub food at the Quay was also okay. Guinesss was great, also enjoyed Strongbow Cider.
Drive from Dublin down to County Waterford: Loved Glendalough Abbey, where we picked up Duchas(sp?) Heritage cards to use rest of the trip. Saw Avoca (neat demonstration of weaving) and Jerpoint Abbey (added nicely to understandings started at Glendalough), drove by Kells Priory ruins (apparently not open to the public but impressive to view from the road.
County Waterford Lodgings: Glasha Farmhouse, south of Clonmel. The hostess, Olive, has won awards and deserves them for the comfortable B&B she runs with lots of little extras. Her dinner was marvelous and she followed it with chocolates and Irish coffee in the lounge. Five Irish sisters were staying there for their annual "sister's trip" and they were lovely to talk to - even broke into song at one point - what fun. Breakfasts were incredible, with Olive's homemade Muesli absolutely outstanding. Olive also gave us wonderful suggestions and directions for exploring the area, including a drive over the Vee Gap, Lismore Castle, the Waterford Crystal factory (we enjoyed it) and a lovely coastal drive. Stay tuned for more!
Jul 23rd, 2003, 02:41 PM
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Part Two: From Glasha Farmhouse we went up to Cahir Castle (informative tour, starting outside the walls and tracing how attackers would have tried to get in and how the residents would have defended themselves. From there we went to the Rock of Cashel, which was impressive and interesting. Stayed at Rockside House B&B, great location, friendly hosts, simple clean and quiet accomodations with a nighttime view of the Rock lit up, okay breakfast. Wonderful dinner at Chez Hans and fun experience at the Bru Boru performance (Irish music and dance).
Made a long drive from Cashel to Connemara, with a stop at Clonmacoise Abbey. Wasn't as hard as we thought it was going to be. Found our B&B near Roundstone: Errisbeg Lodge, probably my favorite place to stay on the trip. Shirley & Jackie King were wonderful hosts, we had a kingsized bed (no tv, but not a problem!) and Connemara is glorious to explore. Jackie showed me the wildflowers that grew on their farm (wild orchids!) and introduced me to their two Connemara ponies, each with a foal. Two of the most gorgeous beaches I've seen in my life were just a short walk away and made wonderful evening strolls.
Roundstone is a great little village, with wonderful restaurants - everywhere we ate was good, though some were a bit pricier than others. Fish so fresh, sweet and firm that it tasted like lobster.
Connemara exploration highlights:
Taking the "Bog Road" from Roundstone to Clifden, riding on the beach by Omay Island, taking the ferry to Innisboffin, visiting Connemara national park, beautiful evening strolls on deserted beaches, watching the colors of the hills and water change with the weather, and the marvelous wildflowers. I'll go back!!!!
Stay tuned for Part Three.
Connem
Made a long drive from Cashel to Connemara, with a stop at Clonmacoise Abbey. Wasn't as hard as we thought it was going to be. Found our B&B near Roundstone: Errisbeg Lodge, probably my favorite place to stay on the trip. Shirley & Jackie King were wonderful hosts, we had a kingsized bed (no tv, but not a problem!) and Connemara is glorious to explore. Jackie showed me the wildflowers that grew on their farm (wild orchids!) and introduced me to their two Connemara ponies, each with a foal. Two of the most gorgeous beaches I've seen in my life were just a short walk away and made wonderful evening strolls.
Roundstone is a great little village, with wonderful restaurants - everywhere we ate was good, though some were a bit pricier than others. Fish so fresh, sweet and firm that it tasted like lobster.
Connemara exploration highlights:
Taking the "Bog Road" from Roundstone to Clifden, riding on the beach by Omay Island, taking the ferry to Innisboffin, visiting Connemara national park, beautiful evening strolls on deserted beaches, watching the colors of the hills and water change with the weather, and the marvelous wildflowers. I'll go back!!!!
Stay tuned for Part Three.
Connem
Jul 23rd, 2003, 03:04 PM
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Okay, I lied, this isn't such a short trip report!
From Connemara we went to Galway, to spend one night in the city. Jury's was wonderfully convenient but the room was really sub-par: very worn carpet and tired furnishings. No big deal as we spent minimal time there and the location was good. We ate at McDonagh's Restaurant, which had been recommended in several places for their seafood, but after what we had experienced in Roundstone, we found it pretty mediocre, if not downright bad. Surly waitress, pasted like sauces for the fish, and the first bad dish of potatos we'd had on the entire trip. After strolling the pedestrian only street of shops we had great dessert at a little cafe across from McDonaghs and then found ourselves in the Quays Pub and heard the best music of the trip. The fiddle player was a national champion, not only on the fiddle but also on the bodrahn, and he was incredible. By the time he was warmed up there was standing room only in the whole pub. They also had three young dancers, one of them a 14 year old boy who was also a national champion. Terrific stuff!!
The next day we headed to the Burren, staying at Rockyview Farmhouse. Great people and experience akin to visiting your cousins who live in the country. Saw the Cliffs of Moher, where the highlight was seeing the puffins (we'd been told where to look, otherwise we would have missed them). The next day we'd arranged to go on a hike with Shane Connolly, a local farmer and expert on the Burren, who took us up Black Head, telling us about the geology, ecology, pre-history and history of the area. Wonderful wildflowers, and the treat of exploring an isolated hill fort high on the hill. Shane's a great storyteller and gives you a unique perspective on Burren life past and present. Had fun tracking down the Burren Perfumery, hidden out in the middle of nowhere, where I found lavender sachets that made great presents for the folks back home (and made our suitcases smell great, too!)
Our last night in Ireland was in Kilkee, where we stayed at Halpin's Hotel, a nice place but more expensive than we'd bargained for (our estimate hadn't included VAT, and we'd forgotten to ask) The Loop Head drive was lovely, as was the walk on the point by the lighthouse.
Random notes: We found some good prices and interesting items on Waterford crystal and Beleek at the Beleek Shop in Ennis.
It was hard to find an ATM in the Burren area, especially after hours.
The good shops at the Shannon airport are after you go through security - don't waste time and energy on the shops in the main part of the airport.
We had a great trip.
From Connemara we went to Galway, to spend one night in the city. Jury's was wonderfully convenient but the room was really sub-par: very worn carpet and tired furnishings. No big deal as we spent minimal time there and the location was good. We ate at McDonagh's Restaurant, which had been recommended in several places for their seafood, but after what we had experienced in Roundstone, we found it pretty mediocre, if not downright bad. Surly waitress, pasted like sauces for the fish, and the first bad dish of potatos we'd had on the entire trip. After strolling the pedestrian only street of shops we had great dessert at a little cafe across from McDonaghs and then found ourselves in the Quays Pub and heard the best music of the trip. The fiddle player was a national champion, not only on the fiddle but also on the bodrahn, and he was incredible. By the time he was warmed up there was standing room only in the whole pub. They also had three young dancers, one of them a 14 year old boy who was also a national champion. Terrific stuff!!
The next day we headed to the Burren, staying at Rockyview Farmhouse. Great people and experience akin to visiting your cousins who live in the country. Saw the Cliffs of Moher, where the highlight was seeing the puffins (we'd been told where to look, otherwise we would have missed them). The next day we'd arranged to go on a hike with Shane Connolly, a local farmer and expert on the Burren, who took us up Black Head, telling us about the geology, ecology, pre-history and history of the area. Wonderful wildflowers, and the treat of exploring an isolated hill fort high on the hill. Shane's a great storyteller and gives you a unique perspective on Burren life past and present. Had fun tracking down the Burren Perfumery, hidden out in the middle of nowhere, where I found lavender sachets that made great presents for the folks back home (and made our suitcases smell great, too!)
Our last night in Ireland was in Kilkee, where we stayed at Halpin's Hotel, a nice place but more expensive than we'd bargained for (our estimate hadn't included VAT, and we'd forgotten to ask) The Loop Head drive was lovely, as was the walk on the point by the lighthouse.
Random notes: We found some good prices and interesting items on Waterford crystal and Beleek at the Beleek Shop in Ennis.
It was hard to find an ATM in the Burren area, especially after hours.
The good shops at the Shannon airport are after you go through security - don't waste time and energy on the shops in the main part of the airport.
We had a great trip.
Jul 23rd, 2003, 03:07 PM
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Hi Wren,
Turns out you'd already laid claim to the name I usually use - actually I couldn't remember if I'd already registered here using it, so I just added the 2. I've always liked wren birds, and wren's also a play on my maiden name - hence the screen name.
Turns out you'd already laid claim to the name I usually use - actually I couldn't remember if I'd already registered here using it, so I just added the 2. I've always liked wren birds, and wren's also a play on my maiden name - hence the screen name.
Jul 23rd, 2003, 03:59 PM
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Cool, I used Wren because it is my middle name, taken from a distant family relative many generations ago, Sir Christopher Wren, the designer of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. I'm glad we are sharing!! 
