Planning first trip to Irleand
Jan 16th, 2021, 04:36 PM
#21
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Hi Pja1, I've not been too attentive to Fodor's Forum during the past months, so I was glad to see your post about planning a driving trip to Ireland. You were so helpful to us as we were planning our driving trip to the area of Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps and Austria in 2015! Your plans to enjoy a driving trip to Ireland sound wonderful; in fact, it motivated us to look up our notes from our trip. Unfortunately, it was before our Fodorite days, so we don't have a trip report posted. But, we remember our trip as if it were just a couple of years ago.
I will post our basic itinerary in a day or two, commenting on some favorite places. We, too, rented a car and thoroughly enjoyed just exploring on our own. We made this trip in 2005, booking only our first night in Dublin. For the other lodging, mostly B & B's, we winged it. We received some good tips from locals, and explored areas which had not been on our radar. We're not sure whether or not this style would be practical today. We're so excited for you planning this driving trip to Eire!!!
I will post our basic itinerary in a day or two, commenting on some favorite places. We, too, rented a car and thoroughly enjoyed just exploring on our own. We made this trip in 2005, booking only our first night in Dublin. For the other lodging, mostly B & B's, we winged it. We received some good tips from locals, and explored areas which had not been on our radar. We're not sure whether or not this style would be practical today. We're so excited for you planning this driving trip to Eire!!!
Jan 18th, 2021, 11:05 AM
#23
We’ve done several trips driving around Ireland. Our favorite part was the west coast. So many of the FODORITES trip reports helped in our planning, so I’m adding my trip report. The B&B’s are a wonderful way to go. My advice: you get what you pay for. Pay a little more for the more charming places IMO.
Favorite places to wander were Westport, Achill Island, and Dingle Peninsula.
Biggest surprise was the food and my TR contains lots of it. We just couldn’t get over how good the food was.
Ireland----the isle of pleasant surprises!
Our second trip we drove north to south down the middle to see some ancestor places. Then next trip was mostly Dublin area.
Have fun planning.
Favorite places to wander were Westport, Achill Island, and Dingle Peninsula.
Biggest surprise was the food and my TR contains lots of it. We just couldn’t get over how good the food was.
Ireland----the isle of pleasant surprises!
Our second trip we drove north to south down the middle to see some ancestor places. Then next trip was mostly Dublin area.
Have fun planning.
Jan 19th, 2021, 11:45 AM
#24
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Pja1, it seems that your goal in visiting in Ireland, concentrating on the countryside, rather than cities, matches what we set out to do.
Our trip was from Aug.2-19. We appreciated having the long days-daylight until 10 PM. And we were lucky to have many sunny days. Even the other days were mostly light rain.
We, too, rented a car with automatic transmission. The only disappointment was that, after booking a compact car through Avis, we were given an intermediate-sized car, with that being the one and only car available. So the descriptions of the roads provided by other Fodorites made for an extra challenge. The roads, as described on another post, are mostly very narrow, many with rock walls. Tom did all the driving while I, Margie, constantly cautioned regarding ditches, etc. "no margin of error" because of extra-narrow lanes.
Before leaving, we used a map of Ireland to plot a tentative itinerary, being open to changes. We did pick up some great ideas from other travelers or B & B hosts.
We used the guide www.irelandbnb.com to book our lodging, mostly B & B's, but a few small family-run hotels. Many of the places where we stayed are still listed, but most have only a phone or e-mail. No online booking.
Right now we're getting ready to watch the Biden/Harris event at the Lincoln Memorial. Can't wait until noon tomorrow!!!
More to come!
Our trip was from Aug.2-19. We appreciated having the long days-daylight until 10 PM. And we were lucky to have many sunny days. Even the other days were mostly light rain.
We, too, rented a car with automatic transmission. The only disappointment was that, after booking a compact car through Avis, we were given an intermediate-sized car, with that being the one and only car available. So the descriptions of the roads provided by other Fodorites made for an extra challenge. The roads, as described on another post, are mostly very narrow, many with rock walls. Tom did all the driving while I, Margie, constantly cautioned regarding ditches, etc. "no margin of error" because of extra-narrow lanes.
Before leaving, we used a map of Ireland to plot a tentative itinerary, being open to changes. We did pick up some great ideas from other travelers or B & B hosts.
We used the guide www.irelandbnb.com to book our lodging, mostly B & B's, but a few small family-run hotels. Many of the places where we stayed are still listed, but most have only a phone or e-mail. No online booking.
Right now we're getting ready to watch the Biden/Harris event at the Lincoln Memorial. Can't wait until noon tomorrow!!!
More to come!
Jan 20th, 2021, 01:44 PM
#25
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We love our trips to Ireland, usually going in late March/April or October. We don’t mind the grey days, and until the last two trips had been very lucky with the weather. Our preference is for B&Bs but on the last trip (October 2019) we stayed in small hotels in Tralee and Westport and really enjoyed both of them.
Like Macross mentioned, we try to base ourselves for at least two, preferably 3 nights in an area, so we are not packing up and moving every day. We tend to gravitate to the coastal areas, too many to name but mostly West Cork and the southwest area. Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Trail, and if you can get up to Donegal, the Slieve League cliffs are spectacular (and free).
How much time will you have for the trip? If you assume 3 nights in an area, you can figure out how far you can get. We once did a loop around the Republic in 10 days, different stops every night, and I would totally NOT recommend doing this!
Like Macross mentioned, we try to base ourselves for at least two, preferably 3 nights in an area, so we are not packing up and moving every day. We tend to gravitate to the coastal areas, too many to name but mostly West Cork and the southwest area. Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Trail, and if you can get up to Donegal, the Slieve League cliffs are spectacular (and free).
How much time will you have for the trip? If you assume 3 nights in an area, you can figure out how far you can get. We once did a loop around the Republic in 10 days, different stops every night, and I would totally NOT recommend doing this!
Jan 20th, 2021, 02:19 PM
#26
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We’re looking at 12 nights. We prefer 3 night stays. May make our Waterford area a two night stay. My wife wants to go to the Waterford Crystal. Looking at flying to Dublin? If so, Trim may be our first two nights.
Jan 23rd, 2021, 11:27 AM
#29
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Paul, an abbreviated trip account of our 2005 Ireland visit
IRELAND
August 3-18, 2005
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY August 3-4, 2005
We used American Airlines miles and were routed through London to Dublin.
Our prepaid voucher with AVIS seemed to work OK. However, instead of the compact car with automatic transmission which we had ordered, we were given a mid-sized Nissan Primera, saying that it was the only car they had available. We had read about Ireland’s extremely narrow roads, with opposite side driving. In fact, before leaving, we practiced the mantra “Love the left; look right” and we often reminded each other of that.
From the beginning, Tom did amazingly well. Margie had to be the road watcher. In addition to narrow roads, many had high stone walls, or ditches on the side, leaving no margin for error. At least the main highways did not have these issues. We left the Airport Car Rental en route to our lodging.
Our first night was a B & B in Riverdale, Swords, north of the airport. We found it with no trouble. The room was a disappointment, but we quickly settled in. Tom wanted to venture out, so we headed toward the coast, through Malahide, Portmarnock, and Howth, the northern border of Dublin. Howth Bay was the perfect setting for our first Irish fish ‘n chips in a ½ take away/1/2 eat-in restaurant facing the coast. After dinner, and a little ice cream, we explored a bit of the hillsides, with gorgeous homesites, overlooking Howth Bay. We decided that for a future trip, we would stay in Malahide, which has a train accessing downtown Dublin. Or another idea we discussed was immediately getting transportation from the airport to downtown Dublin, renting the car when we left Dublin.
Although we planned our trip to concentrate on the countryside, we thought it worth a day in the capital city, Dublin.
Thursday, August 5
We caught a bus to central Dublin. Considering that we intended to spend only one day in Dublin city and that the city was under a massive re-construction, we decided that a Grayline “On and Off” Tour would give us a good overview of the city, which, in fact, proved to be highly informative, with an articulate and witty guide. We did a complete overview, stopping off at various main points: The River Liffey which slices the city in two, north south, the bridges, including the O’Connell Bridge and the Ha’Penny Bridge, the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the Georgian architecture surrounding Stephens’ Green Park, Christ Church Cathedral, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We enjoyed lunch in Dublin at the Arlington Hotel, along the Liffey River, across from Temple Bar area. What attracted us to dine there was a sign “Carvery Special”. Our curiosity was salved when we found that a carvery was what we referred to as a buffet. The meal was tasty.
Our next stop was the Guinness Brewery, learning that the Guinness Family had its imprint and impact not only in Dublin, but all over Ireland. The brewery itself is like a small city. We purchased a souvenir bottle opener and enjoyed our first Guinness. Following this visit to the Guinness Brewery, we proceeded on our tour. We had coffee in the Temple Bar area where we met locals named Mike, and had a delightful discussion about Ireland politics, economy, etc. It began to rain (what else, it’s Ireland?) so a covered shopping section gave us more exploration under cover.
We visited Grafton Street, walked around several streets, saw Molly Malone with her cockles and mussels, etc. And, of course, not to be missed was Trinity College, where the famous Book of Kells is housed.
It was a Thursday, when stores were open in the evening, so we wended our way to the shopping area. It was soon time to catch a bus back to our hotel.
When planning our trip, it was our intention to spend our time enjoying natural beauty rather than cities. But since Dublin is the capital of Ireland, we thought we would spend one day. In retrospect, we wish we had allotted at least one more day as there is a lot more that we could have enjoyed.
Friday, August 6
We left Dublin via M freeway, stopping in the delightful town of Enniskerry for a take-out lunch. Then we traveled up the hill to the outstanding Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, rated as one of the most spectacular in Ireland. We enjoyed gorgeous walks through the formal English and Italian gardens, as well as Japanese and other gardens. A stop for coffee and dessert on their outdoor patio with a beautiful view. Then we were off through the Wicklow Mountains, using an old “Military Road” through Sally Gap with gorgeous scenery and no buildings. Our first sight of the fifty shades of green!
We arrived in the town of Laragh, near Glendalough. We found a nice family-run hotel: Lynham’s with The Wicklow Heather Restaurant located nearby. It was about a 1 km. from Glendalough, where we would head for sunset.
Saturday, August 7
After a delightful breakfast at our hotel, we headed to the Glendalough Visitor Center to start our exploration of the area. We learned a lot about the old monastic settlement with the roundtower “cathedral”, many buildings from the 6th century with historical significance.
At approximately 3 PM we found a good take-out at McCoy’s deli, and began our drive toward the seaside town of Tramore, a 4-hr. drive with stops for gas and coffee. We passed through Waterford, knowing that we could purchase Waterford crystal near Galway, where we would be visiting in a few days.
We checked into our Grand Hotel, which had a lovely location right on the water. A delightful meal at the Sands Hotel next door!
Sunday, August 8
A nice breakfast at the Grand Hotel, with a beautiful view over Tramore Bay. On a morning walk along the coast, we encountered a local resident walking his dog. A great conversation ensued! Then, we were off to Cobh via the Coastal Road through Dungarven where we had a take-out coffee. We enjoyed the delightfully sunny day to explore the coastal road vistas. We met a few locals as we traveled; had interesting conversations.
Leaving Dungarven, we took the N, as we were eager to get to the Heritage Museum in Cobh. This museum was very impactful, providing the visitor a vivid experience of what the Irish people had to endure as they left their beloved homeland during the famine of the 1850’s. We wanted to delve into the history of that terrible era. Today, Cobh is a docking spot for tour ships, but then it was known as the port of sadness as families were split with no hope of ever seeing their loved ones again. It was very emotional. We learned the appalling conditions on an overcrowded and ill-equipped “coffin” setting out over a raging Atlantic to a far-off strange land!
We walked around the little city and had lunch in the bar of the Hotel Commodore. Then we were off to the city of Cork, Ireland’s 2nd largest city.
Monday, August 9
Jury’s Inn was our hotel in Cork. Cork was advertised as “the” European City of 2005. But there was construction all around the city. Apparently, they were a bit behind schedule in sprucing things up! We had dinner at Scot’s, a contemporary restaurant with tasty food.
Breakfast was at Kafka’s-a diner-type place. We visited Patrick Street where the main shopping and restaurants are, as well as Parnell nearby. Our only purchase was a CD of Irish/Celtic music.
Leaving Cork, we wanted to visit the most charming seaside town of Kinsale. We enjoyed a good lunch at Dino’s Fish n Chips. Coffee was at the Blue Haven Hotel, a place we would have tried to stay if we had had enough advance planning.
After a couple hours in Kinsale, we were eager to move on to Clonakilty. We stayed at a charming B & B, Aisling’s, on a hillside overlooking the town. We wove our way down the web of streets to Inchydonny Lodge, overlooking Inchydonny Beach. We had dinner overlooking the water.
Tuesday, August 10
We left Clonakilty about 11:30 AM, following a great discussion with the B&B owner. We drove to the seaside town of Skibberean, stopping for coffee and a little shopping.
We decided to take the advice of locals and explore the beautiful Mizen Head Peninsula. Mizen Head was so impactful: a huge granite craggy mass at the tip, with a huge lighthouse. To access the tip, we walked a long path, followed by 99 steps, and then over the Arched Bridge. The nearer one got to the point, the craggier the granite outcroppings, and the louder the sound of the waves. Apparently, many shipwrecks have occurred at this dangerous point.
On leaving Mizen Head Peninsula, we headed for the town of Bantry. We found the B&B Sonamar at the top of a high hill overlooking Bantry Bay. We had dinner at the Bantry Hotel, at the bottom of the curvy hill.
We enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the outdoor patio of the Sonamar with a view over Bantry Bay. Two women from Germany, plus the B & B owners, convinced us to enjoy the Beara Peninsula and Dingle, and skip the Ring of Kerry.
We traveled over to the town of Glengariff for our AM coffee en route to the Beara Peninsula and Killarney. The Healy Pass on R574 of the Beara Peninsula was outstanding mountain scenery. . .green mountains dotted with rock outcroppings. The rugged road, known as one of the finest mountain roads in Ireland, introduced us to the many sheep in Ireland, most with their signature paint marking. The Healy Pass road was named after Tim Healy, the 1st Governor General of the “Irish Free State”. The summit view into the valley was spectacular!
Healy Pass is part in County Cork and blends into County Kerry. We connected to a section of the Ring of Kerry on N 71, on the route to Killarney. We enjoyed the overlooks of gorgeous lakes-especially “Ladies View”!
After descending the mountain scenery, we ended up at Muckross House, a 19th century Victorian mansion, 3.7 mi. from Killarney. We visited the house and did the touristy thing of a ride in the jaunting cart back to Torc Falls.
In Killarney, we had dinner at Flesk Bar & Restaurant. We did not plan on spending time in the city Killarney but wanted to move on to explore Dingle.
Wednesday, August 11
The Dingle Peninsula is known for being green, rugged, and untouched. The second tallest mountain, Mt. Brandon, is here. Again, we were lucky to have a gorgeous, sunny day. Gaelic signs are all over the peninsula. “Huts” seen around Dingle were remnants of the Dark Ages when monks fled the chaos of barbarian raids of the continents.
Before getting far into our exploration, we had lunch at the Marina Pub.
The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is Slea Head. Over the Dingle Peninsula, there are over 2000 monuments. After hours of exploration of the peninsula, we arrived at Slea Head as the sun was getting lower in the sky. Someone told us that “right over Conner Pass” we could find B & B’s. The drive over beautiful Conner Pass was quite long and beautiful, but the B&B’s we finally encountered all had out NO VACANCY signs. This was the first evening that we were left scrambling.
But driving on ahead, we were relieved to get the last room at Crutch’s Hillville Hotel in Cloughane. This area was heavily Gaelic speaking, so when we went for dinner at Tigh Tomsi’s Pub, we chose menu items hoping for the best. We had a long, winding road back to our B & B.
Thursday, August 12th
Today we would be headed to enjoy the Cliffs of Moher, via the Tarbert Ferry to Kilkee. This ferry was a time-saver. We had a delightful lunch overlooking the water at Kilkee.
As we approached the Cliffs, the parking lot was torn up, prohibiting tour buses from stopping. We found a spot at a lower level, having to climb up a hill. So, this parking lot construction caused the area around the Cliffs to be very uncrowded.
The day was again sunny and beautiful. We were able to take our time, even relaxing on the grass.
Following the Cliffs visit, we drove through the Burren via a mountain road. We found a nice lodging in Ballyvaugh, a two-year old house built on property from Dad’s big acreage. Dinner was at a small local hotel.
Friday, August 13th
Ballyvaughan is in County Clare in the Burren area-mostly exposed limestone over 6000 yrs. old. Not enough soil for tree roots.
Today we were off to Galway and Connemara. A good conversation with the B&B owner gave us the tip of a parking garage in Galway.
The day went from overcast to drizzling, so the enjoyment of the main square was not so enjoyable. The central square honoring JFK was all torn up, being re-done. We had coffee in a shopping mall. Then decided to head to the little town of Spiddal on Galway Bay to purchase Waterford crystal at the shop, Standis. Galway Bay wasn’t that beautiful scene as is described in songs, but grey and kind of dismal. We had a delicious seafood meal at a lovely restaurant directly across from the Standis store. And we did purchase some lovely Waterford wine goblets.
One lodging, which we did have pre-booked, a splurge for us, was Lough Inagh in the town of Recess. The road signs were all in Gaelic, but the kindness of a convenience store clerk, who wrote the town names in English on our map, was a real help. We did successfully wend our way to Recess. We were delighted to find that our lodge was just as the guidebook said, “a long building facing the mountain peaks and the lake.” Our room faced the mountain range: the “Twelve Bens”. We had a light dinner of a salad in the bar.
Saturday, August 14th
We awoke to the gorgeous scenery surrounding us. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the elegant restaurant.
Then we were off to explore Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. The Abbey and its setting are outstanding!!! We toured the interior, as well as the gardens.
After touring the extensive gardens, we continued to explore Connemara, having lunch in the “capital town” of Clifden; very small. We had lunch in a local town pub: Lowry’s.
Connemara is in the westernmost part of County Galway. The interior is comprised of valleys and shimmering lakes. The main mountains are the “Big Bens” near our hotel.
Dinner was at Ballynahinch, a castle hotel nearby our lodging.
Sunday, August 15
The gracious owner of Lough Inagh called Aer Lingus for us to get seating assignments and called ahead to arrange the Cedar Lodge B&B in Westport. We had planned to travel north to Donegal to take in more of the rough ocean coast, but the owner’s husband presented the idea of exploring Achill Island along the Atlantic coastline in County Mayo. Our trip was winding down, and we’d have to be in Shannon in two days.
From Lough Inagh we headed toward Cong. After a lunch stop at the Hungry Monk Café, we visited the cottage modeled on the “Quiet Man” original. We had watched the famous old movie before our trip.
The reward of going to this area was our visit to the gorgeous Ashford Castle. This would be our choice of an overnight castle stay! We were permitted a self-guided tour and enjoyed cappuccinos in their front parlor. We learned that many VIPs stayed here, including the Reagans and the Clintons.
From this location, we drove on to Westport. After checking in to our lodging, we enjoyed dinner in town.
Monday, August 16
In the morning, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast and then began our trip to Achill Island on another picture-perfect day. The island has a 5000+ year history of human settlements; many remains of tombs and monuments believed to be from the 3rd or 4th century B.C. Lots of history to be taken in. But we were more interested in the phenomenal beauty of the Atlantic Coast, making a lot of stops. We had a delightful lunch at the Beehive Craft & Coffee Shop. A memorable experience was meeting on older, sweet lady who walked across the road from her home to greet us. Apparently, the gorgeous property along the coastline belonged to her family. She was delighted that we had stopped to enjoy it. A conversation with Mary was a highlight of our trip.
Dinner was over the bridge from the island. It was getting late, and we knew that our trip was winding down.
Tuesday, August 17
Departure day tomorrow: The main goal for our last day was to travel to Bunratty which is close to the Shannon Airport. The rainy weather reflected how we felt having to leave. The drive was uneventful. We arrived at our B&B which overlooked a peaceful pasture.
Once checked in, we drove to nearby Ennis for lunch. Following that, we went through the touristy Bunratty Castle, a large “tower house” in County Clare. Next to the castle is an extensive folk park. We explored that a bit and purchased a wool scarf. Dinner was at the famous “Durty Nellies”. Later on, a drink at a local pub and one last chance to hear Irish music.
It was time to pack for departure the next day.
Wednesday, August 18
Our flight didn’t leave until afternoon, so we had time to have an interesting conversation with the young woman owner of the B&B.
One of the enjoyments of a driving trip, staying at B&Bs, eating at local restaurants, etc. is meeting so many different people. That made our trip so memorable! In addition to a booklet containing references to B&Bs, we used a Frommer’s Guide.
I hope that our abbreviated trip journal gives you a few ideas of what you might enjoy in beautiful Ireland. There is so much to experience that it’s difficult to narrow choices. Have fun planning your venture. We’ll look forward to reading your TR, whenever that might be. Here’s hoping that it’s sooner rather than later!
August 3-18, 2005
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY August 3-4, 2005
We used American Airlines miles and were routed through London to Dublin.
Our prepaid voucher with AVIS seemed to work OK. However, instead of the compact car with automatic transmission which we had ordered, we were given a mid-sized Nissan Primera, saying that it was the only car they had available. We had read about Ireland’s extremely narrow roads, with opposite side driving. In fact, before leaving, we practiced the mantra “Love the left; look right” and we often reminded each other of that.
From the beginning, Tom did amazingly well. Margie had to be the road watcher. In addition to narrow roads, many had high stone walls, or ditches on the side, leaving no margin for error. At least the main highways did not have these issues. We left the Airport Car Rental en route to our lodging.
Our first night was a B & B in Riverdale, Swords, north of the airport. We found it with no trouble. The room was a disappointment, but we quickly settled in. Tom wanted to venture out, so we headed toward the coast, through Malahide, Portmarnock, and Howth, the northern border of Dublin. Howth Bay was the perfect setting for our first Irish fish ‘n chips in a ½ take away/1/2 eat-in restaurant facing the coast. After dinner, and a little ice cream, we explored a bit of the hillsides, with gorgeous homesites, overlooking Howth Bay. We decided that for a future trip, we would stay in Malahide, which has a train accessing downtown Dublin. Or another idea we discussed was immediately getting transportation from the airport to downtown Dublin, renting the car when we left Dublin.
Although we planned our trip to concentrate on the countryside, we thought it worth a day in the capital city, Dublin.
Thursday, August 5
We caught a bus to central Dublin. Considering that we intended to spend only one day in Dublin city and that the city was under a massive re-construction, we decided that a Grayline “On and Off” Tour would give us a good overview of the city, which, in fact, proved to be highly informative, with an articulate and witty guide. We did a complete overview, stopping off at various main points: The River Liffey which slices the city in two, north south, the bridges, including the O’Connell Bridge and the Ha’Penny Bridge, the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the Georgian architecture surrounding Stephens’ Green Park, Christ Church Cathedral, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We enjoyed lunch in Dublin at the Arlington Hotel, along the Liffey River, across from Temple Bar area. What attracted us to dine there was a sign “Carvery Special”. Our curiosity was salved when we found that a carvery was what we referred to as a buffet. The meal was tasty.
Our next stop was the Guinness Brewery, learning that the Guinness Family had its imprint and impact not only in Dublin, but all over Ireland. The brewery itself is like a small city. We purchased a souvenir bottle opener and enjoyed our first Guinness. Following this visit to the Guinness Brewery, we proceeded on our tour. We had coffee in the Temple Bar area where we met locals named Mike, and had a delightful discussion about Ireland politics, economy, etc. It began to rain (what else, it’s Ireland?) so a covered shopping section gave us more exploration under cover.
We visited Grafton Street, walked around several streets, saw Molly Malone with her cockles and mussels, etc. And, of course, not to be missed was Trinity College, where the famous Book of Kells is housed.
It was a Thursday, when stores were open in the evening, so we wended our way to the shopping area. It was soon time to catch a bus back to our hotel.
When planning our trip, it was our intention to spend our time enjoying natural beauty rather than cities. But since Dublin is the capital of Ireland, we thought we would spend one day. In retrospect, we wish we had allotted at least one more day as there is a lot more that we could have enjoyed.
Friday, August 6
We left Dublin via M freeway, stopping in the delightful town of Enniskerry for a take-out lunch. Then we traveled up the hill to the outstanding Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, rated as one of the most spectacular in Ireland. We enjoyed gorgeous walks through the formal English and Italian gardens, as well as Japanese and other gardens. A stop for coffee and dessert on their outdoor patio with a beautiful view. Then we were off through the Wicklow Mountains, using an old “Military Road” through Sally Gap with gorgeous scenery and no buildings. Our first sight of the fifty shades of green!
We arrived in the town of Laragh, near Glendalough. We found a nice family-run hotel: Lynham’s with The Wicklow Heather Restaurant located nearby. It was about a 1 km. from Glendalough, where we would head for sunset.
Saturday, August 7
After a delightful breakfast at our hotel, we headed to the Glendalough Visitor Center to start our exploration of the area. We learned a lot about the old monastic settlement with the roundtower “cathedral”, many buildings from the 6th century with historical significance.
At approximately 3 PM we found a good take-out at McCoy’s deli, and began our drive toward the seaside town of Tramore, a 4-hr. drive with stops for gas and coffee. We passed through Waterford, knowing that we could purchase Waterford crystal near Galway, where we would be visiting in a few days.
We checked into our Grand Hotel, which had a lovely location right on the water. A delightful meal at the Sands Hotel next door!
Sunday, August 8
A nice breakfast at the Grand Hotel, with a beautiful view over Tramore Bay. On a morning walk along the coast, we encountered a local resident walking his dog. A great conversation ensued! Then, we were off to Cobh via the Coastal Road through Dungarven where we had a take-out coffee. We enjoyed the delightfully sunny day to explore the coastal road vistas. We met a few locals as we traveled; had interesting conversations.
Leaving Dungarven, we took the N, as we were eager to get to the Heritage Museum in Cobh. This museum was very impactful, providing the visitor a vivid experience of what the Irish people had to endure as they left their beloved homeland during the famine of the 1850’s. We wanted to delve into the history of that terrible era. Today, Cobh is a docking spot for tour ships, but then it was known as the port of sadness as families were split with no hope of ever seeing their loved ones again. It was very emotional. We learned the appalling conditions on an overcrowded and ill-equipped “coffin” setting out over a raging Atlantic to a far-off strange land!
We walked around the little city and had lunch in the bar of the Hotel Commodore. Then we were off to the city of Cork, Ireland’s 2nd largest city.
Monday, August 9
Jury’s Inn was our hotel in Cork. Cork was advertised as “the” European City of 2005. But there was construction all around the city. Apparently, they were a bit behind schedule in sprucing things up! We had dinner at Scot’s, a contemporary restaurant with tasty food.
Breakfast was at Kafka’s-a diner-type place. We visited Patrick Street where the main shopping and restaurants are, as well as Parnell nearby. Our only purchase was a CD of Irish/Celtic music.
Leaving Cork, we wanted to visit the most charming seaside town of Kinsale. We enjoyed a good lunch at Dino’s Fish n Chips. Coffee was at the Blue Haven Hotel, a place we would have tried to stay if we had had enough advance planning.
After a couple hours in Kinsale, we were eager to move on to Clonakilty. We stayed at a charming B & B, Aisling’s, on a hillside overlooking the town. We wove our way down the web of streets to Inchydonny Lodge, overlooking Inchydonny Beach. We had dinner overlooking the water.
Tuesday, August 10
We left Clonakilty about 11:30 AM, following a great discussion with the B&B owner. We drove to the seaside town of Skibberean, stopping for coffee and a little shopping.
We decided to take the advice of locals and explore the beautiful Mizen Head Peninsula. Mizen Head was so impactful: a huge granite craggy mass at the tip, with a huge lighthouse. To access the tip, we walked a long path, followed by 99 steps, and then over the Arched Bridge. The nearer one got to the point, the craggier the granite outcroppings, and the louder the sound of the waves. Apparently, many shipwrecks have occurred at this dangerous point.
On leaving Mizen Head Peninsula, we headed for the town of Bantry. We found the B&B Sonamar at the top of a high hill overlooking Bantry Bay. We had dinner at the Bantry Hotel, at the bottom of the curvy hill.
We enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the outdoor patio of the Sonamar with a view over Bantry Bay. Two women from Germany, plus the B & B owners, convinced us to enjoy the Beara Peninsula and Dingle, and skip the Ring of Kerry.
We traveled over to the town of Glengariff for our AM coffee en route to the Beara Peninsula and Killarney. The Healy Pass on R574 of the Beara Peninsula was outstanding mountain scenery. . .green mountains dotted with rock outcroppings. The rugged road, known as one of the finest mountain roads in Ireland, introduced us to the many sheep in Ireland, most with their signature paint marking. The Healy Pass road was named after Tim Healy, the 1st Governor General of the “Irish Free State”. The summit view into the valley was spectacular!
Healy Pass is part in County Cork and blends into County Kerry. We connected to a section of the Ring of Kerry on N 71, on the route to Killarney. We enjoyed the overlooks of gorgeous lakes-especially “Ladies View”!
After descending the mountain scenery, we ended up at Muckross House, a 19th century Victorian mansion, 3.7 mi. from Killarney. We visited the house and did the touristy thing of a ride in the jaunting cart back to Torc Falls.
In Killarney, we had dinner at Flesk Bar & Restaurant. We did not plan on spending time in the city Killarney but wanted to move on to explore Dingle.
Wednesday, August 11
The Dingle Peninsula is known for being green, rugged, and untouched. The second tallest mountain, Mt. Brandon, is here. Again, we were lucky to have a gorgeous, sunny day. Gaelic signs are all over the peninsula. “Huts” seen around Dingle were remnants of the Dark Ages when monks fled the chaos of barbarian raids of the continents.
Before getting far into our exploration, we had lunch at the Marina Pub.
The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is Slea Head. Over the Dingle Peninsula, there are over 2000 monuments. After hours of exploration of the peninsula, we arrived at Slea Head as the sun was getting lower in the sky. Someone told us that “right over Conner Pass” we could find B & B’s. The drive over beautiful Conner Pass was quite long and beautiful, but the B&B’s we finally encountered all had out NO VACANCY signs. This was the first evening that we were left scrambling.
But driving on ahead, we were relieved to get the last room at Crutch’s Hillville Hotel in Cloughane. This area was heavily Gaelic speaking, so when we went for dinner at Tigh Tomsi’s Pub, we chose menu items hoping for the best. We had a long, winding road back to our B & B.
Thursday, August 12th
Today we would be headed to enjoy the Cliffs of Moher, via the Tarbert Ferry to Kilkee. This ferry was a time-saver. We had a delightful lunch overlooking the water at Kilkee.
As we approached the Cliffs, the parking lot was torn up, prohibiting tour buses from stopping. We found a spot at a lower level, having to climb up a hill. So, this parking lot construction caused the area around the Cliffs to be very uncrowded.
The day was again sunny and beautiful. We were able to take our time, even relaxing on the grass.
Following the Cliffs visit, we drove through the Burren via a mountain road. We found a nice lodging in Ballyvaugh, a two-year old house built on property from Dad’s big acreage. Dinner was at a small local hotel.
Friday, August 13th
Ballyvaughan is in County Clare in the Burren area-mostly exposed limestone over 6000 yrs. old. Not enough soil for tree roots.
Today we were off to Galway and Connemara. A good conversation with the B&B owner gave us the tip of a parking garage in Galway.
The day went from overcast to drizzling, so the enjoyment of the main square was not so enjoyable. The central square honoring JFK was all torn up, being re-done. We had coffee in a shopping mall. Then decided to head to the little town of Spiddal on Galway Bay to purchase Waterford crystal at the shop, Standis. Galway Bay wasn’t that beautiful scene as is described in songs, but grey and kind of dismal. We had a delicious seafood meal at a lovely restaurant directly across from the Standis store. And we did purchase some lovely Waterford wine goblets.
One lodging, which we did have pre-booked, a splurge for us, was Lough Inagh in the town of Recess. The road signs were all in Gaelic, but the kindness of a convenience store clerk, who wrote the town names in English on our map, was a real help. We did successfully wend our way to Recess. We were delighted to find that our lodge was just as the guidebook said, “a long building facing the mountain peaks and the lake.” Our room faced the mountain range: the “Twelve Bens”. We had a light dinner of a salad in the bar.
Saturday, August 14th
We awoke to the gorgeous scenery surrounding us. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the elegant restaurant.
Then we were off to explore Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. The Abbey and its setting are outstanding!!! We toured the interior, as well as the gardens.
After touring the extensive gardens, we continued to explore Connemara, having lunch in the “capital town” of Clifden; very small. We had lunch in a local town pub: Lowry’s.
Connemara is in the westernmost part of County Galway. The interior is comprised of valleys and shimmering lakes. The main mountains are the “Big Bens” near our hotel.
Dinner was at Ballynahinch, a castle hotel nearby our lodging.
Sunday, August 15
The gracious owner of Lough Inagh called Aer Lingus for us to get seating assignments and called ahead to arrange the Cedar Lodge B&B in Westport. We had planned to travel north to Donegal to take in more of the rough ocean coast, but the owner’s husband presented the idea of exploring Achill Island along the Atlantic coastline in County Mayo. Our trip was winding down, and we’d have to be in Shannon in two days.
From Lough Inagh we headed toward Cong. After a lunch stop at the Hungry Monk Café, we visited the cottage modeled on the “Quiet Man” original. We had watched the famous old movie before our trip.
The reward of going to this area was our visit to the gorgeous Ashford Castle. This would be our choice of an overnight castle stay! We were permitted a self-guided tour and enjoyed cappuccinos in their front parlor. We learned that many VIPs stayed here, including the Reagans and the Clintons.
From this location, we drove on to Westport. After checking in to our lodging, we enjoyed dinner in town.
Monday, August 16
In the morning, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast and then began our trip to Achill Island on another picture-perfect day. The island has a 5000+ year history of human settlements; many remains of tombs and monuments believed to be from the 3rd or 4th century B.C. Lots of history to be taken in. But we were more interested in the phenomenal beauty of the Atlantic Coast, making a lot of stops. We had a delightful lunch at the Beehive Craft & Coffee Shop. A memorable experience was meeting on older, sweet lady who walked across the road from her home to greet us. Apparently, the gorgeous property along the coastline belonged to her family. She was delighted that we had stopped to enjoy it. A conversation with Mary was a highlight of our trip.
Dinner was over the bridge from the island. It was getting late, and we knew that our trip was winding down.
Tuesday, August 17
Departure day tomorrow: The main goal for our last day was to travel to Bunratty which is close to the Shannon Airport. The rainy weather reflected how we felt having to leave. The drive was uneventful. We arrived at our B&B which overlooked a peaceful pasture.
Once checked in, we drove to nearby Ennis for lunch. Following that, we went through the touristy Bunratty Castle, a large “tower house” in County Clare. Next to the castle is an extensive folk park. We explored that a bit and purchased a wool scarf. Dinner was at the famous “Durty Nellies”. Later on, a drink at a local pub and one last chance to hear Irish music.
It was time to pack for departure the next day.
Wednesday, August 18
Our flight didn’t leave until afternoon, so we had time to have an interesting conversation with the young woman owner of the B&B.
One of the enjoyments of a driving trip, staying at B&Bs, eating at local restaurants, etc. is meeting so many different people. That made our trip so memorable! In addition to a booklet containing references to B&Bs, we used a Frommer’s Guide.
I hope that our abbreviated trip journal gives you a few ideas of what you might enjoy in beautiful Ireland. There is so much to experience that it’s difficult to narrow choices. Have fun planning your venture. We’ll look forward to reading your TR, whenever that might be. Here’s hoping that it’s sooner rather than later!
Mar 1st, 2021, 05:08 AM
#30
I have been twice and love Northern Ireland. We went for a motorcycle race one year but took a Game of Thrones tour the day before. Belfast is well worth a visit. I have taken a Black Cab Tour with a Catholic and a Protestant. Some places were the same but some very different. I didn't ask for this it just happened.
We have found that if you have an early landing in Dublin it is best to hop on a bus and travel to your first destination. McCombs did excellent tours and they all are hurting for business right now. We do the same for Galway, take the go bus, and then it is time to check-in. You can rent a car in both places if you'd rather drive. We used the train for our motorcycle race. Buses, trains, and taxis are our modes of transport these days. We are much happier.
I miss Ireland.
We have found that if you have an early landing in Dublin it is best to hop on a bus and travel to your first destination. McCombs did excellent tours and they all are hurting for business right now. We do the same for Galway, take the go bus, and then it is time to check-in. You can rent a car in both places if you'd rather drive. We used the train for our motorcycle race. Buses, trains, and taxis are our modes of transport these days. We are much happier.
I miss Ireland.
Mar 4th, 2021, 03:27 AM
#31
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We traveled with Mccombs the first year we went and found them just ok. The second time we traveled we used the same company that transported the Cast & Crew of Game of Thrones (City Tours Belfast) and found them much better as they visited more locations than the Mccombs tour.
I would go back tomorrow however and travel with any again to get out of the house at the minute and experience normality
I would go back tomorrow however and travel with any again to get out of the house at the minute and experience normality
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